ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND LUNCH, 22 MARCH 2024

Thirty-five Past Master members of Apollo 19 Past Masters Association gathered at Wax Chandler’s Hall for their AGM and Lunch. 

During the meeting Hon. Secretary Simon Catford was re-elected with a rousing round of applause and thanks for all the work he does on behalf of the Association and Committee members John Cardnell, Rosie Carne and Phil Davis were re-elected for a further three-year term.

Reports from Treasurer Andy Mayes showed the accounts were in good health, Webmaster Lesley Day encouraged all to make more use of the Association’s website. Chairman Iain Reid summarised the results of the recent membership survey and details of forthcoming 2024 events were announced.

After the meeting there was an opportunity for members to mingle over a glass of bubbles before heading to the Livery Hall for lunch. Past Master Joan Beavington gave a talk on the history of Wax Chandlers Hall and Marcus Fincham said grace. There followed a delicious lunch of fish cake, seasonal lamb and rhubarb and apple tart. In closing Chairman Iain Reid thanked all for coming.

PRESIDENT'S DINNER 9 NOVEMBER 2023

On 9^th November 2023 64 members of Apollo 19 Past Masters Association gathered at Barber Surgeons Hall for the annual President’s Dinner hosted by Sir Peter Estlin. 

Whilst the weather outside was cold and miserable, the atmosphere inside was warm and friendly with guests mingling and chatting during the pre-dinner reception. As is our custom guests were given random numbers instead of a formal seating plan which allowed everyone to sit and chat with, in some cases, consorts or past masters they did not previously know well.

Before dinner, our President welcomed all to the dinner. This was followed by Grace given by PM Marcus Fincham and a delicious three course meal of confit of duck, Hereford Beek and Tarte Tartin to follow. 

Our host Past Master Barber Surgeon, Tim Cutler, provided a short and interesting history of the Hall which dated back to 1308. The Hall was in its third reincarnation following the Great Fire and WW2. It was Henry VIII who had united the Barbers and the Surgeons under one roof, and a magnificent Holbein painting watching over the diners marked the occasion. Bearing in mind we were eating, Tim gave a very tactful insight into the work of Barber Surgeons going back over the years, and explained that the “surgeon” element of the Company now came under the auspices of the Royal College of Surgeons.



During coffee, pianist Ms Ke Ma, a student at the Guildford School of Music and Art, gave a short concert, and then our Chairman Past Master Iain Reid, gave a short presentation on plans for the coming year and announced a £1000 donation to the Lady Mayoress’ Charity.   Then it was time for a stirrup cup before heading back out into the November evening.

APOLLO 19 EXPLORES THE CITY, SEPT. 2023

A merry band of 12 Apollo 19 explorers, led by Past Master Actuary Nick Salter, gathered at Queen Anne’s statue in front of St Paul’s Cathedral to undertake an exploration of the St Paul’s area of the City.

Armed with clues the explorers had to made their way round 19 key points in the area obtaining key words, numbers and answers to clues to find where the buried treasure was on a map of a strange island off Essex.

The explorers split into three groups and set off.  Their travels took them to Festival Gardens, Watling Street, Bow Churchyard, Guildhall Yard, past Armorers and Girdlers Hall, into Brewers Hall Gardens, Postman’s Park, Paternoster Square before completing their tasks back at Queen Anne’s Statue. 

It would be very wrong of your scribe to say where the buried treasure was, but the teams had passed their initiative tests and earned their lunch at a wonderful restaurant in Paternoster Square.

Needless to say, your scribe’s awful sense of direction (and Google Maps) ensured we got lost and were last to finish, but nevertheless a good time was had by all and thanks go to Nick Salter for arranging this fun event.

SUMMER LUNCH, CAVALRY AND GUARDS CLUB, JULY 2023

The Summer Lunch in July 2023 took place in the Cavalry and Guards Club on Piccadilly, London on 13^th July.

When the Club first occupied the site in 1890, it was a proprietary club owned by an officer in 20^th Hussars, but five years later, ownership pass into the hands of its members and it became a members’ club. They raised the funds to build a new clubhouse and this was completed in 1908. The Club narrowly avoided closure in 1987 but the members raised the capital to buy the property for the Club. The Club has been fully restored and its many public rooms reflect the battles and work of the Cavalry and Guards regiments. Our lunch took place in the beautiful Peninsula Room.

Following a meeting of Apollo 19’s Committee 50 guests joined the Committee for pre-lunch drinks and a delicious three course lunch, where, as is our usual custom, the guests were seated randomly.  Our Chairman, Iain Reid gave us a brief history of the Club followed by Grace from Marcus Fincham. After lunch Nick Salter invited all to take part in a puzzling City Walk in late September and our Secretary Simon Catford talked about arrangements for the November Presidents Dinner.

After a most convivial lunch it was time to say farewell until the next time.



TRIP TO BRUGES, MAY 2023

The trip to Bruges was an unqualified success for the 33 Apollo 19 Past Masters and Consorts who ventured forth on our first overseas trip. There was plenty of opportunity to wander the streets and chatter.

Those familiar with Bruges will know about the unchanged mediaeval City with canals and walkways, courtyards, cloisters, cathedrals, churches bell towers and palaces. A delight to amble round with many opportunities to stop in the sunny streets for a coffee or local draught beer or wine or lunch….or all of the above!

Despite its rather black portrayal in the film “in Bruges” the city is welcoming and friendly and there was no sign of gangsters or bodies to be found. We enjoyed some very informative guided tours of museums, galleries, a brewery and a trip on the canal. We also had some delicious lunches and dinners organised for us by our Chairman and our Secretary.

The only momentary hiccup was a fear that our first arranged evening restaurant might have been drunk dry by our number, but the Chairman reassured us all that this was not the case and a contingency saved the day.

Thanks go to Iain and Simon for organizing a successful and memorable trip. We now look forward to the next one!

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 23 MARCH 2023 AT BAKERS HALL

The Annual General Meeting of the Association took place in the lovely Bakers’ Hall in Harp Lane.

On arrival, the 32 Masters attending were quickly ushered into the Court Room, while their Consorts were shown upstairs for a refreshing glass of Champagne. The doors of the Court Room were discreetly closed to prevent the early exit of any Masters distracted by the lure of the bubbles upstairs. However, in pursuit of a swiftly executed meeting, the meeting was conducted without seating and at pace.

The agenda was structured to give members an update on forthcoming events including the trip to Bruges, the Summer Luncheon and the President’s Dinner. The Hon Treasurer reported on the sound state of the finances and the accounts were approved. Also members were asked to approve the re-election of the Chairman, Dr Iain Reid (Waterman) and Hon Treasurer, Andy Mayes (Firefighters), plus Committee Members, Cheryl Roux (Independent), Nick Salter (Actuaries) and Mark Sismey-Durrant (International Bankers). There were a few questions from the floor and then the meeting adjourned. Full minutes have subsequently been circulated to all members.

After the champagne, we were treated to a delightful lunch in the Livery Hall. Seating was arranged randomly according to our custom of drawing lots.

Grace was delivered by Marcus Fincham (Tax Advisers) and, as has become our custom on our journey round different halls for our events, we received an entertaining speech from the Learned Clerk of the Bakers’ Company, Lance Whitehouse  who explained the history of the Company as one of the oldest guilds dating back to 1155 and the fine hall in which they now reside. He explained that although their Hall has been on its present site since 1505, it has been destroyed by fire three times and this is now its fourth incarnation…and very splendid it is too!

Our thanks go to the Secretary and Committee members who helped make this another successful Apollo 19 event. Also to the Bakers’ Company for the use of their Hall.

PRESIDENT'S DINNER, NOVEMBER 2022

On a chilly November evening 94 Past Masters and guests made their way to Saddlers Hall, which was playing host to the 2022 President’s Dinner of Apollo 19 Past Masters Association.   The evening began with a drinks reception which allowed everyone an opportunity to meet up with old friends before the summons into Dinner in the Livery Hall.

Our President, Sir Peter Estlin, welcomed all in his usual manner and following Grace said by Past Master Tax Advisor Marcus Fincham, it was time to enjoy our dinner of Salmon Brochette, Fillet of Beef and City Tradition for dessert.  Pas Master Saddler, James Welch, provided an interesting and amusing concise history of Saddler Hall in his welcome to the Hall, explaining that the Hall had been rebuilt several times in its history.

As this was the first event since the accession of King Charles all guests toasted his health and sang the National Anthem. The dinner closed with sung grace and a stirrup cup before departing for home.

BLOOD AND GUTS, A CITY WALK.  SEPTEMBER 2022

A beautiful early autumn morning greeted some 22 members of Apollo 19 who congregated at the foot of Queen Anne’s statue at St Pauls for our annual guided City Walk. The warm sunshine was in sharp contrast to the stories of deprivation, murder, cheating, robing and grizzly death that we were about to hear from our guides as we made our way around some of the highways and byways of Smithfield and the surrounding area. Like any big city, London has had its fair share of unpleasant goings on, some of which was orchestrated by the state and / or the church and we probed into each ghastly incident with keen interest as each story was brought to life (!). Sights included Temple Bar (heads of spikes), Newgate Prison (aka the Old Bailey), the statue of St Bartholomew (flailed alive) and the memorial of William Wallace (hung, drawn and quartered). We finished up at Smithfield market where the focus (thankfully) was on four legged animals rather than two! A fascinating journey however.

After all that blood it was time for lunch and we repaired to a nearby Italian restaurant for some much need refreshment (vegetarian dishes optional).

A big thank you to our guides, Christine Jarvis and Kate Needham, who kindly donate their fees to the Ukraine Appeal (where the atrocities sadly continue to this day). And despite the subject matter, we are sure to return for another City Walk next year!

Picture show some of the group on Giltspur Street and the ‘Wild Table Of Love' Animal Sculpture In Paternoster Square.New Paragraph

SUMMER LUNCH 2022

Just under 60 Past Master members of Apollo 19 along with Consorts joined together to celebrate summer 2022 with a lunch at Butcher’s Hall. 

The gloriously warm weather meant that normal City wear rules could be relaxed a tad; a great opportunity for the ladies to wear their summer dresses and gentlemen in cooler linen or summer suits. The weather also gave us the chance to hold the reception on the roof terrace at the Hall and it was not long before everyone was exchanging greeting and catching up with friends.

As has become normal guests were allocated seats in the lunch by lottery and the one husband and wife found to be sitting together were swiftly separated. Chairman Iain Reid welcomed all to the lunch and following a vote amongst the male guests jackets were removed to allow for a more comfortable meal.

Past Master Butcher Graham Baker gave a brief history of the Hall, which is currently in its 7^th format. He explained that The Worshipful Company of Butchers has had more than its fair share of ill fortune. Five of the seven Halls were burned down including one that perished during the Great Fire of London in 1666. Others were subject to enemy attack during the first and second world wars. The new Butchers' Hall re-opened in September 2019 after a multi-million pound refurbishment during which some financial issues nearly caused the restoration to come to a grinding halt.

They say that time flies when you are having a lovely time, and before we knew it, the meal was over and time to go our separate ways. Not before wishing all a lovely summer and looking forward to meeting again soon.

SPRING VISIT 2022 - SHEFFIELD

Almost fifty past masters and consorts had a great time on Apollo’s first event outside London. It was so good to catch up with the friends we made during our year and a trip away is gave us time to get to know each other better and enjoy shared experiences. Already, we are looking forward to the 2023 visit to Bruges.

On Sunday, we assembled in a comfortable city-centre hotel surrounded by restaurants for informal evening suppers. Conveniently, both Cutlers’ Hall and the Kelham Island Museum were both within easy walking distance.

Come Monday morning, we drove to Wentworth Woodhouse, which is one of the grandest stately homes in the country and set in beautiful grounds. It is at the beginning of an ambitious regeneration project run by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust.

We were welcomed over coffee by Vice-chairman of the trustees, Past Master Plaisterer, Tim Cooke, before being split into two groups for guided tours of this astonishingly beautiful property. A delicious lunch in the stunning Long Gallery was followed by tours of the garden or the oldest part of the house. Those prepared to don hard hats and climb scaffolding visited the Camellia House, which is currently being restored and re-roofed. Our inspiring visit culminated in a strawberry tea and a group photo. If you were not lucky enough to come with us this time, please look at the website to find out why we enjoyed the visit so much  www.wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk

In the evening, the Beadle of the Cutlers in Hallamshire gave us a brief history of Company before a short, guided tour of its large Hall and treasures. A lively reception was followed by a tasty, black-tie dinner in one of the Hall’s splendid rooms with the Apollo ‘random seating’ again proving successful.

The Kelham Island Museum was an optional tour on Tuesday morning when we were free to roam this huge museum focusing on Sheffield’s industrial history through its engineering and precision steel goods: cutlery; cars; armour-plating; knives and all the associated machinery necessary for their production. The visit culminated at noon with the firing up of the magnificent and enormous River Don Engine with its hypnotic, thunderous action. It was a great ending to a fascinating, varied visit to Sheffield.

Check out the link below for many more photos of the event.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hhPepQezzLJyHSCe9

AGM AND LUNCH, 24 MARCH 2022

Watermans’ Hall played host to the first ever “live” AGM of the Apollo 19 Past Masters Association. As most guests were keen to catch up with friends after such a long absence the AGM was a brief affair. The accounts were accepted unanimously, officers and committee members re-elected, and PM Nick Salter (Actuaries) joined the Committee.

The Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames (to give it its full name) was founded in 1514, when the earliest Act of Parliament for regulating watermen, wherrymen and bargemen received Royal Assent from King Henry VIII. Whilst it is not a full Livery Company, it does play an active role in the City.

After the AGM an enjoyable and relaxed lunch was held in the Freeman’s Room and there was a very brief speech by our Chairman PM Waterman Iain Reid. 

Sadly 10 guests were unable to attend because Covid had caught up with them and we wish them all a speedy recovery.

PRESIDENT'S DINNER, 18 NOVEMBER 2021

95 Past Masters and Consorts gathered at Ironmonger’s Hall on 18^th November 2021 for their second President’s Dinner. Second?  Yes, this should have been the third, but our hopes had been dashed in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Dressed in all their finery guests were able to catch up with friends they had not seen, in some cases, for nearly two years, so the drinks reception was filled with joy as we circulated and caught up with friends.

As in 2019 there was no official table plan for the meal; guests pulled a random number and their seat at the table was dictated by a number on the plan not by their name or livery company. This year we took the decision not to have a top table which seemed to work too.

Our President Sir Peter Estlin welcomed us all in his inimitable style and invited all to take part in the decision making over which charity Apollo 19 should support this year. By a large majority Glass Door was the winner. Based in London, Glass Door coordinates the UK’s largest network of open-access services for people affected by homelessness. Lady Mayoress Amanda Keaveny is closely involved with Glassdoor and she volunteers there several days a week, cooking lunches at the day shelter in the Chelsea Methodist Church. 

And so to the meal itself, beetroot cured salmon was followed by English lamb and a tart tatin, accompanied by some delicious Spanish wines.

As your reporter looked around it was such a pleasure to see all guests enjoying a superb evening and hoping it would not be quite as long until we all met again.

WIZARDRY IN WOOD, 15 OCTOBER 2021

Held only every four years the Worshipful Company of Turners’ exhibition Wizardry in Wood is one of the finest examples of Turning in Europe, and it was a great pleasure to take a group of Apollo 19 Past Masters and Consorts to visit the exhibition.

The group were able to explore the “Art and Mysterie” of the Turners craft from a model of a pre-historic lathe through to the very best of contemporary design. There was an opportunity to meet the Turners, attend a lecture on the relationship between the Turners and the bells of St Pauls Cathedral and buy a piece to take home.

The exhibition itself was a wonder to behold leaving many of the Apollo 19 visitors wondering just how the pieces were turned into what appeared to be lace work, and spheres within spheres! And of course, raffle tickets were purchased for the Turner’s charitable trust and pieces bought to take home as a memento of this wonderful craft.

Having had a few weeks of dry weather Murphy’s Law determined that the Apollo 19 PMA Walk round some Secret Gardens in the City would be in the pouring rain!

We met by Queen Anne’s statue at St Pauls Cathedral and were soon on our way wending our way round gardens we had unknowingly walked past over many years. Our guides explained that many gardens had been created following the Great Fire when it had been agreed that not all the churches should be rebuilt, and following World War 2 when it was decided to create gardens in some bombed areas.

Each of the gardens were different in style, but we soon realised their importance by providing spaces for workers to enjoy in their breaks, cleaner air for the city and biodiversity.

Our visit included the Festival Gardens by St Pauls, Christchurch Greyfriars Church Gardens, St Mary Aldermanbury and Postman’s Park.

Our guides, Christine Jarvis and Kate Needham, had kindly agreed to donate their fees to Combat Stress, a charity that provides a range of community, outpatient and residential mental health services to veterans with complex mental health problems.

After the walk it was time to get dry and enjoy a convivial lunch before heading home.