THE GLOVER December 2011 - The Worshipful Company of Glovers

THE 

No. 95 - December 2011 

The Election of the Sheriffs at Guildhall 

is a fixed point in the Glovers’ 

Company Diary but it is usually the 

occasion for a very pleasant lunch in the 

Guildhall Club after an interesting piece 

of City pageantry. In 2011 the date was 

much more significant for our Livery. 

On Friday 24 June Wendy Mead, 

Citizen and Glover, was standing for 

election as non-Aldermanic Sheriff. The 

Glovers’ Company was well represented 

in Common Hall and Wendy was 

clearly the best supported of the three 

candidates for non-Aldermanic Sheriff. 

However the margin was not large and 

a poll was demanded. On Friday 8 July 

we returned to Guildhall. Wendy’s 

supporters were identified by their 

smart rosettes in the Glovers’ black and 

silver colours and it was obvious that 

Wendy’s work for the City of London on 

Common Council and for Bart’s 

Hospital had won her many friends. 

The Poll confirmed the results of the 

show of hands in Common Hall, with 

Wendy receiving 693 votes, a lead of 

144 over Nicholas Bonham, the 

second-placed candidate. It is good to 

record the number of Glovers voting 

in the poll was the highest of 

any company, with 22.75% of the 

livery voting. 

REVIEW OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GLOVERS OF LONDON 

THE ELECTION OF SHERIFF WENDY MEAD 

The Civic Team with their Consorts 

Sheriff and Glover Wendy Mead 

Wendy’s victory introduced us to more 

City pageantry which usually perhaps 

passes us by. Her friends subscribed for 

a shrieval chain and badge of office was 

presented to her on 19 September at 

Carpenters’ Hall. Then on Wednesday 

28 September Wendy Mead and 

Alderman Alan Yarrow were admitted 

to their offices “upon pain and peril that 

will fall thereon” (in the words of the 

Sergeant-at-Arms’ charge to the new 

Sheriffs). They were 

escorted into Guildhall by 

deputations of the Masters 

and Wardens of their 

Mother Companies at the 

start of a solemn and 

fascinating ceremony. 

The Sheriffs’ Breakfast at 

Drapers’ Hall which 

followed was much less 

formal but equally 

memorable. By Lord 

Mayor’s Day of course 

Wendy was settled into 

office, joining the Lord 

Mayor on Mansion House 

Balcony to acknowledge 

REGISTERED AT STATIONERS’ HALL 

the parade and making her livery 

affiliations plain whenever she waved 

her special Glovers’ glove. 

Sheriff Wendy Mead’s Coat of Arms 

was designed by William Hunt, Windsor 

Herald, and combines allusions to her 

activities in the City with a pun on her 

name. In heraldic terms it is blazoned: 

Per fess enhanced Argent and Sable a 

Pale and a Chevron all countercharged 

between three Bees Volant proper. The 

pattern is in fact a combination of the 

Arms of St Bartholomew’s Hospital and 

of the Worshipful Company of Glovers. 

The bees symbolize busy people and 

teamwork and also allude to mead 

made from their honey. The arms 

form the centre of Wendy’s shrieval 

badge, shown in the picture, which 

was designed by Pei-Nap Mok of 

Toye, Kenning and Spencer. Around 

Wendy’s own arms are the arms 

of St Bartholomew’s, of Wendy’s 

other Livery, the Pattenmakers, her 

Common Council Ward of Farringdon 

Without and, of course, of the 

Glovers’ Company. 

Wendy's' Shrieval Chain of Office 

THE GLOVER December 2011 One

The year certainly appears to have 

raced by rather quickly; certainly for 

Susanna and me. Before I became 

Master, I had no real concept of what it 

all really means to shoulder the 

responsibilities of Master. Yes, I know 

Past Masters have given me some 

indication of what it entails so nothing 

comes as a complete shock and I have 

been through the system as a committee 

Chairman, Assistant and then Warden, 

so I knew what happens in the upper 

echelons of governance of the Company 

but nothing prepared me for the true 

power and glory of being Master. That 

is because there is none. The Master 

is there on good will alone. He is 

completely reliant on everyone else in 

the Company to guide, help and 

support. My experience of other Livery 

Companies is limited and every 

Company is unique. However, I am very 

aware that the Glovers have a 

great advantage in that anyone who 

wishes may become involved in 

the management by serving on a 

committee. The Renter Warden and 

Master attend every one of the eleven 

committees and trusts and I have been 

privileged to contribute my twopenny’s 

worth to each. However, the Company 

has been running very well for a few 

hundred years and any changes I may 

have encouraged are merely to assist the 

Company to operate in the twenty-first 

century. I have found it enormously 

rewarding being so involved in every 

aspect of the Company’s management 

and have become even more aware of 

the tremendous debt we owe to all those 

who actually do the work. 

A striking aspect of becoming Master is 

the number of friends you make. Those 

are not just the Masters of other Livery 

Companies and a host of their 

Liverymen but, as Master, I have had a 

far greater opportunity to get to know 

our own Liverymen and, as if I did not 

know it already, you are a fabulous 

bunch. I have met you beavering away 

imparting your skills and, in a number of 

cases your specialist knowledge and 

expertise, on committees and I have had 

the joy of meeting you at our many 

social engagements, lunches, dinners, 

visits to exotic sights and just in passing 

and I feel humbled to have so many I 

may call my friends. 

The year as Master also involves a 

certain amount of wining and dining. 

27 lunches, 34 dinners or banquets, 13 

concerts or lectures and 21 receptions. 

Two 

MASTER’S END OF TERM REPORT – November 2011 

Now you know why we had to run the 

London Marathon. Although, at times it 

might appear to be just one continuous 

round of lunches and dinners there is 

also a more serious side. I will not 

pretend that attending yet another slap 

up dinner with fine champagne and 

wines is at all onerous as I am fairly 

gregarious but, whilst enjoying myself, I 

am also selling the Livery. By about half 

way through the year every Master that 

I met would know me and thus the 

Company by my sparkling white gloves. 

However, I cannot hide the fact that we 

have had the most glorious twelve 

months and we will remain eternally 

grateful to the Company, every 

Liveryman and your families for giving 

me the mantle of Master for a year, for 

your support and for your friendship. 

Roddy Morriss, 

Immediate Past Master 

THE MASTER’S DIARY MAY – NOVEMBER 2011 

The Master’s duties include representing the Glovers’ Company at many events besides 

those organized by the Livery. The following are some of the major events attended by the 

Master during the last six months which are not recorded elsewhere in The Glover. 

17 May Festival of the Sons of the Clergy at St Paul’s Cathedral 

21 May Sheriffs’ Fund Concert and Reception, St Sepulchre and 

the Old Bailey 

6 June City Livery Committee Dinner at Vintners’ Hall 

9 June Girdlers’ Company Dinner at Girdlers’ Hall 

10-12 June Ironbridge Museums Livery Companies Weekend 

16 June Drapers’ Company Luncheon at Drapers’ Hall 

16 June London College of Fashion Prize-Giving 

17 June Curriers’ Company Dinner at Tallow Chandlers’ Hall 

20 June Armed Forces Day: Flag-Raising in Guildhall Yard 

21 June Service to Mark 300th Anniversary of Completion of St Paul’s 

29 June Cooks’ Company Luncheon, Mercers’ Hall 

7 July Gardeners’ Company Installation Dinner, 

Fishmongers’ Hall 

13 July Cart-Marking Ceremony, Guildhall 

14 July Leathersellers’ Company Dinner at Saddlers’ Hall 

16 July Artists Rifles Association Luncheon, Leander Club, Henley 

19 July Garden Party at Buckingham Palace 

13 Sep Fuellers’ Company Lecture at Drapers’ Hall 

15 Sep Livery Hall Walk 

19 Sep Presentation of Shrieval Chain and Badge to Wendy Mead, 

Carpenters’ Hall 

20 Sep Choral Evensong at St Paul’s 

21 Sep Presentation of Shrieval Chain and Badge to Alan Yarrow, 

Fishmongers’ Hall 

21 Sep City of London School for Girls Prize Day at Guildhall 

21 Sep Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Lecture at Royal 

Aeronautical Society 

28 Sep Admission of Sheriffs and Sheriffs’ Breakfast, Guildhall and 

Drapers’ Hall 

7 Oct Fellmongers of Richmond Dinner, Richmond, Yorkshire 

12 Oct Quit Rents Ceremony, Royal Courts of Justice 

13 Oct Upholders’ Company Banquet at Mansion House 

14 Oct Framework Knitters’ Company Banquet at Plaisterers’ Hall 

20 Oct Loriners’ Company Dinner at Saddlers’ Hall 

27 Oct Broderers’ Company Dinner at Drapers’ Hall 

31 Oct City of London School, Lord Mayor’s Prizegiving at Guildhall 

1 Nov 50th Anniversary of the HAC Light Cavalry, Armoury House 

THE GLOVER December 2011

I have read my predecessors’ message 

from last year and I ask myself if 

Woolwich has a monopoly on 

providing Masters for the Glovers as, 

like the Immediate Past Master, it was 

in Woolwich, where he met his 

introducer, that I first met Lt. Cdr. Fred 

Strong, who introduced me to the 

Livery in 1992. There are occasions in 

life when events seem comparatively 

insignificant at the time but 

subsequently turn out to be the most 

important elements of one’s life. My 

meeting Fred was one, which has led 

me to be the Master of this Worshipful 

Company of Glovers of London. 

This is an achievement of which I am 

immensely proud and of course my 

prime wish is to ensure the Glovers’ 

name in the City continues to be 

as well respected as it has in the past. 

This has been brought about by all 

of the Past Masters, in whose footsteps 

I now find I am beginning to walk. 

I only hope I can measure up to 

their standards. 

My career path has taken me from 

banking for 32 years, to a telephone 

call centre for the worst 12 months of 

my working life, to finance manager 

for a small housing association which 

specialises in helping individuals with 

long term mental health problems, to 

retirement. I am now Treasurer of two 

THE MASTER’S 

MESSAGE 

Keith Ebsworth 

Master of the Glovers’ 

Company 2011–12 

organisations in Leicester who help in 

the mental health field. This is an area 

I would like to focus upon during 

my year. 

One of my maxims is “If it ain’t broke, 

don’t fix it” and I feel that as a Livery 

Company, we are not broke and do 

not need any undue fixing. Rather we 

should be extremely proud of what we 

do, not only in supporting the Trade 

where possible but also in our 

charitable giving and of course all the 

amazing social events that are 

organised for us all to enjoy. Why 

should we keep all this to ourselves? 

Why do we not share it with others? 

The continuing life blood of any 

organisation is existing as well as new 

members, so let us share our 

enjoyment with friends and family who 

might like to be part of the Glovers. 

Membership is going to be a push for 

the next few years and I would ask that 

you all help to keep our Livery well 

and truly alive for the next generation. 

I mentioned before my former Past 

Masters and how much I valued what 

they had done before me but I would 

also like to pay tribute and thank 

everyone in our Company who helps 

in the running of the Glovers from 

those who partake of the social events, 

to those who organise them, to all 

Committee members and Chairmen. 

Without your input we would not be 

where we are today and if you all 

continue to do as you have previously, 

I know I will have a superb year which 

I hope you will enjoy as much as I. 

A GLOVER AND THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE’S WEDDING DRESS 

In March this year I had a phone call 

from a senior member of the Royal 

School of Needlework, asking if I could 

spare a few hours for a particular rushed 

commission to be undertaken in the 

Schools Studio. The Studio does not use 

the actual names and places relating to a 

commission. Instead it is given a code 

name or number and the code name of 

this commission was “The Italian Job”. 

One of my selected days was in fact the 

first working day of preparing the lace 

for appliqué. This meant hand cutting 

most carefully and accurately the 

delicate motifs from the English lace 

together with the French Chantilly that 

was to be eventually used throughout 

the bodice and skirt together with the 

underskirt trim. The pieces cut from the 

lengths of lace would eventually be 

applied onto the ivory and white satin 

gazar*. The lace design was hand 

appliquéd using the Carrickmacross 

lace-making technique which originated 

in Ireland in the 1820s. Large 

embroidery “slate” frames were 

prepared with the gazar to accept the 

delicate cutout lace motifs. The prepared 

motifs were then placed with precision 

to create a unique and organic design, 

which incorporated the rose, thistle, 

daffodil and shamrock. The applied lace 

motifs were stitched using a stab stitch 

every two to three millimetres around 

each motif. All workers had to wash their 

hands every thirty minutes to keep the 

lace and threads pristine; the needles 

were renewed every three hours to keep 

them sharp and clean. 

It wasn’t until one minute past eleven as 

Miss Kate Middleton stepped out of her 

car in front of Westminster Abbey that 

we were all allowed to tell family and 

friends that we were involved in this 

wonderful creation. I felt truly honoured 

to have taken part in the making of 

“The Dress”. Having also been involved 

with the late Diana Princess of Wales’s 

wedding dress 30 years ago I am able to 

leave “a talking point” for all my 

grandchildren in the future! 

Assistant Elizabeth Elvin 

* For those who are as ignorant as the 

Editor, silk gazar is a fabric made with 

high-twist double yarns woven as one 

and is much used in bridal fashion due 

to its ability to hold its shape. 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Three

For the Glovers’ Company New Year’s 

Day falls in November because the 

Glovers’ Year begins with the Installation 

of the new Master. Until recently this 

took place during the Court Meeting 

preceding the annual service at St 

Margaret Lothbury but the ceremony 

has now been incorporated into the 

service itself where it can be witnessed 

by the Livery as a whole. So on 

Thursday 3 November this year, early 

lunchers in Throgmorton Street were 

bidden to make way for the Master and 

Wardens of the Worshipful Company of 

Glovers as the Beadle led the Master 

and members of the Court from 

Drapers’ Hall to the church. As usual the 

service was conducted with wit and 

elegance by our Chaplain, the Reverend 

Prebendary Jeremy Crossley and the 

Choir fully justified their reputation as 

one of the best in the City. During the 

service the Clerk, Carole Blackshaw, 

administered the oath of office to the 

new Master, Keith Ebsworth and he was 

clothed by the retiring Master, Roddy 

Morriss, with his gown, badge and chain 

and, most important of all, his gauntlets. 

In turn Chris Dadson, Renter Warden, 

Alderman Alison Gowman, First Under 

Warden, Ann Esslemont, Second Under 

Warden and Michael Orr, Third Under 

Warden received their badges and 

gowns from the new Master. In a short 

time this brief ceremony has firmly 

established itself as a fitting and dignified 

way to mark the change in the 

Company’s leadership. 

After processing back to Drapers’ Hall 

the Master, Renter Warden and their 

Four 

INSTALLATION COURT AND LUNCHEON Thursday 3 November 

The Procession is received by the Company’s Chaplain 

The Master, Past Master, Wardens, Officers and Official Guests 

wives received members of the Livery 

and their guests. Drapers’ Hall is, of 

course, a magnificent setting for such 

an important occasion. The lunch was 

equally impressive, culminating in a 

delicious Bread and Butter Pudding 

that certainly never featured on the 

Editor’s school dinner menus (if only). 

The Renter Warden, Chris Dadson, 

proposed the health of the Retiring 

Master and thanked him and Susanna 

for their support for the Company 

during the past year. Roddy represented 

the Livery at over 150 events and had 

led us in a full and fascinating social 

programme. Among the highlights had 

been the presentation of a replica 

coronation glove to Waddesdon Manor 

during our visit there and the Ash 

Wednesday celebrations in Basel with 

the Safran Guild. Basel had also been 

the location of the Master’s Weekend, 

although the Civic 

Reception, Parade and Guild 

Hall Dinner would have 

been memorable enough, 

without the specially 

imported Scottish rain. 

Roddy had worked hard to 

ensure the success of the 

Banquet and his year in 

office would always be 

remembered as one in which 

a Glover was elected Sheriff. 

All the Livery would want to 

join in wishing Wendy Mead 

a very happy and successful 

year. Besides his Glovers’ 

commitments Roddy had still found time 

to act as Deputy Lieutenant for Hackney 

and to work for the St John’s 

Ambulance and the Scouts. He and 

Susanna had even run in the London 

Marathon and had raised over £5,000 

for the St John’s Ambulance. This was 

typical of Roddy’s determination to 

support not only the City, the Glovers’ 

Company and the gloving trade but 

also to help those who are less fortunate 

than us. 

In reply Roddy Morriss, speaking as 

Immediate Past Master for the first time, 

began by thanking Past Master Roy 

Jennings, who had presented a set of 

silver goblets to the Livery to be used by 

the Wardens. He was sure they would 

take every opportunity to use them. He 

The Beadle leads the Procession 


looked back on a fantastic year as 

Master and wanted to thank everyone 

who had made it possible. Susanna’s 

help had been essential and he owed his 

thanks to all the members of the Court 

and Committee chairman for their 

contribution but the friendship and 

support of all the Livery had really made 

the year worthwhile. He believed the 

Company was in good shape, financially 

and in every other way; the charity was 

well funded and events were well 

supported. But to maintain that position 

in the future we need to recruit sixteen 

new members a year and he wanted to 

encourage liverymen to do their part to 

achieve this. 

The new Master began his speech by 

thanking Roddy for his help, especially 

in the previous four months as he 

Glovers’ enjoying lunch at Drapers’ Hall 

prepared for his Master’s Year. He also 

made a point of taking wine with 

Lieutenant Commander Fred Strong 

to thank him for introducing him to 

the Company in 1992. He hoped 

the coming year would be full of 

interest, beginning with the Lord 

Mayor’s Show in a week’s time. His 

theme for the year was fun and music 

and he felt sure that the Master’s 

Weekend in Liverpool would provide 

that. In keeping with that theme he 

explained the phrase, “Happy Trails”, 

which usually closes his letters and 

emails. “Happy trails ‘til we meet 

again” was the theme song of the Roy 

Rogers and Dale Evans TV Show in 

his youth and his wish also for all his 

audience in Drapers’ Hall and during 

the next year. 

CHARITABLE GIVING BY THE GLOVERS’ COMPANY 

May – November 2011 

Glove related grants 

Westminster Boating Base – supply 

of gloves 

Education and Training 

Romney Marsh Skills Festival 

University of Northampton – support 

for a student on a course in Creative 

Leather Applications 

St. Paul’s Cathedral Foundation – 

bursary for student 

City of London School for Girls – 


King Edward’s School, Witley – 


Treloar Trust – support for school 

Arts Week 

Armed Forces 

Artists Rifles – support for adventure 

training 

444 (Shoreditch) Squadron ATC – 

computers for flight simulation system 

Welfare 

Support for sick liverymen 

Riding for the Disabled – contribution 

to running costs 

Support to UK Gloving 

Glove design prizes – presented at 

July Awards luncheon 

Other 

Creative Exhibitions – support for 

exhibition of church embroidery 

Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal 

Jeremy Crossley’s 

Installation as 

Prebendary of St Paul’s 

As Glovers we are very fortunate to 

have the services of Jeremy Crossley as 

our Chaplain together with the use of 

St Margaret Lothbury. We have known 

for a long time the concern that he 

shows for our pastoral care and welfare 

and so it was very fitting that this has 

been further recognised by the Bishop of 

London who has installed Jeremy as the 

Prebend of Pancratius. Some of us were 

able and very pleased to attend at 

St Paul’s on 11 September to witness 

and support Jeremy in this new position. 

The role of a Prebend is, the Bishop 

made clear, an honorary one with no fee 

(it was abolished in the Reformation) 

and with no privileges. However, 

Jeremy is entitled to take his own seat in 

St Paul’s. His stall bears the name of St 

Pancratius and the words Voce mea 

which are the opening words of the 

Psalms 77-81. Jeremy will be called by 

the title Reverend Prebendary Jeremy 

Crossley - or as we like to say in the 

Glovers, the Rev Preb! 

Very little is known about St Pancratius. 

As a Christian who honoured and 

prayed to God fearlessly, he was 

beheaded by either Valerian or 

Diocletian, Roman Emperors and 

persecutors of the Church in the third 

century. He was only 14 years old. The 

Bishop put it quite succinctly that the 

vocation of St Pancratius was one 

of struggle. The Glovers can concur 

with the Bishop’s blessing that Jeremy’s 

ministry will be strengthened by 

his appointment. 

One part of Jeremy’s work was in the 

news during August when he was 

interviewed by the BBC about his City 

ministry. He said that he thinks there is 

no conflict between Christianity and 

making money. 

“As long as you’re being honest about 

what you do, it’s not a sin to make 

money. God rewards industriousness, 

and that’s what most of the people 

who come here are. Good, hardworking, 

honest people who want to 

make money. No sin there.” 

Well said Jeremy. 

Alison Gowman, First Under Warden 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Five

THE MASTER’S WEEKEND 3 – 5 June 

Every member of the Glovers’ 

Company is well aware of our link with 

the Safran Guild of Basel and we are 

delighted that some members of the 

Guild have chosen to become Glovers 

as well. The Master’s Weekend in 2011 

provided an opportunity to learn more 

about the Guild and to get to know their 

historic home town. It was therefore not 

surprising that 63 members of the Livery 

responded to the Master’s invitation to 

join him and the Mistress in Basel for “a 

busy but glorious weekend”. The very 

comfortable Hotel Krafft on the northern 

bank of the Rhine in the town centre was 

our rendezvous on Friday 3 June. After 

lunch, our “Safran-Glover” guides led us 

in a tour of the old town and the historic 

Münster or cathedral. By five o’clock we 

were feeling thirsty and welcomed a 

glass of wine in the Mentelinhof. This is 

a fine old house near the Münster which 

belongs to the Vintners’ Guild and 

we learnt something of the building’s 

history as we sipped our wine. For many 

of us though, the most interesting part of 

the afternoon was crossing the Rhine by 

ferry. Basel’s ferries may be very ancient 

but their emission-free technology is 

cutting edge. The ferry is tethered to a 

steel rope across the river, 

the ferryman steers but the 

power of the current 

actually drives the boat. 

Traditional transport was 

also a feature of the 

evening, as we left our hotel 

by historic trams which 

toured the town before 

delivering us to the Zoo. 

Again, members of the 

Safran Guild acted as 

Six 

Boarding the trams on way to dining at the zoo 

guides describing the history 

and architecture as we 

passed. At the Zoo, dinner 

had been arranged in the 

Lion House but as an 

appetizer we watched the 

feeding of the crocodiles. 

Afterwards, through the glass 

wall of the dining room, the 

crocodiles watched the 

feeding of the Glovers. 

Altogether the evening was a 

unique and unforgettable 

experience. 

On Saturday morning we 

moved back into the centre 

of the old town to visit the 

Historical Museum. The 

Guilds are a very important 

part of Basel’s history and 

are well represented in the 

Museum. Besides the 

displays of their livery regalia and gold 

and silver plate, we enjoyed watching a 

film of the Safran’s Guild’s famous Ash 

Wednesday celebrations (and spotting 

Past Master Ken Smith at the dinner). 

After coffee we moved on to the Schola 

Cantorem Basiliensis, the world famous 

Basel music academy 

specialising in early music. We 

were greeted by Professor Dr 

Regula Rapp, the Director and 

Dr Jeremy Llewellyn who 

introduced a team of students 

who gave us a concert 

of music from the period 

when the Glovers’ Company 

was founded, played on 

reproductions of instruments 

of the time. Both the music 

Musical instruments under close inspection 

and the instruments were fascinating 

and it was not easy for our guides to 

keep us to the timetable and persuade 

us to leave. 

A short walk brought us to the home of 

Catherine Oeri and Michi Kessler. This is 

a very beautiful house over-looking the 

Rhine. Catherine and Michi were our 

generous hosts for lunch which was a 

delicious and relaxing meal in the 

garden. We were next to the eighteenth 

century Garden House which many of 

us were able to explore after lunch as 

well as stroll in the beautiful gardens. 

After lunch there was a chance to 

explore the town or shops but one group 

visited the Pharmaceutical Museum. 

This was created by Michi Kessler who 

acted as our guide. We learnt how Basel 

had been a vital cross-roads in the 

medieval spice trade between the 

Mediterranean and Northern Europe. 

Many of the spices had medical uses 

and so Basel was a natural centre for 

the pharmaceutical industry which 

developed in the nineteenth century 

and still remains the home of many of 

the world’s most important drug 

companies. 

As we changed into dinner jackets 

and long frocks for the evening, the 

sky began to look threatening. The 

Glovers’ group reached our first stop, 


the Stadthuis, or Town Hall, without 

mishap. A civic reception began in the 

Council Chamber with a formal 

welcome from Mr Patrick Hafner, 

President of the Burgerrat, to which the 

Master replied. But as we moved 

next door for reception drinks, the 

heavens opened and a cloudburst 

engulfed Basel. It would have been 

unwelcome at any time but especially 

as it threatened a promised highlight of 

the visit, a procession led by the band of 

Safran Guild, with the Glovers headed 

by the gowned Master and Wardens. 

Eventually, even the most optimistic had 

to admit that the rain was not stopping 

and so the procession began, at a good 

light infantry pace. 

Once we reached the Safran Guild 

House the rain was forgotten. A Guard 

of Honour greeted us (even stopping the 

trams) and members of the Guild were 

waiting to welcome us in the magnificent 

dining hall with its frescos of the Saffron 

War of 1374. The fifes and drums 

played before another superb meal with 

excellent wines. A speech by the Master 

was inevitable but he spoke for all of us 

when he thanked our friends of the 

Safran Guild for their help and 

hospitality and expressed the wish that 

more of them might wish to join the 

Glovers’ livery. Through the generosity 

of Liveryman and Guild-member 

Michael Kessler, one of the windows in 

the hall displays the Glovers’ Company 

Coat of Arms. The Master and 

the Meister of the Safran Guild 

then unveiled a commemorative plaque 

under the window, to a most impressive 

roll of drums. The Meister made a witty 

speech in reply and the Master made a 

personal presentation to the Safron 

Guild of an 

inscribed Armada 

Dish. Toasts were 

then proposed to 

the health of the 

Glovers’ Company, 

the Safran Guild 

and our guests. 

On Sunday a 

sparkling summer 

day made up 

for the previous 

evening’s rain. We 

travelled by coach 

to the small town of 

Arlesheim. After the Reformation the 

Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Basel 

settled in Arlesheim and a most 

impressive cathedral was built. But the 

town is probably best known for its 

“English garden” and Hermitage which 

The Glovers’ Coat of Arms window display 

in Safron Guild Hall 

was built in the late eighteenth century 

when English landscape gardens were 

all the rage in Europe. A stroll in the 

Glovers relax over lunch 

garden was the perfect way 

to recuperate and relax 

after the hectic pace of 

the weekend. We visited 

the Hermitage, with 

its automaton “Hermit”, 

climbed into caves while 

learning about the history 

of the park from our 

Roddy and Susanna explore the caves 

excellent guides. The exercise restored 

our appetites and after another delicious 

lunch and farewell speech by the Master 

the weekend came to its official end. 

It is never easy to thank everybody who 

contributes to the success of such a 

memorable weekend. However our 

friends in the Safran Guild undoubtedly 

played a major part and especially 

Lukas and Gabriele Stutz, Catherine 

Oeri and Michi Kessler who introduced 

us to the beauties and the history of 

Basel in such a fascinating way. But our 

greatest thanks must go to the Master 

and Mistress, Roddy and Susanna 

Morriss, who planned 

every detail of the 

weekend over many 

months, made sure that 

the execution of the plan 

was perfect and even 

found the ideal souvenir 

gift for us all, a small box 

containing saffron. 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Seven

From roots in the Jewish ghetto in 

Frankfurt, Mayer Rothschild’s five 

sons set up a banking network in the 

then five major financial centres of 

Europe - London, Frankfurt, Paris, 

Naples and Vienna. The third son, 

Ferdinand, went to London, made his 

fortune and, later, built Waddesdon 

Manor to display his outstanding 

collection of art treasures and to 

entertain the fashionable world. 

The Manor was only used for weekends 

in the summer months for Ferdinand’s 

famous house parties, and was the last 

word in luxury with electric lights, lifts 

and under-floor heating. Single or 

unaccompanied male friends stayed 

in the Bachelors’ Wing, complete with 

Billiard and Smoking Rooms. Couples 

stayed in one of the 9 suites in the 

main house. 

On a fine sunny October morning 

a group of 49 Glovers and their 

guests assembled at the magnificent 

Waddesdon Manor in the glorious 

Buckinghamshire countryside not only 

to visit the House and Grounds but, 

importantly, for a private viewing of a 

selection of gloves from the 320 pairs in 

the Glovers’ General Collection which is 

now housed at the Manor. 

After morning coffee we met the Curator 

of the glove collection and handed over 

to her the Glovers’ replica Coronation 

Glove for Queen Elizabeth II, which had 

been brought from the Fashion Museum 

in Bath to Waddesdon to coincide with 

our visit. We then started our tour 

of the ground floor of the House under 

Eight 

VISIT TO WADDESDON MANOR Thursday 13 October 

Some of the gloves on display 

Waddesdon Manor 

the care of very knowledgeable guides 

who explained the origins of this 

French renaissance-style chateau built in 

the 1870s and the many art treasures 

collected by Baron Ferdinand 

de Rothschild and his successors. 

We marvelled at the wall panelling, 

furniture, porcelain, tapestries, 

chandeliers and the magnificent 

portraits. 

A light lunch followed and then we were 

off to see a display of the Glovers’ 

gloves, as well as other textiles which are 

housed at Waddesdon. The curator 

expertly gave the background and 

history of the items on view. It was 

fascinating to see how styles have 

changed through the years and to be 

able to inspect the fine, delicate work in 

the gloves, shawls and fans. 

Sustenance was needed at this point 

so we repaired to the Manor’s extensive 

Wine Cellars. The 

Rothschilds have 

worldwide interests 

in wine, having 

started in France 

with Chateaux Lafite 

and Mouton, but 

now widespread in 

Europe, in South 

America and most 

recently in China. 

We tasted a white 

wine and a red wine 

before emerging 

outside into the 

sunshine in order to 

visit the Gardens 

and Victorian Aviary 

or for further time in 

the House, particularly to see the 

stunning collection of Sevres porcelain. 

The Coronation Glove 

A refreshing cup of tea brought the 

organised part of the visit to an end 

although, as the grounds remained open 

for a further hour, many of us spent the 

late afternoon in the spectacular gardens 

before travelling home after a very full 

and very interesting day. 

Assistant Jonathan Crossman 

The Glovers emerging from the wine cellars 


THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW 

The Master’s View 

WEEKEND 

This all started when Assistant Wendy 

Mead was elected to be a Sheriff of the 

City of London and in the days leading 

up to the Lord Mayor’s Show there was 

a lot of planning and headaches but it 

has all been worth it. The weekend 

really started for my wife and me on the 

Friday before the Show when, 

accompanied by the Wardens and their 

spouses, we attended the Silent 

Ceremony, a fascinating piece of City 

tradition when the old Lord Mayor 

passes the title to the new Lord Mayor 

without a word being spoken. From that 

event we went to present Addresses to 

The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, another 

traditional event when gifts are given to 

the Mayoral Group. We gave Wendy 

Mead a Visitors Book in which she can 

record all her visitors during her year 

and which we hope will provide her with 

many fond memories of her year. As this 

was to be my first actual public 

engagement outside the Livery, I confess 

to being rather nervous and although I 

only had one sentence to remember, it 

was still a tremendous relief once I had 

said my piece. 

The next day was Lord Mayor’s Show 

day and we made an early start to see 

the Glovers’ Brake and as many of the 

participants as I could and to wish them 

an enjoyable day before we had to don 

our gowns, partake of a light breakfast 

and then watch the early part of the 

The Glovers’ Brake and Marchers are ready to go 

Show. We saw the Glovers’ Brake and 

all the walkers, who certainly seemed to 

be enjoying themselves and then it was 

time for us to leave our spouses as the 

Immediate Past Master Roddy Morriss, 

Renter Warden Chris Dadson and 

Second Under Warden Ann Esslemont 

rode with me in our own carriage in 

which we joined the Parade. Very cosy, 

playing kneesy with first Chris and then 

Ann, as we rode along waving at the 

crowd with our large gloves, made by 

Ann for all the Wardens and for Sheriff 

Wendy Mead who used hers to wave at 

us from the Lord Mayor’s balcony. The 

arm ached quite quickly but it was 

great fun seeing the crowds cheering, 

laughing and thoroughly enjoying 

themselves. A change of arm to wave 

meant that we continued until we 

The Master and Betty Peacock with horsecloth 

arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice. 

Here we left the carriage for a while and 

went in to the Lord Chief Justice’s Court 

where the Lord Mayor was presented to 

the Court by the Recorder. The Lord 

Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls 

made short addresses to the Lord Mayor 

and late Lord Mayor respectively. Once 

again this is another piece of our 

tradition which I felt so privileged to 

watch as it preserves the connections 

between the City and the Law. 

Back to the carriage and the return 

journey to Mansion House, still with 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Nine

huge crowds of waving, happy people, 

old and young. More aching arms but 

everyone was having so much fun that 

the ache was soon forgotten. When we 

arrived at Mansion House, as Master 

of Sheriff Wendy Mead’s Mother 

Company, I was invited to form part of 

the guard of honour to greet the Lord 

Mayor when he arrived back at his 

“home”. Yet another great privilege, 

after which I managed to locate my wife 

and the other Wardens and lunch was 

served in the Egyptian Hall. By this time 

it was nearly 3 pm and about 4 pm we 

finished eating a very pleasant simple 

shepherd’s pie and apple crumble, 

much enjoyed by all I am sure. After this 

we just had time to move to the Red 

Herring to meet the other Glovers who 

had enjoyed the day’s events before we 

walked to the Millenium Bridge to see 

the spectacular fireworks on the River. 

And then home after a long day; tiring 

but so full of spectacular memories 

which I shall retain for a long time. 

The Walker’s View 

The first things that must strike anyone 

who is involved with the Lord Mayor’s 

Show for the first time are the 

professionalism of the Pageant Master’s 

Office and their helpfulness. The printed 

guidance is daunting in its length but, 

when you have finished reading it, 

you realise that all your questions have 

been answered. Indeed you have 

the answer to a lot of questions you 

had not realised needed asking. The 

Ten 

accumulated expertise is most 

impressive, most notably at the Pageant 

“Silver” and “Lambert” and Past Master John Brown 

The Master, Past Master, Renter Warden and Second Under Warden 

Michael Orr giving his final briefing for the day 

Master’s briefing on the afternoon 

before the Show. My chief recollection of 

the briefing is the calmness that spread 

over the audience as it proceeded and 

the confidence that everything would be 

fine on the day. 

And it was! Before 12 November 2011 I 

had never taken part in the Lord 

Mayor’s Show and had been a spectator 

only once. At the end of the day, 

however tired and footsore I felt, my 

dominant sensation was, “Why haven’t I 

done this before?” I hope all those who 

joined the Glovers’ float will have 

enjoyed the day as much as Jane and I 

did. I am very grateful to everybody 

who gave up their time to march with us, 

whether Liverymen, families and friends 

or members of 444 (Shoreditch) 

Squadron Air Training Corps. 


By 10 o’clock on that Saturday morning 

we were assembling in Foster Lane. The 

Glovers’ float was a horse-drawn 

Brake provided by Liveryman Betty 

Peacock. Brake and horses appeared in 

immaculate condition and were a great 

credit to Betty and her team, Robin 

Hyde-Chambers, the driver and Betty’s 

son, Anthony Peacock, the groom who 

had all been in action from the early 

hours. Of course, the stars of the show 

were Silver and Lambert, the two shire 

horses who steadily drew the Brake all 

day, despite the whistling and waving 

crowds. The Brake enabled some 

Glovers and family members who would 

not have been able to walk the whole 

distance to take part in the Show. 

Cadets from 444 Squadron marched 

smartly on either side of the Brake 

which was followed by the rest of us; the 

Beadle in full regalia, liverymen and 

family members in their Glovers’ 

sweatshirts and more 444 Squadron 

staff and cadets in uniform. Some of us 

carried the beautiful “Gloves on Poles” 

which told the crowds who we were. 

Sarah Bridge deserves a special mention 

for her costume, which was made by BM 

Polyco from their gloves. The firm also 

provided the brightly-coloured gloves 

we wore, driving home the message that 

this was the Glovers’ Company. Despite 

the stories of continuous downpours in 

other years, the weather remained 

perfect all day and we were glad to be 

able to cool off in Temple Gardens at the 

halfway mark. 

The Beadle, Paul Tredgett leads the 

Marching Glovers 

Glovers’ Brake with very enthusiastic passengers 

We were so successful that we collected an extra marcher at St Pauls 

The Pikemen and Musketeers of the Honourable Artillery Company 

What were the high points? Marching 

past Mansion House in front of “our” 

Sheriff and the Master and Wardens 

(and the Lord Mayor, of course) was 

certainly one. The moment on Ludgate 

Hill when Rebecca Jennings-Evans 

strode up to me with the news that an 

interloper, in a psychedelic jacket, had 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Eleven

just joined us from the crowd was 

certainly memorable, as was the 

efficiency with which our Marshal spoke 

to the police and, without fuss, the 

police reduced our contingent to its 

original numbers. Relaxing over a hot 

meal in the Red Herring, thanks to 

Alvan Seth-Smith’s planning and 

organization was a very welcome 

moment and the Fireworks were well 

worth the detour on the way back to 

Waterloo. But the truth is the whole day 

was spent at the same high level. The 

crowds were clearly enjoying themselves 

and, as a result, we were too. I am sure 

that we all hope to have a chance to do 

it again and if we do, don’t miss the 

opportunity to join us. 

Michael Orr, Float Organizer 

Twelve 

Sarah Bridge and the Polyco Dress 

Youngest member 

Rodney Jagelman enjoying 

lunch with Suzanna Lofthouse 

and her sister 

A VOTE OF THANKS 

On behalf of the Company, first of all 

I wish to thank First Under Warden 

Alderman Alison Gowman for all her 

help and guidance in the planning 

stage. Without her input, planning the 

events of the day would have been so 

much more problematical. Secondly I 

wish to thank Third Under Warden 

Michael Orr for all his planning skills 

in getting everything together for the 

great day. I cannot overlook his 

helpers, namely Dr Jane Orr, Assistant 

Rodney Jagelman and his wife Sue. 

Assistant Alvan Seth-Smith helped 

arrange the social side of the day 

along with his wife Rowena. (I ask 

myself, where would we be without 

our loyal spouses’ assistance on such 

days?) 

Sponsorship came generously from 

Pittards plc, Dents, Southcombe 

Brothers, Bennett Safetywear Ltd., 

B M Polyco Ltd and some private 

donations all of which helped 

tremendously in putting on the 

Glovers’ Float. 

The Master 

Liveryman 

Jonathan Grosvenor 

and family 

The Glovers’ gift of a Visitors Book presented to Wendy Mead 


THE BANQUET AT MANSION HOUSE – Friday 23 September 

2011 has been a very memorable year 

for the Glovers’ Company but there is no 

doubt that one of the events which will 

stay in our memory for longest was the 

Banquet. From the moment that 

liverymen and their guests arrived at 

Mansion House to their departure four 

hours later, good things kept happening. 

Smart and efficient cadets from 444 

(Shoreditch) Squadron, Air Training 

Corps, made sure that everything went 

smoothly on arrival and pointed the way 

to the Plate Room. This is not usually 

seen by visitors but a special opening had 

been arranged and the stunning array of 

gold and silver plate was an astonishing 

start to the evening. Then we were 

directed upstairs to the Reception, 

passing between the Guard of Honour 

of the Company of Pikemen and 

Musketeers of the Honourable Artillery 

Company. The wonderful collection of 

paintings on the walls of the Salon and 

Drawing Rooms captured our attention 

until it was time to enter the Great 

Egyptian Hall for dinner. Once we were 

assembled, the Master and Renter 

Warden with Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs 

and other official guests and their 

consorts entered in procession, led by the 

Drumbeater and the Captain of the 

Pikemen and Musketeers. In keeping with 

the Glovers’ traditions, every lady was 

presented with a pair of elegant gloves, 

the gift of the Master. 

Dinner lived up to the standard of the 

preliminaries. Scottish smoked salmon 

and Morecombe shrimps were followed 

by Cornish Lamb and a trio of chocolate 

deserts and accompanied by fine South 

African and Spanish wines. After 

proposing the Loyal and Civic Toasts, the 

Master proposed the health of the guests. 

He thanked the Lord Mayor for allowing 

us to use the Mansion House for the 

Banquet and presented him with a 

cheque for the Lord Mayor’s Charity 

from the Glovers’ Company. The other 

official guests were the Sheriffs, Alderman 

Fiona Woolf and Mr Richard Sermon, the 

Master of Leathersellers’ Company, Mr 

Miles Emsley, Captain Steven Dainton 

Royal Navy, Paul Champness, Captain of 

the Pikemen and Musketeers Company 

and Flight Lieutenant Anthony Barker, 

commanding officer of 444 Squadron. A 

Glovers’ welcome, with True Hearts and 

The Master, Roderick Morriss with the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Wardens, Officers and Guests of Honour 

Warm Hands, was extended to them all 

and to our personal guests. 

The Master then drew the winning ticket 

in the raffle for the Glovers’ Teddy Bear, 

one of the series commissioned by Lord 

Mayor Michael Bear to raise funds for his 

Charity. Liveryman Tim Roe was the 

winner and also carried away a bottle of 

champagne contributed by the Master. 

Replying on behalf of the Guests, 

the Lord Mayor welcomed us to his 

“humble council house” and thanked the 

Company for our donations to his 

Charity. During his year in office the Lord 

Mayor had visited 22 countries, attended 

80 Livery Company Dinners and made 

nearly 900 speeches. As Lord Mayor he 

aimed to ensure that London retained its 

leading position in the world’s financial 

centres but this had to involve finding 

better ways to share the City’s success. 

Risk and reward had to be balanced and 

reward should follow success if the 

paramount aim of restoring trust in the 

City is to be attained. 

The Lord Mayor was followed by 

Captain Steven Dainton, who had been 

the last Commanding Officer of our 

affiliated ship, HMS Cumberland. It was 

impossible not to be moved when he 

spoke of the Cumberland, the finest ship 

on which he had served and his sadness 

when she was paid off. Demonstrating 

the flexibility of seapower and the Royal 

Navy, Cumberland had been designed 

to hunt Russian submarines but had 

proved more than capable of meeting 

the wider range of missions and 

challenges in the post-Cold War world. 

Returning from her last deployment in 

the Gulf, she had been diverted to Libya 

on leaving the Suez Canal to rescue 

civilians trapped during the revolt 

against Gaddafi. His young crew had 

shown professionalism and compassion 

of a high order in difficult conditions and 

appalling weather and the nation should 

be proud of them. He thanked the 

Glovers’ Company for their support for 

the Cumberland and noted that at a 

final dinner for the ship’s commanding 

officers, the importance of affiliates had 

been emphasised. They had always 

been pleased to host the Glovers on 

board and he hoped these visits helped 

us to appreciate the importance of the 

Royal Navy. 95% of British trade moves 

by sea and 30 ships and 6,000 

personnel are deployed outside the 

United Kingdom to protect our interests. 

Captain Dainton’s speech was a thoughtprovoking 

note on which to end the 

evening. Everybody who attended 

enjoyed the Banquet and liverymen and 

guests were still talking about it weeks 

later. So this report is not really for them, 

because they need no reminder of the 

event. But the hard fact is that although 

there was an increase in the numbers 

attending, barely a quarter of the Livery 

were actually there. Luckily this is a 

repeatable experience. Talk to anyone 

who was at the Banquet on 23 

September this year and they will say that 

on Tuesday 25 September 2012 you 

should be at Mansion House too. 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Thirteen

Past Assistant David Bennett 

reports that persisting recessionary 

conditions in the industrial sector 

in both domestic and European 

markets, combined with UK public 

sector cut-backs, especially within 

the police service and the Ministry 

of Defence, continue to pose 

serious trading challenges for the 

British glove trade. Within the UK 

police service, which has become 

an increasingly competitive 

market, cost rather than quality 

and protection has become the 

decisive factor for procurement 

officers, whilst within the MoD 

cuts in both budgets and 

administrative personnel have left 

manufacturers speculating about 

the volume and timing of any 

future business. As a result of lack 

of stocks in MoD central stores, 

suppliers are now receiving orders 

from individual units and/or being 

asked to ship direct to theatre. 

Once again this winter we shall 

be delivering over 4,000 pairs of 

gloves to rough sleepers and the 

marginalised of London. In theory 

we distribute enough gloves to 

reach all of London’s homeless, 

including those distributed during 

the Crisis at Christmas week. We 

support an outreach group for 

those living on the streets in the City 

itself, as well as day centres in 

Bermondsey, the East End and 

Victoria (for the incessant stream of 

Poles and other east Europeans 

coming into the bus station, only to 

find their promised jobs are cruelly 

non-existent or utterly degrading). 

London’s homeless are increasing 

in number and changing. The 

“dossers” of the past are largely in 

care, the ex-soldiers increasingly 

taken under the wing of their own 

charities (some of whom we 

support) and there has been an 

influx of A10 accession country 

males in their twenties and thirties, 

skilled and wanting to work but 

Fourteen 

GLOVE TRADE NEWS 

His own company, Bennett 

Safetywear Limited based in 

Liverpool, has been fortunate in 

being able to mitigate some of 

the effects of difficult trading 

conditions in Europe by exporting 

its products to markets outside 

Europe. Despite the recent turmoil 

in the region, exports to industrial 

end-users in North Africa in 

particular have grown over the 

past twelve months, whilst in a 

classic “coals to Newcastle “case, 

it has even managed to secure 

orders for several of its top of the 

range products from the Far 

East, including the police in both 

Hong Kong and mainland 

China. Exports now account for 

approximately 25% of turnover. 

Following the closure last year 

of its manufacturing operation 

in St. Helens, the company 

is now recruiting additional 

manufacturing personnel for its 

factory in Liverpool. 

WARM HANDS THIS WINTER 

needing help to overcome still 

almost impossible bureaucratic 

hurdles. In London you need to be 

earning £18,000 a year to be better 

off than on full benefits. Glovers will 

form their own conclusions about 

this, but in 10 years in this business 

I have yet to find anyone who is not 

willing to work, although many are 

unable. 

A creative use of gardening gloves 

is made by a project in Shoreditch. 

Refugees with severe trauma 

symptoms find solace in gardening 

but do not always have the presence 

of mind to avoid injuring themselves 

whilst pruning and cutting. Our 

gloves provide this protection. 

I cannot think of a better link 

between glove making and charity 

than the Glovers’ homeless project. 

Thank you for your continuing 

support. 

Liveryman 

Charles Stokes 

THE FLETCHING 

GLOVER 

Fletching is a picturesque village in 

Sussex some two miles from the 

National Trust’s Sheffield Park gardens. 

Its parish church is Norman in origin and 

contains a memorial which should 

interest the Glovers’ Company. Fixed to 

the wall of the south transept is a plain 

stone with modest brass decorations at 

top and bottom, namely two lines of 

inscription and a small representation 

of a pair of gloves. The inscription is in 

the abbreviated Latin used in midfifteenth 

century monuments and, 

translated, says: 

Here lies the body of Peter 

Denot, Glover 

On whose soul may God have 

mercy. Amen 

According to the panel next to the 

memorial Peter Denot took part in 

Jack Cade’s Rebellion. Cade led a 

Kentish Revolt in 1450 against high 

taxes and the inept government of 

Henry VI but after some initial success 

Londoners turned against the rebels and 

Cade was hunted down and killed at 

Heathfield. Peter Denot and other men 

of Fletching were pardoned for their part 

in the revolt and deeds show that Denot 

lived in the area for several years after 

the rebellion. 

Past Master John Wood 


444 (Shoreditch) 

Squadron Air Training 

Corps 

The Squadron continues to grow in 

size; a recent recruiting programme 

brought in fifteen new recruits. Seven 

cadets attended a week-long annual 

camp at RAF Halton and three 

members of the civilian training staff 

are going on to become NCOs and 

officers with the squadron. The 

squadron’s growing reputation for 

shooting was recognised when it was 

chosen to represent the Air Training 

Corps at the annual Cadet 

International Skill At Arms Meeting. A 

donation by the Glovers’ Company has 

enabled the Squadron to purchase 

computers to create a flight simulation 

facility at their headquarters in 

Crondall Street. 

Our links with the Squadron have been 

strengthened by their support for the 

Annual Banquet and our entry for the 

Lord Mayor’s Show, as reported 

elsewhere in this issue. 

Cadets Marching alongside of the Glovers’ Brake 

21st Artists Rifles 

2011 has been a difficult year for the 

armed forces as the implications of the 

Strategic Defence and Security Review 

(SDSR) are absorbed. The Reserve 

Forces had their own review, The 

Independent Commission to Review 

the United Kingdom’s Reserve Forces, 

AFFILIATED MILITARY UNITS 

which reported in July. The section 

relating to our affiliated Regiment 

stated: 

“The SDSR announced that the 

Government would significantly 

enhance Special Forces and increase 

their capability. Accordingly, both of 

the Special Forces Reserve units will be 

retained and steps will be taken to 

further enhance the output of 

the Special Forces Reserve overall. 

Modest changes will be made to the 

organisational structure. As Reserve 

personnel can fulfil a number of roles, 

the Commission sees this as a valuable 

opportunity to further develop military 

capability, while integrating Reserves 

into the Regular structure.” 

The Regiment therefore continues with 

its high level of training activity, 

requiring a corresponding level of 

commitment from its personnel. 

In October the Artists Rifles Association 

held its annual Reunion Dinner, where 

the guest of honour was General 

Sir Peter Wall who praised the 

contribution of the Regiment and all 

the Reserve Forces to the United 

Kingdom’s defence capability. 

HMS Cumberland 

The June issue of The Glover reported 

the sad news that HMS Cumberland 

was to be decommissioned this year. 

Despite a number of rumours, the 

decision was not changed and the 

decommissioning took place in June. 

The Master and Renter Warden led a 

group of fifteen Glovers and guests 

who attended the ceremony in 

Devonport Dockyard on Thursday 23 

June. Many of us had sailed on board 

Cumberland in recent years. Families 

and guests were seated on the dockside 

facing HMS Cumberland. A special 

effort had clearly been made by the 

ship’s company and the ship can never 

have looked smarter in her twenty-two 

years service with the Royal Navy. Led 

by the Royal Marine band, the ship’s 

company then marched into position 

in front of the ship for the 

Decommissioning Service which was 

led by the dockyard chaplain who had 

himself served on board HMS 

Cumberland. A Guard of Honour was 

inspected by Commodore Michael 

Mansergh, a former commanding 

officer. Captain Steven Dainton, 

Cumberland’s last commanding officer 

gave an address in which he outlined 

the ship’s career. A warship, he said, is 

just a lump of metal; it is people who 

give it life and Cumberland was always 

known as a happy ship. Many of the 

crew extended their service on board or 

asked to return. Captain Dainton told 

his ship’s company to remember that 

wherever they went in the Royal Navy 

there would only be two sorts of 

people, those who had served in HMS 

Cumberland and those who had only 

dreamt of doing so. Commodore 

Mansergh reinforced those views when 

he spoke of the difficulty of bidding 

farewell to such a special ship and 

the need to celebrate her 22 years 

of successful service. Like Captain 

Dainton he stressed the contribution 

made by families and thanked the 

ship’s affiliates, such as the Glovers’ 

Company, for their support. Finally 

the ship’s Commissioning Pennant, 

White Ensign and Union Jack 

were lowered and the ship’s bell was 

rung for the last time, symbolizing 

that Cumberland was no longer 

in commission and a very 

moving moment. 

A reception on board was an 

opportunity to say goodbye to officers 

and sailors who had helped us to 

enjoy our visits to the ship and to 

understand something of naval life. 

The Glovers’ Company has always 

been very proud of our association 

with HMS Cumberland and members 

of the Livery will be pleased to know 

that the Court is seeking a new 

affiliation to maintain our link with the 

Royal Navy. Former commanding 

officers of HMS Cumberland, now 

serving in the Ministry of Defence, are 

backing our request, an indication of 

how much our support was valued by 

the ship’s company. 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Fifteen

“GLOVER AND CITIZEN” – WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 

Do you remember the oath you took 

as a Freeman of the City of London? It 

is a bit of a tongue–twister but includes 

the promise that “I will be obedient to 

the Mayor of this City: That I will 

maintain the franchises and customs 

thereof….” And have you ever 

wondered how and why exactly the 

Glovers connect with the Lord Mayor 

and the Corporation of London? 

Unfortunately there is a bit of “horrible” 

history to navigate on the way. 

If you are already an avid reader of the 

Glovers’ History or a constitutional and 

historical expert then you can skip this 

paragraph since you will know already 

that the City of London was from the 

late twelfth century governed by a 

Mayor with Aldermen assisted by 

various other Ward and Parish 

Constables and minor officers who 

ensured a regulated way of life and 

business. The Mayor and Aldermen 

regulated the Livery Companies who 

were then all granted a Royal Charter to 

exist but were all required to be 

accountable to the regulations of the 

Mayor of London. The pre-eminence 

of the “Lord” Mayor and the Aldermen 

and Common Councilmen still exists 

today with the Corporation of London 

being a full local authority. Of course 

now the Corporation is itself highly 

regulated and controlled by 

Government but many of the City’s 

other important rights and customs date 

back and pre-exist subsequent laws. For 

example the City Remembrancer has 

special power to attend Parliament and 

acquaint the Lord Mayor with its daily 

business so as to ensure that the rights 

and safeguards of the City of London 

are maintained and enhanced. In almost 

every aspect the Corporation of London 

is the same but entirely different. 

Historians should re-join here. The 

“constituency” of the Lord Mayor is the 

25,000 or so Liverymen and women 

who are not necessarily residents nor 

business occupiers in the City and 

indeed will come from all over the UK as 

well as abroad. The Lord Mayor’s 

election is via Common Hall and 

“sponsored” by the Livery - albeit that 

the final vote is by the Court of 

Sixteen 

Aldermen alone. However, the Lord 

Mayor is also the head of the 

Corporation of London - a body that is 

itself elected by residents and registered 

business voters in the City who are 

themselves not necessarily members of 

any Livery. Thus it becomes clear (or 

even more muddled) as to how the 

bodies interlink and cross over and how 

the Livery are closely involved with the 

Corporation but distinct from some of its 

important local authority remit. It may 

be controversial to suggest (but it is a 

legal possibility) that the Corporation of 

London could survive without a Lord 

Mayor. It might then look a bit more like 

- or be subsumed within – the London 

Boroughs of Tower Hamlets or Islington. 

But whilst there is a Lord Mayor, the 

Government of the day have seen the 

importance of using the unique and 

significant importance of the role that 

the Lord Mayor can perform in a nonparty 

political way on behalf of the UK. 

The physical proximity of the Lord 

Mayor within the heart of the financial 

city and the connection with the 

Corporation of London of which he or 

she is an elected member means that the 

Lord Mayor can engage with the 

business leaders and work with them 

and for them as the UK’s ambassador 

for financial services. This has been built 

up over recent decades to become a preeminent 

part of the Lord Mayor's role. It 

works well because of the interaction 

between the business voters who are the 

electors and stakeholders within the 

Corporation and also the businesses 

who want to have their issues aired on a 

national and international front and 

want the Lord Mayor to act as their 

spokesperson on such a platform. In 

many cases Livery Companies are 

engaged with this part of the Lord 

Mayor's work. The Financial Services 

Group of Livery Companies frequently 

brief the Lord Mayor on financial 

matters. The Lord Mayor has thus been 

able to enhance the reputation of UK 

financial services and the City of 

London as a place of excellence to work 

and do business. The Lord Mayor 

promotes both the value of the City as a 

cluster of like businesses, a well 

regulated and fairly taxed environment, 

a place with qualified and available 

staff and an enjoyable environment in 

which people will enjoy doing business 

and living. 

It must be remembered that although 

UK financial services and, especially, the 

banks have come under much critical 

scrutiny over the last few years, the 

financial services sector provides jobs for 

over 1 million people within the UK 

economy (approximately 350,000 of 

them in the City of London) and 

contributes 12% of the UK’s GDP. The 

Corporation of London’s role as a local 

authority is also vital since it is that body 

which ensures the physical environment 

is well presented, that transport runs on 

time (at various times the Corporation 

has funded alternative bus or river taxi 

facilities whilst underground lines were 

out of order), it has campaigned for 

Crossrail and is making a substantial 

contribution to its cost. The Corporation 

ensures that services such as waste 

collection, road cleansing and 

maintenance are exemplary and 

facilitate the planning of appropriate 

buildings which facilitate both large 

and small businesses in operating 

successfully within the City environs. 

The Livery Companies have a lot to 

contribute and in many different ways - 

as voters and stakeholders with the City 

Corporation as its local authority, as part 

of the constituency of the Lord Mayor in 

the Shrieval and Mayoral elections, as 

business people ready to engage in the 

promotion and future of the City of 

London. These are all ways in which 

the Glovers can deliver on that 

Freeman’s promise! 

Alison Gowman, First Under Warden 

TOUR OF MUSEUM, 

LONDON DOCKLANDS 

Monday 22 August 

Following a very enjoyable visit to 

the Museum of London in January this 

year we were presented with the 

opportunity to visit their sister Museum – 

The Museum of London, Docklands. On 

a bright sunny day 40 members and 


guests arrived at West India Quay for a 

guided tour of this unique Museum, 

housed in a warehouse formerly used 

to store rum). We were divided into 

groups and taken around to learn some 

of the history of this part of London 

and especially its docks by two very 

experienced guides. The museum is 

divided into themed zones covering 

different periods in history. Our visit 

ranged from visiting a “typical” early 

1800’s street or seeing World War II 

air-raid shelters and the impact of 

the “blitz” to learning about the 

importance to British commerce of 

various “commodities” at different times 

in the last 1,000 years, including sugar, 

whale oil, rum and very sadly “slaves”. 

Very detailed models helped us to 

understand how Docklands looked in 

the nineteenth century. The numerous 

artefacts that have been unearthed gave 

us an idea of the important role played 

by the port and helped us to understand 

some of the history and culture of the 

places with which London traded. 

Following the tour we adjourned for a 

glass or two and a light lunch at a 

nearby restaurant. It was generally 

agreed that we did not have time to see 

everything in the Museum and a return 

visit, taking in the shops and restaurants 

of the Docklands area would be 

very worthwhile. 

Daphne Cave 

Category 1: A pair of gloves for the 

Lady Mayoress 

to wear on Lord 

Mayor’s Day 

First Prize: Andrew Shiels, 

Loughborough University 

Runner Up: Elizabeth Holmes, 

De Montfort University 

Category 2: A pair of fashionable 

winter gloves for 

autumn/winter 2011 

First Prize: Neida Simkute, 

Epping Forest College 

Runner Up: Louise Burnett, 

University of Lincoln 

The annual Awards Luncheon in July is 

always an opportunity for the Glovers to 

return to their roots and re-affirm their 

links with the British glove trade. The 

Design Competition raises awareness of 

gloving within the fashion colleges and 

encourages students to think about 

gloves as fashion accessories. The 

quality and quantity of the entries this 

year demonstrates the value of the 

Competition and, as Past Master John 

Spanner pointed out when he 

introduced the prize-winners, made the 

judges’ job very difficult. This year the 

prizes were presented by Sir David 

Brewer CMG, JP, Lord Lieutenant of 

Greater London and Lord Mayor in 

2005-06. The categories ranged from 

designing gloves to be worn by the Lady 

Mayoress on Lord Mayor’s Day to 

2011 Glove Design Competitions 

Sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Glovers 

2011 AWARDS LUNCHEON Tuesday 5 July 

Andrew Shiels with the Lady Mayoress 

Category 3: A pair of gloves for use 

in an industrial 

environment 

First Prize: Annabel Yeung, De Montfort 

University 

Runner Up: Kate Turton, De Montfort 

University 

Dents’ Prize for the most commercial 

design from all entries received: 

Abby Reeve, College of West Anglia 

The College making the greatest 

contribution to the Competition 

De Montfort University 

Safety Poster Competition: 

First Prize: Anna-Marie Mainwaring, 

Coleg Sir Gâr 

Runner-up: Henna Sameja, 

Kingston College 

fashionable winter gloves or gloves for 

use in an industrial environment. The 

Dents Prize was awarded for the most 

commercial design submitted and the 

Safety Poster competition underlines the 

importance of gloves in industry. 

After the Prize Giving, the Master began 

his speech by taking wine with the 

Liverymen admitted at that morning’s 

Court, Mrs Sarah Bridge of BM Polyco 

and Mr Alex Finnen, a long-standing 

member of our affiliated regiment. He 

then welcomed our distinguished guests. 

Besides Sir David Brewer, our guests 

included Mr Bruce Cope, Master of the 

Barbers’ Company, Mrs Jacqueline 

Talbot, Master of the Cordwainers of 

York and Major General Nicholas 

Cottam, Registrar of St Paul’s Cathedral. 

All received gloves from the Master, who 

then proposed their health. Replying on 

behalf of the guests, Sir David Brewer 

spoke of the privilege of being in such a 

lovely hall, which had recently been 

seen in the film “The King’s Speech”. 

Indeed he understood that Drapers’ Hall 

often substituted for Buckingham Palace 

in films, and sometimes for the Kremlin. 

He told us something of the work of the 

Lieutenancy in Greater London where 

any of the 32 Deputy Lieutenants might 

be as busy as the Lord Lieutenants in 

one of the shires. There were over 120 

Royal visits within Greater London last 

year, requiring support from the 

Lieutenancy. Dressing up was an 

essential part of being both Lord Mayor 

and Lord Lieutenant and Sir David 

noted that the one item of dress he had 

managed to use for both appointments 

was the pair of white kid gloves which 

the Glovers’ Company had presented 

during his year as Lord Mayor. They are 

still admired whenever they were worn. 

Category 2 winning designs 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Seventeen

With some trepidation a party of Glovers 

and guests set out for the South Coast 

for the Glovers’ Croquet Day. But 

despite fears about the weather, the sun 

shone throughout on the Master, the 

Mistress and twenty-two other 

attendees. Jonathan Isaacs, President of 

Sussex County Croquet Club greeted us 

and provided a brief history of the Club 

(a mere 120 years old!) and an 

explanation of the rules of the game. 

Battle then commenced with players 

being paired to play doubles in two 

leagues culminating in a grand final 

between the winners of the two leagues, 

which was watched by all. A wide 

variety of playing styles was exhibited 

with the majority of players being new to 

the game. Despite the varied levels of 

croquet experience all quickly came to 

terms with the nuances of the game and 

the competitive spirit was roused. It 

would be inappropriate to name names, 

but suffice it to say that a certain Warden 

had the temerity to knock the Master’s 

ball off the lawn; readers will be 

comforted to learn that the Master 

reciprocated appropriately later in 

the game. The Mistress displayed her 

customary grace and style, combined 

with an accurate eye and some 

determined play. 

Eighteen 

A DAY AT THE SUSSEX COUNTY CROQUET CLUB Saturday 9 July 

A contrast in styles, 

the Renter Warden and the Master 

Harmony and good humour prevailed 

throughout the day, even when spouses 

faced each other on opposing sides 

battling over a crucial hoop. Sustained 

by morning coffee, a light but splendid 

lunch and afternoon tea and cakes the 

standard of play continued to improve 

during the day. A closely contested final 

was played between Tim Roe & Rowena 

Seth-Smith (two new stars in the 

Croquet firmament) v Keith Ebsworth & 

Rita Atkinson. Congratulations go to 

Tim and Rowena for taking the honours. 

The Master concluded the day by 

presenting prizes to the winners and 

gave our thanks to the Club for making 

The Glovers Group with (on the right) Jonathan Isaacs, President of the 

Sussex County Croquet Club 

us so welcome. Those that stayed 

overnight joined Julian Pelling for a 

most enjoyable supper in one of the 

many restaurants in Hove. It proved to 

be a most enjoyable day many hope 

that it may become a regular item in the 

Glovers’ calendar. 

Daphne Cave 

The Master presents prizes to the winning 

pair, Rowena Seth-Smith and Tim Roe 

ADMITTED TO 

THE LIVERY 

JULY COURT 

Greg Murray 

Greg was born in London and 

after studying biochemistry and 

physiology went into marketing in the 

pharmaceutical industry. He moved 

from there into consumer marketing 

where he crossed paths with Leslie 

Blustin. Together they set up BM Polyco 

Ltd, which was initially involved in 

developing the market for household 

rubber gloves through supermarkets. 

Later the Company expanded into 

industrial and medical gloves and it now 

enjoys market leadership in all three 

sectors. Leslie and Greg are still involved 

with the business as Joint Chairmen. 


Greg is married to Anne-Marie and they 

have two children. He enjoys cooking, 

travel, the theatre, driving his classic 

Jaguar, keeping fit and playing squash. 

Anne-Marie and Greg can often be seen 

riding around London on their bright 

yellow tandem. 

Robin Tilbrook 

Robin Tilbrook was educated at Elstree 

School, Wellington College and Kent 

University. His father was an army 

officer in the Queens Royal Irish Hussars 

and after school Robin joined the 

Brigade Squad in the Coldstream 

Guards. He became a solicitor who 

specialises in civil litigation with his own 

practice, Tilbrook’s and is a past 

president of the Mid Essex Law Society. 

For many years he has been a volunteer 

legal adviser at Epping and Brentwood 

Citizens Advice Bureaux. 

Robin is married with three children 

and has been a churchwarden and 

the Chairman of his church’s Parochial 

Church Council. He is also the 

Chairman of the English Democrats and 

a campaigner for devolved English 

Parliament. He is “passionate about 

England and our rich culture and 

heritage of which the City of London 

and the Livery companies are shining 

examples!” 

Sarah Bridge 

Sarah Bridge was born in Liverpool but 

brought up in North Wales and speaks 

fluent Welsh as a result. She returned to 

Liverpool to attend University and take 

a Mechanical Engineering degree. Sarah 

began work at North Safety Limited and 

then ten years ago moved to BM Polyco 

to become UK Sales Manager. She is 

now Deputy Managing Director and 

passionate about the importance of 

product development. She believes 

strongly that Personal Protective 

Equipment (PPE) should be designed 

and developed with the end user in 

mind. She is Marketing Director at the 

British Safety Industry Federation and is 

a heavy supporter of its Registered 

Safety Supplier Scheme that promotes 

suppliers of correctly tested and 

approved PPE. 

Sarah is the proud aunt to six nephews 

and nieces. Her interests outside of the 

work environment include walking, 

gardening, cooking and eating. 

NOVEMBER COURT 

Jonathan Grosvenor 

Jonathan Grosvenor was born in Lagos, 

Nigeria, where his father was posted as 

head of a law firm. He took an Oxford 

PPE degree at St Benet’s where he was 

Captain of Boats, JCR President and 

also played rugby for St Edmund’s Hall 

and Corpus Christi College. Jonathan 

joined what was then Peat Marwick 

Mitchell in the City and qualified as a 

chartered accountant. While still with 

what had by then become KPMG, he 

set up a publishing company and it grew 

so rapidly that he had to choose 

between the profession and the world of 

books. The latter proved irresistible, so 

he moved back to Oxford and has been 

there ever since, building and selling six 

successive businesses. 

Along the way, Jonathan served with 21 

Artists for eleven years, became a JP, 

married and had two children, was 

President of Oxford Rotary and joined 

the several charity boards. He retains his 

City links and is also a Member of 

the Chartered Accountants’ Livery 

Company, where he is a member of 

the Court of Assistants. His hobbies are 

his children and family, rowing (Leander 

Member), skiing, the theatre and 

cinema, travel, and military history. 

Alex Finnen 

Alex Finnen was born in Kent and 

joined the Diplomatic Service in 1970, 

just a year after he followed his father 

into our affiliated Regiment. After ten 

years with the FCO he left to take a 

degree at Kingston University and then 

spent two years in full-time military 

service with 1st British Corps in 

Germany. From 1984 to 1993 he 

was Political Agent and Constituency 

Secretary to Sir Geoffrey Howe 

and Sir George Gardiner before 

joining Jonathan Grosvenor, another 

new member of the Livery, in 

various publishing and communications 

ventures. He was mobilized for service 

in Bosnia in 1995 and after two years 

was transferred back to the FCO to work 

with the Organization for Security and 

Co-Operation in Europe in a number of 

posts in the former Yugoslavia. These 

included being Director General for 

Elections for Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

Head of Operations and Deputy 

Director of Mission Resources for Bosnia 

and Herzegovina with the OSCE 

in Sarajevo and finally Deputy Head 

of Mission to ‘OSCE Presence in 

Albania’ based in Tirana from 2002 

to 2009. His PhD on "The International 

Community's management of 'Post 

Conflict' with reference to Bosnia" was 

accepted by Oxford Brooks University in 

December 2011. 

Alex is currently a “mobilized” Territorial 

Army officer, managing a small 

analytical and research team within the 

Ministry of Defence. 

THE GLOVER December 2011 Nineteen

DONATION TO 

WESTMINSTER 

BOATING BASE 

Although we only started donating to 

this charity last year, a second batch of 

canoeing mitts and sailing gloves was 

gratefully received by Alan Price, the 

Chief Executive, in early October. This 

active charity which is located on the 

Embankment near Vauxhall Bridge, has 

its own jetty which makes it well placed 

to provide canoeing and sailing training 

for disadvantaged and disabled people, 

inner London schools and young 

people from deprived areas. The 

Boating Base, which is authorised to run 

RYA sailing courses, BCU canoeing 

courses and ICC courses for 

powerboats, is part of the Lord Mayor’s 

Sports Legacy Scheme and is now 

looking to encourage adult members 

(recommended by the Salvation Army 

or other similar charities) who might 

never get such a chance. 

Twenty 

Special thanks should go to David 

Bennett who provided these gloves 

which will be put to regular use over the 

coming months as the winter boating 

activities get underway. 

Liveryman 

T. Richard Morris 

Presentation to Alan Price 

EDITOR: Mr Michael Orr 

Hope Bank, 13 Upper Gordon Road, 

Camberley, Surrey GU15 2HJ 

Tel: 01276 22584 Fax: 01276 502873 

Email m.j.orr@ntlworld.com 

CLERK: Miss Carole Blackshaw 

Oscar Court, 17 Tite Street, London SW3 4JR 

Tel: 020 7376 3043 Fax: 020 7622 0316 

Email: clerk@thegloverscompany.org 

GLOVERS’ COMPANY 

GOLFING SOCIETY 

It is sadly necessary to record that the 

membership of the Golfing Society has 

been shrinking for some time and we 

could not survive by ourselves. However 

we are able to join the Artists Rifles 

Golfing Society for our three meetings 

and the Autumn Meeting is also shared 

with the Founders’ Company. Thus we 

can still offer golfing Glovers the chance 

to play at some of the finest courses in 

the south of England. The Summer 

Meeting took place at Chart Hills and 

Rye Golf Clubs on 18 and 19 July. The 

weather at Chart Hills was hardly 

summery, even for 2011, but we 

managed a round on a fine parklands 

course. Our normal venue, Royal St 

George’s at Sandwich had hosted the 

Open Championship which finished the 

day before and so was “out of bounds” 

but we will return there next year. Rye 

more than made up for Monday’s 

aquatic round and the golf was enjoyed 

by all. We are very grateful to Past 

Assistant David Spry for once again 

arranging these two days. The Autumn 

meeting was held at Worplesdon Golf 

Club on 14 October. Traditionally 

we compete against the Founders’ 

Company for “The Gauntlet”. The 

Founders were the winners of the Inter- 

Livery Golf Competition, the Prince 

Arthur Cup, this year and so we 

considered that we did well to lose to 

them by only 0.1 of a point. The scoring 

system for this competition was 

reputedly rejected by Duckworth and 

Lewis as too complicated but it seems to 

guarantee an enjoyable day’s golf and it 

was good to meet the Founders again. 

The dates for our fixtures next year are: 

Spring Meeting: Wed 21 March at 

Hankley Common GC 

Summer Meeting: Mon 23 July at 

Royal St George’s GC and Tue 24 July 

at Rye GC 

Autumn Meeting: Fri 12 October at 

Worplesdon 

We know there are Glovers who play 

golf and are not on our mailing list. Why 

are you missing the chance to play such 

fine courses at very reasonable prices? 

Please contact Michael Orr to find out 

more about the Society. 

Michael Orr, Hon Sec Glovers’ 

Company Golfing Society 

The June 2012 Edition 

The Editor welcomes articles on the activities of the Glovers’ Company, 

its members and the Gloving trade. The closing date for submissions is 

1st May 2012, though it may be possible to accept material 

later by prior arangement. The preferred method for submitting copy is by 

email, as a MS Word file, single-spaced and unjustified, with a minimum 

of formatting. However, if this is not possible, articles may be sent to the 

Editor on paper. Illustrations are also welcome but please contact the 

Editor to discuss how they should be sent.

THE GLOVER December 2011 - The Worshipful Company of Glovers

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