Apothecary 2020

In the last year the staff team has said goodbye to
Academic Registrar Mr J Benson and welcomed Dr C
O’Boyle in his place. Deputy Clerk Ms V Longhurst
went on maternity leave, being delivered of the
delightful Amelia Lucy on 21st May 2020. Vicki and Rob
are deliriously happy, and Ms B Ryan is acting in her
place.
Society Membership
Congratulations are due to the following 25 Liverymen
who were clothed by the Master during the year:
Dr Tristan Barber, Mr Kevin Bromley, Prof Graham
Buckton, Dr Gillian Bullock, Prof David Burn, Mr Tony
Cartwright, Dr Sarah Chatham, Dr Emma Dalton, Dr
Josu de la Fuente, Prof Michael Dillon, Prof Mark Fox,
Dr Neil Hartman, Dr Sheelagh Hillan MBE, Dr Philip
Hopley, Prof Kieron Leslie, Dr Lorraine Linton, Dr
Stephen Linton, Lt Col Deborah Malins TD, Mrs Lucy
Pettitt, Dr Michael Robinson, Dr Victor Selwyn, Dr
Kieran Wardman, Prof Julius Weinberg, Mr Stuart
Wells, Dr Deborah Williams.
14 candidates made their declaration as Freemen and
were welcomed to the Society by the Master.
Ms Tracy Alexander, Prof Jackie Cassell, Lord Timothy
Clement-Jones CBE, Prof Sina Dorudi, Dr Robin
Gardner, Ms Briony Hudson, Dr Sophie Jefferys,
Dr David Maudgil, Dr Peter Mace, Dr Kieran McHugh,
Dr Shirin Parsno, Dr William Reith, Dr Susan West were
admitted by Redemption and Prof Jonathan Brown was
admitted by Servitude.
In addition, 4 Apprentices was bound and there were 18
notices of deaths.
On 1 September, 2020, the strength of the Society stood
at 1,249, discounting Honorary membership. Of these,
982 were Liverymen,239 Yeomen and 28 Apprentices. 75
were pharmacists, and 1605 other non-medical
members. The remainder were all from medical
specialities. 19% of the Society’s membership is female.
In terms of Quarterage, 594 members have declared
Guardant, 536 declared Couchant, 93 are not yet eligible
to declare, having less than five years’ seniority.
Members may no longer declare Couchant, this being a
special dispensation when quarterage was introduced,
but those no longer wishing to pay quarterage will have
their membership archived.
The Society’s Property
The Society’s property demands remain challenging.
Investigation of the subsidence problem at the far end of
the Great Hall has continued, including a dig in the
basement to reveal the (lack of) foundations, and we are
now in a movement-monitoring phase that may last
some months before any formal diagnosis and
prescription is made. We are enormously grateful to our
insurers, the Livery Companies Mutual, for their
support in what is a very expensive exercise.
Members will know that the Society’s income is heavily
dependent on let properties around the Hall. To date
most of our tenants have weathered the pandemic in
reasonably good shape, but we do now have three
vacant units, two vacated before the pandemic and now
hard to let in a sticky market, and one tenant who has
moved out since lockdown began. If you know of
someone looking for flexible office space, please contact
the Clerk.
Service Affiliations
The Society continues to enjoy affiliations with 256 Field
Hospital, RAMC; 4626 (County of Wiltshire)
Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron; 201 (Harrow)
RAMC Cadet Detachment; and the Middlesex and
North West London Army Cadet Force. HMS Somerset
is currently undergoing a refit, but the affiliation will be
continued once that is complete – and the Government’s
pandemic guidelines allow.
Close and warm relations with the Chelsea Physic
Garden have been maintained. Our representative on
their Advisory Committee is Dr PJH Tooley.
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