Master's Update

My first official engagement as Master was to attend Guildhall on Thursday for the Lord Mayor’s Prize Day for the City of London School for Boys. The Head spoke movingly about abseiling for the School’s charity and the Lord Mayor spoke about doing one’s best and to keep on trying to achieve.

Monday, 7th October was my first Dinner invitation, from our good friends the Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers at Vintners Hall. Always a good venue, but the highlight was most definitely their former sponsored student at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Filipe Manu, a tenor now with the Royal Opera House. He was superb. During the evening 7 new liverymen (including an ex-apprentice) and 2 freemen were introduced.

Today, Tuesday I went along to an “Open Day” for the London Fire Brigade at Dowgate Fire Station. This is the City’s Station but also houses the Brigades Forensic Investigation Unit, which not only explained how they performed, but the critical safety records they produce, which can culminate in safety measure being incorporate in consumer electrical equipment to make them safer. The case in point was the tumble dryers that burst into flames, have now been modified by the manufacturer to prevent the same thing happening again. It must be said that human behaviour is a large contributor to the cause of fires.

I had not been aware that London Fire Brigade also has a Cadet force of its own, who were the ones who spoke enthusiastically to our group about the items a fire engine contains and the large amount of kit they have to do their level best to keep the fire officers safe. A most enjoyable and informative morning.

Andrew Whitton

Master