- Merchant Taylors

number
SPRING 2016
THE MERCHANT TAYLORS’ COMPANY MAGAZINE
MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER
2016 SPRING ISSUE
01 Message from the Master
02Comment
Clerk’s notes
03 Our History
The Cloisters Fireplace
04 Membership
New Liverymen
The way to Membership
THREADING IT ALL TOGETHER
At the beginning of March
we welcomed young musicians
drawn from all our associated
schools to the Philharmonic Hall
in Liverpool for the Joint Schools
Concert, and it was good to see
many Members of the Company
there. The Freemen’s Dinner on
10th March is now becoming
a firm fixture in the calendar,
05 Staff News
Angeline Pages
Michaela Caramma
06Charities
Age Exchange
The LFF Nominated Charities
The Livery and Freemen Fund
12Education
Merchant Taylors’ Educational Trust Seminar
Photography Competition 2015
Associated Schools Concert
16Schools
Foyle College
Kings Macclesfield
Merchant Taylors’ School Crosby
St John’s School
Merchant Taylors’ School Northwood
Wallingford School
Front cover:
The Steinway Piano
The Steinway was bought in
2002, right at the end of Sir David
Brewer’s Mastership. Its inaugural
recital was on 10th July 2002,
when the soloist was Christian
Blackshaw, a distinguished pianist
and an old boy of the King’s School,
Macclesfield.
22 Military Affiliates
The London Regiment
The Royal Yeomanry
HMS Heron
28Events
34 Sports
Fixtures 2016
34Obituaries
Please send in your contributions
(or feedback) for the next issue of Number 30 to:
number 30@merchant-taylors.co.uk
The Master – Peregrine Massey
T
he diverse range of
activities with which this
Company involves itself is as
rich and varied a diet as any
Master could wish for.
As I indicated in the last
edition of Number 30, the focus
of much of what we do, and
indeed the particular focus
of this Mastership, is on the
younger generation - across
our schools and their alumni
bodies; with our military
affiliates; with the tailoring
trade; across the range of
charities we choose to support;
and within our own ranks
through the many Liverymen
and women, Freemen and
Apprentices who choose to
engage themselves with our
charitable and philanthropic
programme.
The Clerk now knows
the meaning of the
term ‘hot-desking’!
and again I welcomed the
opportunity to meet many of you
at the Hall on that occasion.
Our regular Membership
Lunches, not to mention our
annual Wylford’s Service on
21st March, provided further
opportunities for me to catch
up with many of you, as will the
Windsor Walk being planned by
the Livery for 14th May. Finally,
the Gala Dinner at the Hall on
25th May in aid of Childhood
First, the Master’s Charity this
year, will engage very many
of you at what promises to be
an important and hugely
enjoyable fundraiser.
One relatively unsung area
of our engagement with young
people is in our quiet support for
a number of artistic institutions:
The Guildhall School of Music
and Drama, The Slade School of
Fine Art and The Royal School
of Needlework. They all benefit
from scholarship or award
schemes set up some years ago,
and we are busy refreshing those
arrangements. But there are other
young artists and craftspeople
with whom we are keen to engage,
and to that end I have recently
hosted an evening at the Hall to
explore other opportunities of this
nature involving institutions and
organisations working with young
people in the arts. I would welcome
hearing from any of you who
have connections in this world.
At the Hall, the redecoration
programme of the areas above
the Court Room is now almost
completed, and we will shortly
be able to return the Clerk to
his own office. He now knows
the meaning of the term
‘hot-desking’!
Renewed thanks to you all
for the multifarious ways in
which you support all that
the Company is attempting to
achieve in your name.
01
OUR HISTORY
COMMENT
THE CLOISTERS FIREPLACE
T
CLERK’S MESSAGE
B
elieve it or not, spring is on
its way! It’s always a cheering
time when the office begins to
resonate with summer-related
noises. Golf, sailing and shooting
teams being created; cricket nets
and matches arranged; summer
barbeques and warm weather
charity activities looming. This
spring is going to be no different,
although pleasingly there are
signs of the Merchant Taylors
wishing to take up tennis too,
which would be a welcome
addition. Please let us know if
you are interested and we can put
you in touch with like minds.
This will be the first summer
with Merchant Taylors’ Prep
School firmly within the fold,
and joint activities continue
to develop with all associated
schools. On 5th March, 300 of
our students all came together
for a concert in Liverpool’s
02
Philharmonic Hall – the first
time such a large gathering has
been held since the Barbican
in 2000. All the schools
contributed, but singular praise
is due to the Merchant Taylors’
Schools in Crosby, who led the
way in organisation, and Diana
Watson, our education officer
and event coordinator.
The Company’s almshouses
in Lewisham, the Merchant
Taylors’ Boone’s Charity,
continue to make good progress
towards their new incarnation.
Our latest forecast expects to
see completion in 2018. The two
care homes, Mulberry House
and Dowe House, are both in
the process of being leased to
different care home providers
and this will be good news
for all concerned, including
the charities who own them
and need the rent income.
Our Company surveyor, Nigel
Gammon, has been driving this
project alongside the myriad
Hall and general Companyowned property matters he
supervises every day.
Although the temporary loss
of care home rental income has
had a short-term adverse impact
on our charitable giving, grant
making has not stopped, and
the Company has continued to
support many excellent causes.
The Livery and Freemen Fund
remains something of which
everyone should be enormously
proud, and I am sure that if you
do not already contribute your
share, you will in due course. To
talk with the supported charities
at the Vernon’s Buffet Lunch is
inspirational, and evidence of
your generosity is there for all
to see.
The Catering Company
continues to excel under Simon
Fooks, who has just been elected
to the Livery after so many years’
outstanding culinary leadership.
We encourage all Members to
try to bring either their own or
commercial business to us in
the Hall.
The Company’s own events,
coordinated by Kym Ash and
the membership office, make full
use of the Catering Company. We
have enjoyed a succession of very
well attended gatherings over the
last few months, including dinner
for the Lord Mayor.
Andrea Elsworth and Rosa
Prestia (who has just had her
second child), keep a financial
hand on the tiller of all these
activities with their team, with
huge enthusiasm and success,
and the Company is fortunate
indeed to have them.
Rear Admiral Nick Harris
CBE MBE
he fireplace in the Cloisters
is dated 1857, and bears
the names of the Master,
Wardens and Clerk at that date.
The Master was John Bonus
(Master 1856-7); the Wardens
were Bonamy Dobree Junior,
John Thompson Fletcher, John
Watson Lay and Sir James Tyler;
and the Clerk was Samuel Fisher
(whose portrait can be seen in
the Parlour).
The fireplace includes a tall
chimneypiece of stone, with
pilasters and cornice. This
chimneypiece bears a number
of oval metal plates, painted
with coats of arms. The central,
largest plate has the arms of the
Master, John Bonus. Curiously,
the Latin of the motto has been
painted incorrectly. The correct
wording is a quotation from
Ovid, In medio tutissimus ibis,
“You will go most safely by the
middle way”. However ibis has
been rendered as ibio. This error
was repeated in the new heraldic
glass installed in the Great Hall
in 1932 and destroyed in 1940.
Presumably the glass was copied
from the fireplace.
Surrounding the Master’s coat
of arms are those of the four
wardens. Dobree is in the top
left, Fletcher in the top right,
Lay in the lower left, and Tyler
in the lower right. These are all
smaller than the Master’s coat of
arms, but still prominent. The
final two shields, smaller still,
are those of the Clerk, Samuel
Fisher (bottom centre), and of
the next Master, Joseph Turnley
(top centre).
Not all of the coats of arms
are original. Some were stolen
in the early 1990s during
building works, and replaced
in 1994 with excellent modern
facsimiles, copied from old
photographs by Sidney Bendall,
a heraldic artist recommended
by John Penton. The brighter
and shinier new shields can be
easily distinguished from the
surviving Victorian originals.
The motto beneath the stolen
Lay shield, Immortalium
omnibus horissa, like the motto
beneath the Master’s shield, was
meaningless Latin, although
it too had been re-used in the
1932 glazing scheme for the
Great Hall. It probably should
have read Nemo mortalium
omnibus horis sapit [Alexander
Pope], “No man always gets it
right”. Mr Bendall recreated
the meaningless version
exactly as before.
The facsimile shields of
Fletcher and Lay were also
(presumably mistakenly)
swapped over. Fletcher was
placed in the top right, in the
position formerly occupied
by Lay. Lay was fixed where
Fletcher should have been in the
bottom left.
The present Cloisters date
from 1927, when the fireplace
was moved to its present
position. It was originally
installed in April 1857 in the
East Corridor, then quite new,
which had proved to be very
cold. William Boulton was paid
£70 for the stone chimneypiece.
He may have re-used an existing
hearth. He was not paid until
the end of November 1857, so
the fireplace was initiated in
one Mastership and finished
in another. This explains why
we also have the coat arms of
Joseph Turnley (Master 1857-8).
Stephen Freeth
Company Archivist
03
STAFF
MEMBERSHIP
NEW LIVERYMEN
ELECTED TO THE LIVERY AT COURT ON 21ST DECEMBER 2015
Mr Rupert Walker
Rupert joined the Company
by Patrimony in 2001. After
University he attended BPP
Law School and is now head of
standard documents at Thomson
Reuters. Rupert has travelled
extensively and has volunteered
for many charitable causes.
He is recently married and
lives in London.
Mr James Twining
James, a published author, was
Apprenticed to Sir Geoffrey
Holland in 1992 and joined
the Company in 2001. James is
the group commercial director
of one of the world’s leading
insurance/reinsurance brokers
based in the City.
He is married with three
children and lives in London.
ANGELINE PAGES
Sous-Chef
A
THE WAY TO MEMBERSHIP
JOINING THE FREEDOM OF THE COMPANY
M
embership of the
Merchant Taylors’
Company is via the Freedom in
to which there are three routes:
via Patrimony, Servitude or
Redemption.
Patrimony requires that one
of your parents was Free of the
Company at the time of your
birth.
Servitude is a system of
Apprenticeship that used only to
be available to those under the
age of 21, but Court has directed
that two changes be made to the
Company’s Apprentices scheme.
The 14 to 21 years old clause has
served well for hundreds of years,
but as a modern City apprentice
would probably start his first
job after university, the upper
age limit for a Merchant Taylors’
Apprentice has been raised to 25
(ie before their 26th birthday).
Those bound at the upper age
(over 21) will be required to
serve an Apprenticeship until at
least age 28 before being eligible
for the Freedom of Merchant
Taylors’ Company. However, the
City of London has not changed
its criteria, and so these older
04
apprentices at a later point will
need to be made Free of the
Company by Redemption rather
than Servitude, in order to meet
the ancient needs of Guildhall,
before being granted the Freedom
of the City of London.
The third route is by
Redemption. This is not widely
used and the Company would
want to be satisfied that a
candidate would bring certain
qualities to the Company which
it deems to be of value to it.
Such a candidate needs to be
sponsored by four Members of the
Company - including the Master
or Immediate Past Master, plus
a Court Member and two others
who know the applicant well.
From Freedom to Livery
Once they have spent two years
as a Freeman and reached
the age of 30, Freemen must
apply for the Livery through
the Membership Office. There
is no system of invitation. An
application form needs to be
completed and returned by 31st
January each year, and then
the Admissions Committee
interviews all applicants in the
April. At interview, candidates are
expected to present themselves
for a friendly discussion with
committee members, armed with
a reasonable knowledge of the
Company and a record of equally
reasonable attendance at Company
events. Successful applicants will
be invited to be admitted to the
Livery at a meeting of Court prior
to the annual midsummer Livery
Dinner.
For further information on
any of the above please email
kash@merchant-taylors.co.uk.
Company Fines
Fines for Admission to the
Freedom are standard for all at
£250 plus at least 10% in addition
as a first donation to the Livery
and Freemen’s Fund (LFF), the
exact donation to be guided by
sponsors. The fine on joining
the Livery is additional to an
appropriate donation to the LFF.
The Company’s fines are as follows:
Apprenticeship - £60
Freedom - £250
Admission to the Livery - £1,000
Admission to Court - £2,300
ngeline Pages joins our
kitchen straight from
Langan’s, the historic Mayfair
restaurant where she was souschef to Keith Stanley MBE. She
succeeds Julian Garner, who left
the Company in January.
Angeline was born in
Mazamet, France, a city nestled
at the northern slope of the
Montagne Noire in the heart
of the Parc Régional du Haut
Languedoc. Her background
includes ski seasons, hotels
and several functions as chef
at Mansion House when Roger
Gifford was lord mayor.
Thrilled to learn about the
classical cuisine of the country,
Angeline says it is “Exciting to
work with a team of such a high
standard. The quality of the food
preparation, presentation and
service Merchant Taylors’ Hall
provides is beyond impressive.”
In her free time Angeline is
likely to be found listening to
music, in the cinema or, as an
Arsenal fan, at the Emirates
Stadium!
MICHAELA CARAMMA
Head Waitress
O
ur new head waitress
Michaela (who fills Claire
Glynn’s shoes) was born in the
historic city of Giarre on the east
coast of Sicily, Italy - a region
well known for its olive oil, wine,
food and hospitality.
Michaela moved to London
in 2011 and has worked in
numerous five star venues.
Her will do attitude and always
sunny personality doubtlessly
brings the guest experience
at Merchant Taylors’ Hall to
a new level.
She is always keen on learning
new details about the Company
and is fascinated by the history.
Her husband is a chef, so
they don’t get much free time
together, but when they aren’t
catering for others they enjoy
eating out themselves, travelling
and the theatre.
05
CHARITIES
AGE EXCHANGE
AND MERCHANT TAYLORS’ BOONE’S CHARITY
“Everyone having fun
Joining in with the music
Slowly getting inebriated
Before arriving at Tower Bridge
Viewing the Thames and
seeing the London Eye
Through bleary eyes.”
MT Group Poem
T
he trustees of Merchant
Taylors’ Boone’s Charity
continue to support Age
Exchange with their creative arts
programme with our almshouse
residents.
Arts, crafts and reminiscence
sessions are carried out on
a weekly basis and typically
involve ten residents with
an age range from 70 to late
80s. Throughout the sessions,
the group experiences an
extensive range of arts and
crafts activities, where they
are introduced to previously
unfamiliar materials and
techniques.
These have included:
decoupage, collage, gilding,
varnishing, drawing,
watercolour painting, 3-D
construction, graphic design,
textiles, multi-media artworking,
cultural and art history, poetry,
writing and storytelling, mental
and visual agility exercises.
06
The programme runs a
combination of one-off and
long-term projects on an
alternate basis; which allows the
participants to choose their level
of involvement, as they wish and
are able.
Project ‘Millie’, is a true
demonstration of the stimulating
and creative work the
participants get to be involved
with. Millie was a long-time
resident of Merchant Taylor’s
almshouses, and an active
participant in the Wednesday
arts group. After Millie sadly
passed away in February 2015,
it was decided that the group
would make a ‘tribute’ to present
to her family. This took the
form of a mid-scale piece of
decoupage, involving gilding
(with metal leaf), varnishing
and using professional materials
from a specialist theatrical
supplier. The group is really
proud of this piece of work and
it is their first, major, extended
piece of artwork.
Creative and artistic values
aside, the group has been
extremely beneficial for
the overall wellbeing of the
participants. The opportunity
to work together on new,
stimulating tasks has helped
keep minds active and engaged.
The sense of giving each other
support and of ‘collective
achievement’ when a project is
completed are both invaluable.
Overall we are thrilled
with everything we have seen
as a result of the creative
programme, and are grateful for
Age Exchange for introducing
this priceless opportunity to
the almshouse residents. The
charity’s work produces so
much: a community, sharing,
competition, empathy,
humour, activity (physical and
mental), self-confidence and
collective-confidence.
07
CHARITIES
CHARITIES
THE LFF NOMINATED CHARITIES
T
he decisions taken by the
Livery Committee reflect
as faithfully as possible the
views of the Membership, whose
generosity they are charged
with administering. It may be
seen as a strong statement of
intent, therefore, that it has
chosen to support four charities
who are all closely concerned
with delivering some sort of
education.
Westside School
Continuing the theme of helping
those who are struggling to get
the most out of the education
scheme, the LFF is supporting
Westside School for the third
time this year. Serving deprived
parts of the City of Westminster
and beyond into north west
London, the school is an
alternative educational provision
for students in year 9, 10 and
11 who have disengaged from
mainstream education. It was
founded by Sarah Evans – the
grand daughter of two-time
Master Merchant Taylor,
Anthony Clifton-Brown.
Predominantly attracting
vulnerable and challenging
young people who have been
excluded from a mainstream
school or who are at risk of
exclusion, 100% of their students
attained a GCSE in English and
Maths in 2011, and in 2012,
65% of what Sarah describes
as a “particularly troubled
year group” attained five or
more GCSEs – compared to
an average of only 13% among
other alternative providers and
pupil referral units (PRUs)
nationally.
www.westsideschool.org.uk
Pembroke College
Academically high-flying but
economically disadvantaged
students are being catered
for as well, with support for
the bursary programme at
Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Pembroke is one of two
higher education institutions
with which the Company is
associated, along with the
wealthier St John’s College,
Oxford. While there is
government support for the
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet XLP
08
living costs of students from
families with a household
income of less than £12,000
per annum, this support,
bizarrely, covers only one year’s
study at Cambridge – leaving
an undergraduate’s continued
studies in potential jeopardy
unless alternative funding can
be found.
Pembroke have committed
to ensuring that adequate
support exists for the entirety
of an undergraduate’s time at
the college, and the Livery and
Freeman Fund will be providing
sufficient for one student to
receive such an assurance.
Moreover, Pembroke has a
particular focus on recruiting
from the London Borough of
Southwark, which is one of the
target areas for the Company’s
charitable support (notable
recipients include Pembroke’s
own social action “settlement”,
Pembroke House, and St
Saviour’s and St Olave’s School).
So, if they should recruit
an eligible person from the
borough, our support may be
passed on to them.
by an equally dynamic team,
the organisation works right in
the heart of some of the most
divided communities in inner
London, addressing diverse
yet interrelated issues such as
drug misuse, violence, poverty,
prejudice, relationships and
identity through media such as
the arts, sports, mentoring and
socialisation.
The LFF is specifically
supporting the work in Tower
Hamlets as from this year,
having previously made ad hoc
awards to the organisation.
www.xlp.org.uk
XLP
XLP, a Church of England based
youth project, turns traditional,
uninformed stereotypes of the
Church of England well and
truly on their head.
Founded in response to a
school stabbing in 1996 by the
dynamic Patrick Regan, who
was awarded the OBE for his
work in 2012, and supported
09
CHARITIES
CHARITIES
For those who have been
through the programme, teacher
comments have been very
positive:
“The Year Ones have gained
enormously from having trained
musicians and singers work with
them, as well as providing skills
and practices for their teachers
to use in music. Without Apollo5
I wouldn’t have been able to
have provided ideas, warm ups
or songs of the same quality and
the children wouldn’t have learnt
anywhere near as much.“
Apollo5 and Hoxton Garden young leaders
VCM
CM is a choral music
education foundation that
works to inspire people through
music. It is one of the leading
vocal music education charities
in the world, and is responsible
for an innovative and wide
reaching education programme.
VCM has developed ‘The
VOCES8 Method’, a new
resource for teachers which links
music with numeracy, literacy
and linguistics. The initiative, led
by VOCES8 and Apollo5, reaches
25,000 young people annually,
working in schools in the UK,
Belgium, France, Sweden,
Germany, the USA and Asia.
The foundation is based
in the Gresham Centre, in a
beautiful Wren church in the
heart of the City of London. In
partnership with the Diocese of
London, VCM is establishing
this venue as an international
hub for excellence in education,
outreach, inspiration and the
performance of vocal music.
V
010
Working in primary schools
in Hackney and Tower Hamlets
this year, VCM aims to:
- Reach some of the 15 primary
schools in Hackney on a
waiting list for a project with
VCM.
- Establish a longer relationship
with schools in need of more
singing provision, particularly
those with a higher than
average proportion of
children eligible for the
pupil premium.
- Enable the schools to
develop a sustainable
singing programme.
- Enable teachers throughout
the schools to use the
VOCES8 Method which
has a positive effect on
concentration, listening skills,
literacy and numeracy.
- To help the schools foster
a singing culture where
singing and team work in
music is a regular part of
school life.
“Brilliant programme with
the performance at the end
being such a nice and enjoyable
opportunity for the children to
show what they have learnt.
Working with professionals has
been an amazing opportunity.”
“They have developed their
confidence and speaking and
listening skills hugely. Children
in my class who I have found to
be generally quite shy/reserved
really came out of their shell.
They all participated and enjoyed
it greatly.”
THE LIVERY AND FREEMEN FUND
A
round 150 of the Company’s
1500 Members regularly
donate to the Livery and
Freemen fund.
In the last Mastership the
overall figure raised by Members
exceeded £210,000, thanks
largely to a hugely successful
fundraising evening at the Hall.
The fund (LFF) exists in two
parts: an income fund, and an
endowment. The income fund
is used entirely in-year to make
grants to the charities identified
by the Membership (four per
year), coordinated through the
Livery Committee and reported
on regularly in Number 30.
The endowment is growing
and approaching its £1m target.
Members can choose whether
to donate towards income or
endowment, and when the
donation is unspecified it is split
equally between the two.
Absolutely no charges are
levied against the management
of this fund, its fundraising
activities, or its associated
communications – the Company
bears all the costs.
The feeling from the
Membership is very much that
the endowment fund should
benefit education in some form.
There is time to decide how this
should be, and the Company has
expertise within the Membership
to assist in guiding that process.
There is no doubt that there will
be reason for great excitement
and self-congratulation
when that marvellous £1m
target is reached, and suitable
beneficiaries identified.
However – 150 contributors
out of 1500 Members is only
10%! Something is wrong, and it
is hard to identify exactly what.
The Livery Committee works
very hard to overcome this
apparent lacuna in the awareness
of Members, and emphasises
that the amount being donated
is not the issue here, rather it is
the desire that everyone should
give even a little, rather than
nothing at all.
This year we urge everyone to:
Donate to the Livery and
Freeman Fund by filling in the
form at the back of Number
30 or ask the Beadle for a
direct debit form to complete KMcGetrick@merchant-taylors.
co.uk or 020 7450 4441.
Participate in the fundraising
walk on the 14th May or in the
Gala Dinner on the 25th by
taking a table or contributing an
auction prize. Please see more
information on the Company
website or contact Kym Ash on
kash@merchant-taylors.co.uk or
020 7450 4448.
As in previous years,
the Livery Committee
is also supporting some
longer-standing Company
commitments, comprising
an Opera Scholarship at
the Guildhall School
of Music and Drama,
the Bespoke Tailors’
Benevolent Association,
St Saviour’s and
St Olave’s School,
St Paul’s Cathedral
and the Sheriffs’ and
Recorder’s Fund
for ex-offenders.
011
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
MERCHANT TAYLORS’ SEMINAR:
Natural World
Man-Made
JUNIOR COMPETITION
JUNIOR COMPETITION
SENIOR COMPETITION
SENIOR COMPETITION
STAFF COMPETITION
STAFF COMPETITION
KEY AREAS OF CHANGE IN EDUCATION
E
Left to right: Russell Speirs,
Martin Clarke and Claire Oulton
very year, it is a great
pleasure to host the
Merchant Taylors’ seminar
with delegates attending from
across the education sector.
This year we welcomed Claire
Oulton and Russell Speirs from
RSAcademics to discuss their
‘Ten Trends’ report.
Russell founded RSAcademics
in 2002, after discovering his
passion for the educational world
during his time as marketing
director at Uppingham School.
Claire is head of leadership
appointments at RSAcademics
and also consults for BXR (a
private equity firm investing in
education).
Their seminar went into
great detail about the fast paced
changes happening in the
education sector. They covered
a wide range of topics, such as
school leadership and how it
is changing, student wellbeing,
teacher recruitment, training
and reward, edtech, and the ever
changing demands of London.
Claire and Russell did a
marvellous job of explaining
the latest trends to a diverse
audience. With schools across
the spectrum under increasing
pressure to regularly change
their structure, the seminar
provided key tips to ensure
all needs are met inside the
classroom and out.
There was a Q&A session after
the presentation, with much
thought provoking discussion.
Winner: Sam Worthington, The King’s School in
Macclesfield
Highly Commended:
Sophie Clegg, The King’s School in Macclesfield;
Jessica Blanchflower, Merchant Taylors’ Crosby Mixed
Infants and Junior Girls
Winner: Jasmine Murphy, St. Helen’s School
Highly Commended: Lucy Showering, Merchant
Taylors’ Crosby Mixed Infants and Junior Girls; Sam
Danson, The King’s School in Macclesfield
MERCHANT TAYLORS’ PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
DECEMBER 2016
N
ow in its seventh year, the
Photography Competition
is open to all students at the
Merchant Taylors’ Associated
Schools.
The competition this year
carried two themes: ‘Natural
World’ and the ‘Man-Made
World’.
The photographs were judged
in three different categories: the
junior category of school years
1-8, senior category of school
years 9-13, and for the first time
we have invited staff to submit
their creative pieces.
This year we had over 250
entries and the judges had the
very difficult task of selecting
the winners. The judging panel
were the Master, Mr Magill and
Mr Armstrong.
Finalists were chosen
based on their technical
ability, presentation and
their interpretation of the
suggested themes. The judges
were particularly drawn to
photographs that portrayed a
sense of narrative.
The winner from each
category was awarded £150,
and the respective runners-up
received £75.
Thank you to all participants who entered, we thoroughly
enjoyed looking through such wonderful pieces and we look
forward to the next photography competition.
012
Winner: Sam Kaye, Merchant Taylors’ School
Highly Commended:
Janith Abeywickrema, Merchant Taylors’ School;
Mollie Williams, Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School
Winner: Jane Barratt, The King’s School in
Macclesfield
Winner: Josh Blake, The King’s School in Macclesfield
Highly Commended: Josh Blake, The King’s School in
Macclesfield; Beth Lewis, St. Helen’s School
Winner: Raphael Kopel, Merchant Taylors’ Prep
School
013
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS CONCERT
“The ‘wow’ factor is alive and well and living in Liverpool this evening!”
5TH MARCH 2016 AT THE LIVERPOOL ROYAL PHILHARMONIC HALL
I
n the mid 1500’s Richard
Mulcaster, the first
headmaster of Merchant Taylors’
School, set out five elements
of education that all children
should learn: reading, writing,
drawing, singing and playing
musical instruments.
Centuries later it is safe to
say that the curriculum as
a whole has certainly been
enhanced, but that Mulcaster
surely would be pleased that the
Company brought together all
of its associated schools to focus
on the latter two elements in
particular.
Over 300 students from 11
schools came together over
two days in March to perform
at the Liverpool Philharmonic
Hall. It was a spectacular
evening, orchestrated by
David Holroyd of MTS Crosby
and enjoyed by hundreds of
people in the audience, which
included special guests, the
High Sheriff of Merseyside,
the Lord Mayor and the Bishop
of Liverpool.
All of the Merchant Taylors’
Associated Schools participated
014
in this event and everyone,
especially each school’s director
of music and their students,
deserve particular thanks and
congratulations for making it
such a special evening.
Since the last time a combined
concert was performed in 2000,
more schools have become part of
this associated schools group, with
students travelling from across
the UK to participate, from:
- Foyle College, Northern Ireland
- The King’s School in
Macclesfield
- Merchant Taylors’ Boys’
School, Crosby
- Merchant Taylors’ Girls’
School, Crosby
- Merchant Taylors’ School,
Northwood
- Merchant Taylors’ Prep
School, Northwood
- St. Helen’s School, Northwood
- St. John’s School, Pinner
- St. Saviour’s and St. Olave’s
School, Southwark
- Wallingford School,
Oxfordshire
and
- Wolverhampton Grammar
School.
In the first half of the concert
each school showcased its own
musical talent, giving stunning
performances in contemporary
songs, jazz numbers and
classical music.
After the interval over 300
students assembled for a mass
choral and orchestral performance
of Puccini’s Messa di Gloria.
There was no doubting the
joint and individual skills and
musicianship, but the impact of
the whole, so beautifully brought
together by David Holroyd,
was unforgettable.
It is extraordinary to think that
the students only had a day and
a half of rehearsals as a whole
group, which shows how much
work each music director put
in beforehand, on top of their
‘normal’ teaching programme.
The concert is the culmination
of the Education Committee’s
commitment to bringing its
associated schools together.
It also very much brought
to life the Company’s motto:
‘Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt’,
which translates to ‘With
Harmony Small Things Grow’.
Massed Choir
Massed Choir
Merchant Taylors Boys Crosby MTS Swing Band
Merchant Taylors Girls School Crosby Senior Chamber Choir
Merchant Taylors’ Prep School Northwood
in rehearsal
Merchant Taylors’ School Northwood
Chamber Orchestra
St Helen’s School Chamber Choir
St John’s School - Seven Singers
St Saviour’s and St Olave’s School
Chamber Choir
The Kings’ School In Macclesfield The Kings’ School Band
Wallingford School Bigg Band
Massed Choir
Foyle College Chamber Choir
Wolverhampton Grammar School Bella A Capella
015
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
INSPECTION
SUCCESS!
T
Foyle College
‘HAIRSPRAY’ AT FOYLE COLLEGE
Y
ou couldn’t stop the beat
at Foyle College during
the Christmas Term as we rose
to the challenge of performing
the hit Broadway musical,
‘Hairspray’, at the Duncreggan
Campus. As with all Foyle
College shows, it was a whole
school effort and experience.
Auditions took place at the
beginning of September and
gradually the extensive cast
was pieced together. This year
the production team decided
to incorporate a junior chorus
from the Year 8-10 pupils,
who formed a vibrant and
enthusiastic ensemble for
numbers such as ‘Run and
Tell That’.
As always a number of
the performers would not
016
necessarily feature in the dayto-day life of the school but a
school production provides
many with their fifteen minutes
of fame.
The cost of putting on a
school show, complete with
professional sound, lighting
and a range of hired costumes
demanded a number of fundraising activities. The business
team, a vital part of the show’s
success, oversaw a Hairspray
disco, bun sales and a nonuniform day, which, added to
contributions made by generous
sponsors, ensured the show
could run smoothly.
The production itself was
a fast-paced and effervescent
affair, from the set designed
and constructed by a Year 12
student to the music, drama and
choreography. Pupils were on
stage, behind the scenes, front
of house and in the orchestra
pit, supported by a large number
of teaching and support staff –
everyone put their shoulder to
the wheel.
Audiences enjoyed three
wonderful evenings of
performances, which had full
houses on their feet and even
dancing their way to their cars at
the end of the show.
This really was a community
effort that left the producer
reflecting that the school does
indeed have “the nicest kids
in town”.
Mr D Keown
Head of Drama, Foyle College
he King’s School in
Macclesfield has been given
a giant tick by the Independent
Schools Inspectorate (ISI).
In the ISI’s first full inspection
for six years, the 514-year-old
school is judged to have made
significant progress and has been
awarded an ‘excellent’ rating
– the top grade – in all eight
key performance indicators,
including the quality of pupils’
achievements and learning,
curricular and extracurricular
provision, teaching, pastoral
care, governance and leadership.
The report acknowledges
the school’s strong academic
performance in public
examinations and says that
such success is built on the
foundations laid in the Early
Years: “Pupils’ achievement is
excellent. In the Early Years
Foundation Stage, pupils make
an extremely strong start to
their formal learning. From the
youngest age, pupils learn the
importance of treating others
with respect and consideration.”
“Throughout the school,
pupils show highly positive
attitudes, both in their academic
studies and in their participation
in out-of-school activities.”
The report commended the
school’s pastoral care, judging
it to be excellent. “The school is
highly successful in meeting its
aim of fostering a friendly, polite
and caring community. A key
characteristic of the school is the
strong relationships that exist
between teachers and pupils.”
The report confirms
King’s national reputation
Headmaster Dr Simon Hyde with pupils from all the school’s divisions
for excellence outside the
classroom: “Pupils have
outstanding musical skills; they
achieve considerable distinction
in art; and pupils also achieve
extremely well in sport. Many
have gained regional and
international honours, especially
in rugby and cricket, but also
in sports ranging from hockey
and netball to taekwondo
and cheerleading. Pupils are
also successful in areas such
as debating and national
mathematics and short-story
writing competitions.”
The breadth of educational
provision is integral to the
pupils’ developing high selfesteem and the report states:
“Throughout the school,
pupils strongly develop their
self-awareness, self-esteem and
self-confidence. They acquire
an acute sense of right and
wrong, and behave extremely
well in showing courtesy and
consideration to all members of
the school community.”
Dr. Simon Hyde, Headmaster,
said: “To have achieved
‘excellent’, the top ISI category,
across all aspects of the school
from Early Years to the Sixth
Form is a rare achievement.
Crucially, we have been judged
to be ‘highly successful’ in
meeting our aims, but it is the
comments on the quality of
pupils’ personal development
of which I am most proud. My
colleagues and I could not be
more pleased and I would like
to thank our pupils and parents
for responding so positively in
their feedback to the inspection
team.”
Chris King, Chairman of
HMC (the Headmasters’ and
Headmistresses’ Conference),
congratulated King’s pupils
and staff on “achieving an
exceptional inspection report,”
and said: “It is a rare thing, even
for schools with considerable
history and standing, to
be graded ‘excellent’ in all
categories.”
Caroline Johnson
Note
HMC (the Headmasters’ and
Headmistresses’ Conference) is the
professional association of heads of the
world’s leading independent schools.
017
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
MERCHANT TAYLORS’ SCHOOL CROSBY
ST JOHN’S SCHOOL
M
T
erchant Taylors’ Boys’
School pupil Marcus
Baldwin was ‘walking in the air’
after being selected to perform the
treble solo in The Snowman with
the Liverpool String Quartet.
After a successful phone
audition with the Quartet’s cellist
Nick Byrne, only a few days
later the 12-year old performed
to a packed out audience at the
Nordic Church in Liverpool
shortly before Christmas.
Marcus said, “The main
challenge in rehearsals was
breath control – there were lots
of long, sustained notes – and
coming in at the right place, as
there is no conductor for a string
quartet! I really enjoyed the
performance however, especially
as it took place in such unusual
surroundings.”
The performance earned
a standing ovation and the
Quartet and conductor Howard
Blake were subsequently
interviewed on BBC Radio
Merseyside where Marcus got a
special mention.
his year members of the
School Council have been
hard at work developing ideas
and debating issues affecting
their lives at St John’s. One area
that the whole community
has a stake in is our code of
conduct. The representatives on
the council have been working
on updating this important
document to reflect the boys’
views on the principles to which
a St John’s boy should aspire.
The first stage in this process
was to brainstorm 25 words to
define a St John’s boy and their
aspirations. It was then put to
a vote across all year groups to
whittle those down to the ten
words or principles that would
form the new code of conduct.
It was not surprising that high
on the list was being respectful
and kind.
The new code of conduct
was introduced in January
this year and can be seen
around the school, on the
walls, in the classrooms and,
most importantly, firmly fixed
in the minds of everyone in
the St John’s family. We hope
that all the boys will live their
lives treating others how they
themselves would wish to be
treated.
The ten words which form
the roots of the St John’s code
of conduct are: respectful,
kind, helpful, honest, friendly,
truthful, caring, happy, sensible
and positive.
Keith Brown
Deputy Head, Pastoral
Marcus with composer of The Snowman, Howard Blake
018
019
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
CELEBRATING ALL AT WALLINGFORD SCHOOL
MERCHANT
TAYLORS’
SCHOOL
NORTHWOOD
T
he autumn term at Merchant
Taylors’ was a memorable
one. It began with the official
announcement of the merger
between Merchant Taylors’ and
Northwood Prep, thus creating
Merchant Taylors’ Prep. Given
that there is a Merchant Taylors’
Prep Nursery School on the
campus, Merchant Taylors’
can now offer a 3-18 education
to boys. We look forward
immensely to close collaboration
with the Prep school as we align
our two institutions.
The first day of term also saw
boys taught for the first time in
the new Design Centre, a stateof-the-art facility for design &
technology and art. Later in
the term, HRH The Duke of
Gloucester made the first royal
visit to the school since 1975, to
officially open the building.
The duke processed through
the school with every house
assembled along the route, and
was given a fanfare by the CCF
band before being shown around
the new facility. The boys were
wonderful ambassadors for the
school and the duke took great
interest in the many possibilities
afforded by the building.
020
T
HRH The Duke of Gloucester accompanied by Head Master Simon Everson
for the opening of the new Design Centre
Among academic highlights,
foremost are the 33 GCSE pupils
who secured 10 A* grades - our
highest ever number. Individual
highlights include Upper Sixth
Former James Murrell winning
a Roentgenium award in the
British Chemistry Olympiad,
as one of the top 50 chemistry
students in the country, and
fellow Upper Sixth Former Ewan
Patel winning the Gould Prize
for English Literature, awarded
by Trinity College, Cambridge.
The term was a busy one for
drama; in October there were
several stand-out performances
in House Drama but it was
Walter’s gripping rendition of
a scene from George Orwell’s
1984 that won first prize.
In December we enjoyed a
stunning production of the
musical ‘Guys and Dolls’
performed in conjunction with
St Helen’s. We also hosted the
cast of the same show from both
1992 and 2001 for a reunion.
In sport, Lower Sixth Former
Hugo Anthony is now Under 18
World Champion in kayaking.
The rugby 1st XV enjoyed a
successful season with many
boys representing their county
and Lower Sixth Formers Will
Porter and James Seabrook were
picked to represent the Wasps
Academy U18 team. MTS rugby
players were visited by some top
class visiting coaches; England’s
Owen Farrell and Joe Simpson,
Scotland’s Jim Hamilton and
England Women’s star Emily
Scarratt were inspirational in
mentoring the boys.
The month of November
was a poignant one as we
commemorated the 311 OMTs
who gave their lives in World
War One. On November 11th
we welcomed back Lt Gen Sir
Richard Barrons (OMT, Class
of 77) who spoke powerfully
on the nature of war and the
importance of remembrance.
The term finished with
Doctors’ Day, an event steeped
in tradition which goes back to
the founding of the school in
1561. This marked the end of an
exceptionally busy term, and a
notable one in the school’s long
history.
Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt.
here are a lot of advantages
to a school with over 1150
students, but also challenges.
One of the things we have to
work hard at is ensuring that
each student feels they have
been noticed and that their
contribution is valued.
Our prize-giving events
used to involve heaping many
awards on the dozen or so most
obviously gifted academics. They
were very worthy events and
as boring as the term implies.
We now make a great effort
to find ways to give everyone
their moment in the limelight
and one such mechanism is our
small termly celebration event.
At this members of staff get to
nominate a student they want to
single out. This is not usually a
gifted student or someone who
always seems to be at the centre
of things. This is about praising
the young person helping others,
doing all the right things all
the time without ever being at
the top of the class, or turning
things round in difficult
circumstances. The member of
staff makes a small speech about
their chosen student who then
receives a certificate in front of
their families.
Recently we have had a young
man who managed to cope
with the death of his mother
as he approached his GCSE
examinations, an 11-year-old
who had read an extraordinary
number of books in his first
year and a girl who had ‘failed’
at another school and really
managed to turn things around.
It is particularly pleasing when
the Master and Clerk are able
to attend, though we are unsure
about the deployment of cape
and fangs.
We have a tracking sheet
that lists all the names of our
students, with a mark against
them once they have had a
moment of commendation
in school, so we can catch
everyone. That way the families
get to see their child recognised
above the other thousand
students, even if just once, which
is perhaps another advantage of
serving 1150 young people.
Bee Hibbin
Wallingford School
Special Achievements Awards
Simon Everson
Special Achievements Awards
The Master & Clerk join in mufti day
021
MILITARY AFFILIATES
MILITARY AFFILIATES
THE LONDON REGIMENT – REGIMENTAL OVERVIEW
APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 2015
The London Regiment
The Colonel
Regimental Lieutenant Colonel
Deputy Colonel A Company
Deputy Colonel B Company
Deputy Colonel C Company
Deputy Colonel D Company
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex
Colonel Marc A C Overton
Brigadier Alastair A B R Bruce of Crionach OBE ADC DL
Colonel David K Mogg
Colonel Nigel P Easton QVRM TD
Major General Sir Sebastien J L Roberts KCVO OBE
Lieutenant Colonel Tim A Smart
Major Iaian A B Buchanan
Major Henry J O Stow YORKS
Captain Alex J P Stonor Grenadier Guards
WO1 (RSM) E Griffiths Welsh Guards
Commanding Officer
Battalion Second in Command
Executive Officer
Adjutant
Regimental Sergeant Major
A (London Scottish) Company
B (Queen’s Regiment) Company
C (City of London Fusiliers) Company
D (London Irish Rifles) Company
Major Nic J Storey
Major Jon Bowman
Major Jamie D M Durcan
Major Bob Brown
Flag raising at the Guildhall
The year in review
fter a successful tour as
commanding officer,
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Pym,
Welsh Guards, handed over the
battalion to Lieutenant Colonel
Tim Smart LONDONS in May,
before leaving the Army to work
in the City.
The Sergeants’ Mess dined
out the Commanding Officer at
The Colonel’s Dinner. 59 officers
attended a fabulous dinner at
Ironmonger’s Hall, courtesy of
the Master of The Ironmongers’
Company. His Royal Highness
A
022
The Earl of Wessex was able
to attend the event, which
we fully intend to make an
annual occurrence due to this
recent success.
The London Regiment has been
busy. In April it sent officers to test
the officer cadets from University
of Oxford Officer Training Corps
at Copehill Down on Salisbury
Plain. The exercise offered
some first class training for the
officer cadets as well as showing
the Army Reserve to potential
future recruits. This was followed
by a battalion led company
training weekend on Pirbright
Common, where the companies
put into practice old skills with
new bodies. Unfortunately it
was also the weekend when local
miscreants set the heath on fire.
Notwithstanding fire-fighting and
‘anti arson’ duties, the exercise
helped in the build-up towards
the annual training period later
in the year in Otterburn.
In April and May, two highly
moving ceremonies were held in
London to mark Victoria Cross
Holders. We were fortunate to
have the continued support of
Loos-en-Gohelle
Lance Sergeant Beharry VC
who was in attendance for both
events. He aims to attend every
single one of these ceremonies.
In addition, the regiment was
also able to participate in the
National Commemoration of
Gallipoli at the Cenotaph.
Over this period we have also
sent soldiers back to Cyprus on
Op TOSCA with 3rd Battalion
The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
We have also sent soldiers on
exercise to Kenya with the
Grenadier Guards.
In May we sent a small team
from B Company to Lombardia
in Italy for Ex Italian Raid
Commando and came 16th out
of 62 teams. This was no small
Colonel’s Dinner
achievement as the competition
was for both regular and reserve
forces from all around Europe.
The team came several teams
ahead of British regular Infantry
units as well as Italian and Swiss
teams, who were used to both
the terrain and the language!
Armed Forces Week was one
of the highlights of our year
where some of the battalion
provided the guard of honour
for the flag raising ceremony
at the Guildhall in the City of
London. Other former members
of the regiment were at Ypres
for the commemorations, and
others attended the Queen’s
Birthday Parade on Horse
Guards. The remainder of the
rifle companies were on the
ranges in Pirbright or Lydd with
our Livery Companies.
The week was tied off with
the Officers Mess Summer
Party masked ball.
July and August saw the
battalion reach further afield,
with visits to Canada on
adventure training and military
exchanges to several American
National Guard Regiments.
July also saw Headquarter
Company cease to be in the Army
order of battle, and D Company
re-role as the Headquarter
Company of the battalion. Despite
subsuming all the supporting and
administrative elements of the
regiment, D Company still retains
its infantry roots and holds the
Javelin (Anti-Tank) Platoon.
Our new Adjutant Captain,
Alex Stonor, joined the battalion
just before Annual Training
Period (ATP) and started to
pick up the reins, and then
the battalion departed for
Northumbria and ATP at
Otterburn. For those of us who
remember a very damp (6” of
water) 1987, the unseasonal two
weeks of sunshine were hell!
To end September both A and
D Companies were represented
at Loos-en-Gohelle to parade and
leave a plaque in remembrance of
their forebears: the footballers of
Loos along with the commanding
officer and the quartermaster.
The final duty of the six
months involved another VC
Flagstone dedication ceremony,
this time in Streatham, and a
‘double’ for Second Lieutenant
Frederick Johnson VC and
Second Lieutenant Arthur
Fleming-Sandes VC, both of
whom had been at Loos.
Major Iaian Buchanan
Annual Training
023
MILITARY AFFILIATES
MILITARY AFFILIATES
THE ROYAL YEOMANRY
R
Archers Post Training Area – BATUK 2015
oyal Yeomanry officers and
soldiers have been busier
than ever getting to grips with
our new ‘Light Cavalry’ role, as
well as providing support to the
Army worldwide.
The Overseas Training
Exercise in Germany in
September 2015 was the main
training event for the regiment.
The two week period was
based around a challenging
dismounted live firing package,
which saw all ranks building on
the core dismounted soldiering
skills vital to our role as rapidly
deployable combat troops. In
addition a variety of cultural,
social and adventurous training
activities made this a unique
and memorable experience
for those involved. Second
Lieutenant Phil Smith (A
Squadron) also tried out his
German language skills on the
maidens of Paderborn without
much effect.
For those unable to come to
Germany there were driver and
gunner courses at the School of
Armour in Bovington, run in
conjunction with the Queen’s
Own Yeomanry, to train them to
qualify as Full Crewmen on the
R-WMIK vehicle.
Lieutenant Rich Harris
(E Squadron) has returned
reluctantly from Op TOSCA in
Cyprus, where he had the task
of ensuring that his platoon of
Scots soldiers didn’t have too
much fun in Aiya Napa.
The plains of Canada and
Kenya have also been popular
destinations for Royal Yeomanry
personnel. Lieutenant Long from
A Squadron spent a sweltering
four months at the British
Army Training Unit Suffield in
Canada as part of the Armoured
Squadron on Exercises PRAIRIE
STORM 2 and 3. There was
also an RY contribution to the
Household Cavalry BattleGroup
on (a very cold) EX PRAIRIE
STORM 4. An unofficial
competition of ‘who can get the
farthest away on the weekend’
saw the RY represented in
Calgary, Dallas and New York
City, and attempts to start a fan
club in various sororities at the
University of Calgary were met
with moderate success.
Eight members of the
Regiment also deployed to Kenya
on EX ‘ASKARI STORM 6’ in
support of our paired regiment,
the Queens Dragoon Guards,
who have now returned to the
UK from Germany. The RY
personnel were fully integrated
into the QDG squadron, which
was acting as the opposing force
for the 2 MERCIAN BattleGroup.
This was a fantastic opportunity
for the soldiers to spend an
extended period of time in the
field practising their infantry
skills, and it was pleasing to
see how well the QDG and RY
soldiers got on, considering the
short period of time they had
known each other. While in
Kenya they also had the chance
to see the local area, including a
very reasonably priced stay at the
Mount Kenya Safari Club which
was a well-deserved reward after
four weeks in the field!
Lt Long with some of
the wildlife in Kenya
Of course, on top of all of this,
the normal pattern of training
nights and weekend exercises
has continued, including a visit
by the Master to D Squadron’s
exercise in Wales on the coldest
day of the year so far!
The past six months have
been a flurry of activity for
the Regiment, and with the
presentation of our first Guidon
(the light cavalry’s version of
the colours) in 50 years and
further training opportunities
with the QDG around the
globe, 2016 is looking to be a
year like no other.
Captain Mark Lambert
New York City from Liberty Island – BATUS 2015
Lt Harris briefing Maj Gen Munro on the situation in Cyprus
024
025
MILITARY AFFILIATES
MILITARY AFFILIATES
YEOVILTON
HMS HERON – RNAS
Wildcat HMA of 825 Naval Air Squadron
S
ince the last update in the
autumn 2014 edition of
Number 30, the three main
transition programmes have
proceeded apace.
The Lynx Wildcat Maritime
Force (LWMF) is responsible
for the management of the
Royal Navy’s Maritime Lynx and
Wildcat airframes, together with
the provision of suitably qualified
aircrew and engineers to meet
the Fleet Commander’s enduring
and contingent operational
programme. LWMF comprises
815 Naval Air Squadron (NAS)
and 825 NAS, along with the
Wildcat Training Centre.
815 NAS provides Flights at
very high readiness to support
the UK’s maritime counter
terrorism deterrent, as well
as parenting 12 Flights to
support Type 23 frigates. The
Squadron currently has only
Lynx Helicopter Maritime
Attack (HMA) aircraft; however,
from April this year it will start
to receive Wildcat HMA, after
which the Lynx numbers reduce,
until it goes out of service in
March 2017.
825 NAS is the Operational
Conversion Unit for Wildcat
HMA and the host of four
Type 45 destroyer flights. The
Squadron trains convertee and
ab-initio aircrew, as well as all
engineers.
LWMF is in transition;
however, when a steady state is
established in April 2017 it will
operate 28 Wildcat HMA.
At the time of writing,
the Commando Helicopter
Force (CHF) consists of a
Headquarters, Combat Service
Support, and four Naval Air
Squadrons. There are two
Commando Merlin Squadrons:
846 NAS which moved from
RAF Benson in March 2015
and 845 NAS which will
return home in June this year.
848 NAS continues to fly the
Commando Sea King until it
decommissions in March, when
the last Commando Sea King
ceases active service. Finally,
847 NAS has converted from the
battlefield Lynx to the Wildcat
Battlefield Reconnaissance
Helicopter (BRH).
All four Squadrons are
commanded by CO CHF but
are tasked through the Joint
Helicopter Command, which
is a tri-service organisation
uniting battlefield military
helicopters of the Armed
Forces for command and
coordination purposes.
Operational deployments
and role training – focussing
on the reestablishment of a full
amphibious capability – provide a
busy and demanding programme
for all elements of CHF.
1 Regiment, Army Air Corps
(AAC) is one of the most newly
restructured units in the AAC.
The Regiment’s role is to deliver
Wildcat BRH of 652 Squadron AAC
the Grob Tutor aircraft. The
Squadron’s role is centred on
RN Pilot Grading, a course all
aspiring pilots must pass in
order to progress into flying
training and beyond. The
Squadron also goes through
Fixed wing refresher training,
alongside conversion training for
rotary wing pilots transferring to
fixed wing flying.
The total number of aircrew in
training is expected to increase
significantly for at least the next
two years and as such 727 NAS is
expecting to increase the tempo
of operations significantly,
training 66 ab-initio pilots
per year, up from 26 in recent
years. To accommodate this, the
Squadron anticipates receiving
an extra aircraft and an increase
in manpower.
At RNAS Yeovilton, all of
this change has also involved
much infrastructure additions
and improvements. £192M will
have been spent supporting
RNAS Yeovilton’s transition on
a site which employs some 4,400
personnel, service and civilian,
including MOD employees and
permanent contractors.
Jeremy Greenop
Merlin Mk3 of 846 Naval Air Squadron
026
scalable and expeditionary
Battlefield Reconnaissance
Helicopters (BRH) for
contingency operations as
part of the Army’s Aviation
Reconnaissance Force (ARF).
1 Regiment is currently
established with approximately
460 personnel. Nearing the end
of 2016, the drawdown of 9
Regiment AAC in Dishforth will
release the remaining personnel
to merge with 1 Regiment and
relocate to Yeovilton. Working
from a pool of 34 total Wildcat
BRH, 1 Regiment and 847 NAS
of CHF will share the aircraft
with 3 in depth maintenance at
any time. 47 NAS will operate 6
Wildcat, leaving 1 Regiment to
operate 25.
727 NAS is the ‘Front Door
of Naval Aviation’ operating
Grob Tutor Aircraft of 727 Naval Air Squadron
027
EVENTS
EVENTS
Ladies’ Dinner and
Military Affiliates Awards
10th November 2015
Doctors’ Day Dinner
17th December 2015
The annual dinner for Court
and Livery when the Company
awards deserving individuals
from our military affiliates. The
Company leaves the selection of
the recipient entirely up to the
affiliate, but the overall criteria is
that the nominee has contributed
in some special way to the
functioning of that unit.
Award winners
The first record of the Doctors’
Day Dinner dates from 1564. The
original statutes of Merchant
Taylors’ School in Northwood,
founded in 1561, provided that both
the masters and the boys should be
examined each year by the Court
with the advice of learned men; and
the examination day soon came
to be known as Doctors’ Day. The
examiners, who included Miles
Coverdale, translator of the Bible,
dined at the Hall during an interval
in the examination. The occasion
has been observed ever since,
except in the years immediately
after the Great Fire and during
times of plagues, dearth and war.
Ian Domville, Mabel Smith, Oliver Adcock, Hugh Carter and Wyll Willis
The Master and the Musicians from the
Band of The Household Cavalry
Hugh Oliver-Bellasis, Tim Smart, Samuel
Kilpatrick and Chantelle Kilpatrick
Christopher Hare, Christopher Pickett,
Patrice Pickett and Paul Foster
Vernon’s Anniversary Service
16th December 2015
Over 300 Members of the
Company attended the Vernon’s
Anniversary Service at St Michael’s
Cornhill. The charities supported
by the Livery & Freemen Fund
were represented at the Hall after
the service and available to inform
the membership about their work.
The service has been held
since 1617, when John Vernon
asked in his will for the Master
and Wardens to arrange for a
sermon to be preached on the
anniversary of his funeral at Saint
Michael’s Church, Cornhill where
his monument is.
Lord Thomas, the Master and
Loba Van der Bijl
Huw Jones and D Massey
Athishan Vettivetpillai, Shivani Ananth and
Martin Clarke
The Master with MTS Choir and
Director of Music Huw Jones
Kathy Crewe-Read, Philip Sims, Freya
Cunningham and Jack Price-Darbyshire
The Rev Nigel Hale
028
The Cundey Family
The Thomas White Singers
The photographic competition
029
EVENTS
MERCHANT TAYLORS’ COMPANY
Merchant Taylors’ Hall, 30 Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8JB
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Quiz Night
12th January 2016
The annual Quiz Night attracted
over 180 people to the Hall on a
wet and miserable January night.
It was great fun once again. The
winning team was from St John’s
School, with joint runners up from
MT staff and Commerz Bank!
Wednesday 25th May 2016
Champagne reception with canapés Three course gourmet dinner with ne wines A raffle, silent and live auctions plus some great entertainment Dress: black tie 7 for 7.30pm Tickets: £150 \Ç t|w Éy à{x `xÜv{tÇà gtçÄÉÜáË VÉÅÑtÇçËá
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Staff from St John’s School - the winning team
Dinner to Honour the Lord
Mayor and Sheriffs
3rd February 2016
The Company entertained the
Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress,
the Sheriffs and their consorts
to dinner in February. The
Company contributes annually
to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and
to the Mansion House
Scholarship Scheme.
For more information please
see the City of London website www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
The money raised through the Livery & Freemen Fund allows unrestricted support to be given to charities chosen by the membership. This evening special emphasis is being given to the Master’s Charity— Diners in the Great Hall
Childhood First
www.childhoodfirst.org.uk
Please come and join us, bring your friends or why not sponsor a
table through your Company for some corporate entertaining.
Contact Kym at kash@merchant-taylors.co.uk (0207 450 4448)
Lord Mayor and Mrs Massey
Reception in the Drawing Room
031
Merchant Taylors’
CITY OF LONDON
THREADNEEDLE
STREET
EC2
In the heart of the City, Merchant Taylors’ historical courtyard garden is summer party heaven.
Inspired by the world’s street food, our party menus are big on flavour and fun.
History never tasted so good.
+44 (0)20 7450 4445
DONATION FORM
SPORTS
Donor Information
SPORT FIXTURES 2016
Great XII Golf
Challenge Cup
18th April
MTC v Merchant Taylors’
School Boys golf match
4th May
MTC v Skinners’ Company
golf match
10th May
Prince Arthur Cup
golf match
19th May
Inter Livery shooting
competition
18th May
Name:
MTC v Broadhalfpenny
Brigands CC cricket match
(At Broadhalfpenny Down:
PO8 0UB)
22nd May – all spectators very
welcome
MTC v the staff of MTS
golf match
21st June
Address:
Company Golf Day
7th July
MTC v Grocers’ Company
1st June at Shepherds Bush
Cricket Club
Inter-Livery tennis
competition
7th September
Post code:
Telephone (home):
Telephone (business):
Email:
Great XII Sailing Challenge
3rd/4th June
MTC v OMT Golfing
Society
22nd September
Skinners’ Company v MTC
cricket match
12th June at Merchant Taylors’
School – all spectators very
welcome
MT Court v Vintners’ Court
18th/19th October
Livery & Freemen Fund
This is the Members’ own fund which supports
the Master’s chosen charity each year and up to
four individual charities recommended by the
Membership. Grants are made directly from
income donated, but there is also a growing
endowment fund.
Donation Information
I (we) donate a total of:
£
I (we) plan to make this contribution
in the form of:
cash
cheque
credit card
other
or Bacs payment:
(Sort Code 16-00-15, Acc No 23209155,
A/C Name: Merchant Taylors Charities Livery
and Freemen Fund)
Please debit my card with £
Credit card type:
Credit card number:
For details about any of
the sporting fixtures please
contact Kym Ash,
Kash@merchant-taylors.co.uk
OBITUARIES
The Company wishes to
express its sincere condolences
to all the families and friends
of those recently departed.
034
MR ANDREW
WATT DRYSDALE
Livery
February 1932 - September 2015
MR GODFREY
CARRINGTON ROYLE
Livery
April 1922 – November 2015
Expiration date:
Last 3 digits on the back of your card:
Authorised signature:
I direct that this donation and all previous and future
donations to the Livery and Freemen Fund (part of
The Merchant Taylors’ Company Charities Fund – a
registered charity) should be treated as Gift Aid
donations, and that I have paid or will pay an amount
of UK taxation in the relevant year sufficient for the tax
applying to these sums to be reclaimed
Signature(s)
Date
Please make cheques, corporate matches, or other gifts
payable to: Livery & Freemen Fund and send to Merchant
Taylors’ Company, 30 Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8JB
MERCHANT TAYLORS’ COMPANY
FUNDRAISING WALK
Saturday 14th May 2016
You are invited to join a 14 mile fundraising sponsored walk in the
Thames Valley from Henley to Cookham following the Thames Path.
The aim is to raise as much money as possible for the Livery & Freemen
Fund and to enjoy the countryside with family and friends. We have a
JustGiving page to make donating as easy as possible.
More information will be sent out in due course but please register your
intention to join this fundraising walk with Kym Ash
(Kash@merchant-taylors.co.uk)
The following is a list of events taking place this year.
Further details will be sent to you closer to the time or can be viewed on the Company website
www.merchant-taylors.co.uk.
13th May
Membership Lunch
18th May
Inter-Livery Shoot
22nd May
MTC v Broadhalfpenny Brigands Cricket Match
25th May
Gala Charity Dinner
3rd/4th June
Great 12 Sailing Challenge
12th June
MTC v Skinners’ Company Cricket Match
14th June
Election Service and barbecue supper
24th June
Election of Sheriffs
5th July
Livery Dinner
7th July
Company Golf Day
20th July
Bindings & Admissions
7th September
Inter-Livery Tennis Competition
29th September
Election of the Lord Mayor
19th October
Bindings & Admissions
4th November
Membership Lunch
12th November
Lord Mayor’s Show
15th November
Ladies’ Dinner and Military Affiliates Awards
14th December
Bindings & Admissions
14th December
Vernon’s Anniversary Service
15th December
Doctors’ Dinner
MERCHANT TAYLORS’ HALL, 30 THREADNEEDLE STREET, LONDON EC2R 8JB
Design: The Frank Agency (www.thefrankagency.eu)
DIARY OF EVENTS 2016