Supervising Editor

Court Assistant CD Radmore

Executive Editor

The Clerk - Maj GB Clapp

The Masons’ Company8 Little Trinity LaneLondonEC4V 2AN

0207 489 7834

clerk@masonslivery.org

Printing

D Isom (Printers) LtdStanley RoadHerne BayKentCT6 5SJ01227 363866mail@isomprint.co.uk

The Master & Upper Warden .................................................................... 2-3

Contemporary Stone ................................................................................. 4-5

Historic Stone ............................................................................................ 6-7

Master Craftsman Awards ........................................................................ 8-9

The Freedom of the City ........................................................................ 10-11

Notes from the Building Crafts College ............................................... 12-13

Our Yeoman Masons .............................................................................. 14-15

Company Formal Events ....................................................................... 16-17

Company Social Events ......................................................................... 18-19

The Charitable Trust .............................................................................. 20-21

The Corps of Royal Engineers ............................................................... 22-23

15 Company SW London Army Cadet Force ......................................... 24-25

The Masons’ Company in WW1 ............................................................. 26-27

Fundraising & Sponsorship .................................................................. 28-29

JOURNALof

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF MASONS

2014/15

Master – Mr RAH MorrowUpper Warden – Mr WG Gloyn

Renter Warden – Mr NJD Payne TD

CONTENTS

1

In my Address to Common Hall last June I said that I wanted the two major themes of my Mastership to be Implementation and Sociability: the fi rst referred to the Strategic Review, which had recently been endorsed by Court, and which is still in that process of being brought to fruition. Some measures have already been successfully achieved, such as the move to new administrative premises, which was so capably managed by our Clerk that it was not only entirely painless for everybody except him, but was brought in under budget - a notable benefi t to the Company. We are now back in the City, after many years in the wilderness, and the Company is being run more effi ciently than ever before. Although I also said that I did not intend to introduce any more changes, as I felt the Company needed a period of consolidation after the many major changes of the previous decade or so, I also warned against not adapting to changes as they happened - and there have been several important innovations. One of the most successful is the arrival of Jacqui as our Administrative Assistant, and her cheerful helpfulness and tireless commitment has been a real benefi t. We are also linking ourselves with 15 Company, South West London Army Cadet Force, and this may lead on to our having an Honour Guard at our two major annual functions, which is always an impressive welcome on great occasions.

My second theme this year has been Sociability, and thanks to some dedicated teamwork by the Social Committee and others, we have enjoyed some visits and events which have contributed greatly to the sense of camaraderie which is the hallmark of a successful organisation. I have tried to provide at least something for everyone, and the range of activities has been pretty wide. For example, as I write this today, a small group is just about to leave for a visit to Bulgaria for four action-packed and fun-fi lled days, but on a more general scale we have continued our tradition of getting into places not normally open to visitors, which is one of the benefi ts of belonging to this Company. Those who have spoken at our dinners and Court lunches have been somewhat different from the norm, ranging from a senior military offi cer who is now a candidate for election as a Liveryman, to a Herald from the

College of Heralds, who gave an entertaining and witty overview of a profession which was already ancient when we ourselves received our Grant of Arms in 1472.

The other aspect of being sociable is my representation of the Company in both the City and in other Companies. At a conservative estimate I have already attended more than 90 events on your behalf, and anticipate that will have increased by another 50 or so by the time my year is completed. It is a big commitment to be Master, but it is also the most enormous fun, and I can honestly say that both Hazel and I have thoroughly enjoyed our year, and have many very happy memories.

MASTER MASON Mr Bob Morrow

UPPER WARDENMr Bill Gloyn

Looking back, it has been a hugely successful year for the Master and I am not only honoured at the possibility of succeeding him in June but also very conscious that it is a privileged position of great responsibility – especially as we continue to move forward with the implementation of the Strategic Review. This process, as all will be aware, has been proceeding in a number of directions under the Master’s guidance and I look forward to taking over the baton from him.

Now that we have an offi ce in the City, with our Clerk and his Assistant very much in place and running the Company smoothly, we can undertake a detailed analysis of what was intended, what has been achieved and what now needs to be done – a challenge for the year ahead.

But as the Master has indicated, the Masons’ Company is not all about working – we must continue to enjoy our membership. The Social Committee will thus ensure that we have a broad and inclusive social programme throughout the year ahead - with appeal to the widest possible representation of our members and their guests.

We have welcomed many young Yeomen and Freemen into the Company during the past few years. Social events specifi cally aimed at encouraging them to join with other members of the Company are planned - coupled with an invitation for the wider Livery to assist in sponsoring the cost of their attendance. It will be wonderful to have the chance to meet up with the Master Craftsmen of the future - making them feel part of the Masons’ Company family.

Erika and I are looking forward to the year ahead – a chance to serve the Company and all its members to the best of our ability.

2 3

THE JOURNAL OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF MASONS

4

Stone is an excellent building material. It can support the load of a building, it is durable, it represents quality and permanence, it has beautiful natural variations in its structure and it can be carved, polished and inlaid.

Early forms of construction exploited its mass and load-bearing capabilities to create great walls and fortresses, but tools and machinery were soon developed to cut the stone to fi ner dimensions and dressed stone became a facing to the coarser material that formed the walls. The pyramids in Egypt or the Colosseum in Rome are fi ne examples of this. Or maybe it’s the absence of these facings that we note, because another great feature of the traditional use of stone was that its thickness always left the option open to recycle the material to other buildings.

Modern construction has reduced that ability to recycle. The actual volume of material used in new construction has been reduced by the ability to cut much thinner sections, which limits recycling to simply crushing it for aggregate or as a component in reconstituted stone.

The developments in cutting machines to extract more surface area out of the stone blocks were closely aligned to that of steel within building construction. Stone and masonry were replaced with steel frames to carry the structure ever higher and the concept of curtain walling, where the wall fi nish is hung from the frame, was born. In the 1930s, stone panels, freed from their structural role, became the material of choice for any building that wanted to impart a sense of quality and permanence.

However the illusions of quality and permanence were strained by the realisation that the stone acted quite differently in this construction than traditionally. Thermal Hysteresis became a new phenomenon when the thin marble panels on Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, bowed dramatically, and while it could be seen as almost serendipitous there, it was not so for the Amoco Building in Chicago. Patrick Loughran in ‘Failed Stone’ found that stone panels undergoing years of thermal cycles can “degrade to the point of becoming a block of loose granular material.” Today, stone continues to be used for curtain walling, or in the latest innovation as rain-screen cladding, where the stone, cut to a mere 6mm, is bonded to another material such as an aluminium honeycomb

panel, which is then hooked on to a proprietary support system.

It seems that stone is no longer required to perform its most fundamental role, that of support, but such new technologies have extended the capability to use natural stone in contemporary styles across many buildings. A whole new industry based on secondary stone production has grown to dominate the stone industry.

But some have challenged that concept. Eric Parry used stone as a load-bearing outer skin at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Michael Hopkins and Renzo Piano have both used steel to post-tension the stone – Hopkins to create load-bearing stonework for the Queen’s Building at Emmanuel College, in Cambridge and Piano to create stone arches with a span of 45 metres for the Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church in Foggia, Italy. Gilles Perraudin, a French architect pioneering the use of natural stone, doesn’t consider stone itself as an expensive resource. Rather, the cost is in secondary production and therefore the greater the mass, the lower its price and of course, the greater its qualities. Architect, Marco Lammers of Perraudin Architecture, a r g u e s that ‘the le a st

intelligent use of stone t h i n k a b l e is to cut it in thin slices and hang it decoratively on structural walls.’ ‘When used constructively in its raw massive form, stone is load-bearing, has great qualities of thermal mass, absorbs and releases surplus humidity, does not degrade and thus literally makes timeless architecture’

This has been put to the test in a new building in Lyon, where it is claimed massive stone, used intelligently is cheaper and faster to build than concrete. The urban context of the site controlled the external volume and the architect used the subtractive qualities of stone to carve out spaces within the given maximum volume, with stone exposed to both internal and external faces, almost completing a full circle back to mediæval architecture.

Today, glass, aluminium, concrete, and even reconstituted versions of stone itself, all vie for dominance; but the more creative methods of stone construction, and the growing awareness that stone is a truly natural, sustainable and responsive material that ultimately forms part of the landscape, will ensure that stone remains an essential element of contemporary architecture.

THE USE OF STONE IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE

Liveryman Martin Fox

THE JOURNAL OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF MASONS

5

6 7

Canterbury Cathedral has been continually altered since its inception in 597. A major mediæval alteration was the extension of the south west transept

southward. A huge window 55 feet high and 25 feet wide was later cut into the south wall.

On a hot 2009 day this window shed, much to everyone’s surprise, a large section of stone and revealed evidence of sudden movement in the widow’s stonework. Historical research determined similar occurrences at about 70 year intervals. The damage was so severe in 1792 that the window stonework was replaced and iron bars added to strengthen the window and resist wind loading.

Something had to be done to save the window for succeeding generations and whatever it was

had to be done fast - and without causing even more damage to the building’s fabric! The fi nest

mediæval glass in the world was displayed in this window. This glass was removed quickly into safe

storage, although the British Government, after considerable debate, permitted two panels of glass to be displayed in the USA. The window opening was quickly replaced by weathering screens and temporary structural supports.

As Surveyor I was determined not only to effect the necessary repairs but also to correct the defects which lead to the cyclical damage. A detailed programme of research and analysis was set in motion. Archaeologists traced the developments of the transept structure, fi nding weaknesses between the phases of construction, whilst the ground conditions, fi rst disturbed by Roman occupation and later burials, were plotted. Every possible scenario which could have impacted on the window over the years was assessed by an array of experts – even Second World War bomb blast patterns being studied to analyse and predict possible stress lines. Finally, computer models were used to analyse the cracking patterns, the structural impact of the inserted 1792 reinforcement, and other forces on the window such as wind loading and the archaeological structural research, guiding the team to solutions.

The window stone was analysed for defects and hidden rusting fi xings plotted. The results of the two fruitful years’ research proved that the stone window structure had to be taken out if a sound long term repair was to

Historic StonePast Master John Burton MBE

be achieved – something that would never have been understood had a root and branch assessment of this type not been carried out. In essence, as the window opening in the wall had distorted over the years into a stable yet complex shape. The repaired window with a high percentage of new stone had to fi t the opening perfectly bending both horizontally and vertically. This distortion- a signifi cant challenge for the masons, requiring extensive skills of setting out to ensure the new and salvaged original sound stones fi tted back into the original opening.

In order to lock the stones, some of which are very heavy, into their fi nal positions securely, accurately and to be able to take up quickly their full working capacity, the jointing of stones needed to be one which set quickly. After considerable analysis, a currently underused method of jointing using running hot lead was used, a lime mortar outer fi ll completing the work.

Finally, the uneven and eccentric support from the foundation was found to be subject to movement from the moisture content of the ground and an early Georgian drain (a scheduled ancient monument in its own right) being the source of the moisture problem. To correct this a smooth impervious liner was drawn through the drain to give greater capacity and to remove the moisture from the area. All of this has had to be completed under the watchful eye of English Heritage without disturbing original fabric of the building.

All in all the repair of the Great South Window will cost something in the order of £2.25m. It has been a huge piece of work which it is hoped will be completed in late summer 2015. Perhaps a visit by the Company to see the fi nished work might be in order ?

HISTORIC STONE Past Master John Burton MBE

This year we have been pleased to congratulate fi ve recipients of the Master Craftsmen Awards which were presented by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Alderman Alan Yarrow at a ceremony at Saddlers’ Hall.

DARREN McCULLOCH-SMITH attended The Building Craft Training School at Great Titchfi eld Street in the early 80s, before working at Ashby & Horner (Essex) and other commercial companies until he started at Canterbury Cathedral in1989. Since then he has been responsible for all the setting out on many areas of the Cathedral. Darren and his team are currently working on The Great South Window; a major project with its scale and complexity. His skills, experience and thoroughness contribute to the team effort. For the past fi ve years he has been 2nd marker and tutor at Canterbury for the setting out aspect of the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship.

RICHARD MORTIMER comes from seven generations of quarrymen. He started his stonemasonry career as a Masonry Technician at South Dorset Technical College. For near on a decade, he has been the Course Leader, managing an excellent team of stonemasons and conservators. Over the last 34 years he has seen over 1,000 students successfully take their fi rst steps along the stonemasonry journey. Six years ago he oversaw the move of the workshop from the main campus to the Dorset Skills Centre in Poundbury. Six times in the last eight years the college has won the UK Masonry Skills Challenge with a number of apprentices makingtheir way to the WorldSkills awards.

GARY PRICE has worked at Salisbury Cathedral for 29 years, as the stone sawyer for 26 and then as Clerk of the Works, so he has had input into every stone that has formed part of the Major Repair Programme that started in 1986. As Clerk of Works he has continued the Masons’ apprenticeship scheme and given numerous work experience candidates of all ages and skill levels experience in stone masonry and conservation. He also introduced the Sponsor a Stone scheme, raising over £50,000 for the building’s upkeep and started the in-house ‘Have a Go’ masonry courses run over the summer.

CHRIS SAMPSON’S working life has been dedicated to stone masonry, from bankerwork, fi xing and setting out to higher management positions. He is currently

Clerk of Works at Exeter Cathedral, which followed 15 years as Head Mason at Salisbury Cathedral and fi ve years at Winchester Cathedral. Since joining Exeter, he has expanded the works and maintenance teams by more than 100% and Exeter Cathedral joined the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship as a contributing cathedral. Chris is using his knowledge and experience to move the Works Department, forward by mentoring and developing his team.

DARREN STEELE has completed 35 years in stonemasonry, having worked in the heritage sector mainly in the Worcestershire, Herefordshire & Gloucestershire region. In 1997 he joined Worcester Cathedral as a foreman stonemason, then became Works Department Manager/Head Stonemason. He is still ‘hands-on’ which remains very important to him. He runs an apprenticeship programme at Worcester and also takes on bursary students. In addition, he leads stonemasonry courses during the summer months for members of the public. Darren is a co-founder of the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship. He is very passionate about traditional skills and is committed to passing on these skills to the next generation.

THE MASTER CRAFTSMEN AWARDS 2015

Court Assistant Martin Low

8 9

Can a Freeman Shepherd his Sheep?The Freedom of the City of London is a requirement for those Freemen of a Livery Company wishing to progress to a Liverymen; it is a pre-requisite for election to any offi ce in the City and it is also open to citizens from all over the globe. Then there are those hoary old chestnuts about the rights of Freemen: shepherding your sheep across London Bridge, being hung with a silken cord and the right to avoid arrest for being drunk and disorderly in the City and to be taken home by the Watchman. Pity about the last one not being in force today!

The Historical FreedomThe mediæval term Freeman meant someone who was not the property of a feudal lord but enjoyed privileges such as the right to earn money and own land. Town dwellers who were protected by the charter of their town or city were often free – hence the term freedom of the City.

From the Middle Ages to the Victorian era, the Freedom was the right to trade, enabling members of a Guild or Livery to carry out their trade or craft in the Square Mile; taking your sheep, cattle or hens across London Bridge from Southwark to Smithfi eld Market for instance. The privilege as a Freeman was that you did not have to pay the toll.

These rights granted to members of a Guild or Livery resulted in a fee or fi ne on them for which, in return, the Livery Companies would lay down regulations governing their trade, ensuring that the goods and services provided would be of the highest possible

standard and that young apprentices would be properly trained. Some of these rights still exist today with the Goldsmiths, Fishmongers and Gunsmiths prominent amongst many. The fees and fi nes were a substantial part of the City’s coffers for many years.

In 1835, the Freedom was widened to incorporate not just members of the Livery Companies but also people living and working in the City and those with a strong London connection.

The Modern FreedomToday most of the practical reasons for obtaining the Freedom of the City have disappeared. It nevertheless remains a unique part of London’s history.

Prior to 1996, the Freedom was only open to British and Commonwealth citizens. Now, however, persons of any nationality may be admitted either through nomination or by being presented by a Livery Company.

About 1,800 Freemen are admitted each year by the Clerk to the Chamberlain of the City, currently Murray Craig, in a simple ceremony at Guildhall. The Freedom is still closely associated with the City’s 110 Livery Companies and over half of those admitted do so through a Company.

At the ceremony the new Freeman is presented with a certifi cate and a little red book, Rules for the Conduct

of Life, a document well worth reading for anyone in business in the City or elsewhere. We could certainly have avoided some of the recent scandals in the banking sector and elsewhere if these Rules had been followed.

Murray Craig, the Chamberlain’s Clerk, is strongly of the view that ‘the City is keen to maintain the Freedom as a living tradition and that is why it is open to all who are genuinely interested, invited or born to it’.

‘Freedom is a hereditary right, inherited by children born after their parent was admitted to the Freedom. When they reach 21 they may approach Guildhall to be admitted. This is why you see children of Liverymen admitted by patrimony. In the past women were admitted to the Freedom as Free Sisters, but today all are Freemen’.

In addition to those who apply for the Freedom, there are those the City wishes to acknowledge by awarding its highest honour, the Honorary Freedom. This is

normally limited to royalty, heads of state and others distinguished in public life. It is a rare award and was last made eleven years ago to Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

There are also those actors, sportsmen and celebrities of considerable renown who are granted the Freedom in recognition of their achievements, but they are not classed as Honorary Freeman.

Today’s RightsSo what are the advantages today? You still need the Freedom to join and progress in a Livery Company or to be elected to any offi ce in the City – these are perhaps the most important.

Freemen are also entitled to right of presentation of their children at certain schools such as the City of London Freeman’s School in Surrey and those who have fallen on hard times in old age may apply to live in the City’s almshouses in Brixton. They have the right to join the City Livery Club, stay in accommodation in Vintners’ Hall and book themselves for lunch into various regular events run at a number of livery halls.

And thanks to the regular Sheep Drive organised by The Worshipful Companies of Woolmen and World Traders, they can still take their sheep across London Bridge. Today, it’s just fun and you pay for the privilege!

THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY Past Master David Blake JP

10 11

This has been a busy year for the Building Crafts College stonemasonry department, with new apprentices joining us from Canterbury Cathedral, Wells Cathedral Masons, PAYE Stone and several other employers across the country. 10 new students joined the full time Advanced Diploma – one of whom has come all the way from Australia.

In October the department, accompanied by Senior Tutors Nigel Gilkison and Jim O’Brien (woodwork senior tutor) went to Florence for 4 days. Students enjoyed a fascinating and detailed tour of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, guided by Barbara Fedeli, Project Coordinator in the Promotional Department at Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. The tour, which proved to be lively and educational all round, was also joined by Barbara’s father (himself a former mason), and a group of German Architects. Culminating in a climb into the cupola on top of Brunelleschi’s famous Dome, it was a visit not to be missed !

Students also visited other fascinating sites: the wonderful Pietra Dura museum, the hidden roof structure of the Palazzo Vecchio, and the stonemasonry workshop for the Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore. On the fi nal day they took a day trip up to Carrara to see inside a working marble quarry. It was all in all an excellent and highly educational tour – and some good meals were enjoyed too!

In 2014, Maker in Residence Yuko Motoi completed carved crosses and label stops for Willingale Church. This also led onto Sean Blackwell gaining full time employment with Bakers of Danbury after work placement over the summer. This was followed by a visit from the Bishop of Barking and others, organised by Nigel Gilkison and Past Master John Burton MBE to promote the work at Willingale Church and how all involved were gaining from the project. Student Tom Clark-Collins has also recently completed a commission for Telford Homes for a new church - a large inscription for the doorway, in Welsh slate with gilded v-cut lettering.

In the workshop, students are working hard on their assessed pieces, as well as developing the annual group project. This is a chance to design and build a real structure within the college, and is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the whole construction process.

Students have also undertaken valuable work experience in workshops across the country, including Lincoln, Wells, London and Kent and hope to take up jobs with several employers on completion of their course. We hope that 13 students will be employed come the end of this academic year.

Finally, we are delighted to announce that students Lily Marsh and Mark Laidlow have been accepted onto the 2015-16 Building Skill in Craft programme with the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment. They will be attending their international summer school in July, followed by an 8-month heritage stonemasonry apprenticeship with various specialist employers.

NOTES FROM THE BUILDING CRAFTS’ COLLEGE

Freeman Nigel Gilkison

12 13

The Yeoman Masons are artisans who show excellence in practicing the craft of stonework and have been invited into the Company to recognize the importance of craftspeople in stonemasonry.Catherine James and Thomas Appleton are two of the current thirty Yeoman masons living nationwide.

Catherine James runs her own small masonry and carving business called James Stonework. Her original degree in Fine Art Sculpture from Chelsea left her wanting the skills and discipline of traditional stonework, so she then went on to study at the Building Crafts College after which she completed her apprenticeship in Stonemasonry at York Minster. Graduating from the Cathedral Workshop Fellowship, which is a course supported by the Company, gave her the experience of working in the eight cathedral workshops of England and exposure to specialists in conservation and stonework.

James Stonework takes on small masonry projects such as ecclesiastical work and private residential work. Recent work includes the conservation of the WWI memorial at Flyford Flavel and the casting and carving of fi gures for the facade of a private building in Birmingham. Catherine is currently working on a private sculptural commission, and the masonry and carving work for the renovation of a memorial cross. James-stonework.com.

Thomas Appleton studied at the Building Crafts College in 2009, graduating with the Company’s award for his year and was welcomed into the company as a

Yeoman in 2010. Thomas has gone on to specialize in letter cutting, and was selected for the Craft Council’s UK talent development programme in 2013.

Based in London, Thomas now works with London Stone Conservation, undertakes commissions for clients and has a thriving practice as a contemporary maker and has recently been working with Heal’s London. Thomas is currently delivering the Stonecarved Project, which will culminate in two-month solo show and residency at Aspex, Portsmouth during August and September this year. To develop and inform the work for this exhibition, Thomas has been visiting and working with quarries around the UK to showcase a range of native stone. The picture below was taken when Thomas visited his project partners at Clipsham Quarry Company.

The Yeoman Masons recently met at Canterbury Cathedral with Nigel Gilkison from the BCC and Adam Stone, Managing Director of Chichester Stonemasons, and were shown around by Yeoman Mason Jen Jordan. A visit up the scaffolding on the Great South Window revealed immaculate masonry work on the entire replaced mullion section and the beautiful detail on the transom cusps. It was originally thought that the window tracery would stay in position as the mullions were built up, but the extent of replacement means it has been taken out, illustrating the strength of the self supporting window arch and the fact that the only load the tracery has to bear is that of itself. Once the masonry is fi nished the mediæval glass, including panels from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, will be reinstalled. A wonderfully educational day out was enjoyed by all!

OUR YEOMAN MASONS Court Assistant Martin Low

14 15

The Master’s year started with Common Hall and the Installation of the Master and Wardens in June. 65 members of the Masons’ Company were present to take part in the election and formal Installation. As is customary the Company was then led in a short Service of Dedication by the Right Reverend Jonathan Baker, Bishop of Fulham and Vicar of St Dunstan’s in the West who had been earlier appointed as the Master’s Chaplain for the year. Most present stayed for the lunch that followed in the splendid surroundings of Mercers’ Hall and we were joined by the Ladies of the Master, Deputy Master and Wardens. This was also the fi rst such occasion for our new Clerk who performed his duties with aplomb and took the opportunity to acquaint himself with many of the Company’s members. The Master spoke of his plans for the year and a small group repaired to the Bow Wine Vaults for additional refreshment into the late afternoon.

At the Associated Companies’ Dinner in November we were again at the Mercers’ Hall for a thoroughly enjoyable evening attended by around 50 Liverymen, and with guests our numbers totalled 137. The Master’s principal guest was Miss Deborah Ounsted CBE, Master Mercer, with Alderman Vincent Keaveney entertaining those present with a lively response on behalf of the guests. We were also treated to an interlude of music with Evgeny Genchev from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama playing the piano in distinctive style.

Over 260 were present at the most splendid of all the occasions during the year - the Master’s Banquet held in March at the Mansion House and with the kind permission of The Lord Mayor. Alderman Alan Yarrow, the Lady Mayoress and both Sherrifs (with their consorts) were present at the evening, together with guests from many City Livery Companies and the

Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. The Master invited The Marquess of Lothian (formerly Michael Ancram, MP) to reply on behalf of the guests and he spoke of some of his experiences in foreign affairs from his time in government and of his concerns for how some of the current affairs of the world may unfold. We were also entertained by speeches from the Upper Warden, The Lord Mayor and the Master and by some excellent operatic numbers performed, once again, by students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As always the splendour of the Egyptian Hall was a magnifi cent backdrop to the evening and members and their guests were also able to enjoy the salons and the striking collection of 17th century Dutch Masters before Dinner.

Throughout the Master’s year the quarterly Court meetings have been followed by Court lunches held in the Mercers’ Hall in July, September, January and March. Liverymen are invited to the lunches by

rotation and it has been rewarding to witness greater attendance this year following the decision to make attendance free for Liverymen, although a charitable donation in lieu is encouraged. Masters from a wide variety of construction related Livery Companies were present and at Lady Day Court Lunch it was particularly nice to meet so many widows of departed Liverymen.

Finally, on three occasions during the year, namely the Election of the Lord Mayor, the Election of Sheriffs, and the United Guilds’ Service (formal City Civic events which are the Master, Wardens and Liverymen attend), are followed by lunch at the Painter Stainers’ Hall to which partners and guests are invited. Each is a convivial opportunity to meet others from a range of Liveries and it was encouraging to see a good turnout from the Company in support and enjoying these occasions.

COMPANY FORMAL EVENTS Court Assistant Andrew Bowles

16 17

The Social Committee assists the Upper Warden plan their year as Master for all the Company’s non-offi cial events and then make arrangements for their delivery during the Master’s Year in offi ce.

Although each Master selects the events he/she wishes for their year in offi ce, they work in close liaison with the Upper Warden. If one looks closely one can see the year-to-year pendulum-swing of event type does follow some sort of pattern over the medium to long term.

The past year kicked off when. Liveryman Patricia (and Michael!) Langley opened their country home for a summer concert and garden party. We could not have had better weather and after the reception, we settled down to the concert where both singer and accompanist performed brilliantly with deep feeling and musicality. We soon found ourselves sitting on the exquisitely decorated veranda enjoying luncheon in the friendliest of company. The raffl e of raffl es seemed to have endless winners, with each prize being worthy of star billing in lesser raffl es and raised the incredible sum of £620. This was followed by a stroll around the country garden and then drifting off to view the many other local attractions.

Early July saw the Master take the Company off in the baking sunshine to Henley for the Royal Regatta. We

of course must express our many thanks to Graham Jones for so very kindly supporting the Company

with the provision of his parking space and access to the Stewards’ Enclosure.

Drinks and food

were bountiful on the Company’s table. The heat of the sun was at its height, which sadly assisted one of our members to need to seek shelter in the shade. Next time we will have to add a Gazebo to the list of essentials!

Then after the summer recess in early September a guided tour of Freemasons Hall, allowing us access to areas not usually opened to members of the general public.

In October the company enjoyed a day out visiting the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham where members had the chance to fi re assault rifl es and pistols, use mine detection equipment and cook their own combat rations!

In January the Gallets’ Dinner included an excellent talk by Mr Mark Smith Curator at the Royal Artillery Museum on the history of the Victoria Cross. Taking place at the East India Club, we are indebted to Past Master David Blake for facilitating this.

In late April a group of 12 members and guests travelled to Sofi a in Bulgaria. Organised personally by the Master, tours of Sofi a and day trips to the Valley of the Thracian Tombs and to Bulgaria’s second city, Plovdiv were both fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable.

In May Liveryman Emily Aldrich led an intrepid team into the Inter-Livery Charity Clay Shoot.

And fi nally we rounded the year off with a martial fl avour by fi rstly visiting to the Cabinet War Rooms in May, where Randolph Churchill (great grandson of Sir Winston) generously gave his support and then a Gallets’ visit to the Tower of London where we enjoyed

a private tour, dinner in the Fusiliers’ mess and then the Ceremony of the Keys.

COMPANY SOCIAL EVENTS Liveryman Ross Sinclair

1918

The Charitable Trust was established in 1968 and is governed by a deed dated 26 March of that year. However the charitable objects of the company were established in 1679 when the fi rst Master under the Charter, Joshua Marshall, entrusted a sum of £200 owed to him by the Company in consideration of it’s undertaking to distribute every year a regular annuity to poor widows of Freemen.

The present focus of the trust is to concentrate on education of young people with a bias towards stonemasonry whilst remaining true to our original objectives of a charitable trust. This objective complements the objective of the Masons’ Company Craft Fund which concentrates on the training of stonemasons.

The charity has varying activities. The Schools Outreach programme endeavours to encourage schoolchildren to become acquainted with the craft in their teenage years. Projects are run at Lincoln Heritage Centre, Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Salisbury.

The Mass Extinction Monitoring Observatory is to be established on the island of Portland, the origins of the stone for St. Paul’s Cathedral. www.memoproject.

org The fi rst steps towards the development started in November last year. Prior to that event the Robert Hooke Bell had been cast using Portland stone as the cast medium for the bronze bell (pictured). The cast was carved by local stonemasons, in conjunction with a local school, with the support of the trust and major support from a prominent liveryman.

The Livery Showcase epitomises our support for the craft of stonemasonry by encouraging ‘hands on’ demonstrations of the craft to school children around London. The event is run by Livery Schools Link and this year (pictured) was the third annual event.

Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship was established just over six years ago by eight, now nine, of the major cathedrals in England to provide specifi c training for stonemasons which led towards a postgraduate course for stonemasons. The training body has been supported fi nancially by the trust from inception and continues today with successful young stonemasons gaining a degree at Gloucester University. The trust also supports the young masons (pictured) on the course through grants to their employers.

A very recent initiative involves the Army Cadet Force where the Company supported by the trust has established an association with 15 Company South West London. Cadet Forces are the largest youth organisation in the UK with over 80,000 young people involved. 15 Company is split into 9 detachments comprising 170 young people. The trust will support the cadets with prizes, provide opportunities to parade at our major functions and seek to support work experience with local stone companies as well as introducing them to the City of London.

As a City of London Livery Company we do not forget our roots. This year we have built on a relationship with King Edward’s School Witley and have established a small annual bursary at the school and the fi rst student is already benefi tting from our support. Other donations include the Lord Mayor’s charity, educational prizes at City of London Freemen’s School and Lord Mayor Treloar’s School, the War Memorials Trust and a charity involving our long relationship with the Mercers’, Cooks’ and Borderers’ Companies which stretches back to 1613. This latter charity involves donations from all four companies where an agreed amount is donated to a charity chosen by one of the companies. Last year the choice fell to the Mercers’ Company who, following unanimous agreement from the other companies, donated a sum to QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) to select apprentices. One of those selected was a stonemason in his early years of training.

Before closing this article may I return to the gift of Joshua Marshall. Of the many donations made by the Charitable Trust perhaps the nearest we come to fulfi lling his wishes is an annual donation to the Builders’ Benevolent Fund which is of equal value today to the original request. In closing may I thank all who contribute to the work of the trust and I hope that this article might encourage more people or organisations to become involved at whatever level they think appropriate.

MASONS’ COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST

Court Assistant Peter Clark

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In 2014, as part of the UK response to the Ebola emergency, a small group of Royal Engineers were despatched at short notice to scope out the possibility of a 12-bed Ebola Treatment Unit (TU) at Kerry Town, a village outside of the capital Freetown – an operation codenamed Operation GRITROCK. Several months and 800 military personnel later, the requirement had evolved signifi cantly, until at the high point in November 2014, there were 80 Sappers in theatre; 5 TUs were in mid-construction, Kerry Town TU had just been completed and handed over to Save the Children and Army Medical Services, and sappers were busy providing support to many other areas.

At Kerry Town the fi rst substantial task had been to take over the design and project management. Once the site was recce’d it was nose-to-the-grindstone to have a workable design planned. Full design being completed in 5 days and then went to contract in 12 days - usually a 6 week process.

A busy site: when construction was in full swing there were approximately 400 personnel in addition to two presidential visits, the UK Foreign Secretary, high ranking UK and Sierra Leone offi cers, Sky News, the BBC and Sierra Leone Media. Sappers Simon Boggi and James Godwin take up the story:

“Still trying to acclimatise to the hot and humid conditions of Sierra Leone, we arrived at Kerry Town TU to the sight of a couple of wooden buildings and a few concrete pads scattered around a large muddy site, which had only recently been carved out of the dense jungle.

After an initial brief, the scale of the site and task became clear – it was huge. We went round the site to meet and greet the locally employed contractors (LEC’s). We were able to see the works they had started and see the future works that still had to be carried out by them – our role supposedly being an advisory and quality assurance one.

Our fi rst problem was that with the scale of works to be carried out in such a short time, the standards were nowhere near ‘British Standards’. As a result, we had no choice but to get ‘hands on’ and work alongside the locals to show them how work needed to be completed and to speed things up. This became

diffi cult due to the tight working conditions and there being a no skin on skin contact policy to avoid potential transmission of Ebola. This was compounded as the majority of the LEC’s spoke very little English.

Although we thought we were being clear in our instructions, in the majority of cases we would go back fi ve minutes later to fi nd them doing something completely different or even sleeping. Additionally, although the rainy season was meant to be coming to an end, work progress was hampered when the heavens opened, regularly stopping all work on site for hours.

A week or so into the task we think we managed to partially instil the British working ethos into the majority of the LEC’s, resulting in a much more fl uid work process. The plumbers were now tasked to fi t a large number of sanitary fi ttings. Showing considerable patience, they assembled and fi tted fi fty of Ikea’s fi nest washstands, constantly replacing broken pipes that the locals had buried only inches below the surface, despite heavy plant working on the site.

Alas the leaks for the site were not over. To fuel the brand new 500kva generators and the three incinerators, poorly welded single skinned but allegedly “pressure tested” steel tanks had been purchased. As soon as the diesel arrived the drips started. It was an uphill struggle putting good

weld on top of leaking weld and we eventually accepted that the fuel would have to be taken out of each tank in turn and put wherever we could fi nd so that we could re-weld the fi ttings one tank at a time. After a week of syphoning and hand balling diesel into the remaining space in other tanks, fuel trailers, buckets or barrels, and the leaks were stopped. Almost!

The three incinerators, the instructions for which specifi ed “not too much fl ammable material” could now be commissioned and were thus loaded with fi ve bags of PPE. The temperature rose. The stainless steel chimneys turned blue and became giant fl amethrowers. The base of the chimneys turned cherry red, then bright red, ending on oh-my-its-going-to-melt red, whilst the fi tters were asking each other if this was meant to happen ! The temperature eventually peaked at 1100°C inside the chamber and then dropped, allowing the task of burning an estimated 700 bags of PPE a day to commence.

Eventually the Kerry Town TU was completed and we moved onto other tasks at different locations. Looking back it was a great opportunity to be involved in the Ebola treatment centres – facilities that will increase the population’s chances of survival, whilst slowing the spread of Ebola.

CORPS OF ROYAL ENGINEERS Lieutenant Colonel Charles Holman

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The Army Cadet Force is a national voluntary youth organisation, sponsored by the Army, to provide challenging military, adventurous and community activities to young people. Its aim is to inspire young people to achieve success in life with a spirit of service to the Queen, their Country and their local community, and to develop in them the qualities of a good citizen. This is achieved by:

• Providing progressive cadet training, often of a challenging and exciting nature, to foster confi dence, self reliance, initiative, loyalty and a sense of service to other people.

• Encouraging the development of personal powers of practical leadership and the ability to work successfully as a member of a team.

• Stimulating an interest in the Army, its achievements, skills and values.

• Advising and preparing those considering a career in the Services or with the Reserve Forces.

15 Company sits within the Greater London (South West) Sector, Army Cadet Force, and covers a large, widely diverse geographical area, including

cadets from a range of different ethnic and social backgrounds.

We currently have 20 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers who help to conduct training and drive the values and standards of the Army Cadet Force, and 186 Cadets aged 12-18 who parade in 6 units across the Company area.

The cadets follow the Army Cadet Profi ciency Syllabus, where they train at four progressive levels.

Within SW London ACF, cadets have the opportunity to take part in a variety of events; in addition to taking part in exchange programs to Canada, Hong Kong and St Lucia, there are also expeditions and rock climbing trips to the Spanish Mountains and skiing trips to Bavaria. Over the next 3 years we would like to give cadets the opportunity to take part in these activities and to travel to the World War I Battlefi elds to learn about our history and understand the lives of the soldiers who served within the forces during this time.

As the majority of the cadets we work with come from broken or underprivileged areas, not all have access to the full range of activities due to lack of funds within the family unit. Additionally some of the cadets have often taken a wrong turn along the way and with the support and structure that the Army Cadet Force offers, we have been able to help and guide them onto the right path in life and achieve more in both their personal and professional lives.

Throughout the year we take part in a wide range of activities which build on the skill leading up to our Annual Competition which takes place on our Christmas Camp. The competition is a chance for the cadets to demonstrate their abilities and dexterity in Archery, First Aid, Fieldcraft, drill and shooting - the unit with the highest points winning the Company Detachment of the Year Trophy. The Master Mason has been invited to present our competition trophies this year.

Finally, our new association with the Masons’ Company will offer opportunities for cadets to gain a deeper knowledge of other careers available to them, that they may not have been directed towards or introduced too, as well as experiencing events and social occasions that they would not normally have contact with.

With the support of the Masons’ Company and the dedication from all connected to the Cadet Force, together we can inspire to achieve.

15 COMPANY, SW LONDON ACF Major Claire Hutton PWRR

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Stone-masonry is a craft, diffi cult and sometimes dangerous. Its practitioners in the early Middle Ages were accustomed to form associations for mutual support as they laboured on the churches, castles and bridges that still astound us today ; but these were temporary, shifting groupings, unlike the guilds of merchants and money-men such as the mercers and goldsmiths. It was not until the middle of the fourteenth century that the stone-masons of London emerged as an established body, regulated by Ordinances laid down by the City’s grandees.

Further recognition came In the year 1472, when a formal grant of “A Cognizance of Arms” was made to the “Craft and fellowship of masons” – a step of immense signifi cance in the hierarchically ordered society of that time. Responsibility quickly followed honour, when in 1481 the Masons were allotted a defi ned role in the governance of the City. After a certain amount of jockeying, they became established as 30th in order of seniority among the Livery Companies, a position which was more a refl ection of their relative wealth than of their antiquity.

However, stone-masons are concerned with only one aspect of the construction business ; carpenters, bricklayers, plaisterers, paviours and others all had

their parts to play in the making of London Town, and formed their own Guilds or Companies over time. So the Masons continued to play a role in the City that was useful rather than conspicuous through the Tudor and Stuart centuries.

The earliest administrative document which survives in the Company’s archives is a set of Mayoral Precepts dating from 1607. Of more signifi cance is a sequence of papers which runs from 1609 onwards, and records the Company’s involvement, along with the Mercers, the Cooks and the Broderers, in a great project, undertaken at royal command, to colonise tracts of confi scated lands in Ireland, in the Protestant cause. The last of the estates which were the Masons’ share in this controversial and unhappy venture were sold in the early years of the twentieth century.

The Company occupied a Hall of its own in what was then known as Masons’ Lane, just east of the Guildhall, promisingly close to the seat of City power. This fi rst Hall was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666, together, probably, with many of the Company’s older belongings.

Paradoxically, the destruction caused by the Fire provided the Company with the greatest opportunity in its history. Demand for every sort of building trade expanded giddily in London in the decades after 1666, and for a while the Company’s prerogative of regulating the craft of stone-masonry within the City gave them real importance. Perhaps the most eminent Mason of this period was Christopher Kempster, right-hand man to Sir Christopher Wren in his work at St. Paul’s and elsewhere. (Wren himself was not a member of the Company, although this was a period when the ranks of the livery were swelled by the appearance of numbers of ‘accepted’, that is, non-professional, recruits.)

Throughout the 1670s great numbers of apprentices were recruited, from all over the country, to learn their trade from members of the Company ; commissions were sent forth from the newly rebuilt Hall to regulate the employment of stone-masons across London ; the quality of the stone which was being brought in from Portland and Taynton and Burford was inspected, and faulty material was confi scated; and, for a while, it almost seemed that

any aspiring building contractor would be well advised to become a liveryman if he wanted to get ahead.

This epoch of prosperity reached a glorious climax in 1677, when the Company received a Royal Charter, couched in the most grandiloquent terms, and expanding its authority to roam over the City of Westminster and the rapidly burgeoning suburbs. But the Charter was effectively a dead letter before the ink was dry on its parchment. The Company could not make good its authority even within the old bounds of the City, let alone its new territories ; and the big contractors had already concluded that there was no particular advantage to be derived from wearing a livery gown.

By 1694 the Company was pleading in the Court of Aldermen that it was impoverished and almost ruined, and in 1719 it had to accept Counsel’s opinion that its claim to regulate the craft in the City was without substance. Thereafter it lapsed, with extraordinary rapidity, into a somnolence so complete that its very name became confused with that of the new-fashioned Society of Freemasons, a group of free-thinking

aristocrats who engaged in esoteric and semi-secret philosophical pursuits.

By the early nineteenth century the Company Hall was rented out as a warehouse, and it was eventually sold in 1865, after which the livery seems to have pottered on comfortably as a City dining-club. Revival, particularly in the shape of a renewed enthusiasm for the craft, had to wait until the middle years of the twentieth century, since when the Masons have regained their ancient association with the Mercers, and the Company has undergone a striking growth in numbers, prosperity and charitable activity.

COMPANY HERITAGE Liveryman Michael St John Parker

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We’re very excited that we have a new Brochure for the Company. Many Liverymen and Yeomen have been involved in its production, and we’re very grateful to all those who have kindly allowed us to use their photographs. The Brochure will be one of our key ways of getting out our message that it costs money to train stonemasons. We will now begin on a fundraising drive to enable the Company to continue its work of encouraging the use of natural stone, of educating people about stone, and of helping to train stonemasons.

FUNDRAISING & SPONSORSHIP Liveryman Patricia Langley

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