Spring Livery Dinner

The Spring Livery Dinner was held in the most impressive Vintners Hall in Upper Thames Street on Tuesday 26^th April 2005.
It was another sell out function with the Hall filled to capacity with around 150 Liverymen and their Guests attending.  The Vintners Company is 11^th in the precedence of City Companies with its first Charter dating from 1364.  The site of the existing Hall was vested in the Company in 1446.  The original Hall was burnt down, with many others, in the Great Fire of London in 1666.  It was rebuilt almost immediately and re-opened in 1671.  The present façade and entrance date from 1910 and there are still some 17^th century carvings in the Hall.

The staircase was carved by a Mr Woodroffe in 1673 and is a charming and almost complete example of its period.  It was in these palatial surrounds that the Dinner was held with music by pianist Edward Dye.  The food and wines were up to their usual high standard and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.

The Master proposed the Toasts with Tom Barton introducing and proposing the Toast to The Guests.  His Honour Judge Martin Reynolds responded with a masterful review of his august career with amusing anecdotes.  The evening was brought to a closure by Derek Pearson, the Junior Liveryman, proposing the final toast to the Paviors Company.

Billy McCoubrey

Master's Summer Event - It's Magic!

For the first time, the Master's Summer Event was an evening at the Magic Circle in Stephenson Way, Euston, London.  A quite magical evening in every meaning of the words!  The Magic Circle building is a most unpretentious building, quite plain on the exterior but the blue doors opening into the "House of 10,000 Secrets" give an indication that something special is going to happen.
It was during the evening that some of us learnt that Past Master John Lelliott had been responsible for the building's conversion from a warehouse!

Around 70 people were welcomed to the Circle by John Wade, our host for the evening, with a wine reception and viewing of the Magic Circle's Museum.

Then up one floor to 4 groups for close-up table magic by 4 magicians, and very good they were too, no one spotted how it was done.  Next up another floor to the Theatre where Alan Saxon, President of the Magic Circle, regaled us with a history of the Circle, most entertaining to hear such a list of names that we had forgotten

from the past and how they influenced the development of the arts.  We then repaired down one floor for a light sandwich supper, whilst the theatre was made ready for the final performances.  Throughout the time there John Wade and others circulated and kept us enthralled with the Magic Circle itself.

The final show in the Theatre was introduced by John Wade and we had nerve tingling performances from Richard Pinner, Scott Penrose and John Styles.  One of our Members was inveigled, sorry, volunteered into helping Scott Penrose shoot himself, and did not realise until too late that he was expected to fire the handgun as well.  John Price rose manfully to the task, though through clenched teeth and white knuckles, which considerably increased the tension in the room.  Just how well insured are we for these times?  All ended well and we agreed it had been a quite Magical Evening!

Congratulations to the Magic Circle and our Master for the whole evening.

Billy McCoubrey