The ceremony, which took place at Vintners’ Hall, the Livery Hall where the Vintners’ Company – one of the ‘Great Twelve’ Livery Companies – is based, included the Installation of John Poore as Senior Warden, Gill Moore as Junior Warden and Leo Martin as Keeper of the Roll. We also welcomed six new Liverymen: Andrew Williams, Managing Director of Jackson Building Centres; Paul Hetherington, Managing Director of Alumasc; John Sinfield, Managing Director of Knauf Insulation; Fiona Russell-Horne, Editor of BuildersMerchantsJournal.net; David Anderson, Managing Director of Rixonway Kitchens; and Andrew Murphy, Sales & Marketing Director of Lafarge Cement UK. The six new members became Freemen of the Company and were awarded the Freedom of the City before becoming Liverymen. Our Livery now has 197 Liverymen and 33 Freemen.
The Master comments: “The WCoBM is a premier networking platform for members where senior industry people meet at events organised throughout the year. We are pleased to welcome the newLiverymen to our Company and hope they will take part in future events and actively support our objectives.” Following the Court General Meeting, The Master, Past Masters, Wardens, Members, The Learned Clerk and guests enjoyed an evening of celebration at Vintners’ Hall with entertainment during dinner from The Kohima Band of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment by kind permission of Lieutenant Colonel Geoff Minton M.B.E. A welcome speech by Junior Warden Gill Moore and after dinner speeches from The Guest Speaker Peter Nelson, Assistant Town Clerk, City of London Corporation, who gave an excellent and witty speech, and the Master were also heard.
The Master has an important role to play in his year, raising our industry’s profile in the City at a crucial time when the industry is trying to get the message accepted that ‘Getting Britain Building’ is vital to getting Britain’s economy growing again. He will also be actively supporting training and education for builders’ merchants and raising awareness of the important role the Company has in supporting selected charities. We wish him all the best as he embarks on his busy schedule of events and meetings during his year.
