The Vintners’ Company

Annual Review 2009-2010

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English monarchs have claimed ownership of muteswans for many centuries. The annual census ofswans on the River Thames, called Swan Upping, isbelieved to have been carried out continuously sincethe 12th century. It takes place in July because thecygnets are then old enough not to be injured, butnot old enough to fly away!

You could be forgiven for thinking, therefore, that HerMajesty the Queen would take a keen interest in thiscustom – after all, the smartly-liveried Uppers, and herSwan Marker, row past Windsor Castle every July.However the truth is more prosaic: no reigning mon -arch has witnessed this ancient and colourful spectaclefor over 150 years. So it was a welcome and pleasantsurprise when, in 2009, the Palace advised both theVintners and the Dyers that Her Majesty wished to seefor herself exactly what Swan Upping was all about.

For me, as recently-elected Swan Warden, it wasan added privilege and honour to be part of the wel -come party. By the end of what was a perfect, warmsummer’s day, it was clear that Her Majesty had muchenjoyed learning about how her swans are cared forand counted on the River Thames.

Indeed, the resulting international publicity hasgiven a much-needed boost to the ancient tradition ofSwan Upping, and to the hard work of the Uppers, theSwan Wardens and Swan Markers. It has also raisedthe profile of the important care and conservation workdone by the swan sanctuaries, such as Swan Lifeline atCuckoo Weir Island, Eton.

Eagle-eyed watchers of the Queen’s ChristmasBroadcast on television at the end of 2009 will havenoted the four-second clip of Her Majesty with somecygnets during the round-up of her year’s activities. Asthe Swan Mistress and I were standing right behindthe Queen at the time, this caused much surprise and

amusement in our Christmas household!Her Majesty arrived by Royal Barge so that she

could first meet the Uppers. It was a great privilege forMartin Spencer, the Vintners’ Swan Marker, to introd -uce our valiant oarsmen, and to explain their Uppingcraft. This was a day they will all remember for manya year. Having heard the cry ‘All Up’, Her Majesty wasable to witness a catch of a family of four cygnets. TheRoyal party then returned to the Barge, and continuedto the majestic surroundings of the Oakley Court Hoteljust down river. Here they alighted onto the lawn, to beintroduced to the Swan Warden of the Vintners (me!)and the Prime Warden of the Dyers. Several collectionsof ‘Swan Projects’ diligently created by two local prim -ary schools were also inspected. David Barber, theQueen’s Swan Marker, resplendent in his bright redcoat, accompanied and enlightened the Queen at everyturn. Her smile conveyed genuine delight. I am sureshe was wondering why she had left it so long.

Michael CoxSwan Warden 2009

Royal Swan Upping 2009

2 Royal Swan Upping 20093 Committees and

Appointments4 Reflections on the Master’s Year5 Master and Wardens,

2010-20116 Obituaries9 Membership 2009-2010

9 Scholarships and Bursaries10 Court Visit to Rioja14 A Fifteenth-Century Vintner

of London16 Being Independent18 Common Hall 201019 Master’s Day Out20 ‘The Road to Mansion House’22 The Vintners’ Company and

Veterans Aid Walk in Epernay

24 Afghanistan 2009-201025 AGM, Sea Cadets26 Visit to ‘A’ Squadron, 1RTR28 Livery Medals29 The Staff30 The Master’s Year32 Charity34 Finance and Investments36 Highlights of the Year39 Zunft zu Weinleuten

Contents

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The Swan Warden and the Uppers

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Master and Wardens’ Committee (monthly)M J H Mason ...................... Master (Chairman)M J Turner ............................ Upper Warden J M G Cox .............................. Renter WardenA R J Sykes ......................... Swan WardenS Dow ....................................... Immediate Past Master

Investment Committee (4 a year)W D Robson ....................... (Chairman)M J H Mason ...................... (Master)J M G Cox .............................. (as Renter Warden)S DowM J TurnerA W C EdwardsLiveryman M A Wagner Liveryman D A DelaforceLiveryman A F de C Paynter

Court Selection Committee (as required)Master ........................................................... Chairman)WardensIPMA PlattW D RobsonM A T DaviesP D Sandeman

Livery Selection Committee (5 a year)A W C Edwards .................................. (Chairman)M J H Mason (Master)S DowJ M G CoxR J Clevely

Vintners’ Foundation Committee (4 a year)E P Demery, CVO .............................. (Chairman)Liveryman P W H Mason MasterJ M G CoxLiveryman R WilsonLiveryman Dr M L C DhewFreeman Mrs V C P CollingeThe Chaplain

Freeman’s Social Committee (as required)Freeman Miss A C P HuntFreeman D R DixFreeman C P S HodgsonFreeman M R Blundell

Father of the Court (as required)A PlattMasterH J NewtonM H R Hasslacher

Treasures Committee (2 a year)M H R Hasslacher ............................. (Chairman)MasterSir David Mitchell, DLA W C EdwardsLiveryman A C CockLiveryman R M Todd-YoungLiveryman Miss L A Best-Shaw

Wine Committee (4 a year)M A T Davies ......................................... (Chairman)MasterF J Avery, MWD B Butler-AdamsP D SandemanA R J Sykes

Trustees, Wine & Spirit Education TrustE P Demery, CVOJ M G CoxLiveryman N Clarke, MW

Trustees Pension Fund (2 a year)S Dow .......................................................... (Chairman)A W C EdwardsLiveryman E R LinesThe Clerk

Vintners’ Scholars’ TrusteesM H R HasslacherE P Demery, CVOThe Clerk

Donation Governor – Christ’s HospitalA J Buchanan

Golf CaptainWD Robson

Golf SecretaryLiveryman J G F Stoy

Liaison Officer with RTRLiveryman A O Blayney

Swan Liaison OfficerLiveryman Miss S L Langton

Committees and AppointmentsM

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NB: The Clerk attends most Committees in an Ex-Officio capacity

For the Master’s Year 2010/2011

“When I was at school, more years ago than I care toremember, I learned the adage that ‘It is Better to TravelHopefully than to Arrive’. A year as Master of the Vintners’Company offered lots of possible ‘arrivals’, when keenexpectation could be followed by gentle disappointment.Happily, the reverse was true.

Firstly, there was the programme of Company meetings.There are about fifty of these: Court, Master and Wardens,Investment Committee, Wine Committee, Charities Committ -ee, Treasures Committee, VCCF Committee, Pensions Trustees,plus sub-committees dealing with both regular and ad hocmatters. Surely a number of these, interesting enough inprospect, might fail to hold the attention, or fall short indecisiveness? Well no, actually. The overriding characteristicof all these meetings was of people wanting to pull together,not in a search for bland agreement, but rather to settle onconclusions that were in the best interest of an organisationthat has existed for centuries, and should survive for manymore. We can and do draw on the well of known expertisewithin our membership (if your own remains unrecognised,don’t hesitate to tell the Clerk!), and within the home teamand their advisers. So the shared interest, and range ofexperience, apparent in these meetings have continued toprovide stimulation. From some meetings grew a shared viewthat our links with the Wine Trade must be further enhanced,and much thought is being given to this.

Secondly, there was the exciting possibility of gaining abetter understanding of the City of London Corporation andthe Livery movement. I had attended an excellent course tofamiliarise myself with the Corporation, but it became clearthat to play a part in enhancing the relevanceboth of the Corporation and of the wider Liverymovement we, Vintners and others alike,must raise our eyes from our immediatesurroundings. We started the process ofimproving our under standing withLiveryman Alderman AndrewParm ley’s entertaining talk atCommon Hall and, with luck,increased interest will leadthe Vintners once again toprovide a Lord Mayor. Inpractical terms, we need toprovide those interestedwith the resources to make

progress. So, once again, ‘arrival’ failed to disappoint. Itmeant the start of another journey.

A third possible ‘arrival’ was to better understand wherethe Vintners’ Company fits into wider United Kingdom andLondon life. Over the course of the year, with visits to manyWren churches, the occasional wet garden party, andparticipation in wonderful Royal Tank Regiment events, andwith more than a hundred Loyal Toasts as background, it hasbeen impossible not to be struck by the degree to which theroles of the Royal Family, the Church, the Military and theLivery Companies interact. You don’t need to be Royalist orreligious to appreciate how, together, they blend into aformidable core of national identity, to be unpicked at ourperil. Add to this our slowly (but surely) growing commitmentto charitable and educational activities, so appreciated by thebeneficiaries I was privileged to meet, and doubts about ourrelevance in the twenty-first century disappear. No dis app -ointment here.

Another hoped-for ‘arrival’ was active participation in‘events’ organised by the Company or its friends. The opport -unity to descend the Innsbruck Olympic Bobsleigh run, theMistress in front of me, was literally a once-in-a-lifetimeexperience – I refuse to do it again! The dinner the sameevening, when we entertained the young officers and men ofthe RTR who had taken part in the Championships, made usboth realise how lucky we all are to be protected by suchexceptional individuals.

Exceptional in a different way were the Vintners’ skiteam, led by George Stoy, who won nearly everything at theinaugural Inter Livery Ski Championships in Morzine. I havealso seen at first hand our golfers and cricketers meet withtriumph and disaster with an equanimity of which Kipling

would be proud, but sadly missed our sailors coming aplucky second in the Inter Livery Championships.

I was delighted to lead the Courtvisit to Rioja, a region which, on theevid ence of the cellars we saw, hasmast ered the art of converting grapesinto cash. The local Spanish market

is now suffering horr end ously,but ever-increasing emph asison quality has provided wel -come relief through exportmarkets. The hosp it ality werec eived was outstanding,

and our team became

Reflections on the Master’s YearSam Dow, Master 2009-2010

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increasingly conscious of the esteem in which the LondonWine Trade is held. Our hosts were fas cin ated by the historicrole of the Vintners’ Company and, when we come to look atour Wine Trade relationships, as referred to above, we needto think about how our unrivalled contacts with key play ersin the Old and New World can best be developed.

The most recent ‘journey’, the Charity Walk in Cham -pagne (reported elsewhere), was a reminder of the good thatcan be done when Vintners, individually or with their friends,work together for the benefit of others. Those who wereunable to take part in this or the earlier walk four years agocannot begin to appreciate quite what they missed. Theeffer vescence of those taking part was as joyous as thechampagne offered and accepted morning, noon and night.Don’t make the same mistake again!

For many of us, dinners in the Hall are highlights of theyear. The many letters of thanks I have rec eived confirm myown view that enjoyment levels are wonderfully high. The

quality of food and wine is a tribute to those involved inprep aration and selection, and is matched by the quality ofthe organ isation and service. Lord Lang, Sir Stuart Hamp son,Eric Nicoli and Jon athan Tice hurst gave us some amusing andmemorable speeches. My con grat ulations and thanks to allconcerned.

‘Arriving’, in my case, has indeed been as good as‘travelling’. But both have proved so enjoyable because of thewill ing ness to ‘go the extra mile’ of the Clerk and of all ourstaff. I have been privileged to see at first hand their expertiseand enthusiasm, qualities recognised throughout the LiveryCompanies. I offer them all my sincerest thanks as I do to mytravelling companion, Lorna, who has enjoyed the privilegeof being Mistress as much as I have enjoyed the honour ofbeing your Master. And that’s saying something!

“Arriving, in my case, has been as good as travelling, but I know that the journey has proved

so enjoyable because of the willingness to go the extra mile of the Clerk and all our staff.

Master and Wardens, 2010-2011

Martin MasonMaster

Michael TurnerUpper Warden

Michael CoxRenter Warden

Anthony SykesSwan Warden

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Obituaries

Past Master Anthony BerryBorn 16 March 1915Master 1980 - 1981

Anthony Berry, who died on 23rd February aged 94,was a director for over 60 years of the 312-year-oldfamily wine firm, Berry Bros & Rudd, with twodecades as Chairman. A familiar, immaculately-turned-out figure in St James’s Street until well into hisnineties, he only gave up wearing a bowler hat onhis way to work when he found he was beingphotographed by tourists as a curiosity.

Berry was one of the last of his breed – the old-fashioned, gentleman wine merchant. He had made uphis mind to enter the trade during his early teens,despite the fact that the rules of the business part -nership with the Rudd family limited space at Berrys tohis elder brother, George.

A wine trade lunch, to which he was taken by hisfather when he was 17, made a lasting impression. Thewines served included such treats as 1896 ChâteauLafite, 1864 Château Léoville, 1877 Château Labégorceand 1923 Château Coutet. ‘I seem to have absorbed myshare of all this quite happily, because in the eveningI went to Bertram Mills’ Circus at Olympia withoutapparently being any the worse for it,’ he recalled.

After leaving school, Berry worked with Williams &Humbert in Jerez, before spending his university vac -ations with the likes of Delamain in Cognac and GHMumm in the Champagne region. On coming down in1936 from Cambridge (where he admitted to drinkinglittle but beer), he joined Rutherford, Osborne & Perkinas an office boy on £2 a week. He remained until theoutbreak of war, during which he served with the RNVR.

In 1941, the death in action of George Berry madeAnthony’s entry into his family’s firm a necessity, andhe became a Director in 1946. In 1965 he took over asChairman, and continued in the post for the next 20years. Despite the fact that his main focus was wine,these were years of great success for the company,largely through the growth in export markets of CuttySark Scots Whisky – invented by his father.

Berry acquired something of the importance of anelder statesman of the wine and spirit world, havingserved for many years on various bodies associatedwith the trade, not least the Vintners’ Company, of

which he became Master in 1980. Anthony Arthur Berry was born on March 16 1915,

the son of Francis and Amy Marie Berry, and educatedat Charterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. In 1953(having proposed on Coronation Day), he married Sonia,the daughter of Sir Harold Graham-Hodgson KCVO,radiologist to the Royal Family. The couple had a son,Simon – Berrys’ current Chairman – and a daughter.

A gentle and shy man, he had a dry sense ofhumour and a keen wit, and in private could be jovialcompany indeed; in public, and to the staff at Berrys,however, he could appear somewhat buttoned-up.Underlings were apt to keep their heads down whenhe passed through the shop, although nobody couldfault either his manners or his charm, both of whichcame from a different era. Even as Chairman he wouldwrite personally to every new customer. Such was hisreserve, though, that one employee was moved to say:‘For such a lovely man, he always looks so miserable.’

Despite his apparent shyness, Berry was immenselyclubbable and enjoyed membership of Boodle’s, MCC,the Saintsbury and a brace of golf clubs. He was alsoa fine host. He shared his birthday with two celebratedwine writers – Cyril Ray and Edmund Penning-Rowsell– and although he certainly did not share their politics,he delighted in drinking fine vintages with them overbirthday lunches in the directors’ dining room at no 3St James’s Street.

Berry, whose wine knowledge was formidable, wasliked and admired, and his somewhat old-fashionedviews ensured he became a rich source of anecdote.There was much merriment, for example, when word

Anthony Berry

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got back from one of his buying trips to Château Latourin the 1970s. The celebrated First Growth estate hadrecently installed stainless steel vats in its cellars;Berry was seen to shake his head and declare that hehad never thought he would live to see the day thatLatour looked like a dairy.

He retired to Bath, but returned regularly to Londonfor board meetings. He caused both family and firmgreat concern during his first such visit, turning up atBerrys alarmingly late for a man so punctual andpunctilious. It turned out that his tardiness was due tothe fact that he had been waiting for the best part ofan hour at Paddington for a tube train with a first classcompartment.

The day after Anthony Berry died the flag at no 3 StJames’s Street stood at half mast. He is survived by hiswife and children; his son, grandson, nephew andgreat-nephew continue to work for the company. As printed in the Daily Telegraph, 15 March 2010

Liveryman Bevil Mabey CBEBorn 16 April 1916Died 27 April 2010, aged 94Bridge-building contractor

Bevil Mabey was the driving force behind a world-renowned company that designed and built a mod -ular steel bridge that could be erected rapidly in themost inaccessible and toughest of landscapes. Itbecame the successor to the wartime Bailey bridge.

Thousands of the company’s steel-kit bridges with aU-shaped frame have been constructed in roughterrain in developing countries, and have helped British,US and Nato troops in establishing lines of comm un ic -ation in offensive and peacekeeping operations.

In November 2009 the company provided a 50m-span bridge that was rapidly constructed over the RiverDerwent in one week by the Royal Engineers toreconnect the town of Workington in Cumbria after theNorthside Bridge was closed for fear of collapse in adevastating flood.

Mabey’s company also built some of Britain’s mostnotable permanent steel box-girder bridges, includingthe Erskine Bridge over the Clyde in Glasgow, and theAvonmouth Viaduct.

As a soldier in the Allied campaign in Italy duringthe Second World War, Mabey saw the Bailey bridgebeing deployed in operations such as the battle forMonte Cassino, and was impressed by the speed atwhich it was erected by Royal Engineers.

When he returned after the war to run his father’sconstruction business, Mabey and Johnson, he startedto invest in research and devel op ment to improve SirDonald Bailey’s original concept for civilian use.

He developed a bridge that was lighter, had fewercomponents, had twice the loading capability, could bebuilt to longer spans and had a much longer life. Likeits wartime forebear, it could still be constructed rapidlywith a minimum of equipment. It was also less noisythan the traditional Bailey bridge, and needed lessmain tenance.

The bridge was ideal for use in developing countrieswhere heavy installation equipment was limited androad access poor. Its components could be brought inby Land Rover, and the bridge could be built mainlyby hand. The company still exports around £50 millionworth of bridges each year.

In the 1980s Mabey came full circle when he beganto negotiate with the British Army to supply it with hisbridges. At this point the Army’s trad itional Baileybridge was still in comm ission, though it had beenrarely used.

Bevil Mabey at Buckingham Palace

In operations where rapid bridge building wasneeded, such as for the re-establishment of commun -ications in Bosnia in the mid 1990s, the old Baileybridge was found to be too expensive to build, andrequired continual maintenance by engineers.

Mabey’s Logistics Support Bridge (LSB) was used inthe UN relief operations in Bosnia to replace blown-upbridges, and could be built by Royal Engineers in 11hours. It was often used as a temporary bridge whilepermanent structures were built underneath or rep -aired. The bridge could then be taken down and builtelsewhere. However, many of the bridges have rem -ained in place and are still in use.

After its success in Bosnia, the bridge was widelyused by American and British forces in Iraq andAfghanistan. Today it is the only Nato-approved line-of-communication bridge.

Bevil Guy Mabey was born in Richmond, NorthYorkshire, in 1916. He was educated at Tonbridge Schooland St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he readAnthropology, Archaeology and History. During the warhe served in France, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Yugo -slavia and Greece.

After joining the family business in 1946, Mabeystarted to buy up Bailey bridge components from armysurp lus depots to sell to contractors. He soon saw thepotential of prov iding a complete steel modular bridgepack age for use in highway structures during the road-building boom which began in the late 1950s. He wasnot a trained engineer, but had an intuit ive under -standing of engineering prin ciples, allied to a keen eyefor business opportunities.

In 1966 he bought the ailing Fairfield Shipbuildingand Engin eer ing Company, preserving 300 jobs inSouth Wales. This business special ised in buildingsmall rail bridges, and with its heav ier steel fabricatingequipment Mabey was able to expand into much largerstructures. As well as the Erskine Bridge (1971) and theAvonmouth Via duct (1975), the comp any built a largesection of the Hum ber Bridge (1981), and the BritanniaBridge in Anglesey (1980). More rec ently it has provided46 bridges for the M6 Toll (2003), and constructed thenew 200m-span Usk Crossing in Newport (2004).

Mabey’s philosophy was to cont inue to invest inresearch into higher-grade steel, and to improve equip- ment and production techniques at the company’s twofactories, at Chepstow in Mon mouth shire and Lydney in

the Forest of Dean. In the 1970s he developed newsteel panels that were twice as strong and much moreefficient but still completely interchangeable with theold bridge design. In 1988 he made a big investmentin robotics for the welding of bridge components.

As well as the small modular structures which havebeen a great success in remote areas of countries suchas Papua New Guinea and Ghana, the company hasbuilt large highway bridges and flyovers includingprojects in Central America, the Caribbean and in theFar East. The bridges have been exported to more than80 countries.

Mabey was appointed CBE in 1984 for services toexport, and the company has won six Queen’s Awardsfor Export Achievement, in 1973, 1978, 1982, 1987,1998 and 2002. On the back of these successes thecompany diversified into areas such as ground engin -eering products for sale or hire into constructionmarkets worldwide.

Mabey was noted for his charitable donations. Hefounded the Madeline Mabey Trust in Britain, the BevilMabey Educational Trust in the Philippines and theCaribbean Trust in Central America. He also fundedbuilding projects at St Catharine’s College and, as akeen rower in his youth, the re-equipment of its boatclub. He also funded new buildings at Tonbridge School.

He still attended the office regularly into his lateeighties but, as Mabey entered his final year, a shadowfell over the company when it was the subject of alegal case brought by the Serious Fraud Office forcorruption overseas after the passing of an anti-briberylaw in Britain in 2001. It was found guilty of trying toinfluence officials in Ghana and Jamaica in the 1990sand of breaching UN sanctions in Iraq in 2001 and2002, although there was no suggestion that Bevil Mabeywas personally involved in any improper conduct.

In 2009 the company pleaded guilty to overseascorruption and breaching UN sanctions in Iraq and wasfined £3.5 million. New management was put in placeand the company’s procedures overseas have sincebeen changed by Bevil’s son, David Mabey.

His wife predeceased him. He is survived by his sonand five daughters.Supplied by the Mabey Group

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Scholarshipsand BursariesGeneral Education

Martha DicksonSir John Cass Red Coat School, Stepney

Emily WestphalChrist’s Hospital School

Art

Wine Label AwardAiko NakadaCity & Guilds of London Art School

The Alan Coldwells BursaryGreencoat School Stepney

Wine

The Vintners’ Scholar (at Diploma Level)Lydia Harrison (Majestic)

The Vintners’ Bursaries (at Advanced CertificateLevel)Monica Callinan (Nelson Wine Company)

Victoria Burt (Majestic)

Alexandra Tilling (Bancroft Wines)

General

The Davies/Langton Memorial AwardRTR Benevolent Fund (Afghanistan)

Membership2009 - 2010

There were eight admissions to the Livery during theyear: Hugo Cannon, Teresa Fras, Ben Gibbon and EdwardRudd pictured above and Berkeley Edwards, MelissaRea, Miranda Nevin and Nicholas Sykes, pictured below.All had joined the Company through Patrimony andtwo (Rudd & Nevin) were members of the Wine Trade.

Following the Company’s decision to only hold oneCourt of Binding per year, 2010 saw the first intake inJanuary. Once ‘bound’ to the Company, the 13 newmembers were escorted to Guildhall by the Livery Sec -retary and Archivist where they received their Freedomof the City. Returning to Vintners’ Hall, they were givena tour of the main rooms followed by lunch.

Those admitted were:Colin Dow Amelia GrenfellPhilippa Grenfell Robin GrenfellRoger Hodgson Dr Rachel MacfarlaneHannah Mitchell Giles NicholesRebecca Pattinson James HenderElizabeth Hicks (Wine Trade)Simon McMurtrie (Wine Trade)Giles Smith Walker (Wine Trade)At the end of June 2010, the Livery and Court totalled338, and the Freedom 185.

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Despite our collective years spent in the wine trade,many of the touring party, including me, had nevervisited Rioja before. Like latter-day men from Havana,a wave of Panama hats passed serenely throughStansted. Before long the Vintners’ party arrived in asunny Bilbao to make the journey inland to the smalltown of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and our com -fortable Parador hotel. Our introduction to the Riojaregion was fittingly made that evening at a dinnerhosted by José Luis Lapuente, the Secretario Generalof the Consejo Regulador D.O.Ca. Rioja – the region’scontrolling body.

Our first port of call was in the picturesque thirteenth-century village of Briones. Here we met Miguel Merinoat his tiny eponymous winery situated in a 200-year-old house in the heart of the village. The engagingMiguel started the bus-iness in 1994,after ‘falling inlove with wine’and learning im -peccable Englishin South Carolina.He and his sonlovingly make some30,000 bottles ann-ually from grapesgrown only in thehilly, chalky soilssurrounding Briones.Most of the grapesin the nine hectaresof vineyards are Tem -pranillo, though thereis some Gracianogrown for its tannins and vivacity, and also someMazuelo – a late ripening variety, related to Carignan,that gives intense, herbal flavours.

The tour of the cellars revealed some of Miguel’sunconventional yet effective methods, such as wettowels wrapped around the steel tanks to keep themcool during fermentation, and barrels made usingAmerican oak staves, but French oak barrel ends, so asto get the best of both styles.

Finca Allende is housed in the elegant Plaza Ibarra,

built in 1675 and restored recently by the ownerMiguel Angel de Gregorio. It ‘declares to be different’,with a very terroir-based philosophy, and makes winefrom 92 separate plots in the Rioja Alta sub-zone, allwith north or north-east orientations to catch thecooling Atlantic influence.

We were shown around this understated propertyby French-born Natalie Leboeuf. She explained thatAllende produces around 300,000 bottles each year.Most of the wines are made from Tempranillo, withsome Graciano and Garnacha, and with the whitescoming from Viura and Malvasia. The winery boasts animpressive array of modern equipment for pressing andfermenting, and deep in the underground cellar thebarrels, made almost exclusively from French oak, arestored in natural cool temperatures for an average oftwo years. One of the highlights of the tasting, apart

from the excellence of thewines, was the use in thetasting notes of a wordthat was new to the ent -ire group – retro-olfaction,the exhalation of airthrough the nose whilstwine is in the mouth, inorder to enhance thetasting experience. PastMaster Demery wishedhe had had this word inhis tasting lexicon yearsago, to impress thePalace!

Dinastía Vivanco,on the outskirts ofBriones, is not so much

a winery as a statement – a shrine to wine, culture,and history. Rafael Vivanco shares his family’s desire togive visitors a veritable wine experience. Although theVivanco family started winemaking in the region in1915, the winery was only built in 1983, and whilstthe cellars are impressive, the Museo de la Cultura delVino was the highlight of our visit. This museum wasstarted in 2004 and is continually being added to andextended. With items ranging from a vast woodenwine press of 1790 to a collection of thousands ofcorkscrews, this cathedral to wine culture, heritage,and art would keep even wine infidels interested for

Court Visit to Rioja24th-28th May 2010

With the Consejo Regulador

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days – and we had but two hours. No trip to Rioja iscomplete without a visit to Dinastía Vivanco, an extra -ordinary testimony to one family’s vis -ion, and desire to promote wine cultureand education.

Wednesday, 26th May, startedwith a visit to two of the wineries thatcomprise the Eguren Group. The firstwas Viñedos de Páganos, nestlingunder the hills of the Sierra Cantabria.Our host Marcos Eguren was joined byValvanera Valero, who had recentlyworked in banking in Canary Wharf,but had done her WSET exams andnow has her heart set on becoming anMW. We were escorted through thelabyrinthine underground chalk cellars,that seemed as if they had been dugout by the Romans but had in fact been constructed inthe 1990s. Here over 3,000 barrels age the wines fromthe 160 hectares owned by the Eguren family, whohave been making wine in Rioja for five generations.Emerging from the dark cellars, we were shown theirflagship ‘La Nieta’ vineyard, a one hectare plot thatexpresses the very best of the Tempranillo grape.

Thence to the sleepy village of San Vicente, whoseeponymous winery Señorio de San Vicente housessome ancient vats and a 700-year-old wooden press.The tour through the cellar finally led us into thetasting room with a huge circular table, the centre ofwhich rotated so that wines could be sent round thegroup, rather like at a Chinese restaurant. Valvanerahad gone to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcome,with detailed tasting sheets complete with theVintners’ coat of arms, and she translated for Marcoswith wit and charm.

After these small, family-owned wineries, it was a

contrast to visit one of the major ‘branded’ names ofRioja. Marqués de Riscal sits alongside the winery

hotel designed by Frank Gehry, famedfor his Guggenheim Museum in Bil -bao. The hotel building, with itssilvers and pinks and weird shapes,incon gruously dominates the tradit -ional Spanish village of Elciego. Ourguide, Carlos Ulibarri, escorted usaround the production facilities thatchurn out 4.5 million bottles a year,and the barrel hall that houses 25,000American oak barrels stacked six high.Rather more inter est ing was the oldvaulted cellar under neath the originalbodega building dating from 1860.Here, in a cathedral-like atmosphere,some 4 million bottles age. In the heart

of this damp, claustrophobic cellar is the inner sanctum,housing on wooden racks around 150,000 bottles ofancient vintages, the oldest of which dates from 1862.It was fascinating to see the contrast of ancient andmodern.

Viñedos del Contino sits alongside a bend in theRiver Ebro, which provides a unique microclimate forthis single-vineyard terroir-driven 62-hectare estate. Ithas been in the hands of the founding family since1973, although now half of it is owned by the largeCVNE Group. Jesús Madrazo, our genial host, is the sonof the founder and also the winemaker, and is clearlyproud of the handsome estate complete with relaxingcourtyard and gardens. The name Contino derives froma corps of Royal Bodyguards that protected the Catholicmonarchs in ancient times. One of the Contino comm -anders had been given the estate as a gift.

Under the 200-year-old house is a maze of oldcellars, and a tunnel built by the Moors in the ▼

“One of the highlights of

the tasting … was the

use in the tasting notes

of a word that was

new to the ent ire group

– retro-olfaction, the

exhalation of air

through the nose whilst

wine is in the mouth

Museo de la Cultura del Vino

sixteenth century. Withinare 300,000 bottles, and2,000 barrels mostly madewith French oak, but Jesúsalso uses oak from Hungaryand Russia for 30% of them.Having conducted the fas -cin ating tour, Jesús invitedus to taste the small range ofwines he had prepared, whilehe went to pick up his dau -gh ter from school. This exc ell -ent range of single-estatewines was concluded by amagnum of 1978 Reserva –the winery’s first vintage.

Dinner that night was at the famous Marqués deRiscal Restaurante Gastronómico. What the amazinglocation and strangely sterile decor lacked in ambience,the quality of the food made up for. Good humourabounded, with the Master laughing uncontrollably athis own (unfinished) jokes!

Our final day in Rioja began in Logroño, and one ofRioja’s largest enterprises, Bodegas Campo Viejo. Herewe were expertly shown around by Karine Euvrard andJavier Elizalde. The winery was founded just over 50years ago, and Campo Viejo soon became one of themost recognised brands in the developing Spanishwine market. It is now an integral part of the largeinternational Pernod Ricard Group.

On top of a substantial hill overlooking Logroñoand the River Ebro, Campo Viejo constructed apurpose-built winery and cellar complex in 2001.Despite its size, this still manages to be aestheticallypleasing. Our tour began with an instructional videothat explained the Rioja region and the winemaking

process. Thence we weretaken outside to survey thevineyards, and learn that thecompany draws grapes from2,500 hectares, of which itowns 300. It buys the restfrom 500 different growersin all three of Rioja’s sub-zones.

With Roberto, the youngand charismatic wine -maker, we descended intothe bowels of the hillside,through massive oak doors

5 metres high, to see the hall full of over 300 stainlesssteel tanks, and bar-coded metal crates that house the6 million bottles ageing at any one time. If this was notimpressive enough, the sight of 70,000 barrels quietlyslumbering in dimly-lit rows, as far as the eye couldsee, was spectacular.

In the modern and well-equipped tasting room weenjoyed a range of wines from this internationallyfamous brand, ending with their excellent flagshipwine Dominio de Campo Viejo, made from the five bestvineyard plots.

After encountering Goliath, it was time to meetDavid – or should we say Juan. Bodegas Casa Juan issituated in the heart of the village of Laguardia, and istiny. It is thus a fascinating contrast to the might ofCampo Viejo. Angel Escudero, the owner, is a friend ofAssistant Sykes, who imports Casa Juan’s wines intothe UK. The tour was conducted in a cross betweenFrench, Spanish, and Franglais, but was sufficient for usto learn that although the winery had been in situ forover 100 years, Angel and his three brothers had onlybought it in 1995. Using old wooden presses, concrete

Marqués de Riscal

Tasting at San Vicente

12

vats, carbonic maceration techniques, and manualtreading of the ‘cap’, in the old cellar that used to bethe town’s bakery, Angel makes Rioja wines in themost traditional way. There was a charm, warmth, andintensity about the place that was infectious. Bizarrely,Angel also pays homage to his love of West Africa, withan exhibition of artefacts, paintings, and knick-knacksfrom the Ivory Coast!

In the tasting room that doubles as Angel’s kitchenand dining room, the Master handedover the Vintners’ scroll. Angel wastouched, and said that he didn’tknow the Vintners were so import -ant. ‘Neither did we,’ one Court wagwas heard to mutter!

Our Riojan adventure ended inthe village of Haro, at BodegasMuga, one of Rioja’s most traditionalwineries, run by the Muga familysince 1932. It produces around 1.5million bottles a year, and part of itsuniqueness is that all the wines arefermented in oak vats instead of themore modern stainless steel. JesúsViguera, our affable host, believesthat this gives the wines greaterageing potential. The cellar houses 14,000 oak barrels,and includes the only winery-owned cooperage in

Spain, employing four coopers. The process of ‘fining’the wine in barrel (clearing the wine of sediment and

other substances, to make it clear) is done usingegg whites, and we saw the contraption thatseparates the whites from at least 38,000 eggseach year. A traditional Riojan lunch ended thevisit.

The UK is Rioja’s most important and fav -ourite market, and this Master’s visit was agreat way to inform our hosts about theVintners’ Company and its ancient associationwith the British wine trade. Additionally it wascharacterised by laughter and bonhomie, andwhen accompanied by warm sunny weather,great hospitality and excellent Rioja wines, itmade for a perfect blend.

Michael CoxSwan Warden

“… it was characterised by laughter and bonhomie, and when accompanied by warm

sunny weather, great hospitality and excellent Rioja wines, it made for a perfect blend.

Getting technical at Viñedos del Contino

Lunch at Bodegas Muga

Tasting with Angel

13

St Mary’s church, Barton on Humber, contains thenear-life-size monumental brass of Simon Seman, amember of the Vintners’ Company, who died in 1433.Few of the Company’s own archives survive thisearly, but the Latin inscription describes him as acitizen and vintner of London, and also as anAlderman.

Seman is shown in civil dress, standing on two tuns ofwine, the symbol of his trade. From his mouth issues aprayer scroll, Credo quod redemptor meus vivit. Fourshields with his merchant’s mark (two now missing)are in the corners of the slab, and around the wholecomposition is a marginal inscription with the symbolsof the four Evangelists at the corners.

Seman’s career and brass have been described andpublished recently by Jessica Freeman and Nigel Saulin London and the Kingdom. Essays in Honour of Caro -line M Barron (Harlaxton Medieval Studies volume XVI,2008). He came from Barton, a port which in his daywas in steep decline as the result of changes in thewool trade, and the growth of Hull, which had thebenefit of much deeper waters. Like his famous near-contemporary Richard Whittington, he decided to leavethe provinces, and to make his fortune in the capital.

He first appears in London’s records in 1416, per -haps in his late twenties, as a juror in an enquiry as tothe boundaries of Bridge Ward. By 1421 he was rentinga tenement and two shops at Botolph Wharf, belowLondon Bridge. This is likely to be where he stored hisimported wine before selling it on. Four years later hebought the lease of a property in Bishopsgate for 40shillings a year. This is probably where he actuallylived. If it was the same property as was sold by hiswidow Agnes in 1457, it was a substantial estate,consisting of two houses, a garden with a gatehouse

with chamber above, meadowland, a pond and a well.The first mention of his trading activities is in March

1417, when he and six others petitioned for the rest -itution of the cargo of the ship Le Petyr of Dartmouth.This ship had sunk loaded with wine from Bordeaux ina storm at the entrance to the Thames. The cargo hadthen been pillaged by sailors from Norfolk, Suffolk andLincolnshire. At this date the wine fleets sailed fromFrance twice a year, in the late autumn with vintagewines, and after Candlemas (2 February) with moremature wines.

Thereafter he appears frequently in the LondonCustoms accounts. On just one day in December 1431,for example, three ships unloaded thirteen tuns of hiswine, while on 29 January 1433 four ships arrived withhis cargo of 29 tuns, four pipes and 34 hogsheads. (Ahogshead was 63 gallons; two of them made a pipe;and two pipes made a tun.) Foreign trade had its prob -lems however. In 1427 the ship La Marie of Dordrechtin Holland was seized by Dutchmen while carryingRhine wines for him, and a commission of his fellowLondon merchants had to be convened to assess thevalue of the wine, and any additional damages he hadsuffered.

Seman is known to have sold wine to at least oneprovincial vintner, in Worcestershire, and also to havedealt as a sideline in cloth, quernstones and barrels ofsoap. By 1418 he was rich enough to be one of theLondon merchants agreeing to a loan to King Henry V.From c.1410 onwards, he will also have been one of theleading members of the Vintners’ Company. He took ontwo apprentices, William Bentley and Stephen Haradyn,and was a trustee of the charitable property bequeath -ed by John Wakele in 1407 which eventually came tothe Company in 1439. At least two other trustees areknown to have been Masters of the Company, though

A Fifteenth-Century Vintner of London

“However he did not neglect his civic duties. Among other work, he served three times in

the 1420s on a jury enquiring into immorality in London, most of those accused being

chantry priests!

14

the list of known Masters only comm -ences in 1427. It seems highly likelythat Seman too was Master, some timein the mid 1420s.

He was Alderman of BishopsgateWard from 1422 until his death, and aSheriff in 1424-5. The City records revealthat he tended to be absent regularlyfrom meet ings of the Court of Aldermenin the months of March-May and Oct ober.Most vintners travelled to Bordeaux or theRhineland once or twice a year to buywine. However he did not neglect his civicduties. Among other work, he served threetimes in the 1420s on a jury enquiring intoimmorality in London, most of thoseaccused being chantry priests!

Seman’s monumental brass was notmade in Lincolnshire, but in London. It wasthen sent to Barton, probably by ship. Bothits size and its design were meant to imp -ress. Seman was proud of his profession asa vintner, and of how he had made good.The casks and the merchant’s marks wereintended to stress his commercial success.His portrayal in civil dress was also delib er -ate, emphasising his importance as a merch -ant and leader of the City. He was not landedgentry, so could not be shown in armour, buthe could be shown in fashionable Londondress, almost life-size.

Many wealthy Londoners asked to beburied in the parish of their youth, and theywould often make generous bequests to localchurches and poor relief. Unfortunately Seman’sown will remains untraced.

Stephen FreethCompany Archivist

Simon Seman’smemorial brass,

1433. Note the barrels

under his feet

copy

right

Mon

umen

tal B

rass

Soc

iety

15

16

Charles Lea and I started Lea & Sandeman back inMarch 1988, with firm objectives and a pretty clearidea as to what we wanted to do. After twenty-twoyears, the wine trade has undergone a number ofchanges, and we are both a great deal older, but ourobjectives have remained almost exactly the same,and we have achieved much of what we set out todo. What we need now is to make some money, sothat we can think about the possibility of retiring!

We modelled ourselves on the old-fashioned winemerchants who provided both quality and service, butwith a keen eye on making a margin and not gettingtoo bogged down by tradition. Certainly not hobbyists,neither of us were starting the new venture with a pilemade in another business; but we were definitelybusiness-minded with a love of wine.

Like so many small businesses, we started in aback room with a telephone, a typewriter, a few oldledgers, a second-hand van, a rented warehouse anda list of contacts to sell to. Having both cut our teeth inthe trade at Laytons, where we met (Charles wasbuying, I was selling), a number of doors were imm -ediately closed to us, both abroad when trying to buyand at home when trying to sell. But our perseverancepaid off, and within six months we were trading bothhealthily and profitably. This enabled us to go to thebank and obtain a loan with which to open our firstretail premises, in the Fulham Road, Chelsea.

Over the past two decades we have experienced

two recessions, and seen many businesses come andgo, both big and small, but somehow have managed tocontinue our slow but steady growth. Today we havefour retail shops, a healthy wholesale business, anactive private customer list and a growing internetplatform. It has been hard work all the way, but notwithout a little fun too. London is the most competitiveand sophisticated market for wine in the world. Thismakes it all the more difficult for new businesses andnew wines to get a foothold in the marketplace. As thesupermarkets have increased their domination of themarket, it has also become more difficult for theindependents to survive, and yet they do, and in manyquarters are even flourishing.

As independents, we feel that one of our mainresponsibilities is to champion those winemakerswhose wines will never reach the supermarket shelves,be it because they are too small, too off-beat or simplytoo expensive. To this end we are almost entirely ‘anti-brand’, with the exception of a chosen few of theGrandes Marques champagnes, and of course Bordeauxchateaux, many of which have become brands in theirown rights. This is what our own ‘brand’, Lea &Sandeman, has become known for.

Whilst we have become better known over theyears, we still find ourselves taken aback by the ‘est -ablishment’ image that our name conjures up with somany people. We are still very much Charles Lea andPatrick Sandeman selling wine for a living. We still domany of the same things that we did when we started,

Being Independentby Assistant Patrick Sandeman

17

from the buying in winemakers’cellars through to selling, whether onthe telephone, in a restaurant or acrossthe counter. But somehow today thereare never enough hours in the day,days in the week, or weeks in theyear. There is just so much more to do.

Possibly the greatest thing aboutbeing independent is that we arebeholden to no-one (with the possibleexception of the bank). We have neverallowed one supplier or one customerto become too influential in our busin -ess. We can react relatively quickly tochanging circumstances and tastes,and have quite often found ourselvesahead of the market when it comes tointroducing new wines, simply becausewe make our own decisions and are prepared to takethe risk ourselves. We do, however, take our resp on sib -ility to our suppliers and our customers very seriously,and many of both have been with us from almost thevery day we started the business.

Competition is fierce, and as an independent theonly way to survive is to specialise in everything youdo, without compromise. Not only do we offer the bestquality for the price, which is a far cry from being themost expensive, but also the best quality service,which is often the most expensive to provide. Thewines we buy require hand-selling, because they areoften unique and sometimes unheard of, and they arecapable of offering something exciting and illuminating,not unlike discovering an author or piece of music forthe first time. This is what makes an independent trulyindependent, and successful. Those that bravely, butforlornly, set out to take on the chains and the super -markets by selling similar discounted brands are, in myopinion, doomed to failure.

My greatest bugbear today is the onerous level of‘compliance’, not only for the amount of managementtime it requires, but also for the additional cost to thebusiness. Most of it seems to be yet more stealth tax;it often feels like we are working for the tax man ratherthan ourselves. The larger brand owners and brandsellers are faced with the same com pliance issues,probably more, yet I suspect their higher margins allowthem to deal with them with more ease.

Being independent can be trem -endous fun too. The buying trips areoften the most fun, even if they canbe extremely hard work. Many peoplescoff at the notion of tasting wine asbeing ‘hard work’, but those whohave spent day after day tastingyoung and unready wines from caskin cold cellars in the dead of winter orperhaps, worst of all, searched for anew Pinot Grigio at a trade fair, willsympathise.

I am fortunate enough to buywine from Italy. While it is a countrycapable of making some of the worstwine in Europe (aka Pinot Grigio), italso produces some of the world’smost sublime wines, in the most beau-

tiful countryside and with wonderful food to match. Soit will be no great surprise to learn that many of ourItalian suppliers have become good friends.

One of my greatest finds comes from a very oldestate on the coast of Tuscany, which prior to my visithad never shown its wines to a foreigner. I happenedto visit on one of the very rare occasions that my wife,Katie, had joined me on a buying trip. After a great dealof driving around this massive but beautiful farmingestate, and knocking on farmworkers’ doors, disturbingtheir siestas, we eventually found a fine old buildingwith the smallest of signs at the door saying ‘Ufficio’.We pressed a tiny button and heard a bell ringing inthe distance. After a long interval, we heard the un -mistakable sound of high heels walking across a stonefloor. The door was opened by a true vision of beautydressed in the simplest white nurse’s coat, bearing asmile that you could fall into. I stuttered my businessin schoolboy Italian and we were led down a longcorridor to a small and very old-fashioned office, over -looking the estate, and asked to take a seat. After afew moments the nurse returned pushing a wheel -chair, in which was seated an impeccably well-dressedgentleman. He introduced himself in Italian as GianAnnibale Rossi di Medelana Serafini Ferri (thankfullyknown as ‘Pucci’), owner of Castello del Terriccio, andproceeded very politely to ‘interview’ me in Italian.Who was I? What was my business? How had I heardof the estate? And so on. After a good twenty

▼

“Possibly the greatest thing about being indep en dent is that we are beholden to no-one

(with the possible exception of the bank), and have never allowed one supplier or one

customer to become too influential in our business.

Patrick Sandeman

minutes of me answering as best I could in poor Italian,Pucci said in the most perfect English, ‘Well, MrSandeman, perhaps you and your wife would like tosee the vineyards and taste the wines?’ It transpiredthat he had received part of his education in England.He had also been an Olympic level horseman before ariding accident in his early twenties left him paraplegic.

The vineyard tour that followed was memorable,both for the stunningly beautiful wilderness of theestate, contrasted by the newly-planted and impecc -able vineyards, as well as Pucci’s rally-style driving ina specially-adapted old Cinquecento. The wine tastingthat followed was truly exciting. Each wine in turncaused me to scribble furiously in my note book, myfinal note being ‘This is the one!’ Having discussed ourinitial order, Pucci then asked us to join him for a latelunch. Lunch was served by yet more rather lovelyyoung Italian ladies, and the afternoon passed into awonderful haze. As we walked out onto the terrace latein the afternoon, with only a few hours to go beforeour flight from Pisa and all other appointments lost,Katie espied the pool and wished longingly for hercostume. Pucci was quick to assure her that no costume

was necessary since none of his girls ever swam inanything other than their natural state. As we droveaway down the long, dusty road, surrounded by beau -tiful countryside, peacefully grazing horses, and well-tended vines, Katie turned to me and said, ‘That waswonderful, but you are never allowed to visit Terricciounaccompanied!’

Long hours, hard graft, and low pay just about sumup the independent wine trade, but there is an upsidetoo: the people you meet, the wines you taste, thesatisfaction of discovering and introducing new winesto your customers, and of course the knowledge thatwhat you do brings pleasure to so many. It all leads tojob satisfaction that many people in this fren etic world,especially in London, have all but forgotten. Thedilemma of being an independent wine merchant isperhaps best encapsulated in a brief piece of rep ar teewith one of my greatest friends, a senior partner in asuccessful law firm. He leaned across the table after agreat deal of port had been consumed and said, ‘Doyou know, Pat, I would love to have your job,’ to whichthe only retort could be, ‘And I would love to have yoursalary.’

In 1990 the Master, Guy Gordon Clark, revived thepractice of holding a Common Hall, after a gap ofsome 200 years, with the aim of informing the Liveryabout important aspects of Company business.

The records do not show why this was not repeateduntil 1997. In that year Jim Hood, Master, convened aCommon Hall with the primary purpose of eliciting theLivery’s views on the advancement of Lady Freemento the Livery.

In 2009 the Court decided to reinstate CommonHall as an annual occasion. Its aims were not dissimilarto those of 1990, but with the addition, from the neg -lected provisions of the 1612 Charter, of the election, bythe Membership, of the Master and Wardens for theensuing year.

Common Hall this year was held on 11th May 2010,with presentations from:● The Clerk – An Overview of the Year● Past Master Demery – The Vintners’ Foundation –

The New Charitable Structure

● The Renter Warden and Past Master Robson – Finance● Liveryman Alderman Dr Parmley – ‘The Road to

Mansion House’.The Master then responded to questions submitted

in advance, and took further questions from the floor.Those attending then elected the Master and

Wardens for 2010-2011, before enjoying a light supper.Common Hall undoubtedly provides an unrivalled

opportunity to be briefed on and gain insight into Com -pany affairs, not least the Company’s financial situat -ion. This had been the subject of frequent enquiry inthe past.

It is interesting to note that the attendance thisyear, at 70, was less than the 84 who attended in1990. As attendance is now also open to Freemen, thisrepresents only 17% of the Active Membership. I verymuch hope that more members will attend next year.They will find Common Hall interesting, enjoyable andabove all, informative.

The Clerk

Common Hall 2010

18

19

Never let it be said that the Scots are a mean bunch!That myth was comprehensively debunked by theMaster and Lorna when they entertained all the staff,with spectacular generosity, at their lovely home inBerkshire.

It must be a daunting sight to see the entire Hall andOffice team debus outside your door, but the Dowshardly flinched, such were the preparations they hadmade to ensure that everyone was looked after super -bly. They had even pressed two sons into waiterservice to help.

With no shortage of liquid refreshment, and inbeautiful sunshine, the team were soon feeling little

pain, evidenced by Alex, who plunged into the pool –the only one to do so!

Having been alerted to the Hall staff’s enormousappetites, Lorna had laid on a sumptuous lunch, withthe Master wishing he was the Master Butcher, suchwas the demand for his carving skills on a sizeablechunk of beef.

Croquet (and more refreshments) followed and, aswith all good parties, there was a reluctance to leave,and absolute silence on the bus back to the Hall.

We cannot thank the Master and Lorna enough forgiving us all not only a great day, but a great year.Steve MarchamGeneral Manager

Master’s Day Out

The Master, Mistress and the Staff

There is an old joke beloved of Manhattanworkers. An elderly lady approaches a workmandigging in the street and asks, ‘Young man, howdo I get to Carnegie Hall?’ The man leans on hisspade and replies, ‘Practise, Lady. Just practise!’

So, how do you get to Mansion House? Why would youwant to be Lord Mayor?

The City of London Corporation is the world’s oldestcontinuous municipal democracy in existence. It oper -ates on a non-party-political basis. The Lord Mayor isits head. He is supported by the staffs of MansionHouse and Guildhall, by his Sheriffs and by the Courtsof Aldermen and Common Council. He also wears manyother hats including Chancellor of City University, Adm -iral of the Port of London and ambass -ador for the financial and commercialCity, and he is the head of the Liverymovement – probably the largest phil -an thropic organisation in the world.

Let me remind readers of some ofthe Corporation’s responsibilities andinvolvement. A fellow Alderman oncelikened the Corporation to a Class Adrug (and he should know, being aMagistrate!) – the more one knowsabout it, the more one needs to know.Involve ment in the civic City is add -ictive. Be warned!

The Corporation provides local government servicesfor the financial and commercial heart of Britain, theCity of London. However its responsibilities extend farbeyond the Square Mile, and it provides a host ofadditional facilities for the benefit of the nation. It hasseveral sources of income: the City Fund (made up ofgrants, council tax, business rates,plus some rents and reserves); City’sCash (private funds built up overeight centuries, mainly from prop -erty, supplemented by invest mentearn ings); and the Bridge HouseTrust (the investment of incomedating back to the rents paid on theoriginal London Bridge).

City Fund activities comprisethe work of the City Corporation asa local authority and police auth -

ority, and include our own be spoke Police Force(which has sev eral national resp onsibilities inc -luding fraud and white-collar crime); the Barb -ican Centre (the City is the third largest funder ofthe Arts in the UK after the Govern ment and the

BBC); libraries; highways; plann ing; Social Services;refuse collection; economic develop ment (working tobuild the economic, environ mental and social fabric ofthe surr ounding boroughs); and education, includingsupporting several Acad emies. City’s Cash, the City’sprivate fund, provides open spaces, both the 150 greensites within the City and a further 10,000 acres of openspace throughout Greater London; the promotion of thefinancial City (including the Mayoralty); the three Cityof London Schools; the Guildhall School of Music &

Drama; and three of our world-famouswholesale and retail food markets –Billingsgate, Smithfield and Leaden -hall. The Bridge House Trust providesfor the main tenance and eventualreplacement of the City’s five bridges.A healthy sur plus allows the Trust tomake app rox imately £15 million ofcharitable grants annually.

The list of the City’s respon sib -ilities goes on and on, including: theAnimal Reception Centre at Heath row;improvements to the street scene; 94

miles of the tidal Thames; 2,700 units of housing stockin six Lon don bor oughs; and licensing Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs!

With such a variety of respon sib ilities, who wouldn’twant to be Lord Mayor, and take the credit for the City’ssuccess?

The local authority consists of one hundred CommonCouncilmen, twenty-five Aldermen, each one repres -

enting one of thetwenty-five elect -oral Wards withinthe Square Mile,and two Sher iffs.One Sher iff isusually an Ald er man‘training’ to be LordMayor. The other isusually an enthus -iast ic and ener getic

‘The Road to Mansion House’

“With such a variety of

responsibilities, who

wouldn’t want to be

Lord Mayor, and take

the credit for the City’s

success?

20

Mansion House

by Liveryman Alderman Dr Andrew Parmley

Livery man who will devote himself or herself to theoffice, but probably not seek further involvement in theCorp oration.

Elections for Common Councilmen and Aldermenare conducted in much the same way as in any otherlocal authority, except that the electorate are a mixtureof local residents and representatives of the businessCity. In order to stand for election as a ‘Commoner’, acandidate has to have the right to vote in the City, mustbe validly nominated and must conduct a successfulcampaign amongst the voters. The term of office is fouryears. Aldermen are elected for six years. They mustbe at least 18 years old, a British subject, a Freeman ofthe City and, at the time of nomination and election,be considered suitable by the Lord Chancellor’s Advis -ory Committee for appointment as a JP on the CityBench. Both Aldermen and Common Councilmen arefully represented on the Corporation’s many (andfascinating) committees; in addition the Aldermenrepresent the Lord Mayor at the Old Bailey about oncea month, and sit as Magistrates.

The Livery are an essential ingredient in the civicsystem. They elect the Sheriffs at ‘Common Hall’ inGuildhall on Midsummer’s Day in June each year.Although by convention at least one Sheriff is from theAldermen, as already said, the Sheriffs are of equalstanding and, once in office, divide their time between

the Old Bailey and escorting the Lord Mayor. Prior toCommon Hall, the Court of Aldermen decides which ofits members it wishes to place before the Livery forelection.

Candidates for election as Lord Mayor must beserving Aldermen and must have served as a Sheriff ofthe City. The Court of Aldermen elects the Lord Mayorfrom two names chosen by the Livery at a secondCommon Hall, in September each year. The Court’sprimary duty is to encourage, promote and secure thebest possible candidate to be Lord Mayor, and to do itwell in advance – the Mayoralty requires substantialplanning!

What is the role of the ‘Great Twelve’ in this pro -cess? The Court of Aldermen is very keen to enc ouragemore candidates to come forward, and looks to theLivery to help seek out suitable future Lord Mayors fromamongst their members. For centuries all Lord Mayorswere members of the Great Twelve livery companies,and the Court would like to encourage the GreatTwelve to lead by example, and play an active role inthe affairs of the City.

Over many centuries the Worshipful Company ofVintners has produced its fair share of Lord Mayors.Unlike the New Yorker explaining how to get to Carn -egie Hall (and speaking as a Musician!), I know that ittakes more than practice to become Lord Mayor. It helpsto have a record of high professional achievement,leadership, drive and commitment, and good publicspeaking ability. It also helps if you are socially at ease,articulate, diplomatic and politically astute, with adetailed understanding of the workings of the businessCity. You will also need resilience, grit, common senseand the ‘common touch’ - all qualities that most Vint -ners exude. It could be you next!

21

Guildhall

The Lord Mayor’s Coach

With the success of the fundraising walk in theMontagne de Reims in 2006 in mind, LiverymanPeter Mason, Chairman of the Vintners’ CompanyCharitable Foundation (VCCF) Committee, decided tolaunch another fundraising assault on the Champ -agne region in 2010, this time around Epernay.

The planning committee,made up of LiverymenJames Simpson, GuyNight ingale and RichardWilson, Free man TomFortune, the Clerk and theGeneral Manager met inearly 2009 with the aim ofproviding a ‘Money Can’tBuy’ experience for around100 walkers, over theweekend of 11th-13th June2010.

In 2009, the VCCF had don ated a modest amountto Vet erans Aid (VA), a frontline charity helping ex-servicemen whose lives havebeen blighted by drugs, alcoholand/or home less ness. The duediligence under taken at thattime indicated that Veterans Aidwas an ideal cause to walk for.Experience had shown that astrong partnership would be req -uired with the recip ient charity,and so Colonel Geoffrey Cardozofrom VA joined the planning team.

Travel, accommodation, pitstops, evening enter tain ment and,most importantly, the route, wereall the sub ject of a great deal of detailedwork, and by January the plan was prettymuch in place.

On Friday, 11th June, 83 walkers setoff for Eper nay by various means, thelargest group by Eurostar. The advice ofMadame Lilly Bollinger was taken, that itwas never too early for a glass of cham -pagne. This was generously prov ided bySearcy’s, the Comp any’s cater ers, at theirChampagne Bar at St Pancras.

On a perfect, balmy, summer’s evening, the walk -ers assembled for the first time in the idyllic garden atPol Roger, where Hubert de Billy and Patrice Noyellehosted a perfectly delicious buffet supper, accompaniedby quantities of Pol Roger champagne and Joseph

Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune 2007. Wewere also able to meet four ‘graduates’of the VA system, Dennis, Jephas, Mickand Simon. They would both walk withus, and provide administrative supportin their minibus. After we had thankedboth hosts, and presented Hubert deBilly with a Vintners’ Company silvertastevin, Hugh Milroy, VA’s Chief Exec -utive, briefed and encouraged all thewalkers on the good cause theywould be raising money for the nextday.

So at 8am on a grey Sat ur day morning, the Clerkand the General Manager were delighted to see a100% turnout at the Hotel de Champagne in Epernay

for a final briefingfrom the walk mar - shals. Exactly ontime, the walkers setoff on the first legover the River Marneto Aÿ. Here, an hourlater, we were mun-ching croi ssantsand drink ing ref -resh ing Bollingerat their beautifulprem is es. We thenwalk ed through

undul ating vineyardsto Dizy, and a secondpit stop with Cham -pagne Gaston Chiquet,hosted very gener ous -ly by Antoine Chiquethimself, in an eleganttent in case of badweather.

At this stage of thewalk the weather wasbeing kind to us, but

The Vintners’ Company andVeterans Aid Walk in Epernay

Supper with Pol Roger

Pit stop with Gaston Chiquet

22

The team at

Bollinger

further on, after we had climbed to Hautvillers, andpaid homage at the tomb of Dom Pérignon, the heav -ens opened. It was only the arrival of the VA minibuswith sustenance, including some delicious Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, that saved the dayand revived flagging spirits.

Such had been the generous hospitality so far that,in eager anticipation and improved visibility, whichallowed us wonderful views over the Marne and canalto Eper nay, we set off on a less energetic downhill legto Cumières, and Joseph Perrier.Here Martin Gamman produced anexcellent ‘grape pick ers’ lunch’,washed down of course with del -icious Joseph Perrier cham pagne.The Master thanked Martin and pres-ented him with a tastevin. We werenow, rather surprisingly, runningahead of time, so were able to enjoya stroll around the gardens beforesetting off on the final leg along theMarne and canal back to Epernay.

Fortified by a VA chocolate pit stopalong the way, we all arrived back atthe hotel in good shape. Not surprisingly after 20 kms,we were met with a con grat ulatory glass of champagne.

If Pol Roger had given us the perfect start to theweekend, Gosset provided the perfect finale. At theirnew, elegant premises in Epernay, hosted by PatrickLigeron, we enjoyed Gosset Grand Rosé as an apéritif

on the terrace in warm evening sun shine, before beingtreated to a stunning supper generous in both itsquantity and qual ity. This was acc ompanied by GossetGrande Reserve NV, and Morgenhof 2004 (SA).

Peter Mason gave a vote of thanks to PatrickLigeron, and presented him with a tastevin. Hethanked all the walkers for their efforts, and presenteda cheque for £60,000 to Hugh Milroy. He also thankedthe planning committee for making it all happen.

In a remarkable and un -scripted way, Jephas thentold his story, and exp lainedhow much the money rais -ed would mean to the workof Veterans Aid.

Those that stayed latethen tucked into FrapinVSOP and Chateau deFontpinot Cognac!

It was a truly won -der ful weekend, raising asubstantial sum of money

for a very good cause. It wouldnot have been half as much fun without the enth us -iasm of all those who walked, and all those whosupported them financially. A huge ‘thank you’ mustalso go to all our hosts, who provided such generoushospitality. The weekend will, I am sure, be longremembered by all who took part.The Clerk

Lunch with Joseph Perrier ApéritifwithGosset

Hugh Milroy

and cheque

23

24

Dear MasterIt hardly seems possible that I am writing this withonly a few weeks of our operational tour in Afghanistanleft to go. Time has really flown by. However we havepacked a lot into that time, and experienced almost allof what Helmand Province has to throw at the BritishArmy.

The first half of our tour was a gradual build-up tothe decisive offensive which you now know as OPMOSHTARAK. This took place in February. In the run-up to that operation, the Squadron took control of anarea to the north-east of Nad e Ali which Brigade HQreferred to as ‘The Badlands’. We approached this taskwith some trepidation, but once we had taken over acouple of local compounds as Patrol Bases, and setabout gaining a foothold with the local populace,things progressed well. With round-the-clock air coverand surveillance we were able to launch a number ofsuccessful attacks on the enemy positions just oppositethe front line. We killed 15 insurgents, some of themsenior Taliban commanders within Helmand Province.

During OP MOSHTARAK proper we took someheavy-armoured engineer assets under command,including the TROJAN armoured mine-clearance tank.We led the way into a number of enemy strongholds incentral Helmand, ploughing through enemy IED beltsand on one occasion using the PYTHON system to cleara wadi. The PYTHON is a 200m-long tube of highexplosive. It is fired from a trailer on the back of theTROJAN, and clears a 200m-long lane through anyminefield. The Squadron achieved all the tasks it wasset. These inc luded driving a new route deep intoenemy territory to link up with an infantry company

from the Royal Welsh, who had carried out an airassault at the start of the operation.

We have carried out numerous other tasks all overHelmand including Sangin, the Bolan Desert, Goreshkand Musa Qaleh. We consider ourselves lucky to havehad such varied experiences. Our adventures have notbeen without cost though. At the time of writing Corp -oral Neil Bain and Trooper Paul Downing are receivingtreatment in the UK for serious injuries sustained intwo separate IED explosions. I believe they will makea full recovery over time. I have been and continue tobe humbled by the raw and sustained courage disp -layed by my soldiers on a daily basis. I am also happyto report that the characteristics for which the Regi -ment is renowned are at the heart of what we aredoing in Afghanistan: innovation, hardiness, vehiclesfirst and offensive spirit.

The work we have done in theatre would not havebeen possible without selfless and sustained supportfrom the home front. Nowhere has this been moremanifest than that given so freely by the Vintners. From‘Thank-a-Tankie’ parcels at Christmas and beyond toyour munificent support to our welfare team at Hon -ing ton, we have been overwhelmed by your gener os -ity, as have our loved ones. May I thank you personallyon behalf of all my officers, seniors and other ranks.You have contributed in a demonstrable and palpableway to our success on Operation HERRICK.Major Mike TaylorOfficer CommandingD Squadron 1RTR15 May 2010

Afghanistan 2009 – 2010 A Letter from the Officer Commanding D Squadron, 1 RTR

25

This took place on 9th March 2010 at Putney Emb -ankment, SW15. The Master and I were greeted bythe redoubtable Muriel Huxley MBE, Chairman of theUnit, now in her 90th year! The AGM was alsoattended by other members of the committee, by all20 cadets and their parents, and by a representativefrom HMS Ganges.

The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Mayor ofWandsworth, who thanked the staff for their time andeffort in maintaining the high level of enthusiasmamongst the cadets, and the invaluable training offeredthem. Over 20% of Sea Cadets go on to join the RoyalNavy. The Chairman also commented on the increasingage of the committee, and wel comed two parents whohad volunteered to join.

Lt Root gave the Com m anding Officer’s report. Henoted the sporting success of many pastand present cadets whohave gone on to achievenational Sea Cadet awardsin sailing and other pur -suits. He also men tionedthat the Unit was fullysubscribed, rest rict ed fromtaking more cadets only bythe small number of ded -icated adult staff able tovol unteer their services threetimes a week: Tues day andFriday even ings, and all daySunday.

Lt Root also regrettedthe removal of the Cheverton motorboat by the MOD in early March, asfunds were no longer available torun it. This, he noted, was in spiteof a recent generous contribution by the Vintners’Company to have the motor boat overhauled.

The Treasurer then presented the accounts for2008/2009. These showed a small surplus of receiptsover expenditure of £200. Income to cover the annual

running costs of approximately £15,000 had comeequally from three principal sources: grants; otherdonations (notably from the Vintners and Leather -

sellers); and fundraising events.Awards were then present ed

to a number of Cadet boys andgirls. Finally, a plaque from HMSGanges was presented to MurielHuxley in recognition of theUnit’s ongoing high ach ieve -ment.

The AGM then closed, andrefreshments were taken.

Robert RollsLiveryman

AGM, Sea Cadets (Wandsworth, Chelsea and Fulham Unit)

Our London Area champion powerboat crew (all girls - who then went on to Nationals)

Assisting the Association of Dunkirk LittleShips on their passage upriver from the

tidal Thames - Molesey Lock

The Unit’sRescue RIB

(rigid inflatableboat)

The Vintners’ Company supports the Royal TankRegiment. In return, on 13 May 2010 ‘A’ SquadronFirst Royal Tank Regiment (1RTR) invited members ofthe Company to their base at Harman Lines, War min -ster. An early start saw me driving past Stonehengein the only car on the road at that time of themorning. I have not worn uniform since my SchoolCadet Force, and the prospect of a day with the Armywas well outside my comfort zone.

I need not have worried. It was the most wonderfulday. Our party of some twenty Vintners was first wel -comed by the Officer Commanding, Major Toby Barr -ington-Barnes. We were then kitted out with tankers’black overalls, briefed, and split into two groups totravel on to Salisbury Plain. One group would defend a‘High-Value Target’ in a house in Imber Village; theother would be introduced to the Challenger 2 Tank.Then we would swap over after lunch.

I was one of those defending the house in themorning. We were kitted out with helmets, SA80 riflesand blank ammunition. We were also given a dem on -stration of various other weapons and pieces of kit,such as hand grenades and flares. The ‘high valuetarget’ turned out to be the amiable Trooper Smith,wrapped in a white bedsheet. The Army now useslaser technology for battle training: if you are hit, agadget on your jacket makes a noise, and your weaponpacks up. I looked forward to it happening pretty quickly.

The house we had to defend was amongst 1960sbuildings in Imber, a village requisitioned by the Armyin 1943. These modern buildings are used for urbanwarfare training, e.g. for service in Northern Ireland.They have rough concrete floors, bare brick walls andno doors or windows, just holes. We were to be att -acked by a section of regular RTR troopers. We were ofcourse overrun, both times, though we inflicted heavycasualties. I survived both attacks, by luck rather thanskill, once as a prisoner (I forgot to reload), and once asa sniper who had been missed in the mop-up. Wewere astonished at how a few smoke bombs from theattackers produced almost complete darkness in andaround the house. Nor had we twigged that there weremore defenders than enemy: if we had only dividedthe attackers, in plain view at their start line, amongstourselves so that each of us was shooting at a differentindividual, we could have won outright.

Lunch followed at Imber Court, a fine Queen Annemansion, now a shell. First we sampled boil-in-the-bag rations. These were pretty tasty, though I under -stand they soon pall when there is nothing else. Thenwe had the real lunch, a magnificent feast on trestletables covered with white tablecloths in the formerdining room of the mansion. This consisted of hotchicken stew, fried egg, rice and vegetables, followedby apricot crumble and custard. This had all been rust -led up in two hours by an Army chef. He had preparedit in semi-darkness under a single bare light bulb, with(so far as I could see) no running water, and no worksurfaces. Amazing.

In the afternoon it was our turn to learn about theChallenger 2 Tank. This huge vehicle weighs over 60

Visit to ‘A’ Squadron, 1RTR

26

Blazing away Waiting for the enemy

tons, and can travel by road at over 35mph, and cross-country at around 25mph. A litre of diesel will carry itless than 100 yards. When it hits a bump at full speed,it more or less takes off! There were two tanksavailable, and we all took turns at riding in the turretfor a couple of miles. We soon dis covered how trulyawful this is. Tank commanders in old films andnewsreels always wear head phones: this is becausewithout them, the noise of the engine makes it imp -ossible to hear a word of what the other crewmen aresaying, even from two feet away. In addition the turrethatch has no padding at all, and the whole of your tophalf is exposed and unsupported. When the tanksways, jolts, leans or, worst of all, stops dead, you haveto hold on very hard for dear life, to avoid repeatedbruising, and to keep your teeth. Sadly, the Challenger2 is to be the last main battle tank in the British Army.Times have changed, and it is not to be replaced.

All of this took place in glorious weather on Salis -bury Plain. The Plain is quite hilly, despite its name. Itis also a wonderful time warp of Victorian England,with no houses other than in Imber Village, no roadslarger than country lanes, no cars, no litter, very littlenoise and virtually no people. The views from the turretwere superb. The Plain is of course also a huge naturereserve. I saw my first Orange Tip butterfly of the year,flying past Sergeant-Major Macatee’s head

during his weapons demonstration. In the distance wasthe 15th-century tower of Imber’s parish church, stilloccasion ally used for services. I wondered how manytimes in Jane Austen’s day the clergyman might havewalked up the road for dinner at Imber Court.

My abiding memory of the day is of the help andkindness of all ranks. They went out of their way to bepatient and wel coming to a bunch of civilians. Hand -ling and firing an SA80, at will, against an att ackingforce was a real privilege. We were encour aged to takeas many pictures as we wanted, and I wish I had takenmore. The obvious keenness and enj oyment displayedby everyone, especially the young tank commanders,was deeply impressive. There was a real spirit of team -work, and complete absence of ‘bull’. (I didn’t see asalute all day.) Any problems, such as when one of thetanks broke down, or when two demonstration gren -ades in succ ession refused to go off, were overcomequickly and with good humour. If and when the invit -ation comes again, I shall certainly accept. I shall alsotake more photographs than I did. And my defensivetactics might even improve.

Stephen FreethCompany Archivist

“There were two tanks available, and we

all took turns at riding in the turret for a

couple of miles. We soon dis covered how

truly awful this is.

27

Briefing atImber Court

The end of the day

The Regulars attack

Silver livery medals originated in the 18th century asa means of identifying liverymen attending shrievaland mayoral elections at Guildhall. By this time thewearing of livery gowns had declined, and othermeans of identifying those entitled to vote wereneeded.

Disorderly scenes at Guildhall, especially in1769, led to the introduction of the ‘wicketgate’ system, still in use today, to controlentry to City elections at Guildhall. How -ever, some com panies - led by the Vintners– also introd uced medals, engraved with thecompany’s coat of arms and the member’sname, to identify their own liverymen. The Vint -ners are supposed to have introduced their liverymedal in 1769, but the earlist known Vintners’medal is actually of 1764!

Not all companies introduced medals,and it was never a general requirement.Beadles still had to rec ognise membersof their own companies. The Vintnerswere nevertheless followed by theCarpenters in 1770, the Cooks, Cutlersand Pattenmakers in 1772, the Needle -makers and Butchers in 1773 and theCoopers in 1774. Of the Great Twelve only theFish mongers followed suit, in 1782.

Wearing medals as a means of preventing identityfraud was probably never very success ful. It wasdeemed ‘useless’ by the Coopers by 1792. However thepractice of issuing them became trad itional in somecompanies, and has continued amongst the Vintnersto this day, though they are no longer worn to Guildhallelections. Around twenty other companies still issuelivery medals.

Some companies wear the medal on a ribbon aroundthe neck. The Vintners by contrast hang it by a hook onthe left breast, in a similar manner to a military medal,with which of course it has no link whatsoever. It isnevertheless interesting to reflect that the earliestBritish Army official medal is the Waterloo Medal of1815, which may or may not have been inspiredby the successful use of ‘such trinkets’ by Nap -oleon. The Vintners’ initiative of 1769 was way

ahead of both. However before we are too impressed,we should remember that at this date tickets of ivory,silver or bronze were required to gain entry to the floorof the Stock Exchange, to theatres and clubs, to privateroads, and even to exhibitions or public lectures. It wasbut a small step from carrying a ticket in one’s pocket

to wearing it on one’s clothes.The Vintners’ Company has a small collection

of livery medals which formerly belonged tomembers, 22 in all, dating from 1764 to 1978.That of 1764 belonged to Thomas Fowler, of theKing’s Arms Tavern, Ludgate Hill. They showthat the design has remained essentially un -

changed throughout. The obverse shows the armsof the Company, and the reverse is engraved with

the name of the liveryman, and their date of election.Most of the medals are locked in the Plate Room, but

two are displayed in the Drawing Room Cabinet(Thomas Fowler, 1764; Christian Tawke,1790), while two more are framed in theSitting Room. These are the medals ofHenry Aste, 1827, who was Master in 1870-1, and of William John Todd, 1898, who wasMaster in 1938-9.Many of the details above are derived from

an article by Keith Hinde, the former Clerk of theCutlers’ Com pany, in The Medal, no 30 (Spring 1997).The Cutlers also have a collection of livery medals,mostly issued to their own members, but including themedal presented by the Vintners on 8 April 1834 to thepolar explorer Captain John Ross RN (later Sir JohnRoss). Ross had recently returned from four years in oron the ice around King William Land and the Gulf ofBoothia, named after the gin magnate Felix Booth whohad fin anced the expedition – but that is another story.

Stephen FreethCompany Archivist

28

Livery Medals

29

ValeteMiss Kathleen RichmanKathleen joined the Company in 1997 as PA to theMaster and Clerk. Living in Royston, Hertfordshire, shehas spent the intervening 14 years commuting to theoffice, come rain, snow or shine, by train, or by bus inthe event of regular train strikes.

At her desk from early in the morning to well pastthe time she should have left, she has dedicated herlife to the Company and to the service of 14 Mastersand one Clerk!

Conscientious and patient, nothing has ever beentoo much trouble for her, and she has handled themyriad of tasks placed on her desk with meticulousattention to detail.

She has been a hugely valuable and popularmember of staff, and her loyalty to the Company hasbeen recognised by the Court, who have invited her tobecome a Freeman of the Company.

We wish Kathleen an active, healthy and happyretirement.

The Master presenting Kathleen with a watch

There have been two other staff changes this year.Staff costs are a significant proportion of the Company’sexpenditure. Regrettably, therefore, in the current fin -an cial climate and in the interest of making budgetarysavings, I reluctantly decided that we would have tofind alternative ways of handling both our Receptionand Engineer functions. Those two posts were maderedundant in early 2010.

We therefore said fare well to Diane Vessey, ourReceptionist for 12 years, and to Jim Spill man, ourEngineer, after 8 years’ service. They had both servedthe Company well, and we were very sorry that wehad to see them go.

SalveMrs Julie Newbould Julie Newbould joins theCompany as the Administ -rative Assistant in a re-vamped General Office.She was previously aProjects Administrator inthe construction industry.

The new General Officewill cover all aspects ofthe Company’s generaladministration and membership matters, includingsupport for the Master and Clerk. Julie will be workingclosely with Glenn Roberts.

Julie is married and lives in Kent. We welcome herto the Company, and hope that she enjoys a long andhappy association with us.

The Clerk

The Staff

Diane Vessey Jim Spillman

Julie Newbould

30

The Master’s Year

Kenton Day

InstallationDay

Rioja – For what weare about to receive…

Fair exchange!

At the South of England show

Master and Mistress onthe Olympic run at Igls

The Dow family

32

The Vintners’ Company has, for several hundredyears, embraced its philanthropic duty of disbursingmoney to the needy. Of late, in view of the Company’spolicy on entertaining its members, there has alsobeen an aspiration to bring in new money from themembership, to help fund some of these ever-increas ing charitable responsibilities.

As can be imagined, without wishing to change old,accepted practice, the method of achieving both aimshas become somewhat convoluted, clumsy and confus -ing. Members may recall that donations were, in thepast, made by four committees:● Court● Master & Wardens● Charities● Vintners’ Company Charitable Foundation (VCCF),

which was also tasked with fundraising.

The money also came from a number of sources, alth -ough much has been done over the last twelve yearsto amalgamate smaller charitable funds.

In order to clarify and simplify procedures for bothappellant charities and Company members, the Courthas decided to vest all charitable responsibilities in anew Vintners’ Foundation (VF) Committee. This will be

an amalgamation of the old Charities and VCCFCommittees. Representations are also being made tothe Charity Commissioners to amalgamate the Com -pany’s two existing funds (the Vintners’ Gifts Char ity,and the Vintners’ Company Charitable Foundation) intoone fund entitled the Vintners’ Foundation.

The new VF Committee will meet in December toformulate a policy to submit to the Court on how futuredonations will be made and how fundraising will beaccomplished.

In doing so, it will be examining:● whether to concentrate on a major project, or to

continue to give to a wide range of charities, or anamalgam of the two

● whether to continue the current practice of con -centrating on a particular charitable sector everysix months

● what priority should be given to wine-trade-rel -ated charities

● what priority should be given to charities nom -inated by members

● the practically achievable due diligence required tosatisfy the Committee of the need of the app licant,and also that the subsequent donation has beenspent in accordance with the Committee’s wishes

Charity

33

● whether to continue with the policy of:a. concentrating on London-based charities onlyb. not giving to charities concerned with researchc. giving priority to people rather than buildings

● how members may become interested in andcomm itted to the VF’s work, and how significantcon tributions from the membership may be achieved.

However, despite the criticisms of the old system, itwas nonetheless effective. This was not least because ofthe time and effort put in by the members of both theCharities and VCCF Committees, and also by a numberof Liverymen and Freemen who have gener ously givenup their time to visit and assess charities for futuredonations, and to take part in fundraising events. Onbehalf of the Company, may I publicly thank them all,and assure them that their legacy will be carriedforward into the work of the VF Committee.

During the last year of the old system, the CharitiesCommittee has concentrated on appeals from charitiesconcerned with the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse/DrugAddiction, and with the Disabled. Donations have beenmade to some 23 different charities and schools, someof whose logos are shown here.

The VCCF Committee, in addition to donating tocharities concerned with alcohol abuse, has also

supported a number of charities put forward bymembers of the Company. These included Veterans Aid,through Liveryman Nigel Windridge. Veterans Aid soimpressed the Committee that, in addition to a don -ation, they decided to make it the recipient charity forthe Company’s fundraising walk in Champagne this yearwhich raised an impressive £87,000. A report featureselsewhere in this Annual Review. Con grat ulations toall who took part, and to all who supported them.

So charity, in all its guises, continues to play anincreasingly important part in the Company. Despite allthe pomp and ceremony of Livery life and dinners, theCompany needs to continue to build up its charitablefund. I very much hope that you will find some way tolend your support in the coming year, be it through adonation, your time, or a future legacy. The Clerk willbe delighted to hear from you.

Past Master Edward Demery CVOChairmanVintners’ Foundation Committee

The Giant Seesawat Halley Primary

School, part-fundedby the Company

34

Over the past 24 months the Company has imp lem -ented a major overhaul of its financial and investmentstrategy. We have set ourselves a demanding long-term target total return (Income and Capital Growth) of4.8 per cent plus inflation. In order to achieve this wehave also set a new asset allocation, that targets ahigher return while mitigating the associated riskthrough a much greater diversification of the portfolio;departed from the year-by-year budget discipline ofan income-only spending approach; and developed aSpending Rule that relates spending to the marketvalue of the investment portfolio, but is also linked tooperating expenditure needs.

Stanhope Capital were appointed as our InvestmentManagers at the end of 2008. Behind the scenes, theCompany’s accounting policies and processes havebeen modernised to enable total return to be carefullytracked. This was all shared and expanded on atCommon Hall by David Robson, Chairman of the Invest -ment Committee, and Michael Turner, the RenterWarden.

The Company’s investment portfolio is a mixture ofdirectly-owned properties, now just under one third ofthe Company’s total investments, and a portfoliomanaged by Stanhope Capital, with investments in awide variety of assets, including equities (both UK andoverseas), bonds and commodities, accounting for theremaining two thirds.

A key thrust of the investment strategy has been toreduce concentration of our investment in property. In2008 three property sales, which with hindsight weretimed very well, realised £15 million. As part of thehandover of the investment mandate the Company’s

other financial investments were liquidated. StanhopeCapital initially cautiously invested the portfolio largelyin bonds and cash. During the spring and summer of2009, Stanhope reinvested the portfolio in measuredsteps, gradually increasing exposure to UK and over -seas equities in particular. This asset class by March2010 accounted for over 50 per cent of the portfolio,with Stanhope investing on our behalf, in line withtheir philosophy, in funds rather than individual stocks.During 2009 two smaller property sales were comp -leted realising a further £1 million.

At Common Hall David and Michael were able toreport that the total investment return for the year tothe end of March was 14 per cent, very handsomelyrecovering the 4 per cent decline in the previous year.(This in itself was a very creditable achievement againstthe significant falls, over 30-40 per cent in some cases,across nearly every type of asset class.) At the end ofthe first year with Stanhope therefore we have seen a10 per cent real increase in the worth of the investmentport folio. The Investment Committee meets quarterlyto review the performance of the Investment Managers,and it is pleasing that the performance of the Comp -any’s portfolio stands good comparison without unduerisks being taken.

The first year with Stanhope has been good and thedirectly-held property portfolio is much tidier; we keepalert for opportunity to achieve further sales. Since theyear end, as markets continue to be uncertain, theinvestment portfolio has been tactically rebalancedwith greater investment once again in bonds and cash.This reflects a prime objective set by the InvestmentCommittee: to achieve a solid return without unnervingvolatility.

Whilst the main stream of the Company’s income,£1.4 million, derives from the investment portfolio andproperty rents, the Company is also very successful inrenting use of the Hall to third parties, including otherLivery Companies who do not own their own Hall.Income from this, in excess of £200,000 per annum,provides a useful contribution to the costs of main tain -ing the Hall. In the last year this has been greatlyhelped by the decision of the Court to make therefurbished bedrooms available as part of external hire,as well as to the Livery.

The Spending Rule we have introduced in the yearwas based on the ‘Yale method’, which limits oper at -

Finance and Investments – the financial storm, one year on

Renter Warden Michael Turner & Past Master David Robson

35

ional expenditure to that spent in previous years, andon a three-year ‘lagged basis’ to returns from theinvestment portfolio. This has provided a cap on theCompany’s expenditure of £2 million, within whichindividual items of expenditure have been budgetedand prioritised as part of the annual planning exercise.To fund this level of expenditure, a return of 4 per centis required from the Company’s investments.

In the difficult economic and financial climate sometough decisions have had to be taken during the yearto keep expenditure within budget. Sadly this hasincluded two staff redundancies. An analysis of oper -ational expenditure, which amounted to £1.7 million,was presented at Common Hall and the prop ort -ions of expenditure are shown in the pie chartbelow. Across all of the head ings actualexpenditure came within the spending limit,with total savings of over £100,000 comparedwith the previous year.

The refurbishment of the bedrooms cost£245,000, of which £200,000 has been capit -al ised and will be amortised over the next 10years. Against this the Company earned £8,000from the hire of the bedrooms between Sept -ember 2009 and March 2010.

The Company continued its support of the WineTrade, with donations amounting to £85,000 duringthe year to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, Wineand Spirit Education Trust, and Institute of Masters ofWine. The Charities Committee made grants of£137,000, in accordance with the objective to increasecharitable giving by 10 per cent year on year.

No Corporation tax was payable, capital gains beingcovered by capital losses brought forward from prev -ious years. More than £250,000 of VAT was recovered,with the Company benefitting from changed VATarrangements with HMRC.

To conclude, the Company continues to be in asound financial state. Overall income was £1.6 million,and total expenditure £2 million. On an annual basisexpenditure exceeded income by a planned £0.4million. However, when the capital growth of theinvestment portfolio (£5 million) is taken into account,this far exceeds the annual deficit, and has led to a 10per cent, £4 million, increase in the net assets of theCompany. Although demanding long-term investmentreturn targets have been set, the Investment

Committee and the Invest ment Managers are equallyalert to the need to manage risk, so as to protect thecapital of the Company in an uncertain economic andfinancial climate.

Andrew LingStavesman

14%

15%

37%39% 30%

■ Office Expenditure■ Office/Staff■ Court and Livery■ Hall Expenses

Operating Expenses

outer circle 2008-09inner circle 2009-10

18%

16%

31%

36

Highlights of the Year

SkiingCaptained by Freeman George Stoy and with theMaster leading from the front, the Vintners’ team sweptthe board at the inaugural Inter Livery Ski Champion -ships in January 2010 at the French resort of Morzine.

Beautifully organised by George Bastin of theIronmongers’ Company, the Championships attractedteams from twelve companies for Slalom, Giant Slalomand Snowboard races.

In the Slalom the Company were Team Champions,and also picked up Young (George Stoy), Mid (DavidMabey) and Ladies (Lucy Morgan Edwards) Championprizes.

This medal haul was pretty much replicated in theGiant Slalom, with the Company again picking up TeamChampions, and George Stoy and David Mabey theYoung and Mid Champions respectively.

Inevitably, Roger Hodgson won the SnowboardChampionship.

Congratulations to the whole team and to the indiv -idual champions, and our thanks to George Bastin andhis wife for their superb organisation.

We intend to enter a team for the 2011 Champion -ships to compete for the newly-presented Vintners’Cup, commissioned to celebrate the team performancein 2010.

GolfThe year started well with a winagainst the Distillers at Royal Wim bl e -don, where we managed to field a fullteam (well done, chaps). Unfortunately,they had a power failure in the club -house and we had to put up withsmoked salmon sandwiches instead oftheir usual bacon baguettes; such suff -ering! The format of ‘Four Ball BetterBall’ made for a lengthy round, and alate but enjoyable lunch. Power com -pany permitting, we will be back tofour somes next year.

The teams for the Great Twelvecompetition held at Tandridge on 19thApril had mixed fortunes. In the morn -ing round, Michael Cox and James Davycame second with 20 points (nineholes), but sadly peaked too soon (or itcould have been too much Tandridge

pudding!). In the afternoon, despite a creditable per -formance by Ralph Mann ers Wood and John Stoy with37 points, our position dropped to 8th overall.

For the Spring meeting at The Berk shire on 29thApril, we only managed to muster twelve players.Fierce competition in the morning resulted in a countback between Michael Cox and Rupert Monier-Williams,both on 39 points, with Rupert winning with 19 on theback nine. In the foursomes competition in the after -noon, Rupert was drawn with Ed Lines, and theyplayed well to win, with Michael Cox and AlistairBuchanan close behind.

The Master, Sam Dow, won the prize for nearest thepin on the fourth with a magnificent tee shot – or so hetold us!

We are looking at how we can improve our numbersfor next year, and a change of venue is a possibility asThe Berkshire is quite expensive. Watch this space.

The year ended with our usual enjoyable matchagainst the Brewers at Tandridge, on a very hot day.Sadly we ended up in Silver Medal position, despitethe Secret ary’s endeavours to nobble the oppositionwith alcohol half way round.

If you are keen to take part in any of our sports teams (and we are always on the lookout for talent),please contact Glenn Roberts (glenn.roberts@vintnershall.co.uk).

Some of the competitors

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The dates for 2011 are as follows:- ● Match v Distillers at Royal Wimbledon, Wednesday

23rd March; ● Great Twelve, at Tandridge, Monday18th April; ● Spring meeting at The Berkshire (at the moment),

Thursday 5th May; ● Match v Brewers at Tandridge, Monday 18th July.

Our numbers seem to be dropping away. I appreciatethat in the present economic climate it is not easy toget away from the office, but I cannot overemphasizehow much fun our meetings are. So, ladies andgentlemen, please come and join us, whatever yourstandard. After all, that is why we have a handicapsystem. Also, the Company is generous with itssponsorship, for which we are most grateful.

Clay Pigeon ShootingThe Company’s A and B teams did their best to improveon last year’s result in the Inter Livery Shoot, andfinished in a rather vaguely reported ‘respectable midfield position’, although the roast pig and claret seemedto feature equally highly in the report.

However Tom Cannon finished in a marvellous 4thplace in the overall competition – the best we haveever achieved. He will be training the 2011 teams!

Well done to all our shots.

Inter Livery Bridge Competition1st March 2010The twenty-eighth annual competition, held at Drapers’Hall as in recent years, saw sixty pairs taking part. TheVintners were again represented by husband/wifepartnership Tim and Sally Begg, plus a new pairing ofClement Coldwells with Mike Goodall of the Makers ofPlaying Cards gallantly making up the numbers. Playwas in two sessions of 12 boards each, with a break fordinner.

After a cautious start, CC/MG combined reasonablywell but failed to find an easy Small Slam, and laterwent heavily down in the wrong suit contract to endthe first session in 28th place with 277.79 Match Points

SailingOnce again the Great Twelve Sailing Regatta, held inJune at Seaview Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight, waswell supported by members of the Company, theirfamilies and friends.

Having secured second place in last year’s event,the team were in search of the elusive Gold Medalbut, despite a spirited performance, had to settleonce again for Silver.

The weekend proved a magnificent success andculminated in the traditional prizegiving and dinneron Saturday evening. This is a great social event,giving members and their families the opportunity tomeet in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Another sailing event was added to the Calendarthis year. The inaugural ‘Drinks Trade Regatta’ tookplace in September, and was a competition betweenthe Vintners’, Brewers’, Distillers’ and Innholders’Com panies. Look out for both these events in 2011.

At close quarters

38

and 50.32%. TB/SB had a torrid time, and went todinner in 53rd place with 225.18 MPs and 40.79%: butthey recovered well to finish in 45th place with 501.45MPs and 45.42%, whilst CC/MG missed calling anotherSlam and failed to double a sacrificial bid to end up in35th place with 529.52 MPs and 47.96%.

As always, this was a very relaxed and pleasantevening for players of very varying standards,organized by the Makers of Playing Cards, and we aremost grateful to the Master and Court for their support.

The City Lunch The Master, together with our catering partners Searcy’s,hosted the third City Lunch at the Hall on 29th January2010. Senior Wardens and Clerks were invited toattend from selected Livery Companies.

This event is an important part of our sales andmarket ing plan. Its purpose is to thank existing Liveryclients, and unabashedly to encourage others toconsider using the Hall for their events.

The Master welcomed 117 guests and Vintners/Searcy’s hosts to an excellent Reception and Lunch. Ina short speech, he explained that the partnership bet -ween the Vintners and Searcy’s has been going on fornine years. This says a great deal about the Company’sconfidence in them. The guests were also encouragedto make use of our new bedroom facility.

The Lunch was a huge success, with many letters ofappreciation. There is no doubt that it has helped usyear-on-year to increase our sector of the Livery market.Bedroom use has also increased.

We intend to hold another Lunch next year. Memberswill be interested to note that the costs of these eventsare met in full by Searcy’s, as part of their support tothe contract.

CricketThe annual Vintners v Grocers match, the fourth inthe series, took place at the delightful Burton Courtground.

In deteriorating weather conditions the Companybatted first and, with a very slow outfield, struggledto find the boundary. However a late feast of runspushed the total to a respectable 106 for 4, thoughit left some considerable talent in the pavilion.

As conditions improved, the Vintners’ bowlingand fielding took an early toll on the Grocers, butthe strength of their middle order began to eat intothe Vintners’ total. With a number of well-struckbound aries, they raced towards the 100 mark andinevitable victory, their third in the last three ‘Tests’.

Let us hope for a better result next year. Theevening, with drinks and supper, is a very enjoyableoccasion, with the opportunity to meet members ofthe Grocers’ Company, so do sign up for it when adate is published.

Liveryman Alex Hingston

LiverymanAnthonyRussell andRichard Ayers

Other cities besides London boast ancient guilds, andBasel is one of them. The Zunft zu Weinleuten –Switzerland’s equivalent of the Vintners’ Company -was founded in 1233. It is one of the oldest of Basel’stwenty-six remaining guilds.

On the same day that many Vintnersand friends gallantly walked for char -ity in Champagne, the Swan Wardenhad the perfect excuse to avoid blist -ers, and copious pit stops for sparklingrefreshment. He was representing theVintners’ Company on the Zunft zuWeinleuten’s ‘Guild Day Out’. Andwhat a day it was.

We started with coffee and pastryat 7am in the Hall of the Guild, opp -osite Basel Cathedral. The 250-strongparty (all male) then boarded coaches,bound for Lake Zug. Here we marchedthrough the sleepy town to the lake’sedge behind the vast Guild flag, beingwaved vigorously, to the beat of theGuild’s own brass band and drums. Itmade for a colourful and noisy spect -acle for Zug’s early risers.

There followed a tour of the beautiful lake aboardthe aptly-named motor cruiser ‘Zug’. This offered theopportunity to mix with the Guild members, and to chatwith my genial and convivial host Prof Hansjörg Wirz,one of their Past Masters. Despite being born in Germ -any many moons ago, my German (let alone my SwissDeutsch) is basic, so it was a pleasure to marvel atHansjörg’s mastery of English. Mind you, he was for 25years Professor of Sociology at Edinburgh University,and has several English grandchildren to practise on!

Sustained by yet more pastry, and by glassesfrequently refilled with Switzerland’s finest SauvignonBlanc, we eventually disembarked on the other side ofthe lake at the charming town of Cham. The town isfamous for being the home of Nestlé, where we wereto have a grand lunch. Your Swan Warden was giventhe honour of joining the Master and Court membersas they paraded into the dining hall. I was asked tocarry the Guild’s precious solid gold ‘gelte’ - an oldwine vessel shaped rather like a watering can, made in1534.

The long lunchwas punctuated atvar ious moments byspeeches, by the singing of the Guild hymn (Zunftlied),and rousing extracts from the band’s repertoire. Eventhe Guild choir got in on the act to serenade the happy

diners, who clearly were wellused to lunches that last untilnightfall. The guest speaker, Matt -hias Michel, Minister of EconomicAffairs in the Canton of Zug (animmensely wealthy canton), gavea hilarious speech, judging by thelaughter which I tried to emulatein all the right places.

Finally, nine new Guild ‘Free -men’ were accepted into their‘Livery’ according to ancient custom,swearing allegiance whilst hold -ing the huge Guild flag, anddown ing in one go about half alitre of Sauvignon Blanc from the‘gelte’ as the drums rolled!

The coach was quieter on theway back to Basel. The splendid

day was made even more pleasant by my beingentertained to supper by Hansjörg and his lovely wifeChristel in their delightful apartment, overlooking theold city ramparts and the Rhine. Together we watchedEngland’s World Cup match against the USA – adisappointing end to a wonderful day, which hadstrengthened our ties with a fellow wine Livery thatpredates even our own.

Michael CoxSwan WardenJune 2010

Zunft zu Weinleuten –Guild Day Out

39

New Freemen swear alliance

The marchthough Zug

Michael Coxwith the solid

gold ‘gelte’

The Vintners’ CompanyVintners’ Hall • Upper Thames Street • London EC4V 3BG

Tel: 020 7236 1863 • Fax: 020 7236 8177Web site: www.vintnershall.co.uk

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