On the 28
th November 2011, 220 Liverymen and Guests attended the Company’s Election Service at All Hallows-by-
the-Tower followed by the Election Banquet held at the Mansion House in the City of London in the presence of the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, Alderman Sir Robert Finch (Lord Mayor 2004) and the Sheriffs. The Lord Mayor was attending upon Foreign and Commonwealth Office business in Denmark at the time of the Banquet. The Company’s Honorary Chaplain, the Reverend Bertrand Olivier, conducted the service and the Select Preacher was the Reverend Stephen Mason, Rector of St John's Hyde Park.
The banquet was presided over by the Master, Mr Alan Cornwell who proposed the Civic Toast during which he presented the Festival Loaf bearing the Company’s coat of arms and a celebration cake decorated also with the Company's armorial bearings to the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens who received them on behalf of the Lord Mayor. The Festival Loaf and the Celebration Cake were made by the students of the National Bakery School at the London South Bank University under the direction of Dr John Marchant. During his response, the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens alluded to the economic environment and associated challenges for the City as well as to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal ‘Fit for the Future’. During his speech Sir Robert presented a small gift to the Master on behalf of the Lord Mayor and for the first time, a small gift to the 'long serving and greatly respected' Clerk. The Toast to the Guests was proposed by Court Steward Charles Geary and was responded to by the Reverend Tom Heffer, Secretary General to the Mission to Seafarers, who proposed the traditional Toast to the Company.
At the conclusion of the evening the Master Elect, Mr Peter Gossage, was installed as Master of the Company for the ensuing year.
Photographs of the evening may be viewed and purchased from Gerald Sharp Photography by following the links to
www.sharpphoto.co.uk.