Livery Carol Service
6th December 2016This year's service followed the well-known format of previous years, but with one or two tweaks. Past Master Mark Gower-Smith had kindly organised the service sheet and musical liaison with the ever-excellent Sevenoaks School (whose choir sang beautifully under the direction of Christopher Dyer). The lessons were read from the poetic King James bible and our Chaplain gave his usual fine address on the subject of symbolism - using his new altar frontal and sporting one of our smoking caps for reference - I wish I'd been allowed to take a snap! I'd requested everyone remain seated after we'd processed out so I could properly thank the choir, organist Catherine Ennis, several of our charities for attending, Mark and the Clerks for sorting it all out etc. Apart from being necessary and having everyone's attention, it gave the wardens time to sort out the mulled wine and mince pies - in proper Feudal fashion, myself and the Wardens waited on our friends and guests - and in case you think it was lip-service, we washed, dried up and put away as well! It all seemed to pass off very nicely, and I was only sorry that yet another strike by the Southern Rail union had prevented some of our regulars from attending.