The Tobacco Trade Sponsored Charity Lunch
12th June 2018Past Master Roger Merton, Mike Adams, Peter Jenkinson and Chris Mercer are the 'Gang of 3+1' and they are the organising Committee that pulled together this year's annual Tobacco Trade Sponsored Charity Lunch. As in previous years, this prestigious event took place at Lord's Cricket Ground, the home of cricket. It is an opportunity for the great and good of the tobacco industry to come together and celebrate the work of the retail trade.
Tradition has it that the Master of the Livery Company is invited to the event to present the Retailer of the Year Trophy along with a cheque for £500 for the winner to use as he or she sees fit. Accordingly, the Mistress and I made our way to St John's Wood to fulfil this pleasurable duty.
Starting with a reception in the Harris Gardens, we were greeted by the Chairman of the Association of Independant Tobacco Specialists, Paresh Patel, along with the Gang of 3+1. The champagne and fine cigars flowed as the guests arrived culminating in the arrival of the Guest Speaker, the lauded impressionist Jon Culshaw. Whilst the weather was a little overcast, there was thankfully no rain on this parade.
A fine lunch followed in The Thomas Lord Suite choreographed with great skill by our Master of Ceremonies, Rodger Oatley. With the Master, the Past Master and the MC all bearing the same first name, London buses sprang to mind.
With appetites sated, we moved on to the business in hand; the award of the Trophy for the Retailer of the Year. There were many contenders for the prize and the decision of the organising Committee and the Master was a tough one to make. It went to a man that has built an iconic business over nearly 40 years in the West End of London. Today it is very successful and world-renowned for its quality of products and services. The winner was Edward Sahakian of Davidoff of London! The Trophy was accepted by his son Eddie Sahakian.
Having raised the excitement to fever pitch, the dial was turned up several notches more when the room welcomed the Guest Speaker, Jon Culshaw. Jon brought with him many friends to entertain us; Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, David Beckham, Michael McIntyre, Bruce Forsyth, Donald Trump, Steven Gerrard...and many, many more. It was entertainment at its best; great impressions with sharp wit. Leaving the crowd baying for more, the act ended with a superb tribute to the talents and subjects of Mike Yarwood, the grandfather of modern British impressionism. It was a tour de force!
The Mistress and I felt this was a marvellous day of fellowship, fun and charity. Over £8,500 was raised, a sum that will be donated to the Benevolent Fund of the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders. Thank you Gang of 3+1, thank you Jon Culshaw and thank you to everyone supporting this remarkable event.