January Court and Dinner

Sunday 27th January 2013

Our January Court and Dinner took place at Saddlers Hall on January 23rd, the first January Dinner to benefit from our new policy of being free to take our Members and their Guests wherever the Master chooses. This also enables us to select halls with good outdoor smoking facilities, something appreciated by our smoking members, even in the depths of winter.

The principal guests were John Noble of the British Brands Group, who spoke about the threat to other categories that was all too likely to follow should plain packaging be introduced for tobacco products, and HE the Cuban Ambassador. Her Excellency took notes on the Loving Cup ceremony and, with any luck, the Cuban version will have a mojito in it.

The toast to the Guests was beautifully proposed by Assistant Alan Porter and we were splendly looked after by the staff and caterers at Saddlers, the whole evening being magnificently rounded off by a stunning Post-Horn Gallop from the Salon Orchestra of the London Banqueting Ensemble under the direction of Steve Fletcher.

A great start to the year, full of the good fellowship inherent in tobacco, as we welcomed three new Freemen and three new Liverymen.