The Company of Watermen & Lightermen – Masters & Clerks St George’s Day Lunch
26th April 2022The Clerk and I were delighted to attend the Watermen and Lightermen’s St George’s Day lunch, along with the Masters and Clerks of 36 other Companies. We were greeted at the door by the most recent winner of the prestigious Doggett’s Coat and Badge race who, this year, happens to be the nephew of the current Master, Derek Mann. Talking of family connections, I was particularly pleased to meet Elizabeth Garner, recently installed Master Poulter, who is the sixth generation of her family to hold that office, and who is the niece of our own PM Julian Keevil. I was sat next to the Prime Warden of the Shipwrights, Laura Bugden, who was 10 days into her term of office, and opposite Sarah Murname, the new Clerk of the Fruiterers, who was only four weeks into her new role. I felt like quite an old hand. We were all given a red rose to mark the occasion, and (naturally) fed roast beef. It was a lovely afternoon, marred only by my need to be back in the Office for a meeting …