Furniture Makers’ Dinner
16th October 2023Furniture Makers’ Hall
It was wonderful to be invited to Master Furniture Makers dinner. Amanda was one of the first Masters I met days after I was Installed. She and I bonded over our impending Masters weekend away in Glasgow. We look for one another and save seats when possible. We are close together in the Order of Precedence, which makes life much easier when I am trying to find my place!!!
Like Goldilocks and the three bears, the Furniture Makers’ Hall is just right. There is a sense of intimacy and modernity, like my favourite pieces of furniture. Amanda embodies the welcoming feeling and treated us all to a fabulous evening. I sat next to a gentleman who auctions off furniture from hotels. I learned that one famed property will be undergoing a refurbishment only seven years since their last one. We discussed the concept of bed and breakfast owners literally ‘buying a room’. We even delved into the price of some of those five star mattresses!
Amanda honoured a representative of the No 25 Squadron RAF, their military affiliation and recognised her new Freemen and Liverymen. One of the new Liverymen delivered a remarkable impromptu thank you speech. Amanda then continued her great speech, citing her grandchildren, which I particularly appreciated.
The formal part of the evening closed with a stirrup cup and on my part a discussion about chickens. A perfect way to end a wonderful evening as I departed to go home to the aforementioned chickens!