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Arrival of Sheriffs and Consorts -
Meeting the guard! -
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The sheriffs, consorts and Pearly Kings and Queens -
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The Guildhall as disco -
Master Wheelwright, Carolyn and Mistress Plumber
Sheriffs Ball
20th September 2024Guildhall
Along with nearly 450 other guests, we attended the Sheriffs Ball, the final big charity event of the current Sheriffs, at the Guildhall. The theme was the "Best of British" with a Jaguar E-type, a Rolls-Royce and a Routemaster bus parked outside the Guildhall and Pearly Kings and Queens inside.
Theoretically it was a black tie event, but there were some significant "Best of British" deviations from the standard which made it a very colourful evening.
After a drinks reception in the Crypts, we sat down at the main hall on a Livery table, which included the Master and Mistress Wheelwrights (our next door neighbours), the Immediate Past Master and Consort of the Water Conervators (also from nearby), and the Masters and Mistresses from the Furniture Makers and the Plumbers.
Besides great food, the entertainment included a very good band during the meal (which meant we could dance between courses!) and finally music from the combined efforts of a DJ, saxophonist and electric violinist which kept us going until departure time. Fortunately, the music was aimed at our generation so we all recognised the songs and could sing along to words helpfully provided.
The main objective of the event was to raise funds for the Sheriff and Recorders fund, to help prisoners leaving prison to avoid reoffending, and this was done by a silent auction of promises, which raised over £40,000, and a true or false competition which raised over £8,000. Along with the event ticket fees, this will have raised a substantial amount of money for the charity, which as we know is sorely needed.