TheWorshipfulCompany ofBlacksmiths

Newsletter33rd Issue

December 2008Editor:

Nigel Whitehead

Published by: The Publicity and Public Relations Committee,Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, 48 Upwood Road, Lee, London SE12 8AN

www.blacksmithscompany.org.uk

On Other Pages

The New Prime Warden 2

The Election Court 2008 2

St Nicholas Cole Abbey Appeal 2

Trafalgar Night Dinner 3

Charitable Trust 4

The Waverley paddle steamer trip 4

Shepherding Blacksmiths 5

Singing in the rain 5

The Prime Warden’s Report 6-7

List of events attended 7

Awards 8-9

Profile – Paul Allen 10-11

New Liverymen 11

Michelle Jayne Parker 12

Support our Blacksmiths 12

A Boone for Barker 13

BABA Pillar of Friendship 13

The Elworthy Trophy 14

Deputy Lieutenant Appointment 14

Vulcan Bomber Restoration 14

Gabriel Masterclasses 14

Edenbridge & Oxted Show 15

Competition Prize Money 15

DSO for Liveryman 15

Camilla Botnar Foundation Cup 15

Diary of Events 2009 16

Show dates 16

The Company Shop 16

Table centrepiece withforged figurines

2Photography by M. O’Sullivan

Keith Gabriel MSc., D.I.C.,CGeol., F.G.S., was installed asPrime Warden on 31st July

2008. His election marks a uniqueoccurrence in the history of TheWorshipful Company of Blacksmiths;his father, Ralph, who was PrimeWarden in 1988/89 is still an activeMember of theCourt andhis elder son,Hugh, was admitted as a Liverymanof the Company at the MichaelmasCourt. One of Keith’s ancestors, SirThomas Gabriel, was Lord Mayor ofthe City of London in 1866/67.Keith was educated at Oundle

where he was awarded a Royal NavyFlying Scholarship and gained hisPrivate Pilot’s Licence. After Oundlehe gained degrees in Geology atOxford Brookes and EngineeringGeology at Imperial College. Hepractises as a consultant engineeringgeologist and has almost thirty yearsexperience in providing specialistadvice and services to the constructionand building industries. He has

provided expert advice for litigations,arbitrations and public inquiries andhas given evidence in the High Court.Keith established his own consultancyin February this year.He is Chairman of the Ground

Forum, an umbrella organisationthat brings together the Chairmenand Presidents of associated tradeassociations and learned societies,which lobbies Government and thewider industry on behalf of the

ground engineering community.Keith lives in the heart of the

Kentish Weald in the village ofBenenden with his wife, Diana. Theyhave three children; Hugh whoworks as an environmental scientist,Catherinewho is studying at theRoyalAgricultural College and John, theyoungest, who lives with his parentsand is a computer fanatic. Keith’smainrecreational passion is sailing his ownFlying 15 and, inmost years, spendinga week or two cruising with his familyin a chartered yacht.

Prime Warden Keith Gabriel

Three generations: Prime Warden Keith Gabriel,his father, Past Prime Warden Ralph Gabriel,

and son, Liveryman Hugh Gabriel

The New Prime Warden

St Nicholas Cole AbbeyAs Church Warden of the

Blacksmiths’ Parish Church, StAndrew by the Wardrobe, I wasasked if I would consider becomingthe ParishClerk of one of the parishesheld by St Andrew by the Wardrobe.Most of the parishes are dormant andthe role of Clerk is merely symbolic.However, I was offered St NicholasCole Abbey, which for the thirdpossibly the fourth time in its history,was “rising from the ashes”.

St Nicholas Cole Abbey in QueenVictoria Street was first mentionedin 1144. It burnt down in 1666 andwas rebuilt by Sir ChristopherWren. In 1881 church attendancehad dwindled to two then, in 1883,a new rector was appointed whoinstalled a bar and arranged a goodmusical programme and by 1891 thecongregation exceeded 450! In 1941the church was badly damagedduring the blitz and remained as a

Past Prime Warden John Barber

St Nicholas Cole Abbey

At the Election Court held on 31st July retiring PrimeWarden, John McCuin, thanked the Wardens and all

members of the Court for their support and camaraderiethroughout the year.Mr Keith Ralph Gabriel having previously been

nominated asPrimeWarden for the year ensuingwasunani-mously elected to that office.Alderman Sir David

William Brewer was electedRenter Warden, Mr JohnSpencerMcCuinwas electedThird Warden and MrRichardChellewwas electedFourth Warden.The Prime Warden then

put the following resolution

to the Court “That thegrateful thanks of this Courtbe and are hereby tenderedto Mr John Leslie Barber forthe very able manner inwhich he has discharged theseveral duties pertaining tothe office of Warden and for

the great interestshown by him inallmatters affecting thewelfare of theCompany”.The resolution was passed unanimously byacclamation.The Father of the Company, Past Prime

Warden Mr P N G Rayner and the Clerk, Citizenand Blacksmith, Mr C R Jeal were bothunanimously elected to continue in theirrespective offices.The Court

The Election Court 2008

The Indian Necklace traditionally wornby the Prime Wardenʼs wife on formal

occasions is passed to Diana Gabriel byPast Prime Wardenʼs wife, Judy McCuin

3

shell until being restored to theoriginal plan of Sir Christopher Wrenin 1962. Sadly the church was closedsome years ago and has remainedunused since.Now, thanks to the efforts of the

Culham Institute which has taken a125 years lease of the building andthe generous support of AldermanGordon Haines and his wife,Caroline, St. Nicholas Cole Abbey hasa future. It is to become the NationalCentre for Religious Education wherechildren and teachers can developtheir understanding of Christianity

and other world faiths. It will alsobecome the home base for theReligious Education Council and hostnational and regional meetings,lectures and seminars.I am the Chairman of the

Fundraising Committee and the onlyjob I have is to raise £7million!Fundraising events are already in fullswing and if any member of theLivery would like to visit thiswonderful building and or make acontribution towards the cost of itsrestoration please e-mail me atjohnbarber@lmkendon.co.uk. Visualisation of the completed interior

Trafalgar Night Dinner 2008

The “Old Royal Naval College” is not quite as it was.The famous “Chalk Walk”, an underground tunnellinking two wings of Christopher Wren’s buildings

containing the main reception room (the bar) and thedining room (the Painted Hall) is suffering badly fromdamp and in place of the gimlet eyes of many famousadmirals which used to stare down from their portraitshung in the alcoves, bare plaster or peeling whitewashgape at the passer-by.However, like many a faded aristocrat the old Palace

carries its worn suit well and itsbest clothes are very good indeed;the Chapel and the Painted Hallare world class. In these historicsurroundings the Prime Wardenand 50 Blacksmiths and theirguests gathered with 360 othersto celebrate Nelson’s great victoryand his death at the battle ofTrafalgar 203 years ago. Havingtaken our seats in the breath-taking Painted Hall, we weretreated to the full panoply oftradition and ceremony. Militarybands are in short supply and theorganisers did well to enlist theorchestra of the Royal Artillery.It must be difficult being abandsman at a dinner such asthis, where music competes withconversation and the generalgoings-on of the serving and consumption of good food andwine, but the balance of volume and content was just right.Dressed in Nelsonian naval uniform, the Sea Cadets

added a great deal of colour to the evening. Lined up at theentrances to the public rooms at the start, they paraded anunlikely looking “Baron of Beef” around the Painted Hallbefore dinner was served and generally added a veryyouthful, enthusiastic and traditional naval presence.There has been so much written and said about Nelson’s

life, courage, leadership, morals and tactics that therewould seem little new left to say. But originality is notreally the aim of the speech dedicated to “The Immortal

Memory” and Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham did usproud with words not only thought provoking but just asimportantly, not too prolific! The dinner had been in fullswing for a couple of hours by now, so your reporter’sability accurately to recall the facts had somewhatdiminished! In most cases however, the impression that aspeech leaves is more important than its content and thisone left a perception of considerable knowledge of thesubject and one very different insight into Nelson’s tactics.It seems that Nelson’s famous pre-battle conferences with

his captains had a central theme.In the knowledge that any singleRN ship was more than amatch for its enemy equivalent,the plan concentrated on how tocreate chaos in the opposition’sformation in order to maximisethe chances of one-on-onecontests with the invariable out-come. This worked well evenwhen ship numbers were not inhis favour and Nelson’s tacticalbrilliance was in exploiting hisfleet’s advantages irrespective ofthe deployment of the enemy.A master class in perfect

timing followed, courtesy of fiveteenagers from the Corps ofDrums of the Royal HospitalSchool, who should have felt athome since their school was

based at the ORNC until the Navy arrived in 1869.Their impressively disciplined drumming was giventhunderous applause, which only died down when wewere led by a delightfully sonorous baritone soloistthrough a few sea shanties, which at least made us allfind our reading glasses before the evening was roundedoff by the serenity of a Sunset ceremony, albeit somehours after sunset! It had been a truly splendid eveningworthy of any hosted in the Painted Hall during its124 years of Naval stewardship. It would be hard tobetter, but the next opportunity should be eagerlyanticipated.

Liveryman Peter Hurford

The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

4

I last wrote about the Charitable Trust/Bursary Scheme inmy capacity as Chairman of the Trust two years ago andbelieve the time is right toprovidea reviewof the funding.The Trust has been most fortunate, having been in a

position to award five new bursaries following receipt of adonation made by a newly admitted Liveryman and also agenerous, anonymous donation – all of which is wonderful.However, the Trust still needs to raise funds if it is tocontinue awarding bursaries to trainee blacksmiths whomight otherwise be unable to continue their studies.This is an appeal to all Members of the Company. Have

you thought about donating £5 or £10 per month to thisworthwhile cause? Ten Liverymen, eachmaking a donationof £10 per month to the Charitable Trust, would providesufficient funds after the Trust had reclaimed the tax underthe Government Gift Aid scheme for the Livery to awardanother bursary.If you speak to those who have given bursaries they will

tell you of their joy at hearing “their” student speaking onWoman’s Hour or seeing Jenny Pickford or Bex Simon, twobursary students, exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Showand Hampton Court and winning awards.

It is not only bursaries that the Trust provides. There arethree categories of grantsmade to other organisations. Thereis the ‘standing’ list where the Company supports Citycharities, such as the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the CityBranch of the British Legion among others.The members of the Charity Committee will consider

other appeals but many have to be disappointed because oflack of funds. Finally, the PrimeWarden has funds allocatedto him to support causes especially important to him. Thismay be something like support for a small cancer charity orone of the many charities dedicated to helping children. Theannual report shows the breadth of this support.If you would like to make a contribution these are some

of the ways this can be done:• Small donations under the Gift Aid scheme • Monthlystanding order payments under the Gift Aid scheme•Remembering theCharitableTrust in yourwill •Considernamingabursary after a lovedone •Namingabursary afteryour business.Tohelp youa combinedbank instruction andGiftAid form

is enclosed. Please do support our wide-ranging work bycompleting the form and returning it to the Clerk.

Charitable Trust Chairman: Past Prime Warden John Barber

The ‘Waverley’ takes members of the Company tosee the Tale of two Cities Fourth Warden Richard Chellew

After joining the Prime Warden and his Lady forsupper at Zizzi’s in St Katharine’s Dock the PrimeWarden’s party made their way down to Tower pier

to board the ‘Waverley’. It is difficult to do anything in theCity of London without being submersed in the past andthis was no exception. Here we were leaving a dock thathad been built by French prisoners of war to join a vesselthat had been built to replace an earlier vessel with thatname that sunk off Dunkirk in 1940.Once on board this fine paddle steamer I was interested

to see how she intended to leave the pier. Vessels of this ageoften have difficulty in docking or leaving their berthespecially in currents as strong as thosein the Thames. But I had no reason tofear because as she let go of her bowlinesher nose swung round into the centre ofthe river andwith amassive churning ofher paddles we were off. Then with thattremendous feeling of excitement andwith her decks vibrating to themovement of her engines she signalledTower Bridge that she wished to pass. Itwas only then as we made our finalapproach to pass under Tower Bridgethat I noticed a tugmaking itsway in theother direction and I could not helpwondering if theMasterof that tug had been keeping a weathered eye on us.It was now time for refreshments and those of us who

had remained on deck to witness our departure made ourway below to join the others in a saloon that wasdominated by loud music courtesy of the jazz bandCopperrail Jazz but the atmosphere was fun. We wereseated not far from a group of cockneys who whilst notyoung were energetic and they managed to jive all eveningonly occasionally stopping to take in alcoholic refreshment.

However, to my mind the real fun was taking place ondeck. Dusk was approaching and as we were given ourfirst glimpse of Canary Wharf, the scale of new buildingsbecomes apparent. Then on to Greenwich where inaddition to the usual setting of the Royal Naval College wewere treated to a fully illuminated Ferris wheel and a greenlaser beam representing the meridian line. I must confess itseemed strange to sail under the meridian line as opposedto sailing over it. From there we passed through theThames Barrier; another impressive piece of engineeringwithout which parts of London would, on high springtides, begin to resemble Venice. It was not long after that

we found ourselves headed for home.But the most amazing surprise was

passing Canary Wharf on the returnjourney. It was now late evening andwith the lights twinkling from theirenormous tower blocks that seemstretch from the stars down to the riverfrontage I found it breathtakingequalling anything I had seen in NewYork or Hong Kong. I think that insomeway it was a bit of a shockbecause it is so different from the City Ihad grown up in and I could not help

wondering what the inhabitants of this newconglomeration would have made of the WorshipfulCompany of Blacksmiths.The evening was now drawing to a close and as we

passed under Tower Bridge I noticed that the tug I hadseen at the start of our journey was quietly stemming thetide in mid river. As I continued to watch the tug slowlycrossed the river to gently nudge us alongside our berth.Safely tied up I now looked up to see the familiar sightof the City I knew and loved, we were home.

The paddle steamer Waverley passing underTower Bridge

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Shepherding Blacksmiths

Tuesday 29th April found Wardens, members of theCourt and Liverymen (ranging in age from 80+down) in St Andrew’s Church being welcomed by

the Rector who explained “What We Are Doing – AndWhy”. It was the beginning of a memorable evening.After theAlderman of Castle BaynardWard had read the

Proclamation we followed the crucifer out of the church.Singing heartily accompanied by pipe and tabor thegathering straggled out to beat the bounds of this ancientparish, which combines more than nine of the tiny ancientparishes of mediaeval London. At key points on theboundaries we learned from experts something of thehistory of these parishes and its buildings. The officeof state that was “the Great Wardrobe”, the importance ofDoctors’ Commons, the place and purpose of the Collegeof Arms. We heard of the plans for the Wren church ofSt Nicholas Cole Abbey, stopped to reflect on the pastby St Ann’s Churchyard and thought of Shakespeare inPlayhouse Yard. Before we reached our last stopping by StPaul’s Cathedral we had paused at Apothecaries Hall, theoldest livery hall in the City, built between 1669 and 1671and relatively undamaged in the Second World War as a500lb bombmercifully failed to explode.But wewere not passive participants. When commanded

by the Parade Marshal ”Now let us beat this mark” we

ritually beat the ground with our wands proclaiming withconviction three times “Cursed is he that removeth hisneighbour’s land-mark”. We sang with enthusiasm but thesinging of the English Chamber Choir was superb and wemarvelled at the energetic display of sword dancing by EastSaxon Sword at our final halt.As Robert Frost said “Good fences make good

neighbours” and it required no less an adjudicator than theDean of St Paul’s to mediate when the Rector of St Bride’sand his supporters contested the rights of the Rector ofSt Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe.But why “Singing in the rain”? If you were not in the

City on the evening of 29th April you may not be awarethat it gave new meaning to the description AprilShowers. The English Chamber Choir sang gallantly frommusic that threatened to dissolve into pulp. We attractedsome stares as this motley gathering; some in colourfulcostume, others with traditional umbrellas, rain soakedovercoats and a variety of other wet weather gear,traipsed the narrow streets of the City increasinglyresembling drowned rats. We looked for any shelter at thevarious halts and Temple Bar was a welcome sight. But itwas enormous fun; there is a certain camaraderie in beingtotally soaked and I, for one, would be pleased to do itagain.

Marion Whitehead

Liveryman Jacqueline MinchintonSinging in the RainQuestion:What combines a religious service, mini–lectures, concerts and an evening stroll in pleasant company.

Answer: Beating the bounds of St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe with St Ann Blackfriars.

On Friday 19th September theWorshipful Company of WorldTraders organised a rare

spectacle; the re-enactment of the‘right’ of a Freeman of the City ofLondon to herd sheep over LondonBridge. The Worshipful Company ofBlacksmiths provided an impressivelylarge contingent to join in and helpraise funds for the Lord Mayor’sAppeal.The excitement started with the

Company of Pikemen assembling tothe roll of drums, dressed in brilliantred with breastplates gleaming. Theirsalute to the Lord Mayor (alsoresplendent in scarlet and with themost extravagantly feathered tricornhat) was touching as they rested theirpikes and muskets and bowed theirheads.The fifteen sheep from Romney

Marsh arrived looking bemused bythe traffic and the drumming, heldon red ropes by their handlers so thelucky Freemen didn’t have to domuch actual driving – we were toldthat, if off the lead and frightened,

they were capable of leaping thebarriers into the traffic or the Thames– the sheep that is not the Freemen.In black and gold, the Blacksmithslooked imposing and as dignified aspossible under the circumstances.

Not all the other Liverymen weregowned but many had taken theopportunity to dress up with two

Little Bo Peeps, plenty of lads andlasses in smocks or mop caps,country ‘gents’ in tweeds with bootsor wellies, and one delightful wolf insheep’s clothing.After the strain of herding their five

sheep across the bridge most of theBlacksmiths and their supporters feltthe need of sustenance and repaired toLe Coq d’Argent, attracting curiousglances as they navigated the work-day City streets to return their robes toPainters Hall clutching, as one was,a large shepherd’s crook. Given theturmoil in the financial world aroundus, the calm serenity of lunch on theroof of No. 1 Poultry amongst vines,trim lawns andmanicured box hedgeswas a surreal experience.The Worshipful Company of World

Traders are to be congratulated on animpeccably organised event whichraised £50,000 for the Lord Mayor’sAppeal – a truly remarkable result.Later theMistressWorldTraderwas sokind as to say that had there been ateam prize then the Blacksmithswould have won it.

Fourth Warden Richard Chellew leads the Liverywith their sheep over London Bridge

Photograph by kind permission of Gerald Sharp Photography

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St Nicholas Cole Abbey

To serve as Prime Warden of ourancient and honourable livery isa fantastic privilege. At the time

of writing in late November I amalmost a third of the way through myterm of office and enjoying everymoment!Serving for several years as a Court

Assistant, followed by two years asFourth Warden and Renter Warden,helps prepare one for the role of PrimeWarden but several aspects of the rolehave come as very nice surprises.Particularly pleasant is the friendlinessand family-like atmosphere amongstfellow Prime Wardens, Masters andother Civic Dignitaries. Then there isthe enormous variety of events towhich a PrimeWarden is invited.I have attended forty eight Livery

events in my first four monthsincluding thirty eight, hosted byothers, representing the Company, aslisted, two Worshipful Company ofBlacksmiths’ social events and sevenWCB Court or committee meetings.If I were to choose a special event

from all these it would be ourMichaelmas Court andAwards Lunch.Why? Simply because the atmosphereof support by the working smiths forthe award winners was quiteexceptional; there was rapturousapplause for ‘Mac’ Head on receivinghis Companion of the WCB award,and for Michelle Parker, who becamethe first lady working blacksmithLiveryman when she was admittedinto the Livery during the lunchitself. The Master of another LiveryCompany present as a guestcommented more than once on thestrength of support between thesmiths. I have since received manyletters from those present thanking theCompany for an outstanding event. Areport on the Awards and Michelle’sadmission appears elsewhere in thisNewsletter.Our two social events to date, the

cruise on the paddle-steamer,Waverley, and the Trafalgar NightDinner, are also reported elsewhere inthis Newsletter. Suffice it to say bothwere very happy occasions which mywife, Diana, and I enjoyed immensely,and both were supported superbly bytheLivery, forwhich I ammost grateful.

The events at which the PrimeWarden represents the Company fallinto five broad categories.

Blacksmithing Craft EventsSupporting our craft and participatingin the civic life of the City are theCompany’s most important functions.The BABA (British Artist BlacksmithsAssociation) ‘AGM’, which isprimarily a large forge-in combinedwith a superb exhibition, provided agreat first event in my year just twodays after the Election Court. It washeld at the Weald & DownlandMuseum, Singleton, where 24 forgeshad been set up beneath temporaryawnings. Despite typical 2008 summerweather – wet – everyone was in highspirits and focussed on the collectivecreation of a series of trail marker postsfor the museum. When a rest from theanvil was required, there were guestpresenters, including our own HectorCole FWCB, bladesmith Owen Bushand Bogdan Popov from the Kiev FolkMuseum, describing specialisttechniquesOther craft-related events included

the last two County Shows on theNational Blacksmiths Competitioncircuit for 2008, the Edenbridge &Oxted and the Dorset County. For theDorset County Show Simon Grant-Jones pulled out all the stops despitemud-bath conditions (courtesyofmoreappalling weather) to provide anexcellent competition and, inconjunction with the Blacksmiths’Guild, a fine display of ironwork.As Prime Warden, I was invited to

Lucy Quinnell’s Fire & Iron Gallery onthe occasion of an official visit by HRHthe Duke of Gloucester. The Duke wasso impressed by Lucy’s gallery, wherethe work of some 200 smiths isdisplayed, that he requested a privatereturn visit.In early November the Company

hosted a lunch for various membersof BABA with the intention ofstrengthening links between BABAand the WCB, and thanking Terry andSally Clark for all they have achievedduring their tenure as editors of ArtistBlacksmith, BABA’s superb, world-leading blacksmithing magazine. Theoccasion also provided an opportunity

to meet the new editor, Proctor Taylor.Our own Newsletter is now beingcirculated to all BABAmembers and itis hoped that the relationship will gofrom strength to strength.

Civic FunctionsThe election of the Lord Mayor is agrand civic occasion when all PrimeWardens, Masters, Aldermen andother dignitaries process fully robedinto Guildhall. The speeches deliveredby the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffsgave an insight into the particularchallenges of the past year for theMayoralty.The most memorable civic event so

far was undoubtedly the SilentCeremony in the Guildhall at whichthe Lord Mayor takes office. Dianaand I were fortunate to be includedamongst the Lord Mayor Elect’ssupporters and were seated on thedais just two rows behind the LordMayor so we were very close to the‘action’. Other than the new LordMayor swearing the oath theceremony is conducted entirely in analmost reverential silence. In completecontrast there was a party-likeatmosphere afterwards in GuildhallYard and on the Routemaster buses,laid on by the Lord Mayor, which tookus to the West London Synagogue fora service of unity.“St Paul’s will become your second

home” I had been told before takingoffice. What a second home! To date,I have had the pleasure of attendingsix events there including a specialreception in September thanking thoseLivery Companies which support theCathedral. The Worshipful Companyof Blacksmiths was the secondcompany to be acknowledged, in ourcase for thedonationmade towards thecost of refurbishing the gates of theSouth Churchyard.The service in the Cathedral

marking the 100th Anniversary of theImperial Society of Knights Bachelor,in the presence of HM The Queen, wasanother occasion of grand pageantryand included a very powerful addressby the Bishop of London.

Livery EventsIt would be invidious to select

The Prime Warden’s Report

7

particular events for special praise. I,together with either Diana or ChrisJeal, have been superbly entertained atall the lunches, dinners and receptionswe have attended as official guests.The spirit of fraternity, one of theLivery movement’s early principles, isalive and well.

Events linked to Organisationssupported byWCBThree events warrant special mention.First was the 100th AnniversaryReception for the Reserve Forces andCadets Association (RFCA), where thehost for the evening was our RenterWarden, Sir David Brewer, in hiscapacity asChairmanof theRFCA. TheReserve Forces are now undertakingnot only front line duties in Iraq andAfghanistan, but also the training ofregular soldiers.The Company provided sponsor-

ship for the Elworthy Trophy reportedelsewhere in this Newsletter.Dinner with REME, the Royal

Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, onthe evening of our Awards Lunch wasanother memorable occasion. TheCorps entertains in style. We are usedto hearing the Posthorn Gallop playedon natural trumpets at our AnnualBanquet with Steven Fletcher – that isdifficult enough – to add an extrachallenge, REME’s musicians playedit on AK47s and Lee Enfields withno modification other than fittingmouthpieces to the muzzles of theweapons! On retiring in the earlyhours, leaving several officers still infull flow, I made a mental note thatthere were two more black tie dinnersto attend in the next 30 hours. Tomis-quote Gilbert & Sullivan, a PrimeWarden’s lot is a very happy one!

Charitable EventsCharitable events have included two insupport of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.On 19th September, a gloriously sunnyautumn day, a party of Blacksmiths,many robed, assembled at LondonBridge to take part in the Sheep Driveorganised by theWorshipful Companyof World Traders, a report of whichappears elsewhere in this Newsletter.The second event was the Grand

Finale concert in St Paul’s organised bythe former Lord Mayor Alderman,David Lewis, to conclude his Appeal.Fabulous violin playing by Catherine

Pike made it an evening to beremembered.So, having provided a flavour of my

activities representing the Companyover the past four months, what liesahead?The Court has approved a reduction

in fines for admission to the Livery formedal holders, Companions andworking smiths. It is hoped this willincrease further our active engagementwith the craft.The ‘Guns and Knives into Roses’

event at Odessa Street Youth Club,reported in the last edition of theNewsletter, showed that giving youngpeople an opportunity to try hands- onforging is a way of engaging withthem.Asimilar event is planned for theNew Year at Surrey Docks Farm andthe concept has been put to MayorBoris Johnson as it fits well with hiscampaign against gang violence. TheCompany cannot fund these eventsLondon-wide, but can facilitate themin conjunction with the relevant localauthorities and other agencies, so thisis seen as an exciting opportunity forblacksmiths to “make a real difference”within London’s communities.An initiative to fund an annual

blacksmithing Masterclass for traineesmiths has been launched with detailsof this elsewhere in the Newsletter.An Events Committee is being

established and, in conjunction withthe Learned Clerk, will organise lessformal social events. Amajor objectiveof this Committee will be to increasethe involvement of the Livery in affairsof the Company, so all Liverymen andactiveFreemenwill be contacted induecourse to seek their views on the typeof events they would be interested inattending.If you would like to be involved

with any of these initiatives pleasecontact either the Clerk or me.I would also encourage everyone in

the Livery to visit at least one of theCounty Shows next year where theCompany is represented; a list of theShows and their dates will be found onthe back page of the Newsletter. Thedisplays of ironwork at the Shows areimpressive and the smiths alwaysappreciate the support of the Livery,whether or not the Show is on theNational Blacksmiths Competitioncircuit. You might also find the idealand unique birthday present for your

nearest and dearest on sale in theblacksmithing display!I wish you all a wonderful

Christmas and prosperous New Year,and look forward to welcoming you toWCB events in 2009.

List of events at whichthe Prime Warden hasrepresented the CompanyAugust to November 2008BABAAGM & Forge-Inat Weald & Downland MuseumWorshipful Society Apothecaries DinnerEdenbridge & Oxted Show“The Army for Today” Receptionat Skinners HallVisit to Jubilee Sailing Trust’s TS“Tenacious” at Canary WharfDorset County ShowWC Gunmakers Lunch and tour ofProof HouseWC Upholders’ DinnerSheep drive across London Bridge(WC World Traders)St Paul’s - Recital & Receptionfor supportersElection of the Lord MayorReserve Forces & Cadets Association –Centenary Reception at HACWC Musicians Evensong & buffet supperat St PaulsWC Butchers Court & Livery LuncheonCity University –Vice-Chancellor’s AddressElworthy Sword tri-service competition –at Crowborough CampWC Painter-Stainers – Art in City 2008receptionWC Security Professionals Annual Dinnerat GuildhallGuild of Freemen: Reception & BeatingRetreat at Guildhall YardFire & Iron – HRHDuke of Gloucester’s visitRAF Benevolent Fund’s 90th Anniversaryat Imperial War MuseumConstruction Livery Group’s – AwardsCeremony at Glaziers HallREME DinnerArmy Benevolent Fund receptionat Household Cavalry barracksPoppy Appeal Service, St Paul’sWCB-BABA Lunch at Butchers HallLord Mayor’s Grand Finale Concertat St Paul’sThe Silent CeremonyService of Thanksgiving at West LondonSynagogueLord Mayor’s ShowWC Clockmakers’ Dinner at Mansion HouseImperial Society of the Knights Bachelor –100th Anniversary service @ St Paul’sLynn Painter-Stainers’ Prize 2008 –Private ViewLord Mayor’s briefing at Mansion HouseMusicians Benevolent Fundat Westminster CathedralMBF Festival lunch @ Banqueting House,WhitehallWC Cutlers‘ Court Dinner at Cutlers’ HallSt Paul’s 300th Anniversary Appeal ChoralEvensong/Reception for Donors

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Diploma of Merit A.W.C.BTo obtain the Diploma, the blacksmith will have had many yearsexperience and shown competence in making different types of articleusing a range of techniques. Whilst by this stage in his career theblacksmith will have developed his own ‘style’ he must also be able tofollow accurately the designs of others.Blacksmiths’ Company Army CupThanks to the enthusiasm of David Waight, an army blacksmithinginstructor, the competition for this award has been incorporated intotheNewForest Showwhich he organises. Competition is fierce andweare grateful to the Army for releasing soldiers from postingsthroughout the world to ensure an effective contest.Paul Allen AwardLiveryman Paul Allen was commissioned by the Victoria & AlbertMuseum to make a bench for its Metals Gallery and chose to pass hisfee to the Company so that a cash award could bemade to a student onthe New Entrants Training Scheme (NETS). The award winner ischosen by Paul Allen as Senior Tutor on the course.Stanley Allcard CupThis cup is awarded to a student at the National School ofBlacksmithing in Hereford at the discretion of the tutors. It waspresented in memory of Stanley Allcard who was Prime Warden in1961. His son, Peter, held that office in 2001.JohnWebb CupThe Cup is awarded to a student at Warwickshire College at thediscretion of the tutors. It was presented, by his widow, in memory ofLiveryman JohnWebb, who was a member of the Craft Committee.National Championship BlacksmithThe title is awarded to the smith who wins or is runner-up in amaximum number of competitions at designated County Shows. TheNational Blacksmith Championship Committee approves theparticipating shows. The winner is presented with the NationalChampionshipBlacksmithCup, a cashprize, a plaque and a certificate.The Reserve (runner-up) also receives a cash prize and a plaque.Champion BlacksmithThe title is awarded to the smith receiving the highest total of pointsfrom all the County Shows that run a ‘hot’ or live forging competition.The winner is presented with a cash prize and a plaque. The Reserve(runner-up) also receives a cash prize and a plaque.Companion of TheWorshipful Company of Blacksmiths C.W.C.B.This appointment is for men andwomenwhomay not be blacksmithsbut who have given outstanding service to the craft over many years.Licentiate L.W.C.B.This is an award for teachers who have spent at least three yearsteaching at a recognised college for blacksmithing. As well asdemonstrating skills as a tutor applicants are expected to haveachieved Bronze Medal standard for their own work.BronzeMedal F.W.C.B.The holder enjoys the title “Master Blacksmith” and will haveproduced a wide range of items including larger pieces anddemonstrated skill in all forging techniques. Individual design skillsmust also have been shown.Silver Medal F.W.C.B.The holder enjoys the title “EminentMaster Blacksmith” andwill havedemonstrated skill in design work and restoration together withknowledge of the craft and its history. Skill and flair in his work willhave been obvious before even being considered for this award.

Award WinRequirements for Awards

Photography by

Presented by The Third Warden

Steven Murphy

STANLEY ALLCARD CUP

Daniel Foreman

CAMILLA BOTNAR CUP

Graham Collis

Christopher Blythman

Keith Mahoney

PAUL ALLEN AWARD

Presented by The Prime WardenDIPLOMA OF MERIT

William Catcheside

James Davies

Ian Moran

nners 2008

9y M. O’Sullivan

NATIONAL CHAMPION BLACKSMITH

Presented by The Chairman of the Craft Committee, Richard Regan

David Harman

CHAMPION BEST BLACKSMITH

Andrew Hall

Simon Grant Jones

RESERVE NATIONALCHAMPION BLACKSMITH

Richard Jones

RESERVE CHAMPIONBLACKSMITH

Presented by The Renter Warden

Staff Sergeant Rory Olney

BLACKSMITHS ARMY CUP

David Cooper

BRONZE MEDAL

John Creed

BRONZE MEDAL

Peter Hill

BRONZE MEDAL

Shona Johnson

BRONZE MEDAL

Michelle Parker

BRONZE MEDAL

Presented by The Prime WardenSILVER MEDAL

Alan Dawson

Phil Johnson

Pete Oberon

Christopher Blythman

Peter Parkinson

TONYPANDY CUP

Assistant Emeritus, TFM “Mac” Head

COMPANIONOF THE

WORSHIPFULCOMPANY OF

BLACKSMITHS

My first “job” of a morning as an apprenticeblacksmith at Cerne Valley Forge was to walk thedogs - around the Cerne Valley giant! My initial

experience in forged work was under Frank Day, theinstructor from COSIRA(Council for Small Industries inRuralAreas), and I will always remembermy first fire weld.Frank, who had been in his office at the time, did not believeit was my own work and made me do it again! He didn’tsuffer fools gladly but, once accepted, you became one of“Frank’s boys”. Frankwas the driving force behind the forge-work courses at Cannington College and through him Ibecame involved at weekends, helpingmake the forges andflues and takingmaterial tomake elementary forgingpieces.During the three day week I asked to use the free days,

supplyingmy ownmaterials, working on something for theShows. As my pushbike wasn’t quite up to carrying afinished sundial, my Father took it to theBath&West Showwhere, tomy surprise,I won overall; at that time there was noNational Champion Award by theCompany. Sir Edward DuCann MP sawthe sundial and wanted one for his wife– my first commission.In 1982, although over age, I was

accepted for the COSIRA NETS (NewEntrants Training Scheme). Under thetuition of Brian Kendall I achieved “BestApprentice” and was presented with myCertificate by Colin Bates and PeterBegent, representing the WorshipfulCompany of Blacksmiths. Three yearslater I was invited to apply for the job asCOSIRA Forgework Adviser and mycareer in training blacksmiths began,carrying on the goodwork of people likeArthur Elwood, Tommy Tucker and Mick Zani who hadbeen the firstAdvisers to the Rural Industries Bureauwhichhad been formed in 1920. My area covered the South ofEngland, running open courses in blacksmithing, givingon-site instruction, developing and running NETS coursesand providing technical advice; it was daunting to givinginstruction, to blacksmiths sometimes twice my age.Eventually I was to cover the whole country following thedeparture of Joe Hanson and Brian Kendall who retiredthrough ill health.My first real contact with the Worshipful Company of

Blacksmiths came in 1988when I arranged awards forNETSapprentices and then, in 1990, when I wasmade a Licentiate(assessed by Frank Day and Tommy Tucker) receiving theDiploma of Merit.Around this time, giving on-site instruction on the Isle of

Wight, I gained a wife! Helena was Managing Director of awelding and engineering company and had asked me totrain her industrial blacksmiths in the finer points ofdecorative work. She eventually moved to the “mainland”and we were married in 1996, despite a warning fromTommy Tucker that “blacksmithing is for life – 24 hours aday, 7 days a week and 365 days a year”.To encourage young blacksmiths to display work at

Shows, Imade a table duringmyholidays andwonNationalChampion Blacksmith in 1994. The table now sits within theentrance lobby of the Hall of the Ironmongers Company,who purchased it after the Worshipful Company ofBlacksmiths’ Awards Ceremony which was held there.The proceeds from the sale were used to establish The PaulAllen Award to be presented to the most improved NETSapprentice. This comprises a small bursary and a certificatepresented annually at the WCB Michaelmas Court andAwards luncheon.During this period my work involved me in many

different facets of the trade; the IronbridgeMuseum hadmedressed up in authentic clothing, passing bilets of ironthrough the rollersmaking lengths of iron; EnglishHeritageasked me to give instruction to their smiths working in theInner Circle of Regents Park on the making of acanthus

leaves for the gates of Kensington Palacewhich were being restored, and theScience Museum asked me to designand make an item of forged workdemonstrating the processes used in ourtrade. My Green Man doorknocker wasincluded in its ten-year exhibition of“Materials and Their Uses”.The Goldsmiths Company and the

V & A Museum were actively involvedin projects helping promote small ruralbusinesses which had apprentices onNETS courses. The former wanted anarch designed and made to completethe landscaping by the WorshipfulCompany of Gardeners of ZacharyGardens, Gresham Street. By this stageI was a Freeman of the WorshipfulCompany of Blacksmiths and had been

awarded its Bronze Medal so was proud to represent theCompany, designing the arch which was thenmade by fourgroups of NETS apprentices. One of the features wasstylised leopards’ head masks representing the Londonassay mark which gave the apprentices an opportunity topractice their repoussé work. The sample mask I had madeand submitted for approval nowhangs above thedoor of theAssay Office (this design is still used by kind permission ofthe Goldsmiths Company as part of the NETS syllabus toteach repoussé) . Fellow blacksmith Steve Rook and PastPrime Warden Hugh Adams kindly assisted with theinstallation of the arch which happened to be on the dayMadonnawas filmingEvita, using theGoldsmithsHall. Hermobile fitting room was parked next to Zachary Gardensand she could be seen sitting under the hairdryer as the JCBlifted the arch into position!Shortly afterwards, the Ironmongers Company

commissioned me to design a bench seat for the IronworkGallery in the V & AMuseum. As well as enabling visitorsto sit in comfort when looking at exhibits, the bench wasto represent the work of apprentice smiths in England.The design incorporated all the main techniques coveredin the NETS syllabus and also contained a repoussé motifincorporating the salamander supporters of the

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Paul C Allen FWCB LWCB LCGI The Paul Allen story

Paul Allen

Photography by M. O’Sullivan

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New Liverymen

Ironmongers Company coat of arms.In 1998 an opportunity arose to buy

a cottage in Motcombe, Dorset, withthe attached forge still operational.Built in 1857, the forge was originally

part of the WestminsterEstate owned by theGrosvenor family. Thiswas a challenging projectas the cottage and forgeneeded much renovation– ceilings were falling in,floor boards were rotten(on the first night our bedfell through the floor) andthe chimney of the forgewas collapsing. Now 12years on the restoration isstill in progress. This

was also a time of great change inmy working life for nothing staysthe same. Following its inception in1920, the Rural Industries Bureaubecame COSIRA, then merged withthe Rural Development Commission,eventually becoming part of the newlyformed Countryside Agency. In 2001the role of the CountrysideAgency changed and train-ing was put out to tender.I was made redundant!Hereford College took

over the NETS under themantle of the NationalSchool ofBlacksmithingandoffered me the role ofconsultant to continuerunning the NETS courses.

During one training session, I foundmyself being interviewed by theWorld Service and Radio 4 (TheWorldToday) in conjunction with the launchof a Report by Professor Collis aboutrural crafts. Also interviewed weresome trainee blacksmiths – a computerprogrammer, a dairy farmer and ajournalist. One of the questions askedwas “Why are you down-skilling” andpart of the answer given was “Thisis the hardest thing we have ever hadto learn!”Havingmy own forge has

brought opportunities toaccept commissions, the firstof which was to make areplica of the City sword onbehalf of the IronmongersCompany, to be presented toSir Michael Oliver on hisinauguration as LordMayor.I felt very privileged to havebeen given this commissionwhich was interesting andchallenging and for which theWorshipful Company of Blacksmiths

subsequently awarded methe Tonypandy Cup inrecognition of the work. ThePlate Butler stood guard forthe full three hours I wastaking measurements fromthe original sword atMansion House and Iremember thinking tomyselfhow tremendously patienthe was!

The second commission was verypoignant. The Director of Trusts fromThe Grosvenor Office felt it wasfitting that as a nationally recognisedblacksmith working from the originalEstate forge, I should be asked to quotefor restoring the grave surround ofthe Marchioness of Westminster inthe local cemetery. This Grade IIlisted monument had been designedin Paris and made by blacksmithsfrom the Bournemouth area. It

was in an advancedstage of decay andmany components neededcompletely remaking, in-cluding the coronetswhich formed part of theWestminster insignia.The NETS courses and

training still play a majorpart in my life and forthe last 23 years I havetaken pleasure in trainingmany blacksmiths and

apprentices, who subsequently setup their own businesses. It is verygratifying when these self samesmiths send their own apprentices tome for training.I believe that the Worshipful

Company of Blacksmiths’ motto “Byhammer and hand all arts do stand” iswhere the true skill of our craft lies andsets blacksmiths apart from othermetal-working industries. The forgingprocess is unique; the blacksmiths trueidentity must never be lost.

Colin Peel was admitted to theLivery at the Midsummer Court. Hewas sponsored by Assistant NigelWhitehead, although Colin had beena frequent guest of other Liverymenover the years. He established hisown audio visual company andspeculated that electronics might bea modern form of blacksmithing.While he was Prime Warden John

Barber was frequently accompaniedby Wendy Anne Thompson to helphim represent the Company. As aresult Wendy has a thoroughgoingknowledge of the Company and theCity and we were pleased towelcome her into the livery. She

explained that as an Australian shehad become fascinated by the Cityof London and its Livery Companieshaving, through her professional life,come to know many Apothecariesand Barber Surgeons.As well as the importance of

the Awards luncheon that followedthe Michaelmas Court anothersignificant event was the admissionto the Livery of a fourth member ofthe Gabriel family. Hugh RalphGabriel was apprenticed to hisfather, the Prime Warden KeithGabriel, and while the indentureperiod ended in October 2007 hisadmission to the Livery was

deferred until his father becamePrime Warden. Watched by hisgrandfather, Past Prime WardenRalph Gabriel, it was a rare momentin the history of the Company asHugh swore the oath and wasclothed by the Beadle.As Court meetings go the

Michaelmas Court was full ofsurprises as the admission ofMichelle Parker to the Liveryshowed. This is detailed separatelyand we wish all the new Liverymena very happy time with theCompany and look forward toseeing them at future Companyevents.

Table centrepiecewith forged figurines

Tiffany lamp

Archway to Zachary Garden,Gresham Street

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There is nothing sinister or secretabout the Ceremony ofAdmission to the Livery which

has been conducted for centuries.The key element is that it has to takeplace at one of the Quarterly CourtMeetings and, as a result, is seldomwitnessed by others than Members ofthe Court, the candidate, his or herfamily, the Clerk and the Beadle.There are five elements:

• The formal introduction of thecandidate and sponsor

• The assurances gained by thePrime Warden of the suitability ofthe candidate and confirmation oftheir wish to become a Liveryman

• The Oath• The introduction to the Membersof the Court

• A speech from the new LiverymanMichelle is the first working lady

blacksmith to be admitted to theLivery. At the Awards luncheon shewas also to be presented with herBronze Medal and the Wardenswanted to ensure that these two eventscoincided. All would have been wellexcept for a minicab driver who reliedon ‘satnav’ rather than a decent map.Allied to the road closures in the city

for the Olympians Parade Michellewas severely delayed in getting to theChamberlain’s Court to receive theFreedom of the City before coming tothe Blacksmiths’ Court for admissionto the livery.Time was running short and there

were awards to be presentedbetween the Court meeting and thepre-luncheon reception. Still no signof Michelle so the Prime Wardensuspended the Court meeting for itto be reconvened after luncheon inthe Dining Room with all theCompany guests, Liverymen and

their guests still present. So it wasthat Michelle was admitted to theLivery when the Court wasreconvened for just that one purpose.Immediately upon its completionthe Prime Warden declared theMichaelmas Court closed.So it was that those present gained

an insight into the ancient ceremonyof admission to the Livery.Despite the unusual nature of her

admission ceremony we welcomeMichelle to the Livery and continuingsuccess as the Senior Tutor ofblacksmithingatWarwickshireCollege.

Michelle Jayne Parker

We are all aware of the difficult financialconditions that seem likely to face everybody.For the self-employed this will add to their

difficulties in securing commissions. There will beopportunities for new works and the Wardens hope thatLiverymen will take the opportunity to promote the skillsof our Liverymen Blacksmiths whenever possible.They have approved the inclusion of a list of Liverymen

Blacksmiths (even though some may be retired) toencourage the promotion of the skills of the craft.Commissions can be discussed with these blacksmiths.While this list has, deliberately, been confined toLiverymen Blacksmiths a more extensive list of craftsmenis available from the Home Page of our Website.

Godfrey South Dartford KentStephen Rook Bushey HertfordshireMichael Roberts Stroud GloucestershireDavid Price New Quay CeredigionBrian Owen Narberth Dyfed

Clive Mockford Peacehaven West SussexSteven Miller Maldon EssexKenneth Miller Langford Maldon EssexEric Lamprell East Grinstead West SussexDerek Lloyd Ledbury HerefordshireRobert Hobbs Upper Langford BristolDavid Harman Brasted KentHector Cole Chippenham WiltshireLeslie Armstrong Hopwath StaffordshireDonald Barker Wigginton YorkshireRichard Bent Modbury DevonPaul Allen Motcombe DorsetMichelle Parker Droitwich WorcestershireSimon Ashby Eardisley HerefordshireWilliam Cordaroy East Ruston NorfolkRodney Cranwell King’s Lynn NorfolkRaymond Jones Burton Hastings WarwickshirePatrick Morrisey Weston-Super-Mare SomersetCharles Normandale Warnford Hampshire

Support our Blacksmiths

Michelle Parker flanked by Prime Warden Keith Gabriel and Past Prime Warden John McCuinafter her admission to the Livery

Christopher Jeal

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Small is most definitely beautiful when it comes toBoone’s Chapel, one of London’s most endangeredbuildings that has recently undergone a £400,000, year

long restoration. This Grade 1 building is named after itsfounder, Sir Christopher Boone, a wealthy London woolmerchant.Christopher Boone was born in Somerset and followed

his father as a wool merchant. He became a Member of theCourt of the East India Company and was subsequentlyadmitted to the Freedomof theCity of London. Christopher,and his wife Mary (nee Brewer) lived for many years at LeePlace an Elizabethan mansion just outside the City in Lee,which is now part of the London Borough of Lewisham.He founded a charity the Deed for which is dated 2nd

June 1683. The charity that bears his name bought land fromMary, Countess of Fevershan and erected, at his own cost,four dwellings intended by him as almshouses “for oneschoolmistress to teach poor children to read and work andsix ancient almspeople (of either sex).” To sustain theirspiritual life he erected a chapel for a Chaplain to read or sayprayers therein and for a clerk to attendhim inthe service.He was buried on 22nd July 1686 in his

chapel. He wanted to ensure that the work ofhis Charity would continue faithfully to hiswishes and, as was quite common practice,appointed a City Livery Company to act asTrustee. This was the Merchant Taylor’sCompany.The red brick chapel dates from 1682 and

stands on Lee High Road in Lewisham. Locallegend has it that Sir ChristopherWren, also amember of the Merchant Taylors’ Company,was commissioned to design and build the chapel althoughit is more likely that his protégé, Robert Hook was thedesigner.Originally built with four adjoining almshouses, Boone’s

Chapel is a single-storey, rectangular building just 45 squaremetres in size. TheChapel is all that remains of the founder’sestate. The design of the exterior is grand and combines finebrickwork with detailing in Portland stone beneath acomplex, pyramidal roof topped by a cupola.The original road took a right-angled turn, up a hill, just

by the chapel. It is recorded that on one occasion acarter coming down the hill could not control his horseand complete the turn and so crashed through the front

doors of the chapel during a service.The chapel which had been used as

a reading roomuntil the secondworldwar was last used in 1945 for acelebration VE Day Service.Restorationbegan in late 2006butwasthen delayed twelve monthsfollowing the discovery of the burialchamber of Sir Christopher Booneand his wife.Court Assistant Don Barker has

worked onmany of the UK’s landmark buildings includingWestminster Abbey, and was commissioned to restore theironwork. He explained “The work consisted of replacingthe windows with exact replicas made with stainless steelframes, The existing leaded lights were carefully removedand where possible the original glass re-used. Two of theoval windows had been glazed directly into the stonesurrounds so replica stainless steel, opening windows hadto be manufactured and fitted to comply with modern-day

building regulations.Early window glass was made by spinning

a lumpofmoltenglass on the endof a roduntilit formed a large circular sheet of glass whichwould then be cut – themost expensive pieceswere the thinnest, clearest sections around theouter edge and the cheapest was the bull’s eyewhich would be sold to the “less well-off”.How times change reflectedDon, pointing outthat a replica bull’s eye window costs moretoday than the perfect glass now used forglazing. Some windows have been fitted witha layer of safety glass for protection and

security.The architect CharlieMacKeith commissionedDon and it

is his architectural practice, ResearchDesign (which he runswith MadelineAdams) that now occupies the chapel.A condition of Heritage Lottery Fund and English

Heritage grants was that the building should be open to thepublic for aminimumof thirty days each year. DuringOpenHouse London weekend in September the chapel attracted1,260 visitors.

Footnote: Our Learned Clerk represents the Ancient Parish ofLee as a Nominator to The Merchant Taylors’ Company when avacancy occurs in the Almshouses.

A Boone for Barker

TheInternational Pillar of Friendshipwasmade duringthe 2007 British Artists Blacksmiths Associationconference and AGM at Ironbridge Gorge Museum,

Shropshire. The conference was organised and run byTerrence Clark and a team of UK Blacksmiths.Under the leadership of Master Smiths from the

UK, Germany, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Chile andthe USA, three hundred smiths from all over the worldgathered and worked collaboratively to forge the fifteenpieces that make up the Pillar of Friendship. Each piecewas designed by the Master Smith to represent his or herown interpretation of the theme of Friendship. Contributing

delegates came from Australia, Belgium,Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France,Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand,Norway, South Africa, Switzerland,Tanzania and Zimbabwe.The aim of BABA is to develop artist

blacksmithing and encourage dialoguebetween people of different culturesthereby helping to break down culturalboundaries.Patrons of the Pillar and event were

David and Rosemary Hufton, from Surrey.

BABA Pillar of Friendship

The restored windows

Booneʼs Chapel on Lee High Roadin South East London

The Pillar ofFriendship on itssite in Liverpool

Sally Clark CWCB

The Company congratulates Past Prime Warden John Barber, M.R.I.C.S., F.A.S.I., F.G.I.S., onhis appointment as Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London. A Deputy Lieutenant is likely to

be one of several deputies to the Lord–Lieutenant. They are chosen by the Lord-Lieutenant toassist him with any duty that may be required of him. They receive their commission only whenthe appropriate Minister communicates that Her Majesty the Queen does not disapprove of theappointment.

The Elworthy Trophy 2008

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In spite of the cold, wet weather an early October weekend threw at the cadets competing for the Elworthy Trophy thisyear, their morale and determination was a credit to every one.The Elworthy Trophy is the Battle of Britain Commemorative Sword presented to the late

Marshall of the Royal Air Force, Lord Elworthy KG GCB CBE DSO MVO DFC AFC. Whenhe retired in 1978 as Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, Lord Elworthy presented hisCommemorative Sword as a trophy for annual competition between cadets of the three servicesfromwithin Greater London.The competition is organised by Lt Col Barry Paddison, Deputy Chief Executive of Reserve

Forces and Cadets Association for Greater London. It is held at Crowborough Camp in Sussexand is keenly contested by all the entrants, including female cadets who have been participatingsince 1984, in the twelve teams (four from each service) taking part. Each team comprises acompulsory age range from twelve to eighteen.The competition is designed to test the skills

included in the syllabus of each organisation and,general physical and mental agility. The eventsinclude drill/turnout, first aid, tackling an assaultcourse, command tasks, orienteering and shooting.

Despite challenging conditions the cadets persevered, showing true grit, tocomplete all the exercises.TheWorshipful Company of Blacksmiths provided sponsorship for the event

and was well represented on both days. The winning team, 241(Wanstead &Woodford) Sqn. ATC, looking immaculate after their earlier muddy escapades,was awarded the trophy by Renter Warden, Alderman Sir David Brewer in hiscapacity as Lord Lieutenant of London.

Nigel Whitehead

Gabriel MasterclassesTocommemorate the installation ofKeith Gabriel as Prime Warden of

the Company while his father, PastPrimeWardenRalphGabriel, remainsa member of the Court, an annualMasterclass isbeingestablishedfunded

by a gift from the Gabriel family.The Masterclass will be open to

apprentice and trainee smiths havingbetween three and five yearsexperience and will be given by aMaster Blacksmith who is a medal

holder of the Worshipful Company ofBlacksmiths.Applicantsnot attendinga full-time blacksmithing course willbe given priority.Full details and application forms

will be available from the Clerk.

The Prime Warden and Sir David Brewerwith the winning team

Cadets tackling theassault course

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Three and a half years ago I satopposite Air Chief Marshall Sir

Michael Knight at the Blacksmiths’Banquet, who told me he was theChairman of a group restoring a 1960sVulcan Bomber to fly again. I wishedhim well in his endeavours butprivately thought that I would believeit when I saw it, as many such projectsare started but few successfullyfinished.However, last Autumn I was proved wrong and the

Vulcan took to the air again. This summer it has beendemonstrating its unique flying qualities on the Air

Show circuit drawing a full house atFarnborough.Why then does this appear in the

Blacksmiths’ Newsletter?Well, Vulcanis our patron and the Vulcan Bomberplayed a vital role in our nationalsecurity during the Cold War and inthe recapture of the Falkland Islands.Now flying again, the Vulcan needs amajor sponsor to keep it in the air. Thepockets of the Blacksmiths’ Company

are not that deep but hopefully there is a sponsor out therewho will benefit from the publicity of keeping an icon aloft.For more information visit www.tvoc.co.uk

The Vulcan Bomber Adrian Oliver

Deputy Lieutenant Appointment

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Edenbridge & Oxted Show

This hugely popular Show,much loved by families, ranwith its usual zest in spite of

the cold the late August weekendhad to offer. Wherever you went thesounds of adults and children havinga thoroughly enjoyable time could beheard. There was a host of events to

be watched in the ring, trade standsselling all manner of stuff no-oneshould be without, and exhibitionsand craft displays among them theBlacksmiths and the Farriers.As usual the Blacksmiths had on

display a large selection of finishedwork, some practical, some decorativeand some humourous. Close to thedisplay tent was a line of forges wherethroughout the day intense, live

forging competitions were run. Inbetween, the young daughters of twoblacksmiths demonstrated an earlyaptitude for beating heated metal.Blacksmiths a plenty there were

with, among others, Paul Allen,Simon Grant Jones, Andrew Hall,Dave Harman, Eric Lamprell andClive Mockford. Over the course ofthe weekend the Blacksmiths’ standwas well supported particularly bymembers of the Company.An Auction of the items made by

blacksmiths, ably conducted by PastPrime Warden Hugh Adams, raised£105.50 which is being given toLynn Orgill CWCB to donate to acharity of her choice, in recognitionof her past involvement with theShow.

Prizes awarded for the competitions were:

Class A Traditional ironwork– Bo Peep Shield – Dave Harman

Class B Contemporary ironwork– IS&G Rose Bowl – James Price

Class C Wind chimes – Owen PinePerpetual Trophy– Richard Bradshaw

Class D Animal head – Brasted ForgeTrophy – Eric Lamprell

Class E Oxy-acetylene made article –Knights Garden Centre Trophy– R Jones

Class F An agricultural/industrial item –The Don Mallet Trophy– Richard Jones

Class G Live Competition – The TommyTucker Trophy– Dave Harman

ClassH Pairs – Live competition –Burrows Lea Trophy– J Price & Nigel Stenning

Class J Apprentice/Trainee – TheWesterham Trophy – Joe Frank

Class 20 minute Live Competition– The John Denton MemorialTrophy – D Harman

Lt Colonel Patrick Sanders OBE, a Liveryman of theCompany, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order inJuly. The citation reads “A DSO is awarded to ColonelPatrick Sanders OBE, late The Rifles, who commanded 4thBattalion The Rifles in Iraq throughout Op Telic 10;he exemplified tough and decisive yet compassionateleadership which kept his battle group going through very

difficult times. Colonel Sanders commanded and plannedoperations in the most dangerous and complex situationstaking the fight to insurgents on the streets of Basra.Displaying grip and tactical vision, he led from the frontoften under fire; his operational leadershipwas exemplary”.We offer our congratulations to Colonel Sanders on

receiving his Award.

DSOforLiveryman,LtColonelPatrickSandersOBE

Camilla Botnar FoundationAt the request of Past Prime Warden Hugh Adams,

the Wardens approved the annual presentationof a cup to a student at the Camilla Botnar

Foundation based on the work of students displayed at theSouth of England Show. The work of the recipient must berecommended by the accredited judge appointed for the

show. The cup would be presented in the name of theWorshipful Company of Blacksmiths at the Company’sAnnual Awards Lunch.The Camilla Botnar Foundation proposes to present the

cup, previously presented to the Foundation by Past PrimeWarden Hugh Adams, to the Company for this purpose.

Nigel Whitehead

The Prime Warden presents Dave Harmanwith his award

Following in the steps of Michelle Parker?

Competition Prize MoneyWith effect from 2009 the cash prize offered to the National Championship Blacksmith and the Champion Blacksmith bythe Company will be £500 each. The cash prize for the Reserve in each competition will be £250.

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Published by: The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. Printed by: Shooter & Mallet, 11 Agaton Road, New Eltham, London SE9 3RN. Tel: 020 8859 5070.

Prices:• Livery Tie £10 (Liverymen only)• ‘Social Tie’ £22• Umbrella £15• Cuff Links £66.50• Brooches £45All items available from the Clerk, Christopher Jeal.

A limited supply might be available at Court luncheons.

Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths’ Shop

Epiphany Court and Luncheon 15th January 2009Wardens Court 26th February 2009Ladyday Court and Luncheon 26th March 2009United Guilds Service 27th March 2009Annual Banquet 17th April 2009Prime Warden’s Weekend 8th – 10th May 2009Wardens Court 14th May 2009Election of Sheriffs 24th June 2009Midsummer Court and Luncheon 9th July 2009Election Court 30th July2009Wardens Court 3rd September 2009Election of the Lord Mayor 29th September 2009Michaelmas Court and Awards Luncheon 22nd October 2009Lord Mayor’s Show 14th November 2009Wardens Court 26th November 2009Carol Service 18th December 2009

Show Dates 2009North Somerset Show May 4thDevon County Show May 21st, 22nd, 23rdRoyal Bath and West Show May 27th, 28th, 29th, 30thRoyal Cornwall Show June 4th, 5th, 6th

South of England Show June 11th, 12th, 13th

Three Counties Show June 19th, 20th, 21stRoyal Norfolk Show July 1st, 2nd

Great Yorkshire Show July 14th, 15th, 16th

Royal Welsh Show July 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rdNew Forest Show July 28th, 29th, 30thEdenbridge and Oxted Show August 30th, 31stDorset County Show September 5th, 6thSHOWS IN ITALICS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE WBC BUT ARE NOT ON THE NBCC CIRCUIT

Diary of Events 2009 Previous issuesof the Newsletter

Past issues of the Newslettercan be accessed through theCompany website:

www.blacksmithscompany.org.uk•

click on Livery•

click on Newsletters

Editor:Nigel Whitehead

e-mail:nigelbw@tiscali.co.uk

Telephone:01580 713302

Copies ofphotographs

Copies of the excellentphotographs taken by MichaelO’Sullivan, of the Awards

Luncheon and other formal eventsand reproduced in the Newsletter canbe obtained directly from:www.michaelosullivanphotography.co.uk

ormichaelphotography@tiscali.co.ukTelephone: 020 8363 8350