CityandLivery

The tragic terrorist attack of Friday 29 th  November 2019 that took place within and outside Fishmongers’ Hall at the northern end of London Bridge threw a spotlight on that building and the organisation that owns it, but also more widely on these curious City of London institutions called Livery Companies. The events that took place in the hall and then spilled out onto the pavement caused a peak in interest on social media about the Fishmongers’ Hall, not least because of the heroism of the staff as reported by the Company's Clerk (Commodore Toby Williamson) on the BBC News. Social Media was alive with questions about whether the Fishmongers' Hall was a pub, a fishmonger's shop, perhaps even a fish and chip shop... it is none of those things. This blog seeks to explain what a Livery Company is (in the UK) for those who may wish to learn more. Reduced the simplest description a Livery Company is an occupational guild formed by Royal Charter, but that hardly helps expl...

Anyone who has attended a City of London civic or Livery Company banquet will be familiar with the numerous toasts that follow after the meal and before the speeches. These toasts are usually taken with Port wine, or occasionally Madeira. Quite when port became the wine of choice for toasts is unclear, but the custom is as well entrenched in the City as it is in the ward rooms and messes of HM Armed Forces, at Oxbridge Colleges, Masonic dinners and elsewhere. Port wine was originally, and very specifically, developed for the English palette and nowhere is it more popular than in Britain. First a little history The history of Port wine is inextricably linked with Britain's connection to Portugal and the numerous British families who developed the Douro wine region inland from Porto. The first British wine merchant to import Port was Job Bearsley in 1692. He was the owner of the Ram Tavern in Smithfield. His son Peter was the first to actually visit Porto, and in 1744 his gran...

The Livery Companies are known for their formal dining in grand style at halls throughout the City of London. To the uninitiated, who may be attending a Livery Company dinner or banquet for the first time, these events can appear a daunting prospect, yet it need not be so - in fact it should be an entirely enjoyable experience.  A Livery Company dinner or banquet will, at its very best, be both fun and formal but never stuffy or unwelcoming. The essence of a successful event is that everyone should feel comfortable and enjoy the experience.  The following guidelines (which may vary in minute detail from one Company, banquet or dinner to the next) will help you enjoy the experience and remember it for all the right reasons. The invitation When invited to attend any event it is simple courtesy to respond in a timely manner indicating whether or not you will be able to attend. Livery Company dinners and banquets take an immense amount of planning and organisa...