WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
TYPICAL INVITATIONS
TYPICAL INVITATIONS
Your year will include a wide variety of events, many of which are likely to be attended jointly with the Master. The year will include events for the Livery Company to which you are consort, civic events and ceremonies, events hosted by other Livery Companies, church services, charitable events and consorts’ events. Quite a few invitations will be for the Master (or Master and Clerk) only, but some will also include the consort. You can expect a busy year with a wide variety of events to attend both on your own or with the Master. Hopefully nothing will come as a complete surprise to you, especially if you have attended the Jigsaw Programme.
Within the Company there will be formal events such as the annual installation and church service, lunches, dinners and banquet as well as social events organised by the Company. There will also be visits to enterprises connected to your Livery trade, military affiliates and educational or charitable connections. The events to which you, as consort, are invited will depend on the customs and traditions of each individual Livery Company.
There are civic events and ceremonies that take place at the same time each year. The civic events include the Election of the Lord Mayor at Common Hall, Election of the Sheriffs at Common Hall, and the Silent Ceremony. City Consorts hosts a coffee morning while the elections are taking place so that consorts who are not Liverymen themselves (and so not eligible to vote in the elections), can enjoy one another's company before joining the Master at one of the halls hosting a lunch. Other events include the Lord Mayor’s ‘Meet the Masters’ dinner, Lord Mayor’s Show, Lord Mayor’s Children’s Party, the Livery Masters' weekend, the Sheriffs' Ball and His Majesty the King’s Garden Parties. Further information about all these events can be found on the Livery Committee Calendar.
Some Livery Companies host lectures, exhibitions and receptions on a regular basis, examples of which include the Tacitus Lecture (World Traders), Pewter Live Exhibition, Cart Marking (Carmen), Pancake Race (Poulters), Cask Rolling (Coopers) and Wizardry in Wood (Turners). A full list can be found at the Livery Committee website.
Three key City Church services are the United Guild's Service in March, Clergy Support Trust Service in mid-May and the Garden of Remembrance Service. Some of the Livery halls host a lunch after each of these services which many Masters and consorts attend.
During your year, you may receive invitations to attend a variety of charitable fundraisers including various events for The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the Sheriffs’ & Recorder's Fund. Other charitable events include the Treloar’s Charity Gala Dinner, the Big Curry lunch, the Sheep Drive, Musicians' Company Evensong, Trial and Error theatrical shows at the Old Bailey, Barts View Day and the Children’s Magical Taxi Tour.
You are also likely to be invited to consort events. One of these is an invitation to an event sponsored by the Livery Picture Book Committee. Every calendar year, the Picture Book Committee invites all the Consorts to participate in a gathering to meet the incoming Mayoral Consort at the very start of their year in office (typically November) and again before the Lord Mayor's weekend (typically in May).
You may also be privileged to lunch at The Old Bailey or Mansion House as a guest of either the Sheriffs' Consorts or the Mayoral Consort or to receive invitations from other consorts hosting their own social event. Each year is different and is totally at the discretion of each individual consort to arrange. You might therefore receive different invitations from your predecessor and from those received by other consorts.
At times, consorts find their engagements go beyond London as Livery relationships extend to Guilds and Livery Companies outside London, throughout the UK and Europe. These are often specific to your own Livery Company’s relationships.
August is a quiet month and is therefore a good time to take a holiday.
LIVERY MASTERS' WEEKEND
In June, your entire year of Masters and consorts is invited to a weekend away. Until 2019 this was held in Ironbridge; it now moves around the country.
The weekend is very social, and a chance to visit local attractions in the company of the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs and their consorts. At the close of the weekend, a short 'meeting' is held with Masters and consorts. The goal of this meeting is to create your year’s association by proposing and then agreeing to its name.
The purpose of the associations is to maintain the friendships started during your year. At the meeting, the association’s Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are often elected.
Within the Company there will be formal events such as the annual installation and church service, lunches, dinners and banquet as well as social events organised by the Company. There will also be visits to enterprises connected to your Livery trade, military affiliates and educational or charitable connections. The events to which you, as consort, are invited will depend on the customs and traditions of each individual Livery Company.
There are civic events and ceremonies that take place at the same time each year. The civic events include the Election of the Lord Mayor at Common Hall, Election of the Sheriffs at Common Hall, and the Silent Ceremony. City Consorts hosts a coffee morning while the elections are taking place so that consorts who are not Liverymen themselves (and so not eligible to vote in the elections), can enjoy one another's company before joining the Master at one of the halls hosting a lunch. Other events include the Lord Mayor’s ‘Meet the Masters’ dinner, Lord Mayor’s Show, Lord Mayor’s Children’s Party, the Livery Masters' weekend, the Sheriffs' Ball and His Majesty the King’s Garden Parties. Further information about all these events can be found on the Livery Committee Calendar.
Some Livery Companies host lectures, exhibitions and receptions on a regular basis, examples of which include the Tacitus Lecture (World Traders), Pewter Live Exhibition, Cart Marking (Carmen), Pancake Race (Poulters), Cask Rolling (Coopers) and Wizardry in Wood (Turners). A full list can be found at the Livery Committee website.
Three key City Church services are the United Guild's Service in March, Clergy Support Trust Service in mid-May and the Garden of Remembrance Service. Some of the Livery halls host a lunch after each of these services which many Masters and consorts attend.
During your year, you may receive invitations to attend a variety of charitable fundraisers including various events for The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the Sheriffs’ & Recorder's Fund. Other charitable events include the Treloar’s Charity Gala Dinner, the Big Curry lunch, the Sheep Drive, Musicians' Company Evensong, Trial and Error theatrical shows at the Old Bailey, Barts View Day and the Children’s Magical Taxi Tour.
You are also likely to be invited to consort events. One of these is an invitation to an event sponsored by the Livery Picture Book Committee. Every calendar year, the Picture Book Committee invites all the Consorts to participate in a gathering to meet the incoming Mayoral Consort at the very start of their year in office (typically November) and again before the Lord Mayor's weekend (typically in May).
You may also be privileged to lunch at The Old Bailey or Mansion House as a guest of either the Sheriffs' Consorts or the Mayoral Consort or to receive invitations from other consorts hosting their own social event. Each year is different and is totally at the discretion of each individual consort to arrange. You might therefore receive different invitations from your predecessor and from those received by other consorts.
At times, consorts find their engagements go beyond London as Livery relationships extend to Guilds and Livery Companies outside London, throughout the UK and Europe. These are often specific to your own Livery Company’s relationships.
August is a quiet month and is therefore a good time to take a holiday.
LIVERY MASTERS' WEEKEND
In June, your entire year of Masters and consorts is invited to a weekend away. Until 2019 this was held in Ironbridge; it now moves around the country.
The weekend is very social, and a chance to visit local attractions in the company of the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs and their consorts. At the close of the weekend, a short 'meeting' is held with Masters and consorts. The goal of this meeting is to create your year’s association by proposing and then agreeing to its name.
The purpose of the associations is to maintain the friendships started during your year. At the meeting, the association’s Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are often elected.
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