Past Master Charles Miller, myself and Past Master Andrew Golding
Four Lady Masters: Nurse, Tobacco Pipe Maker, Furniture Maker, Chartered Secretary

100th Anniversary of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners

25th June 2026

Guildhall

Wow, what a spectacular evening! 520 guests in white tie, badges, medals, long dresses and everything else were entertained to a fantastic dinner in the mediaeval Guildhall, at the invitation of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, to celebrate the Company's 100th anniversary.

The guest queue stretched across Guildhall Yard, snaked around St Lawrence Jewry and along Gresham Street: tricky to keep cool in the burning evening sunshine, but we cheered up when the motorbike outriders arrived and shouted at everyone to get out of the way as the special guests' Range Rovers sped past us into the Yard!

Eventually we were invited to enter the Guildhall via the east wing: photo IDs and pour memoires checked we headed for the receiving line, where I was thrilled and surprised to be welcomed by the Royal Master (HRH Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh), together with the Deputy Master (Commodore Duncan Lamb CMMar FNI) and Senior Warden Captain C G McDade CMMar. I forgot all my etiquette, sadly! Then noisy drinks in the Old Library before we were summoned into dinner in the historic Guildhall.

I was delighted to discover Past Master Tobacco Pipe Makers Charles Miller and Andrew Golding in the Old Library, with Andrew accompanied by his wife, Honorary Freeman Kate Golding. They had all polished up well and looked incredibly smart - a real credit to the Company!

Squeezing us all into the Great Hall was a feat of precision engineering, and producing a table plan that we could (almost) read was equally clever. I expected to be in an annexe somewhere, but that wasn't the case and I was delighted that we were all in the main Guildhall. I was pleased to be seated next to the Master Fruiterer, with the Master Scientific Instrument Maker and the Master of the Cooks' Company opposite us. Two naval officers (both members of the HCMM, and married to one another) were to my left, and just across from them were Captain Duncan Telfer (HCMM) with his wife Junn, who live in the famous Cloch Lighthouse in Inverclyde, which is well known to all mariners.

96 Livery companies were represented at the dinner: only 14 were missing. HRH Prince Edward amusingly mentioned them in his welcome speech, saying that they were having their own dinners but that they were probably each dining alone. Deputy Master Lamb also gave a witty welcome speech, much appreciated by the guests, before we settled down to the business of eating and talking.

After the Loyal Toasts, HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal stood to speak as Past Master of the HCMM and to underline her family's connection with the Company over many years. The social media was full of admiration next day for her elegant lemon yellow and pink dress, which she first wore to a royal occasion 42 years ago. Just like me and my 30-year-old blue Caroline Charles evening coat! Mind you, many gentlemen were probably wearing their fathers' or even grandfathers' white tie and tails! Evening dress is the perfect occasion for a little recycling.

HRH Prince Edward gave a polished Royal Master's speech, and after the chief guests had processed out of the Great Hall, we said our goodbyes. I retrieved my suitcase from the cloakroom and set off for Aldersgate where I had parked my car earlier in the afternoon. On the way I was very pleased to see Phil McCarthy, Hon Liveryman of the Butchers' Company, who takes such brilliant photos of our Company events.

I arrived home at 0145, left my suitcase unpacked in the hall and fell into bed. This Mastering business is exhausting, but so thrilling!

Thanks to the Master Nurse for allowing me to change in her accommodation before dinner; and huge thanks to HCMM Master Duncan Lamb who has since confided that he had to go and lie down in a darkened room for two days afterwards to get over it all!