August 2015

Transcription

August 2015
A Busy Time...
It is a very busy time for the Fletchers…….. the return to the Hall, the
various Agincourt events as well as our regular activities.
By the time that you read this, many of you will have seen the refurbished Hall and I would like to thank all of you who have given so much
time working on Committees dealing with the finance, the design and
the building works. I would also like to thank the many members of
the Company who have made donations or loans to enable us to pay
our share of the costs.
INDEX
The Master
p1
The Hall Work in
Progress
p2
Fletchers Golf p3
Thankyou
p3
Welcome
p4-6
Most members of the livery have helped financially. In fact some have
made second contributions. We have made arrangements to borrow if
necessary and each further donation that we receive reduces the
amount that we will need to borrow. If you have yet to contribute,
please do so now, as we will soon be paying the final invoices.
Lapel Pin
p6
There are many Agincourt 600 events during the year. Fletchers have
already supported the concert of “ Music and Readings “ at All-Hallowsby-the –Tower on 21st July. The next event is the Agincourt Banquet
at Guildhall on Tuesday 22nd September. Attendance is already over
500 and it would be good to reach 600 for this event.
20 livery companies are represented at the banquet and Fletchers and friends are
possibly the largest group. There is an archery day at Chatsworth on
24th September. There is also an event at the HAC on Agincourt day
( 25th October ) and a Service at Westminster Abbey on 29th October.
Farewell
p7,8
Stepping
Forward
p9
Agincourt
Concert
p9
HMS Defender p10
City of London
Academy
p10
Lewisham ATC p10
Agincourt Mug p12
Past Master Tony Poulter is arranging the Agincourt float for the Lord
Help!
P12
Mayor’s Show on 14th November but
before that we have Service of
Tower Shoot p13
Thanksgving followed by a Court
Lunch in the refurbished Hall on Tuesday 6th October. All
members of the livery may attend this event and there is
also a dinner on Tuesday 24th November. I hope to see
many of you at one or both events.
The Master.
Meanwhile our pictures on this page show a group of
Fletchers seeing the work in progress.
On page two you can see the way some of the work progressed although for the final picture you need to visit the
hall yourself.
© The eMail Magazine of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers which is published separately from our May paper edition .
This is eVol 2 issue 2 August 2015.
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The opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Company or the Editor
How the Building Progressed
Early Days
The Spiral
Staircase
Cloakroom
General Views
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Fletchers Golf Day – Worplesdon July 15
Fine golfing weather greeted our arrival at the Worplesdon golf
course for the Golf Day this year. A reverse on the last couple
of occasions as we started with a delicious three course lunch
in the club house before embarking on an afternoon round of
golf at 2.00pm. Plenty of competition for the MacLellan Cup as
well as for the Scott-Knight Trophy.
A good mix of both Liverymen and Freemen attended and a
keenly fought contest ensued. The weather remained perfect
for the day and
we all gathered
tired, but satisfied for tea and
cake on the
lawn overlooking the course.
The MacLellan Cup was won for the second year
running by Rainer Vogt. Other prizes were
awarded to Melanie Trapnell, Mike Williams and
Ted Hoefling.
A vote of thanks to Mike Williams for agreeing to
take on organising of our golf events and organising and hosting us at Worplesdon, and to Jeremy Garnett, who has organised the golf for
many years.
The goblet tournament continues and we will look forward to the prize giving at the golf dinner
in November.
Charity Thanks
I joined Aequus archers in Belper Derbyshire who applied for a grant for me so that I could buy
a compound bow. Without the grant that you gave me I wouldn't have been able to get into archery.
This has been something I've wanted to do since I was paralysed in a motor bike accident in
1994. It has helped me in so many ways that I can't thank you enough. I started shooting my
bow indoors on January 3rd and my first ever score was 386 a Portsmouth round, I gradually
improved over the season and my best score was 536 which I am very please with because
when I got that I was only 18 points behind my club friends that had been shooting for years. I
did enter the Derbyshire county championship just to see what I could do and it was a 18m Fita
and I scored 439. My club moved out doors in April and I've been practicing a national round
60yds & 50yds my best score is 526, I've also practiced a lot at a long national 80yds & 60yds
my best score at this is 465.
On the 27th June I am attending Stoke Mandeville so that I can be classified and also enter a
short metric competition while I'm there. Can I please just tell you again how much your grant
has helped me, I am enjoying archery so much and I'm just hoping that I can keep improving.
Thank you so much.
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Welcome to New Liverymen
We have been remiss in not welcoming new members of the Livery on a regular basis and
this will now be an established feature of La Flèche. Some of the new arrivals over the last
couple of years may have already been welcomed but this list is to ensure everyone is made
known to all in the Company Where possible we have included a photo.
Admitted January 2013
After six years in banking at Robert Fleming and Cazenove, Joe Vincent moved into Sales and Marketing within the private healthcare sector. Initially developing relationships with GP’s and Hospital Consultants
for a CT start up, before joining Bupa Cromwell Hospital as Marketing
Manager. More recently he was a member of the Senior Management
Team at King Edward VII’s Hospital until 2014 and is currently Chief
Commercial Officer at The Whiteley Clinic.
Joe is a cousin to PM Garnett, his father was a Liveryman and PM of the
Tin Plate and Wireworkers Company. Joe has taken an active part in our
Livery as part of the Strategic Review Group. He is an avid cricket fan
and member of the MCC and the Hurlingham Club. His other interests include skiing, tennis, scuba diving, cycling, photography, music and gardening. Joe is married
to Charlotte and they have identical twin daughters who were born in May 2012.
Admitted April 2013
An Oxford Blue (Boxing), Robert Howard, Deputy, is a senior compliance officer involved in
EU and UK financial services regulation at Charles Stanley. He joined the Court of Common
Council in 2011, where he chairs the Investment Committee, and is now the Deputy of Lime
Street Ward. The Gardeners are his mother Company and he is a Governor of Capel Manor
College as well as being a Trustee of the Central Foundation Schools of London. He recently
married Maggie, nee, Lady Magdalen Asquith and we wish them much happiness together.
Admitted October 2013
Professor Anne Curry needs no introduction during this year of Agincourt 600 celebrations, since Anne is a renowned expert, regularly lecturing upon and having published several books on the Battle
(amongst other publications). She is Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Southampton University, a member (or Chairman) of many historical associations and a Trustee of the Battlefields Trust. Anne is
our Educational Affiliates Officer and has been elected to join our
Court next year.
Widow of PM Peter Scott, Dr Toni Griffiths is already well known to
the Company. Now retired from UCL, she continues with her research interests in Victorian literature and in the field of 'literature
and psychoanalysis'. She is a Trustee of the Keats Foundation. Her
career has also included work in education research, policy and development (at Warwick University, the Institute of Education - now
part of UCL - where she was Dean, and UCL, where she was Director of Education and Professional Development).
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One of our younger members Richard Smith was born in Brussels. He
qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2000, before
joining RBS as a credit analyst. He now works for
Citibank, having also worked for UBS. Richard is
married to Emma and they have a son, Henry and
daughter Isla. When time allows Richard enjoys
tennis, squash, skiing, golf and motor racing.
Chartered Tax Adviser Ian Wadhams is a keen fly
fisher and member of Lloyds Fly Fishing Society.
When not working or fishing, Ian enjoys woodwork,
in particular marquetry as well as Clay Pigeon Shooting.
Lindsay Head is one of two Honorary Liverymen and a true Fletcher.
She and her husband Richard, a Bowyer, run an established and highly
respected Longbow and Arrow making company in Wiltshire. Lindsay
has been National Longbow Champion in Field Archery, and continues
to be a keen archer and member of several archery clubs. She kindly
donates arrows to the Company for us to present to our Military Affiliates
or other deserving individuals.
Admitted in January 2014 John McGriger NortonDoyle is an experienced public health, safety and environment professional. He runs his own consultancy business. John has worked extensively at Board level with organisations in both the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally. Having operated in many high hazard
environments he also advises on disaster and emergency planning and
management. John enjoys travel, fine food and wine, is fascinated by
and knowledgeable on Japanese culture and the Life and Times of Samuel Pepys. He is Secretary of the Samuel Pepys Club.
Admitted April 2014
Already firmly established in the Fletcher’s Golfing fraternity, Andrew
(Andy) Wiggins specialises in Investment Asset Management, most recently with Allianz Global investors as Head of Institutional Business. He
is married to Sara, a schools inspector, and they have three children
aged 13, 16 and 19. Aside from Golf, Andy’s other interests include travel, skiing, wine and gardening.
James (Jim) Foster is a Human Resources professional specialising in benefits management, currently a Director at UBS, having previously worked
alongside Court Assistant Andrew Trapnell at Morgan Stanley. Jim has a keen interest in the history
and traditions of the City and following in his family’s footsteps is a Bell
Ringer at St Paul’s Cathedral. When not practising campanology he enjoys travel, badminton, swimming and sports.
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Admitted in July 2014,
Ivan Ferguson is a Senior Investment Manager at the Wealth Manager JM Finn & Co in London and previously worked in Hong Kong in equities. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society having initiated the Society in Hong Kong. Ivan’s interests include playing tennis,
sailing and Skiing. He is married to Carole and they have a daughter Maia.
Admitted October 2014
John Leach was admitted in October 2014 and is a retired Lloyd’s Insurance man, having begun his career at Lloyds specialising in Marine Insurance working in Asia and the Middle East, as well as the City. John is a
fellow Hockey player and long term friend of the Master, a keen sailor and
has recently taken up Golf. John is married to Maggie and they have two
sons.
Admitted April 2015
This year, at our Installation Court in April, we welcomed John Stephenson to our Company. John is
a solicitor specialising in Central London Leaseholds,
having previously practised in both commercial and
residential property law. His sporting interests include Rugby, he was a
Referee for some 20 years, Cricket, he is an MCC member, and football,
he is a season ticket holder of Fulham FC. John is Honorary Clerk of the
Past Overseers’ Society of Westminster, which recently celebrated its Tercentenary. Additionally John is a member of a Choir in Wimbledon and
has been a School Governor. John has two children, one a teacher and
the other at University.
The Installation Court also saw the admission of Peter
Beard and Michael Whatley, both long term friends of the Master. Peter
is a retired Care Home owner from the Thames Valley. As a volunteer for
Wye Valley Volunteers he gets to drive the minibus as well as driving people to health related destinations. In addition he visits folk to give support
where helpful. Peter has already been playing golf
with The Fletchers and, as a former hockey player,
takes an active interest in many sports. Married to Janet, Peter has two step children and two grandchildren.
Michael is a practising solicitor with his own law firm
in Newmarket. A keen Huntsman, Secretary to the Suffolk for nine years;
and a racing man, being a member of the Racehorse Owners Association, Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the Jockey Club Rooms;
his other sporting interests include Cricket, Golf and Tennis. He is married to Gillian, who he is trying to encourage to take up Golf, and they
have three children.
A New Lapel Pin
We have managed to obtain some lapel pins in the shape of the Fletchers’ shield. They
measure 2cm across and 2.5cm long (3/4”x1”) and come in a presentation box. Our picture shows three of them. They are nicely executed
in enamel and make a suitable gift or can be worn to show you are a
member of our livery. They cost £5 each including post and packing
and any profits will go to the Fletchers’ Trust. There is a limited number available, please order by post from John Dumbrell, Riverholme,
The Towpath, Shepperton, TW17 9LL enclosing a cheque for £5
made out to the Worshipful Company of Fletchers.
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Sad times for the Fletchers.
June and July has been a very sad time for the Fletchers with the loss of three members of the
company. All of them had been unwell for a time. Michael Johnson died on 6th June, Alastair
MacKenzie on 29th June and Nigel Hopkins on 21st July. All three served the company loyally
and our condolences go to their families. Michael was our very excellent Clerk from 2002 to
2010 after which he became a liveryman. Alastair was installed as Master Fletcher in 1994, he
was 82. Nigel became a liveryman in 2001 and served on the Finance Committee for a number of years. He was also active in the Fletchers golf. He was 69. Notes on their lives appear
below.
The Master
Nigel Hopkins
"Nigel was 69 when he passed away after a short battle with cancer. He started his career as
an accountant and later, until his retirement, ran a recruitment agency for
the accountancy profession. His love for numbers was reflected in his passion for his daily dose of Sudoku. For much of his life he lived in Oxted,
Surrey and was Hon. Treasurer of the Oxted Citizens Advice Bureau. He
was a keen tennis player and golfer and an ardent supporter of Liverpool
FC. Nigel had many friends, who loved his easy going manner, humility
and loyalty and above all his great sense of humour.
Nigel joined the Fletchers in January 2001 and was a valued member of
the Finance Committee for many years until he resigned in April. He was a
regular participant in the Fletchers Golf as well as attending many livery
events.
He leaves a wife, Mandy and two daughters Fiona and Emily.”
Michael Johnson (14th December 1945 – 6th June 2015)
Michael was born in Exeter in 1945 into a very naval family with generations of naval Captains.
Inevitably he had a peripatetic childhood following his father’s appointments around UK , When
in the UK, Michael’s home was Instow in North Devon and he remained firmly a North Devon
Man all his life – honing his racing skills in the swirling tides and cunning eddies of the Tor/
Torridge estuary.
He Joined Pangbourne where he excelled across the board but particularly as a sailor, swordsman, an athlete and on the rugby field ending up as a Cadet Captain. He was particularly
proud of racing against Rodney Paterson who was to become our Flying Dutchman double
Olympic gold medallist. He gained placings in the Burton Cup two years running ahead of Paterson (N12 National Championships).
His naval career was full and varied. He fenced, sailed and skied for the Navy and turned out
for Combined Services Rugby where he was a fast winger and a fearless tackler. The appointments which gave him the most pleasure included a married accompanied appointment to Halifax in Canada which, apart from giving him excellent family time, allowed him to add ice yachting to his sporting skills. In the Falklands war, he was Second in Command of HMS Cardiff for
which he received a C in C’s Commendation.
He then commanded HMS Penelope and had a hectic commission which included a deployment to the South Atlantic in Antarctica After Penelope, he had a spell back at sea which included the First Gulf War and promotion to Captain and then he was off, with Pippa, to Paris
as the Naval Attaché. Paris was clearly a great success as he went on to be appointed as
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Head of Attaché Liaison in London.
And so to Civvy Street and his term as Clerk to the Worshipful Company
of Fletchers. An appointment that he thoroughly relished as he loved
learning how the city works and getting to know the people - he was very
proud of the fact that for a relatively small Livery Company they produced
two Lady Mayoresses and Two Lord Mayors in his time. He served them
for 8 happy years with an office in his garden and twice weekly attendance in London. His hard work earned him his election as a liveryman on
departure from office.
Mike was a loving husband, a doting father and grandfather . He was immensely proud of his family and all their achievements In all he did – be it
Scottish country dancing, Sailing, Bee Keeping, Driving a Frigate, being a staff officer, being
a livery Clerk , a father or a grandfather – he always did it with fine attention to detail, utter
determination, the greatest generosity and great good humour and wit.
Alastair Mackenzie
Alastair Mackenzie who passed away on the 29th June aged 82 was a much loved member of
the Company which benefitted greatly from a man who lived a such a rich and rewarding life.
Alastair joined the Company in 1972 and became Master in 1994. Many will remember him for
his gentle and erudite good humour and his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things, from the
ancient classics and English literature to cricket and wines.
Alastair was educated at Clifton College and Brasenose College, Oxford. It was at Clifton that
he took up fives, later becoming one of the top players in the country and continuing into his
seventies. Shortly after leaving Oxford he became a Master at St Paul’s School where he
taught English and Classics. He was also appointed master in charge of fives which he continued to run for many years.
He has been described as a Renaissance man; he took huge pleasure in a wide variety of
arenas, from Classical Greece and Rome, to music and the arts as well as many forms of
sport. He was an avid tennis enthusiast and no mean cricketer. One former pupil remembers
Alastair for bowling both right and left arm in the same over much to the bemusement of the
batsman. He was a lifelong member of the MCC.
When he was Master, the Company’s golf day was inadvertently arranged for the first day of
the Lords Test match. Golf was probably the only sport that did not interest Alastair. Nevertheless, he dutifully attended, listening to the commentary throughout on his radio.
Alastair’s appreciation and knowledge of wine was second to none and he organised various
hugely enjoyable Livery wine tastings. He was an honorary life member of the Circle of Wine
Writers and co-wrote standard works on Sauternes and St Emilion and Pomerol. His book,
‘Daumas Gassac: The Birth of a Grand Cru’ in 1995 brought this hitherto little known wine to a
wider audience and has become a classic.
Alastair was a loyal and steadfast supporter of the Company, as he was with everything he
joined. His charm and erudition made him a much sought after dining companion. He will be
sorely missed.
Our thoughts too are with Pauline and his family.
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Reserve Forces and Cadets Association
The Court on behalf of the Company was pleased to be a supporter of the production of
‘Stepping Forward’, a book which documents the record of
the Volunteer Military Reservists and supporting Auxiliaries in
London from 1908 to 2014. The book, compiled by the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA), is also a comprehensive and detailed reference guide to the lineages and
linkages of the Livery Companies to London’s Reserve Force
units.
I was delighted to attend a presentation on behalf of the
Company at Merchant Taylors Hall at the end of 2014 to receive a copy of ‘Stepping Forward’ from Field Marshall Sir John Chapple who was accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant Sir David Brewer.
Andrew Trapnell
Concert of Agincourt Music and Readings at All-Hallows-By-The-Tower
The Reverend Bertrand Olivier welcomed us to All-Hallows-By-The-Tower which is the oldest Church in
the City of London. Sinclair Rogers, Chairman of the Agincourt 600 Committee, introduced the programme for the evening, a performance of music and readings mainly from the 15th Century. The
sources for the texts were Holinshed’s Chronicles (1577, 1587), Shakespeare’s Henry V (1599) and The
Archer’s Story by Esmond Knight (1970’s)
The programme cover provided lovely link with Esmond Knight. It was reproduced by kind permission of
his daughter, Rosalind Elliott, and showed “The Archers in Action October 25th 1415”. Rosalind was also
present at the concert, together with Thomas Lord Camoys, whose ancestor, also Thomas, led the rearguard at Agincourt.
The group Blondel, a Medieval and Renaissance Wind Band quartet, trained at the Guildhall School of
Music, performed the music. At the conclusion of their opening piece we heard the first of 16 readings.
Thereafter each reading followed, as a counterpoint, the piece of music that had been played. The instruments, while familiar, were somewhat different from their modern cousins and we heard Bagpipes,
Shawms (type of Oboe), Recorder, Fiddle, Lute, Gittern and Percussion.
The concert progressed with the interspersed readings and we were taken on the journey of Hal (Henry
V) starting in his youth followed appropriately by music depicting drinking songs and an Italian lively
dance. We then moved on to the events leading up to the battle, the taunt of tennis balls, the departure
from Southampton, the “once more unto the breach” speech at Harfleur, the journey and crossing of the
Somme near Voyennes, the description of the Azincourt battle fields and the ‘scythe of arrows’ which cut
down the French Knights. All the music was thoughtfully in keeping with the narrative, using complex
rhythms to depict the changing emotions from both the English and the French perspective.
The concert’s final section followed Henry’s arrival back in London, his greeting by the Lord Mayor and
City officials and his wedding to Catherine de Valois. It concluded with the Shakespeare Epilogue concerning Henry VI and the loss of all that had been gained and music reflecting the continuing conflict;
L’homme Arme (The Armed Man) and A Cheval (To Horse!).
Feeling thoroughly entertained, we adjourned to ‘The Kitchen’, conveniently adjacent to the Church and
met many friends over drinks and canapés, and are looking forward to other Agincourt 600 events.
Melanie Trapnell
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HMS Defender
In April, a lucky handful of
Fletchers were invited to go on
board HMS Defender as it enjoyed a few days in the capital
in support of the Centenary of
the Gallipoli campaign.
Docked opposite the Royal
Naval College in Greenwich,
the Fletchers were asked to
help host an evening to celebrate its impressive capability.
The evening started with a trip
in a launch from near the Cutty Sark, to a warm welcome on-board and then drinks and canapés in the early Spring sunshine. Commissioned in 2013, the Type 45 Destroyer is incredibly
impressive – we were given a tour of the Bridge and a demonstration in the Operations Room.
The demonstration involved identifying and intercepting an aircraft as it approached an imaginary No Fly Zone over London. Thankfully the aircraft turned back before it was too late. Sunset was celebrated in time honoured fashion in the company of a three star US General. He
would have been extremely impressed I’m sure.
HMS Defender returned from her maiden deployment to the Middle East in December 2014
and is now in a period of maintenance in Portsmouth. It returns to the Middle East later in the
year..
City of London Academy (Southwark) – COLAS
Deputy Master, Andrew McMillan, and Anne Curry, Education Liaison, were delighted to attend the Annual Prize Giving at the City of London Academy (Southwark) on 8 July 2015.
For several years now the Fletchers have given a prize for Art at Key Stage 5 (i.e. for the sixth form).
This year’s prize was awarded to Mark Seymour and Kate Renchez but it was collected on their behalf
by Jack Doublet. He was interested to hear more about the arrow trophy. It is noteworthy that the
Fletchers appear to be the only Company with a specially designed trophy.
This year the Fletchers gave another prize for the first time – an award for Music Technology at Key
Stage 5. When Anne visited COLAS at the end of last year, the Head of Music explained that although
there were already prizes for Music given by the Worshipful Company of Solicitors and the Bishopsgate
Ward Club, there was no dedicated prize for Music Technology. COLAS offers a wide curriculum and as
a Business and Enterprise College, is particularly keen to offer opportunities which will prepare its students for new digital industries. Our new prize, accompanied also by a Fletchers’ Shield, was therefore
very welcome. This year’s winners were Rhia Brown and Mohammed Caulker.
Andrew and Anne were hosted at the prize giving by Mohammed, who is starting an internship at Sky
based on his achievements at COLAS: he began as a pianist but has developed strong keyboard and
electronic music and editing skills. The support which the Fletchers and other companies, as well as the
City more generally, give to COLAS is much appreciated by the staff and students and helps to make a
difference to the lives of young people in Bermondsey. No one visiting can fail to be impressed by the
COLAS ethos, by the confident and articulate students it produces and the commitment and enthu-
siasm of its staff. It is one of the UK’s centres of excellence for basketball, with its teams winning most of the national competitions and producing potential Team GB players.
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Squadron hits its targets with help from the
Fletchers
On Friday 12 December 2014, 1921 (Lewisham) Squadron (ATC) celebrated a night of recruit
and cadet achievement, with help from the Worshipful Company of Fletchers, who are affiliated
to the cadet squadron.
The focus of the evening was the Passing Out Parade of Recruit Intake 03/14, the Squadron’s
largest and most successful intake by far. Twenty five new Air Cadets completed an impressive parade, before taking their cadet promise, and being formally presented with their Record
of Service Books to join the Squadron. In front of parents, friends and family, their achievements and successes were celebrated – an impressive turn around in their skills and standards
since they joined the
training in September.
The Squadron also celebrated various cadet
classifications and
awards earned in the
last three months. These
awards were presented
by the Master of the
Worshipful Company of
Fletchers , Andrew
McMillan. They included
several new Master and
Instructor Cadet classifications, ten Youth First
Aid Awards, and, to Sergeant Dominic Paul, a
BTEC in Uniformed Public Services at Distinction* level.
The highlight of the
evening was the presentation of the inaugural silver “Fletchers’ Arrow”, modelled on a classic
longbow arrow from the Agincourt era. Handcrafted from artisan components by a Master
Fletcher, the arrow represents the core values of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Worshipful Company of Fletchers: straight and true, precisely and carefully created, and with the best
support and resources possible. The inaugural Arrow was presented by the Master to Cadet
Flight Sergeant Travis Tomlin, recognising his leadership of the Squadron’s NCO team, and
his wider engagement with Region and Corps sport to inspire the Squadron’s cadets. Flt Sgt
Tomlin was then promoted to Cadet Warrant Officer, in official recognition of his role and responsibilities, to the wide acclaim of the Squadron’s cadets and family.
The Squadron now looks forward to an ambitious programme in 2015, confident that they can
continue to hit their targets with the support of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers.
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Agincourt Commemorative Mug
The Company has commissioned a commemorative mug for the 600th anniversary of the
battle of Agincourt which we hope will appeal to collectors. The mug is similar to that for the
Wootton Mayoralty and the flier for this is shown below. Profits from the sale will go to the
Fletchers Trust. All members of the Company should feel free to pass a copy of this flier
along to anyone you think may be interested and a separate copy is sent out with this Newsletter for that purpose. Also we are pleased to offer members of the Company the chance to
purchase mugs at the discounted price of £15 each, or 4 for £50.

The Agincourt Mug, in china matching that of the Wootton Mayoralty, shows the 600th
Anniversary Logo with the Agincourt Arms on one side and the Fletchers Arms on the
other. A group of war arrows are displayed inside the cup and a brief description of the
Fletchers and their connection to Agincourt is written on the underside. Although it is a
collectors item, it is also perfectly acceptable as a coffee mug.

Fletchers wishing to avail themselves of the discounted price, which is only available to
members of our livery should send their orders to John Dumbrell, Riverholme, The
Towpath, Shepperton, TW17 9LL enclosing a cheque made out to “The Worshipful
Company of Fletchers” for £15 for one mug or £50 for 4. This includes post and packing.
Help Needed
La Fleche needs your help as without the articles sent in by readers there would be no magazine. So please keep sending articles and pictures into the editor—John Dumbrell. They can
be submitted either by e mail to [email protected] or by post to Riverholme, The Towpath, Shepperton, TW17 9LL. Photographs will be returned.
John is also looking for an assistant editor to help compile the copy and to chase articles
from members of the livery. If you are interested, please contact the Clerk, Kate Pink,
[email protected]
© The eMail Magazine of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers which is published separately from our May paper edition .
This is eVol 2 issue 2 August 2015.
Page 12
The opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Company or the Editor
Joint Shoot at the Tower—14th July 2015
Bowyers
1. Robert Clark
2. John Clark
3. Ben Glazier
4. Alex Cameron
5. Ian Williams
6. Simon Leach
7. David Laxton
8. John Hayton
9. Bill Duncan
10. John Ellery
11. Ian Spring
12. Tony Kench
Total
27
25
25
21
19
15
13
12
10
9
9
8
193
Fletchers
1. Tim Eltringham
2. Pieter Cox
3. David Goodall
4. Tim Sanders Hewett
5. Hermione Crosfield
6. Ted Hoefling
7. Robert Trapnell
8. Melanie Trapnell
9. Luke Williams
10.Clare James
11. Simon McMenomy
12. Andrew McMillan
Total
25
19
19
19
17
17
17
15
15
13
13
13
202
The Fletchers and Bowyers companies
have a long-standing history. Originally a
joint livery company they separated in 1371
but maintained a rivalry, even to the extent
of not dining together for hundreds of
years. The two companies now come together once a year to engage in an informal
archery competition. Originally the competition was an internal one for the Fletchers;
this changed in 1991 when the event was
opened up to Members of the Bowyers’
Company. It was held at the Artillery
Ground in front of
Armoury House, the Mess of the Honourable
Artillery Company until 1985 when it was
suggested that the shoot should take place in
the east moat of the Tower of London.
This is where the event was held on the
evening of the 14th of July; an opportunity for
the guests to experience somewhere the
We declare that in 2015, the
public are not usually allowed to set foot,
victors are the Fletchers!
highlighted by the onlookers lining the wall
above the moat. The
historical setting fits the context of the event
well; an archery tournament placed in a famous historical building, used for defending (or
imprisoning) monarchs since the early days of the livery
companies.
There were four targets
used in the competition,
which were set up and
used for practice and
training by the London
Archers prior to the
event. As the members
arrived they were then
invited to compete. Bowyer and Fletcher members were offered a glass of Pimms and participated in the archery if they wished.
As is tradition, the archery competition is followed by dinner in the Officer’s Mess of the Royal
Regiment of Fusiliers in which the Governor’s Trophy - a small replica of the Arrow box used
to bury Anne Boleyn - is presented to the winning Company. After dinner, the two companies
are invited to witness the Ceremony of the Keys, the traditional locking up of the Tower, carried out by the Chief Yeoman Warder. The seven minute ceremony has been carried out every night for the past 700 years, originally to protect the monarch residing in the Royal Palace
and now serving the purpose of protecting the Crown Jewels.
Photos & Story by Annie Goddard, Bow© The eMail Magazine of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers which is published separately from our May paper edition .
This is eVol 2 issue 2 August 2015.
Page 13
The opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Company or the Editor