The GLASS SELLERNewsletter of The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London

Issue Thirty July 2013

u

Entering the Egyptian Hall

The Mansion House Banquet October 2012

The Mansion House is both home andoffice for the Lord Mayor of the City

of London. It also provided a spectacularvenue for the Glass Sellers’ AnnualBanquet on Tuesday 23 October 2012.

Over 130 Glass Sellers and their Guestswere seated in the Egyptian Hall for asumptuous meal accompanied by theappropriate wines.

The evening was presided over by theMaster, Vivian Bendall, the Mistress,Angela Mathew, together with the LordMayor locum tenens Sir Robert Finchaccompanied by Lady Finch.

The Mansion House is literally at theheart of the City sharing a five way junction

with (inter alia) the Bank of England. Allthe streets nearby, except Queen VictoriaStreet, are Roman. The Egyptian Hallshould probably be known as the RomanHall. It is based on Roman designs ofRoman buildings in Egypt and there isnothing Egyptian about the decorations.However, these comments in no waydetract from the beauty and grandeur of thisworld famous banqueting Hall.

The Banquet followed our usual triedand trusted ways, including the Grace andthe Loving Cup Ceremonial. The toast tothe Royal Family was preceded by theNational Anthem, which was sung withgreat gusto.The Master, Vivian Bendall and Mistress Angela

Mathew awaiting their Guests

ACourt and Livery dinner was held on27 September 2012 in the Stationer’s

Hall. The principal guest was BaronArcher of Weston Super Mare whoresponded to ‘The Guests’ toast proposedby Past Master Dr Joanna Thomas. LordArcher is a prolific author and his bookshave sold at least 250 million copiesworldwide. Prior to becoming an author hewas a Member of Parliament and a DeputyChairman of the Conservative party.

Preceded by a tour of the Palace ofWestminster on 28 June 2012, fifty three

Glass Sellers dined at the House of Commons.Immediate Past Master Martin Scarth

introduced Sir Malcolm Rifkind as ourGuest Speaker for the evening. His wideranging speech reflected his 18 continuousyears as a Government Minister underMargaret Thatcher and John Major. Hisskill as a speaker and his amusinganecdotes were roundly applauded.

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u Earlier in the evening, during theReception, the Guard of Honour, mountedby The Rifles from the City of LondonArmy Cadet Force, was inspected by theLord Mayor locum tenens Alderman SirRobert Finch.

Each year ‘The Chosen Man’ is selectedand a Glass Sellers Trophy presented.This year Cadet Lance Corporal HollyCrabb of the 46th detachment received theTrophy from Sir Robert for her‘outstanding overall performance’.

As ever, the Banquet was accompaniedthroughout by popular music played by theLondon Banqueting Ensemble. Followingtradition, the final piece was a prestissimorendering of the Post Horn Gallop – amusical duel between the Post HornPlayers. They brought the house down!

Further toasts followed in statelyprogression, interspersed by presentations

of Glass Sellers’ trophies.Daniel Ullah, selected by the British Glass

Manufacturers Confederation, received theBest Apprentice of the Year trophy.

Colin Read won the Glass Sellers Artsand Crafts Prize for the best piece ondisplay at the Stourbridge Biennale. Colinis a previous winner of this prize. His work

is shown in over 45 Public Collectionsincluding the Victoria and AlbertMuseum, London and the CorningMuseum of Glass in New York.

Vicky Higginson received the GlassSellers Arts and Craft Student Prize,awarded for the best piece by a first-timeexhibitor. Born in Manchester, Vickystudied at Manchester MetropolitanUniversity and the University ofSunderland. She is currently a glassblowing assistant to Elin Isaksson inAlloa, Scotland and Treasurer of the

Scottish Glass Society.The Master proposed the Toast to the

Lord Mayor, the Corporation and theSheriffs. During his response, Sir Robertexplained that the Lord Mayor wascurrently on his 30th overseas visit,together with four Aldermen and hisSword Bearer!

The toast to The Guests was proposedby Court Assistant William Knocker

Lord Howard of Lympne proposed thetoast

‘The Glass Sellers Company’May it flourish, root and branch, for everAnd good health to The Master The Master responded, bringing the

proceedings to an end by proposing thetoast ‘TO GLASS’.John Spencer

Daniel Ullah receiving the Best Apprentice of theYear Award

Vicky Higginson, winner of the Arts and CraftsStudent’s Prize

Colin Reid, the winner of the Arts and Crafts Prize

The Post Horn Galop. Duet or Duel!

Lord Howard of Lympne proposing the ‘Glass Seller Toast’

Court Assistant William Knocker, proposing ‘The Guests’

In brief...

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On the 12th day of the 12th month ofthe 12th year of the 21st Century the

Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers andLooking Glass Makers held theirDecember Court Dinner in the splendidsurroundings of Stationers’ Hall.

Some 120 members of the Livery andtheir guests sat down to an excellent dinner.

Prior to dinner, the Master, Wardens andMembers of the Court and Livery attendedEvensong at St James’s Garlickhythewhere the Officers for the year wereinstalled. This installation was unique inthat, instead of holding the Common Hallceremony at Stationers’ Hall, the eventtook place in our Church.

Master: Guy C. D. Harrison Esq. MIPA, MABRPPrime Warden: Alderman Dr Andrew Parmley

MusM, FGSRenter Warden: Gwenllian Rhys, FRSAMaster’s Assistant: William Knocker Esq.Assistant to the Court: Maria Chanmugam

At the Dinner, the toast to the Guestswas given by the Renter Warden,Gwenllian Rhys.

An especially warm welcome was givento the Naval contingent from our newlyaffiliated submarine, HMS Artful: Lt Mark

Moulding, WO2 Scott Robertson, CPOTimothy Clifton and LET Karl Williams.WO2 Scott Robertson was presented withthe Glass Sellers’ Tankard during thecourse of the evening.

We were also delighted to be joined bythe Master Horner, the Master Glazier andPainter of Glass and the Rev Guy Treweek,the Priest in Charge at St James,Garlickhythe.

Past Master Michael Nathan’s guest wasGordon Keymer CBE, Leader ofTandridge District Council. Past MasterRichard Lawman’s guest was Past MasterActuary Adrian Waddingham, who isstanding for election as Lay Sheriff nextyear. One idea of Adrian’s is to change theCity Order of Precedence to alphabetical –thus making the ActuariesNo 1! This idea could wellfind support from theGlass Sellers – we wouldrise to 49 from 71, justabove the Glaziers.

Amongst Richard Katz’sguests were Dave Dalton,CEO of the British GlassManufacturersConfederation and AdrianWallace who have secured£2.75 million for the newGlass Academy. The GlassSellers are heavily involvedthrough our Glass Committeewith the Glass Academy who

are developing trainingin all aspects of glassbeginning with schoolstudents, instillinginterest and curiosityfor careers in glass andprogressing throughhigher vocational andacademic educationand beyond to R&D.

The reply to thetoast to the Guests wasgiven by the Rt HonMichael Fallon, Minister of State forBusiness and Enterprise who spokeeloquently about the many examples ofBritish technology flourishing In theBritish Glass Industry

The Immediate Past Master, VivianBendall, proposed the toast to theCompany and health to the new Master.

Our new Master, Guy Harrison repliedand proposed the final toast of the evening“To Glass” and was particularly pleased towelcome his mother, Dr Pam Harrison.

Past Master Michael Nathan

During his speech, the Immediate PastMaster, Vivian Bendall, made referenceto the Court Meeting earlier in the daywhen Past Master Michael Nathan hadbeen made an Honorary Liveryman andgranted the title “Father of theCompany” for his long and valuableservice as a Glass Seller. This title hasnot been used since 1850! Michael wasmade a Freeman of the Company 60years ago and next year will celebrate 60years as a Liveryman and 40 years sincehe was Master.

These are amazing achievements andPast Master Michaelis quite properlyacclaimed for them.Peter Rawlinson

The Master Guy Harrison and his predecessor, IPM Vivian Bendall.

St. James, Garlickhythe

Renter Warden GwenRhys and The Master.

The Master greeting crew members of HMS Artful

The Rt Hon MichaelFallon Minister ofState for Business.

Past MasterMichael Nathan

Evensong, Installation and Court and Livery Dinner December 2012

Newly installed PrimeWarden, AndrewParmley, welcomedby The Master.

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RAVENSCROFT LECTURE February 2013

The Ravenscroft Lecture onthe 21st February 2013 was

given in the Stationers Hall byLiveryman Maurice McLain.

Initially, Maurice’s interestwas in eighteenth centurydrinking glasses, but he becameintrigued by the social historybehind them, particularlythose commemorative of theJacobite Period.

His talk started with a historyof the early Stuart Monarchs,commencing with Charles theFirst and his dispute withParliament and OliverCromwell.

Charles the Second, whenescaping after his defeat at theBattle of Worcester, hid in an oaktree at Boscobel. Thereafter theoak became the Jacobite symbol.

Maurice discussed Charles II’sCourt including some of hisMistresses, most of whom wererewarded with titles, and some of hisillegitimate sons, including the Dukes ofMonmouth, St Albans, and Richmond.

Charles II gave his Royal Charter to theGlass Sellers Company in 1664.

One founding Member was John Greenewho ordered glass to be made in Venice, to hisdesigns. Those original designs are still in theBritish Museum. George Ravenscroft wasofficial Glass Maker to our Company, and if he

did not actually invent lead glass, heexperimented and developed it commercially.

James II lost his throne to William andMary in 1689, and his son, Prince JamesFrancis became the Old Pretender. Inturn, Prince Charles Francis Edward, orBonnie Prince Charlie as we know him,was the Young Pretender, responsible forthe ’45 Rebellion’.

One glass, displayed by Maurice, wasused by Prince Charles in 1745 to makethe toast ‘God Bless King James the VIII’.The Prince then broke the glass at its foot.His Host for the night, Patrick Murray, asterling gold and silver smith, ‘rescued’the glass. He made a new silver foot andinscribed that toast on it. He also put hisown silver mark on the foot. He washanged for treason in 1746!

In 1747 after the Jacobite Rebellion wasso comprehensively squashed at Culloden,the English Jacobite supporters weregranted an amnesty and the majority of

Jacobite glass dates from after 1750.In Maurice’s liberally illustrated talk, a wide

variety of drinking glasses, decanters, and acouple of Finger Bowls were shown withexplanations of the various Jacobite symbolson them. Among the exhibits was a decanterwhich was said by Andy McConnell, on theAntiques Road Show, to be the best he hadever seen.

Maurice also showed a range of other

Jacobite Memorabilia,including Portrait Miniatures,a Gold Snuff Box, a Bust ofBonny Prince Charles, aPunch Bowl, Medals, a Lady’sFan, and a Snuff Box,reputedly made out of woodfrom the Boscobel Oak Tree.

At the end of his very wellreceived lecture, Mauricerecommended that members ofthe audience should read ‘TheJacobites and their DrinkingGlasses’ by Geoffrey Seddon.

After the talk, the Masterdrank out of the glass broken byBonny Prince Charles andrepaired by Patrick Murrayappropriately using it topropose the Loyal Toast.Maurice McLainJohn Spencer

Bonnie Prince Charlie miniature A Jacobite drinking glass

Antiques Road Show

1745 Drinking glass with silver foot A Jacobite decanter

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Did you know....?

In the 18th century, it was gin that wascausing antisocial behaviour. Acts of

Parliament, Hogarth’s prints,and the encouragement ofbeer drinking as a better andhealthier alternative, allcontributed to the decline ingin consumption. By the19th century, thepromotion of beer hadbeen spectacularlysuccessful and this,aided by theproliferation of beerhouses, was itself thecause of drunkennessand social problems.

What alternative drinkmight be offered?

At that time,carbonated soft drinkswere being developedbut there was a seriousproblem in packaging

these new drinks anddelivering them to the

public. Despite 2000 years of glass bottlemanufacture, no - one could work out amethod of sealing the bottle to keep thefizz in the drink. The inventive andenterprising Englishman Hiram Coddcame up with an ingenious solution for, as

his patent states, “improvements in bottlesfor containing aerated and effervescingliquid”. When the bottle was filled withthe carbonated drink, it was closed by “aglass ball held by the pressure within thebottle against a ring of elastic materialplaced around the interior of the mouth”.

Codd’s bottles were widely used andtoday can be bought for a few pounds.

Not surprisingly, soft drinks earned thescorn and derision of the serious beerdrinking community. This was nothing

new as they had often made disparagingcomments about poor beers, calling themwallop and there could never be a worsewallop than the non alcoholic varietyfound in Mr Codd’s bottles. Hence,codswallop: meaning useless.

It’s a good story but there is a problem.Codd’s bottles were used for manydecades from the end of the 19th century.From that time, writers have written,reporters have reported and numerousforests have been felled to supply theacres of paper required for their words.Why, then, is the first written use ofcodswallop found in JB Priestley’s play“Three men in new suits” dated 1945?

“It’s drink…booze and wallop…you wake up in themorning… with the usualhangover”

Codd’s wallop?It’s probably justthat!John Savage

Codswallop

The Magical Taxi Tour is an AnnualEvent giving sick children, with

life threatening illnesses, a break fromtheir world of treatment and therapyby going on a trip of a lifetime toDisneyland, Paris, in a convoy ofLondon Taxis.

They are accompanied by Doctors,Nurses, and Paramedics and, ofcourse, members of their families.

The next Magical Taxi Tour, whichlasts for three days, will start out onthe 20th September 2013. It will bethe twentieth Tour.

This must be a unique CharityEvent. Four thousand children havebeen on the trip in 2,000 Taxis since1994 when 50 Taxis took partcarrying 100 Children. Nowadays,more than 150 Taxis are involved.

The Tour is organised annually by

the Worshipful Company of HackneyCarriage Drivers. Sponsorship coversthe cost of hotels, fuel, food,admission charges, and the like. EachTaxi is sponsored for the sum of£1,250 and we, the Glass Sellers’Company, have been Sponsors forseveral years.

Every Driver is a volunteer and todate they have, collectively, covered13,000 unpaid miles of driving.

On the day, proceedings arelaunched by the Lord Mayor ofLondon, the Taxis going fromDocklands to Dover in a convoy overthree miles long when up to speed.They are accompanied by PoliceEscorts, AA Breakdown Trucks,Ambulances and GendarmerieNationale vehicles on the journey toParis.

It is not just for the children – it alsogives Siblings and Parents, a three daybreak during which they do not have tothink about anything except enjoyingthemselves.

The Magical Taxi Tour generatesmoments of great joy and happinessfor sick children and their families.

Every aspect of the trip is organisedby unpaid volunteers. John Spencer

The Magical Taxi Tour

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The Glass Sellers were taken through2,000 years of London’s history in 60

minutes at the Museum of LondonDocklands. The Museum, originally a sugarwarehouse built in 1802, tells the story ofthe East End and the Docklands area.

Stuart, our guide, was extraordinary inhis knowledge across the centuries andhighlighted interesting details associatedwith selected objects as we moved throughthe galleries.

Starting with the Romans and the“Thames Highway”, we learned howgoods were transported throughout theempire creating international trade routesand bringing exotic goods to Britain.Moving swiftly on to medieval London,the Museum has on display a remarkablemodel of the 13th century LondonBridge, the first stone structure over theThames. The nursery rhyme LondonBridge is Falling Down is thought tooriginate from this time and the lyrics“My Fair Lady” to Queen Eleanor,consort of Henry III, as the bridge was

badly in need of repairs and the queenhad custody of the bridge’s revenues.

Jumping several centuries, we exploredthe Legal Quay Gallery (1600 – 1800),and one of the Museum’s most shockingexhibits: the iron gibbet cage, which was

used to hold and prominently display thebodies of executed pirates. Next stop onour tour was the London, Sugar & SlaveryGallery – a moving exhibition whichexamines London’s involvement in thetransatlantic slave trade. Stepping intoSailortown, we entered a fully-immersivereconstruction of the dark, winding streetsof Victorian Wapping (smells included!).

Finally, we ended our adventure in the20th century looking at how theDocklands area was involved in andaffected by the Second World War andhow Canary Wharf transformed the EastEnd into London’s second financial hub.

Our adventures were preceded by lunchin the Museum’s restaurant, Rum & Sugar,which takes its inspiration from its historiclocation and the building’s use as a sugarwarehouse. We were all impressed by thevast rum selection, apparently one of themost extensive in the city. May we all raisea glass to London’s fascinating history –bottoms up!Amber Bielby

Visit to the Museum of London DocklandsMarch 2013

Glass in Society West Midlands goes from strength to strength

It is with delight that I can report that theWest Midlands Glass in Society

projects are moving ahead in earnest.Currently we have three new projects thathave been funded with the agreement ofthe Trustees, and a number of othersubmissions in the pipeline for the newschool year in September 2013.

The three schools that are commencingtheir projects are Cardinal NewmanCatholic School in Keresley, EmesfordGrange and Kingswinford. As we havecome to expect the topics are wide-ranging and potentially challenging forthe students and they are all expected toachieve one of the CREST technologyawards as a result of their participation.

Cardinal Newman is investigatinglenses, their use and the construction oftelescopes. They intend to construct anoptical or light telescope; then compareand contrast the differences betweenlight and radio. An optical telescopegathers and focuses light mainly from thevisible part of the electromagneticspectrum while radio telescopes are

directional radio antennas used for radioastronomy. The school has the ambitionto build an observatory on site in thefuture.

Emesford Grange is the “mostchallenged” school in the City ofCoventry, according to OFSTED. So it isparticularly pleasing that the students,along with their highly motivatedteacher, have decided to take part in GIS.They are to study glass as a constructionmaterial, its manufacture, properties andwhich type of glass is used forconstruction and why. I was mostimpressed on my last visit to the schoolto witness the professional manner inwhich the students have organisedthemselves, with a project manager andsupporting roles for each member.

Kingswinford School continues towork with the Company and haveanother imaginative and exciting projectin progress. They are constructing1/10th scale models of the BloodhoundRocket car that is being developed atSwansea University. The real car is

intended to travel at speeds of 1000 mph,which will make the scale speed a mere100 mph! Three cars are beingconstructed with the best to be putforward for a Guinness World Recordattempt.

Watch this space – we will keep theCompany informed of progress of theseand all the fascinating projects that are inthe pipeline.Leigh Baildham

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Glass SellersProgramme 2013

(Glass Sellers’ functions are in bold print)Thursday 26 September

Court and Livery Dinner – Stationers’ HallMonday 30 September

Election of the Lord Mayor (Guildhall) and Luncheon

Tuesday 29 OctoberAnnual Banquet – The Mansion House

Friday 8 NovemberSilent Ceremony – Guildhall

Saturday 9 NovemberLord Mayor’s Show

Thursday 12 DecemberEvensong at St James Garlickhythe

and Installation Dinner – Stationers’ Hall

New to the Glass Sellers’CompanyFreemen:

David Dalton Dec 2012Ronald Brickley Dec 2012

Ms Faye Thomsit March 2013Alistair Wallace March 2013

Liverymen:Dr Emma Stanton Dec 2012Brian Scott-Picton Dec 2012

Mark Holford March 2013

Past Master Philip Willoughby (1986-7) writes:

Sandy Woodward became an HonoraryLiveryman of the Glass Sellers

Company in October 1982. I was Clerk at the time and much

involved in the process of getting hisagreement to become a Liveryman.

The Falklands War gripped and unitedthe Nation in a way that was extraordinaryand exciting. This was the first war foughtwith immediate availability of newscoverage through satellites. So we haddaily, even hourly bulletins.

The success in the Falklands was due tomany factors but, undoubtedly, Sandy’spart in it was crucial.

The Master Glass Seller at that time,Leonard Pagliero, was determined torecognise Sandy’s achievement for thenation and so I was instructed to invitehim to become an Honorary Liveryman,and I did so!

During this time, other LiveryCompanies were chasing him as well.One Past Master of another Companytold me that he was senior to me and Ishould withdraw the letter.

I did not do so and Sandy became oneof us – a Glass Seller.

It was a very proud moment when Sandymade his declaration at the Ladies Banquetat Mansion House in late October of 1982.

Going forward a few years to 1985, Iwas elected as Prime Warden and as anOrdinary Seaman RNVR (ret’d) Isuggested we should be affiliated to aNaval Ship or Boat.

Admiral Tony Morton was a member ofour Livery and I wrote to him with myrequest. He recommended that I wrote toSandy. My first wish was to affiliate withthe Destroyer HMS Broadsword, badlydamaged in the conflict.

However, HMS Broadsword was not tobe, but Sandy immediately suggestedHMS Conqueror, the submarine that hadbeen sitting on the bottom of the sea fornearly a month in the South Atlanticbefore the troubles started.

The Court approved and so started ourNaval Affiliation which continues to thisday with HMS Artful.

On a personal note, Sandy was very kindand generous to me. When I became

Master, my wife Sue and I dined with himin the Ward Room of HMS Victory onTrafalgar Night 1987.

We can be very proud to have embracedSandy as one of our members, and to havebeen able, through him, to establish ourNaval Affiliation – such a lasting andimportant part of the core of theCompany. We will miss him, and respecthis memory’.Philip Willoughby

Obituary – Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward Honorary Liveryman 1982-2013

The Master’s year end comments 2012-13Vivian Bendall

It was a privilege to be Master of theGlass Sellers Company during the

Queen’s Jubilee Year. The highlight forme of the year was three-fold:–

The Installation, the Luncheon with HerMajesty the Queen in Westminster Hall,and our Banquet at the Mansion House.

At the onset of the year, I commissioneda think tank into the future structure of thecompany. The think tank, under the veryable chairmanship of William Knocker,produced a blueprint for our company forthe future and I thank most sincerely allthose who participated. I think this newstructure will hold us in very good stead.

We once again had a change of Clerkand I would particularly like to thank PastMaster Vincent Emms for taking on thismost important task.

We had a memorable “Jolly” in Bath andI would particularly like to thank Angelafor all the assistance and help she gave asMistress in organising this. The only thingthat marred our year was Angela’s illnessand I would like to thank all those peoplewho kindly sent good wishes in what wasa difficult period and also to Past Master

Martin Scarth and others who onoccasions stood in for me.

It was indeed for both Angela and me amemorable year with the Pageantry of theQueen’s Jubilee and the Olympics beingheld in our country.

My thanks go to our ancient companyfor the privilege they honoured me with inmaking me their Master.Vivian Bendall

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The Glass Seller is published by The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London. www.glass-sellers.co.uk © The Glass Sellers Company 2013.

Acknowledgements: July 2013. The Glass Seller wishes to thank those who have contributed articles for this issue. Their names appear at the foot of the articleor in the body of the script. The design and artwork is by Andrew Jones to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. The magazine is printed and distributed byCrossprint on the Isle of Wight. Photographs were supplied by Gerald Sharp Photography, Andrew Jones, Jenny Nathan, Maurice McLain, John Savage, The Clerk,Judy Mewburn, Our thanks go to The Clerk and Assistant Clerk whose active support is greatly appreciated.

l Dine at the home of the Lord Mayor of the City of London

l Champagne receptionl Music by The London Banqueting Ensemblel A memorable and glamorous evening, full of

pageantry and evoking age-old traditions, foryou to share with your partner and guests.

l An excellent opportunity to entertain Businessguests in a truly exclusive venue that theywould not normally experience.

£110 per head (inc VAT) early bird price if you book and pay by 30 September 2013 £120 per head (inc VAT) from 1 October 2013

Invite friends and colleagues and help to make our 2013 banquet a truly memorable occasion. Booking information will be sent to you shortly.

For information on good value accommodation in the City please email the Clerk: clerk@glass-sellers.co.uk

Glass Sellers’ Annual BanquetTuesday, 29 October 2013at Mansion House6.45pm to 10.30pm

Company MerchandiseThe Master and Renter Warden,

Gwen Rhys, have met with ThomasFattorini Ltd (makers of badges,medals and insignias) holders of theRoyal Warrant, to discuss the designand production of a range of goodquality, competitively priced,Company “merchandise” that may beworn by male and female Liverymen.

The items are similar to thoseoffered by other Livery companiesand show off our Coat of Arms in full

splendour. There are 4 designs:brooch (which can also be wornas a pendant or badge)cuff-linkslapel pinstick pin (which features araven – one element from theCoat of Arms)All items, with the exception of the

Stick Pin (which is gold-plated) aresilver-and-gold-plated with coloured

enamel, and will be supplied in apresentation box.

To view the items and to place yourprovisional order, please visit themembers’ area of the Company’swebsite.