NEWS
Information Technologists’ Company
A Present to the WCIT Hall,
Cathedral Clock
what a wonderful Master’s gift it
would make.
The clock has an eight day mechanism
and is entirely constructed from Ash.
Having purchased the clock the first
challenge was to transport it from the
workshop in mid Wales to Charles and
Beverley’s home in Berkshire.
Thence to the Hall in August where
the Clerk, Mike Jenkins, assisted in its
assembly.
Charles said that “Presenting the
Cathedral Clock at the October Court
meeting was a privilege and a
pleasure. I am thrilled at the
enthusiastic response it has received
and the Master’s kind and effusive
acceptance of our gift. Beverley and I
wish all who meet in the Livery Room
happy times!”
The incoming Master, Michael
Webster, who took the Master’s seat
to Chair the concluding part of the
October Court, [having consult ed his
Webster’s Dictionary (1897
edition) to find]... that a
cathedral is so defined because it was
where a bishop had his seat of office;
“cathedra” being Latin for chair. Past
Master John Carrington presented the
Past Master Charles Hughes presenting the splendid Master’s seat, so there is a
good symmetry between these two
Cathedral Clock to the October Court
artefacts. Indeed it might be
t the October Court meeting
appropriate to describe this superb
Past Master Charles Hughes
cathedral clock, after Charles’ own
presented a wonderful
words, as a “Timepiece de
Cathedral Clock to the Company.
Resistance”! Thank you, Charles and
Accepting it on behalf of the
Beverley for such a generous gift - a
Company, the then Master Michael
continuing reminder of Charles’
Grant, described it as a stunning and
illustrious year as Master.
very generous gift and the Court
acclaimed the presentation.
A
Charles and his wife Beverley first
saw examples of Stephen Harris’s
craftsmanship at the Royal
Berkshire Show. They were
entranced by his modern
interpretation of traditional
concepts, the skilled attention to
detail and wonderful use of wood.
The Cathedral Clock is inspired by
the great English gothic cathedrals,
hence its name, and is Stephen’s
unique piece de resistance. When
Charles and Beverley saw it they
both, independently, thought how Past Master Charles Hughes and the (then)
well it would look in our Hall and Master Michael Grant - now Deputy Master
PAUL DAVID JAGGER
@cityandlivery
This issue of MONITOR features what we
hope to be a regular column on obscure facts
about the City of London and its diverse
Livery Companies, focussing on their history,
law, lore and customs.
Each issue of MONITOR will include a
selection of miniature missives drawn from
the twitter account of WCIT Liveryman Paul
Jagger who tweets under the sobriquet
@CityandLivery employing the hashtags
#CityFact and #LiveryFact
There are neither points nor prizes for
remembering these online orations although
they may yet prove useful for the obscure
publications feature in Have I Got News for
You or a future episode of QI.
With QI in mind, our first fact is:
#CityFact Stephen Fry (Freeman) has made
a documentary entitled 'Fry’s Key To The
City'.
#CityFact The first recorded Freedom of the
City of London dates to 1237, but the
freedom is probably quite a bit older nobody knows!
#CityFact Although described as a 'Copy Of
Freedom', the certificate presented to a
newly admitted Freeman is in fact the
original
#CityFact Any Freeman of the City of
London who subsequently joins a Livery
Company will need to return to Guildhall to
be 'Recorded'
#CityFact Sir Michael Caine received the
Freedom of the City of London in 2013. Not a
lot of people know that!
Page 9