Summer Festival at Barber Surgeons’ Hall – 2 July 2025

This year’s Summer Festival on 2 July was hosted by The Master at Barber Surgeons’ Hall off London Wall and was attended by 126 members and guests. This black-tie dinner is the main summer event in the Company’s social calendar. This year, the event was extra special as it included the signing of our Armed Forces Covenant.

Barber Surgeons’ Hall was the perfect setting for the evening – the current Hall opened on 13 May 1969 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. It has an amazing array of art and antiques dating back to Tudor times, including a collection of letting bowls as shown on the left. Central to this magnificent collection is a painting commissioned by Henry VIII by Hans Holbein. It has a wonderful terrace backing onto a physic garden and part of the Old London Wall.

On arrival, our members and guests assembled on the terrace for a reception before being called to dinner.

Terrace Reception

Once seated, The Master formally welcomed the guests and read out a message from our principal guest, HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, who was sadly unable to attend.

The Master

We then witnessed the signing of our Armed Forces Covenant by The Master and the Commander Maritime Reserves, Commodore Jo Adey ADC. This was followed by the Cadet of the Year Award presentations to our three affiliated cadet forces representing the Sea, Army and Air, together with the presentation of charity cheques to the Cadet Unit Commanding Officers.

Signing the Armed Forces Covenant

Dinner is served

Dinner followed Grace said by the Learned Clerk, Debbie Abergil. We were served an excellent three-course meal with fine wines, and during dinner, The Master introduced the newly clothed Liverymen Lady Guli Sheikh, Commander Jonathan Wheale, AVM The Hon David Murray, Karen Whitting, and Stephen Hodgkinson.

New Liverymen Clothed at the Summer Festival – Commander Jonathan Wheale, Lady Guli Sheikh, AVM The Hon David Murray, Karen Whitting and Stephen Hodgkinson

Welcoming the guests – Upper Warden Janet Rivers

After the Loyal Toasts, Upper Warden Elect Janet Rivers introduced and welcomed all our guests who included our speaker, the Buchanan Clan Chief, Michael Buchanan. Michael gave an interesting speech which included the history of the clan whose origins are said to lie in 1225. Michael is an Oxford graduate and a Chartered Civil Engineer who spent 7 years with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners designing and supervising the construction of water resource schemes. Michael’s other claim to fame is in shooting, representing Scotland at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and winning the British long range rifle shooting championship five times at distances commencing at 1,000 yards.

Michael Buchanan displaying the Clan flag

The Master presented a Company lead shield to Past Clerk Michael Curzon Lewis, who became Clerk 50 years ago in 1975, and we were entertained to a wonderful selection of show songs from guest pianist Ben Costello and singer Sylvie Noble.

We then retired for a Stirrup Cup before leaving for home.

Senior Steward Kevin Thomas