Our Annual Banquet is the highlight of the Company’s year and by kind permission of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, it was once again held in the magnificent Mansion House in the heart of the City of London. This year on Thursday 5th October, it was our pleasure to welcome Alderman and Horner, Dr Sir Andrew Parmley representing the Lord Mayor together with our guest speaker, Mr Christopher Hayward, Chairman of the City of London Corporation Policy and Resources Committee.
The Banquet is usually one of the first events in the Shrivel year and so we were pleased to also greet, as our guest, Sheriff and Alderman Bronek Masofada together with his consort. Other guests included Masters of the Goldsmiths’, Salters’, Painter-Stainers’, Upholders’, Accountants’, and Watermen and Lightermens’ Companies; representatives of the Master’s Charity, the Dog’s Trust; the President of the British Plastics Federation, the Commanding Officer of HMS Agememnon; NCOs HMS Puncher and the Officers Commanding 27 Squadron RAF and 1349 Air Training Corps.
During the evening, the Sir Andrew Parmley and the Master presented the Horners’ Award Plastics Innovation & Design to Mr Stephen Ford of Suscons UK Ltd for their ‘Innovative Emergency shelter’. The Horners Bottlemakers Award was presented to Mr Jason Saunders of Berry Superflos for their ‘closed loop recycled paint containers’. Suscons also received the David Williams Award for social contribution through plastics. These well-deserved awards reward excellence and are much appreciated by the recipients. To learn more about them select AWARDS from the menu above. The Master then presented Sir Andrew Parmley with a cheque for £5000 being a contribution to the Lord Mayor’s appeal.
The London Banqueting Ensemble entertained us with music throughout the evening. After an excellent meal, the ceremony of the Loving Cup took place with a Covid Safe difference! Instead of taking a sip of mulled wine from the cup, a Ferrero Rocher chocolate was taken from it instead. Then came the various toasts, and entertaining speeches rounded off with the post horn gallop where the two trumpeters from the London Banqueting Ensemble compete to out play each other. A most enjoyable evening was had by all.
Photographs of the banquet can be viewed in the GALLERY