51. Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Spring Court Dinner


On 9 March the Master and Clerk attended to the Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Spring Court Dinner at Barber Surgeons’ Hall. They are like us a modern livery company (number 104 in order of precedence) and are dear friends of the Water Conservators. They are rightly particularly well known for the annual Magical Taxi Tour which takes children with disabilities to Disneyland Paris in black cabs with an escort of British and French motorcycle police. This is a most valuable and moving spectacle which we regularly support (most recently with a collection after Myddelton Lunch).

It was a really wonderful dinner. The guest speaker was Lt General Sir Andrew Gregory who talked about the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Family Association. In a nice coincidence he mentioned the work of Calvert Trust Exmoor which provides outdoor holidays for servicemen and others with disabilities; older members of our Company will remember our visit to Calvert in 2008 and the financial support provided to them via the WCT; the Master was able to ‘name-check’ and share reminiscences with Sir Andrew after the dinner. 

In a rather heady mix of good fellowship, the Master was also able to establish or re-establish most cordial relations with the Masters of the Tobacco Pipemakers, Security Professionals, Cooks and Turners as well as of course with our generous host, Stephen Plumb, Master Hackney Carriage Driver. Interestingly all, like us, are focused on the meeting the developing needs and interests of their membership; all also, like us, in one way or another are actively bringing in new members via associate or apprenticeship programmes (often linked in with their charitable activities).

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