Master Water Conservator

On Friday 28 April, Trustees of the Water Conservation Trust and the Master were invited to lunch at Wadham College to celebrate the 15th year of our bursary partnership and to sign an agreement for a further three years. Wadham was the first of our bursary partners and have been scrupulous in maintaining the relationship: each year we are invited to the college to meet ‘our’ students and keep abreast of developments; the college’s previous Warden, our honorary Freeman Baron Macdonald of River Glaven, hosted a gathering of our bursary students students in London, whilst the current Warden, Robert Hannigan CMG, was our guest speaker at last year’s Michaelmas lunch. At this lunch, our current bursary student, Victor Hyde, expressed his thanks for the generous support of the Water Conservation Trust (including help with travel costs for him to attend the recent UN Water Conference in New York) and for the mentoring provided by Court Assistant Allan Barton. Development Director Julie H...

On the evening of Wednesday 26th of April I attended the above lecture at the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall. The guest speaker was Professor Alison Wakefield who led a wide-ranging discussion around the multifarious cyber-security risks facing companies and countries. This tied in very well with what Robert Hannigan (former director of GCHQ) told us at our Michaelmas Lunch.  A number of insights came from the discussion, including the particular worry when existing employees (due to family or life events) become radicalised and disaffected; this is often something that is overlooked and indeed can difficult to detect.  Alison also pointed out that different companies and systems could be categorised as fragile, resilient, or anti fragile in the face of cyber threats: anti fragile ones learn and get stronger when attacked; resilient ones survive; fragile ones need to worry!  The event was a classic example of the breadth of the city livery movement and its ability to c...

On a Wednesday 26 April, I attended the above lunch held by our dear friends, the Worshipful Company Of Plumbers in the lovely surroundings of Carpenters’ Hall. The Master Plumber made a delightful speech referencing the planned refurbishment of Carpenters’ Hall and indicating where each of the assembled Liveries might assist; he did us the honour of saying the Master Water Conservator could offer environmental advice! The guest speaker, Fran Findlater, made a moving speech on her charity, which assists in getting discharged prisoners back in to regular employment - a most estimable cause. I was escorted  by the Plumbers’ Renter Warden Charles Brook (who is due to become Master in 2024). We had a long conversation on our respective companies’ charitable support for young plumbers and environmentalists - in the case of the Plumbers via their apprentice scheme (most recipients are teenagers) and in our case via our bursary and linked associates scheme (typically for people in the...

The Walbrook is one of London’s famous ‘lost rivers’ – a tributary of the Thames which in Roman times divided Ludgate from Cornhill and played a vital role in the founding of Roman Londinium.  The Roman Governor’s palace and other high class houses stood on its bank.  Over the next few hundred years it was gradually filled with rubbish, silted up and diverted until by the fifteenth century it had almost completely disappeared underground.  Its course is still known however and on 21 April a group of 18 Conservators braved the chill and rain of an English Spring to walk along its vanished banks through some little known alleys and byways of the City.  We were expertly led by our guide, Court Assistant  Christine Jarvis, who described the fascinating history of the river and pointed out the landmarks en route including the famous Roman temple to Mithras discovered in the 1950s, the sites of two Elizabethan theatres associated with Shakespeare (The Curtain and the ...

  Moving forward with the Government’s Plan for Cleaner and More Plentiful Supply of Water Following the publication of the Plan, and building on the relationship the Company has established   with Defra, Past Master Peter Matthews and Court Assistant Dinah Nichols were invited to attend an informal meeting with Minister Pow on Tuesday 18 th April. This was also attended by officials from   the Defra Water Team and representatives from Catchment Partnerships in East Anglia and Somerset. We reassured the Minister that the Company will continue to share the   experiences of its Members to add to the knowledge which will underpin delivery of the Plan. The discussion focussed largely on the management of Catchments both as engines to drive the Plan forward and as a basis for wider environmental management of natural resources, including issues such as land management. All agreed that there is a need for a master template of what constitutes a comprehensive Catc...

On 19 April, the Master was privileged to be a guest of our good friends, the Worshipful Company of Fuellers, at their Election Luncheon at Vintners’ Hall. In attendance was HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Past Master of the Fuellers. The guest speaker was Sherrif Andrew Marsden and other guests included Alderman Alison Gowman. It was a delightful event. Master Fueller, Peter Harrison, welcomed four new members to the Company. Andrew Marsden made a thoughtful speech on the conflicting needs of energy security and carbon abatement, and highlighted the role of the Fuellers in progressing matters. It was great to be able to catch up with Alison Gowman on her plans as regards Livery Climate Action and to discuss ideas for future City Water Debates. All in all, a good example of the power of the livery movement to combine serious discussion with good fellowship.

  Tudor Pull 2023 Stela Ceremony at Hampton Court Palace     The Stela has returned to Hampton Court Palace ready for this year’s row.   As you pass through the side gate at Hampton Court a table will have been set up for the Stela either in the open area just before the main gate to the Palace or if the weather is not good the table will be under the arch of the entrance.   The Master Water Conservator will be there and (Duty Manager/Director) who is representing Hampton Court Palace.   The Master Water Conservator will say to the Duty Manager.     “Sir, on behalf of my Company, as we have undertaken to do, I hereby return this Stela made from the timber of an ancient water conduit, that you once again may send it by river to the City of London and in doing so demonstrate the historic use of this Royal highway”.   Response and proclamation .   “Master, I thank you and your company for once again absolving...

Sunday 16 April saw the annual Tudor Pull. What is that about, you may well ask, and how are the Water Conservators involved? The ceremonial commemorates the sale of the Conservancy of the Thames to the City of London in 1197 to help fund the ‘King’s Ransom’ for King Richard I who had (rather fecklessly) allowed himself to be taken hostage whilst travelling back from Crusade. (Our presentation of a jug of Thames Water to the Lord Mayor commemorates the same event - see Master’s Blog 2). The Tudor Pull involves inter alia a ‘stela’ made (in 1997 the 800th anniversary of said Ransom) by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen out of a piece of medieval wooden water pipe supplied by the Water Conservators. The Master Waterman and the Master Water Conservator jointly pick up this stela at Hampton Court Palace from whence we undertake to transport it back safely by river, escorted by Company cutters and other vessels, to the Governor of the Tower of London, where it is safely stored for ...

What a wonderful Election Court Lunch we had on 5 April at Pewterers’ Hall! Our guest speaker was Baroness Young gallantly sporting the Company teardrop given to her 15 years ago, when she previously spoke at one of our events. She gave us a lot to think about concerning the total reliance we have for land for a myriad of different uses, and the need for a land commission or similar. This is a very important topic and indeed ties in with our own developing thoughts on river basin management. It was great that she was able to spend so much time both before and after the lunch talking to members individually. It was a huge pleasure at Court to welcome six new Freeman and a new liveryman (Master’s bailiff Dharmesh Joshi) as well as to re-admit Past Master Professor Gerald Noone; sadly Gerald is recovering from a recent operation and was not able to attend in person but we all look forward to seeing him face to face in the not too distant future. We were also delighted to welcome three n...