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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 1 Our New Master After the ceremonials last night, 7 July, the celebrations took their usual joyous turn (drinks in the garden) as Helen Esmonde was installed as Master although there was an extra frisson of excitement, obviously, as Helen is the first woman to be Master of the Company after a line of 612 men. We wish her well for her year as Master and commit to supporting her endeavours. It is going to be a year focused on education as that is the Master's especial interest but, as with every year, there will be all sorts of causes to which members can contribute their energy and from what Prof Tim Connell, Chairman of the Livery Committee, said at Common Hall, all sorts of Livery Committee events to enjoy - something for everyone was the mantra! CLASS OF ’53 REUNION Notice of a Second reunion of the class of ’53 has been arranged for Wednesday 21st October 2015 at The Cheshire Cheese, Little Essex Street, Temple, London, WC2R 3LD. The time 12.00 with lunch being served at around 13.00. Lunch will consist of 2 courses with a choice from the pub menu. Please let Peter Redman know your availability asap by e-mail: pete.redman@pgra.co.uk or telephone: 01707654821. Alternatively, Mike Hasler via email: mikehasler. oldstationers@gmail.com or telephone: 01296614352 or Alan Green via email: alan.green61@btinternet.com. The missing names in the last magazine (Issue No.80, page 14) were middle row, Chris Seabrook and either Keith Fielder or Peter Finch in the back row. Can anyone help as I seem to have mislaid my list of attendees? Mike Hasler The Royal Maundy Thursday 2nd April by Rev. Brian Cranwell To say I was surprised to receive an envelope in February postmarked E:R Buckingham Pallace, must be the understatement of a lifetime. Even greater was the surprise to find an invitation to be a recipient of Maundy Money from HM the Queen at Sheffield Cathedral on Maundy Thursday, April 2nd . I telephoned one of the enquiry numbers given in the letter, and told the clergyman on the other end that I had always assumed that these gifts were a token payment to the poor and destitute. He replied that they were in the days of King John but are now given for services to the church and the community. He could not tell me who had nominated me for this honour; the Dean of Sheffield had sent the list to the Palace but had merelv collated the nominations. The envelope included a stamped reply envelope addressed to the Royal Almoner at the Palace. This merely had a second class stamp. So concerned was I that it might go astray that I sent it recorded delivery (accepting the invitation naturally)! I had seen in our local papers that the Maundy service was to be held in our Cathedral, the first time a monarch had ever done this in South Yorkshire. It marks the fact that the Diocese had just completed its 100·h anniversary since being separated from York Diocese in 1914 and the completion of a massive reordering and restoration of the cathedral. Originally this was Sheffield Parish Church, the site of which goes back to the Saxon era with parts of the present building dating back to the Normans On Saturday March 14'" recipients and their escorts were invited to attend a briefing by the lord High Almoner, by tradition the Bishop of Worcester, at the cathedral. The Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr John Inge gave us an interesting history of the Maundy ceremony which was at one time much more involved. Recipients used to receive clothing and a platter on which was bread, salmon and herrings in addition to the money. Now there is a purse of money in place of the food, plus another purse containing the specially minted Maundy coins of 89 pence representing the age of the sovereign. These are given to 89 men, and 89 women. It was interesting to hear the lord High Almoner explain that the Queen has always insisted that the sense of an act of humility (the essence of the origins of the ceremony from Christ's last supper with his disciples) should be retained, by her coming to the recipients rather than recipients going to her in london as we would for a medal or other award. The first Elizabeth included washing the feet of the recipients though it seems that three wandsmen twice washed their feet before the queen did it and the sovereign also received a nosegay to counter any unsavoury smells that might arise! Such nosegays are still prepared by Purveyors of Nosegays by Royal Warrant, and carried by the Queen and others. The first record of a sovereign carrying out this ceremony was by King John at Knaresborough in 1210, but later research found mention of it in the days of Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. The ceremony used to be carried out at whichever city the sovereign was Visiting on the day. We were also advised that the Queen would personally hand the purses to each recipient, walking round to our seats, quite a task for a lady of 89. 16
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 1 Further information from the Sheffield Master Cutler advised that a) all recipients and their escorts were invited to a lunch in Cutler's Hall after the service and b) the Cutler's Company was having two special chairs made for the service, for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh by a Company member, using Sheffield stainless steel. These would remain in the cathedral. The Cutler's Hall, which is directly opposite the cathedral, was to be used for the recipients to be received and duly identified before being taken across to their seats. The Almoner pointed out that we were not expected to give the Queen anything in return. Apparently on one occasion an elderly lady presented her with a jar of homemade marmalade after receiving the purses! And so to the great day. Needless to say, my wife Hazel had a new outfit, and as the street was closed to traffic, we could not take cars UP to the doors of the Cutler's Hall and had to walk the final 200 yards. We hoped that the weather would be kind to her outfit and my suit, and this proved to be the case as although cold it was dry and sunny. We were taken across to the Cathedral watched by the crowds gathered The Queen arrived spot on 11.0 am, with an escort of Yeomen of the Guard. There were four processions, the Cathedral's, the Ecumenical, The Queen's and The Royal Almonry. The Choirs of the Chapel Royal and Cathedral were magnificent, and the music (I gather chosen by the Queen) included Handel's stirring "Zadoc the Priest" which is sung at coronations. During the service the Queen went twice round the cathedral handing the Maundy money to each of us personally. like many others I was surprised at how petite she seemed. Amazingly, despite all that had to be achieved the processions out were right on 12 noon (perhaps because there was no sermon i), with the Queen signing the Visitor's Book at the Cathedral door, following which she was greeted by a crowd estimated at 10,000, and went across to a Civic lunch at the nearby Town Hall. The irony for me was that the cost of my wife's new outfit for the event would have qualified me for assistance under the heading of destitute! But regardless, the occasion was a memory of a lifetime. Rev Brian Cranwell after receiving Maundy Money from the Queen in Sheffield Cathedral, with his wife Hazel. Music at Stationers' Your article about Dr David Clover, Director of Music at Stationers’ reminded me of a coincidence that happened only 3-4 years ago in Sheffield. I was talking to another retired clergyman named John Collie, and in the course of the conversation he mentioned he had been at Highgate School. When I told him I had been at Stationers’ he said “Oh, my father taught music at Stationers’ for some years”. I realised that his father was Norman Collie who ran the choir of which I was a member at Stationers’. He had the nickname of ‘Hamilton’ though I have no idea why. This choir was invited to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral at the first post war Stationers’ Hall crypt service on Ash Wednesday in 1946. I still remember the first two lines of the anthem we sang with its tune but have no remembrance of the composer. When John died a memorial service was held for him in the church where he had been vicar for many years. During the service two of John’s grandchildren played an instrumental piece “Romance” written by Norman Collie for his daughter’s 21st birthday.. Later, at the bun fight following I told the grandchildren I remembered their great grandfather. They must have thought I was as old as Methuselah! I remember mention of Clover in the Sheffield press when he ran the youth choir. I wish I had known his connection with Stationers. The musical side of life only consisted of the choral practice one hour a week at Stationers in my day. Rev. Brian Cranwell Promotional programme to encourage membership of the Stationers’ Company Our President was recently a guest at a Master and Wardens’ Luncheon at the Stationers’ Hall. When invited to speak, he recalled his first visit to the Hall in 1966 as a member of the school choir after singing the Ash Wednesday service in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the memory of John Norton who died in 1612. His comments reminded me that our relationship with the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers not only takes us back to the days of our teens and the opening of our school in 1861, but it also links us to the beginnings of the printing industry in 1403. There are 110 Livery Companies in the City of London, all playing a part in maintaining the traditions of each guild and industry from which they were created. Today, not only do these companies provide a wide variety of social gatherings and a network of business contacts, but there is also a strong ethic of support for both charities and educational establishments. Collectively, the Livery Companies of London donate over £50 million per year which is exemplified by the current investment by the Stationers’ Company in the Stationers Crown Woods Academy. 17
Page 1 and 2: No 81 /July 2015 The Old Stationer
Page 3 and 4: T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o
Page 11 and 12: OSA CHRISTMAS LUNCH 2015 at STATION
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Page 19 and 20: Hi Geraint perring32@btinternet.com
Page 29 and 30: up from where he’d thrown them an
Page 39 and 40: got them both into trouble. Who wer
Page 47: Old Stationers Fantasy Football - S

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