Our annual fund-raising Gala was a great success.  Thanks go to Commander Paul Haines and the Royal Navy Reserve for allowing us the stunning venue of HMS President on the Thames at Tower Bridge.  He provided the Sea Cadets and Marine Cadets, their training ships Royalist and Jack Petchey (which was commissioned just two days before) for inspection, their band, the hornpipe dancers and the surprise of the evening, twelve year old cadet Cody Lee Smart who marched on, sat at an electronic keyboard, played the most astonishingly accomplished jazz piano and marched off to rapturous applause.  Expect to see him on Jools Holland soon. 

We had 100 diners many of whom arrived on time but the curse of the London black cab driver struck some as they delivered them to TS President on the Thames at Blackfriars!  Guests were able to study the items for both the silent and live auctions before we went to the Wardroom for good food and drink.  Thanks to the Wine Committee for the wine selection which added to the cheerfulness of the evening.  Our Company guests were the Master Skinner and his wife, Miff; the Master Constructor and her husband, Stephen; the Master Water Conservator and his wife, Wendy; and our auctioneer Nick Bonham who is also the Master Pewterer.  The silent auction worked well and Nick Bonham did a sterling work in drumming up bids in the live auction in these straitened times. 

We have made some £18,000 which the Wardens, as Trustees of the Charitable Fund, will distribute between the Fund, the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, and the Sea Cadets who we are helping to raise the sum to buy a command vehicle for their outside events. 

Our thanks go to the organising group: Second Warden Geoff Llewellyn, Fourth Warden Ed Sankey, Past Master Alan Broomhead, Assistant Ray Kane, the Clerk and the Convenor, Freeman Sally Garratt.  Special thanks go again to Commander Paul Haines who has just been posted.  Paul has helped us so much over the years during his time at President.  We wish him well. 

Our thanks go to those who submitted winning bids thus enabling us to reach a highly satisfactory result.  It is reassuring that even in difficult times our members have managed through this and the Wine Event to maintain our charitable giving. 

Bob Garratt
Master