Despite heroic attempts to end Liveries, The City is a living piece of history, from which many benefits flow....
The Minutes of the Coopers' Company, in 1704, blamed "the clamorous confusion and great disorder at its dinners on the presence of wives of its Liverymen"...
Address to the Court - Christmas Supper 2016:
Rather than fill out the Notes of Adrian Waddingham, and thus alter the tone of a superbly delivered speech - witty and highly informative on the development curve of the Livery Companies - these notes are evocative, and will trigger memories in every member, about their own City and Livery experiences.
Company of Management Consultants: 1 December 2016 at Coopers’ Hall
Modern Livery? Post 1926. Now 33.
Smart Aldermanic decision.
1709 Fanmakers. 78 Master Mariners; 2013 Art Scholars.
WCMC 2004 are 105. But in my book 73!
Modern Companies mattered.
Many wanted to end Liveries.
Pre 19th century “Liveries had slowly altered from craft guild to select club, getting down to serious eating”.
In Victorian times in a dignified way – unlike Georgian:
1704 minutes of the Coopers’ Company blamed
“the clamorous confusion and great disorder at its dinners on the presence of wives of its Liverymen”
Fondness for environmentally un-friendly turtle soup.
Liberals denounced Conservative feasting and running the reactionary City of London as "curse of turtledom”.
From 1830’s to 1980’s successive but unsuccessful attempts by Westminster to reform City and Companies out of existence.
Keith Joseph:
“The City is a living piece of history with much benefit flowing from it – doing harm to no-one and benefit to many. It pays for its own ceremonial and pageantry and hospitality. It should not be abolished to suit the jealousies of the left”
There were reforms: the abolition of life-long tenure for Aldermen; abolition of the business vote.
Population demographic eased pressure 130K in 1850; 7K today.
MCs relieved pressure since WW2. Made sense of the 77.
Why is the Square Mile so important? Good King John.
The City well run. And gives more than people realise - Business rates of £700m to the Exchequer; £20m on spaces - £20m on arts - £25m on education;
- £10m on the Old Bailey - Hospitality at own expense
Taken as read – City is a force for good.
MCs must be “more than seminaries for good citizens”
MCs bring relevance. Centred on a trade or profession.
Provide semi/recently retired experience to Courts/committees.
MCs do not have economic power. Special contributions.
1. Profession; 2 City governance; 3. Social; 4. Charitable
First enhancing MCs. Members restricted (10%)
Entry more rigorous than professional bodies.
“Management Consultancy Centre of Excellence”
“Learning Deficit”: maths & creative thinking. Actuaries
Second. I think so. Edward Sankey and Anastasia working to shine a light for 300,000. “One Square Mile”
Civic office? More? (2013 Lord Mayor and Sheriffs modern)
Third. Social. Yes. At least this actuary thinks so.
Fourth. Charitable? MCs: 2015 was £3m from 29.
2 Moderns distinguished. Hackney Carriage Drivers.
MC “Pro Bono” work for third sector bang on target.
But are Companies, like City too shy? (accounts?)
Are Liveries fit for purpose in the 21st Century? Indeed.
Reminding older Companies on Governance and Charity (Grocers & Haberdashers)
Our challenge: to go beyond the typical benign coverage
“Liveries are strange historic institutions left over as relics of the Middle Ages, but actually they do good work for charity when not busy feasting and swigging from loving cups”
To retain a central position in the City, each Liveryman must be determined to be useful and enterprising.
To serve contemporary London
Adrian Waddingham CBE
Chairman of the Association of Consulting Actuaries from 2004-2006 and former Chairman of the International Association of Consulting Actuaries; Past Chairman of the Association of Pensioner Trustees.
Governor of the Pensions Policy Institute; Trustee of the Skeletal Cancer Action Trust; Trustee of the Epilepsy Society; Ambassador for the charity Seeability. Trustee of the pension schemes of the City & Guilds and the Pensions Management Institute.
Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries 2009-2010.
2013 elected Sheriff of the City of London and took up the one-year residence in the Old Bailey
Awarded the CBE in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to pensions and the actuarial profession.