A Message from the Master
Our Lunch for the Lord Mayor
Our lunches with the Lord Mayor are always fun. The Mansion House always accepts our invitation because we hold it so early in January that he never has anything else in the diary! (I did not say “he or she” because we have not had another female Lord Mayor since I was in the role 10 years ago, but I think that will now change – we have some very able women in the pipeline!)
In my last Master’s Message, I described the Lord Mayor, Michael Mainelli as a “terrifically engaging speaker and very personable” and he did us proud! For those of you who are beekeepers, here is his opening joke which you may find useful: “A man went into a pet shop and asked for a dozen honeybees. When he was given the container after paying the money, he counted them and said “there are 13 in here”. “Yes” said the pet shop owner, “the last one is a freebie (free bee)!”
I like to argue that Michael is the most international Lord Mayor that we have ever had. A past Master of the World Traders’ Livery Company he is a member of 12 other Livery Companies (I only have 11). He holds four passports (UK, US, Irish, Italian). The Lady Mayoress is German! He is a scientist, economist, accountant, securities professional, technology and finance specialist who very much takes the long-term view of things.
The Dasgupta Review of Biodiversity
It took the Lord Mayor no time to master the economic complexities of the densely packed Dasgupta Review on biodiversity published in 2021 and to explain it to audiences during the next year or more as if it were easy! The Review interests and resonates with the Wax Chandlers who worry a lot about natural habitats for honeybees and other pollinators. Professor Dasgupta spoke in person at a dinner organised by Pollinating London Together which the Wax Chandlers have supported from the start and is now a charity in its own right. We are delighted that the Lord Mayor is one of its Patrons (I am one too)!
The Lord Mayor’s Coffeehouse Program
Demonstrating his love of the history of the City, one of Michael’s themes for his year is that the City is still the world’s “coffeehouse”. The concept comes from a place where people came together to discuss current issues and do business. Coffeehouses were particularly popular in the late 17th century and are famous for debates that led to the founding of Lloyd’s of London and the Lloyd’s Register thanks to the underwriters of ship insurance that did business together in Edward Lloyd’s coffeehouse. Sotheby’s and Christie’s have similar coffeehouse origins.
Knowing us really quite well, Michael has invited us to participate actively in his Coffeehouse Program. The other day, I went to the Mansion House for one of his “coffee colloquies” – a debate over our water challenges (organised with the help of the Water Conservators Company) which are relevant to our interest in the natural habitats of the honeybee and other pollinators. He gave me two invitations for the Company to deliver lectures in the Coffeehouse Program. One relates to pollination in an urban environment which is right up the street of Pollinating London Together. The other I chose because I find it very exciting which is the success of the modern wax industry in recycling domestic waste such as plastics and using the resulting waxes and ingredients in creating recyclable packaging. Our Renter Warden, Ian Appleton, will be delivering that lecture and I expect to be able to let everybody have access to a recording of it.
Our Bees Abroad Gift
The Lord Mayor was clearly very touched when I presented him with our favourite gift which we purchased by way of a donation to the charity, Bees Abroad. It consists of beehives, a bee suit, hive tools and smoker for an organisation called “Bee Farmers on Crutches” in Sierra Leone. It provides the equipment for a household in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the world to start a sustainable beekeeping enterprise. Beekeeping increases household income by 20% making it possible to buy household essentials, medicines and to pay for education. Part of the Bees Abroad mission is to train and support marginalised groups to become skilled beekeepers, community leaders, trainers and entrepreneurs through their sustainable beekeeping training model with expert field practitioners. The aftermath of the civil war in Sierra Leone left an estimated 27,000 people with an amputation or disability for which they are stigmatised.
Candlemas
Beginning of February, we held our usual celebration of the festival of Candlemas with the Tallow Chandlers Company. As you will know, we start with a magical church service at which each of us lights a candle, but not for very long. Afterwards, we had dinner together in each other’s Halls – candle lit course! It made me worry about all the spent candles that there must be in the City, but the Renter Warden told me about his Recycled Candle Company which collects them from other Livery Halls and venues and, yes, recycles them into new candles and other waxes!
Fiona Woolf
Dame Fiona Woolf DBE, DL
