The Guild of Freemen of the City of London

The Senior Past Master thanks the Choirmaster, Mr Steven Pedlar, and his daughter
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Assistant Mrs Anne Holden & the Honorary Editor (her husband) sample the champagne
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Dinner in the Great Hall
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Dinner at Barber-Surgeons' Hall

4 May 2005

Once the Annual Service was over, 110 Guild members and their guests made their way to Barber-Surgeons' Hall for refreshments and dinner. Stimulated by a short walk on a cool but sunny late Spring evening, everyone was in excellent spirits by the time we foregathered in the Hall's reception room for pre-dinner drinks, and it gave us great pleasure that the choir from King Edward's School was able to join us there, before heading back to school.

Although Barber-Surgeons' Hall is a modern building, it houses many wonderful treasures, such as the magnificent portrait of Henry VIII and the Barber-Surgeons painted in 1540 by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Hall Beadle kindly started our dinner with a brief and witty description of the major works of art in the Great Hall, and that set the tone for a delightful evening, well set-off by an excellent meal. The final act of a truly memorable occasion was a light-hearted speech by the Senior Past Master, who had kindly taken the chair in the absence of the Master.