Posted on Long Finance, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020

Environmental, Social, and Governance of Investment

To the Guild of Investment Managers at Farmers’ & Fletchers’ Hall, City of London, Thursday, 17 October 2019

My fellow Alderman and your Master, Robert Hughes-Penney, kindly asked me to provide some opening remarks.  I do wish I could stay longer, but as fellow Livery folk, you’ll understand that an Immediate Past Master of the World Traders needs to attend our Installation Dinner at 19:00 to become an Immediate Past Past Master or an Immediate Immediate Past Master, or some such.

The comedian Jay Leno once quipped, “According to a new UN report, the global warming outlook is much worse than originally predicted. Which is pretty bad when they originally predicted it would destroy the planet.”  Sadly, that quip was from 2007.

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Posted on Life As We Live It, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020

Piper The Puffin

Today I hosted my first luncheon with the Judges and five guests. An amazing re-introduction to the hard work all the judiciary do, particularly as the case we followed today was rather harrowing with children and murder involved. For some light relief, a dear friend, Bill Joseph, sent the following limerick to start off a year of luncheons, for obvious reasons it featured a puffin:

London Heathrow approach control, Puffin 4096, “Piper”, requesting permission to land, do you have a longer runway available? We have a heavy load. 
There once was a rather smart puffin
 Who distracted the Lords from their judgin. 
 In his new shrievel chain
 With its symbols arcane,
 He astounded the room they had lunch in.
Posted on Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Day of Duty – Sheep Drive & The Costermongers’ Pearly Kings & Queens Harvest Festival

Chris Hayward and I headed out for our first day of duty as Sheriffs. On a drizzly Sunday we attended two events. The first is the now traditional Sheep Drive & Wool Fair. This event is kindly hosted by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, with much other livery support, and this year the organisation was led by a great friend of ours, Judith Pleasance CC. The event itself was inaugurated by the World Traders (have to get that inter-livery rivalry in).

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Posted on Life As We Live It, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Shrieval Chain Presentation – Puffin On Pipes

It was simply fantastic to have 230 friends and supporters turn up at the Dutch Church at noon on 19 September for the traditional “Shrieval Chain Presentation”. Richard Townend, St Margaret Lothbury’s organist, kindly took a whirl on the Dutch organ to welcome guests to the Church, which had kindly donated its facilities in aid of the local community. Sir David Wootton, Chairman of the Shrieval Chain Appeal Committee, gave a most wonderful traditional ‘roasting’ of the Sheriff-elect (me). Ruby Sayed and Lars Andersen, joint Secretaries, and Robert Woodthorpe Browne, Treasurer, presented a wonderful Book of Donors in my favourite colour.

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Posted on Life As We Live It, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Nothing To Lose But Our Chains… (Badge, and Brooch)

Banker Baron Overstone, on seeing the “unmitigated disappointment” of his new Overstone Hall in Northampthonshire (now derelict), grumbled, “We have fallen into the hands of an architect, in whom incapacity is his smallest fault.”

Well, I certainly don’t feel as morose as Baron Overton. In the case of my Shrieval chain and badge, as well as Elisabeth’s brooch, all we can say is that we fell into the hands of a silversmith, in whom genius is his smallest fault. We are so delighted with Grant Macdonald’s work.

The Shrieval Chain and Badge of Office

presented to Alderman Professor and Sheriff-Elect Michael Mainelli on 19 September 2019

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Posted on Life As We Live It, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Eelevated

Despite being three months away from assuming office, our services were called upon within days to assist the current Sheriffs in an unusually fishy matter.

Aal-most ends eel

When attending a service in the Dutch Church to commemorate the Dutch eel trade, like you do, Elisabeth and I encountered a delegation from the Frisian Islands. They came on the good ship eel barge Korneliske Ykes II, with greetings and gifts from the mayor of Súdwest-Fryslân to our Lord Mayor…

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Posted on Life As We Live It, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2020, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Sheriffs Elect!

On 24 June at Common Hall Chris Hayward CC and I were delighted to be elected Sheriffs to take effect at our installation on 27 September. Here we are pictured outside Cutlers’ Hall with our wives Alex and Elisabeth as we toured nine livery companies in ninety minutes to thank the nearly 1,400 people who turned up to vote!

The City of London Corporation Press Release provides more detail.

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