Posted on Long Finance, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2021

Environmental Social Governance of Investment

Remarks 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 2019-2021

One Foot In The …

When you start to see these retrospective articles you begin to get furtive, looking over your shoulder much more, not walking under ladders, etc. Still quite a nice and complimentary interview for which I’m thankful to Eila Madden, George Littlejohn, and the team at CISI. PDF:

1 October 2019The Polymath (profile of Professor Michael Mainelli as he becomes Sheriff of the City of London)Securities And Investment Review
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Posted on Life As We Live It, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2021

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 The City of London & Broad Street Ward, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2021

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, The City of London & Broad Street Ward, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2021

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 containing his coat of arms:

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Posted on Life As We Live It, The City of London & Broad Street Ward, Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2021

Eel-evated

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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