Aldgate East Underground station is something of an enigma: emerge from its depths, and you find yourself at a crossroads. Which way to turn? All the roads look the same. Yet all the dozen or so members of the Company, and their friends and relatives, managed (some perhaps with a little hesitation) to find their way south to a steak restaurant for lunch one Saturday in March. Yes, it was directly into sun, but all the very high rise buildings in the vicinity cast no shadows at all.
Then after a leisurely meal, we headed further south to the mysteries of Graces Alley, and Wilton’s Music Hall. Dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, some cheekily ask themselves today, whenever is it going to be finished?
It is a fun place, and we were going to see the penultimate performance of Rossini’s Barber of Seville, locally adapted to portray the original plot, but set against the backdrop of the Wild West, Stetson hats and all. No big cast, and the music emanated from a solitary piano, played most energetically. We enjoyed it, as had the reviewer in The Times a few days previously, who had rated it worthy of four stars:
“….this Barber is a reminder that arguably the most famous operatic comedy draws in many respects from the same well of goofy humour and virtuosic patter-song as the Savoy Operas (of Gilbert and Sullivan)”.
The Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers has not paid a visit to Wilton’s for quite a while, but for sure we will be returning again ere long, especially at its most reasonable prices, and in mid-afternoon when it is perfectly feasible to visit from far-flung parts of the country in a day.
The Master and Wardens represented the Company at the annual United Guilds Service held at St Paul’s Cathedral on Fri 15 Mar. The Master was accompanied by his Consort, and they were joined by a number of other Liverymen, the Clerk, and the Administration and Events Officer. Lunch was taken at Plaisterers’ Hall afterwards.
At the inaugural United Guilds’ Service, in 1943, all the City Livery Companies and Guilds gathered in St Paul’s Cathedral to worship, and lift their spirits after the Blitz. The Lord Mayor attended, along with the Sheriffs and the Court of Aldermen; the Lord Bishop preached the sermon. The Service continues, in a similar form, to this day and remains one of the few occasions when the City Livery Companies and Guilds gather as one.
The Company held its annual Budget Banquet on Tuesday 12th March in the wonderful Glaziers’ Hall.
After a drinks reception overlooking the Thames, some 150 members and their guests enjoyed a lavish dinner in the striking banquet hall. The Company was delighted to welcome, as its guests, the Masters of other Financial Services Group (FSG) companies as well as senior representatives of the CIOT and ATT.
After dinner, Paul Johnson CBE (Director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and our principal guest) provided an insightful commentary on the Spring budget, and what may (or may not) come of it.
Diners were also entertained by musicians from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, whose varied programme and wonderful musicality further added to the occasion.
Some fourteen new Freemen and Liverymen took wine with the Master, half of whom had been admitted at Court that afternoon, marking further progress along the the Company’s continuing path of growth and development.
Images of the Budget Banquet, and preceding admission ceremonies at Court, can be found here: Gerald Sharp Photography | Budget Banquet 12-3-24
The Master joined Freeman Ele Theochari and Freeman James Kean at the Guildhall, on Tuesday 12th March 2024, to witness them obtaining their Freedom of the City of London.
Freedom of the City is a precursor of advancement to the Livery, and it remains much sought after. While some privileges associated with City Freedom have been overtaken by events, and the passage of time, participating in the annual sheep drive over London Bridge remains reassuringly extant!
Both Freemen enjoyed the occasion – and James subsequently advanced to become a Liveryman of the Company at a Court Meeting that afternoon; both took wine with the Master at the Budget Banquet at Glaziers’ Hall in the evening.
The Master thanks Michael Ashdown (Chair of the Membership Committee) and Carolyn Finch (Administration and Events Officer) for arranging and supporting this Group Admission Ceremony, at the Guildhall. The next such Ceremony is planned for Monday 23rd September, prior to the Installation Court and Dinner on that day.
If you are interested in obtaining your Freedom of the City of London, please contact Carolyn: [email protected]
On 27 February the History of Tax enjoyed a fascinating presentation by Pat O’Brien who gave us a perspective on the creation of the Irish tax system
Pat O’Brien is a PhD candidate and academic tutor in the School of History and Geography at Dublin City University, and before that had a long career in tax, both with the Irish Revenue and with advisory firms.
Pat seamlessly blended tax history with the wider history of the Irish War of Independence (1919 – 1921 and the Irish Civil War (1922 – 1923), covering the challenges of establishing a working tax system. Unlike the establishment of a new tax system in Japan in the post war peace (as covered by Professor Martin Daunton in February 2015), the Irish tax system was established during a tumultuous period. Whilst the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 gave the Irish Free State fiscal autonomy, the Treaty was not accepted by some nationalists, and so the anticipated period of peace and stability was soon disrupted by civil war.
Against this backdrop, and the pressures of establishing a government and officials from scratch, the Irish tax system was effectively acquired as a going concern from Britain. All British tax legislation was carried forward and many British tax officials, who had been based in the Irish Free State before independence, were seconded to Ireland and remained in post. Having overcome the problems of establishing the tax system from scratch, further challenges remained, as the anti Treaty IRA mounted a campaign to try to seize control of the tax collection system from the Irish Provisional Government. As a result, tax offices and customs posts were occupied, and customs duties of £100,000 were seized in Cork. This campaign culminated in an attempt to burn the headquarters of the newly established Irish Revenue in February 1923. However, the Civil War faded away in spring 1923, and gave way to a period of stability.
Pat explained the importance of studying tax history to understand current developments in tax. It is this background to the Irish tax system that explains the number of similarities with the UK system, but notable that in establishing a consolidated Board for the Revenue and Customs and Excise, the Irish Free State was seventy years ahead of the formation of HMRC.
Pat’s talk was rich in detail, and we delighted to welcome him to speak, and very much hope that he will return at some point.
The next History of Tax session is on 29 October 2024, when David Goldberg KC will talk about the history of tax avoidance, with a focus on Rossminster.
I could report a wonderful success at the Pancake races with none of our entrants losing any race or I could report that the races were cancelled due to wet weather! Unfortunately. it was the latter.
However, all our runners turned up, together with six members of the Company to cheer them on. The runners were a good mixture of experienced and new members, with Barbara Abraham ready to run in the Master’s Race, Howard Ashmore in the Liveryman section, Karen McNicholls in the Ladies section and Colin Smith as Hector the Tax Inspector in the fancy dress section.
The slippery conditions outside made it impossible to run so we were all herded into the Guildhall Crypts and milled around for an hour or so eating pancakes and socialising. Eventually the fancy dress entrants were paraded in front of the Sheriffs and the winner was Good Queen Bess worn by the Plaisterers’ Company. However, Colin’s Tax Inspector did attract a little gaggle of attractive young ladies, so our Company did have a moment of fame!
Then the Masters lined up for a pancake tossing competition and the winner was the Master Tyler and Bricklayer who managed over 80 tosses in 30 seconds!
All this was followed by a very enjoyable lunch and drinks.
I enjoyed organising the event and thanks for all who took part from the Company in one way or another even if it turned not quite as expected. Let’s have another go at winning next year.
Alison Lovejoy
Please find attached a Christmas Message from the Lord Mayor, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, to all members of the Livery:
Lord Mayors Christmas Bulletin 2023
The Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers, the Worshipful Company of Marketors and the Company of Watermen & Lightermen of the River Thames participated in the Lord Mayors Show on Saturday 11th November with a ‘Tri-Company Entry’ led by the Corps of Drums of St Dunstan’s College CCF. The entry also included a parade of 24 Army Cadets including members of our very own affiliated City of London Army Cadet Force, members of which also proudly displayed the 6 Tax placards that accompanied the two Bentleys allocated to the WCOTA. We loudly cheered at the appropriate moment the 695th Lord Mayor of London, Professor Michael Mainelli, who is a member of all three companies. The Master and Wendy, his Consort enjoyed travelling in a rare 1929 Bentley and accompanying nearby in a more recent 2008 Bentley was Alan McLintock. Around 90 members and family of the three companies (including around 25 from the WCOTA) viewed the show outside the Côte Brasserie St Paul’s before enjoying a leisurely lunch there. The weather was surprising sunny and bright and everyone we spoke to thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Please see the links below for the official photographs and a Youtube link to the show (see 1.05 onwards for our entry).
11283 – LMS 23 Worshipful Company of Marketors/Watermen & Lightermen/Tax Advisors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okWZlxGqxpQ
Lord Mayor’s Show 2023
Worshipful Company of Marketors/Watermen & Lightermen/Tax Advisors
On a wet Thursday evening in November a group from the Company had a guided tour of Temple Church, by the Reader the Reverend Mark Hatcher.
Mark took us round the church explaining its history and the important role that it plays not only in the lives of Inner and Middle Temple but also in constitutional history. It was in the original part of Temple Church that the detail of Magna Carta was negotiated in 1215 between King John and the barons. Later it also had a connection to the American Declaration of Independence, as six members of Middle or Inner Temple were signatories to the Declaration in 1776.
The church is a beautiful and historic building and well worth a visit.
The evening concluded with supper in the Pegasus Bar and Restaurant in Inner Temple.
On Friday 10th November, the Master attended the Silent Ceremony at the Guildhall, during with Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli took up office as the 695th Lord Mayor of the City of London. The Master was accompanied by Upper Warden Kevin Thomas, and Court Assistants Richard Geldard and Nicolas Kokkinos.
The Master subsequently attended the Presentation of Addresses, and presented to the new Lord Mayor a set of 12 engraved wine glasses bearing the Company’s coat of arms. The Master was accompanied by his Consort, Wendy Gibbons, and Upper Warden Kevin Thomas, Past Masters Andrew Gillett and Morag Loader, and Court Assistants Richard Geldard and Nicolas Kokkinos.
The Lord Mayor has written a letter of thanks: LM Thank you
