The Young Members group of the Company had a successful year in 2019. It started in January when a group of us went Go Karting at Capital Karts, followed by dinner at Canary Wharf. A great time was had by all. In May, Past Master John Hayes was kind enough to take us on a […]
The restoration to flight of an extremely rare Spitfire with its amazing provenance; and the associated nation-wide Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Programme. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was concerned, very concerned, as to the location of Tirpitz, sister ship to Bismarck, the pride of the Nazi fleet. A ship so menacing it threatened all the Royal […]
In keeping with tradition since the time of HM Queen Victoria, on particular occasions the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers present a unique fan to Members of The Royal Family. Consequently, following her marriage to HRH The Duke of Sussex last year, the Master (Dr Jeffrey Bines), the Immediate Past Master (Dr Michael Smith) and […]
It is often said that the Mansion House Banquet in December is the culmination of the Master Fan Makers’ year. In a sense, it is. It takes place almost at the end of the calendar year, ten months into the Company’s annual cycle, and is undoubtedly a truly wonderful highlight. Nevertheless, it is not the […]
After the summer break, business as usual commenced in September with a General Purposes and Finance Committee meeting. Other work that month included the Livery and Recruitment Committees, and the production of a suitably fine fan for potential presentation to a lady member of the Royal Family. The highlight of the month for the Mistress […]
The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, one of the 110 Livery Companies in the City of London is pleased to announce that it has received a substantial bequest that will be used to help re-establish the craft of fan making within the United Kingdom. In May 2017 the Heritage Crafts Association published a report identifying […]
December 13, 2018
As usual the Banquet was a glittering and memorable occasion. The attendance was high and the guests distinguished and numerous. There is no more impressive venue than Mansion House and the Company is doubly fortunate to be able to use it and to do so in the festive season. The Master, the Wardens, the Court, […]
The third article in this series starts with the Master and Mistress’s attendance at the Ironbridge Gorge Livery Weekend from 8th. to 10th. June, a superb event bringing together all the Livery and Guild Masters, Prime Wardens and their Consorts, and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. For a Master and Mistress Fan Maker it […]
The first article in this series concluded with a reference to the April Court Dinner where the company not only clothed five new Liverymen, but also celebrated the Centenary of the Royal Air Force with the Master’s Principal Guest and Speaker being the former Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Andrew Pulford. There was a […]
This article is the first in a series in which Dr Michael Smith describes his year as Master Fan Maker. The series runs from February to February, and features the February, April and October Court Dinners, the June Summer Dinner, and the December Banquet at the Mansion House. Of course the activities of the Mistress […]
November 30, 2017
On 30 November 2017, the Free Warden was delighted to exercise the Company’s right to inspect any fan making company ‘within 20 miles round the Cities of London and Westminster’ – Rockcoco Fans. It is often the case that members of the Fan Makers’ Company are asked why their senior and junior wardens are called, […]
September 19, 2017
On Tuesday 19th September, 34 Fan Makers and their guests made their way through crowds of West Ham fans to enjoy an evening at H Forman & Son, the East End’s last smokehouse. We were treated to a fascinating talk from the owner, Lance Forman, a truly inspirational character who described the history of the […]
July 12, 2017
The Master Fan Maker was delighted to attend the 500th Anniversary celebration on 12th July of the Worshipful Company of Carmen which held a special Cart Marking ceremony for the of its founding. This involved a procession of many transport vehicles (horse drawn, steam and internal combustion) before the Lord Mayor. The Master is pictured […]
The Company is honored that Victoria Ajoku, a modern day Fan Maker at the Fan Museum, has instructed members of the Livery, friends and spouses about art of Fan Making at several events over recent months.
June 29, 2017
On Thursday 29th June the Master and Clerk attended the Graduation and Prize Giving ceremony for the Aerospace School at Cranfield University. The winner of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers Prize in Fluid Engineering was Fernando Lartategui Atela from Spain and the winner of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers Prize for Aerodynamics was Paolo […]
November 12, 2016
For the first time in living memory, and likely the first time since the mid-1800s, the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers participated in a Thames River Pageant. On Saturday 12th November the Master, Mistress and Learned Clerk, a team of six oarsmen and cox joined The Lord Mayor’s Flotilla from Westminster Pier to HMS President. Although […]
July 8, 2016
Cranfield is the UK’s only all post-graduate university. Originally established in 1946 as The College of Aeronautics, its link with the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers dates back to 1954, and was enhanced in 1959 with the inception of Fan Maker scholarships, and later, Prizes. In addition, until 2016 when the organisation of the University […]
On behalf of the Master, Mr Assistant Michael Smith visited the Fan Makers affiliated RAF Squadron in Lossiemouth in November 2015. Please open this post for the full report on this very successful visit: Fan Makers No II Sqn (AC) RAF Visit Report (Nov 2015)
September 24, 2015
The Master presented a cheque to Matthew Patten, Chief Executive of the Mayor’s Fund for London at City Hall on Thursday 24th September. The Fund’s mission is to give disadvantaged young Londoners the skills and opportunities to get a decent job escape the threat of poverty and play a full part in London’s future as […]
July 16, 2015
On Thursday 16th July, 2015, the Master John Naylor, Free Warden Paul Hoddinott, Immediate Past Master Doug Clasby and Assistant Dinesh Naidu visited the Company’s affiliated ship HMS Westminster in Portsmouth Dockyard. They began the day with a private tour of HMS Victory and progressed to a tour of HMS Westminster from the bottom of […]
On a sunny Thursday afternoon in early April, a group of intrepid Fan Makers set off to explore the mysterious world of Lloyd’s Register. We assembled in the foyer of 71 Fenchurch Street, where we were most courteously greeted by our hosts, Vicky and Shaun. Once we had been led down to the archive, we […]
March 20, 2015
After the United Guilds Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 20th March, the Master and Wardens and their wives gathered on the west steps before setting off to Skinners’ Hall for lunch. They were (left to right) Mrs Rue Hoddinott, Free Warden Paul Hoddinott, Mrs Jennie Naylor, Master John Naylor, Foreign Warden Marshall Blaker […]