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OUR MASTER’S REFLECTION
The first thing that strikes me about my year in
office is just how many events I have attended,
a good number with Janice and many more with
Steve Tamcken, our ubiquitous Clerk. Although
I had been pre-warned about the sheer weight
of commitments in addition to routine Company
business, I was surprised by the marked
peaks and troughs in activity. There have been
occasional weeks with no commitments; an
average week might see me in London three
times, whilst I think my record was ten different
events in one week. I felt extremely privileged
to have taken over as Master in the year that
marked the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire
of London and the 150th birthday of my beloved
London Fire Brigade.
Even before Common Hall, we had been
involved in our first commemorative event, our
collaborative venture with the Bakers’ Company,
which saw the staging of five Pepys-themed
Great Fire dinner plays.
Our own 2016 Fire Lecture, in which we
partnered with the Association of British
Insurers, incorporated a dramatic and highly
entertaining portrayal of 17th Century life, then
went on to examine the growth of fire insurance
in the wake of the Great Fire, culminating in a
celebration of the strength and resilience of the
City today. The Company fielded a strong team
for the opening of the Museum of London’s
Great Fire exhibition, and September 1st saw
the launch of our own unique commemorative
book, based around a cold-case review of the
Great Fire, a publication of which the Company
should be immensely proud.
A team of highly motivated individuals worked
tirelessly to ensure that the Company had
a range of quality and relevant items of
memorabilia to both sell and present to guests
“
An average week might see
me in London three times,
whilst I think my record was ten
different events in one week
”
Master of the Company
Bruce Hoad
Bruce Hoad Master Firefighter