The first three months of 2015 as the Master’s Consort … or as I am happy to be known, "the Mistress"....

Soon after becoming mistress, I received an invitation to lunch with the ‘100+ers’.  Who or what are they I wondered?  

Fortunately, the other invitees’ email addresses gave a few clues and I was able to work out that this was an invitation from one of our number to the Masters’ Consorts of the Companies with numbers above 100 – WCoMC being number 105.  This delightful occasion in a City restaurant allowed me to meet 6 of my counterparts, some of whom were then well established in their year and others like me new to the role.

I was not able to accept an invitation to a pop-up painting day organised by the Master Constructor’s Consort (and husband), but another invitation soon followed from the Master Needlemaker’s Lady to visit the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court – no, I didn’t know it was there either.  The Mistress Tax Adviser’s lunch provided the opportunity to visit Innholders’ Hall, a beautiful and historic hall with an internationally renowned chef.

A tour and tea at the Reform Club hosted by the Mistress Turner sadly had to be declined, but last week saw me at a grand networking event and ladies’ lunch at Vintners Hall hosted by the First Lady of the Security Professionals and attended by the Consorts of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen as well as a number of my Livery counterparts and others from the security industry.

So is it all ‘beer and skittles’ - or more accurately in the City ‘champagne and canapés’?  The ladies definitely can lunch, but the Master and I have also been to other events including a performance of Advent music as part of the Spitalfields Festival, various church services and the Silent Ceremony at Guildhall.

People ask if I am enjoying myself and the answer is a definite yes – as well as the gastronomy, I feel very lucky and privileged to be able to take part in so many activities in so many beautiful and historic places, while at the same time meeting a great variety of interesting people and contributing to the City’s charitable work.

Ann Chapman

Mistress