On 21st November a fan was presented to the Lady Mayoress Florence King.  Normally an antique fan is presented, this year was different. The fan was designed by Sophia Mace, winner of the 2024 Masterpiece award and presented in a display case. A replica fan was then presented for daily use. The boxed fan was on display at the Mansion House Banquet and the Lady Mayoress carried the replica.

Congratulations to Marvellous Etuk this years winner of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers’ Prize for the Best Student on the Environmental Engineering MSc. at the School of Water, Energy and Environment at Cranfield University. His award was presented by the Master  at the Cranfield Awards Ceremony on 26th June 2024.

This years recipient of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers CIBSE Bursary is Edythe Qua. Liveryman Ruth Carter, CEO of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers joined Shazia Ali Qazi of London South Bank University and Liveryman Pater Anderson for the presentation.  Edythe has excelled in her studies in Belfast and is now an Apprentice Engineer in London. She plays the violin and has a love of classical music and plans to join an orchestra shortly.   Edythe w

HM The Queen was clothed in front of the Court at Clarence House on 13th February 2024

On Monday 18 th  November 2024 the Master and Wardens, together with some members of the Court and the Clerk visited RNAS 846at their base at Yeovilton. The Fan Makers were guests of Commander James Coleman and his Squadron which flies Merlin Mk 3 helicopters. The day was to mark the affiliation between the Fan Makers and RNAS 846 and for the 2 parties to get to know one another. After refreshments upon our arrival, we had a formal welcome in one of the hangars with the Maste

Three teams of Fan Makers participated in the Inter-Livery Shoot held at the West London Shooting School each May. Members of Livery Companies can participate in a wide range of Inter-Livery sports and activities

The Master presented a cheque for £2300 to Bruce Oldfield O.B.E. who received it on behalf of the charity Barnado's. The proceeds from the 2021 tulip design Commemorative Fan was split equally between the Lord Mayor's Appeal and  Barnado's.

The Soup Kitchen is a Charity supported by the Poor Fund (the Charitable fund of the Fan Makers).  In additional to an annual grant, members of the Company are now volunteering  their time on the 2nd Monday morning of each month. Liveryman Gail Sharp and the Clerk were the first volunteers (photographed in our Fan Maker Aprons) and despite it being a bitterly cold morning and working hard, freely admitted they loved every minute of their volunteering.   Each day, volunteers m

The Platinum Jubilee Commemorative Fan was commissioned by the now Immediate Past Master Jonathan Bewes during his year as Master. Designed by Liveryman Tom Saunders and made entirely in the UK for the first time since the 1950’s. The theme of the design celebrates the 70 year reign of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The silk for the fan leaves was woven in Suffolk. The fan sticks were made from a branch of London plane tree that fell down in St James Park. The screen print

A huge thanks to Liveryman James Robson and Apprentice Rachel Gatehouse for leading the newly re-established Young Members Group. They had their first 'meeting' at the Ned, and will aim to meet up monthly for social drinks.

Past Master John Allen was yesterday installed as the first Honorary Liverymen  of the Worshipful Company of Nurses in recognition of his unfailing support to the Company as they progressed from Guild to Company. He has been their Honorary Clerk since 2017, and they are delighted he will continue to support the Charity once a new Clerk is appointed. to Worshipful Company. Pictures here with the Master Nurse and the Beadle.

Over the years much has been made of the ‘use’ or ‘language’ of the fan.  In the Spectator, a periodical published regularly in London between March 1711 and December 1712, a letter appeared explaining ’the exercise of the fan’. Although written with wit and humour the letter describes women using fans with ‘an amorous flutter’, I imagine this happened. The daily publication of the Spectator was not unreasonably estimated to have a readership of one tenth of London’s populati

The fan is an English one with a double paper leaf that has the following text printed on the obverse to the lower centre, ‘Enter’d at Stationers Hall by the Proprietor July 1 1796’.  The design, which appears to be etched, has a central scene of the telegraph with the shutters closed and mounted on the roof of a hut.  Within the hut is a ‘disabled’ Lieutenant attending the signals, a Midshipman looking out for the next telegraph and a Foremastman operating the ropes.  The re