The Master, Antony Robson, Free Warden Dinesh Naidu and Past Master Rear-Admiral Paul Hoddinott CB OBE attended the naming of the new HMS Glasgow by HRH The Princess of Wales on May 22nd 2025. This took place on the River Clyde, where she is being built. HMS Glasgow is to be a state-of-the-art Type 26 anti-submarine frigate and will be the 9th vessel to carry this name. She will have an association with several City Livery Companies. To mark this, the Fan Makers and the Mer

The Master attended the annual Camp and awards giving of the Middlesex & NW London Army Cadets Force on 20th August. He was joined by Liveryman Col Angela Richardson formerly their Colonel Commandant! They presented the Fan Makers Cadet of the Year award to Robyn Alongside Masters of other Companies, they saw cadets taking part in various competitions and Parade.

The Fan Makers signed the Armed Forces Covenant at the April Court meeting in the presence of our affiliates from HMS Glasgow, 217 Field Squadron and 33F ATC Air Cadets with Lance Bombardier Florence King, also known as The Lady Mayoress and Lt Commander Liz Church who helped us organise the event. Our other affiliates all sent messages of goodwill, and we were joined by visiting Masters & Clerks in additional to members of the Company. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise

The tour went very well, with lots of smiles and laughter as Lance provided interesting facts sprinkled with perfect delivery of humour. The importance of the River Thames and the Pool of London highlighted Garraways Coffee House where ships were sold 'by the candle', which decreed that an auction was governed by the time it took for a candle to melt. The final sale was confirmed when the pin, stuck into the candle before melting, dropped in front of the eager crowd - hence t

The Evening began with pre-dinner drinks on the elegant garden terrace overlooking London Wall, accompanied by live music from talented performers from World Heart Beat - a charity proudly supported by the Fan Makers. Guests were welcomed into the entrance hall by a stunning display of antique and contemporary fans, thoughtfully curated by Anne Marie Benson. Selected from the collection, these exquisite pieces were admired by all who attended. Dinner was served in the gran

Fourteen members of the Fan Makers visited the Whitchurch Silk Mill on May 29th. The Georgian building houses a working silk-weaving mill / museum and we had a fascinating guided tour including the water wheel on the river Test which flows past the mill, the top level warp and weft floor where we saw how the patterns are built from the dyed silk and the weaving floor. Silk weaving, like fan making is a critically endangered craft which the museum is trying to bring to life

Members of the Company and their guest enjoyed a most convivial rum tasting held in the beautiful courtyard of our Livery Church St. Vedast. "What a great evening, I didn't realise a Mojito was made of Rum" Dinesh Naidu - Free Warden

Congratulations to Mergim Muhadri, this year’s winner of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers CIBSE Bursary for the 2024/25 Year. Mergim is currently in the third year of his degree apprenticeship with Atkins; and is passionate about embedding technology to increase efficiency in design and reduce risk in the Building Services Industry whilst inspiring and guiding younger engineers to continue their path through their apprenticeships. He excels in mathematics and physics; spe

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