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