Well, tonight’s event was an honour. We say that a lot, but this evening it truly was as I was given the rank of Commendatore in the Italian Republic’s Order of Merit.
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Life As We Live It
Vietnam International Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award
I could start to get a bit cranky about achievement awards, but not about this one from Vietnam International Awards. While I related this true story in my speech to the judges this week:
Piping Along To The Lord Mayor’s Show – A New March By Malcolm McCaig
Ah, how childhood musical infatuations return again and again. I was so excited to receive via email earlier this year a new march for the bagpipe composed by Malcolm McCaig:
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Paganini Fit For A King
What a fantastic evening at the Guildhall! Tonight, in our special gala for LSO Discovery, the legendary Il Cannone – Niccolò Paganini’s 18th-century Guarneri del Gesù violin – was brought to life by violinist Simon Zhu, with Sir Antonio Pappano conducting. 🎻✨
We were also honoured to welcome His Majesty The King, Patron of the LSO, to share in this extraordinary moment. My opening remarks:
Article: The latest UK data to concern economists? The butterfly count
Sheep Drive, Romney Sheep Drive
Romney Tweed, a Community Interest Company, was born out of a wish to promote both the Romney breed of sheep and the Romney Marsh area. I had the pleasure of driving Romneys over London Bridge in 2008 in the very first sheep drive event, organized by the Worshipful Company of World Traders.
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City Giving, & Giving, & Giving … Day
What a day of celebration of how we can all support our fellow human beings. The day began early, as it has now for 11 years, with a start ringing the bell at the London Stock Exchange. Here’s a glimpse of some of the events that went on:
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Thames Day
I had long lamented that we need to celebrate the Thames’ connection with the City forcibly each year as part of the Totally Thames Festival each September. We lit upon World Rivers Day, the fourth Sunday of every September as most appropriate, keeping our tradition yet celebrating with all the other cities of the world.
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Bermuda’s Beautiful People
After an enormously long and enjoyable day of meetings, we went to a great restaurant, Wahoo, in St George’s (St George is a recurring theme this year). What does our chauffeur, Nigel Richardson, show us when we emerge to make us feel at home? Vandalism! Graffitti!!
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Pepys Day – Numero Uno!
We were delighted to celebrate our very first City of London “Pepys Day”.
225 people participated in a series of wonderful walks led by City of London Guides, leading from the Monument at 10:00 and ending at Mansion House at noon, whereupon we had a glass of champagne in celebration, and many decamped to The Hydrant for lunch.
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