“The Frontiers Of Education – Some Musings”

Remarks to:

Livery Education Conference – Preparing Young People For The Future

Alderman & Sheriff Professor Michael Mainelli MStJ FCCA FCSI(Hon) FBCS, Tuesday, 3 March 2020, Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London

“The Frontiers Of Education – Some Musings”

Masters, Wardens, Headteachers, ladies and gentlemen:

I have been asked to talk about education of the future, so I’ll start from the past.  Exodus 2:22, King James’s Version, says: “And she bare him [Moses] a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a strange land’.”

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Kids’ Lit Quiz – Most Inspiring

I had the delight today of speaking and presenting awards for the Kids’ Lit Quiz National Finals held at City of London School. The amazing author, Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate, she of “How To Tame Your Dragon” and “The Wizards Of Once” fame, also spoke and awarded the prizes. The prize? An all-expenses paid trip to New Zealand for five to compete in the World Final https://www.kidslitquiz.com/world-final.php.

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Court Number One, And Two Bob

At the insightful suggestion of Mark Lucraft, Brother Sheriff Chris Hayward CC and I began selling signed copies of Thomas Grant’s “Court Number One” (2019) at the list price of £25 with the proceeds (45%) going to support witnesses and the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund.  Somewhat to our surprise, they seem to go down very well with guests to the Central Criminal Courts.

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Environmental Social Governance of Investment

Remarks to:

The Guild of Investment Managers at Farmers’ & Fletchers’ Hall, City of London, Thursday, 17 October 2019

My fellow Alderman and your Master, Robert Hughes-Penney, kindly asked me to provide some opening remarks.  I do wish I could stay longer, but as fellow Livery folk, you’ll understand that an Immediate Past Master of the World Traders needs to attend our Installation Dinner at 19:00 to become an Immediate Past Past Master or an Immediate Immediate Past Master, or some such.

The comedian Jay Leno once quipped, “According to a new UN report, the global warming outlook is much worse than originally predicted. Which is pretty bad when they originally predicted it would destroy the planet.”  Sadly, that quip was from 2007.

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One Foot In The …

When you start to see these retrospective articles you begin to get furtive, looking over your shoulder much more, not walking under ladders, etc. Still quite a nice and complimentary interview for which I’m thankful to Eila Madden, George Littlejohn, and the team at CISI. PDF:

1 October 2019The Polymath (profile of Professor Michael Mainelli as he becomes Sheriff of the City of London)Securities And Investment Review
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Piper The Puffin

Today I hosted my first luncheon with the Judges and five guests. An amazing re-introduction to the hard work all the judiciary do, particularly as the case we followed today was rather harrowing with children and murder involved. For some light relief, a dear friend, Bill Joseph, sent the following limerick to start off a year of luncheons, for obvious reasons it featured a puffin:

London Heathrow approach control, Puffin 4096, “Piper”, requesting permission to land, do you have a longer runway available? We have a heavy load.
There once was a rather smart puffin
Who distracted the Lords from their judgin.
In his new shrievel chain
With its symbols arcane,
He astounded the room they had lunch in.