Gildhall News February 2013 by Ian Bannister

Fountain in Town Hall Square

Number 62

February 2013 1

Gild Banquet Weekend 8th / 9th June 2013 This is to give you notice of the Gild’s Banquet Weekend in June, we would very much appreciate your support. The Banquet will be held on Saturday 8th June (7.00pm) in the Holmes Suite at Devonshire Place, 78 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0RA the city’s renowned banqueting establishment, located half a mile from the city centre near the railway station and close to several hotels. There is a carpark at the rear of the building in Prebend Street. Following a bucks fizz/wine pre-dinner reception, an appetising four-course menu, plus coffee and chocolates, has been selected, with vegetarian alternatives. Tickets cost £39 per head, please use enclosed booking form. A wine table offering reasonably priced wines will, of course, be available for dinner. The Freemen’s Service will be held on the following day, Sunday 9th June (10.30am), at St. Mary de Castro. The banquet is open to all members, their friends and relations. A booking form can be found in the centre pages. If you require any further information or require details of hotels please contact John Tolton on 0116 283 5042

Number 62

February 2013

Patron: Colonel Robert Martin OBE President: The Lord Mayor of Leicester OFFICERS 2012 - 2013 Master: J.E.Tolton Deputy Master: A. Chettle Clerk: L. Roffee Chamberlain: M.B. Hill WARDENS M.E. Ayres, E.L. Critchlow, J.D. Lewitt, A. Marriott , B.W. Mudford, L. Kirk (co-opted) 3

GILDHALL NEWS February 2013

Contents Editor’s comments Report by John Tolton, Master of the Gild Chamberlain’s report from Maurice Hill Report by Bill Hargrave, Chairman of the Board of Deputies Report on the F.E.W. by your representitive Michael Ayres

5 5 7 8 9

Future programme - dates for your diary Friday 1st March 2013, Long Alley Skittles at the Coach & Horses Sunday 7th April 2013, Open Morning at the Holt Saturday 13th April 2013, Wine & Cheese evening at the Holt Wednesday 17th April 2013, Common Hall at the Leicester Town Hall Tuesday 23rd April 2013, St. George’s Day Service at St. Mary de Castro Sunday 23rd June 2013, Visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon Saturday 8th June 2013, Gild Annual Banquet at Devonshire Place Sunday 9th June 2013, Annual Freemen’s Service at St. Mary de Castro

Contributions to the Gildhall News The History of the Freemen of Leicester - part 5, by John Tolton

For Amusement Only Cannon Balls!

Subscriptions

Have you changed your address?

Forms included with the Newsletter Booking form for Long Alley Skittle night on 1st March 2013 Booking form for Cheese & Wine evening on 13th April 2013 Application for Membership & Associate Membership of the Gild Form to donate to the St. Mary de Castro “Save our Spire” fund Booking form for trip to Hendon on 23rd June 2013 Renewal form for annual subscriptions Standing Order form for Annual Subscriptions Booking form for Gild Annual Banquet on 8th June 2013 Gild products order form 4

Editor’s Comments Happy New Year to you all. I hope it is warmer when you read this, than it is today as I prepare this issue of the Gildhall News. Outside it is -5°C and covered in snow. It has been suggested that the font that I have been using of late (Calibri) is not as readable as it should be. I have reverted to using Arial font for this issue, do you have any comment? If you have a story that would be of interest to other members, please put pen to paper, or finger to e-mail. We don’t need a book, only a short article, possibly one or two pages long. It could be longer if it’s enthralling!! Preferably I would like to receive them as an attachment to an e-mail if possible, but pen and ink is acceptable.

Brian Mudford

Report by John Tolton, Master of the Gild Welcome to 2013. I hope you all had a good Christmas and I wish you all and your families a very happy New Year. As I write this the ground outside is covered with a smattering of white frosty snow, which makes a change from the incessant rain that we have endured since; and including; the summer. Let us hope for better things this year. Since my last report in the previous Gildhall News there have been very few activities as the winter period is a traditionally quiet time, but here is a summary of what did indeed take place. A Fish & Chip supper was held on the 10th November 2012 with a talk being given on the subject of Family History by Brian Johnson from the local Family History Society. It is a subject that is becoming more popular in recent years possibly on the back of the TV programme “Who do you think you are?” Brian gave us an insight into the many avenues open to discovering our past and the evening was a great success. On the 11th November twelve freemen attended the Remembrance Day Service at Victoria Park and during the service a wreath was laid at the Memorial by Tony Chettle and the Master in memory of all of the Freemen who sacrificed their lives during the two World Wars. Both of my grandfathers were killed in the First World War and I would imagine that there are a number of us who have lost close relatives in action. 5

There have been two Swearing-in Ceremonies in 2012 since the last news letter, both for overseas applicants. Jane Langton from the U.S.A. was sworn in as a new Freeman on the 19th November and I was pleased to attend the ceremony as I knew both of Janeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents, and her uncle, Roland Langton, was the prime mover in establishing the Gild in 1976. The ceremony was also attended by Lynn Roffee for the Gild and by Bill Hargrave, the Chairman of the Board of Deputies. On the 14th December another ceremony took place for two applicants from Australia, James Andrew Roffee and David Geoffrey Leach, who were duly sworn in as new Hereditary Freemen. The ceremony was attended by Bill Hargrave and Wayne Manship from the Board of Deputies and Jeff Lewitt and Jim Manship from the Gild. Congratulations to all three new freemen and I wish you a long and happy association with the Freemen of Leicester. By the time you read this newsletter there will have been a further swearing in ceremony which takes place on the 19th January. A full list of the new freemen will be given in the May edition of the Gildhall News. Six freemen attended the Crown Court Opening Ceremony on the 3rd of December at the Cathedral of St Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s followed by reading of Letters Patent in the Guildhall at which The Honourable Mr. Justice Moor was granted royal approval to perform his duties in Court. Members of the Gild with family and friends enjoyed their annual visit to the pantomime at the Little Theatre on December 14th. This year the production was Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood but sadly the demand for tickets fell far short of the requirement in previous years; maybe a sign of the squeeze we are all feeling in recent times. One event which may have made a small contribution to the shortfall in demand for tickets was the Christmas Banquet held by the Coventry Guild of Freemen also held on the evening of the 14th December. Three of us attended the Banquet. I did with my wife Josie with Mick and Jean Ayres and Tony Chettle and the hospitality of the Freemen of Coventry was beyond reproach. This clash of dates has occurred before so the Gild Court will consider moving the pantomime visit back one week towards Christmas next winter. Have a good 2013 and I look forward to seeing some of you in the forthcoming year at our various activities.

John Tolton 6

Chamberlain’s Report by Maurice Hill I’m pleased to report that at long last I feel that I am getting to grips with the job and able to see the wood for the trees. There are a number of problems that need to be addressed and I have identified them below and your cooperation in resolving them will be appreciated. Cheques – When submitting cheques to the Gild for functions or purchases etc. please make them payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen” this resolves problems at the bank. Handwriting – I have found that some handwriting is very hard to read and in one case this lead to items requested being sent to the wrong address. Please always complete forms using block capitals and as clearly as possible. Membership – There appears to be a degree of confusion regarding the two levels of membership. Associate membership of the Gild is for non Freemen and Freemen wishing to be members of the Gild must have full membership not associate. Annual Subscriptions – May I remind you that the Gild annual subscriptions were increased a year ago by £1.50 so that they are now £9 per year for members and £6.00 for associates. Quite a number of people have not paid this increase. Please check your records and amend if necessary. Also some people when paying their membership do not make it clear who they are paying for. Please identify the persons if possible. Receipts – If a receipt is ever required please enclose a stamped addressed envelope or provide a clearly written Email address, because I’m sure that you will appreciate the current postage rates are very high. Postage – Of necessity the cost of all Gild insignia, ties, cufflinks etc will now have postage added. Just recently a member ordered some Christmas cards and it cost £5.30 to despatch them. In future with any order that might prove expensive to despatch I will advise the costs of despatch and seek the additional payment. Change of circumstances – Please advise me of any changes in circumstances because I am now starting to update the Gild records. If we can jointly tackle the seven items listed above then the business of the Gild should flow much more smoothly.

Maurice Hill

Thank you. 7

Report by Chairman of the Board - Bill Hargrave The new Leicester Freemen website has finally been launched. It can be found at www.leicesterfreemen.com This first issue is a draft copy which will serve as a live test, so by its nature is not as up-to-date as it will be on-going. Now that it is launched we need to give our new communication vessel it’s “sea trials” . Please have a good look at it and email your comments to leicester.freemen@talktalkbusiness.net . Your input will be invaluable in helping to make improvements to the website. When you open the website you will see on the home page a link to the Gildhall News. When you click on to this link it opens up a copy of the latest Gildhall news which appears in book form so you turn the pages just as you would a hard copy. So go ahead and try it. Have a look all around the site and let us have your comments. Since the November issue of the Gildhall News, I have attended three Freemen’s Courts. In November the Lord Mayor conferred the Freedom on Jane Langton who was visiting Leicester from home in the USA. The ceremony took place this time in the Lord Mayor’s Chambers. Attending the ceremony was Jane’s Aunt, the wife of the late Roland Langton who served as clerk to the deputies for a number of years. It was Roland who was instrumental in recruiting me to the board 30 years ago. The December ceremony saw the Lord Mayor confer Freedom on two visitors from Australia; James Roffee who inherits the freedom through his mother, and David Leach who inherits the freedom through the Ayres Family, On Friday, 18th January there was a heavy snowfall right across the country. It looked as if the Freemen’s Court planned for the 19th would have to be cancelled. In spite of atrocious road conditions 17 prospective freemen battled their way through to the Town Hall and were rewarded by having the freedom being conferred on them by the Lord Mayor, Cllr Abdul Osman. I congratulate them on their determination and the value they place on the honour of being a Freeman of the City of Leicester.

Bill Hargrave 8

Report on the FEW (Freemen of England and Wales) by Michael Ayres There has been no meeting of the FEW since the AGM in September 2012 which was hosted by the Freemen of York. The minutes of that meeting were reported in the FEW Journal number 172 October 2012. The first Court meeting of the FEW this year will be held in Bedern Hall York on Saturday 16th March commencing at 2 00 PM. This meeting is open to all members of the Leicester Gild who wish to attend. (Gowns can be worn at this meeting) The two main items on the agenda for discussion will be the registration Act concerning Freemen’s land and the recommendation of the appointment of Apprentice Freemen. The first Banquet for 2013 will be hosted by the Gild of the Freemen of York over the weekend of Friday 19th April Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April. The Friday evening will commence at 7 30 pm at the Clifton Park Sports Club with a Pie, Chips and Peas supper. This year the York Gild has booked two options for visitors on Saturday morning, you have the choice of a Cruise along the River Ouse, or a visit to the historic Mansion House home of the City’s Lord Mayor. The Saturday evening Banquet will be held in wonderful Historic sixteenth century Merchant Adventures Hall at 7 00 pm. Sunday morning service will be held at the York Gild Church of All Saints Pavement, after the service we parade back to Bedern Hall for tea and coffee and the master’s farewell speech. For further information on the weekend please contact Mr Steve Hornby, 12 Marlborough Close Rawcliffe Manor York YO30 5WA. Coventry Freemen’s Guild will be holding their Banquet over the weekend of Friday 3rd May till Sunday 5th May. To date I have no further information on the weekend but will inform you in the next news letter.

Michael Ayres 9

New Gild Members 2012 The records show that the following persons joined the Gild as new members during 2012. Welcome to you all. If you haven’t done so already we hope to meet you at our future trips or events. R.E. Allen, M.E. Bailey, J.K. Bell, H. R. Brown, M. Capes, N.R. Cave J.M. Crawley, B.E. Green, E.M. Greenwood, S.M. Hadfield-Hill, D. Hill, P. Hill, L.E. Kirk, J.E Langley, J. Lester, J.A. Lester, M.R. Long, D. Plummer, V.L. Southwell, E.A. Summers, M. Warner

Programme of Future Events Long Alley Skittles Night Friday 1st March 2013, arriving at 7.00pm Coach & Horses, Field Head, Markfield LE67 9RF Our Long-alley Skittles Night this year is again being held at The Coach and Horses, an Everards pub on the A50. Traditional skittles food will be served, there is a selection: Faggots, chips and peas, Steak & Ale Pie, chips and peas, and a Vegetable Lasagne, mixed salad and chips. Some of our friends from the Coventry Guild of Freemen will be joining us for the evening, which will add to the friendly rivalry of the occasion. Please indicate your selection on the booking form. The evening will be very relaxed, as usual, there is a maximum capacity of 45, so don’t miss out and book without delay. The cost is only £8.00 each.

Open Morning – Sunday 7th April 10.30 to 12.30 at Freemen’s Holt The will be an open morning as in previous years at Freemen’s Holt on the morning of Sunday 7th April where all Gild members and their families are welcome to drop in for a chat and a cup of coffee or tea. It also an ideal opportunity to pay your subscription for 2013 and to purchase any of the many Gild products we have for sale.

Rising postage costs have caused the Gild Court to regretfully reconsider the policy of not charging postage for the delivery of Gild products and the Open Morning is an ideal opportunity for you to purchase your Gild products and to avoid the extra burden of postage. There will also be the usual raffle and maybe give yourself a chance to spoil yourself with a prize of a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine. We look forward to seeing you for a chat and listen to your comments about the Gild.

Cheese & Wine evening Saturday 13th April 2013, a talk on Mediaeval Leicester - 7.30pm Freemen’s Holt, Old Church Street, Aylestone Virginia Wright, one of Leicester’s Blue Badge Guides, will be joining us at our cheese & wine supper in April to talk about mediaeval Leicester. Be sure to come along and hear about local legend and myth, along with fascinating historical and architectural facts of our fair city. It promises to be a very interesting and entertaining evening. After the talk, supper will be served, accompanied with plentiful wine, beer or soft drinks. Tickets are priced at £8.50 each and you are urged to make your booking early.

Visit to Hendon, Sunday June 23rd 2013 Leaving the Holt at 9.00a.m. For our first trip this year we are going to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon and the early indications are that this will prove to be a very popular trip so we would advise securing your seats as soon as possible The Museum offers a fun, enthralling day out for all the family. With over 100 aircraft on site nowhere else enables you to get so close to so many historic and ground-breaking aircraft. The Historic Hangers in which the exhibition is housed are now listed buildings and were once part of the old Hendon Aerodrome, the cradle of British aviation in the early 20s. 11

The exhibition is broken down into a series of halls e.g. milestones of flight, bomber hall, fighter aircraft, and Battle of Britain etc. There is the opportunity to explore the inside of the mighty Sunderland flying boat and see the cramped conditions of the crew. The Bomber hall follows the development of the bomber from its first appearance in World War1. The hall is in part a memorial to the 131,000 young men who died in the bombing offensive in Europe, the only way the Allies could carry the fight back to Hitler’s Germany. The Battle of Britain Hall tells the story of the World’s first decisive air battle when the Royal Air Force stood alone against the might of the German Luftwaffe in World War2. Listen to Winston Churchill give his ‘Battle of Britain’ speech to a fearful nation from his 10 Downing Street Office. Watch ‘Our Finest Hour’, the museum‘s sound and light show which explains the battle. See aircraft from both sides who took part in the battle. Take a trip in one of the two flight simulators, visit the 4D theatre a small charge is made for these. There is a well stocked shop so make sure that you allow plenty of time to purchase a memento of your visit. To refuel during your visit take your own lunch to eat in one of the picnic areas or visit the Wings Restaurant, which is licensed, for something substantial, or the Wessex Café for a light snack. To secure your seats on this trip do not delay use the booking form enclosed. Adult seats £18.00 each Child seats £13.00 each Non Gild members seats £20.00 each

Maurice Hill

The Gild Annual Banquet Saturday 8th June 2013 Devonshire Place, London Road, Leicester This year will be the fourth year that the Gild have held their Annual Banquet at Devonshire Place and all freemen, not just Gild members, are invited with their family and friends. It is an ideal way for new freemen (and that includes lady freemen) to find out what we are all about and what makes us tick. The event has been a great success in previous years; attended by freemen not just from Leicester but from many other guilds up and down the country. The Gild Court has received nothing but plaudits from those who attended in the past, so much so that some of the visiting freemen from other Guilds consider our banquet to be the highlight of the year. Tickets this year will be priced at ÂŁ39.00 per head, a price maintained for the last three years. Devonshire place is an excellent venue providing top class food accompanied by top class service and, of course, the company is also top class. The Banqueting Hall is set out with round tables which make for easy conversation with your neighbours and ensures that no-one is left out at the end of the row. A number of us attend banquets organized by other Freemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guilds and wherever we go we are made welcome, and we like to reciprocate. Freemen from whichever town or city they hail from are friendly, and I like to think that we are as well. If you would like to reserve your places at the banquet please complete the booking form in the centre of the Gildhall News and return it to Maurice Hill at the address on the form. General inquiries about the banquet, or any other Gild matter, should be directed to John Tolton at johntolton@hotmail.com.

Contributions to the Gildhall News ***************************** History of Freemen – Part 5 (The Early Town Halls of Leicester) Because the business of the governing body of Leicester, the Portmanmoot, was so closely linked to the business of the Gild of Merchants the distinction between the meetings of the two bodies becomes obscure. It is known that the Merchant Gild held their earlier meetings, known as Morning Speeches, in the open by the Church of St Nicholas and there is no evidence to suggest that the meetings of the Portmanmoot were any different. All Gild members could attend the Morning Speeches and have their say at such meetings and vote on matters raised whereas membership of the Portmanmoot was restricted to twenty four in number. The Merchant Gild did hold their meetings in a house situated in the Parish of St Nicholas, at that time the business centre of Leicester, from the mid thirteenth century. In 1257 the building was rented from Isolda the Turner for an annual rent of 1/7d, and the following year the rent was paid to Philip the Turner and continued to be paid to the Turner family for the next sixty years. Often the building was referred to as belonging to the community implying that the town, or the Portmanmoot, rather that the Gild was responsible for the house. In 1251 the Gild did purchase a house from William Ordriz standing opposite the east end of St Nicholas Church in White Boar Lane (later known as Blue Boar Lane in deference to Henry VII’s victory at Bosworth). The house was conveyed to “the Mayor and Burgesses and Commune of Leicester and their successors,” suggesting that by this time there was little difference between the membership of the Merchant Gild and that of the Portmanmoot. The purchase sum of the property was 6½ marks (£4 6s 8d) and a yearly rent of 16 pence and two capons, the rent paid as 5d at Candlemas, 5d at Whitsuntide, 6d at Michaelmas and the two capons at Christmas. Later the annual rent was released on payment of 2 marks. For some reason the new building was not immediately occupied which would suggest that the building was in a state of disrepair and that the Gild had insufficient means to pay for the necessary repairs. Indeed, the first meeting in the new hall did not take place until March 1276 after a rebuilding programme which commenced in 1274. Eventually the total 14

known cost of the rebuilding work was £12 2s 7d which was nearly three times the original purchase price of the hall. From records it is known that the site measured twenty yards and one foot in length and nine yards in breadth at the east and seven yards at the west. If the dimensions refer to the building only; and not including the small mud-walled garden; then the hall would have been as large as the later Corpus Christi Guildhall, (the building we know today as the Guildhall). The building itself had a gabled roof covered with two and a half thousand Swithland slates; and in addition to the main hall there was a porch and a large upper chamber, known as the solar, which over hung the street (Mayor’s Hall Lane). Under the overhang, or jetty, was a space let out as four shops for an annual rent of four shillings. Both the hall, known as the Moot Hall, and the upper chamber had wooden benches which on one occasion were “broken and thrown down” during riotous and drunken behavior in the presence of the King’s Justice then sitting to hold Assize. A “Keeper of the Guild Hall” was appointed in 1306 responsible for the repairs and maintenance of the building which from the records was a constant battle. By 1366 it became necessary to purchase timber to prop up the building and re-building was considered necessary. Two “Keepers of the work of the Common Hall of the town” were employed, namely William of Syston and John of Scraptoft, and the total cost of re-building amounted to £24 14s. A number of items were stored in the Moot Hall including a summoning bell purchased for 6d in 1220, a mace purchase for 13s 6d in 1378 and a locked chest use to preserve the deeds and records of the Corporation. The Portmanmoot was by this time referred to as the Corporation. Other items such as weights and measures, seals, keys and armoury were also stored in the hall. From as early as late Saxon times Leicester was compelled to send and equip twelve burgesses to fight with the King’s Army. A number reduced to six in 1346. . Before the end of the 15th century the hall had become inadequate for Borough meetings and business was transferred to the Corpus Christi Guildhall. The first recorded mention of Common Hall being held there was in the winter of 1494-5. After this date the hall in Blue Boar Lane became known as the “Old Hall” whereas previously it had been referred variously as “Leicester Hall,” “Guild Hall,” “Moot Hall,” “Mayor’s Hall,” or “Common Hall.” Never the less the old building remained in use for a variety of reasons for many years as a temporary school, a reception 15

centre for prisoners and a coal store. A stone wall was built in 1573 to divide the coal house from the prisoners, but a resolution in 1580 stated that no member of the Corporation be punished any longer in the Old Hall, but at the new, which suggests that wayward councilors received preferential treatment and were not to be mixed with the common prisoners.. There is some confusion as to the final days of the Old Hall. During the siege of Leicester in 1645 there is a tale that the building was used to store gunpowder and cannon balls, but was blown up by the King’s forces. Yet there is mention of “The Mayor’s Old Hall” in the Borough rental rolls in 1694. The first Corporation meeting in the Corpus Christi Hall was held on January 8th 1495 when they were allowed use of the Hall rent free, although they had to pay for heating, and was continuously used by the Corporation until the present day Town Hall was commissioned in 1876. However, the Guildhall was originally built for the Gild of Corpus Christi, the wealthiest and most influential of the religious guilds in Leicester in the 14th & 15th centuries, and the socio-religious guilds deserve more attention that just a mere mention. But more of that in the next Gildhall News

John Tolton

Cannon Balls! DID YOU KNOW THIS? It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war Ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The storage method devised was to stack them as a square based pyramid, with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem — how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate with 16 round indentations, called, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make them of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys. 16

Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. And all this time, folks thought that was just a vulgar expression?

Subscriptions Subscription rates for members and associate members increased from April 2012 to £9.00 and £6.00, respectively. This is a reminder for those members and associate members who kindly pay by standing order. If you haven’t amended your standing order, please contact your bank and correct the amount before 1st April 2013. As mentioned in the Chamberlain’s report on page7, would you please check your bank statement to see what amount of subscription you paid last year. If you have under-paid would you please send a cheque for the amount owing to Maurice Hill, 3 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT. For those of your who are amending your Standing order, or are new members who wish to start a Standing order, then this is the procedure to use. Using the form with this issue of Gildhall News, complete the information on the two pages. The first page should be sent to Maurice Hill at his address above, the second page of the Standing order should be posted to your bank manager. If you have any queries on completing the Standing order please contact Maurice on 01162895394. The Gild Court much prefers payment by Standing Order, as it makes for easier administration. However, if you prefer, you may pay by cheque in the traditional manner, sending in the enclosed form with your payment. 17

Have you changed your address ? In the event that is necessary to inform the Gild or the Board of any change in circumstances then the information should be sent to: Lynda Bramley Clerk to the Board Leicester Freemen’s Estate 32 Freemen’s Holt Old Church Street Aylestone Leicester LE2 8NH Telephone: 0116 – 283 4017 E-mail: leicester.freemen@talktalkbusiness.net Leicester Freemen web site: www.leicesterfreemen.com

Copy for the next issue should reach the Editor by th Friday 19 April 2013 For your News and Views write to : Brian Mudford 11 Huntsman Close Markfield Leicestershire LE67 9XE Telephone 01530 245414 e-mail: brianmudford@tiscali.co.uk

After the Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial, Victoria Park on 11th November 2012

Six freemen attended the Crown Court Opening Ceremony on the 3rd of December at the Cathedral of St Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s followed by reading of Letters Patent in the Guildhall 19

From left to right are Bill Hargrave, Chairman of the Board of Deputies, John Tolton, Master of the Gild of Freemen, Kamal Adatia, City Barrister & Head of Standards, Jane Langton from USA, the new Leicester Freeman, the Lord Mayor, Cllr Abdul Osman, and Lynn Roffee, Clerk of the Gild of Freemen after the swearing in ceremony on 19th November 2012.

Standing from left to right are Kamal Adatia, City Barrister & Head of Standards, Wayne Manship, a Member of the Board of Deputies, Bill Hargrave, Chairman of the Board of Deputies, Jeff Lewitt, Court Member of the Gild of Freemen, and Jim Manship, a Member of the Gild of Freemen. Seated, either side of the Lord Mayor, Cllr Abdul Osman, are the new Freemen James Andrew Roffee and David Jeffrey Leach both from Australia, after their swearing in ceremony on 14th December 2012.

BOOKING FORM

Long-alley Skittles Night at Coach & Horses @ 7pm Friday 1st March 2013 Please reserve

………. places at £8.00 each

Food selection: Faggots_______Steak pie_______Veg.Lasagne_______ My name is

………………………………………………………………………….

My address is

…………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………….

Postcode……………………….Telephone……………………………. e-mail address............................................................................................................ I enclose a cheque/postal order for £…………….., made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen”. Please send to: Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT. Tel: 0116 2895394 Applications will be dealt with strictly on a first-come, first served basis.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---BOOKING FORM

Cheese & Wine Evening - talk on Mediaeval Leicester Saturday 13th April 2013 at Freemen’s Holt 7.30pm Please reserve

………. places at £8.50 each

My name is

………………………………………………………………………….

My address is

…………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………….

BOOKING FORM Gild Gala Banquet Sarturday 8th June 2013 at Devonshire Place Please reserve................places at £39.00 each I will require.........vegetarian meals .........of us will be attanding the Annual Freemen’s Service at St. Mary de Castro on Sunday 9th June 2013

My name is ............................................................................................. Address................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ .................................................................................................................. Post code.........................Telephone number.......................................... Names of other persons attending (please mark with a “V” if vegetarian) .............................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................

e-mail address......................................................................................... I enclose a cheque/postal order for £...............made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen”

Please send to: Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT. Tel: 0116 2895394 Applications will be dealt with strictly on a first-come, first served basis. Regrettably bookings will not be acceptable after 23rd May.

St. Mary de Castro ‘Save Our Spire’ Appeal. You may recall that in the last newsletter I launched an appeal for donations to contribute to the repair of the spire of the church of St. Mary de Castro which is in a serious state of disrepair. Donations have been gratefully received towards the fund and those contributing are listed in my report at the beginning of this newsletter, but we are still far short of the £250 required to sponsor a decorated stone dedicated to the Freemen of Leicester. Such a decorated stone would be a permanent reminder of the generosity of the freemen in supporting a church that has played a prominent part in the long history of the Freemen of Leicester. The Cheese and Wine evening to be held in April will help to raise funds for the cause. The speaker, Virginia Wright, is donating her fee to the spire appeal and the proceeds from the raffle will also go to the appeal, so any donations for raffle prizes will be gratefully received. Virginia’s talk about ‘Mediaeval Leicester’ will have considerable relevance to St Mary de Castro as the church, along with the neighbouring castle, were central to the development of mediaeval Leicester. Any Gild Member wishing to contribute to the fund should submit their donation with the completed form and send it to the Chamberlain, Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester, LE3 2UT.

PLEASE PRINT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS I…………………………………..........……of …………..........…………………………………………… ………………………………………………..........………………………Post code…………….......... Would like to donate the sum of £…………………to the St Mary de Castro Save Our Spire Appeal. Cheques should be made payable to ‘St Mary de Castro PCC Save Our Spire Appeal’ I pay Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax and would like to treat my donation of £…………………. as a Gift Aid Donation. Signature…………………………………………….

BOOKING FORM

Visit to Hendon, Sunday June 23rd 2013 Leaving the Holt at 9.00a.m. Please reserve ………. adult places at £18.00 each .......... child places (under 16) at £13.00 each ...........places for non-Gild members at £20.00 each My name is.........……………………………………...………………………………. My address is………………………………….....……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………. Postcode……………………….Telephone……………………………. e-mail address..................................................................................................... I enclose a cheque/postal order for £…………….., made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen”. Please send to: Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT. Tel: 0116 2895394 Applications will be dealt with strictly on a first-come, first served basis.

RENEWAL OF GILD MEMBERSHIP FOR THE YEAR 1ST APRIL 2013 - 31ST MARCH 2014 I would like to pay the annual subscription for my membership/associate membership of the Gild for the year commencing 1st April 2013

Membership

.............at £9.00

= £.............

Associate Membership

..............at £6.00

= £.............

My name is (BLOCK CAPITALS).................................................... My address is (BLOCK CAPITALS) ......................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... Post code...........................Telephone............................................. e-mail address................................................................................. I enclose a cheque/postal order for £................... made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen” Please post to: Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT Any queries, please phone Maurice on 0116 2895394 PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PAY YOUR ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION BY STANDING ORDER, PLEASE SEE OVER PAGE.

GILD OF LEICESTER FREEMEN (Kindly complete where marked by all dotted lines) To: Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT Date………………………………..20.….. I, ………………………………………………..agree to pay my Annual Subscription to the GILD OF LEICESTER FREEMEN on 1st April each year by means of the signed Standing Order that I have sent to my bank. I understand that the annual subscriptions at present are £9.00 for a full member and £6.00 for an associate member, and that I can stop or amend this Standing Order simply by giving instructions to my bank. Signature………………………………………………………. Address………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… Post code……………………………………………….

e-mail address...................................................................

STANDING ORDER - PLEASE SEND TO YOUR BANK MANAGER To: The Manager…………………………………………..Bank PLC Address ……....………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………... ………………………………………………........... Postcode…………………………………………… Please pay to:Lloyds Bank TSB Bank PLC, Old Market Square Branch, Nottingham NG1 6FD (Bank Sort Code 30-96-18) For the account of the Gild of Freemen of the City of Leicester (Account No. 01409164) the sum of £………………. Commencing on 1st April 20.…, and yearly thereafter until further notice. Kindly make the payment with reference …………………………………(my surname and initial). Name of account to be debited....……………………………..….. Account No.........…………………………………………………. Signature………………………………………………………… Date

………………………………………………….20.….

Address .…………………………………………………………. .........……………………………………………………. ..…………………………………………………………. Postcode………………………………………………....

GILD OF FREEMEN OF THE CITY OF LEICESTER APPLICATION FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP

Full Name______________________________________________ (BLOCK LETTERS)

Address_____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Post Code ________________Tel No. _______________________ e-mail address__________________________________________ I am a duly sworn Freeman of the City of Leicester and apply to be enrolled as a Member of the Gild of Freemen, for which I enclose the sum of £10.00 (Enrolment fee of £1.00 plus the first annual subscription of £9.00).

Signature

Date APPLICATION FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

Full Name______________________________________________ (BLOCK LETTERS)

Address ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Post Code __________________Tel No. ____________________ e-mail address__________________________________________ I certify that I am the SPOUSE / WIDOW / WIDOWER / SON / DAUGHTER / GRANDCHILD aged 18 years or over (please delete where necessary) of Mr. / Mrs./ Ms. _____________________________________(Freeman of Leicester) Or I am a full member of the Guild of Freemen of_________________(City or Town) I apply to be enrolled as an Associate Member of the Gild, for which I enclose the sum of £7.00 (Enrolment Fee of £1.00 plus the first Annual Subscription of £6.00) Signature___________________________________________Date_____________ Please make cheques payable to ‘Gild of Leicester Freemen’ and send with this application to Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT

THE GILD OF FREEMEN OF THE CITY OF LEICESTER GILD PRODUCTS ORDER FORM 1. Tie

- navy

………at £10.00 each

= £………….

- maroon

………at £10.00 each

= £………….

- green

………at £10.00 each

= £………….

- two ties (state colours) ...……at £19.00 two

= £………….

- three ties

…...…at £27.50 three

= £………….

2. Key-ring

………at £5.00 each

= £………….

3. Lapel badge

………at £2.50 each

= £………….

4. Cufflinks

..........at £16.00 each

= £………….

………at £3.00 each

= £………….

…...…at £55.00 each

= £………….

.....….at £20.00 each

= £………….

7. Blazer badge

.........at £13.50 each

=£..............

8. Wall plaque, wooden

………at £24.00 each

= £………….

5. Gild pens

- new design

6. Arm badge - framed - unframed

9. Gown, made to measure, incl. delivery........price on request = £…………. (Chest ..........ins, height..........ft...........ins). 10. Register of Freemen- 1931-85 - 1986-96

………at £4.00 each

= £………….

………at £3.00 each

= £………….

11 Christmas cards - Frosty morning design......at £4.00 for 6 TOTAL

= £.............. = £………….

I enclose cheque/postal order for the above total, made payable to: “GILD OF LEICESTER FREEMEN” NAME…………………………………………………………………………………….. ADDRESS………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………. POST CODE…………………………… E-MAIL ADDRESS:........................................................................................ Signed………………………………………………………………………………………. Please post to: Maurice Hill, 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT Tel: 0116 2895394