I was delighted to be invited, to a special Civic Dinner, by the Chief Commoner tonight. This was a very small, intimate dinner hosted by the Chief Commoner and Remembrancer, in the Chief Commoner's Parlour.
On arrival at Guildhall I was escorted to the Art Gallery where our hosts were waiting to welcome the guests with a glass or two of champagne. I joined the small group which included Liveryman and Past Sheriff Dr Christine Rigden and Liveryman His Honour John Bevan QC.
I was introduced to several other guests who came from various different professions and backgrounds, which I found most interesting. At 7.15 pm we made our way to the Chief Commoner's Parlour for dinner, a beautiful room with a magnificent vaulted ceiling.
Following grace we all sat down to enjoy an extremely delicious meal, starting with a beautiful Scottish Spider Crab with Halibut, Lobster and Sea Bass, followed by Roast Loin of Highland Venison with Organic Vegetables and Bryon Potatoes. For dessert we were treated to a wonderful Baby Pineapple Crème Brûlée with a Piña Colada Shot and Coconut Ice Cream, truly delightful. All accompanied by some excellent wines.
To make things more interesting, we all changed places after the main course which gave everyone the opportunity to talk to and get to know more guests. This worked very well indeed. Following dinner, and the Loyal Toasts, the Chief Commoner and Remembrancer both gave brief and interesting speeches about their positions in the City of London.
The evening ended with a delightful performance by Cellist Benedict Swindells of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. An excellent ending to yet another wonderful evening.