Common Hall is the name by which the Liverymen of the City of London assemble twice a year to elect the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and certain other officers. The name Common Hall developed from the early assemblies of citizens which were termed a Congregation, which itself is conjectured to be a survival of the ancient Folkmoot.

 

 

For the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers, Common Hall 2026 carried particular significance being the first in-person  Common Hall meeting  since before the pandemic. 50 members assembled at the magnificent Innholders' Hall on 5th February at 6pm; the last such occasion having been in 2019.

 

 

The Honorary Chaplain to the Company, the Venerable Dr Jonathan Smith, formerly Archdeacon of St Albans, led the Company in the Lord's Prayer before the Master, Alan Dodd, opened proceedings and welcomed Members. The Deputy Master, Jenny Rolls, submitted her Report on the Year 2024–2025 in her absence; the Chair of the Finance Committee, Dr Michel Saminaden, presented the Worshipful Company Accounts and those of WCTB Events Limited; and the Charitable Trusts report, delivered in the absence of Martin Reading by Tom Rider, brought the welcome news that the third beneficiary of the Company's Christ's Hospital Bursary was close to being selected with an announcement expected in September. Two new Court Assistants, Piers Wigan and Jason Wright, were introduced. The Photographic Competition results were announced with the wonderful photos passed around. The winners were:

 

 

Brickwork

Past Master Lesley Day for the Weald and Downland Museum. 

 

Wall and Floor Tiling

Liveryman Ian Harmond for the mosaic floor at Hereford Cathedral

 

Roofing

Upper Warden David White for the splendid roof of St Cecile Cathedral Albi in France. 

 

 

An Open Forum concluded proceedings in a spirit that was informative and highly convivial.

 

 

Dinner followed in the Livery Hall. Seating by random allocation made for lively and wide-ranging conversation. Grace was said by the Honorary Chaplain before toasts were drunk to His Majesty, the King, Other Members of the Royal Family, the Queen and the Lady Mayor and the City of London Corporation.

 

 

The three courses were accompanied by wines selected, sourced and laid down between 2017 and 2019 by the Wine Committee. After the dessert, Chair of the Wine Committee , Philip Parris, treated Members to a compelling lecture ranging across his encyclopaedic knowledge of oenology and spanning many decades, with particular focus on the two red Bordeaux chosen for the main course. The first, Château Les Hauts-Conseillants 2016, is a Right Bank wine from the Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation — Merlot-dominant, grown on clay soils, and notably softer and more immediately approachable in character. The second, the reserve selection Château Lanessan 2016, is a true Left Bank claret from the Haut-Médoc: Cabernet Sauvignon-led, structured and tannic, grown on the famous Garonne gravel beds that define the great wines of the Médoc. 

 

 

A Toast to the Company and the Master’s Good Health  was led by Liveryman Michael Hallé before the Master delivered a witty address, rounding off the evening with the presentation of Kirkham's Lancashire cheese, damson jelly and an instructive guide to cheesemaking as a parting gift. Carriages were taken at 10pm.

 

Shahab Mossavat - Liveryman