The Livery Newsletter and Gazette Issue 32 Spring 2020 | Page 32

The Pipe Makers’ Easter Challenge 2020
This year we initiated the Pipe Makers’ Easter
Collective Nouns Challenge and invited our
Liverymen and Freemen (as well as a number of
friends across the City) to provide their suggestions
across a number of Livery characters. The response
has been excellent and our thanks to all those who
participated. I suspect that the bottle of English fizz
(for a St George’s Day deadline) as a prize might have
helped!
In any event the Pipe Makers were joined by Turners,
Firefighters, Framework Knitters, Broderers,
Marketors, Educators, Master Mariners, Chartered
Accountants and even the Phoenix Past Masters year
group! Well done to everyone!
Some responses were of course unprintable and some
a little borderline. In the latter category I felt that a
Manure of Chaplains (apparently at their best when
spread thinly!), a Chamberpot or an Antonym of
Court Assistants and a Piddle of Beadles were a little
unfair. A Dalmatian of Masters (because there are at
least 101 of them) however was very witty. Then again,
some suggestions were far too clever, I had to rush
to my dictionary for clarification on a Mumuration
of Liverymen (a flock of warblers!), a Dapifer (rather
than a Quarter Pounder) of Beadles and a Swanimote
of Sheriffs, all of which are particularly impressive
suggestions!
And thanks too to those of you who stepped
beyond the listed categories to provide your own. I
particularly like the idea of a Pouch of Pipe Makers,
a Hasbeen or a Pasture of Past Masters (given the
imminent end to my year I sense this already!) and a
Bouquet of Mistresses.
And now the moment for which you have been
waiting! With the help of the Mistress and the Clerk
(who ‘chose blind’) we have worthy winners and
runners-up in each category as follows:
1. A Tottering of Masters/Prime Wardens/Upper
Bailiffs. Congratulations to Ian and Julia Grundy
of the Framework Knitters and to the runner-up
Andrew Neill of the Turners for Magisterium.
2. An Obligation of Wardens. Congratulations to
our own Court Assistant Fran Morrison and to
the runner-up Christopher Scott of the Turners for
Abutment.
3. A Scribble of Clerks. Congratulations to Past
Master Ralph Edmondson and to the runner-up
Past Master Richard Tranter for Conspiracy!
4. A Trial of Court Assistants. Congratulations to
David Pearson of the Marketors and to the runnerup
our Chaplain David Parrott for Antonym.
5. A Muster of Liverymen and Freemen.
Congratulations to Past Master Michael Walter
and to the runner-up Alan Beggs (our valiant
Clerk’s Assistant) for Family.
6. A Purse of Treasurers. Congratulations to our
Beadle Mark Anderson and to the runner-up
Third Warden Paul Taberer for Magpie.
7. A Bumble of Beadles! Congratulations to Alan
Beggs who moved up to first place on this and
to the runner-up Roy Palmer of Phoenix for
Bamboozlement.
8. A Blessing of Chaplains. Congratulations to
Past Master Charles Miller and to the runner-up
Liveryman Peter Rawlinson for Cross.
9. A Brace of Sheriffs. Congratulations to Jim and
Elizabeth Barclay of the Master Mariners and to
the runner-up (again) Andrew Neill of the Turners
for Clink.
10. A Chain Gang of Lord Mayors. Congratulations
to Frances Blois of the Firefighters and to the
runner-up Past Master Ralph Edmondson for
Dick-Whit.
Many congratulations to the winners and to all those
who so kindly participated, we say a big thank you.
Andrew Golding
Master
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