It is a great honour and a pleasure to be Master of the Cripplegate Ward Club and though it was, in prospect, quite daunting, I have very much enjoyed my year and I hope and believe many members have enjoyed it too.

We began with our Civic Luncheon for which we returned to the Old Library at the Guildhall, beautiful after its refurbishment, where we were honoured to entertain the Lord Mayor, Ian Luder, and the Lady Mayoress.

Our evening events started in April with a visit behind the scenes at BBC Television Centre and in May a visit to Dr. Johnson's House where the curator gave us a very enthusiastic tour and a tasty buffet with wine in Dr. Johnson's dining room.

In June we were blessed with sunny weather for a guided tour of Knole in Sevenoaks and a happy meal in the Royal Oak, followed by a guided walk in the deer park for those with any stamina left.  July saw us turning our attention back to the City with a most interesting visit to Lloyds of London and, in August, Chris Ruff, a City Guide who is also one of our members, led a large group of us on an evening walk around the gardens of the City. Having learned in May about eighteenth century literary London, we came up to date in September and visited Tate Modern, to learn about some of the art in the permanent collection.

My choice for the annual banquet was Apothecaries Hall, one of London's oldest halls, where Party Ingredients prepared a tasty meal and we were entertained by a string quartet from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. We enjoyed the fun of the Loving Cup for the first time in a few years and the principal guest, Maggie Morgan, told us about her work for the National Trust in the South East.

We were again lucky to be able to watch the Lord Mayor's Show from Guildhall. It was perhaps the only day in November when it did not rain all day, but still managed to be cold and grey, and a hearty lunch in the Guildhall afterwards was very welcome.

After some discussion, the committee agreed to accept an invitation from my livery company, the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, to join them and other companies for a carol service in St. Giles.  It was a friendly and well attended service followed by an excellent three course buffet supper in the Church. A few days before Christmas a small group of us went to the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch to hear a very interesting talk about the history of the museum, before wandering through the rooms furnished and decorated for Christmas in the styles of different centuries. The mulled wine and mince pies that followed were delicious.

In January we braved the wintry weather for a cold but interesting tour of the Wellington Arch and a slightly warmer tour of Wellington's House followed by a warming pub lunch. As I write this report, I expect this month to round off my year at Coopers' Hall, another very old hall, with a dulcimer, a rebec and other Tudor instruments.

The Upper Warden, James Prentice, has decided not to proceed as Master, and the committee recommends for election Dr. David Bland, presently our First Assistant, who has kindly agreed, at short notice, to become our Master. I shall hand over to David with confidence and I am sure you will join me in wishing him a very successful year.

Finally I want to thank all those members who have supported me by coming to my events and enjoying themselves. Thank you also to the committee for their help and encouragement, the Hon. Treasurer, Sidney Morton, for keeping us solvent in difficult times and to our Hon. Secretary, Barbara Allan, for all the work she has done in trying to make me at least look as though I know what I am doing.

Sandra Worsdall     February 2010