On Friday the 15th of October a group of members and some partners visited Trinity House in London. Trinity House is the charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support, and welfare to the sea-faring community. It also has a statutory duty as a General Lighthouse Authority.

On arrival we were met by our tour guide and there was time to relax and catch up with each other over tea and coffee before the formal tour began.

The tour in process, led by the tour guide.

We learned what the organisation’s function and scope is now and some of its rich history. The original building was destroyed in the great fire of London and it’s replacement by a further fire later on. This led to the headquarters being moved to the present impressive building at Tower Hill, just behind the Tower of London, in 1796.

Each room holds fascinating nautical artefacts, ship models and paintings. Many paintings depict a mixture of the older brethren of the organisation and the royal connections from Henry the 8th, up through to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh who served 42 years as Master, with that title now falling to Princess Anne. Other paintings unsurprisingly display light houses, ships and some famous scenes including the well known image of Churchill and Roosevelt at the 1941 Atlantic Conference on board the HMS Prince of Wales.

Churchill and Franklin summit on the Prince of Wales.

Fascinating artefacts, many of which have been donated, adorn the walls and fill the display cabinets. A fine example being the clock and barometer of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Nimrod used during the 1907-09 expedition. There is also a very unusual display of silverware in the library (now used for weddings, with a Tower of London backdrop).

The unusual display of silver.

Trinity House was brought to life by our guide and the event was a splendid way for members to re-engage with Lightmonger activities in a safe environment.

An excellent and interesting event, which was enjoyed by all those attending. The event was arranged by the Events Committee, with particular thanks to Liveryman Paul Bateman for organising the detail of it.