Installation Dinner

Wednesday 8 October 2025

The Installation Dinner will be held at Drapers' Hall on Wednesday 8 October 2025, and will immediately follow and celebrate the installation of Ashutosh Shastri as our new Master.

Our Prinicpal Guest is James Thomson CBE, who is Deputy Chair of Policy and Resources at the Corporation of London.

James was first elected as Common Councillor for Walbrook Ward in 2013 and is the Deputy for the Ward.

He is the former Deputy Chair of the City of London Police Authority Board and former Chair of its Economic Crime Committee which has oversight for the work of the City of London Police as National Lead Force for Fraud and its national responsibilities in economic and cyber crime. He has served on the Police Authority Board since 2015 and served as Chair from 2020 to 2024 and was Deputy Chairman from 2017 to 2020, and 2024 to 2025. James is a board member of the City Bridge Foundation and governor of the City of London School (and past Chair).

Prior to becoming an elected Member, James was a Special Constable with the City of London Police for 12 years.

Outside the City, James is a former non-executive Chairman (and former Chief Executive) of MJ Gleeson plc the listed house builder focused on building low-cost affordable homes for first time buyers. He is a former board member of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, is a non-executive director of the Serious Fraud Office.

James has spent the last 20 years working in industry including for Smiths Group, the FTSE 100 listed international engineering company, as Group Finance Director of DTZ Holdings plc, the listed property company now part of Cushman & Wakefield. Prior to becoming CEO and the Chairman of Gleeson, he was Chief Executive of Keepmoat, the largest private developer of affordable homes in the UK delivering some 4,000 homes a year.

He trained as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and spent 10 years in investment banking at HSBC and Deutsche Bank. At HSBC he spent 3 years in South Africa advising the ANC-led Government of National Unity.

James was awarded a CBE in the 2025 New Year Honours for Policing and Inclusion.

PLEASE NOTE: James has kindly replaced Chris Hayward as our Principal Speaker as Chris will now be accompanying the Prime Minster on a visit to India.

Drapers' Hall, one of the most magnificent of all of the the livery halls, is home to The Worshipful Company of Drapers, one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London.  The Company's origins date back to at least 1361. Originally a guild for merchants dealing in wool and cloth—England’s primary medieval exports—the Drapers played a crucial role in regulating the quality of cloth and overseeing trade standards.

In 1438, the Company received its first Royal Charter from King Henry VI, and in 1543 bought the site of their current hall from King Henry VIII for the sum of 1,800 marks (approximately £1,200). This had been the mansion and gardens of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex and Chief Minister to the King, but was forfeited after his execution. That original Tudor building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the hall was rebuilt between 1667–71 to a design by Edward Jarman. A major fire in 1772 caused extensive damage, so it was again rebuilt, this time under the oversight of John Gorham.   Alterations were made to the front and interior by Herbert Williams in the 1860s, and further alterations in 1898-9 by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson.  The sculptural entrance on Throgmorton Street is guarded by colossal turbaned figures and crowned with a heraldic pediment, disguising the opulence within behind a more commercial retail frontage built in the 1890s. The stunning interiors will be recognisable from many films including The King's Speech and Goldeneye.

Image by kind permission of Jonathan Yeo

Whilst the Drapers no longer engage in the cloth trade, they remain active in charitable work, particularly in education, housing, and support for the elderly. Today, the Drapers' Company continues to uphold centuries of tradition, philanthropy, and civic involvement within the historic framework of the City of London. As one of the oldest charitable bodies in the UK, they hold an extraordinary wealth of manuscripts, records and documents stretching from the 13th century to the present day. With a long tradition of commissioning work from the finest artists and craftsmen of the day they also have an eclectic collection of paintings, sculpture and works of art.  Once such painting that all guests will be able to see during the Reception is the recently unveiled portrait of King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo.  This now hangs in Drapers Hall and is quite magnificent to behold.

The Four Piece Salon Orchestra of the London Banqueting Ensemble will play during Installation Dinner and round off the evening with the ever popular Post Horn Gallop.

TIMINGS

• 1815        Reception
• 1855        Installation Dinner
• 2200        Stirrup Cup
• 2245        Carriages

BOOK NOW
Tickets cost £165 and you can book places for yourself and your guests on the Company website.
You are advised to book early and please note that Pour Memoires are no longer sent out.

Liverymen are able to claim Tallage, which is now £50.
Any Freemen interested in becoming a Liveryman should contact the Clerk.

DRESS CODE
Black tie, Decorations, Livery Badges.

BOOKING DEADLINE
Please book your places by Friday 26 September.

LOCATION
Drapers' Hall, Throgmorton Avenue, London  EC2N 2DQ
View location

COMMON HALL
Common Hall - the Company's AGM - will follow on immediately after Installation Court.  It will start shortly after 1700 and all Fuellers are invited to attend.  A seperate Calling Notice has been issued.

CEREMONIAL COURT
There will be a Ceremonial Court immediately before the Reception to formally admit new Freemen and enrobe new Liverymen.  At the end of Ceremonial Court our new Master and Wardens will be formally installed.

Ceremonial Court follows Installation Court and will start promptly at 1745.  All members and their guests wishing to support our new Freemen and Liverymen and see our new Master and Wardens being installed are welcome to attend.

If you are expecting to be admited as a Freeman or enrobed as a Liveryman please contact the Clerk to ensure that you are included.