MIDSUMMER LUNCHEON

Thursday 3 July 2025

The Midsummer Luncheon will be held on Thursday 3 July 2025 at the Little Ship Club.

The Little Ship Club is the only yacht club operating from within the City of London. It was founded on 5 November 1926 by a group of yachtsmen who met at the Ship Restaurant in Whitehall, for the purpose of providing training and lectures over the winter months. The club operates from its riverside clubhouse at Bell Wharf and our Midsummer Luncheon will be held in their Dining Room, which has outstanding views of the River Thames and Southwark Bridge.

Our Prinicpal Guest is Andrew Bowie MP, who is the Member of Parliament for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, and a former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.  Andrew will be interviewed by Past Master Shravan Joshi.

Andrew grew up in Aberdeenshire spending his first years in Alford, a village within his current constituency before his family moved to the town of Inverurie where he attended Market Place School and Inverurie Academy.

After leaving school he joined the Royal Navy in which he served as an officer for 3 years, a career that took him around the world to Brazil, Bahrain, Gibraltar and The Falklands. His duties back home included work for the ceremonial events commemoration team.  Following this Andrew returned to the North East, studying politics and history at the University of Aberdeen.

Andrew began his political career in 2014 when he became the Conservative campaign manager for the North of Scotland, organising the party machinery for the 2014 European Election, the Scottish Independence Referendum and 2015 General Election.  He then worked initially for Conservative MEP Ian Duncan as his Parliamentary Assistant and Rural Affairs Policy Adviser, and then for Liam Kerr MSP following his election to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 where he was Head of Office based in the Scottish Parliament.

Andrew contested the June 2017 General Election as the Conservative and Unionist candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, being duly elected with 47.9% of the vote and a majority of 7,949.  He is the first Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine since its creation in 1997. He has successfully defended his seat at the 2019 and 2024 General Elections.

In March 2018 he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and in January 2019 he was promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.  In August 2019 Andrew was appointed Vice Chair of the Conservative Party, covering the Union and Youth within the party, until he stood down in November 2021.  Andrew was subsequently appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports in October 2022 and in February 2023 was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Following the General Election on 4 July 2024 Andrew was appointed Shadow Minister for Veterans and Shadow Minister for Energy. Since the election of Kemi Badenoch as Leader of the Conservative Party he has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Shadow Minister for Energy.

The North Sea oil and gas industry is absolutely critical to North East Scotland’s economy and indeed Scotland’s. As we transition away from fossil fuels we must ensure that jobs, the economy of our region, and the energy security of the United Kingdom are protected.

While parties like Labour and the SNP talk down Scotland’s oil and gas industry and want to close it down in an unnecessary and reckless manner, I will always fight for its future. That is why I have backed new oil fields, new licenses, and further investment into the North Sea’s future.

Music will be provided by Emilia Agajew, who is currently a master's harp student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Prof. Imogen Barford. With sixteen years of harp study, she has performed in various venues, including the Barbican Centre, Polish National Opera, Lodz Grand Theatre, and the Grange and Garsington Opera.

Emilia has achieved recognition in competitions, winning the First Prize and The Composer's Award at the I National Harp Competition of Karol Groll in Warsaw, a Prize at the St. James Chamber Competition for her involvement in harp and flute, as well as harp and violin duos and most recently the Sioned Williams prize at the North London Harp Competition.

In her orchestral roles, Emilia has played as principal harp in ensembles like the Sixteen Orchestra, The English Touring Opera, Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, the University of London Symphony Orchestra, and participated in the UBU ensemble's "Total Immersion" concert, streamed on BBC Radio 3.

LOCATION
Little Ship Club, Three Cranes Walk, London EC4R 3TB
view on map
The main entrance to the club is situated on the Thames path, with easy pedestrian access from the steps at the north end of Southwark Bridge .

DRESS
Lounge Suit, Livery Badges.

TIMINGS
1215 - Reception
1245 - Dinner
1530 - Carriages

BOOK NOW
Tickets cost £95 and you can book places for yourself and your guests below.

CEREMONIAL COURT
There will be a Ceremonial Court immediately before the Reception to admit new members to the Freedom and enrobe new members of the Livery.  This will follow Midsummer Court and start promptly at 1145.  All members and their guests wishing to support our new Freemen and Liverymen 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.

**BOOKINGS HAVE NOW CLOSED**
If you would like to attend Midsummer Luncheon then please contact the Clerk who will see if you can be accomodated.