The United Wards Club of the City of London

Members & friends’ reception
2025-09-26 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Guildhall, Members dining room, 71 Basinghall Street, City of London, London, EC2V 7HH, United Kingdom
The Club will be holding a new members event from 17:30 on the evening of 26 September 2025 in the Members Room of the City’s iconic Guildhall. The aim is to have a fun evening and encourage member’s friends and contacts to attend and join on the night with the cost of the evening offset as a discount against the first years subscription.
Date & Time: Friday 26 September 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30PM
Event Description: The United Wards Club is excited to announce a special evening aimed at welcoming new members to our vibrant community. This event offers a fantastic opportunity for members to bring friends and contacts to experience the spirit of the Club and potentially join us on the night.
Event Highlights:

Fun and Networking: Engage with fellow members and guests in a relaxed and informal setting.
Address from senior City member

Exclusive Membership Offer: The event fee of £15 will be offset against the first year’s subscription for any new members who join during the evening.

Catering: Complementary drinks red wine, white wine, beer, and soft drinks and a selection of nibbles.
The event will wrap up at 7:00 PM, leaving attendees free to make their own dinner arrangements afterward.
Membership Drive: Members are strongly encouraged to book for a guest or two who might be interested in joining along with themselves.
Pricing: £15 per person. This amount will be deducted from the first year’s membership fee for new joiners.
Join us for an enjoyable evening and help grow the United Wards Club community!

City Walk (Smithfield to St Paul’s), followed by lunch
2025-10-08 11:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 8th October: 11am City Walk (Smithfield to St Paul’s), followed by lunch
Flames of Faith: dark tales of Smithfield and St Paul’s
A guided walk late morning on Wednesday 8 October in the NorthWest corner of the City of London, where some of the darkest and most dramatic episodes in its history have taken place. Join us to uncover the hidden stories of Smithfield (once a site of execution and now home to some of London’s most historic buildings and institutions) on the way to St Paul’s. Starting at Barbican Station, the route will pass notable monuments, memorials, churches and livery halls and will provide another opportunity to explore the President’s theme of religious tolerance – although that was far from the minds of our ancestors!
City Walk
Starting at 11:00, the walk will be led by Stephen Willis, Junior Vice President of the United Wards Club, who is a qualified City of London guide and has led a number of memorable walks for the Club in the past, including one in June exploring the City’s cultural links. The theme of this walk will make it suitable both for those who know the City well and also for those who want to find out more about the remarkable Square Mile.
Optional Lunch (additional ticket)
Afterwards lunch will be available in Blackfriars, where UWC was founded in 1877, for those who wish to join us.

Founders Day Dinner
2025-10-31 18:45 - 22:30 | Butchers Hall, 87 Bartholomew Close,, London, EC1A 7EB, United Kingdom
Our annual dinner to remember our Founders on 31st October 1877, will, this year, be held in Butchers Hall, 87 Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7EB
The Worshipful Company of Butchers, has had more than its fair share of ill fortune, with five of their seven Halls burned down, including one that perished during the Great Fire of London in 1666. Their current Hall was originally opened by the Bishop of London in 1960. It underwent a major multi-million pound refurbishment, reopening in September 2019. It retains many of its features, finely balancing the traditions of a Livery Hall with first-class, modern facilities.
Please book by 21 October 2025
Dress Code: Black tie
We are honoured to have Sir David Wootton, past Lord Mayor in the City of London, as our guest speaker.
Also in attendance will be the:

Chairman of the Royal Society of St George, Andrew Marsden
President of the City Livery Club Alderman Professor Emma Edhem
Master of the City of London Guild of Freemen Adrian Waddingham, CBE FIA

Dress Code: Black tie

Lord Mayor’s Show
2025-11-08 10:00 - 15:00
The United Wards Club has again been invited to take part in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show, along with Rotary in London, which is sponsoring the entry. United Ward Club members will be wearing tabards with our logo.

The float will be highlighting Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland’s “Purple4Polio” Campaign and will be joined a 100-year-old steam traction engine. We will be joined this year by a Pearly King and Queen along with Chelsea pensioner Philip Carr.

If you do not wish to take part, you can watch the parade at the roadside. You can also get a hot buffet lunch which will be served between 12.45pm and 2.30pm at Ironmongers Hall

If you wish to take part in the Lord Mayors Show

22.10.2025 update: Our allocation of spaces to take part in the Lord Mayors Show is now full.

For those who have signed up, Mike Wren will be in touch with you directly regarding your position in the parade.

If you do not wish to take part but would like to watch the proceedings

If you do not wish to take part, you can watch the parade at the roadside. You can also get a hot buffet lunch which will be served between 12.45pm and 2.30pm at Ironmongers Hall, the Ironmongers’ Company, Shaftesbury Place, off Aldersgate Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8AA

Lunch will cost £39.00 per adult and tea and coffee is included with the meal. There will also be a bar serving beer, wine and soft drinks on a pay as you go basis.

Please book using the ticket below by 27th October (This is a deadline set by the Hall so that we can confirm our numbers).

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THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW

The Lord Mayor’s Show is an ancient statement of the indomitable spirit of London and a modern celebration of her vigour and diversity.

The Show dates back to the early 13th century, when a desperate King John allowed the City of London to appoint its own Mayor. The King insisted that each newly-elected Mayor should come to Westminster and swear loyalty to the Crown, and the Mayor of London has been making that journey for over 800 years. Around him (and her) grew up the noisy, colourful, joyous procession that over the centuries became known as the Lord Mayor’s Show.

THE LORD MAYOR

The 698th Lord Mayor of London, is Alderman, Dame Susan Langley DBE

GETTING HERE

Sorry: cars and buses are no help on Show day. Tubes, boats and bicycles are much better, the new Elizabeth Line station at Farringdon is ideally placed and there are many nice ways to walk into the City when it is free of traffic.

WHERE TO GO

Some suggestions for different ways to watch the Show depending on how much you like a crowd and what else you might like to do that day.

HISTORY OF THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW

The Mayor of London is an ancient office originally created by King John in a doomed attempt to get the city on his side.

It was 1215, and John’s disastrous reign was falling apart. His armies were retreating in France, his treasury was empty and his Barons were on the edge of open revolt. Soon they would force him to sign the Magna Carta, which would be largely ignored until civil war finally broke out. John died of dysentery a year later while marching his dwindling armies from one besieged city to another.

London was right in the middle of the growing conflict. It was a cosmopolitan, international place even then: rich but vulnerable, easy to take but hard to govern. The King’s taxes were high and the City was frequently held hostage by one or other group of warring Barons. The whole situation was very bad for business.

The King’s Charter for London of May 9th 1215, now in the London Metropolitan Archive

For years London had been trying to become a ‘commune’: a sort of early city state that would be able to declare its borders, make treaties and defend itself. King Richard had been an ally and King John may have thought it a smart move to go along with this. In 1215 he issued a Royal Charter that established the commune and allowed the City to choose its own Mayor every year instead of having a sheriff appointed by the King.

Know ye that we have granted … to our barons of our city of London, that they may choose to themselves every year a mayor, who to us may be faithful, discreet and fit for government of the city, so as, when he shall be chosen, to be presented unto us, or our Justice if we shall not be present… and he shall swear to be faithful to us…

At the end there you can see a careful condition: every year the newly elected Mayor must leave the safety of the City, travel upriver to Westminster and swear loyalty to the King.

London in around 1300: a walled town separated by open country from distant Westminster, where the King had his base.

In fact the loyalty of 13th century London was quite flexible and its gratitude brief. The city became a base for the rebellious barons. When they tried to get out of trouble later that year by offering the English crown to Prince Louis of France, Londoners are said to have lined the streets to welcome the invading French army.*

Later that year the King was brought to heel and the Magna Carta was signed. It was never meant to be a constitutional milestone, but just another attempt to make peace. John never put his name to it, since he could not read or write, but among its 25 signatories we can see the second elected Mayor of London, William Hardel. He probably gave us this part:

13: The city of London shall enjoy all its ancient liberties and free customs, both by land and by water. We also will and grant that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall enjoy all their liberties and free customs.

The Mayor became known as the “Lord Mayor” about 200 years later but it has been an elected office ever since it was created, and for the next few centuries Lord Mayor of London was by far the grandest position to which a commoner could aspire. The Lord Mayor’s Journey was the celebrity spectacle of its day and over the centuries it grew so splendid and so popular that it became known everywhere as the Lord Mayor’s Show.

The Show features in the plays of Shakespeare, the diaries of Pepys and the adventures of James Bond and of course in the pantomime story of Dick Whittington, who really was Mayor of London in three separate years. In the 20th century the Lord Mayor’s Show was the first outside event ever to be broadcast live and it still attracts a TV audience of millions.

The modern Lord Mayor’s procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster. The route and date have changed over the years but the pageantry of Hogarth and Canaletto can still be seen in its lively mixture of London’s past, present and future.

The State Coach is over 250 years old, and the pikemen who guard it are almost as old as the Show. Today you will see the City’s businesses, Livery Companies, charities, Her Majesty’s Forces, the City Police and Londoners from all walks of life come together to enjoy a splendid celebration of the City’s ancient power and prosperity, just as they did in the middle ages.

* It’s worth mentioning that England was essentially a Norman colony at the time. The real Angevin capital was in Anjou and the war was between the northern and southern Kings of France. John did very badly, lost almost all of his French kingdom and ended up, briefly, something much more like the King of England. This and the concessions that he made on the way, turned out to be some of the most important building blocks of Britain (and London).

Visit to Bevis Marks Synagogue followed by an optional supper afterwards
2025-11-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Bevis Marks Synagogue, between Houndsditch and Leadenhall Streets, London, EC3A 7LH
The Grade I listed Bevis Marks Synagogue, on the borders of the City and the Borough of Tower Hamlets in London, is the Cathedral Synagogue of the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic Jews. Finished in 1701 it was the first synagogue to be built following the re-settlement of Jews in England in the second half of the 17th Century.
It is the oldest synagogue still in use in the United Kingdom and has witnessed the daily worship, festivals, the celebration of births, marriages and funerals of generations of Sephardic Jews; it has survived the threat of demolition, the shock waves of Luftwaffe and IRA bombs and the upheaval of mass construction, to stand as a symbol of resilience and tradition in a changing world.
The Bevis Marks Synagogue collection contains a thousand beautiful, ornate works of art and craftsmanship, including Torah scrolls, ritual silver items, vestments, books and furniture. It is the oldest and most complete collection of any Jewish establishment in the UK and one of the most complete in Europe.

We are very pleased that Sir Michael and Lady Barbara Bear ill be joining us. Sir Michael was the 10th Jewish Lord Mayor in 1000 or so years.
Afterwards we will go for a Turkish mealround the corner for a fixed price menu, including a glass of wine, beer or soft drink, as follows:
C H O I C E O F C O L D S TA R T E R S
HUMMUS S-VG
Puréed chickpeas w/ tahini, lemon juice, garlic and oil dressing.
TABBOULEH VG-G
Crushed wheat w/ chopped tomatoes, onion, mint and parsley salad.
PATLICAN SOSLU VG
Cooked and chopped aubergine, peppers, tomatoes and garlic.
FALAFEL VG-S
Broad beans, chickpeas and vegetable fritters served w/ hummus.
C H O I C E O F M A I N C O U R S E S
LAMB GUVECH D-DFO
Diced lamb cooked w/ tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and peppers, served w/ rice.
SPICY CHICKEN KOFTE G-D-DFO
Seasoned and grilled spicy minced chicken patties, served w/ bulgur, salad and garlic sauce.
ADANA KOFTE D-DFO-G
Marinated fine cuts of minced lamb, mixed w/ fresh herbs and grilled
on skewer, slightly spicy, served w/ bulgur and salad.
VEGGIE OR MEAT MOUSSAKA D-G
Baked layers of aubergine, potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers and minced
lamb, topped w/ béchamel sauce and cheese, served w/ rice.
INCIK (LAMB SHANK) D
Lamb shank slow cooked in the oven w/ rich tomato sauce and vegetables,
served w/ mashed potato.
CHICKEN ON SKEWER D
Marinated cubes of chicken grilled on skewer, served w/ rice and salad.
HALLOUMI KEBAB V-D
Grilled halloumi cheese skewered w/ onions and peppers, served w/ salad and rice.
Fixed menu incudes one drink, glass of wine, beer or soft drink. Other drinks at your own cost.

Carol Service followed by Christmas Lunch
2025-12-03 11:15 - 16:00 | St Margaret Lothbury, Lothbury, London, EC2R 7HH
*** Bookings now open ***
This year our Carol Service will be back at St Margaret’s Lothbury, at 11:15 am on Wednesday 3rd December.

Afterwards luncheon will be served in Grocerss’ Hall, dress code is Morning coats with black waistcoats preferably United Ward Club’ tie for gentlemen [dark lounge suit acceptable] and day wear and hats for ladies.

Tour of Regent Park Mosque & optional lunch
2026-01-07 12:00 - 13:30 | Regents Park Mosque, London Central Mosque & Islamic Cultural Centre, 146 Park Road, London, NW8 7RG
BOOKINGS CLOSED AS AS 16:30 ON 04 JANUARY 2026
As part of the President’s theme of religious tolerance we have arranged for the last of our religious visits. This one is to Regents Park Mosque, or more formally called the London Central Mosque & Islamic Cultural Centre, 146 Park Road, London, NW8 7RG at 12:00 noon on Wednesday 7th Janaury 2026
There is a cafeteria on site, but depending on the numbers we may opt for lunch at the Pizza Express diagonally opposite from Baker Street Tube. Payment will be pay your own on the day if you wish to join. We will email everyone nearer the date to see whihc option everyone prefers.
Please, be advised:

Be aware of the strict modest dress code for adults, as we will be visiting the main prayer hall.
Skirts, tights, leggings, tight trousers, ripped jeans, shorts; do not comply.
A head scarf is required for the females (few scarves might be provided upon Arrival, if requested).
The dress code does not apply to children of the primary schools’ age; however, tights would be appreciated.
When you arrive, please, notify the security/enquiries office at the main gate entrance driveway. They will call us to come and greet you.

City of London Ward Clubs' Members & Friends reception
2026-02-03 17:30 - 19:00 | Aon, Cheesegrater building, 122 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3V 4AN, United Kingdom
* Bookings now closed *
The Club will be holding a reception in Aon’s Client Suite in the Cheesegrater building, 122 Leadenhall Street EC3V 4AN. The aim is to have a fun evening and encourage members’ of ALL City of London Ward Clubs to mix.
Date & Time: Tuesday 3rd February 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Aon’s Client Suite, Cheesegrater Building, 122 Leadenhall Street, EC3V 4AN
Event Description: The United Wards Club is excited to announce a special evening aimed at welcoming members’ of ALL the City of London Ward Clubs’ to our vibrant community. Set in the iconic Cheesegrater building, this event offers a fantastic opportunity for members to bring friends and contacts to experience the spirit of the Club and potentially join us on the night.
Event Highlights:

Fun and Networking: Engage with fellow members of all the City of London Ward Clubs in a relaxed and informal setting.
Address from former Sheriff, Andrew Marsden and past Lord mayor, Alderman Michael Mainelli will also stop by for a short time.

Catering: Complementary drinks red wine, white wine, beer, and soft drinks.
The event will wrap up at 7:00 PM, leaving attendees free to make their own dinner arrangements afterward.

2026 AGM & Installation Dinner
2026-03-16 17:00 - 22:30 | Guildhall, Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HH
The installation dinner will be held, after the AGM, at Guildhall in the splendid Livery Hall to celebrate Mary Hardy’s election as our new President. The guest speaker will be Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli. Michael is a Scientist, Economist, and Accountant, known for being Chairman of Z/Yen, Sheriff of the City of London for 2019–21, and was the 695th Lord Mayor of the City of London for 2023/24
6:45 pm for 7:30 pm on 16th March 2026 following the earlier Annual General Meeting (for which notice has been sent to Members separately).
This is the incoming President’s first event of their year and we are sure that as many Members as possible will want to support Mary and welcome her to office.
*** BOOKINGS NOW OPEN ***

Full priced tickets – £155
Members and one guest are eligible for a 10% discount on the full ticket price – However this will only apply to the first 50 tickets sold.
Bookings close: 28th February 2026 – No cancellations will be refunded after that date.
A separate pour memoire will be sent by email to each attendee’s email address a few days prior to the event.

Event notes:

Dress code: Black Tie –
A black dinner suit and black bow tie with white dress shirt for men
A midi, calf-length or long dress, or an evening suit comprising a jacket with dress, trousers or a skirt, or smart trousers or mid-length skirt with a jacket or sleeved top in an evening fabric for women.
Photographs will be taken during the event, and some may be added to our archives, online. By attending a UWC event, members and their guests give their permission for their photographs to be taken by an official photographer or the Clerk. Please let the photographer know if you object to having your photo taken.
The catering for the evening will be provided by Clink Events, part of The Clink Charity, a premium social enterprise caterer with a difference. They offer a fantastic events catering service to some of the most famous venues in London. However, what you may not know is that our incredible food is prepared by people in prison who are working towards rebuilding their lives. In addition, Clink Events offers work experience and training to young people from a variety of backgrounds, helping them to develop a career in the sector. Some of these young people may have been referred to The Clink Charity by partner charities or local authorities, due to a risk of homelessness or the potential of them entering the justice system.
Accessibility: The venue is fully accessible and details can be found at Accessibility | Guildhall

Menu:

Starter: Dorset crab salad served with feuille de brick, avocado, heritage radish, frisee lettuce, topped with a lemon emulsion & a hint of chilli or Roasted butternut squash & quinoa croquette with smashed edamame, aubergine bacon & butternut gel (ve)
Main: Pan roast lemon & rosemary chicken with pomme anna, roasted carrots, seasonal greens with a chicken jus (gf) or Beetroot & spinach wellington on whipped butterbeans served with confit parsnip, steamed tender stem & pomegranate jus (v)
Desert: Glazed lemon cake on a shortbread base with torched meringue, lemon yoghurt sorbet & white chocolate curls (ve)

Tour of Trinity House
2026-03-30 11:00 - 12:30 | Trinity House, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4DH
The first event in the President’s year will be a tour of Trinity House, Trinity Square next to Tower Hill tube station.

Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and welfare to the seafaring community with a statutory duty as a General Lighthouse Authority to deliver reliable, efficient and cost-effective aids to navigation service for the benefit and safety of all mariners. It has been based at its central London headquarters at Tower Hill, alongside the River Thames, since 1796. Rebuilt after the Second World War, its beautifully appointed rooms have hosted royalty, mariners, prime ministers, scientists and visitors from all over the world and houses many fine paintings, models and treasures.
The tour will start at 11am (doors open at 10.45am) and will conclude at 12.30pm.
The cost of £25 includes refreshments on arrival, the tour and a souvenir brochure.
After the tour we will cross the road to the Byward Kitchen and Bar at Tower Hill for lunch. They are happy for us to order on arrival so no pre-ordering or advance payment required. They have an extensive menu ranging from sandwiches to full meals, so something for everyone. The menu can be viewed at www.bywardkitchenandbar.com/menu.
Please RSVP for lunch using the button below to advise us whether you are staying for lunch so we can confirm numbers for them.
Accessibility

There are two steps into Trinity House but a ramp is available if necessary.
Once inside there is plenty of seating, a lift to the first floor and an accessible toilet. Access to the Byward Café is via a ramp.

The maximum number for the tour is 20. Bookings close at 13:00 on 20 March 2026.

Sunday lunch on the River Thames - Sunday 10th May 2026
2026-05-10 11:30 - 13:30 | Tower Pier, Lower Thames Street, London, EC3N 4DT, United Kingdom
Join us for Sunday lunch on the River Thames!

Our cruise ship, the Millennium Diamond will leave Tower Pier at 11.45 am (boarding from 11.30am).
Transport Links: Short walk to Tower Hill (District/Circle lines), Tower Gateway (DLR), and Fenchurch Street station.
You will enjoy a two course lunch whilst cruising past all the famous sights of the City accompanied by live commentary –At last we can find out what they tell the tourists about our City!

The cruise will last 1 hour 45 minutes and return to the pier at 1.30pm.
The cost of the event is £70 per person and bookings will close on 6th April as we need to confirm numbers to the cruise company by the end of that week. This event is open to members and guests.
Dress code: Casual
Menu
Main – Roasted Supreme of Chicken – Thyme, Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with a Creamy Leek, Tarragon and Mushroom Sauce served with Lyonnaise Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables
Dessert – Baked rose water and strawberry cheesecake (V) (V) Served with a berry coulis.
A cash bar is available throughout the cruise
Please note substitutions can be made for dietary requirements and allergens but not for food preferences
Accessibility: The company asks that they are informed of anyone with accessibility needs at the time of booking so that front of house staff can be ready to assist you with boarding.

Visit to Bletchley Park - 4th July 2026
2026-07-04 11:30 - 17:00 | Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Milton Keynes, MK3 6DS, United Kingdom
Come and join us for a visit to the home of the code breakers at Bletchley Park. www.bletchleypark.org.uk

Itinerary
11.30 Arrive at Bletchley Park. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided in the café in the visitor centre by the entrance
12.30 Guided tour around the Park
13.30 Tour ends. You are now free to explore the Park, buildings and museum at your leisure. Your ticket is an annual pass so you can return any time in the next 12 months to see the parts you don’t get to on this visit. The Park closes at 17.00. They do not have a facility for us to have lunch together but there are two cafes on site – both Block C and Hut 4 provide cold refreshments and Hut 4 has hot food as well as beer or wine.
Cost
The cost for the visit to include your annual pass, tea and coffee on arrival and the guided tour is £40 per person. When booking please indicate if you would like to purchase a guide book – these cost £6.50 if pre-ordered or £7.50 on the day.
The closing date for bookings is Monday 15th June
Getting there
Fast trains depart London Euston at 56 and 23 minutes past the hour, returning at 10 and 40 minutes past. The journey takes approximately 35 minutes. There are also two slow trains an hour which take about an hour. The 9.23 will get you to Bletchley at 10.01 and Bletchley Park is a 5 minute walk across the road. Return tickets are £19.20 or £12.75 with a senior railcard.
If you prefer to drive the post code is MK3 6EB and parking is free.
Accessibility
Bletchley Park has step free access and the full details can be found at Accessibility and Facilities | Bletchley Park
See you there!
