Lincoln Cathedral invited City Livery Companies to come to Lincoln for their Heritage Skills Festival on 23 and 24 June. This was an opportunity to display traditional livery crafts and raise awareness of the livery companies outside London. Twenty-four Companies took part, including the Glovers’ Company, and the event was a great success. The Cathedral provided a magnificent setting, the Companies produced a range of very imaginative displays and craft demonstrations and a steady stream of visitors passed through the Cathedral on both days. For the Companies that took part it was not only a chance to show their crafts and trades to a wider public but also to meet members of other liveries on a scale that is rarely possible.
The Nave of Lincoln Cathedral
The Glovers’ Company stall had four parts. There was a display of historic gloves kindly provided by the National Leather Collection, curated by Mr Philip Warner who spoke to the Glovers group who visited Northampton last year. Assistant Mike Dodd of Pittards provided a variety of modern gloves, from high fashion via sporting gloves to hi-tech safety gloves, showing the range of the modern glove trade. Pittards and Bennett Safetywear also supplied gloves for sale to the public. Riina Ôun, an independent glove maker from London, provided a demonstration of glove making throughout the two days and made a pair of custom-made gloves as an auction prize.
The Glovers’ team consisted of the Master and Mistress, the IPM, the Renter Warden & Mrs Rowena Seth-Smith, Past Master Chris Dadson and Mrs Val Dadson, Assistant Daphne Cave & her husband, Peter, Assistant Mike Dodd and Liverymen Mike Redwood, Lindsey Riley and Jamie Weir supported by Riina Ôun. In the best Glovers’ tradition they worked hard but managed to enjoy themselves as well.
The Master Glover is keen to point out that it took a great deal of support from within the Company for this event to take place and for it to have been the success it was. Primarily the drive of Immediate Past Master Michael Orr who adopted this initiative during his year as Master but also members of the Glove Trade led by Assistant Mike Dodd and many Liverymen who helped on the day.
Left: The Glovers Stand at Lincoln Cathedral Right: The auction prize
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