THE GRAND RE-OPENING - 4 JULY 2022
5 JULY 2022
The much anticipated day finally dawned and it was glorious. The building looked stunning, the garden beautiful and there was much excitement.
The agenda for the day kicked off with a Press Breakfast. Sadly the rise of covid claimed a number of expected attendees but those that came were enthusiastic as the Master and Court Assistant Paul Wilson presented the Vision 350 project to them. They took away a press release and were sent photos after the formal re-opening. It has been good to see articles appearing online already.
The decks were then cleared for the formal re-opening and at at 10.45 am precisely the Lord Mayor, Alderman Vincent Keaveny and Sheriff Alderman Nicolas Lyons arrived.
After moving through into the garden, at 11.00 am a trumpeter from the Royal Marines produced a fanfare from the roof. terrace.
The Lord Mayor addressed the guests and reminded them what a wonderful achievement the improved building is and what an asset it will be to the Company and to the City and then he and the Master cut the ribbon using an historic pair of scissors made by the Master's ancestor (a Cutler of Hallamshire) for the Great Exhibition and brought down to London for this ceremony by the current Master of the Cutlers of Hallamshire.
Guests were then taken on guided tours of the building before a short presentation in the Great Hall by Peregrine Bryant,
the Architect. The Master thanked everyone involved in the project and then despatched everyone into the garden to celebrate with champagne.