Both my son and I are very proud to to be Members of the Worshipful Company of Educators and enjoy our time with them, but last night we both left feeling very hurt and upset. My son is a Livery Man. I don’t have Livery Status, by choice. We arrived dressed in our Gowns, were offered drinks and found seats until called to watch the Installation Ceremony of our New Master which is always lovely. Then went into the Hall to find out seats for the Dinner. That is where our problem really started.
Jack and I were seated facing each other. To my right was a lovely young Gentleman, who chatted to me. To my left, and to my sons – either right or left – depending on how you look at it – were a group of Clerks. Who quite honestly in our humble opinion shouldn’t have been seated there.
Why? They have a perfect right I can hear you saying? Fine they might have had a perfect right – I agree. If they had behaved a bit better and not spoiled the evening for us. If I said we felt like something the dog had just done on the best sofa in the house – even that wouldn’t have covered it!
The one to my left – and obviously I’m not going to tell you who he was on here – couldn’t wait to tell me how he pops into Buckingham Palace any time he wants and his family are such good friends with the Royals, and how it must have been so dreadful for me – being brought up in the poor family that I was. In fact, being honest the rat made my son cry at the table and in the end he was fighting back the tears because – well he just wasn’nt good enough for the Educators was he???
When he asked me what I did I told him that I did a lot of work for the Mission to Seafarers. Excuses me Sir – You are the Clerk to the Master Mariner over here – you don’t seem to know much about the Mission to Seafarers and their work and their Volunteers??? Maybe you were too busy Hob Nobbing at the Palace with the Royal Family to notice people who actually worry about the Crew on the ships lovey!!!!
Yes, I know I’m ranting on this page. It’s because I’m furious and I’m hurt at the treatment he got as a Livery Man. People made my son cry and I would have expected better of the Worshipful Company of Educators.
Carol Yeomanson Books 