CALL SIGN LOOKS AT LONDON'S GUILDS AND LIVERIES
BUTCHERS
As early as 975 AD there was a hall for butchers outside the City walls and
in 1179 there is a reference to the Guild of Butchers in the Pipe Roll. The
charters date from 1605 and 1637 and the guild controlled both the killing
and selling of meat, including their fight to slaughter cattle in the City.
Today the company maintains direct contact with the meat and live trade
industries. Smithfield Market never used to be only for meat and poultry.
During the nineteenth century, a donkey market and the Costermongers'
Second-hand Exchange were held there every Friday afternoon.
One of their most famous entrants was the author of Robinson
Crusoe and Moll Flanders amongst others, Daniel Defoe. He was admitted to
the freedom of the company in 1723.
In 1548, the company's hall was in the Newgate Flesh Market. It was
destroyed in 1666 during the Great Fire and a blue plaque in Roman Bath
Street, west side, marks its site.
Another was built on the Pudding Lane site in 1667 and given up
around 1884. In 1884-5, the new and current premises were built at 87
Bartholomew Close ECI, at the back of Barts Hospital. Bombing during a raid
in 1944 seriously damaged it, but it was rebuilt in 1960. One of its most
striking features is a magnificent huge tapestry showing the development of
the Guild and trade.
Information courtesy John Kennedy Melling - Discovering
London's Guilds and Liveries
DAC AND HEALTH & FITNESS AWARENESS WEEK
Allen Togwell reports...
I mentioned in a recent Call Sign article of making several attempts, at the request of our members, to find a suitable gymnasium that would offer us a corporate membership or special rates, initially without too much success. That was until an April Call Sign article of mine on fitness, plus a recent article on drivers working hours was read by Cameron Duncan PR, the marketing department of the YMCA in Tottenham Court Road.
The two articles generated such interest that I was invited down to a meeting at the YMCA to discuss the possibility of our drivers using their keep fit facilities during specific hours of the day at a reduced membership. Being a relatively new convert to fitness establishments, having plucked up the courage to become a member of The Fitness Clinic in Blackheath and being a little familiar with bench pressing and treadmills and such like, I have to say how impressed I was with the fitness facilities on offer at the YMCA, including, I might add, a very impressive swimming pool and badminton courts.
Even more so considering the membership fee is £30 per month (one pound a day) between the hours of 7am until 4:30pm, it is very good value indeed. Everyone knows the YMCA, yet how many can say they have actually visited it. I hadn't and to be perfectly honest, I assumed in my ignorance that it was just a stopover place for young back-packers. How wrong was I proved to be. It is alive with activity of people of all ages and not just with keeping fit, but with a multitude of other activities, both sporting and learning. They also have a very acceptable, moderately priced cafeteria.
So if any of you are looking to improve not just your fitness, sporting prowess or learning ability, but also your social life, you can do little wrong by dropping into the Central YMCA Club in Great Russell Street.
Apparently, soon after my meeting, it reached the ears of the media and
two radio stations were keen to run the story of cab drivers interest in
keeping fit. Which pleased me because apart from media coverage involving
Dial-a-Cab, anything that breaks with the old image of London cab drivers
being unfit, fag hanging gawd blimey's dressed in flip flops, jock strap
and string vests, can only be good for the trade.
So following a terminal message asking for a few of our keep fit members
for a photo shoot, I asked Call Sign photographer Alan Green (E52) along
to the YMCA to snap a few in action - some of which can be seen on the
adjoining pages.
Fitness Awareness Week: Try it for FREE!!!
To help you make up you mind, from September 4th to 10th, the YMCA will be
hosting a Health and Fitness Awareness Week aimed at London's licensed
taxi drivers.
During that period, you will be able to make use of all the
club's superior facilities including their swimming pool, sports hall,
fitness studio, squash courts, sauna and the clubs 110 weekly fitness
& leisure courses. There will also be seminars available to attend if
required.
All you need do to experience the YMCA Gym is to show your
badge. Non-DaC drivers will also be made very welcome. After trying it
out, I am sure that you will want to join...
