Lesley Agutter has the City in her blood with both her grandfather and her father having been involved in the City, the former working at Puddle Dock and the latter as a member of Common Council representing Castle Baynard Ward, and Sheriff 1978/79. In 1968, she and Richard were married and Richard has spent his career with accountants KPMG, formerly Peat Marwick Mitchell & Company, based in the City and for a time at Puddle Dock on the same – redeveloped – site as Lesley’s grandfather’s company! Richard also represented the Ward of Castle Baynard as Alderman for nine years and was Sheriff in 2000/01.
Before marriage, Lesley trained as a secretary and worked for several years at the House of Commons as a Parliamentary secretary to a number of MPs, a career she enjoyed enormously. Having remained at home whilst her three sons grew up, she decided when the proverbial nest became empty, to try and improve her knowledge of French. This lead to a BA (Hons) degree from the Open University in French and History, the final year of which was completed during the Shrieval year!
Lesley became a Liveryman of the Fletchers in 2001, is the Honorary Almoner of the Company and, as Archery Co-ordinator, organises twice yearly shoots for enthusiastic archers in the Company. She is also one of the Brethren of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks, her clerkship being St John Zachary, one of the ancient parishes now part of the modern parish of St Vedast-alias-Foster. The church of St John Zachary was destroyed in the Great Fire but the churchyard is now part of the Goldsmiths’ Garden, opposite Goldsmiths’ Hall in Gresham Street. This is a happy coincidence as Richard’s mother Company is the Goldsmiths and he will become Prime Warden of the Company in May.
Lesley and Richard’s family has now grown to include four wonderful grandchildren who, not surprisingly, are an absolute delight and joy. Beyond the family, Lesley much enjoys church flower arranging and gardening, as well as travel and is delighted to have visited all seven continents, including sleeping one night on a glacier in Antarctica!
The First woman to be Master of The Fletchers - an historical moment
I have so many memories of my incredible year as Master but foremost among them was of deep gratitude and pride at having the opportunity to represent the Company, the first woman moreover, but also apprehension that I might fall short of the expectations of my fellow Fletchers who had shown me such support and encouragement. The year was already destined to be different as Farmers’ and Fletchers’ Hall was due to close for redevelopment, so my Installation Dinner was held at Vintners’ Hall with our annual Thanksgiving Service held beforehand across the road at St James Garlickhythe, an appropriate start to the year I felt. Another innovation was holding an Advent Carol Service at St Vedast-alias-Foster lead by my Hon Chaplain, Rev’d Dr Alan McCormack who set the scene for the lead up to Christmas. 
The opportunity to visit a range of venues
The range of venues I visited representing the Fletchers could not have been more diverse from the Great Twelve Livery Halls to dinner in the nave of Southwark Cathedral with the Launderers’ Company, overseen by Doorkins Magnificat, the resident Cathedral cat! Lunch with the Gunmakers at their home, The Proof House in Aldgate located, since the 17thC outside the City walls for fear of explosions was a surprise in every sense as guests were called to dine by the firing of a gun! I was especially proud to have visited, as Master, Archery GB at Lilleshall, Stoke Mandeville, Blind Veterans at Ovingdean and, of course, The Royal Tox and to meet many archers whom I already knew as Hon Almoner of the Company. The two great City services at St Paul’s Cathedral, the United Guilds and the (then) Sons of the Clergy (now Clergy Support Trust) remind one of the significance of the Livery movement and attending as Master is a special experience.
The Annual Livery Weekend in Ironbridge
Early in the Master Fletcher’s year is the annual Livery Weekend at Ironbridge which is a very well organised couple of days exploring the museum, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and surrounding area, but importantly giving Masters the opportunity of meeting their fellow Masters whom they will meet many times during the year in office. This event leads to the formation of that year’s Past Masters’ Association, in my case the Great Thirteen, and this group of people then meet during each subsequent year effectively to reminisce on their special years, a pleasant way of keeping the memories alive.
The Masters Holiday
The Master’s Weekend away is possibly the highlight of the year for most Masters and mine to Malta and Gozo was no exception. Having visited the island a couple of times to recce the possibilities – and with the advantage of details of a previous visit by the Guild of Freemen – I was truly delighted, and immensely relieved, that our trip was a great success.
A further highlight for me was the fact that, purely by chance, my husband Richard was installed as Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company three weeks after my installation which, most fortuitously, gave me a City ‘home’ in Goldsmiths’ Hall for the year! In conclusion, I return to where I began and reiterate how proud and grateful I am of having had the opportunity to serve as Master of such a distinguished Company.
