Photos from the Guild’s 2018 Harvest Service and Lunch are now available to order online.
Taken by accomplished rural photographer Ruth Downing, the pictures were taken during the Harvest Service at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, and the Lunch at Painters’ Hall.
Guild members, friends and guests are among those photographed – as are the winners and runners-up of the many awards announced at the event on Thursday, 11 October.
The photographs can be seen in an online gallery on Ruth’s website by clicking here.
A well-attended service organised and very ably led by the Guild’s Honorary Chaplain Geoff Dodgson included an address by George Dunn, of the Tenant Farmers’ Association.
Special guests and contributors included Guild President Lord Curry, readers Malcolm Guite, Robert Walker and Charitable Trust trustee Denis Chamberlain, and Rt Revd David Thomson, Bishop of Huntingdon, who said Grace.
They were welcomed to St Bride’s by rector Reverend Canon Dr Alison Joyce and churchwarden emeritus Peter Silver, with music by St Bride’s choir.
The church service at St Brides was followed by drinks reception and fabulous three-course luncheon at the prestigious Painters’ Hall.
Our 2018 sponsors were:
- NFU Mutual (main sponsor)
- Certis (venue)
- Hutchinsons (wine)
- Alltech and KEENAN (church)
- Bill Kelsey of Kelsey’s Farm Shop (harvest produce)
Our Harvest Lunch featured rose veal generously sponsored by the Buitelaar Group.
Guest speaker was Claire Saunders, director of the Prince’s Countryside Fund, who spoke about the fund’s Farm Resilience Programme, which gives free advice to family farm businesses.
Many family farms are likely to face a challenge adapting to life after Brexit as basic payments are phased out, she said.
The event closed with unaccompanied solo rendition of the traditional folk song Parting Glass, sung by St Bride’s soprano Claire Seaton.
