Recent activities

RECENT ACTIVITIES
This page details some of the recent activities of the Company. To see a larger version of each photograph, just click on the appropriate link.
2006
At the Court Luncheon - held at Apothecaries' Hall on the 4th October, the new Master, The Venerable John Morrison, presented the 5th Ruskell Medal to to Dr Charikleia Vakrou. Dr Vakrou graduated in optometry from the University of Bradford in 2000, and immediately went on to complete a master’s degree in Science. Following seven months working as an optometrist in her home city of Athens, she returned to Bradford to study for her doctorate, which she was awarded earlier this year. She now works at Bradford as a post-doctrinal research assistant working on the effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on visual perception. She has been awarded the 2006 RUSKELL Medal as being the first named author of an article on “Functional Evidence for Cone-Specific Connectivity in the Human Retina”, which was published in July 2005 in a special “Senses” edition of the journal of Physiology.		[Larger photo]
[Larger photo]		Following the Luncheon the Master presented a cheque on behalf of the Trustees of the Spectacle Makers' Charity to Ms Heather Jones, Trusts and Grants Co-Ordinator, Henshaws Society for the Blind. The donation will meet the costs of maintaining two blind and physically handicapped children at Henshaw's College in Harrogate during the academic year 2006-2007.
2005
[Larger photo]		Court Luncheon At the Court Luncheon, held at Apothecaries' Hall on the 5th October, the guest of honour was the Right Honorable The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman (Sir) Michael Savory.
At the end of the lunch, the Lord Mayor presented the The Master's Prize -The fourth Ruskell medal, to Miss Vianya-Estopà. Miss Vianya-Estopà is a graduate of the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Barcelona who, after a brief spell in practice as an optometrist, came to the University of Bradford to study for a Doctorate. Her work there has contributed to the development of new techniques to be used in the assessment of potential vision in the presence of cataracts, and she has been awarded this Medal as being the first named author of an article on "The Development of Critical Flicker/Fusion Frequency Test for a Potential Vision Testing in Media Opacities", which was published in December 2004 in the international optometric journal Optometry & Vision Science".		[Larger photo]
[Larger photo]		Following a speech by the new Master, John Baker, the Lord Mayor then presented an Award for Outstanding Service to Liveryman Tony Jarratt In 2005 a specially commissioned set of badges was designed, to recognize outstanding service to the Livery Company by a member who had never sat on the Court of Assistants. This first ever award was presented in recognition of many years' service as examiner, and then Chief Examiner, and continuing pro bono service as the Company's "webmaster".
2004 Recognizing & Encouraging Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Visual Science Immediately following a lecture programme at City University on 14th September 2004, the then Master made the following medal presentations (for full chronological list of past recipients click here):
[Larger photo]	The eighth CROOK (Gold) medal, recognizing a lifetime's work devoted to the advancement of visual science, was presented to Professor Colin Blakemore PhD, ScD, FIBiol, F Med Sci, FRS, formerly the Waynflete Professor of Physiology at Oxford University, and now Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council. Elected to the Royal Society in 1992, Professor Blakemore is an international authority on vii son, the higher visual centres and perception, and couple his academic work with a unique ability to inform and involve the general public in matters of scientific endeavour and interest. He was the BBC's Reith Lecturer in 1976, and has since made nearly 500 television and radio broadcasts on various aspects of science. His work has revolutionised the understanding of the interactions between the eye and the brain.
The third FINCHAM (Silver) Medal, recognising outstanding contributions to the advancement of visual sciences from those less than 40 years old, was awarded to Professor Robin Ali PhD, head of the Division of Molecular Therapy at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University of London. He has devoted 15 years to the study of molecular biology of inherited retinal diseases, raising the possibility of gene therapy to counter the blinding degenerations in humans. Limited clinical trails are now likely within the next two years.	[Larger photo]
[Larger photo]	The third Master's Prize (Bronze Medal) was presented to Miss Rachael Peterson BSc, who is currently studying for a Doctorate of Philosophy at Aston University, the focus of her work being anterior eye imaging and digital analysis. The award, which is designed to encourage recently qualified graduates to make their first published contribution to the advancement of basic, clinical or technical ophthalmic science, recognized Miss Peterson's senior authorship of a paper entitled "Benefits of electronic vision enhancement systems for the visually impaired", which was published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in December 2003.

Some other Presentations & Awards, took place at the Presentation of Freedoms and Awards in Apothecaries' Hall on Monday 11th October 2004:
The Master presides at the ceremony.	[Larger photo]
[Larger photo]	Barbara Krahenbuhl receives her Level 3 Certificate in Optical Manufacturing from the Master.
The Master presents the Level 2 certificate in Optical Practice Support to Laura Luklieriute.	[Larger photo]
[Larger photo]	At the ceremony, Liveryman Dr Colin Fowler BSc, PhD, FCOptom, was presented with the Wiseman Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to research and education in ophthalmic optics. Director of Undergraduate programmes at the School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Dr Fowler has developed teaching protocols, chaired the BSI and ISO Standards Committee, completed a PhD on aspheric spectacle corrections and produced a respected textbook on ophthalmic lenses. In the words of Past Master (A) Frank Norville, who made the presentation as trustee and former Chairman of the Wiseman Memorial Fund, an optometrist who so delights in ophthalmic lenses is a rare person."
Other activities
To coincide with the Dinner held at the Guildhall on the 14th September, the Company was given permission to stage a display in the South Ambulatory of the Guildhall. After a good deal of work by Past Master (A) Frank Norville and other willing helpers, an excellent series of boards was put on display.
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The Charter Going further back in history, in fact to the founding of the Company, the original Spectacle Makers' Charter has been undergoing some restoration by the Manuscripts Department at the Guildhall and is now in excellent condition despite its near 400 year age.	[Larger photo]
[Larger photo]	In a similar vein, Colin Eldridge - Archivist and Past Clerk has unearthed a reproduction of the Arms of the Company, as published in the 1756 edition of Maitlands "History of London" . They are very similar to the Arms reproduced on the 'Norville Chest', now resident in the lobby of the Office in Apothecaries' Hall.
The Lord Mayor's Show The first Lord Mayor's Show took place 26 years after King Richard I had agreed that the Citizens of London should have the right to choose their own Lord Mayor Today, the Show is more a celebration of the City itself and the diverse elements that contribute to life within the "Square Mile". The Spectacle Makers last took part in 1980, on the back of the celebrations to mark the 350th anniversary of the receipt of their Charter. The Court therefore felt it appropriate to mark the 375th anniversary in a similar manner, but our entry was only made possible by generous sponsorship from Pfizer UK Ltd. The upper photo shows a group of 'Masters', including our own and the lower picture was taken outside the Mansion House, on the return journey. It shows the Master, Upper Warden and The Clerk in the carriage, together with a group of Court Assistants.	[Larger photo] [Larger photo]
[Larger photo] [Larger photo]	16 Close Support Medical Regiment A less formal occasion occurred when the Master, accompanied by Assistants Robin Weathersbee, John Shilling, Christine Tomkins and Liveryman David Rose, visited 16 Close Support Medical Regiment in its barracks at Colchester. The upper picture shows the party with the Commanding Officer, who has just presented the Master with a new Regimental Pack. The lower photo shows the Master being kitted out for a ride in a military vehicle. Not sure whether he thinks it a good idea though!
The Spectacle Makers' Charity Last, but but no means least, the Company undertakes a good deal of charitable work, through the Spectacle Makers' Charity. The two pictures show the then Master and the Chairman of the Charity's trustees, Assistant Christine Tomkins, with Kashif and Umair Sheikh and their mother , Nargis Sheikh, plus "the cabbie", Alan Roughan, with the Spectacle Makers' Taxi at the start of the annual outing to Disneyland for terminally ill children, organized by the Hackney Carriage Drivers.	[Larger photo] [Larger photo]
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