The Master writes to The Times about the fire Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

The Master respond to the tragic fire on 15th April at The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris by writing to The Times on 17th April which was published, with headlines on the 18th April.

The letter:-

Dear Sir, 

Notre Dame 

The tragedy of Notre Dame is deeply upsetting.  The restoration that is promised by President Macron will need the skills and craftsmanship of many individuals to complete it.  The Worshipful Company of Masons, one of the City of London’s mediaeval Livery Companies, continues through its charitable arms to support its ancient craft through the training of new generations of stonemasons and contributing to important restoration projects.  We work closely with many of the great cathedrals across the country and in the past 12 months we have actively supported the training of 23 stonemasons.  We in the UK have a depth of skills and experience that could be invaluable to the team working in Paris, and stand ready to assist in whatever way we can.

The training is an expensive undertaking and additional funding to ensure that the knowledge and skills are passed on and preserved is always most welcome.  We would be delighted to hear from those interested in supporting our ancient craft. 

Yours faithfully, 

Andrew Bowles

Master

The Worshipful Company of Masons