The Web Beneath the Waves How Fragile Subsea Cables Hold the World Together We like to think of the internet as wireless, borderless, and invulnerable. The truth is humbling: nearly 900,000 miles of fibre-optic cable lie on and beneath the ocean floor, carrying more than 98 percent of intercontinental…...
Members in the News – Honorary Liveryman, Peter Layton
A landmark moment for a master of British studio glass A Pioneer Recognised on the World Stage Honorary Liveryman Peter Layton – widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of British studio glass – has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary…...
TAT-8 to be removed after entering service in 1988, broke in 2002
The world’s first transatlantic fiber-optic cable is being ripped up after 37 years on the sea floor TAT-8 to be removed after entering service in 1988, broke in 2002 News By Luke James Launched in 1988, it provided the blueprint model for every undersea internet cable that followed. Subsea Environmental Services…...
Annual Ravenscroft Lecture 2026
The Hidden Technology Seen Around the World At the recent gathering, members and guests were treated to a fascinating Ravenscroft Lecture by Roland Hill, inventor of the globally adopted one-way vision technology now familiar on buses, buildings, galleries, and retail façades worldwide. Hill, joined by his long-standing colleague D. Barrington‑Ford,…...
Freedom of the City Ceremony at Guildhall
Freedom of the City Ceremony at Guildhall On Thursday, 12th February 2026, the Master, the Clerk, and Members of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London were pleased to attend the Chamberlain’s Court at the Guildhall. During this special occasion, five Glass Sellers Freemen made…...
Artists’ open letter backs new glass-making hub
Pamela Bilalova North East and Cumbria Published 19 February 2026 More than 200 glass and ceramics practitioners have signed an open letter in support of a new glass-making hub in a city. Glassworks, in the former Peter Smith Antiques building in the Sunniside area of Sunderland, is planned to replace the…...
Celebrating Fellowship & Craftsmanship – The CASK GROUP
Six livery companies walk into a bar. It sounds like the start of a joke, but it is how the Cask Group began. The Worshipful Company of Coopers, Innholders, The Worshipful Company of Distillers, Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London, Brewers, and The Vintners’ Company share something obvious: our…...
Members in the News – Master Matthew Demmon
Demmon Family Honoured at Guildhall as Karen and Lucy Receive the Freedom of the City of London A distinguished ceremony took place at the Guildhall, London, on Thursday, 5th February, where Mistress, Mrs Karen Demmon and Miss Lucy Demmon were formally admitted to the Freedom of the City of London.…...
The HR Profession celebrates being approved for Worshipful Status by the Court of Aldermen.
The Livery Companies of the City of London remain one of the most distinctive and enduring institutions in British civic life. Rooted in the medieval trade guilds that regulated standards, training, and commerce, today’s Liveries have evolved into charitable, professional, and civic bodies that continue to shape the social and…...
Glass in the 21st Century: The Material That Shapes Modern Life
In the 21st century, glass has become one of the most quietly essential materials of modern civilization. Transparent yet powerful, refined yet endlessly adaptable, glass connects technology, sustainability, architecture, and daily life in ways few materials can rival. At the heart of modern cities, glass defines how we live and…...