When the Duke of Gloucester Awards were presented jointly by the Masons' Livery Company and Stone Federation Great Britain in London in October masons from Exeter, who were Commended, were not able to attend to receive their certificates.

The masons are Matt Hoskins, Anna Steinmetzer and Owen Whitfield, who received the Commendation in recognition of their individual work and also for the teamwork they demonstrated. This was the first time a team award had been given, something that was of particular interest to His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester who presented the Awards personally.

But the Exeter masons had a presentation of their own at Exeter Cathedral on 17 December when William Gloyn, the Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons, as the Livery Company is known, attended Evensong with his Lady, Erika, and Past Master Father Derek Mottershead, Trustee of the Masons' Company Charitable Trust.

The cathedral pulled out all the stops to make it a very special service, with the Bishop attending and giving the blessing at the close. The Director of Music changed the previously planned choral pieces to include several items that reflected the importance of the occasion – including the anthem 'I was glad' by Parry, often sung at major royal events.

The presentation to the masons was introduced by the Dean, the most senior member of the Cathedral team, who told the congregation how proud the cathedral was of the achievements of its stonemasons.

The Master was invited to tell the congregation about the Awards, the history of the Livery Company and its involvement with training and quality control since its foundation. He concluded by remarking how wonderful it was for the presentations to form part of Evensong, comparing the harmony of the words and music of that ancient service to the harmony of the centuries-old stones and the new and replacement masonry that the team was now working on in the glorious building of the cathedral.

The three award winners were invited to join the Livery Company as Yeoman Masons, a growing section of the Livery for working stonemasons.

After the uplifting service, the Canon Treasurer, Ian Morter, responsible for the upkeep of the building, entertained the whole masonry department, led by the Clerk of Works, Master Craftsman Chris Sampson, together with their families and friends to a reception in his house beside the Cathedral Green. The Dean, Cathedral Architect, Archeologist and the Masons' Company contingent were all also invited.

The following morning, despite rather wet and blustery weather, Anna and Matt took the Master up to the top of the scaffold to see the east window restoration works that are currently in progress. There was also an opportunity to view some of the completed work on the Chapel of St Edmund that had contributed to the Exeter masons being commended in the Duke of Gloucester Awards. 

Meeting the stonemasons' team in situ and making the presentation in such a public and formal way not only memorable for Bill Gloyn, Erika and Derek, it was also deserved recognition of the importance placed on these awards and the continuing role that the Masons' Company plays in the craft that is at its heart.