Welcome to CARDS

The Chartered Accountants’ Rival Dining Society

CARDS

CARDS is a Dining Club which normally meets four times a year. The meetings take place in February, May, September and November. They provide an opportunity for Chartered Accountants to spend a convivial evening with their colleagues and guests.

Our history

CARDS was founded in 1979 as an inclusive organisation and as an alternative to the now extinct Chartered Accountants’ Dining Society, which was run on very exclusive lines with membership confined to Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Council, only certain members in practice, and no business members or women.

Our ethos

The whole ethos of the club is based on the acronym CARDS. Whether or not members bring guests the seating arrangements, apart from the chairman and the speaker, are settled on arrival by the drawing of playing cards.

The procedures for the evening are also settled by the Chairman inviting the Speaker to draw three playing cards: the first for the saying of grace: the second to propose the loyal toast: and the third to propose the vote of thanks to the Speaker.

Chairmen are, normally, elected for a one-year term. The other officers are the Hon. Secretary and the Hon. Treasurer, whose appointments are not limited but are renewed annually. Additionally, the committee comprises the Vice Chairman and two other members, both of whom are previous past chairmen.

Our speakers

The chairman for the year invites the speakers, who are encouraged to speak for approximately 20 minutes with 10 minutes maximum for questions.  The subjects addressed by the guest speakers cover of a wide variety of interests and are not necessarily related to the financial or accounting world.

Speakers in 2024

9th May 2024 - Stephen Hazell-Smith
Author of the book “City Grump rides out”, will talk about his articles and point out some of the many absurdities perpetrated by the leaders and institutions of the country. This will certainly be a thought provoking non-woke discussion, to which Stephen will bring to bear his experiences from investing in smaller businesses, helping to set up the AIM market and trying to influence politics by extensive letter writing to newspapers.

26th September - Jon Moulton
Legendary private equity expert Jon Moulton, will give us the benefit of his extensive experience. He will, amongst other things, talk about deals that have gone wrong and why?

28th November -  John Spencer
John is a member of CARDS, and he will talk to us about publishing. John is the author of a number of books about UFOs and extra-terrestrial activity – his books have sold over 750,000 copies.

Speakers in 2023

Rob Woolford
Chairman-elect of the World Scout Foundation

Beverley Turner
Working with and being around Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

12th September - Margaret Watson
Margaret will take us on an adventure to discover everything about the harp. Hold your breath as she disassembles it, taking it back to the bare bones of this most lovely of stringed instruments. Fortunately she will end up by playing to us, so never fear, the jigsaw will be completed!

16th November - Peter Barton
Life in the Law and subsequently, Lehman Bros, Robert Fleming, Alliance & Leicester as well as working with Stelios (of EasyJet fame).

Speakers in 2022

Tim Moorey CIM
Crossword setter, cricket, music and strategic planning to the Government

Christopher Burr MW
A life around the World in Booze

Brian Deer
Investigative reporter

Sally O’Neill
Deputy Treasurer to the King

Speakers in 2021

Michael Richardson
My experience of living in India

Reverend John Ritson
Army Padre

Speakers in 2020

Professor Beverley Hunt
Thrombosis

Speakers in 2019

John Orna Ornstein
Director of Curation and Experience at the National Trust

Catherine Bailey
Author

Sir Jeremy Elwes
Journalist, Accountant

James Durbin
CEO of P1, Powerboat world championship

Speakers in 2018

Richard Price
A Medley of Antiques

John Chastney
My experiences at the DTI

David Matthews
Emeritus Founding Chairman of the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

James Willis
Resident artist at Sir John Soane’s Museum, London

Speakers in 2017

Nick Parker
Deputy President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Adventurer de luxe

Liz Nicholl CBE
Chief Executive of UK Sport

Victoria Schofield
Author of military books and has specialist knowledge on Kashmir

Jon Geldart
Executive Director for market development at Grant Thornton

Speakers in 2016

Ian Talbot
A lifetime in the theatre and management

Daniel Raven-Ellison
Mission Geographer

Clive Henderson
Past National Chairman of The Inland Waterways Association

Martin Cooke
Gallipoli Campaign from the War Cabinet’s prospective and the soldier’s viewpoint

Speakers in 2015

Robert Dicketts

Dr Mark Spencer
Senior Curator, Natural History Museum

Ian Dyson
Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police

Brian Cumming MBE
Royal Hospital, Chelsea

Speakers in 2014

Sir Jeremy Elwes, CBE ACIS OStJ FRSA
Chairman of Public Enquiries

The Right Reverend John Pritchard
Bishop of Oxford

Robert Horner
Past President, Rugby Football Union

Geoff Squire
IT entrepreneur, Former President, Oracle Europe; Deputy Chairman, Veritas Corp

SPEAKERS IN 2013

Tony Woodcock
Former Arsenal, Nottingham Forest & England striker

Arthur Bailey
Deputy President, ICAEW

Professor Mark E Smith
Vice Chancellor, Lancaster University

Col Andy MacLean

SPEAKERS IN 2012

Liz Trubridge
Producer of ITV drama Downton Abbey

The Hon Mr Justice Charles Haddon-Cave
High Court Judge (“Barristers, Judges & Disasters”)

Major General Nicholas Cottam CB OBE
Registrar of St Paul’s Cathedral

Fintan Donohue
Principal of North Herts College and a national leader in Further Education development

SPEAKERS IN 2011

Rt. Hon. The Lord Butler of Brockwell, KG
Author of the Butler Report on the war in Iraq

The Rt. Hon. Peter Lilley, MP
Economic & Financial Secretary to the Treasury

Air Vice Marshal Alan Merriman
Equerry to the Duke of Edinburgh, defence industry specialist

David Hamid
Operating Partner of Merchant Equity Partners

SPEAKERS IN 2010

Commodore T J Guy, RN

The Hon. Peter Jay
Presenter of LWT’s “Weekend World.”; BBC Economics Editor; non-executive Director, The Bank of England

Sylvestra Le Touzel
Television Actress, Crime stories and comedies

Speakers in 2009

Peter Eversden
Chairman of the London Forum

Brian Harrison CBE
The Electoral Systems of the US and UK- comparison

Ted Cullinan
“Imagining,” RIBA Gold Medal for 2008

Dr Anne Hudson
Head Teacher of Central Foundation Girls’ School, Bow

Speakers in 2008

Rev. Lord Griffiths of Pembury and Burry Port
Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Church, City Road, London

Dr David Hammond
Tony Weadon

Dotty Lindsay
“The Historic St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle”

Speakers in 2007

Donald G Rich
Music and Cricket

Graham Kentfield
Associate Director and Head of Banking Services

Dr Oonagh McDonald CBE
International Regulatory & Public Policy Consultant

Derek Wibling CB
Retired Senior Civil Servant who now makes violins

Speakers in 2006

Derek Austin
Memories of an Antique Dealer

Diana Moran
“The Life & Times of a Goddess”

Sir Michael Bett CBE

Brian Scovell
Sports Journalist, Daily Mail

Speakers in 2005

John Spiller
who has his own Pantomime Company

Richard Fox M Des RCA
Designer of Trophies, including Formula 1

Alan Kinsey
Exploring Antiques & Silver – A Jeweller in the West End

William G Hunt TD BA FCA
Windsor Herald of Arms; Past Master, Worshipful Company of Playing Card Makers

Speakers in 2004

Barry Hedley
Bursar, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge

Tim Workman
Chief Magistrate

Andrew Colquhoun
Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society

Paul Baxter
The London Eye

Speakers in 2003

John Belcher
Chief Executive, The Anchor Trust

Lord Ashley of Stoke
CH (Jack Ashley MP)

Mrs Moneypenny

Lucy Winkett
Chaplain and Warden of the Minor Canons of St Paul’s Cathedral College

Speakers in 2002

Michael Hill
The Bishop of Buckingham

Sir Paul Newall
Mayor of London 1993/94

Philip Lovegrove
Financial Funds Manager

Barry Williams
Advocates Office of the Inland Revenue and he enjoys Cathedral music and Karate

Speakers in 2001

Dr John Gray

David Manion
Head of ITN News

John Flanders
England Golfing Union

Michael Pye

Speakers in 2000

Wendy Dicks
Professional Golfer, Ladies European Golfing Tour

Mark Lee
Chairman of the ICAEW Tax Faculty and a member of the Magic Circle

Dr Thomas Stuttaford
Wrote a column in the “Telegraph”

The Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Hanley KCMG
Former MP and Cabinet MInister

Speakers in 1999

Edward Pearce
Writer & Journalist

Terry Blissett
Travel specialist (BOAC, Air France, Thomas Cook Group)

Sir Derek Andrews
past permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Dr Alan Borg CBE FSA
Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum

Speakers in 1998

Duncan Stuart CMG
Advisor to the SOE

Our venue

The venue for CARDS meetings is the Royal Thames Yacht Club, Knightsbridge, London SW1.

Join us

The annual subscription is £30 and is payable on joining or invoiced after the February dinner. The cost of the dinners is usually within the bracket £80 to £95 (including drinks).

Members of course are welcome at every meeting, but potential members should feel able to commit themselves in principle to attend at least two dinners in each year. Guests do not have to be Chartered Accountants and may include partners or family members, if wished.

Contact us

If you have a question or are interested in joining, don't hesitate to contact us.

Use the form or you can contact our Honorary Secretary, Michael Hardman, by phone or email.

07771 561783

michael@hardmans.me.uk