The Spectacle Makers’ Society

Spectacle Makers in a group outside the Glasshouse at Bombay Gin Distillery in Hampshire

Spectacle Makers visiting Layer Marney in Colchester. The group stands on the steps in front of the towers on a bright sunny day.

Enjoying afternoon tea with no rationing after a codebreaking visit to Bletchley Park

Enjoying an afternoon tea with no rationing after code-breaking at Bletchley Park

A tray of miniature fish and chip cones at a Society event at Old Bailey

A series of three artworks by blind artist on display at the Wellcome Collection's exhibition 'In Plain Sight'.

A small boy takes the controls of a plane at Brooklands air & motor museum

Spectacle Makers striding onto the pitch at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

A group visiting the Postal Museum, with the Society Chair dressed in red postal coat and top hat, outside a traditional red phone box

Society members enjoy meeting up locally in Wiltshire

Exploring a fire engine at Dowgate Fire Station, London

A group standing in the sunshine in front of giant columns at Goodwood House

Group of Spectacle Makers, with children and friends, gathered for a photo after a tour of the Strictly Come Dancing costume workshop.

A lady wearing earphones tries out radio broadcasting at the BBC Centre in Salford.

The Spectacle Makers’ Society provides opportunities for Freemen and Liverymen to get to know each other better through social events, weekends away around the country and day trips with optical and non-optical themes.

All Company members automatically become members of The Spectacle Makers’ Society and Society events are open to Journeymen, Freemen, Liverymen and any friends or family who want to join in.

Events are advertised in advance in our email newsletters, on our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and in the Company journal From the Master and Wardens. Events are organised by members of the Society Committee, an independent group of Liverymen and Freemen. Anyone can contribute ideas and suggestions are always welcome.

Vacancies on the Committee are advertised to all Freemen and Liverymen. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are elected from within the Committee. Whilst the Company does not control the Society, there are inevitably very strong relationships between members of the Society Committee, the Court and the Membership Committee.

Events can only be booked by members of the Company but friends, family and guests can join in too. It’s an ideal way for potential new members to spend some time with us and try out how it feels to be a member of a friendly Livery Company. As colleagues and friends come as guests to Society occasions, they make friends, contribute to our Charity and often decide that they too would like to become Spectacle Makers.

Where possible, Society events are family friendly, with everyone from grandchildren to grandparents encouraged to join in! Make sure to look out for outings that fall in the school holidays, as the Society usually offer fun days out - which can take the stress of organising something for active kids away from you! We aim to get out of London and into members’ own communities.

With such a wide range of events on offer, costs will vary from completely free (with an optional donation to the Spectacle Makers' Charity encouraged) to as much as £500 for a full weekend away for 2 people, which may be organised once every year or two.

Each year, the Master (as President of the Society) organises a weekend to show off a favourite place in the UK. Each weekend includes a formal dinner with lots of optional activities – anything from a guided walk, a riverboat trip, real ale in a historic pub, a private tour of a house or museum, golf, crazy golf or even Highland Games. You can choose to do as much, or as little, as you like. Masters’ Weekends in the last few years have extended from Kent to the Borders of Scotland, via a weekend in a Cambridge college and 24 hours with our affiliated Reserve Squadron during their training weekend.