MISSION: Celebrate

We wrote earlier this year about the tenth anniversary of Hartwell Insurance and what those ten years have meant to all of us. But anniversaries are not just for reflection, they are for celebration. And celebrate we did!

Over six remarkable days, the Hartwell team gathered in London and in the Herefordshire countryside to mark a decade in a quintessentially British way.

Every business has a culture. Ours is built as much around conversation, curiosity and shared experiences as it is around insurance. And thus our week of festivities moved between history, craftsmanship, nature, exceptional hospitality and a little friendly competition.

DAY: Sunday

LOCATION: The City of London


MISSION: Assemble the team. Establish headquarters. Begin celebrations.


KNOWN RISKS: Ordering "just one drink" at The Ned.

Sunday began with arrivals at The Ned, one of London's great institutions nestled in the heart of the City, where we stayed for the duration of our time in London. That evening, we walked across to The Ivy for our first dinner together. 

DAY: Monday

LOCATION: Lime Street & 22 Bishopsgate


ITINERARY: Explore Hartwell's origins. Gather intelligence. Dine above the skyline.


FIELD NOTES: Lloyd's history is extensive. The views are equally distracting.

Monday morning, we enjoyed a fascinating private tour of the Lloyd's Building on Lime Street by one of their waiters. Lloyd's is a significant part of Hartwell’s origin, and it was a great opportunity for the team to learn more about both Roland’s and William’s earlier careers. That evening, we dined at Gordon Ramsay's The Lucky Cat at 22 Bishopsgate, where the views were as impressive as the food.

DAY: Tuesday

LOCATION: Marylebone & Westminster


OBJECTIVE: Immerse ourselves in art, history and impeccable British hospitality.
DRESS CODE: Black tie. No exceptions.

Tuesday was a day for two of London’s icons, The Wallace Collection and The Goring. In the morning we travelled across the city to The Wallace Collection in Marylebone, one of London's finest museums. That evening we travelled to Westminster for drinks and dinner at The Goring. It is the last remaining privately owned luxury hotel in central London, and the only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant. A black tie dinner in the Drawing Room was an evening none of us will soon forget. 

DAY: Wednesday

LOCATION: Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire


MISSION STATUS: Urban operations complete. Countryside deployment initiated.


SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Falconry gloves (Roland and Jane arrived suspiciously well prepared).

Wednesday marked the transition from city to countryside. A private bus collected us, and we made the journey west to Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. We arrived to a light lunch followed by a tour of the castle and, of course, falconry. Prepared as ever, Roland and Jane arrived to it already garbed with their own falconry gloves. We ended the day with evening drinks and dinner followed by snooker in the Little Library.

DAY: Thursday

LOCATION: Eastnor Castle Estate


ITINERARY: Drive through mud. Fire medieval weaponry. Consume cake. Attend anniversary dinner.


THREAT ASSESSMENT: Roland's crossbow accuracy should concern us all.

Thursday was the heart of the celebration. The morning began with a Land Rover off-road experience across the estate. Four cars, thick mud, and nervous laughter from anyone in the passenger seats as Hunt drove. The afternoon brought archery, crossbow shooting and clay pigeon shooting on the castle's terraces. Roland casually demonstrating, with terrifying accuracy, that he is not to be trifled with. Afternoon tea and coffee were served alongside a show stopper two tiered cake. Coffee and walnut on the top (Roland’s favourite) and chocolate on the bottom, topped with cowboy boots and a hat. Then, as the sun began to set, we dressed for dinner. 

The Tenth Anniversary Dinner in the State Dining Room was, simply put, one of the finest evenings in Hartwell's history. Black tie, exquisite food and the company of the people who make the business the success it is. The table was gracefully adorned with a floral centrepiece, arranged by our resident world champion florist, Jane. Dinner was rounded off by Roland leading the toasts and giving a rousing speech before we all retired to the Gothic Drawing Room for digestifs. 

DAY: Friday

LOCATION: Various platforms, somewhere in Britain


EXTRACTION PLAN: Private bus. Cross-country train. Fond farewells.


FINAL REPORT: Mission accomplished. Americans remain unconvinced by the UK rail network.

Friday morning came too soon, with those who thoroughly enjoyed the digestifs quietly wishing Roland did not wake up so early every day. A private bus took us to the train station, and we parted ways as the American contingent struggled with the concept of a cross country train. 

We have written before about what Hartwell has built, the clients served and the premiums handled. But numbers, however impressive, do not tell the full story. The full story is the people and the amazing work done by everyone to get us to where we are today. The next ten years begin now, and this trip was an unbelievable way to start them. 

Henry Henshall

Nashville, June 2026