Last week at Hillsborough Castle the worlds of sport and contemporary culture came together.  The TCH Down Democrat sponsored NCU Challenge Cup first competed for in 1887 took pride of place with The Silver Trust silver.
The Sliver Trust is a charitable trust established in 1985 to promote the work of British silversmiths. The Trust's first commission was in 1987, a cruet set from Malcolm Appleby.

At first sponsorship was difficult. However in 1991 a very generous donation from an anonymous benefactor allowed the Trust to begin commissioning in earnest. A Commissioning Committee comprising Lady Falkender, Mr Rupert Hambro, Lady Henderson and Miss Muir was established and as result much of the Collection was commissioned and made between 1991 and 1993.

Above right: Christoper English, Secretary of The Silver Trust with a plate from the Downing Street Silver Collection whilst Kieran Moloney, CEO TCH Democrat Media holds the NCU Challenge Cup in The Throne Room at Hillsborough Castle.
 
By early in 1993 there was sufficient silver to present the Collection to 10 Downing Street for the use of the then Prime Minister, John Major. Since then it has been in regular use for many government and state occasions.

Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, George Bush, Francois Mitterrand, Helmut Kohl- just some of the international heads of State who have dined at State banquets at 10 Downing Street since then. They all used what is recognised as one of the most important collections of contemporary British silver, The Silver Trust Collection.

The Trust has instituted a series of exhibitions during the summer Parliamentary recess alternating the yearly exhibition between the United Kingdom and a venue abroad. This has ensured that work of The Silver Trust has become better known and many of the silversmiths represented in the collection have received commissions as a result of these annual exhibitions.

Christopher English, Secretary of The Silver Trust who travels with the Downing Street collection was on hand to welcome the trophy to Hillsborough Castle, along with Kieran Moloney, CEO, TCH Democrat Media as part of a photo call for this year’s Down Democrat Challenge Cup Final, which will be played at The Meadow, Downpatrick on 15 August.
The magnificent Challenge Cup is an exact replica of the one first made in 1887 by Victorian craftsmen and recreated in 2000 after being destroyed in a fire at the Downpatrick clubhouse in June 1998.

Two full and one half wings of the handles and the cricket figure on the lid were salvaged from the original cup and incorporated in the replica.  The dogs around the base are cast from the silver remains of the original trophy, which were unusable in the salvaged condition.

The NCU’s finest piece of silverware certainly did not look out of place as it sat proudly between two candlesticks with cast silver figures of lion and unicorn, created by Julian Cross.

Representatives of both this year’s finalists CSN and Waringstown had photographs taken inside Hillsborough Castle and even had time to enjoy an impromptu game outside on the lawn.

Right: TCH Down Democrat Challenge Cup Finalists warm up on the lawn at Hillsborough Castle, Waringstown's Simon Harrison, waits for a catch from CSN's Stephen Dyer, with TCH Down Democrat's CEO, Kieran Moloney the bowler.

The Silver Trust, Downing Street Collection is on display at Hillsborough Castle until 14 th August.  After this it will move on to the Long Gallery, Castletown House, Co. Kildare from 18th August to 31st August, 2008, from 10.30am to 5.30pm each day except Monday.

Photos by: Jessica Homer  www.jessicahomerpictures.co.uk