A rare glimpse

It's an overcast day in mid-November. Some 60 distinguished-looking men, all of them white and over 40, are gathered outside Bristol Cathedral. They look impressive in their morning dress - people passing by shoot glances at them and wonder who they are. After several minutes, one of them checks his watch and marshals them into a line. Single-file, they solemnly process inside - members of perhaps the most influential organisation in Bristol completely disappearing from public view until they gather here again for a few brief minutes next year.
Meanwhile, at a multi-million pound mansion on the Promenade ­ one of the most expensive streets in the city ­ chefs, cleaners and waiting staff are preparing an exclusive dinner. If you're one of the 20 or so guests, you're truly among Bristol's elite - most people know absolutely nothing about it. Before the guests sit down to dinner, they'll no doubt spend some time admiring the treasures on display here: more than 20 expensive oil paintings, some antique furniture, several priceless objects once owned by royalty, and a clock that belonged to Captain James Cook.
The date is November 10, the most important day of the year for what may be the most powerful organisation in Bristol, the Society Of Merchant Venturers. After the invitation-only service in the Cathedral, its members - all prominent businessmen, lawyers, politicians, clergymen, aristocrats and army officers - return to Merchants Hall to discuss their future plans for Bristol. After a few hours they gather for drinks with the hand-picked guests. Then they process into the dining hall, pray, and settle down for a truly sumptuous meal. What's said behind those closed doors has always been a carefully guarded secret.