Michaelmas Court and Lunch 26 September 2012
On the whole it went well today . The Court  admitted 8 Freeman and clothed 5 Liverymen; we celebrated the time that we knew Marj Richards . I really do feel good about the way in which we are moving forward but building on the past - and that was the subject of an excellent speech by Steve Morris MD of Huber whcih will be posted on our website and included in our book Reflections on Water .This is the text of my speech .

MASTERS  MICHAELMAS   LUNCH SPEECH PEWTERERS HALL SEPT 26^TH 2012

Wardens, My Lord ,Visiting Masters  Liverymen, Ladies & Gentlemen

Thank you Steve for a most insightful speech. The resonates very well with the aspirations of  our company 

I invited Steve to speak to us today  because ,as I have said before  one of my objectives is to strengthen the link between our company and the water industry. We have listened to speeches in the past from utilities , regulators , consultants , academics , but this is the first time, to my knowledge ,that we heard from a very important sector and that is process technology . I am sure that you will agree with me that Steve has plugged that gap. Thank you

We will publish his speech on our website and other locations.  If you want to read it at your leisure  you can do so.

In July I said that we had a number of objectives and we are now on the road as a team to deliver those and we have a very diverse programme of activities . If  Members are interested you will be able to find the programme on the Members area of the website  . One initiative is that the collection from today is being made available to our members who have submitted bids for project support ‘ I am glad to announce that the joint winners are Ruislip High School and CIWEM.  The money will go towards a new Aquarium for Ruislip High School and Tomorrow's Water  - CIWEM's annual Youth Water Prize.  Both will have the responsibility of managing the use of  this money and to report back to us .   Further details of each project are printed on the back of today's Menu. Thank you to Court Assistants Jo Finely and Sue Paterson for their work on this.

 We are planning lots of new activities including the production of a book of essays , short pieces , poems’ or whatever you like, called Reflections on Water . At the very  least it will be published or linked into our website and I encourage you to contribute . Court assistants Nick Reeves , and David Johnstone  and Bailiff David Lloyd Owen are leading on this.

I have said that an objective of mine is that we should reach out and involve as many members as possible beyond attending lunches . I am pleased to report that we are well on the way . We had almost 50 people on the Cromer weekend and nearly 40 at the Globe visit

Lis and I are having a great time attending events and the blog is proving a very useful vehicle for us to report back to you all .We enjoyed the launch of the Maidstone Sea Cadets Boat , the Conservator ,which the company  supported and I would like to express my particular thanks to court assistant Trevor Harrington .

I have had to miss one or two events because I have taken on a new task in Wales in setting up a Natural Resources Body . This is giving me  an opportunity to demonstrate what I spoke about in July ,which is the combination of innovation and tradition – indeed I have cited the Water Conservators as an example of this. In fact as you know we are moving on in Wales to the concept of natural resources management in which we are trying to implement affordable sustainability for real rather than by rhetoric and if anyone here today has any bright ideas on how we might do that or on how the Company could contribute its wisdom – please do contact me .

 But what I have learned as I grow older is that life is about the co-existence of opposites , and tradition coupled with innovation is apparently  just that . But if you think about this idea there are many examples – bitter- sweet is just one . But a most poignant co-existence in life  is that of joy and sorrow . And in the midst of the joys at a personal level and as a country over the weeks since the Installation , we are very saddened by the sudden loss of Marj the wife of our Thames Warden Ivor Richards . She was a  lovely lady, who genuinely loved her involvement in our company and I am sure that you all join with me in expressing our sadness to Ivor and in celebrating the time that we spent with her. Ivor has written a eulogy to Marj and you can read this on our website under Ivor’s Who’s who contribution

It is now time for me to pass on congratulations .

First as you know our ladies team won the PLA Challenge cup again , well done . We have the cup before us today suitably engraved .

              We admitted  Martin Baggs, Dylan Barker, Ro Bhimadari, Malcolm Butchers, Karen Gadd, Paul Jenkin, Peter Jones & Guy Titman to the Freedom of the Company. Congratulations . Please can you all stand up

               We Clothed  Clare Deanesly, Andrew Kirkman, Steve Kippin, Nigel Mattravers & Robert Owen as Liverymen. Again Congratulations please stand up

               And finally we admitted Sir Neil Chalmers as an Honorary Freeman of the Company, Sir Neil was Warden of Wadham College Oxford with whom we have had a very productive relationship and to whom  we have provided bursaries . He was instrumental in building our  early partnerships with academia .Congratulations please can you stand up.

As I have said we  are planning some more  great events this year . The next one is the regional lunch in Dorking on October 10^th  please contact Roger North our Fleet Warden . The we have the  banquet on 1 Nov and thereafter the Carol Service which is being re-instated in a different venue at St Mary at Hill near Monument tube station on Dec 11. Please do support these and watch out for announcements on other events and activities being planned by various teams right now  Once more, please let me know what you would like to do and if you would like to be involved in the planning.

Thank you to the Wardens and clerk for helping me out and will most certainly do the same for them when it is their turn to represent the company . Lis and I continue to be deeply honoured by our roles and we will do continue to do everything we can in our year for the Company.  Finally, thank to all of you for coming today and in particular thank you to Steve  once again. May we invite you to join us for a stirrup cup afterwards

May God go with you and may we wish you all a safe journey home.  See you in October ,November or December

Busy Busy
Yesterday evening ( 24 September ) I went to the meeting of the WET10 committee and finished up ,as the new boy , agreeing to take the minutes , but they will have to wait for a day or two . It was exciting to hear that there is going to be an outstanding debate next year on March 4th around the topics of weather , climate and risk to be held at the Glaziers Hall ; but I leave the committee to tell you all about it  . The committee was also pleased to hear about our dinner debate to be held at the Reform Club on 11 April being organised by Court Assistant Nick Reeves ; the guest speaker is Martin Baggs CEO of Thames Water . It was also interested in making contributions to our book Reflections on Water and we will be hearing more about this in due course also from Nick annd other Liverymen and Court Assistants, who are working on this project.

Meantime Lis was at a CIWEM musical evening sponsored by Arup  also in London. She tells me that it was most enjoyable and that the perfomers were really talented . She wants me to rcord that it was very well organised and she wishes to add her thanks to the sponsor.

This evening ( the 25th ) I went to the Fuellers Annual Energy Lecture and listened to Prof David Mackay of Cambridge University  and Chief Scientific Adviser to DECC . He spoke about keeping the lights on in 2050- can we do it and what will it cost . I suppose my simple analysis of the answer was 'yes 'and 'a lot '.Much of what he talked about is the use of  a calculator of models or processes which enabled different options to be costed terms of  technological solutions , behavioural patterns and  risk appetites . It is likely that energy saving , renewable nad nuclear power will all have a role to play . The discussion revealed that there is enthusiasm for all kinds of renewable energy such as that generated from waste and biomass - but in the long term fusion and vast solar arrays in desert areas will also play a role .

Now off to bed - it is a long day tomorrow with the Court Meeting and Lunch and then I am straight off to Cardiff .

I am just back from a 'roadshow' meeting staff in Wales and explaining to them how we are setting about creating the new Natural Resources Body for Wales . Anyone who has any bright ideas on the practical realisation of the concepts of natural , social and economic capital management - please do share them . For this resaon I was not able to go to the Modern Companies dinner on Tuesday 11 Sept and I very much appreciate the support of Peter Hall our Walbrook Warden ,who went in my place .

But Lis has been active  and she respresented the Company at a Luncheon for Modern Company Mistresses and Consorts at the Information Technologists Hall organised by the Mistress Tax Adviser yesterday 13 Sept . Lis reports that she had a great time and was very impressed by a short address by Alderman Fiona Woolf who will be a candidate for election as Lord Mayor in two years time ( I think that this is the correct expression ) . The  theme of her address was the challenges of equality for women in business - and this resonated with most of the Mistresses present

'Taming of the Shrew' best Globe visit yet on Sept 5

38 of us went to the Globe Theatre to see Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew . It was a wonderful production with a very funny start that had several of us wondering if there was a genuine intruder to the proceedings . The Globe Theatre Company really does understand that plays like this were meant to be light entertainment - the equivalent of our comedy programmes like Hello Hello or like the Whitehall Farces . Just sit back ( although a little difficult on the Globe seats ) and enjoy yourselves - and that is what we did .

It was full day for some of us . We had a meeting of the Finance and General Purpose Committee and endorsed a full programme of activities for the year and more will unfold as time goes on .

AUG 31

Lis and I are back from our holidays . We are very sad that, whilst we were away ,Marj Richards , the wife of our Thames Warden,Ivor, passed way after a short illness . She was  a lovely lady and inspired us with her affection for, and committment to, our Company . We will be saying more about her in due course .Meanwhile our thoughts are with Ivor and his family.

Launch of the Conservator

Last Saturday, August 4th , Lis and I went with Court Assistant Trevor Harrington and his wife  Annette for the launch of the new rowing boat of the Maidstone Sea Cadets in Madistone on the River Medway .Of course the Trinity 500 boat is called the Conservator ! Our Trust raised £2500 towards its purchase . It was a great thrill for us to be with the leaders and young people , particularly as we come from that part of the world . Trevor made a great job of launching the boat , but even more in his efforts to work with the cadets on our behalf ,and in raising the money .
Trevor and Annette thank you very much . Trevor will do report for our website .

MEA CULPA

It was my intention to keep the blog virtually instantly up to date and that is what I will do in future . But the last few days have seen a massive event - for me at least - which has distracted me . I have been appointed as the Chair for the new body which is bringing the functions of the Environment Agency Wales , the Countryside Commission of Wales  the Forestry Commission Wales and the functions of Marine Regulation of the Welsh Government , into one body which will be operational as from 1st April next year . For various reasons I have had to go from nought to the speed of light very quickly ; and the post was effective from just a week ago although it seems longer !!!. This is going to challenge me with time planning over the next few weeks as we recruit the CEO and Board  ,but with care , discipline and the friendship of my colleagues I will cope. It is a really exciting challenge and I am looking forward to it very much . The concept of natural resources management behind the new organisation is totally consistent with our aspirations and what I was saying at the Installation Lunch .

But I did manage to fit in my meeting with Ralph and the Wardens last Friday and I am very pleased that we have a really good programme of activities, which  we will propose to FMGP  and we are excited by the contributions which a substantial number of our members wish to make . Thank you so much .