President's Blog
Weather fine; earthworks progressing well in Cut 9; concreted foundations to Bridge 12; discussed next week’s programme with Section Agents....such were the items of major interest when I last had to keep a daily record of events!
This blog business is a new approach for me and I hope that in following my predecessors I can convey a sense of what it’s like to be President of our Institution and what an honour it is to have been selected to fulfil the role for the next twelve months...
Chris Jackson, CIHT President
28 January 2010
I was up in good time to perform my duties as Chairman for the morning session of the conference – What Moves You? It was a pleasure and a privilege, before the main business of the day, to present the Institution’s Certificate of Merit to Andrew McLusky. It’s very pleasing to be able to make such presentations in front of a good-sized audience so that the recipient’s contribution to the Institution is made known to and acknowledged by a wide range of people.
The conference itself was excellent with a good balance between local and national issues as well as covering various transport modes. It was a programme that reached out to both engineers and transport planners as well as having general interest that would satisfy development requirements for those in pursuit of professional qualifications.
I handed over the Chair to Rob McCartney at lunchtime and was pleased to be able to stay for the rest of the session. It took me 3 hours to drive 90 miles back home – I suppose it serves me right for driving at peak hour through Leeds, across the M62 and round Manchester to Cheshire!
27 January 2010
I was on a tight schedule to complete a submission document at work before driving across to Harrogate to join John Brown and Rob McCartney with guest speakers for the informal dinner prior to the Y&H Branch conference the following day. I made it just in time for the meal and to meet those speakers who had been able to be there in advance of the conference.
21 January 2010
First official engagement of the New Year. I attended the CSS Annual Lunch at the RAC Club on Pall Mall. I was warmly welcomed by President Alison Quant followed by meeting a large number of familiar faces including David Tarrant, David Hutchinson, Roger Elphick and Alan Bailes as well as Mary Lewis.
This was a very good event from my perspective as I met a wide range of Local Authority Directors as well as other CSS guests. After the toast to the society by Bronwyn Hill of DfT, Alison gave a comprehensive address in response. A significant part of this was the announcement that CSS is to be renamed to reflect the changing local authority environment and the wider scope of responsibility for directors that goes beyond the role of the former County Surveyors. The new name will be The Association of Directors of Economics, Environment, Transport and Planning (ADEPT).
We at CIHT look forward to continuing our relationship with the Association in sharing knowledge and experience with a sister body. Looking around the room at the number of those present at the dinner who are also active in CIHT this shouldn’t be difficult to achieve. We wish them well for the future under their new banner.
The evening was rounded off with a speech from Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency. Among the points he made I was particularly taken by his aim to ensure a clear connection between the developers and promoters of affordable housing schemes and the local authorities and network providers in ensuring that the housing provision is undertaken in conjunction with the provision of transport and other vital infrastructure.
18 January 2010
Two weeks back at work since the Christmas break. After the build up through November with a regular string of Institution commitments leading up to the Annual Lunch it seems strangely quiet. Not that it’s been like that at work where there’s been intense activity ever since getting back into the office.
The snow events did create some interesting challenges in getting about for all of us and I spent some time exchanging emails with Dan Isichei about the CIHT response to the FT about dealing with the roads in the extreme weather events.
25 December 2009
Christmas Day. Not much to do with the Institution but while I was celebrating with the family I realised that this marked the half-way point in my year as President. I already have a great deal to look back on with considerable pleasure as well as much to do going forward. I can only hope that 2010 brings with it a positive time for CIHT as we celebrate the Charter and build on the provision of services to our members.
11 December 2009
The day of the Annual Lunch arrived. With strict instructions from Mary that I wasn’t to bother the IHT staff before 11.15, we had a leisurely breakfast and then went for a walk up to Oxford Street in the fresh air of a slightly foggy and very cold morning. We then checked out of our room and reported for duty in the Great Room where I was ‘dressed’ by Mary with the full Presidential regalia before meeting the top table guests in the Jeeves Suite.
The reception was very enjoyable as I greeted a wide range of colleagues and friends from across the professions that make up our industry as well as past Presidents of IHT and current representatives from sister institutions. I had the privilege to be presented with our Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, which had been announced at their lunch on the Tuesday, by Tony Spalding of RoadSafe. We had been advised that Boris Johnson would be arriving late for the lunch and so we processed into the Great Room itself without him, to meet the small gathering of 1800 people that make our annual lunch what it is.
It’s hard to know what to say about the lunch itself other than that I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and, if the feedback is anything to go by, then it appears to have been a resounding success. I will reiterate here my sincere thanks to the Britannia Walk team who put this event together as it will live long in my memory. No little thanks is due to Boris who did turn up in time to eat some lunch and then to entertain us in a way that only he can, with a virtuoso performance that had us all enthralled and full of laughter. It was indeed a hard act to follow, but I had the unique privilege of being the President to announce publicly the award of the Institution’s Royal Charter and the change of name to the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.
It was very relaxed after the meal had ended and it was great to be able to meet up with so many of the guests without being rushed from the hall.
From London, Janet and I set off for Portsmouth where we were to join my uncle and aunt on Saturday for their diamond wedding celebration. This was an occasion that I didn’t want to miss as I am one of the few people, apart from one of the bridesmaids, who attended their wedding – albeit at 18 months old I don’t remember it all that clearly.
10 December 2009
We arrived at the Grosvenor House Hotel in the early afternoon only to bump into Mary as we were checking in. She had brought with her the Institution Christmas cards for me to sign and the gold chain for the President’s jewel which I was to wear the following day.
IHIE invited us to attend their re-branding ceremony which they held in the afternoon at Westminster Abbey. Mary, Janet and I attended as IHIE launched their new name as the Institute of Highway Engineers with speeches from Lord Howie and Tony Sharp (IHE President) The ceremony was followed by an invitation to attend choral evensong in the Abbey where we were seated in the choir stalls adjacent to the choir. This was a memorable occasion and an excellent precursor to the Annual Lunch the following day and to the start of the Christmas celebrations.
Janet and I returned from the service at Westminster to our suite at the Grosvenor where we spent the evening writing Christmas cards. I signed the 150 or so IHT cards while Janet finished off our own ready for posting in the morning.
8 December 2009
A trip to London to the Park Lane Hotel for the Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Awards where Scott Dyball and Steve Proctor were presented to the Prince in recognition of our award for the Road Safety Audit Guidelines. This is another feather in our cap which shows to a wider audience the valuable work that we do as a professional body. The actual award is to be presented to us at the annual lunch reception and is another positive event to report at the lunch.
7 December 2009
Great news! We (that is Brian) have been to the Ministry of Justice to collect the Royal Charter, complete with its Great Seal. I can now rewrite the start of my speech for the Annual Lunch and make the news fully public.
I spent the morning at the Morgan Est Rugby office before returning to Birchwood for an evening meeting of our branch events committee, planning for our dinner in April and a seminar in May.
3 December 2009
Annual medical examination today. Generally the report is good but, not really related to the Presidential eating engagements, a firm discussion on diet. So, if you see me passing on the dessert course don’t be surprised. I’m trying a low GI diet so, with a bit of effort, I might avoid the President’s stone – I can but try!
1 December 2009
Mostly work this week but with a North West Branch committee meeting this Tuesday evening. Again, positive reports on the Council Meeting and the Learned Society Lecture.
27 November 2009
Rose at an early hour for a short stroll along the Newcastle waterfront. This was about the only chance I had while there to get a glimpse of the city of my birth and to look over the changes to a part of the city that I used to explore as a teenager. It’s interesting to look at the impressive structure of the Tyne Bridge which hasn’t changed, against the new Millennium Bridge and the ultra-modern Sage building.
From Newcastle we took the train home in time to re-pack and collect the car for the drive to Abergele for the North Wales Branch dinner.
We arrived in good time to get settled in and change for dinner. It was good to be able to give the dinner suit a rest as this is a lounge suit event.
The dinner at the Kinmel Manor Hotel was, as always, a real treat, as the hotel lived up to its reputation of previous years in delivering first class food – I think this was a six-course meal if you count the coffee and mints – and undoubtedly satisfied the attendees.
Chris Lane was in the chair with Simon Shouler, of Welsh Assembly Government as principal guest, while Susan Broadaway had made all the arrangements in her new role as Branch Secretary.
Chris and Susan were getting slightly concerned as the after-dinner speaker called to say he would be late arriving, so there was a little tension in the air that was fully relieved when he arrived in time to entertain us in his persona as ‘Mario Dinero’. The result was a very good evening for all.
26 November 2009
I worked at home in the morning before catching the train with Janet to get to Newcastle for the North Eastern Branch dinner in the evening.
We were greeted by Paulo Humanes, John Jeffrey and other members of the branch committee at the reception before dinner. Ronnie Porter was there as well, along with George Hazel, who had been invited to speak to the guests after the meal.
A feature of this dinner was that the branch had extended invitations to staff and students from Newcastle University. The strong ties between IHT and the university are very welcome and to be encouraged. There is good scope for expanding membership in the long term through this route and to engage more closely with representatives of the academic staff, many of whom have high standing in transportation and are willing to support the work of the institution. It is also worth considering how IHT can give a wider audience to the research being carried out through our website and the membership generally.
25 November 2009
Into Britannia Walk for an early meeting of the staff remuneration committee at 8.30. Against the background of the previously agreed budget for 2010 we were able to reach a consensus due to the good preparatory work by Mary.
From that meeting straight into the Council meeting. This was our all-day meeting to debate the strategy and performance of the institution. It was in three sessions: review of performance against the Corporate Plan, consideration of a possible revised board structure and setting the priorities for next year. Three years into the five-year plan the results of our discussion groups showed that we were well up to the mark as far as progress is concerned.
We had a presentation from Sheila Holden and David Gibby on the proposals from the working party on restructuring the boards which was very well received by Council. There’s a lot of work to do to flesh out the proposals but with a fair wind and a lot of effort we should be able to implement the changes for 2010/11. Priorities for next year were agreed as making the most from the Royal Charter and doing more to publicise what we do, both internally to members and externally. This was a first class Council session with great contributions from members and demonstrated to me just what the strategic role of Council is all about.
From Britannia Walk I headed off by bus (I’m starting to get the hang of living a multi-modal life) with Tony Jones to Arup’s offices in Fitzroy Place for the Institution’s Learned Society Lecture. This was a ground-breaking event for us as we made use of Arup’s video communication system to broadcast the lecture live to nine remote locations around the UK and Ireland.
The lecture, given by Gary Lawrence and Susan Clarins, was a tremendous success resulting in a wide range of questions from all of the ten locations. It was a little like co-ordinating the Eurovision voting when it came to linking with all the different venues. Feedback that I’ve had so far is all positive and hope that this event in some form will continue to be a part of our annual programme. Ty Byrd from Transportation Professional was on hand to report on the proceedings.
I caught a late train back to Cheshire to get a good night’s sleep ready for travelling north the following day.
24 November 2009
A day in Britannia Walk with a meeting of the Transport Planning Professional Partnership Management Group in the afternoon. The meeting was led by Victoria Hills of TPS with Martin Richards. Richard Crossley, and I represented IHT with Mary Lewis and Sue Stevens providing support and advice. With greater clarity of the submission requirements this qualification is progressing well and the need for continuing marketing to the profession was recognised.
I caught up with Roger Elphick in the evening and we had a pleasant meal together before turning in at a respectable hour knowing that we had a busy day ahead.
18 November 2009
A full day of IHT business started with my attendance at the Highways Agency launch, held in the Tower of London, of ‘Aiming for Zero: Safety for our Road Workers’. This strategy is aimed at reducing the risks to those involved in working on live carriageways, the most hazardous area for network operations. This was led by Graham Dalton with a keynote address by Chris Mole MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport. It was extremely gratifying to hear the minister make public reference to the contribution that IHT has made to road work safety.Having escaped the Tower with my head still attached I arrived at Britannia Walk in time to chair the Executive Board meeting. This was a really good session where we agreed the budget for 2010 and gave the go-ahead to promoting the Institution on the back of the impending award of the Royal Charter. We were given a presentation by Sheila Holden and David Gibby on the outcome from the working party that had been set up to review the future board structure. This was a precursor to their presentation to the full-day Council meeting later in the month. It was well received by the board and it was agreed that Sheila and David would make the presentation to Council with only a few changes.
To round the day off, we had a short Presidential Team discussion before heading for home.
13 November 2009
After a couple of days at work it was time to set off again for the south coast. This time Janet and I elected to travel by train arriving at the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne in mid-afternoon. This gave us time for a short but invigorating walk along the front before meeting up with Richard Boswell, South Eastern Branch Chair, who spent time with us going through the arrangements for the evening ahead and showing us where everything was going to take place.
Despite the facilities being available we didn’t have a swim on this occasion, we didn’t make it to the indoor pool and the outdoor pool was, thankfully, covered for the winter. We did take advantage of the first class afternoon tea service, taking care not to over-indulge prior to dinner, and were joined by David and Linda Gillham who had arrived with a similar plan in mind.
For the evening we made our way to the Compton Room for pre-dinner drinks with Richard and the top table guests. Dinner included duck breast for the main course, a different approach which was well received by the guests. The branch also held a raffle after the meal with the proceeds going to the Chairman’s chosen charities. Despite getting Janet and Sharon Smart, who was there with husband John, to help with the draw I didn’t add to my collection of prizes that was started the previous week!
10 November 2009
A fresh, bracing walk from the Thistle to Britannia Walk for the Branch Officers’ Conference. This was the first time for many that they had chance to visit our new offices and everyone was given the opportunity to explore the offices and to meet the staff. It was also a chance for the staff to see how well the conference facilities performed with such a large number of people. I got a good impression that the space worked well both for the main conference sessions, the breakout sessions in separate rooms and for general circulation during lunch and coffee breaks.
The conference itself went very well with a wide range of contributors both in presentations and in discussion sessions. It was important that time was spent on the management of the branches in relation to the institution as a whole and, while we were all conscious of the time and financial pressures on people and the institution, there was a great deal of positivity in outlook from the delegates. Particularly pleasing for me was the extent to which the younger members are contributing at branch level and the ideas that they brought to the conference.
My thanks to Sue, Kerry and Yvonne for an excellent dinner and conference. I hope that all branches will be getting good feedback from the attendees at their next committee meetings.
9 November 2009
I spent the morning in the office and then made my way by train to London for the Branch Officers’ Conference arriving at the Thistle Barbican in time to meet Sue Stevens to run through the arrangements for the evening.
I was pleased to have the chance to circulate with branch representatives before dinner and to meet Eric Ma and Shirley Tam from the Hong Kong Branch who had arranged to attend the conference as part of a programme of business-related travels.
Through the offices of the Greater London Branch we were pleased to be addressed by David Begg who gave us a light-hearted series of anecdotes before dinner. He had to leave almost immediately for personal reasons and we are grateful that he was able to join us and set the tone for a really good evening.
A feature of the evening was the presentation of the Branch Awards. The Recruitment award went to Hong Kong and the Communication Award to Northern Ireland.
6 November 2009
Having decided to drive to Southampton we set off in good time to have a reasonable journey south to the Solent Hotel at Fareham for the Southern Branch Dinner Dance. We were there in good time to enjoy the hotel facilities and managed a swim and a light afternoon tea before dressing for dinner.
We joined Luke Meechan with Jane and the other principal guests for a champagne reception where we met branch committee members and adjacent branch chairs, Richard Boswell and Mark Beasley, before we entered the main room for dinner.
This was a very enjoyable and relaxed evening with a raffle after dinner in support of the IHT Foundation. Despite a minor problem with the mechanics of the tombola drum Janet and Jane drew the winning tickets for the fine range of prizes. Last to be drawn was my own ticket and I went away with a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle – which will be handy just in case I find that there are gaps in my schedule this year and I need something to fill the time!
The evening rounded off with dancing and more networking. In the morning we joined Mark and Suzie Beasley for breakfast overlooking the grounds and then set off for an excellent journey north and a quiet time at home after a fairly hectic week.
5 November 2009
I returned to home and then to the office to catch up on some work before taking part in the NW Branch Events committee meeting which was held in our offices in Warrington. We reviewed the Presidential Conference, did further planning for our Branch Awards Dinner next April and started to plan next year’s seminar for May.
By the time I got home in the evening I was fairly well tired out and the explosions of bonfire night didn’t prevent me from sleeping soundly that night.
4 November 2009
I stayed overnight and then spent most of the day at Britannia Walk where I spent most of the time in discussion with Mary. I was pleased to see Dan and to congratulate him and his wife on the birth of their son Isaac. He says he’s not getting much sleep at the moment – but that’s to be expected, at least he’s unlikely to doze off on his bike travelling to and from work. I met Rhiannon Prior our new administrator for the first time and she has had to get stuck in straightaway with Kerry Wickens on the arrangements for the Branch Officers Conference on 9th and 10th November.
In the evening I attended the CECA Southern Dinner at the Royal Lancaster as their guest. I was fortunate to be seated next to Graham Dalton of the Highways Agency and had a good discussion about their relationship with IHT and the continuing support that they give, especially in speaking at some of our most high profile events. This was a really good evening and I had no official duties other than to act as ambassador for the Institution. David Hutchinson, with his HTMA hat on, was a top table guest and David Tarrant was also a guest at the dinner.
3 November 2009
I took an afternoon train to London to join Mary at the ICE President’s inaugural address. This was an impressive event at Great George Street and a good chance to meet a wide range of professional colleagues. Professor Paul Jowitt gave his address pointing to a call for an ‘Engineering Renaissance’, Peter Hansford praised outgoing President Jean Venables for her contribution during her term of office and Richard Coackley gave thanks to Paul for his address, wishing him well for his year. While it is unlikely that IHT would extend to such a major event it certainly gave me food for thought about the conducting of our own handover and the potential role of the President at our Annual Conference.
I had a good chat with some of the ICE past and future Presidents, with Rosemary Beales of CECA and Judith Walker and Tony Sharp if IHE. I met Mark Whitby for the first time only to discover that he had worked with my father on Brenig Dam in North Wales in the mid-1970’s. I was also reflecting with a small group how it was Alan Cockshaw, past President who had interviewed me for my job with Fairclough back in 1975 and that Mike Casebourne, former ICE Director, had been the sub-Agent who I worked for in Newcastle in 1972. So it was that I joined the great nostalgia trip for the evening as well as thinking about the future for both IHT and ICE and the young professionals that we need to encourage and develop.
1 November 2009
After a morning spent in our Head office at Rugby I drove to Toddington Services on the M1. I met up with David Hunter, Mike Gibbard and Paul Turner of Thames and Chilterns Branch and we then made our way onto the centre of an accommodation bridge just north of the service area.
In conjunction with Peter Hansford, Vice President of ICE and Brian Corley, President of the Bedford Civil Engineering Society I unveiled a plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the M1.
Gwyn Drake, Highways Agency Director, Peter and I all made short addresses to the assembled company using Town Crier techniques to make ourselves heard above the traffic passing beneath. Attending the ceremony were a number of people who had been involved with the construction of the M1 including Sir William Francis, Pat Fitzpatrick, Peter Fells and Di Evans.
Press coverage was limited to the Luton News as the celebrations at Watford Gap, that centre of cultural excellence on the M1 further North, had drawn bigger crowds than the quiet professional approach at Toddington.
The plaque is firmly fixed to the bridge parapet and this bridge carries the Icknield way over the motorway and it should thus be viewed by all the passing cyclists and walkers as they make their way over the M1.
After the ceremony we adjourned to AECOM’s offices in St Alban’s where we had some refreshments and Peter Hansford and I had a ‘Meet the Presidents’ event with some of the young staff in the office. This was really very enjoyable and a great comfort to meet people in the early stages of their careers with such enthusiasm for what they are doing.
We next went to the Alban Centre for an evening presentation by Peter Fells, formerly of Hertfordshire County Council, on the construction of St Alban’s Bypass one of the first sections of the M1 Motorway. This was a brilliant nostalgic talk illustrated by some first class contemporary photographs. The meeting was supported by an exhibition opf material form the time by the Motorway Archive Trust organised by John Wootton and John Carrington. I was called to close the meeting and then drove home via miscellaneous roadworks and restrictions on the M6 getting in at 11p.m.
29 October 2009
Back North in the morning for the day job before driving to Birmingham in the evening for the West Midlands branch ‘Meet the President’ event at Birmingham University. This was organised by the Young Professionals group led by Vincent Li. Branch Chairman, Steve Rowsell and committee member Steve Hamer were there in support.
I gave a talk about my career and the relevance of my involvement with IHT and Sue Stevens gave a presentation about membership and qualifications. Judging by the number of forms being completed it looks as though many of the students, largely post-graduates, will be taking advantage of the free student membership.
The real value, for me, of the evening was the opportunity to spend time with the students after the formal proceedings and many of them stayed on for quite some time over a buffet and drink. As always this was the time when the real questions started to come out and hopefully I was able to provide some inspiration to them to progress with Transportation careers after their degree courses. With specific post-grad MSc courses in Road Management and Construction Management I hope that this will be the case whether they stay in the UK or work overseas.
28 October 2009
Afternoon train to London for an evening reception held by RedR to promote their work, to allow their patrons and supporting companies to mingle with RedR staff, and to listen to a selection of presentations. HRH the Princess Royal as President of RedR addressed the meeting along with Martin McCann, Chief Executive, Prof Paul Jowitt, incoming ICE President and Ken Gibbs who talked about some of his specific experiences. HRH was then introduced to the individuals in groups and it was pleasing to meet her again and for her clearly to acknowledge her relationship with our Institution.
This was a good gathering and I met up with Tony Sharp and Judith Walker of IHIE and Nelson Ogunshakin, CEO of ACE along with a number of industry colleagues who are supporters of RedR. I also met a number of RedR people who impressed me with their commitment and enthusiasm for the work that the charity does. There are good opportunities for young staff to get involved through secondment and also plenty of scope for the more grey-haired to use their experience both directly and in mentoring and training others to give long term benefit following initial disaster relief.
23 October 2009
A hearty breakfast at the Tavistock – too great a temptation! I then called at Britannia Walk to spend the morning having a useful catch-up with Mary and some diary sorting with Nicki. I was pleased to meet Yvonne Szuca, our new appointee to take over the events organisation following Claire’s leaving. She will have much to do in this field as we adjust to the current financial climate and still maintain, or better, the standards that we have striven to achieve in recent years. It was pleasing to see that after only a few days she is enjoying being part of our team.
The news on the progress of the Royal Charter is more and more encouraging as we have now been advised that Her Majesty approved an Order instructing the Lord Chancellor to affix the Great Seal to the Institution’s Charter, which is a key stage in the procedure. It will still be some time before we can say that we have crossed the final hurdle and we will have to continue to wait patiently as the formal procedures are followed.
22 October 2009
After spending the day at Morgan Est Head Office in Rugby, I caught the train to London to spend the evening at the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards at the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square. I was a guest of sister institution IHIE which sponsors the awards and for which their President, Tony Sharp, heads the judging panel. Jim Barton of Transport Scotland, Tony Parker of Transport Wales, Dr Andrew Murray of Northern Ireland Roads Service and Alan Pickett of the Highways Agency (recently retired) were the principal judges and it was good to meet up with them. IHIE hosts included Judith Walker, Steve Spender, Andrew Thurston and Sue Broadaway and I had a really pleasant time at the event with a chance to exchange views and notes about our respective organisations along with the social chat. We plan to get together in the New Year, as we do regularly, to discuss ongoing co-operation between institutions.
17 October 2009
The North Western Branch held a dinner in Chester to celebrate the branch 60th anniversary year. This was a select gathering that included 10 branch chairs and 3 past Presidents. I was able to wear two hats (sartorially somewhat inelegant) as past chair and current President. Our wives joined us for the evening and a disco played background music during the meal. After dinner our DJ was asked to play requests and soon there were people up and dancing, led by an enthusiastic Mike Callery. Barry Heaps as current chairman opened the evening with a welcome and David Ogden gave a short impromptu address after dinner recalling fond memories of some of those who were not with us that evening. All in all a really special occasion.
9 October 2009
After a very full day on Thursday it was very pleasant to get up slowly for breakfast and take a short stroll by the river before boarding the train at Glasgow Central for the trip back to Cheshire and a quiet weekend at home. The great weather we had experienced during our site trip the day before had gone and the morning had reverted to damp and cold which I am told is more usual for the time of year – we had obviously been lucky for our visit but I don’t think that I can ascribe the sunshine to any righteousness on my part.
8 October 2009 (Daytime)
We were up early for breakfast and ready to meet David Anderson (Branch Chair), Claire Carr (Vice Chair) and Graeme Smith (Treasurer) at 8.30 for a day of visits, starting with the M74 Completion Contract. This is being constructed by the Interlink Joint Venture for Glasgow City Council and Transport Scotland. It is a very impressive £500m highway project with massive structures and huge volumes of imported fill to elevate the road above the existing ground, much of which is contaminated derelict land. The new motorway crosses local roads, the West Coast Main Line, the SPT Subway system and the River Clyde on its short 5 mile route to link the existing M74 with the M8 to the south of Glasgow.
We were given a presentation by Steve McFadden of Glasgow City before being taken round the site by Colin Badger, also of Glasgow. Graham Porteous of Transport Scotland was there to greet us before we set off. We had a limited time to spend on the site so we stayed in the Land Rover for the trip, only getting out in public areas, so we didn’t have to get fully dressed in protective clothing. Even with this limitation to the trip we could see the massive scale of the work as they assembled and welded together the steel box girders for the Port Eglinton Viaduct, which is 750 metres long and has girders up to 4 metres deep.
From the site, David drove us back into the city for a spot of lunch at the Mussel Inn on Hope Street where we sampled the seafood on offer before our next engagement at Central Station.
It is very easy to miss the door to our next venue which is tucked away in a corner of the station, even though it bears the clearly legible label ‘Train Simulator’. Malcolm Cook, an instructor for First ScotRail, met us at the door and led us into the stygian depths of the station where he briefed us on the training and regular updates that the train drivers receive from him and his colleagues on the simulator.
We were taken into the simulator and each of us was given a turn at driving a Class 170 multiple unit over a computer-generated route. This was frighteningly realistic as we took the controls and very quickly felt the responsibility of controlling the ‘train’. It’s quite different from driving a car as the response of the train is quite different and stopping has to be planned well in advance. An emergency stop from 70mph took half a mile before the train came to a standstill in wet conditions.
The advantage of the simulator is that drivers can experience conditions and scenarios that they have not come across during their normal duties and which would not be possible to simulate on a real train full of passengers. This was a great experience and an opportunity which would not normally be available to us. I did have some sympathy for Graeme when it was his turn, as David had charge of the computer with the result that Graeme went from bright daylight to fog, to night, to heavy snowfall in the space of two miles during his journey!
From the simulator we took a short walk towards the Clyde where we visited the Traffic Scotland control centre. We had a presentation from Stein Connolly about the work of Traffic Scotland in informing drivers of traffic conditions, linking with the maintenance and rescue teams and being the first point of call for motorists in difficulty. We were then taken to meet Tricia Wiggins and Adam Harper who showed us the control room where we saw the live operations, as calls came in, a broken down van was seen, and a support unit called to assist as well as the monitoring of traffic conditions during the afternoon build up into the evening peak.
This was a fantastic day as we took in highway construction, rail operations and traffic control systems. It appealed to all of us from our differing perspectives in our professions and as members of the public. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that we were given and to the branch for organising the visits and, of course, to all those who hosted our trip.
8 October 2009 (Evening)
A short walk from Traffic Scotland back to the Radisson Hotel to get ready for the evening where we were on parade a couple of hours later to meet the toastmaster and then to greet the Chairman’s guests. We had our photographs taken in both formal and informal settings following which we were clapped in to a very full dining room for dinner. Principal Guest for the dinner was Stewart Stevenson, the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change and I had the pleasure of his company at table during the meal.
After the coffee was served we were assailed by the entertainers, ‘Gutty Slippers’, a bagpipe and drum ensemble who marched, danced, played and sang amongst us with some traditional Scottish tunes as well as a unique rendition of the Troggs’ ‘Wild Thing’. This was very different from the usual after-dinner amusement and added a new and thoroughly enjoyable dimension to the branch dinner.
The band marched out and Stewart was called to address the assembled company with some personal tales and a clear account of his aims and ambitions for transport in Scotland. I then closed the formal part of the evening with my own address before joining the other diners for some networking on behalf of the Institution. This was a good event and the people attending clearly enjoyed the opportunity for a drink and a chat well into the wee small hours.
7 October 2009
By train in the afternoon to Glasgow ready for the Central and Southern Scotland Branch dinner the following day. The branch had organised site visits for the daytime on Thursday, so it was good that Janet and I could get there in time to use the hotel swimming pool and have a quiet evening together.
2 October 2009
I travelled over to Yorkshire with Janet for the Yorkshire and Humberside Branch dinner dance. But before the evening event John Brown and the committee had arranged a key player lunch at the hotel in Harrogate.
Mary, John, Andrew Hugill, Rob McCartney and David Hutchinson met representatives from North Yorkshire County Council, Bradford City Council, Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Forward, Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber and Leeds University. John set the scene and we started our discussion with glass in hand before sitting down to continue the dialogue over an informal meal.
The whole thing was well received and did much to rekindle relationships with some key organisations in the region. Offers of co-operation were made and the branch under John’s chairmanship will be following up to build on those offers and to develop further the ideas that were tabled.
I followed the meeting with a swim in the hotel pool while Janet explored Harrogate before we prepared for the evening.
We gathered with the committee, after a brief run-through of the evening’s proceedings with the toastmaster, to greet the principal guests before descending the grand staircase for dinner. John Brown and I addressed the guests at the end of the meal and I then had the privilege of handing over two new awards that the branch has instigated. These are the ‘Blind Jack’ Award for the Young Professional of the Year, won by Peter Routledge of IRC, and the John Smeaton Award for best Highways and Transportation Project in the Region which was won by the Gildersome M62 Junction 27 Improvements on the A62 submitted jointly by Birse, Carillion/WSP and Pell Frischmann. The branch has commissioned two splendid sculpted shields for the awards created by the same artist, Barbara Asquith, who did the sculpture of Blind Jack that sits in Knaresborough and to which the branch contributed.
After the presentation the group Mirage took to the stage for the dancing. We took to the floor with Mary Lewis and Nick and it wasn’t long before others arrived to join in. We had a good time and took the opportunity to meet many of the guests during the evening and over breakfast the following morning.
29 September 2009
Branch business this time and therefore not strictly Presidential business. The N W Branch committee was invited to visit the A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley bypass site and to hold the committee meeting in the site offices. This was a joint invitation from Birse, the contractor, and Cheshire East Council, the client for the scheme. We had a presentation from Doug Mackie the client’s representative and Dave Hill the Project Director before being taken round the site by Dave. It is an interesting scheme in its own right but had particular resonance for those of us who had either been involved in the scheme development with Cheshire or had tendered the project in the past.
We were well looked after both on the visit and with a substantial lunch as well as being able to hold our meeting in the site conference room. Our thanks go to those involved and further recognition of the support that the Institution gets at a local level from both organisations.
24 September 2009
A very special day for me after all the planning that has gone on over the preceding two years.
In the Town Hall again, but this time for the conference itself. All of the invited speakers performed magnificently, following the outline brief they had been given, in addressing ‘Meeting the Nation’s Needs’. My sincere thanks to Kate Carpenter, Ian Drummond, David Middleton, Dr Nigel Keohane, Ginny Clarke, Steve Rowsell, Dr Donald Pearson-Kirk, David Markham and Bryan Diggins. I was fortunate also to have two experienced chairmen, Barry Heaps and Alistair Haydock from the branch, to lead each of the sessions and I am grateful to them for supporting me in this way.
But before they spoke, Louise Ellman MP gave us an informed and relevant keynote address. This was well received by the delegates and set the tone perfectly for the rest of the day. I then had the honour to present Louise with an Honorary Fellowship of IHT. She took questions from the floor and spent some time with us during the coffee break before returning to constituency work in Liverpool.
The conference was well supported by the sponsors and by an excellent array of exhibitors – without this support the conference would not have been such a success.
While the conference was under way, the partners group set off for their visit to the Concorde exhibition at Manchester Airport followed by lunch at Quarry Bank Mill and a guided tour of the mill. They then returned for tea and scones in time to meet up with the conference attendees. The tour was led by Karen Heaps with Janet and, judging by the animated chat on their return, they had a good day.
All in all, it was good to see the plan come together and I have been pleased to receive many positive comments about the dinner, conference and tour.
23 September 2009
The big event – Presidential Conference in Manchester.
Wednesday evening and the pre-event nerves had started to recede as we got on our coach to the Town Hall to greet guests for the Conference Dinner. The reception for the dinner was provided by the Lord Mayor and a small number of us were invited to meet the Mayor in her apartments. This was a great privilege as this is part of the Town Hall that is not open to the public and we were shown round with great enthusiasm by Cllr Alison Firth, who is the current Lord Mayor, before descending to the Great Hall for our meal.
Alison made us very welcome with her opening address, which was very well received as she had taken trouble to relate her address to the occasion and the Institution. We were baffled by a pair of table magicians during the meal as well as listening to light classical music played by the Carlton Ensemble. The meal was followed by a short address from me and then a comic response from comedian Johnny Carson.
It was a great evening and I felt very privileged to be joined for the occasion by a good number of past and future Presidents as well as Rosemary Cox, widow of past President John Cox along with friends and colleagues from the Institution and Industry.
19 September 2009
Up for breakfast at a reasonable hour before driving into Oxford to collect our son Andrew, who had come over from the States for a conference that week. It was really handy that we were nearby to meet him and for him to spend some time at home with us before he returned to his own family.
18 September 2009
Afternoon drive down to Milford Common near Oxford for the Thames and Chilterns Branch Dinner Dance. We were early enough to make use of the facilities at the hotel before the evening event. David Gibby had the same idea and without prearrangement we met up in the swimming pool. This gave us a chance to talk through the arrangements for the evening – a slightly unconventional meeting place but useful for us both to rehearse the proceedings.
We met for the dinner under more usual circumstances in the bar for a drink and were entertained by a magician who then did the rounds of the tables once we were seated for the meal. Steve Howells, Branch Chair was unable to attend the function as he was away celebrating his wedding anniversary and so David Gibby led the proceedings. We met up with David’s wife Viv, Stuart and Lesley Atkinson and Luke and Jane Meechan. Stuart is the branch Vice-Chair and Luke is Southern Branch Chair.
After a first class meal, David and I both addressed the assembled company briefly before the DJ started the music. Stuart and Lesley led the dancing with enthusiasm, Janet and I joined them and soon the dance floor was sufficiently full to hide my efforts, which are definitely ‘dancing like my Dad’!
A good event that was well supported by businesses across the branch.
9 September 2009
As we had mostly stayed overnight, we started the Executive Board meeting at 9 o’clock. This was my first meeting of the session which I had to chair and I quickly realised the value of the preparation that is done beforehand by Mary, Brian and the other senior staff members. Our minds were very focussed, and we all had in mind the presentation of the previous evening as we tackled finance, budget and subscriptions as major items. All round this was a good and productive meeting which finished in good time.
We followed the Board with a short meeting of the Presidential Team, welcoming David Anderson, and spending some time thinking about the role of the president and Vice-presidents in raising the IHT profile through engagement with key policy influencers and also keeping close contact with our branches. Each year we send out offers to the branches for a member of our team to visit for a committee meeting or similar occasion. This gives us the opportunity to get to know the branches better and for them to feed back any queries or concerns. I hope that all branches will take up this offer during the coming year.
I stayed at Britannia Walk for the rest of the day and took the opportunity to say farewell to Claire Edmunds, who is leaving us to take up an event management role with the Society of Petroleum Engineers towards the end of September, as I will not be back in BW until after she has left. I wish her well in her new appointment.
8 September 2009
After a reasonably good car journey back to Cheshire on Monday evening, I was up and on the train back south the following morning. Arriving in Euston I was able to attend a company meeting in our Euston office before going to Britannia Walk.
After a short discussion with Mary about diary and the forward year, David Tarrant arrived so that we could jointly review the past year with Mary and set the scene for the coming year in Britannia Walk.
I then had a session with Mary and Brian to go through the papers for the Executive Board meeting on Wednesday prior to Allan Mowatt’s arrival for the AGM and board meeting of IHT Services Ltd. Allan is board chair of IHT Services and Mary and I are the other directors. We had a debate about the role of this trading company. It was set up to allow us to do business which was complementary to IHT but did not fall fully within the charitable objects – trading that is more commercial but which IHT needs to do to ensure financial viability.
Allan formally tendered his resignation from the board, but agreed to remain in post until such time as we appointed a successor and had the review of the role of IHT Services later in the year. I thanked Allan for his part in setting up and managing this important element of IHT’s business.
At 5 o’clock we held an informal session for all the incoming IHT board chairs and vice-chairs. Mary gave us a really good presentation on the roles and responsibilities of the trustees of the Institution. This was new to many of the vice-chairs but a timely refresher for the chairs who are unchanged from last year. In these current more difficult times it was exceptionally useful for us all to realise the importance of the role of trustees in ensuring the ongoing viability of IHT.
We then set off for a short walk towards Moorgate where we spent a pleasant evening over a bite to eat and a glass of wine at L’Abat Jour, an Italian restaurant with a French name, cockney waiting staff and a continental sense of the passage of time.
7 September 2009
While the golfers were up and off for the first tee time of 8.30, we had a leisurely breakfast and I spent the morning working before arriving at the golf club at 1.00 to meet the first foursomes as they completed the course. They arrived in various states of exhaustion, exhilaration and frustration, having played on a challenging and interesting course that was in superb condition.
The weather was warm and sunny and we spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the clubhouse terrace with the players as they progressively completed their rounds, we had a good lunch in the clubhouse and by 4 o’clock all were in and had been fed and watered and the scores added up.
And so to the results and the prize presentation. Overall winners were West Midlands Branch with Derek Dudley and Mike Jordan turning in a score of 48 to take the pairs competition as
well. Chris Bulman was team captain and received the trophy from me before thanking his
team for their performance, and the club, on behalf of the Locan Cup committee and all the players, for a first class event. Serco were on hand to present individual prizes that they had sponsored and I was pleased to present Anne Gayford, winner of the Ladies competition, with her prize.
I’m no golfer, but I have long seen the value of golf as a sport that brings people together to make, renew and consolidate relationships and the Locan Cup clearly has a place in IHT as a cross-branch and cross-company networking event.
6 September 2009
Janet and I travelled to Bromley, Kent, to attend the pre-competition dinner for the Locan Cup. We decided to have a light snack in the hotel lounge at around tea-time and ordered a sandwich. This arrived over an hour later despite some chasing but it did give us plenty of time to meet a number of the golf participants as they arrived to check in at the hotel. It was good to catch up with members from around the country before heading off to Sundridge Park Golf Club for the dinner.
Greater London Branch hosted the Locan Cup competition this year for the first time since it was started in 1948 and we were pleased to be greeted by Mark Beasley, Branch Chairman at the dinner. Mike Slinn, who had put a great deal of his time into organising the event, was with us, as was Chris Bulman Chairman of the Locan Cup committee who had organised the competition. Their wives, Suzie, Liz and Jenny made up the rest of the ‘Captain’s’ table for what was a really fun evening.
During the meal we were entertained by a table magician who baffled us all with his close-up magic and then, following a welcome speech from Mark, a short address from me and an introduction to the competition from Chris, he went on to provide some after dinner entertainment. He led off with a stream of one-line jokes and then performed some set-piece tricks with audience participation from Tony Reader, Nikki Morris (the only lady player in the main competition) and me.
It was pleasing to see such a cross-section of representation from the membership all linked by their enthusiasm for the game of golf. Clients, consultants, contractors and suppliers were all represented and from all four countries of the UK, making it a truly international event.
25 August 2009
Flew back from our three-week visit to the US at the weekend. Jet-lag and the effects of intensive grand-parenting very evident. Still, I was sufficiently compos mentis to attend a meeting of the conference organising committee at Manchester Town Hall to meet Dean Barlow, their event co-ordinator, and the media company, flower supplier and musicians to finalise arrangements for the Presidential Conference.
All of the arrangements are well in hand and it promises to be an excellent event. Bookings have been quiet through the summer holiday period but are beginning to come in more rapidly as the conference date approaches. If you or your company has not yet booked then please don’t overlook this major national event in the IHT calendar.
27 July 2009
Family matters. A great start to the summer holiday period. We are a grandparent again. Our eldest Andrew and his wife Lindsay have a new baby son, Thomas William (8lbs 12 ozs), to join their daughter Heather. They live in the US, near Washington DC, and we will be spending three weeks with them during August. Thomas was born on Janet’s birthday so we were together at home celebrating her birthday when we got the news. Janet also retired as planned at the end of the summer term, so we’ve had quite a round of celebrations during the last couple of weeks.
The timing of all this is excellent as this is the quiet period in the presidential calendar. The programme for the year is coming together nicely now and I’m looking forward to this break prior to the busy period from September onwards when we start the year’s round of Executive Board and Council meetings, the presidential Conference and the first of the Branch events.
23 July 2009
I arrived home to find the latest edition of Transportation Professional waiting for me. It’s a bit of a surprise to find that you’re looking at yourself from the front cover of a journal, even when you know it’s coming. It was a proud moment and I think Ty Byrd has done a good job of making sense of the interview that he held with me. I want to take this opportunity to express publicly my thanks to Richard Hogg, of our North Western Branch committee, who spent the best part of one Sunday with Janet and me taking the main photographs for the article.
One spin-off from the article was that I have been contacted by an IHT Fellow in Northern Ireland who worked with my father on the M1 in Yorkshire in the 60’s, and I am planning to meet up with him when I’m over in Belfast for the branch dinner next March. It goes to show that the role of the IHT as a networking forum is as strong as ever.
22 July 2009
I called in at Britannia Walk for an informal chat with Mary to discuss ongoing matters. It is useful to take what opportunities I can to call into the office for a catch-up, albeit I am conscious that Mary has plenty to occupy her time without unannounced visits from me!
I had a number of membership certificates to sign and then met up with David Tarrant who had come in to have a review of the past year with Mary. I was just on my way out when David Hutchinson came through the door. I can see that Britannia Walk is starting to develop something of a club atmosphere and I can only hope that more and more members see our new offices as a good place to meet for informal discussions and also to make use of the meeting facilities as a London venue for their businesses.
21 July 2009
I attended the ICE Smeaton Lecture at Great George Street in the evening followed by Dinner in the Smeaton Room.
The lecture was given by Prof. John Wootton, Chairman of the Motorway Archive Trust and a distinguished past president of IHT, on ‘The History of Britain’s Motorways, with lessons for the future.’ It was good to reflect on the tremendous achievement in building the network that we have today and a clear personal view from John that there is still much to do to provide the necessary capacity to secure our economic future.
I can personally relate to some 40 years of the motorway programme and it was good to be in the company of many who have contributed to the growth of motorways, quite a few of them for longer than I have. It was also encouraging to see younger professionals at the lecture and I hope that an insight into the past gave some inspiration to them to contribute to meeting the future needs, whether as engineers in design and construction or as transport planners, giving clear direction and vision for years to come.
The dinner afterwards was a very pleasant event and I was pleased to see Graham Dalton, HA Chief Executive in attendance. His support of the professional institutions is welcome and I am pleased with the continuing engagement that he and his staff have with IHT. I also had the chance to chat with Jean Venables, ICE President, and to exchange views with her on both the Presidency and the pressures that face our institutions in the present climate (both financial and weather!).
14 July 2009
Meanwhile, back at the branch...we had one of our regular Events Committee meetings at the Morgan Est offices in Warrington, my normal place of work.
I’ve been a member of this sub-committee since I first joined the branch. Originally set up to organise branch seminars, it now manages the major branch functions – dinner, dinner dance and seminars. The main event at the moment is my Presidential Conference in September and this occupied most of our time at the meeting. Barry Heaps is our chairman and the other members are Alistair Haydock, Richard Hogg and Phil Mason. Alison Young of AlderCross is seconded to our group and she keeps us in order and takes the minutes as well as doing a fantastic amount of running around and chasing things for us between meetings. Thanks go to June Roberts in my office who ensures that we are fed and watered at these meetings.
I’m pleased to say that preparations for the conference, the dinner and the partners’ tour are all going well. Hopefully with the line-up of speakers in place this will prove to be an attractive conference and that bookings will now start to flood in.
9 July 2009
My first official engagement and an introduction to a new range of acronyms, as I attended the joint meeting with TPS of the PMG that oversees TPP and takes its report from the PSC! Luckily I had a strong team of translators to steer me through this........
Meetings of the Partnership Management Group are held to ensure the smooth running and strategic direction of the agreement between the Transport Planning Society and IHT as the joint administrators of the Transport Planning Professional qualification, while most of the work in running the qualification is carried out by IHT staff and the Professional Standards Committee.
Victoria Hills and Martin Richards represented TPS and Richard Crossley and I represented IHT while Mary Lewis provided secretarial support to the meeting as well as her considerable contribution relative to costs and budget forecasts.
It was a good meeting and gave us all high levels of confidence that this qualification is being well managed and that the essential standards are being maintained. The challenge going forward is to ensure ongoing prudent financial management of the qualification and to see that the number of candidates coming forward gives long term viability for this qualification.
Both parties to the agreement are charged with a continuing strong marketing of the qualification, encouragement of mentors within employer organisations and response to requests from employers to check that their training programmes accord with the demands of the TPP qualification. I feel very strongly that this qualification is a first class service to members and will be emphasising its importance to both the profession and the Institution during this presidential year.
New staff at Britannia Walk
During the day at HQ I was delighted to meet two new members of staff who have joined us in July. Celia Newgas has taken up a position in the Accounts Department to provide additional support to David Ringrow alongside Bill Ford on a part-time basis.
Samantha Hammond is the new face of IHT as Front of House Officer and will be looking after reception and meeting room management, welcoming visitors to Britannia Walk as we extend the use of the facilities to both internal and external organisations. I was pleased to welcome them both to the IHT family.
8 July 2009
Not strictly presidential business but I was fortunate to have been invited to the first day of the Ashes Test in Cardiff where I spent some time talking to one of our IHT Awards sponsors. I received some very positive feedback on the awards event and a commitment to continue with their support. It is clear that IHT is seen as an organisation worth supporting and it is heartening to hear such comments.
25 June 2009
I stayed in London overnight following the AGM and attended the staff meeting at Britannia Walk. It was reassuring to me to be at the meeting already knowing the IHT staff. The time spent during the Vice-Presidency combined with the open plan environment in the office has clearly helped in getting to know everyone.
I also spent time with Dan Isichei looking forward to the year, thinking about the work we’ve done in raising the profile of IHT and how we can build on that through the Visibility Project that was led by Richard Turner over the last year.
Claire Edmunds and I spent a useful hour reviewing recent events, the Awards Dinner and the Alan Brant conference, which had been very successful. Claire was keen to get feedback and to look at how we can improve going forward. This is an important area for us in meeting our objectives and providing for members. There is really good enthusiasm for raising our standards and providing value for money.
So; there we are.....the blog is started. I’m looking to a really enjoyable year visiting the branches and representing the Institution. My wife, Janet, plans to accompany me to as many events as she can and we both look forward to meeting a good number of you during the coming year.
24 June 2009
After attending the Procurement and Delivery board and Council, I was proud to be inaugurated as President at this year’s AGM. I am pleased to have been Senior Vice-President to David Tarrant and it has been a real pleasure working with him during his very successful year in which we have seen significant changes and forward progress with qualifications, increasing membership, Royal Charter application and the move to Britannia Walk.
I was delighted to present him with his gift of a silver wine bottle stand and his Past President’s medal and to add my congratulations on a great year.
Looking forward I can see some challenges ahead during the recession and I aim to concentrate on ensuring continued growth through concentrating on the needs of our members. Qualifications remain close to my heart and are also a key to growing and retaining members. We have a strong team at Britannia Walk that believes firmly in serving the membership and in whom I have great faith for the future.
I hope to serve the Institution well during my year and, with my history of employment in contracting, aim to bring a personal perspective to the position reflecting that background.
