A WELL ENGINEERED COMPANY The story of The Worshipful Company of Engineers 1983 – 2008 by Commander Bryan Gibson MBE Royal Navy Master 2006 – 2007 Clerk 1986 - 2002 1 CONTENTS Foreword Page 3 Preface Page 4 Introduction Page 5 Chapter 1 1983 – 1985 Page 8 Chapter 2 1985 – 1986 Page 14 Chapter 3 1986 – 1987 Page 17 Chapter 4 1987 – 1988 Page 21 Chapter 5 1988 – 1989 Page 24 Chapter 6 1989 – 1990 Page 27 Chapter 7 1990 – 1991 Page 30 Chapter 8 1991 – 1992 Page 33 Chapter 9 1992 – 1993 Page 36 Chapter 10 1993 – 1994 Page 40 Chapter 11 1994 – 1995 Page 44 Chapter 12 1995 – 1996 Page 47 Chapter 13 1996 – 1997 Page 50 Chapter 14 1997 – 1998 Page 53 Chapter 15 1998 – 1999 Page 57 Chapter 16 1999 – 2000 Page 61 Chapter 17 2000 – 2001 Page 64 Chapter 18 2001 – 2002 Page 69 Chapter 19 2002 – 2003 Page 73 Chapter 20 2003 – 2004 Page 77 Chapter 21 2004 – 2005 Page 81 Chapter 22 2005 – 2006 Page 86 Chapter 23 2006 – 2007 Page 91 Chapter 24 2007 – 2008 Page 98 Chapter 25 Final Words Page 102 Annex A Armorial Bearings Page 103 Annex B Master Engineers Page 104 Annex D – F Event Locations Page 105 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Masters’ photographs by Gerald Sharp Photographers. Additional photography up to 1991 by the late Norman Harrison and since 1992 by Jon Murrell. Copyright The Worshipful Company of Engineers 2008 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without permission from the publishers. Published by: The Worshipful Company of Engineers, October 2008 2 Foreword by the Master. This book could not have been produced in this form without Bryan Gibson’s involvement because he alone has the detailed knowledge of the Engineer’s Company over such a long period. Bryan’s loyal and dedicated service to the Company, and to a long succession of Masters, as Clerk for over 16 years and then as Warden and Master has played a major part in the success of the Company through its first 25 years and the following chapters make that clear. I am delighted to have this opportunity to pay tribute to all that Bryan Gibson has done and to thank him on behalf of the Company. Tony Roche FREng Master 2008-9 3 A WELL ENGINEERED COMPANY The story of The Worshipful Company of Engineers 1983 – 2008 Preface The Worshipful Company of Engineers started with two “firsts”. Firstly, it was the fastest formed Livery Company of the 19th and 20th centuries going from a Company without Livery – it was never a Guild – to grant of Livery by the Court of Aldermen in less than 10 weeks. Secondly, when Letters Patent were presented by The Rt. Hon The Lord Mayor on 1st November 1983 to the Founder Master, Alderman Sir Peter Gadsden, it was the first time in the recorded history of the City that the Founder Master of a Livery Company was a serving Alderman and also the supporting Alderman for the grant of livery. Shortly afterwards came another first when the Badge of The Lord Mayor was incorporated into the Company’s Armorial Bearings. When, on 11th February 2004, HM The Queen approved the grant of a Royal Charter of Incorporation, it was the first new Royal Charter granted to a Livery Company in 46 years and only the third Charter to a modern company. With the grant of a Royal Charter just over twenty years from its formation, the Engineers’ Company had achieved a great deal and could be said to have come of age. With the presentation of the Royal Charter by HRH The Duke of Kent on 27th April 2004, the legal status of the company changed and from the 28th April 2004, the Engineers Company has operated under the terms of its Charter. This book covers the period the Company operated under Letters Patent presented by The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor from 1st November 1983 to 27th April 2004 and the first 4 years since the granting of the Royal Charter. There is also an introduction covering the years prior to the grant of livery. Throughout the whole of this period, I was involved with the Company in various capacities as Secretary of one of the founding Chartered Engineering Institutions, a Liveryman, Clerk for over 16 years and occupying the various Wardens’ chairs before becoming Master in 2006. The Founder Master always said that “Livery must be fun” and we have all enjoyed ourselves whilst never losing sight of our principal objective to encourage and promote the art, science and technology of engineering. This therefore is the story of a young modern Livery Company finding its way and establishing itself within the City of London related by someone who started with little knowledge of either the City or the Livery movement but who came to appreciate the important contribution made by both to the life of the Nation. I am most grateful to all the Past Masters for their assistance in writing this book and for their personal contributions and also to the Assistant Clerk & Beadle Stephen Grundy and the present Clerk Air Vice- Marshal Graham Skinner. I dedicate the book to all the Liverymen of the Company without whom there would not have been a story to tell and whose friendship and cooperation I have always appreciated. Bryan Gibson October 2008 4 Introduction I first saw the inside of Guildhall in 1979 when attending the Annual Dinner of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants for whom I had started working after leaving the Royal Navy in 1978. Under the gaze of Gog and Magog, you could not help feeling a sense of history with the memorials to Pitt, Nelson, Wellington and Churchill but I do not recall being aware of the Livery Company shields high up on the walls. Nor had I any sense that within a few years, Guildhall and the City would become an important part of my life. Then in January 1980 my son James was invited by his friend Edward, the son of Common Councilman Ian McNeil, to accompany him to the Annual Lord Mayor’s Fancy Dress Party in Mansion House. A few weeks after the party, James came home with a photograph of Edward and himself sitting in the Lord Mayor’s Ceremonial Chair. Across the photograph had been written “With all good wishes, Peter Gadsden”. Over the years, that distinctive black writing and signature became increasingly familiar and it now seems fate that my first, albeit indirect, contact with a Lord Mayor should have been with our Founder Master. In November 1999, the Founder Assistant Clerk Raymond Cousins gave a lecture in which he outlined the history of the founding of the Company and its early years and this was published in 2000. As I was not involved in any of the events prior to the Grant of Livery much of this introduction is based on Raymond’s lecture. In the 1970's the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen wished to promote closer links between the modern leading professions and the City of London by encouraging them to seek recognition as City Livery Companies. Up to that time there had only been seven new Livery companies in the twentieth century. Some professions responded and formed companies and eight were granted Livery Status between 1977 and 1980. In 1974, Sir Peter Gadsden first approached the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy but whilst receiving support there were not sufficient members from one Institution interested enough to create a company. Similarly other Institutions made enquiries amongst their members but by themselves they did not have sufficient numbers either. The City also indicated that it would prefer to have an Engineering Livery Company based on a wide range of engineering disciplines. In 1978 Sir Peter had discussions with the Fellowship of Engineering (later the Royal Academy of Engineering) which itself had been formed in 1976 but, again, whilst being supportive there was not quite enough enthusiasm to make it work at that time. Sir Peter was elected Lord Mayor in 1979 and it wasn’t until January 1982 that Bunny Morgan, ‘Mr Fixit’ of the City, arranged a meeting between Sir Peter and Trevor Crocker. Trevor had been making enquiries amongst Engineer members of other Livery Companies and they were quickly joined by Robert McWilliam, Gerry Mortimer, Robert Dunn and Ted West. Michael Leonard who was Secretary of the Fellowship also began to follow up the earlier enquires. The Institution of Metallurgists, the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and the Institution of Mining Engineers had formed a small group (President, Past President and President-elect from each Institution) to consider a possible merger and Sir Peter persuaded this group to be active in pursuing the formation of a Livery Company. Indeed when I became Secretary of the Institution of Metallurgists in September 1982, one of my early tasks was to identify Fellows who might be interested in joining a new Company so that by the end of that year there was beginning to be sufficient support to make the formation of a Company a real possibility. Following a meeting at the City of London Club on 9th December 1982, there was an approach to the Fellowship to seek its support and Sir Peter was subsequently invited to address the Annual General Meeting in March 1983. The Fellowship was very supportive and at a Council Meeting on 3rd May 1983 passed a resolution "supporting the formation of an unincorporated association to be called the Company of Engineers which will then petition the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London for recognition as a Livery Company of the City of London".