Another two weeks have passed and it is time to let you know what I have been up to.
Last week was Institute activity free so I was pleased to be able to drop by the vintage car rally (London to Brighton) on Sunday 2nd to watch some of the old cars. Living on the route of the original rally (you remember the old film Genevieve with Kenneth Moore?) Colin, myself and a couple of friends try to make it a tradition to cut along to London Road to sit in the Continental Café (run by the wonderful Inga who serves homemade goulash to keep you warm) spotting the cars and waving to the occupants. Sometimes you are treated to a breakdown and other times just a cloud of smoke! But it is all great fun, and the condition of the cars shows the great care and love that the owners have for their cars. I have included a couple of photo’s to show some of the cars.
I spent the early part of this week on some management and leadership training that we are carrying out at Tandridge DC. We were talking about strategies and how these should best be communicated to an organisation. It was really good and there were lots of hints and tips that I am looking forward to putting in to practice. Thursday saw me meeting with David (having travelled to town dressed ready for the Black tie Rating Surveyors' Association dinner that evening and enduring some very peculiar looks from fellow travellers), to discuss some upcoming events later this year including the programme for next year's International Conference.
David and I walked the fifteen minutes to the Chancery Court Hotel, luckily it wasn’t raining and I managed to get there without being too windswept. This event was the first outing for the Presidential Medal – albeit without the chain which is still being re-gilt and engraved with the names of the last few past presidents – it also now has a nice new green ribbon. The dinner was a fabulous affair with many other Institute members present, Tom Dixon (Institute Council member and Past President) is currently the RSA president and it was lovely to see him hosting and enjoying such a successful evening. Tom and his Vice-President regaled the assembled with a very funny skit based around US media coverage of Gordon Brown taking over the premiership from Tony Blair, centring round the very different approaches of electing the leadership of the two governments.
Last week was Institute activity free so I was pleased to be able to drop by the vintage car rally (London to Brighton) on Sunday 2nd to watch some of the old cars. Living on the route of the original rally (you remember the old film Genevieve with Kenneth Moore?) Colin, myself and a couple of friends try to make it a tradition to cut along to London Road to sit in the Continental Café (run by the wonderful Inga who serves homemade goulash to keep you warm) spotting the cars and waving to the occupants. Sometimes you are treated to a breakdown and other times just a cloud of smoke! But it is all great fun, and the condition of the cars shows the great care and love that the owners have for their cars. I have included a couple of photo’s to show some of the cars.
I spent the early part of this week on some management and leadership training that we are carrying out at Tandridge DC. We were talking about strategies and how these should best be communicated to an organisation. It was really good and there were lots of hints and tips that I am looking forward to putting in to practice. Thursday saw me meeting with David (having travelled to town dressed ready for the Black tie Rating Surveyors' Association dinner that evening and enduring some very peculiar looks from fellow travellers), to discuss some upcoming events later this year including the programme for next year's International Conference.
David and I walked the fifteen minutes to the Chancery Court Hotel, luckily it wasn’t raining and I managed to get there without being too windswept. This event was the first outing for the Presidential Medal – albeit without the chain which is still being re-gilt and engraved with the names of the last few past presidents – it also now has a nice new green ribbon. The dinner was a fabulous affair with many other Institute members present, Tom Dixon (Institute Council member and Past President) is currently the RSA president and it was lovely to see him hosting and enjoying such a successful evening. Tom and his Vice-President regaled the assembled with a very funny skit based around US media coverage of Gordon Brown taking over the premiership from Tony Blair, centring round the very different approaches of electing the leadership of the two governments.
Today has been Remembrance Sunday - I very proudly watched Colin lay wreaths at both the Church Service and then later at the war memorial in Wivelsfield on behalf of the Parish Council (he is a Parish Councillor). Every year the familiar words of the service and the hymns and music we hear never dim the feelings of loss and immense gratitude for the sacrifice made, in so many conflicts and wars, distant and more recent. Those four words are so poignant and never lose their edge, and so as we mark 90 years since the end of the first world war. We shall never forget.
