I RECENTLY attended a Saturday night theatre show in Cromer on the north Norfolk coast. At the interval, while enjoying a drink, a face in the crowd beckoned. It turned out to be an old student, now retired from the fire service, who lives in Cromer and shares the same musical tastes. The remainder of the interval soon passed as we brought each other up-to-date on how the passing years had treated us and with stories of mutual friends and acquaintances.
Not only was the show entertaining and a reminder of times gone by, but the chance meeting added immensely to the evening by being a very pleasant reminder of professional contacts and ‘mislaid’ friends.
This rounded of a month where this type of reunion has been very much to the fore. It serves to reinforce what I feel the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) is about: namely, the camaraderie, the networking and the friendship. To illustrate that further, let me refer to two events that have taken place since my last column.
One of the pleasant duties I have to perform is to host the annual dinner for the Past Presidents of the Institution, of which there are around 30 surviving members. The event, which was held in Norfolk, proved to be a popular attraction for a number of individuals who have been unable to attend for many years. Naturally enough, there was a great deal of story-swapping and catching up to do.
Our oldest surviving Past President is, I am told, Frank Rushbrook (President 1965), who is now in his nineties but unfortunately was unable to attend. However, I was delighted to be able to welcome David Blacktop (President 1966) and his wife, even though they are now 86 and 84, respectively, but looking as sprightly as ever. He told me that he took the IFE Graduate examination in 1946 and found that it served him well throughout his career. He still takes a keen interest in the activities of the Institution and attends as many events as he is able to. To mark the occasion, I presented him with a small memento on behalf of the IFE.
I was also asked to pass on apologies from a number of individuals who, for a variety of reasons, could not attend. One such person, Garth Scotford, now lives in Australia. He moved there some years ago and lost touch with members in the UK. The IFE’s Australian Branch located him, passed on the details, and he is now delighted to be in contact once again with former colleagues and friends.
The evening also included an update on current activities of the IFE Board and proposed developments, which was appreciated and served to keep those attending in touch with the latest moves in the Institution.
Impressive affair
The same sort of occasion occurs all around the world as the bond between colleagues continues. The numbers involved can be both impressive and significant.
In Hong Kong – the Institution’s strongest branch in terms of numbers – there were over 250 people attending a recent Branch dinner. This was a very impressive affair at which it became obvious that the members of the Branch and the profession were held in high regard by other recognised engineering professions, judging by the number of representatives from other engineering institutions present.
It was an occasion that recognised the achievements of a number of members by the presentation of their hard-earned certificates. The encouragement that members from the Hong Kong Fire Services Department receive to further their career through recognised qualifications and degrees was also recognised by the award of a well-deserved Fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire to their director, Joe Kwok. Let me, on behalf of the Board and all members of the Institution, add my congratulations for that honour.