Richard's March Update ...

Two more Presidential events after a quiet few weeks.    One of the nicest lunches is the lunch given by the Association of Accounting Technicians.  This was held in the Clothworkers Hall.  Another of the City Livery Companies their history goes back almost 500 years and the livery hall is a really magnificent place.

I am on the AAT Council as a representative of CIPFA which is a sponsoring body, so I was present at the Council Meeting before lunch.  Every year they invite the President and Chief Executive. 

It is a very informal gathering with a few welcoming remarks but no real speeches.

This week I was a guest at the dinner of the Society of Municipal Treasurers.  This Society has in membership the Treasurers of the Metropolitan Authorities and the London Boroughs.  I am also a Past President of this Society and was President in 1986.  At the time the youngest President they had had.

It is always encouraging to note that there are still 2 past Presidents who were Presidents before me alive and one of them at the dinner. 

We normally go to the home authority of the President which has made for some interesting journeys in past years.  This year’s President is from Peterborough but the dinner was in the Peers Dining Room at the House of Lords. A truly fantastic setting.  Lord Redesdale who greeted us said it was the best staff canteen there was.  The food and wines were really magnificent and a good time was had by all.

Next week it is the Lancashire and Cheshire Branch Dinner to look forward to.

The Annual Dinner of the London and Home Counties

This weekend was the Annual Dinner of the London and Home Counties Association.    This is held at one of the City Livery Halls, The Innholders’ Hall which is tucked away behind Cannon Street Station. 

The Hall is a wonderful setting for a formal dinner.    The Grand Dining Room is oak panelled and once lit with candles and candelabra it really does look beautiful.  There were, I think over 70 people and the meal was excellent.  The Innholders have a Michelin starred chef.  

The Guild dates back to the 1300s and moved to a Hall on the current site in 1521.  It was rebuilt in 1670 following the Great Fire and the Dining Room has been little altered since.

Richard's Christmas Message

No more official engagements for 2013, although I am going to watch the staff misbehave at their Christmas lunch.

It just remains to wish everyone a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a successful 2014.

Season's Greetings!

Richard's latest news ...

Towards the end of November I was privileged to attend the Lunch for the RICS Rating Diploma Holders at the RAF Club overlooking Piccadilly and Green Park in Central London. This was a great occasion with kindred Presidents and a large number of Friends and Council members from IRRV. Unfortunately I could not be there for the session on valuing power stations which as it turns out would have been very useful because appeals on power stations and pipe lines are causing havoc to business rate forecasts in Lincolnshire at present.

Last week I attended the Scottish Benefits Conference and Chaired the first morning. An excellent programme and a great venue. I did have a little difficulty inasmuch as I got an early flight and was in my hire car at Edinburgh Airport in good time but immediately on leaving the airport I fell out with the lady in the sat nav.  This led to a rather circuitous route which took in some truly magnificent scenery but also some very icy roads.  If I am honest I fell out with her three times which prolonged my journey considerably.

On my return to Terminal 5 my car gears would not move out of Park which led to a 5 hour wait for a recovery firm that could get into a multi storey car park. In the end as they could not move it they had to put it on “skates” and push it up to the surface.  I then got a hired car that had last been abroad and all warning systems are unintelligible to me. The alarm keeps going but I really don’t know why.  All in all a very exciting day.  

Richard's update on the recent IRRV Council Meeting

This week saw the first Council Meeting of my year. It always surprises me as to how much business there is to get through at these quarterly meetings. The various Committee meetings and Council extend from 10.15am - 4.15pm. 

There were some pleasant duties as well.   I was able to give Dave Chapman his Past President’s badge and thank him for his very successful year as President. 

The Nominations Committee also appointed  Jim  McCafferty as the Junior Vice President for 2013-2014. This election had been delayed by the necessity to get the Council Elections completed first. Congratulations to Jim who I am sure will do an excellent job for the Institute. 

Much of this meeting was used to review the Conference and agree a strategy for the next one. Those discussions continue and everyone will be notified in due course.

Richard's latest update

One of the first events of this presidential year was a lunch for the Past Presidents and Honorary Officers which was held at the end of last week. We had a very small room in a restaurant in Covent Garden and 17 or 18 past presidents turned up covering a very considerable time span. 

It was jointly hosted with last year’s President as the event did not take place last year.  It is very nice to see the Past Presidents, many of whom retired from Council some time ago and it is a leisurely event with a great deal of nostalgia. We also remembered those who are not well enough to come. A lovely occasion.

Next week sees the Council Meeting and I look forward to chairing that for the first time this year.

This week's news about the Public Accounts Committee view of Universal Credit was very interesting and it will be interesting to see how that debate unfolds over the next few days.