A letter from the Editor September 2024

Dear readers,

Summer came and went, perhaps a bit too quick. However, your editorial team is back, and we can’t wait to bring you some new stories.

September represents a time of change: Season changes, Livery year changes, and even the Clerk has changed. It’s often said that change is good. While we uphold our traditions and act on our principles, change brings new ideas, new energies and new ways of working.

Stephen Fitz-Gerald, our 347th Master, brings plenty of new energy. His four ‘Fs’ are refreshing and enlightening: Fellowship, Friendship, Fundraising and Fun. You can read more about his aims in this month’s Master’s Message, if you haven’t already. If you ask me, I would add a fifth ‘F’ for fantastic!

Another fantastic thing is that Lt Col Craig Hallatt has joined us as our new Clerk and is in full swing with the Company’s affairs. Craig is not only a talented musician, but also an accomplished composer, and a senior ranking officer with an outstanding career of 39 years in the armed forces. We are lucky to be under his baton and orchestration.

Since Coachlines took a holiday in August, we have accumulated a few event reports, such as the wonderful Swan Upping along the Thames, and the visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, while Freeman Chris Mann held his annual classic car get-together in his garden, as reported by Honorary Assistant Lesley Upham.

Meanwhile, our committees have been busy throughout the summer months. On the charity front, you will find stories about our award winners, and a call to apply for this year’s aerospace bursaries, which are now open for applications.

If you were wondering whether ADAS will be the next addition to the MOT, you may want to read what the IMI’s Grahame Pells has to say (courtesy of Liveryman Steve Nash, CEO of the IMI).

Liveryman David Barrett, who is also a member of the Communications Committee, an avid writer and keen traveller, has brought some interesting stories to the travel section in past issues of Coachlines – from Mauritius to Scandinavia. This time, he reports on a Roman road less travelled.

The sports sector of the Company is always active. The final golf fixture of the year took place at Tandridge Golf Club on 26th September, so you can expect a match report in October’s Coachlines. In this edition, Captain of Shooting Liveryman Alastair Boyes, takes centre stage to promote its activities and encourage more Coachmakers to join the team.

To conclude, being the chief communicator for the Company and for the Master, I would like to echo the Master’s key message by emphasising the four ‘Fs’ he has introduced to the Company this year: Fellowship, Friendship, Fundraising and Fun.

Fellow Coachmakers – fasten your seatbelts please. Let’s rock n’ roll!

Your Editor, Lyn