Master’s message January 2022

A very warm hello to everyone as we head towards the end of January 2022. For so many Liverymen, Christmas and New Year was so special and rewarding, purely by nature of the fact that the restrictions of Christmas 2020 had been removed. For me personally to have time with my all my immediate family was beyond special. The fact that it was in the sunshine in St Lucia, even more so.

For many, January is deemed as a somewhat ‘flat’ month and one to get gone! However, for the optimists among us, I see it as a great way to get ready for the spring time ahead, with planning & preparation time. The fact that the sun has shone through some days and the snowdrops are on the ground, heralds spring for me. One of my favourite January moments each year is filling the house with daffodils.

This month’s Coachlines has some great articles, as always. Please do take the time to listen to the podcast where I chat to our own resident interviewer, Liveryman Chris Mann about the work of the Livery Committee, which plans, organises and executes a fantastic, diverse and often hard to access (as a private individual) range of events. In December, accompanying your Christmas card, we enclosed an event flyer with just six of the events planned this spring. Please watch out for the email advertisements, they usually arrive six weeks prior to the events or can be viewed in the events section on our website. committee chair Assistant Richard Robinson and the team are always open to new ideas and contributions. Please don’t hesitate to contact Richard if you would like to get more actively involved.

Not yet published, but also on the planner will be visits to more of our affiliated military units, notably RAF Brize Norton, the Royal Air Force Affiliated Service Unit & The Royal Dragoon Guards, our Army Affiliated Service Unit. After the success of our autumn visits to HMS Bulwark & Commando Helicopter Force, I can personally highly recommend attendance. Among other events planned, not yet published, we will have a visit to the Royal Mews, Royal International Air Tattoo and a chance to have your road driving analysed by an Advanced Driving Examiner!

My thanks go to two friends and Liverymen who provide contributions to Coachlines this month. Liveryman & Consort 2, Adrian Smith, shares his thoughts with ‘The times they are a-changin’’ within aerospace & automotive. Also, IMI Chair Steve Nash shares the just-published interim report from the IMI (Institute Motor Industry) on Diversity & Inclusion in the Automotive sector. Both subjects are very current & the IMI would be pleased to have any comments or feedback on the report, ahead of publication of the final report in March. I am delighted to be chairing one of the three task force strands along with Linda Jackson, CEO Peugeot, who will also be our keynote speaker at the Automotive Dinner on 24th March. In tandem with this work, started last year, is a Coachmakers’ diversity statement. The draft is currently going through the Court Committees, so more news on our own plans and commitments will follow over the next few months.

As always, a huge thanks to all our volunteers on Committees. There is tremendous work being done across the whole spectrum of our committees, with extra Membership Committee dinners, engaging Communications Committee activity & detailed hard work in the Charity Committee as we go through the selection process of many of our bursary & scholarship award nominees across our three sectors.

Lastly, the highlight of September to December last year was the opportunity to spend so much time with many Liveryman, often with friends or partners. With spring now on its way and a great line up of events, I look forward to seeing many more of you during the next few months.