Page 4 - A4 Journal 2019

The Master’s Year

EDITORIAL

This year has seen significant changes in the way that the and despite that, this year’s Journal is intended to give all our
Worshipful Company of Constructors is run. There has been a members, and the wider Livery audience, a snapshot of what
considerable amount of navel gazing over the year, and the we, as a livery company, have been doing over the year, and
Journal may well be reflective of that. It is, after all, a record how we are thinking about preparing ourselves for the future.
of what we, as a Company, have done during the year and
should also reflect the thoughts of our Members. However,
Roger Lilley - Editor

A Message from the Master

The newly elected Master, Sir Vivian Ramsey, gives his thoughts on the year ahead

“Dear Fellow Constructors
I am delighted to have been elected and to be able to serve as Master for the coming year. I very much
hope that you will find time to participate in some of the diverse events which I and the Mistress,
Barbara, have arranged, as well as many of the other activities during the year.
In addition to the regular lunches at the Ironmongers’ Hall, I am arranging a number of informal events
during the year with a legal theme, including visits to the Inns of Court and Court buildings.
I shall be continuing with the international theme. Participants in the UK construction industry and, in particular, the
consultancy professions, have an enviable reputation overseas. They will increasingly need to use existing markets and find
new ones for their services outside the UK. As well as traditional markets in Commonwealth countries, there are
opportunities throughout Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
In the Far East, Singapore has been a model in developing external influence and I will be organising a Master’s Weekend in
Singapore from 3 to 5 April. It is a vibrant city state which I first visited over 30 years ago. Barbara lived there for three years
in the 1950s when her father was in the Army. I have worked there on many occasions and continue to do so, particularly
now as an International Judge in the Singapore International Commercial Court. Besides being an enjoyable weekend, I
intend to make sure that we are able to foster commercial links during our visit.
The Atlantic Coast of France will be the venue for a second Master’s Weekend from 29 to 31 May. We have been visiting the
area for family holidays for over 30 years and now have a house in Mimizan. During the Belle Époque and the 1920s and
1930s the Duke of Westminster maintained a hunting lodge there and it was visited by a number of famous people,
including Winston Churchill who produced many paintings of various local scenes. It is close to Bordeaux and the weekend
will include an opportunity to see something of the local history, taste local food and wine and relax.
We also thought that it would be good to organise a Sunday afternoon event at our house in Kent and will be holding a
Garden Party there on 21 June. It will be open to all constructors, family and friends, including children. July will then see
the final Master’s Weekend which will be held in Durham, staying on the Bailey, close by the Cathedral. There will be a visit to
Auckland Castle, the ancient home of the Bishops of Durham, and an evening historical pageant which has been highly rated
in the national press.
For this year I have chosen as my charity REDR, formally known as the Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief. Its mission
is to rebuild lives in times of disaster by training, supporting and supplying aid workers to relief programmes across the
world. It provides the necessary expertise so that people locally can deal with the challenges which occur in times of disaster
in order to maintain essential infrastructure. I shall be working with this Company’s Charitable Trust to raise funds, in
particular to further the aims of this worthwhile organisation as well as the existing charitable endeavours.
I am taking over the Company at a time when, thanks in particular to the Immediate Past Master, Mike Parrett, it is in a
strong and re-invigorated position. I very much hope that during this year, through the formal dinners, regular lunches,
informal events, and Master’s Weekends, I shall be able to engage with many of those in the Company, to ensure that they
value their connection with this modern, thriving and forward thinking Livery Company.
With very best wishes for the coming year -

Sir Vivian Ramsey - Master

Page 4 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | Autumn 2019