Meetings and Lectures - but no Tequilas......

I’ve had a busy time this week. Tuesday saw my first Committee meeting at Bay Chambers and I somehow got roped into taking the minutes! As scary as that first sounded it turned out to be a good way to learn everyone’s name, plus it made sure I kept track of everything that was going on (just!).

Wednesday night was the ‘Menelaus’ lecture and dinner. A prestigious annual event that this year also celebrated 25 years of WISE (Women in Science and Engineering). The lecture on development of 'silent' aircraft was very different to the civil enginnering topics we normally see. Professer Dame Anne Dowling's use of contraptions made from hairdryers and vacuum cleaners to demonstrate noise sources similar to aviation was great for helping understand the problems, but also made me chuckle at the irony of domestic appliances at a WISE event!

Here's the result of the research - a new style of plane. The big differences are the engines on top of the aircraft, plus its unusual shape. Will easyjet be taking you over to Kos in something like this soon? Maybe! Or at least something incorporating aspects of the tech?



The dinner afterwards at Aberdare Hall (that red brick building at the end of park place) had a great atmosphere. Mr G, some of the ICE Wales Committee members and I all had a chat with Peter Hansford (the next ICE President) over drinks before dinner. I had also met Peter at the State of the Nation Launch at OGGS the other week, and both times found him to be a very friendly guy and easy to chat to.

At dinner I was sat next to Keith Thomas, who I found out used to be Director for Transportation at what is now Transport Wales, and is now ICE Wales' Panel Member for Historical Works. His knowledge of transportation history in Wales was fascinating, as were his opinions on current big issues such as the need for an M4 relief road. Not only that, he was actually quite a good laugh!

Here's one of those embaressing after dinner photos of (left to right): Margaret Everson (Hon. Secretary CILT Cymru), Gemma Hancock (Chairman of ICE Graduates and Students Committee), Keith and me:



Thursday was the G&S Committee Xmas meeting at Las Iguanas. Unfortunately a cold I'd been struggling with all week finally got the best of me so I had to spend the night on the sofa watching 'I'm a Celeb' rather than hitting the fajitas and tequilas with Gemma's crowd. A shame as I was looking forward to getting to know the fine people of G&S better. I'll definitely be at the next one!