It all started with a long weekend canal boating on the Thames, mooring up in Oxford and Abingdon along the way. It was my first time on a canal boat, and the whole experience of chugging along through locks with friends and a cold beer in hand was very serene and relaxing. The obligatory embarrassing fancy dress (literally) for the stag also made the evenings a good laugh.
Things are really busy with Halcrow at the moment, working on Halcrow’s Employer’s Agent role overseeing the detailed design of the A487 Porthmadog, Minffordd and Tremadog Bypass. Work on site is starting to pick up pace and it’s a really interesting stage for the project. The fact that Network Rail have chosen the ‘quiet’ Cambrian Coast line, which we need to divert to fit our road in, as a testing ground the new European Signalling system is proving a challenge. Good to work on though and has given me some good opportunities to broaden my engineering horizons.
Inbetween work, we had an ICE Wales Cymru Executive Board meeting on Tuesday at 4pm, including a presentation on the member satisfaction survey by ICE Comms Director, Anne Moir. I had to take the minutes of the meeting, which sounds like a chore (okay it is), but it’s a really handy way of keeping you involved in the issues and you can’t let anything go over your head! The meeting closed at 6pm as Anne, Heather from her team, the Director, Chairman and I had to catch the train to London in preparation for the State of the Nation – Infrastructure launch the next day.
This was my second trip to One Great George Street and you notice something new about the place everytime you go. Past President David Orr presented the Infrastructure report to the Government’s Chief Construction Advisor at the event. After this Alun and I went to the Regional Affairs Committee meeting. Being in OGGS I had a bit of a preconceived idea that any meeting here was going to be ultra formal and intimidating, but it was quite the opposite. ICE Director’s gave us a few briefings on current affairs and we then broke up into focus groups to discuss them. I ended up compiling our groups thoughts on a flip chart and presenting them to the Committee. Much like my local committee it was great to see everyone was keen to listen to a lowly Apprentice’s opinions.
Official meetings finished about 4pm and after a quick change back at the hotel we returned to OGGS for the ‘President’s Reception’. A black tie dinner for ICE volunteers held in the Great Hall, and also pretty much the poshest doo I’ve ever been to! The hall is amazing (as featured in Bridget Jones’ Diary 2 if you’ve got the DVD on the shelf!) and my wife was also invited which was nice as I got the chance to introduce her to some colleagues she’s never met before. We sat next to David Orr who showed us round the building after dinner. A guided tour off a past-president was very cool and a great honour. Much appreciated! Emily asked him whether you still get to be called 'Mr President' after your term in office like the US President. Apparently not unfortunately! P.S. Did you know every President has their portrait painted and it’s hung in OGGS foyer for their year? After that they slowly make their way along the corridor and down the stairs!
Here's a photo of Emily and me being given the Presidential tour by David Orr (sorry for the blurry camera phone pic):
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