Master Water Conservator

What do you do on a sunny summer afternoon but go for a cruise on the Thames, followed by afternoon tea overlooking the river?   Thanks to the organisation of Georgina Hall, a crew of Water Conservators boarded Princess Marina at Caversham on the Thames. Built in 1928, Princess Marina has a history from coastal defence to harbour cruiser to genteel private charter vessel.   We sailed down the river through Caversham lock and the centre of Reading.   It is amazing how places look so much better from the river!   We then headed to Sonning, home of a former mill housing a theatre and restaurant, for drama, comedy and music (High Society to Queen).   We then retuned upstream past the park and site of the preparation for the Reading Festival (Billie Eilish to Lewis Capaldi). There is more culture in Berkshire than you might expect. Over afternoon tea we put the world to rights and I wondered what they did with all the crusts they cut off the sandwiches.   We a...

  The things I do for the Water Conservators’ Livery Company!   This was interesting and inspiring.   This was also outside my normal water and environmental management areas of engagement, and ticked boxes on waste energy/climate change. I was invited by members of the Worshipful Company of Carmen and the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality to visit Silverstone to see a recycling factory.   Except that here what they were reusing and upcycling were refuse trucks.   They were stripping out the diesel engines, fuel tanks, hydraulics etc from used trucks and fitting an electric powertrain, batteries and state of the art monitoring and control systems.   The restoration and conversion captured over 80% of the embedded carbon and delivered a vehicle as new.   Up to 6 x 500kg replaceable, recyclable batteries and regenerative braking gave a range and lifting capacity way in excess of normal requirements. The company were strongly challenged by...

    Members of the Company were delighted to accept an invitation to visit HMS Scott in Plymouth. Our support for HMS Scott is part of our Livery commitment to the services.   As the Royal Navy’s only ocean survey vessel, HMS Scott undertakes sonar mapping of the ocean floor worldwide and is currently the fifth largest ship in the fleet.   She has recently been working in the Caribbean.   She entered into service in 1997 and we were pleased to have Rear Admiral Bob Mark, her first captain and member of the Water Conservators, with us on our visit.   Bob gave us fascinating insights into the commissioning and service of the ship.   We were very pleased that it has recently been announced that HMS Scott will be refurbished for a 10 year service extension. After a formal welcome the Captain explained how a company of just 78 with only 52 on board at any one time are available for operations over 300 days per year.   He described the leadership an...