VSJ – February 2008 – Members’ News

The Director General, Mike Ryan, tells us about this year’s Spring Seminar at the London Transport Museum, Covent Garden.

Last year’s very successful event on HMS Belfast proved a hard act to follow, but we believe we have come up with a formula that combines the novelty of the Belfast programme with the more traditional style of past meetings at Trinity House. This year’s Seminar will be held in Covent Garden, one of the most interesting and trendy parts of London, in the Cubic Theatre, which is part of the brand new London Transport Museum.

A morning of presentations will focus on transportation and navigation. Our principal speaker, David Broughton, is an ex-RAF navigator and a private pilot. He is currently the Director of the Royal Institute of Navigation in London. David will open with an overview of satellite navigation in general – the benefits, pitfalls and misconceptions – and its use in land, sea and air environments. But, believing “the most dangerous ‘cockpit’ of all” is the driving seat, he will move on to concepts that are currently making news, such as vehicle tracking and road-user charging – and the methods some use to defeat them!

Arrangements with other speakers are being finalised as we go to print – see the IAP website – but we shall in any case be hearing from Ian Arthurton, the Chairman of London Transport Museum Friends. Ian joined London Transport in 1960, and developed train-borne automatic driving equipment for the new Victoria Line trains. Subsequently he assumed overall responsibility for train design and in 1988 he became London Underground’s Director of Passenger Services. Following early retirement Ian has worked as a consultant to the train builders Alstom, and to Tube Lines.

With an unmatched knowledge of the history of public transport in London, Ian is the ideal man to introduce the Museum, which was reopened last November following a £22 million refit. It now provides a state-of-the-art showcase for Transport for London’s unique collection of historic vehicles and its many other fascinating exhibits. Ian will explain how the collection was assembled, describing some of the principal exhibits and the work of the Museum’s Friends. He will also take a look into the future and speculate how London’s increasing congestion and population may dictate changes to its transport systems.

Delegates will have generous free time to explore the Museum for themselves, jump on a (historic) bus and buy the tee-shirt or a present at the souvenir shop. Then at 1:45 we’ll gather for the short walk to a nearby restaurant. Lunch will be on the usual generous IAP scale with three courses and wine, with time to linger in the company of old acquaintances and interesting new people. After lunch there will still be time to explore the shops, cafés, pubs and street entertainment of this very interesting part of London.

Prices, including lunch with drinks, museum entrance and VAT are £50.00 to members and £80.00 for guests. Space is limited, so please send your cheque or telephone your credit card details to the office (020 8 567 2118) as soon as possible.

Nominations for the Council of the IAP

The Institution is a democratic body governed by a Council elected by and from its members. Five members of the 15-strong Council retire in rotation each year. Nominations for the 2008 election, accompanied by the nominee’s manifesto (in electronic form and not exceeding 150 words, please) must be received at the Institution Office by 28 February. Contact the Office (020 8 5672118 or admin@iap.org.uk) for further details or an informal discussion if you are interested in playing your part in the governance of the Institution.

[Don’t forget to email eo@iap.org.uk with items of news about you or your company.]

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