The Lighthouse Club - News Flash

News Flash

Lighthouse Club 52nd Annual Dinner
10/11/08

This year members and guests had plenty of room

As ever, our 52nd Annual Dinner at the Grosvenor House was a buzzing, good humoured evening, although the dismal climate that has come upon us all meant that our numbers were, not to put too fine a point on it – slashed! Recently, certainly in the last decade, our National Dinners have mustered close to a thousand members and guests.

This year, thanks to the collapse of Reaganomics, we felt that we were lucky to be able to entertain six hundred and fifty. However, some of those were immensely generous, as we shall hearteningly see!

The approach to the Great Room took everyone past our fabulous raffle - Kubota’s 30,000th mini digger, their gift to our Fund of this ‘milestone’ machine was a very generous gesture. As you would expect, we were making a final drive to sell tickets.

These were the girls from ‘Sophistication’ and very smart and tenacious they were too. Their efforts brought in a further £1,500. to add to the goodly sum raised over the previous eight months. Furthermore, something that turned out to be a wonderful bonus, the winning ticket was one of their sales.

This was the night for one lucky ticket holder. How things transpired warrants a separate story which you will find below.

Whilst were all milling around and getting settled into our places, a musical entertainment was supplied by three young lady violinists whose music was enhanced with scarlet florishes as they danced around the stage. Jolly good they were!

And now, as we came to order, there was welcome from our new President, Kevin McNicholas. The first surprise of the evening was the appearance of our Maitre D, Klaus, bearing a bottle of finest champagne.

Klaus had heard that among our number was founder member Ralph Wilson who has attended all fifty two of our National Dinners, forty nine of them at the Grosvenor House. This, thought Klaus, was a moment to mark and Ralph’s notable achievement and the gift of the bubbly warranted a sustained round of applause.

Meanwhile, Klaus’s efficient as always staff were serving our dinner. This was another evening of good food and smooth service. Whilst it must be true that the Grosvenor House staff get plenty of practice, nonetheless, given the numbers, the quality of their meals and the professionalism of the waiting staff really is something admire.

Our President presenting the Cox Trophy to Tony Green

At the end of our meal, and as a preparation for our evening’s entertainments, our trio of violins swirled back into action, this time dressed in black and showing shapely long legs. The “String Divas’ were exactly that!

There followed two awards to be made by our President, the first a regular ‘occasion’. Members will know that our ‘Cox Trophy’, a magnificent piece of craftsmanship in silver, is awarded annually to the branch that has recorded the biggest pro-rata increase in membership in the foregoing twelve months.

Our rejuvenated `South West Branch was this year’s winner, and it was fitting that Tony Green, whose unremitting effort led to the resurgence, accepted the trophy on behalf of all South West’s committee and members. More: Click here.

Surprise!! Don had no warning of this award.

Mark Everett, Chairman of our Benevolent Fund

Our President’s next task was to present a gold pin to Don Baldry who has served, and continues to serve, our Club. Currently London’s Welfare Officer and editor of this web site, Don has been National Chairman, Chairman of London Branch, and until recently was our newsletter editor, a role he filled from 1996.

Members, their guests, and our supporters all know that the aim of our Club is ‘to promote good fellowship’ and the more than fifty events we organise in any one year do exactly that. But the focus of those events is fund raising for our Benevolent Fund. The Chairman of our Fund’s Trustees took to the podium to tell us of our success in helping the many who, because of accident or illness, came to us for aid.

Mark gave us an excellent account of our Fund’s activities – in fact a celebration of the hard work and generosity of Club members and construction people from Land’s End to John ‘o Groats and in Northern Ireland and the Republic. Wherever we are, fun is had, funds are raised, and many construction workers and their families, often in dire straits, are given assistance.

A summary of Mark’s address is available here.

Now came more of that Fun and Fund Raising!

This was the wining ticket!

Regular visitors to this site will have linked from the Kubota mini excavator on our home page to the story below. This, their 30,000 mini excavator in the U.K. has for eight months, been on offer in a raffle to benefit our Fund. Tonight was the draw, and an intriguing story which deserves it’s own account. Click here!

For our entertainment we had two speakers, Graham Davies and Rod Woodward.

Graham is a ‘been there done that’ ex barrister. That, and the fact that he is a former President of the Cambridge Union, certainly gives him an edge when it comes to speaking. No question that he had studied our brief, for he was informed, droll, and very witty with it.

Graham’s was a hard act to follow but we had Rod Woodward, a natural born comic. His session was hilarious.

This was the wining ticket!

After 20 minutes of Rod’s brand of humour it was quite clear how he came to be the winner of the BBC’s comedy competition ‘Funny Business’ last February. And judging by the applause as he finished his act, he was a winner with all of us in the Great Room.

There remained our traditional ‘Cash Draw’. Three winning ticket holders came to the fore, and as per tradition a big wodge of cash was gifted back to our Benevolent Fund.

So, with a ‘goodnight and safe journey’ from our President, our 52nd Annual National Dinner came to an end.

Kubota Raffle 30,000th Mini for our Fund.
16/4/08

This handy piece of kit is a KX61-3

Way back when your editors company car was a Cortina he got an excited phone call from an old friend, Les Montague. Said Les, ‘I’ve got something to show you, I’ll come and pick you up’. Les was a toff, he drove a Wolesley 6-80, which whisked me to Morden where there was indeed ‘something’ to be seen.

This little rig looks as impressive as did the first one in the late ‘70s. And it has a bigger cab!

Les’s ‘Something’ was a minature version of a Poclain TCS, at that time the small hydraulic excavator of choice. Smaller tracks, smaller boom, smaller bucket, and smaller cab; more suited to one of Snow White’s seven than someone of my build. Nevertheless, I saw it as being a much needed bit of kit. It was the first Kubota mini digger in the U.K.

A sensational conclusion at our National Dinner!!
20/11/08

Now Kubota sales in the U.K. have topped 30,000. Marking that achievement Kubota have been raffling a KX61-3 to aid our Benevolent Fund. The draw took place on Nov. 10th at our 52nd National Dinner, held, as is usual, at Grosvenor House, Park Lane.

This was the last chance for ticket sales and we had four young ladies buttonholing our members and guests as they entered the Great Room. Very successful they were, selling a further £1,500’s worth of tickets, including, as it turned out to our Fund’s great good fortune, the winner.

The draw was made by Kubota’s Carol Quine. Carol did all the hard work, the record keeping and administration. She also put a great deal of effort into selling tickets at the thirty or so ‘Kubota Live’ events up and down the country where ‘our’ Kubota was an attraction. So it was that on the evening of our dinner we already had a success and this was supplemented by our ‘Sophistication’ girl’s £1,500. But more was to come!

As mentioned, our winner was a guest in the Great Room. Furthermore, he had no use (or no room!) for a mini digger. So, then and there, he gave it back to us. A flummoxing moment. Fortunately, our M.C. of many years, Brian Greenan, stepped forward as instant auctioneer. The bidding advanced in thousnds, (this was exciting stuff), and when the hammer went down, thanks to Kubota’s Richard Harrison (who’s idea it all was) our Benevolent Fund had a windfall of over £33,000

A Tribute to Roy Williams
16/7/08

Roy at his welfare work

Club members of long standing, particularly those associated with our welfare work, will be sorry to hear of the passing of Roy Williams.

Roy’s construction experience began with 6 years serving with the Royal Engineers. His first job following demob was with W. S. Atkins, after which he had a spell with consultants Mott Hay & Anderson. At that time, both of those companies were among the leaders in Civil Engineering.

Roy then went into contracting with a series of steel works jobs. Tony Green remembers meeting him when he worked for Peter Lind, the same company that Sir Gerald worked for, and it was probably Sir Gerald’s influence that brought him into the Club in 1963.

Roy helped form the Midlands branch, where he served for a time as Chairman and acted as their Welfare Officer. For two years Roy assisted Arthur Staples with the running of our newly registered Benevolent Fund, that was in the early ‘60s. After Arthur retired, Roy took over as Chairman, a post that he filled for two years until Don Armstrong took over in 1982. Roy then became the administrator for our increasingly busy charity. In 1998, poor health and an increasing administrative workload meant that Roy had to retire in favour of Peter Burns.

Roy’s efforts, along with those of our early pioneers, established the Lighthouse Club as a force in our industry. It was they who built the foundations of what is now a successful international organisation. All credit to him and his compatriots.

(Unfortunately, the Club heard of Roy’s passing from a third party, and there was no representation at his funeral. Thanks are due to National Council Member Tony Green and Midlands Chairman Jimmy Cook, whose recollections form the basis of this tribute.

Lighthouse Club Golfing Society Pro-Am 2008
9/7/08

Professionals Gavin Linguard (Poult Wood G.C.) and Glen Hays (Lingfield Park G.C.), both at 4 under par

In the run up to our 8th Pro-Am, which was held on June 4th our Golfing Society Captain Keith Chaundy, was, at the very least, concerned. You’ll remember that the back end of May and the first days of this month saw day after day of miserable weather. Fortunately, that Wednesday morning was bright and clear, and so the day continued.

The Terex team, who won their place at the Café Royal Lunch, were supplied with a technical consultant

That glorious June morning found Tandridge looking a picture, with the course in fantastic condition, an uplifting sight at the tee off for the 28 competing teams made up from our Members, their Guests and the Professionals.

The Professional Golfers Association - Southern Region arranged for the visiting Professionals, among whom were several ‘regulars’. As usual they had a testing time, Tandridge is a tricky course and only nine broke par. However, that said, both Gavin Linguard of Poult Wood, and Glen Haynes from Lingfield Park Golf Club, ended their rounds tied on 4 under par scores of 66.

Terex’s wining team with Keith Chaundy (centre) and pro. Glen Hays (right)

At the end of another very memorable day’s golf, the winners were a team from Orbital Equipment. Orbital had a score of 130, 10 under par, being the best two “net” scores on each hole. In 2nd place were Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd and Avondale Construction, both on 133, the McAlpine’s team taking second spot on a count back.

Rounding off our very enjoyable day came a typical ‘Lighthouse Club’ evening followed by supper. The staff at Tandridge really do lay on an excellent supper, at which our Captain was able to announce that the day had raised over £10,000 for our Lighthouse Club Benevolent Fund. That generous outcome brought the total raised by the eight Pro-Am events that Keith has so far run, to £75,000.

Our grateful thanks to our Sponsors: Astins Ltd, Avondale Construction Ltd, Benchmark Scaffolding Ltd, Bovis Lend Lease, Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd, ClancyDocwra, Finning (UK), GenSet Plc, GreenshieldsJCB, Harry Neal Ltd, Hays PLC, HBG Construction, Hill International, Interserve Project Services Ltd, Kier Group Plc, Laing O’Rourke Plc, McArdle Group, The Management Recruitment Group, PHE Plant Hire Executive Magazines, C J Pryor (Plant) Ltd, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, Skanska Construction UK, Speedy Hire PLC and Walton Heath Developments.

Our Golfing Society returns next year to Tandridge on the Thursday the 4th June 2008.

Meanwhile, our Autumn Meeting, approaching its 50th anniversary, remains at the renowned Berkshire Golf Club. The date is Wednesday 24th September 2008. There are just a few slots still available for teams to enjoy what is acknowledged to be a World Class course.

Everest Trek raises £1,600.
01/05/08

Dave among the mountains

When Nottingham Branch member David Meenan decided to go for a stroll with his father in law their target was a bit more ambitious than the Nene Way - the destination they had in mind was Everest’s Base Camp!
This was to be Father-in-Law’s second trip to the roof of the World, this time to celebrate retirement at age 62. Obviously, a trip to the Himalayas is no spur-of-the-moment whim, and David got really serious around October 2006. His family agreed that his five week absence would be difficult, but, on the other hand, they recognized what a brilliant experience it would be and maybe they thought he deserved it! However it did require some planning. Fortunately the web was to hand, and David sat down one weekend morning at work and booked flights, hotels and visa's all through the internet.
Plus, of course, he had to get in to shape. However, living in Northamptonshire, training for altitude isn’t possible, and acclimatisation to breathing at 18,000 feet had to be learnt on the trek.

Taking a break at 18,000 feet

David and dad-in-law left on 8th October 2007, flying from Heathrow to Delhi. There they stayed overnight before taking the flight to Kathmandu Nepal to begin their thirtytwo day adventure. In all, they trekked through the Himalayan range for three weeks, and although they only had to cover a distance of 120 miles it was tough work. The highest point on their trip was 5,545 metres, and for six days their altimeter was registering over the 5,000 mark. On some of those days they exceeded their altitude limit for the day after 2-3 hours. That meant calling a halt to avoid the onset of altitude sickness. The temperature was another thing to contend with. Their coldest night was minus 24 degrees, when they set off in the morning it was minus 18 but it wasn’t too long before the thermometer rose to the average daytime temperature of between 5 and 10 degrees.

Surrounded by awe inspiring peaks

Looking down on to a massive glacier

A particularly enjoyable feature of their trip was that they were not in a ‘party’. Being that it was just the two of them meant that they got to mix with the local people, rather than just socialising within a group. And there was the scenery. It was, says David, amazing, breathtakingly wonderful. And worth every minute of the slog, the cold, and the hard breathing. It was so astonishing that David felt deeply privileged just to be there.
Now that David is back in Northampton, what comes next? Well it seems that he has caught mountain fever. This year it will be the National Park’s three peaks. Next year it’s a trip to Mont Blanc. And after that? Well, Mount McKinley in Alaska beckons. He’ll need to keep those trekking boots well waxed!
The cost for the 32 day trip was about £1,500. That included the six flights and 31 nights accommodation and food. Amazing value for what was a series of truly wonderful experiences. And the benefit for our fund was more than the cost of the trip. A host of generous sponsors raised £1,600. Dave says “Many thanks to all who contributed”.

Rethinking our Rugby 7s
20/9/07


Putting the OOF! back into your life.

Our Rugby 7’s organiser Peter Wedderburn writes:
After considerable dialogue with teams previously entered into the competition, we decided to look for alternative venues and dates, to see if we might find a ground for the Construction Rugby Sevens 2008.

After some searching, and asking teams for suggestions, we came up with Windsor RFC ground, which is in Home Park right next to Windsor Castle. The Club has five full size playing pitches, and they stage several sevens tournaments during the course of the year. In juggling dates, the best option we found was a pre season date - August 31st - which actually suits us here at KBC very well as it is separate from the very hectic football events; The Hays Property Cup and Contract Journal’s Charity Fives, which we organise for the Lighthouse Club.

We asked around for opinions on this date and the new venue and we have had a very positive response. So far, half a dozen teams say they will enter and only one expressed concern that the date would clash with pre season warm up events.

There has been many enquiries this year, so we have a fair bank of prospects, in addition to the responses so far received.

As a result we are going ahead for 2008 at Windsor on the 31st August, and we would be very pleased to continue our support of the Lighthouse Club.

At present we do not have a media partner or sponsor, (here’s an opportunity that must be taken up. Ed.) but I am sure one will come forward once we have the competition under way. In the meantime we will use our construction Rugby and football databases to promote team entries. We would also be pleased if the Lighthouse Club could promote the event through its mailings and its web site.

I have attached a general promotional letter which carries all of the key information and which is available here.

Hallelujah! A Revival! SOUTH WEST
23/1/08

After five years in the doldrums our committee have once more got the show back on the road. A Ladies Night is scheduled for February 29 at the Langstone Cliff Hotel, Dawlish Warren and Tony Green (01823 481111) reports that over 200 tickets have been sold. A revival meeting! Hallelujah! Join in! www.langstone-hotel.co.uk

By Jupiter! New Banners!
12/10/07

First Outing for our new display – the plant show at London’s Excel

Thanks to the concentrated effort of Guy Walker, the very generous sponsorship of CPA and the ‘bend over backwards’ response of Jupiter Display our two pairs of new banners were available for the Excel Plant Show and Scotland North’s first major event.

Members and supporters will no doubt be familiar with our first Jupiter display. Sturdy is the word! Transported in a box which weighed a ton, it was a series of clip together panels which needed the efforts of a Tarzan to make the whole. Portable, in the true sense of the word, it was not. And it was getting old and a bit shabby. A new display was needed.

Anyone with experience of building this won’t be sorry we’ve got new kit.!

Guy had done some research and with a series of events coming up, push came to shove, and contact was again made with Jupiter Display. The could not have been more helpful and generous, not only with advice but with design time, which to us, thanks to our charity status and Guy’s charm was f.o.c. Just as well, because at their standard rate, translating our original ideas and accommodating a stream of suggestions and alterations into a final design meant that their designer Alan Bloomfield put in hours of work that would have doubled the cost.

In the event the designs were finalised and the displays made with just days to spare. One pair of banners went overnight to Scotland, the other pair to our Robert Smith, who with South Wales Chairman Ian Stevens was manning our stand at Excel. Over the next weeks they’ll be on display in South Wales and Western Branch before returning for our National Dinner.

No question they are worth the effort, they are very pleasing and informative. And the fact that all four carry the CPA’s logo means that the only cost to the Club has been ten days of Guy’s time and effort.

Such is his appreciation of Jupiter Display that Guy has no hesitation in recommending contact with kate.howarth@jupiterdisplay.com 870 750 9200 for anyone needing visual displays. They are wonderful people to do business with.

Trophy day at The Berkshire
20/9/07

Friday 12th September was yet another Keith Chaundy special! A brilliant Autumn day with the course at The Berkshire at its best. Seventy members and friends competed for our Construction News Cup; the winner, for the second successive year, was Gary Tully from ‘The Treasurers’ team. Gary returned an excellent score of 39 pts. just holding off Andy Wolf of McNicholas Construction who scored 38 pts.

Construction News Cup Winner Gary Tully is congratulated by Keith Chaundy

The Singles Team competition for the Founders Cup was won by Orbital Equipment with a score of 142 pts. - a comfortable margin over second placed Aggregate Industries’ 128 pts.

Avondale Construction’s Jo Curran and Derek Norman, won the Foursome Competition with 39pts. Derek Smith and David Atkinson, members of the ‘Mick’s Mugs’ team were placed second with 34pts. However, Mick’s Mugs, with a gross score of 64 pts. took the Team Foursomes prize, The Howard Farrow Victory Bowl. Mick’s Mugs were just one point ahead of runners up Recycled Materials.

Our Golfing Society Captain reports, with much regret, that after many years Construction News have had to give up the sponsorship of this notable event. He is, of course, actively searching for a company that will take on the sponsorship of an event that has been held at The Berkshire for 40 years or more. Whoever takes it on will be sponsoring an enterprise which, from our Benevolent Fund’s and our competitors’ viewpoints, is very successful. This year £15,000 has been raised for our Fund, bringing the total, during Keith Chaundy’s seven year tenure, to £65,000. Furthermore, says Keith, the opportunity to play at The Berkshire is highly prized.

Next year our Golfing Society will be promoting our Pro-Am at Tandridge Golf Club on Thursday 5th June and a return to The Berkshire for our Autumn Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 24th September.

Our regular competitors (and there are many) will agree with Keith that The Berkshire is one of the most beautiful golf clubs in the world and that it is at its best in September. Lighthouse Club members are invited to take advantage of our long and very fortunate, association with this beautiful course.

Anyone wishing to enter or to sponsor either (or both) of our Golfing Society events should contact Keith Chaundy, telephone 01883 624155 or e-mail keith.chaundy@btinternet.com

Our Midsummer Ball and Garden Party
9/7/07

The funfair, sponsored by Hays Construction, gave us all a fabulous time

The weather Gods were kind to the nine hundred members and guests who gathered on the lawn of the Honourable Artillery Company on the evening of June 22nd.
Once again this magical green space in the ‘Centre of the City’ proved to be a marvelous setting for our Summer Ball.

The party gets going! An aerial view from the ‘Big Wheel’.

The final five. Strange how the girls chose to be Kings.

Festivities got under way in the ‘Royal Marquee’ with Kings ‘n Queens (heads and tails with posers!) good fun, and with a very generous response.

The winner was rewarded with a JCB magnum by our outstanding M.C.

The man in charge. Brian Greenan did a great job.

Colin Wood, Chief Executive of the CPA, riding off into the sunset.
What’s a grand to a man of his caliber?

JCB also put up the top Raffle Prize, a cheque for £1,000. That was won by the CPA table and so came straight back to our Benevolent, Fund.

Following the first class grub, the Auction with a selection of very desirable lots to bid for:
The British Grand Prix by helicopter. Sponsored by JCB
Golf for four at Wentworth. Sponsored by Anglo Irish Bank.
A five star break at Chewton Glen Spa and Country Club. Sponsored by Accord
Two tickets,Wimbledon’s Ladies Singles, quarter finals. Sponsored by Ian McAlpine

Kevin Clancy, standing in for a non-appearing auctioneer, did a good job.

All lit up!

After the auction, the entertainments. Clancy Docwra’s Divas and Fire Eaters. The Casino. The Vodka Luge. Keating Chambers Giant Scalextric. Speedy Hire’s Chocolate Fountain. And, of course, Hays Construction’s funfair was in full swing.

One of our Sponsors was ‘Diggerland’s, one of Hugh Edelenau’s ventures. Hugh is the man in the white Tux.

One of our ‘Divas’.

And after the singing, the dancing. Till we all drifted home at 1 a.m.

We were lucky with the weather, enjoyed the best of company, had an excellent meal, rode the big wheel and the other traditional ‘rides’ and generally had a great time, which, incidentally, earned over £50,000 for our Benevolent Fund.

Our thanks to sponsors:
Accord; Anglo Irish Bank; ‘building’ magazine; Clancy Docwra; The Construction Equipment Association; CPA; Daylesford organic; Diggerlands; Gtek; Hays Construction; Ian McAlpine; JCB; Keating Chambers: Morris Leslie Group; Parker Merchanting; Speedy Hire.

And finally a word to the wise:

See you next year. Midsummer Night. June 21 2008

FUND RAISING
‘Answer the Call’ Re-Launch
20/2/07

Back in 2002 we began asking for your old mobile phones. Launched with the help of (then) Hays Montrose, our ‘Answer the Call’ campaign has up until now raised about £12,500 for our Fund. We can easily double that!

‘Answer the Call’ has proved to be an ideal way to convert your clutter into cash for our Benevolent Fund. And, with (they say) 50 million old mobiles just taking up space in kitchen drawers there’s a lot more money still out there.

Now our scheme has been re-launched, still with Hays backing but now supported by Contract Journal.

This is the new A4 poster for our ‘Answer the Call’ Campaign, if ever there was a painless way of raising Funds, this is it! All it requires is for you to put your old phone with its charger into a freepost bag and pop it in a post box.

For posters and freepost envelopes call: 01603 882833 or Email: Lou.Fitzpatrick@recycleyourmobile.co.uk
Or use the link on our Home Page
You could, of course, canvass your friends; their kitchen drawers are as cluttered as yours!
And large organisations might care to emulate Hewden Hire who are supporting our Fund with freepost bags carrying their own logo distributed throughout their chain of Hewden Hire Centres.
Our Fund needs your old phone. Just do it!