C O N T E X T 1 1 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 11 IHBC Annual School 2010 IHBC Annual School 2009 IHBC Annual School 2010 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. We were unable to congratulate him and celebrate his becoming the first IHBC member to be awarded this honour for services to conservation architecture. Team London had deliberately chosen to hold Friday’s Day School at the venue where we usually hold our annual branch day conferences: the Royal College of Physicians, Denys Lasdun’s Grade I modernist masterpiece adjacent to Regent’s Park. We knew that the college’s attention to detail meant that everything would run smoothly, leaving us to concentrate on the content of the presentations and ensuring that our total of over 200 delegates (much relief all round) were guided swiftly in and out of the lecture theatre during the day. A couple of audio effects were used light-heartedly throughout the day. At an IHBC London Branch visit to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry I had bought a miniature souvenir which tinkled like an Agatha Christie murder mystery ‘more tea, Vicar?’ bell. I put it to good use and encouraged everyone to return speedily to their seats at the end of each refreshment break. The bell performed a dual purpose. David McDonald, chair of the London branch, stepped up to the rostrum to chair the Day School, and rang the bell to indicate when each speaker should be on their final lap. We decided that the audience should be invited to identify the London-themed songs that welcomed them back after each break. Just for the, ahem, record, they were London’s Calling by the Clash, I Don’t Want to Go to Chelsea by Elvis Costello, Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty, Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks and Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant. We had a variety of speakers from local authorities, the private and voluntary sectors and English Heritage. In his keynote address, Loyd Grossman spoke with erudite charm. Rather appropriately for him, he said that we (in the heritage sector) would be served up platefuls of change over the next five years. Bob Stagg, in his presentation on structural works to the Royal Albert Hall, confided that during the course of the contract he had seen The Killers but that they were not as good as Led Zeppelin when he saw them there. Alec Forshaw referred during his presentation on Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium redevelopment to the start of the first game of the World Cup. He wondered whether or not the organising committee had realised that there might be competition when choosing the dates for the Annual School. I think you will find that we were somewhat concerned about a potential clash. With his affable manner and soft Scottish brogue, David McDonald made chairing the Day School look effortless. I know it resulted from detailed preparation that was reflected in his thoughtful use of poetry throughout the day. At the outset he stressed that, despite the recession, leisure is still a major force in the economy. After the next spending cuts many of us may have more time on our hands than we were expecting. We need to address the issue of how to deliver gold-standard care of the historic environment on a reduced budget. The formal reception that followed the Day School Justine Page leads delegates on the Highbury Stadium tour. Bob Kindred introduces Gus Astley Award student KateWalker and her paper on the conservation plan for a Stoke-on-Trent pottery Ged Gardiner outlines measures to improve the thermal performance of traditional windows
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