BWTAS AGM report

photo: Brian Light

Eighteen or so souls came to the BWTAS 2012 annual general meeting at 7:30 pm on Monday 24th September 2012 at the Charing Cross Centre. There were several members of the public and they must have been impressed as BWTAS acquired three new members from the event.

Wil Harvey gave the chairman's report about our successful events of the previous 2011 - 2012 and outlined the plans for events in 2013, all of which depend on other people than the committee getting involved in organising them. There will be another art show in 2013 as these have been very successful with water tower enthusiasts and the public.

Nat Bocking gave a membership report; the membership is closing fast on reaching 200 (until the paper and digital records are conformed we won't have the exact number) and the minutes of previous AGM were read and accepted. The BWTAS blog has had over 85000 page views to date and this report takes it to 200 posts. BWTAS has had a lot of paper correspondence from potential and current tower owners looking for information, architecture and design students, town planners considering potential developments and TV companies producing home restoration shows and 'Have I Got News For You'.

Andy Norris gave the treasurer's report; BWTAS funds grew modestly but encouragingly thanks to the runaway success of our mug and calendar sales. We have standing orders for their next editions.

The committee of Ferrers Young, Wil Harvey, Nat Bocking, Andy Norris, Brian Light and Clare Johnson stood down as committee members but as there were no nominations or other candidates, all the incumbents were unanimously re-elected for another term.

Wil Harvey - Chairman
Nat Bocking - Secretary
Andy Norris - Treasurer
Ferrers Young - Archives
Brian Light - without portfolio
Clare Johnson - without portfolio

The accounts and correspondence were left open for examination. There was no other business or questions from the floor so the Annual General Meeting was closed at 8PM.

Brian Light of the Balkerne Tower Trust then gave an update on developments at Jumbo.

Prior to the AGM, Ferrers Young - who is also a member of NIAS - had given a very brief but detailed tour of Norwich water history in the immediate vicinity of the meeting which began at the excellent White Lion pub. With that context, he then continued his tour virtually around the water towers of Norfolk. The fascinating lecture was also enlivened by the contributions of Brian Carr, a water tower engineer who had worked on some of the modern towers and provided interesting information that we hope we can post here in time. It is through this kind of dialogue that we can uncover the vast water tower history which is not held in national archives.

A member kindly sent us this review:

...the real star was Ferrers, for choosing the perfect pub to meet in, for showing us all those water-related historical features (pity about the lack of daylight, but great opportunity for him to demonstrate his interplanetary laser pointer), and then for showing us so many water towers in his perfectly-prepared and perfectly-presented lecture. Thanks for giving us such a special evening.