More Chaplain’s Ramblings
A further lock-down has now started, certainly for those of us in England. This will affect some members who might just have been plucking up courage to go out a bit more, even if only to eat in a local pub! Fiona and I are…
London would be a flatter place without Lifts: Liveryman David Cooper
The first skyscraper (for present purposes, a building over 100 metres in height) within the City of London boundary was the original St Paul’s Cathedral, the spire of which was 150 metres tall and the tallest building in London from 1310 to 1666 when it…
A Company Library: Master Gordon Masterton
We are very proud of our talented and productive members, not least through the books they have written. Those listed below constitute a significant contribution to the dissemination of knowledge of science and engineering, and in some cases, other fields. It is said that everyone…
London’s Lost Underground Stations: PM Dr David Johnson
London’s underground railways date back to 1863 (being cut and cover construction) and the first tunnelled deep tube line, the City and South London Railway (CSLR), opened in 1890. This line ran between Stockwell and its city terminus (and railway company headquarters) in King William…
The “Engineers Hymn”: Chaplain Peter Hartley
A hymn that the Company has used from time to time at the Annual Service is known, colloquially, as the “Engineers Hymn!” It was, in fact, written by Richard Jones and appeared in some church hymn books from the 1970’s onwards. I’d never heard it…
Hiding from Covid: Liveryman David Shillito
Being typical of the 70+ “vulnerable” generation, my main interest in the Covid-19 pandemic lies simply in how to avoid catching it. So, following the example of our political leaders, I looked into the “science” of the transmission of the virus, only to be underwhelmed…
A Generous Act of Kindness: Master Gordon Masterton
The Company is most sincerely grateful to our Liveryman and Past Lord Mayor of London, Sir Francis (Frank) McWilliams and his family, who have very kindly donated the handsome model of Ironbridge that was presented to Frank by the Company in 1992 on his accession…
Talent Retention in a Covid-19 Economy: Master Gordon Masterton
Covid-19 will rebalance the job market, but… As we slowly emerge from total lockdown, businesses are assessing the impact on their employment needs in the Covid-19 economy. For some, that has meant redundancies have been announced, never a pleasant step to take for an employer…
Unlocking London: PM Isobel Pollock-Hulf
A photographic essay of London preparing to unlock from the lockdown. Image Credits: all images – Isobel Pollock-Hulf, July 2020.
Covid-19 and Future Infrastructure and Cities: Master Gordon Masterton
When I first took the Chair of Future Infrastructure at the University of Edinburgh I vowed never to attempt to predict the future. “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future”1. All predictions made pre-Covid-19 would testify to that. But adapting to a Covid-19…