16. 09-11-20 Masters Committee Meeting

Today we held a further meeting of the Masters Committee via zoom principally to help us plan further virtual events during this period of government restrictions that prevent us from meeting physically. This committee has been vital for generating the ideas that have led to some very successful virtual events so far including the webinars, the wine tasting evening and the pumpkin curving competition.

For this month’s webinar titled “The Long Winter” on Wednesday 11^th November, Court Assistant David Lloyd Owen will be giving a progress update on key advances in the detection of COVID-19 in sewage, important for the early detection of the spread of the virus. Next month on the 10^th December Rob Allen of Policy Connect will present the key recommendations to government in his recent report “Bricks and Water : Building Resilience for England’s Homes” the results of a year long cross party think tank led by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering. The report makes recommendations with regard to water efficiency in homes, property flood resilience, and sustainable drainage.

Planning is also well advanced for a “Carol Festival” on the 15^th December, led by Deputy Master, Mark Lane, and our Chaplain the Reverend Katherine Hedderley, Vicar of All Hallows by the Tower. Members are urged to submit their carols to Simon Catford by the 30^th November.

We also spent time discussing further events in the New Year including a Cocktails Evening, the WET lecture and planning for the possibility of a Myddelton Lunch in March if the situation allows. Other topics discussed at the committee included the future structure of the Water Conservation Trust and recruitment.