Andrew joined the Paviors in 1991. He has been Chairman of the Liverymens Committee, the Charity Committee and the Luncheon Club. Although born in England Andrew was brought up and spent much of his school time in Adelaide, South Australia. His mother always believed that he and his brother could not get a proper education down under and the family returned to England where Andrew went to Imperial College and obtained an honours degree in Civil Engineering.
On graduating Andrew joined Binnie & Partners, consulting engineers, where he gained the appropriate design and site experience to become an MICE and Chartered Engineer. His Civils project was the design and subsequent supervision on site as Resident Engineer of Flitwick Sewage Disposal Works in Bedfordshire. The latter role proved to be a challenge as he had to pretend that the initials AEP on the site drawings were not his. Whilst at Binnie’s Andrew also worked on the Mangla Dam in Pakistan and the Plover Cove scheme in Hong Kong.
After 6 years Andrew joined George Wimpey where he had wide variety of engineering and management roles including being a technical witness at Planning Inquiries, Regional Private Development Manager for Liverpool and Managing Director for a variety of major subsidiary companies including Wimpey Waste Management, Wimpey Hobbs, Wimpey Asphalt, Wimpey Minerals International and UK Coal Mining. Andrew believes that he was fortunate in being promoted every two or three years so that he did not have sufficient time to cause any real damage in any of these roles. Interesting projects during this time included establishing a major new coastal quarry in Bantry Bay, setting up a pelletised slag facility in South Wales and playing a key role in the privatisation of the Czech quarrying industry.
Andrew then moved to USA, to become CEO and President of Wimpey Minerals North America and a member of the Executive Board of George Wimpey plc before finally returning to the UK to be Managing Director of Wimpey Homes Holdings for five years. Following early retirement he has taken on a portfolio of non executive directorships in the affordable housing sector, including Bourne Housing Society, where he is Chair, Moat Homes, Horizon Housing Group, South London Family Housing Association and Amicus Horizon Group Finance. He has also been active in the voluntary sector being a Trustee of the Prince Philip Trust Fund organising a number of major classic car fundraising events at Windsor Castle reviewed by Her Majesty The Queen. Andrew is a Past President of Windsor & Eton Rotary Club and Chairman of Round Table. He is a Deputy Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire.
Andrew lives in Surrey with his wife Tui, whose ambition is to visit every United Nations country. So far she has visited 147 out of 192 but has accepted that this year she will have to do less travelling. They have a daughter Tiffany-Kate who has three art galleries in London and a grandson Inigo. They also have a house in the Pyrenees, France where they spend their time when not travelling. Andrew enjoys sailing and is a member of The Travellers Club.
2009 Master’s Message
With records of Paviors around since the late thirteenth Century and our Ordnances dating from 1479 I am determined not to let the present economic gloom disrupt the progress that the Company has made over recent years. It may not be the time for extravagant new initiatives but I certainly hope that we will be able to continue to build on and consolidate what has already been achieved.
I intend to maintain the quality of Paviors events and to continue, what I believe, are the four main planks of our activity, the City, Charity, Education and Fellowship. With regard to the City we will be building on our increased involvement and working to support the election of Alderman Michael Bear to the Mayoralty. In addition to our usual Charitable beneficiaries I am hoping that our Annual Golf day will raise significant funds for my Master’s Charity “The Wooden Spoon”.
Educational initiatives include exploring the concept of a Construction Liveries Group scheme of a Master Certificate for craftsmen. There will also be a technical visit to the Heron Tower, a joint event with the IHT at Amberley Museum celebrating 50th anniversary of the UK Motorway programme and our Annual Paviors Lecture at Imperial College. Fellowship will be fostered by the Masters Midsummer event on 26th June, which will be a theatrical evening commencing at the Garrick Club and by a ladies lunch and fashion show at HQS Wellington on 16th July.
Finally I am aware of the wish of the majority of Paviors to have a permanent home in the City and intend to try to agree a specification and explore the options so that should another opportunity arise we will be in a better position to pursue it. I am, like my predecessors, privileged and honoured to be your Master and am looking forward to sharing an enjoyable year with you all.
Past Master’s Reflections
It is amazing how quickly the year seems to have gone for Tui and me. It has been both a privilege and a great experience to have been Master of this historic Company. We have had a very enjoyable time and I have attended approaching 200 varied events and functions during my year.
These events have included church services, garden parties, dinners, receptions, school speech days, award presentations, museum visits, lectures, plays, flights in a Lynx helicopter and a Typhoon Eurofighter and a voyage on HMS Argyll, in addition to many other functions.
As we were in a difficult financial year I was prepared for the worst in terms of both membership and attendance at events, but have been pleasantly surprised to see a net increase in our membership and events being oversubscribed. Tui and I are very appreciative of the support that we have received at our various social events, particularly the Garrick Theatre evening and Tui’s Fashion Lunch on board HQS Wellington. I believe that it is the fellowship at our events which is the glue that holds us together.
One opportunity that arose during 2009 was the chance to acquire a permanent home for the Paviors at the Charterhouse, London. Thanks to a very generous response from around 60 members, we have been able to acquire the property and are well advanced in refurbishing and fitting it out into what will become a new home for the Company.
Over £56,000 has been raised so far which, taken together with pledges from the Laing family and others totalling another £70,000, will enable us not only to complete the present works but also create a Property Endowment Fund. This fund will give us the flexibility to face the future with confidence and to take advantage of any future property opportunities, as and when they arise.
The Paviors have continued to be active in the City and it was good that we were able to depart for the Lord Mayor’s Show from The Charterhouse, where we were given a warm send off by their Master. I was also pleased to be able to present cheques, totalling £62,000, at our Mansion House Banquet to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research and the Wooden Spoon, as a result of another very successful Paviors’ Charity Golf Day. In addition, despite the economic climate, it was good that our regular charitable and educational commitments have been able to continue at similar levels to previous years.
I consider that the Paviors, although an ancient Company proud of its traditions, is very much relevant to today’s membership and that this coming year, with one of our own Members, Alderman Michael Bear likely to be Lord Mayor, we are going to have a great year. It’s really been an exciting time to have been Master and I am very grateful to everyone for their support and for giving me the opportunity to represent the Paviors.
Andrew Panter