President's Summer Dinner, St Mary's Guildhall, Coventry, 5 July 2008
We’re delighted to confirm that the President’s Summer Dinner will take place on Saturday 5 July. The evening will start with a guided tour of Coventry Cathedral, followed by a drinks reception and dinner in St Mary's Guildhall, Coventry. We are especially pleased to announce that Sir John Egan, a Coventry man and one of the most influential industrialists and businessmen of his generation, has agreed to be our guest speaker.
Our evening will begin, at 18.15, with the guided tour of Coventry Cathedral, a dynamic centre of worship and mission, a place of pilgrimage and a focus for international reconciliation. “To walk from the ruins of the old Cathedral into the splendour of the new is to walk from Good Friday to Easter, from the ravages of human self-destruction to the glorious hope of resurrection. Your heart is lifted, your spirit is renewed and you feel that there is hope for the world”. John Irvine, Dean of Coventry Cathedral.
From the Cathedral we will be escorted to St Mary’s Guildhall for a drinks reception at 19.00 and sit down dinner at 19.30. St Mary’s is one of the finest mediaeval guildhalls in England. It served as the centre of King Henry VI's court during the Wars of the Roses and as a prison to Mary, Queen of Scots. Its kitchens have prepared banquets for visiting monarchs and have fed starving weavers! Our mouth-watering menu will comprise roulade of salmon and crab followed by leg cushion of lamb with Dutch chunky apple flan as dessert.
Sir John Egan, our guest speaker, was born in Coventry, the son of the owner of a small garage. He read petroleum engineering at Imperial College and his outstanding contribution to British business includes six years at Massey Ferguson, ten years as Chief Executive of Jaguar Cars, nine years as Chief Executive of British Airports Authority and two years as President of the CBI. He is currently Chairman of Severn Trent Water, Chancellor of Coventry University and non-Executive Chairman of Inchcape plc (motor distributors). We are delighted that he will be sharing some of his insights and anecdotes.
Tickets for the Summer Dinner are priced at £50 per person. To book your tickets please send a cheque, made payable to “OWA”, to Geoff Thorpe, Highcroft, Butt Lane, Harbury, Leamington Spa, CV33 9JL. Tel: 01926 613801.
E-mail: gill [at] thorpe [dot] spacomputers [dot] com
Please include a SAE. Hotel and car parking details are also available from Geoff on request.
Dress: Dinner Jacket. Partners and guests are most welcome. Booking deadline 16 June 2008.
