Officers of the Company
Dr William G A Cook BSc PhD - Master
In the summer of 1988 Bill and Bron Cook came back from Egypt, their last ICI posting and that autumn Bill became the first Director General of British Glass. The trade body set up to take over from the earlier London based Glass Trade Federation and the industry’s Sheffield based Research Association. The green valleys of North Derbyshire and the excitements of London proved a heady combination, which were much enhanced 5 years later by membership of the Glass Sellers Company.
Bill spent a total of 11 years in the Glass Industry and these proved to be highly eventful. Sadly, as we all know, many of these events involved hardship for the industry which had to cut back relentlessly on its staffing, fight hard to maintain its markets in the face of ever rising energy costs and ever seek new outlets for its natural inventiveness. These changes involved seemingly endless meetings in Brussels, listening in three languages while speaking in one and trying hard not to think in terms of stereotypes.
In 2000 it was time to hand on the role and since then he has spent increasing amounts of time on an old love - music. Choral singing everything from Palestrina to Britten and also helping to run the Richmond Concert Society, which is one of the most successful Chamber Music Recital organisations around in the UK, has been the most fantastic alternative to retirement.
Robin G Arculus FCA MA(OXON) MIMC CMC - Prime Warden
Robin Arculus was born and bred in Warwickshire in 1936 into a family that owned and ran a glassworks in Birmingham between 1875 and 1941. Being too young to join the family business, he was educated privately at Henley-in-Arden and Rugby, before being conscripted into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards for his National Service. A posting to Catterick Camp in Yorkshire was followed by obtaining a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Worcester College, Oxford and an accountancy qualification at the City firm of Barton, Mayhew & Co (now part of Ernst & Young).
After a few years in manufacturing scales in Malvern and a few more years as a management consultant, based in the West End but travelling the world, he ran his own drain and industrial cleaning business to be followed by another business in inflatable bouncy dragons. He has for the last ten years been working as Finance Director of an Oxfordshire Company making road cones out of recycled plastic. In his youth he used to fence foil and sabre and play village cricket to gain access to a range of beers, but now tends a 2½ acre garden and a flock of five sheep. He has been married to Caroline for 41 years and has a City Banker - James, Vet - Sophie, and IT Consultant - Henry to continue the genes. There are already two granddaughters and a grandson performing this role.
Richard A Lawman CEng MICE MIStructE - Renter Warden
Richard Lawman joined the Glass Sellers in 1987. He was educated at Dauntseys School in Wiltshire and on leaving in 1954, took articles with a firm of Consulting Civil Engineers, R T James and Partners, in Victoria. He studied Civil Engineering on a day release basis at what is now City University. Richard became a Chartered Civil Engineer in 1964 and a Chartered Structural Engineer in 1971. He continued to work for the firm until 1992 at which time he was a Senior Partner. He had spent much time during this period working on the shipyard in Barrow in Furness and at Derby with Rolls Royce, latterly being involved with the design of engine test beds. In 1992 he left R T James and Partners to form his own practice Alexander Associates, he continues to run the firm with the help of his son Matthew and they have offices in Rickmansworth, Salisbury and Oxfordshire, Richard is especially interested in work with old buildings and the environment and enjoys legal work as an expert witness.
Richard married Tricia in 1964 and they have three children, two of whom are married, and they enjoy time with their two grand children and two step-grand children. They enjoy golf, bridge and drinking fine wine, spending time in Cornwall, rugby as a spectator and driving sporty cars
Colonel Audrey J Smith BA FCIPD - Honorary Clerk
Having graduated from Nottingham University Audrey Smith spent a full career in the Army in a variety of different fields. One of her earliest appointments was to be in charge of the instrumentation for the user trials of the Guided Weapon Swingfire. In Singapore she assisted with the Manpower aspects of the withdrawal from the area in the 1970s, went on to be responsible for the career planning of all Army officers in the Midlands and then became the first non Medical Officer to look after the career planning for the Army Medical Services. Having commanded the Women’s Royal Army Corps Training Centre in Guildford she was then posted to take charge of the Manpower Management Survey Capability for NATO before returning to UK to develop a selection test for middle management.
Audrey left the Army in 1992 but continued to be a consultant in the field of selection testing for a further ten years. Having joined the North London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shortly after leaving the Army she has been the Secretary, Branch Chairman and then the Council Representative. She is a Trustee of the ATS and WRAC Benevolent Fund, Chairman of the Grants Committee and also a Member of Council and Trustee of the Mission to Seafarers, As the Administrative Secretary of an occupational charity involved with the pottery and glass trades she met many Liverymen of the Glass Sellers’ Company which resulted in her becoming a Liveryman of the Company and now its 20th Clerk.
