Barrow and District
Association of Engineers
(Founded 1908)

Bob Pointing (President)

Programme Director, Barrow Regeneration from early 2009, after 6 years as Chief Executive of West Lakes Renaissance. Prior to this he was responsible for a number of European & Recovery programmes for Merseyside and Liverpool. He ran programmes in Wigan, worked for the Civic Trust and ran a co-operative housing association in Liverpool in the mid 80s.

He lives in Barrow, but keeps a ‘country cottage’ in Liverpool.

e-mail bobandabi@hotmail.co.uk

Peter Gillett (Councillor and Immediate Past President)

Ex VSEL, weapons type boffin and manager for the Trident system among others. Lives in Paradise, or so he says, just beyond Ireleth. A golf widower pictured here just after a visit to Heysham nuclear power station in 2000.

e-mail pgillett@highmeddart.com  

Master Mariner and until recently in charge of the port of Barrow. Now, having been in charge of Furness Enterprise for a while, fully retired and thoroughly enjoying the change.

e-mail joshgreens@hotmail.com

Alan Forsyth (Councillor and Past President)

Ex Boss of Furmanite, Ex Deputy Lieutenant of the County and all round good egg, as well as being a bit of an engineer on the side.

Former manager in VSEL. Now entrepreneur extraordinary, qualified Glider Pilot and JCB driver, not necessarily in that order. Another one with a beard and known to buy the beer on occasions.

e-mail peter@redshaw.eclipse.co.uk

Charles Rowntree (Hon Vice President & Webmaster)

Ex VSEL, a variety of posts from test engineer to Upholder boat manager. A marine engineer, on his mother's side. Lives in a watermill at Kirkby (four miles the other side of Paradise) and is researching its history among a number of other things.

e-mail charles@becksidemill.fsnet.co.uk

John Sykes (Hon Treasurer & membership Secretary)

The really bearded one. Engineer ex Cheshire salt mines, well for a short while just after his degree I think. VSEL mechanical designer, recently ran the propulsion design, procurement and trials for the Fisher Tankers out of VSEL. Now working on the Astute submarine project for his sins. Lives in Barrow.

e-mail john.h.sykes@mypostoffice.co.uk

Responsible for the organisation of the lecture programme. Mind you he does work from other peoples ideas so perhaps it is not all his fault.

e-mail kittley.3756@virgin.net

e-mail dennis.laird@btinternet.com

One of our younger Councillors who still works for a living as a freelance consultant.

e-mail drtim@timbushell.com

He also has a web site at www.timbushell.com

Late of Oxleys, now a Contracts Engineer and general all round good egg as you can tell. Also known to buy the beer but I will dig some dirt on him soon.

e-mail imcrawshaw@btinternet.com

Mobile 07928707822

e-mail kathleen.walley@tesco.net

Former manager in VSEL who ran the R & D Department. Now a consultant with MAREL and heavily involved in new methods of waste management. We think he is the one standing up and looking slightly puzzled - or is it worried?

Former VSEL Manager in the Finance and Estimating Departments. Now retired and an enthusiastic supporter of his daughter, Caroline, who is a member of the England Mountain Cycling Team.

e-mail colinelizabethalexander@yahoo.co.uk

Sadly Colin passed away on 3rd July 2011. Colin had been a member and a Councillor of BDAE for many years and his presence, experience and knowledgeable comment at Council meetings will be sadly missed.

Ex Patents Officer and knowledgeable on intellectual property rights and other such esoteric subjects. Also organises the Institute of Management Celebrity Lectures.

e-mail ianpalmerip@ianpalmerip.plus.com

Ex VSEL engineering manager, involved in research and various strange projects at various times. Now consults for MAREL. Governor of Park View School. Organised the Schools Technology Showcase with Joe Aubrey and Input Days for schools with Joe and Prof. Marsh from Durham University.

e-mail whjinfield@aol.com

Dennis Lidstone (Councillor)

Denis started his career as an apprentice electrical fitter at Devonport Dockyard and went on to work at all levels in the ship building and air defence industries, from the shop floor to chairing board meetings.
In a career focused on Programme Management he was involved in rationalising the 190-acre Vickers Shipyard Site in Barrow. Later he became Partnering Director of BAE Systems, where he stayed until his retirement in 2005.
Since then he has been working as a Business Consultant, particularly as an accredited reviewer for the government on projects at key stages in their progress.
He is married and lives in Barrow, South Cumbria.

He has a passion for mountains and fell-walking and has trekked in the Himalayas, to the Everest Base Camp and in the  Annapurna area. In 2011 he trekked through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco to Jebel Toubkal, highest mountain in North Africa.

Denis is also a Non-Executive Director of NHS North of England
e-mail denis@lidstonesupport.co.uk

Chris Meritt (Councillor)

Our man on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter for his sins.

Works at Sellafield but is not known as one of the Corney Fell racers. Probably our youngest Councillor by a margin. We need young blood.

e-mail cjmerritt7@aol.com

Our newest Council Member who is currently working on the "Successor Project" in BAE Systems as a Senior Systems Engineer.

Matthew was a winner of the 2004 Bursary as 'Best of the Best' and is yet another product of Kath Walley's time as Head of Science at Ulverston Victoria High School. He is also the youngest member of Council and brings a fresh and very welcome point of view to our deliberations.

e-mail fcmattrooke@yahoo.co.uk