The Committee and Chair of East Anglian Timber Trade Association Ian Drane would like to thank all EATTA’s members and guests and honoured guests Kevin Pankratz and Bob & Sheila Hutchings for making the 32nd Annual Dinner held on Wednesday 23rd September at The Great Hall, King’s College, Cambridge such a huge success.
Expertly organised by new secretary Tabitha Binding, the Toastmaster James Hasler (and man in the red coat) kept order.
Hayley Webb from EATTA’s chosen charity Maggie’s Cambridge gave an engaging appeal, with many members commenting that it was the best appeal they have ever heard, resulting in donations of £4115.
I wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for the invitation to join you at your EATTA Annual Dinner. It was an enjoyable evening and all at Maggie’s Cambridge are incredibly grateful for your support. I had a few conversations with people who shared their own experience of cancer, and I’m sure that there would have been some in the room that didn’t know about Maggie’s, that perhaps may need us now or in the future. Thank you for giving us the platform to raise awareness about what we do.
Entertainment was provided by the King’s Men Choir, toasts and short speeches were given by honoured guests Patrick Guest & David Hopkins who remarked on the resilience of the industry.
In response Ian Drane EATTA’s new Chair talked about how lucky we are to be in a trade where people and relationships count so very much, despite the challenging trading environment. He looked forward to carrying on EATTA’s good work with colleges and aligned trades and manufacturers. He thanked members and guests for attending, King’s staff for their excellent service, Hayley for engaging so well with all present, the speakers at the Timber Markets meeting and all the sponsors. A special mention went to Sheila and Bob Hutchings for their service over the years and the committee and officers for support and commitment to EATTA making his first year less daunting that it first seemed.
A huge thank you to:
– Clare Timms and her team at King’s.
– Vida Wood UK Ltd for pre-dinner drinks.
– And our all our program sponsors.
Damien Vickers Photography caught all on camera! The gallery can be viewed here
Our next meeting will be on Thursday 22nd October at the Belfry Hotel in Cambourne, with a 10am start. We look forward to seeing you there.