Chairman's address

The theme of this year's Association of Municipal Engineers Conference is Europe. I chose this theme for two reasons.

Firstly, I have been a committed European since Winston Churchill's speech in May 19471. This made a lasting impression upon me as a young man. Secondly, the European Community is a fact and the United Kingdom as an active member of the Community means that engineers will need to change if they are to make a success of the future. We live in a changing world.

For public sector engineering the changes will be fundamental. We must grasp these changes to the benefit of the community we serve. As engineers we do well to reflect upon the work that we have done for society over the last 100 years. Ronald Blythe's book "Akenfield"2 gives a clear impression of rural life in the 1920s and one is quick to realise the tremendous benefits that society now enjoys as a consequence of transportation, water supply and sewerage.