Page 42 - BHTA 100 years

Communications advance, a recent move and the rst Parliamentary Advisor....
The rst member’s newsletter, entitled The Bulletin, was produced in July 1989. Council Chairman at the time, Peter Siddall of Sidhil wrote that it was critical that communications in the organisation improved and that the bulletin was the rst step ‘in a determined effort to keep members informed at all times.’
President Jack Vander-Molen suggested that the issues the Association was dealing with remained very much the same as they were when it was rst formed – ‘A reactionary role against bureaucracy and short-sighted legislation’. He also highlighted the trend for mergers in the industry and re ected that there was a move away from ‘Saville Row bespoke products’ to ‘Off the peg appliances’.
In his article, Mr Vander-Molen mentions the Cold War and hopes that, ‘maybe a few less rockets will enable a few more hospitals to be erected.’
The Association had recently moved, from Centre Point in central London, to a new home in Sevenoaks, Kent. It was the rst time in its 70 year history that the Association had its own home.
According to Secretary Ian Sherwood, there were a number of reasons for the move. They included inadequate space, no security of tenure, no control over accommodation costs and with a substantial increase expected the following year.
After a number of years considering the option, BSTA decided to appoint its rst Parliamentary advisor, Tony Baldry, MP for Banbury. It was a time of high interest rates and when companies were preparing for an open European marketplace. There was an appeal to member companies to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the advisor and 78% of member companies had supported that.
The rst member’s newsletter appeared in July 1989.
BHTA 100 years