The awful events in New York, Washington and Pittsburgh on September 11 inevitably put our everyday preoccupations and concerns into context. What seemed important and pressing 24 hours before, at least momentarily, seemed inconsequential.
Of course, the thought crossed our minds last week that a shadow would be cast over the TTJ Awards, and particularly that some of our overseas guests might not be able to attend because of the increased delays and difficulties in air travel.
None of that, in the greater scheme of things, was all that significant. But I have to say, and I hope that this does not sound trite, that, as things turned out, the event struck just the right balance between celebration of the achievements of the timber trade and recognition that this was not the time for excessive self-congratulation.
Our guest speaker, Michael Portillo, in particular, captured just the right tone. He was at times highly – and, for those of us who hadn’t seen him out of the political context, perhaps surprisingly – amusing. But he also caught the mood of the audience when he referred to the tragedies still unfolding in the US. We all, he predicted, face difficulties in the immediate future in the way we travel, do business and generally live our lives. The chink of light he saw through the gloom was that the terrorist outrages would bring national and international communities closer together to defend our democratic ideals and combat terrorism.
The awards themselves went to an interesting mix of business across the industry, with Montague L Meyer taking the Timber Trader of the Year accolade, and all the presentations were greeted with warm applause. The only concern was how long our ‘hostess’ for the event, Clare Harper-Benson, could hold the colosally heavy Trader of the Year trophy!
I and all at TTJ would like to congratulate the Award winners, runners-up and nominees.
