Norman Howell
Below is Normans speech from the evening of the awards Dinner…..
“Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen
When Matt called me earlier this year to advise me that I had been nominated for this award it came as a wonderful surprise and I consider it to be a great honour to join fellow No Dig Pioneers Ted Flaxman and Dec Downey on the Award Roll of Honour. It is for me particularly satisfying to have the work I have undertaken throughout my career to be recognised in this way and being nominated by my peers within our industry makes it even more special.
I have had a very full filling career spanning over 40 years and it has encompassed the use of many No Dig techniques. During this time, I have had the good fortune to work with many exceptional no dig engineers and I would like to mention in particular Alex Whiteside, Roger England, Roy Streatfield, Richard Fraser and John De Rosa who have had a major influence on my career progression.
Through the last 30 years the ISTT and UKSTT have played a prominent role in my life providing me with opportunities for learning, a platform for promoting the companies I worked for and perhaps most importantly gave me access to a network of like-minded no dig professionals. Many of the people I have met have provided me with guidance, knowledge and the odd hangover and again I would like to mention a few who have been particularly influential to me and they are Dec Downey, Martin Kane, Ian Vickridge, Steve Kent, Russell Fairhurst, Keith Mole and David Toms.
The UKSTT has played a vital role in the promotion of our industry for the past 25 years and continues to do so. I would like you to join with me in congratulating our society on its achievements as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
The UKSTT needs the support from individuals and companies involved in No Dig as it continues to strive to educate government, regulators, network owners and engineers working in all sectors of the construction industry of the considerable benefits derived from embracing Trenchless Technology. There is still much to do, and I would like to ask you our members to continue to nurture our society and support its activities as this is the best way for you to derive the full benefits from your membership
For those of you who are not members then I hope this week’s event has demonstrated the substantial benefits that membership brings, and I urge you to visit the society’s stand tomorrow and find out more about the UKSTT activities and how you can join.
Like me many of you will be familiar with the long shifts and nights away from home that are associated with a career involving trenchless technology and the effects it has on family life So I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife Pearl and daughters Claire and Jayne for their perseverance, love and support without which I would not have been able to achieve so much in my career.
Finally, I would like to thank the members of the UKSTT for this award for which I am truly delighted and honoured to be its recipient.
Thank You”