Successful 25th Anniversary and World Hydrography Day celebrations
1 July 2010
Nearly 60 members of The Hydrographic Society UK including representatives of the UK Hydrographic Office, Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Port of London Authority and major survey industry organisations gathered for a festive World Hydrography Day reception hosted by Society in London on 25th June as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations. Among those present at the event held aboard HQS Wellington, on the Thames Embankment, was UK National Hydrographer designate, Commodore Nick Lambert, who is due to formally assume office this August with the rank of Rear-Admiral in succession to Rear-Admiral Ian Moncrieff.
Main highlights of the evening included an entertaining presentation by Ola Oskarsson, Managing Director of Marine Matteknik, Sweden, who discussed his company's recent survey activities on the world's largest tropical lake in Africa with a surface area of 68,000 square km, Victoria. He was followed by an equally captivating account of 250 years of hydrographic surveying by Dr Mark Horton, Reader in Archaeology at Bristol University and lead presenter of BBC TV's popular Coast programmes, whose recent exploits have included discoveries of ancient shipwrecks off the coast of Scotland and elsewhere.
The event, which included a celebratory dinner, was an especially memorable occasion for all those fortunate enough to attend, according to William Heaps, Chairman of The Hydrographic Society UK who also paid tribute to generous support provided by corporate members Gardline Hydro, GSE Rentals, IVS 3D, Ixsea, Seatronics, Swathe Services and Valeport.
