Attended by founder members, past Chairmen and past and present Members of the LCA Council, accompanied by their wives and partners, the Conference was also strongly supported by senior executives from Associate members in the manufacturing and distribution sectors of the industry.

The Conference culminated in the Saturday night reception and Gala Dinner, for which many delegates dressed for the occasion in full Scottish regalia.

Jamestown Metals’ pre-dinner champagne reception provided the perfect opportunity for delegates and guests to view a large gallery of photographs featuring the entrants for the 2009 Murdoch Award, the competition organised by the LCA to find the best leadwork project carried out by its members during the year.

The traditional Annual Conference of the LCA was a very special occasion this year, as 2009 marked the 25th Anniversary of the LCA. With the imposing Ardoe House in Aberdeen chosen by Council as the venue, the Conference programme contained the usual mixture of formal and social events.

Conference...
awards and accolades

Together with the Murdoch Sponsors Award for the smaller lead project, the announcement of the winning projects and subsequent presentations has become a traditional feature of the Gala Dinner in bringing the formalities of the Conference to a close.

Since its inception in 1996, the Murdoch Award has become recognised by the industry as the ultimate accolade for leadwork quality and is keenly contested by the LCA membership. Sponsors Associated Lead Mills had brought the three finalists of the 2009 competition to the ConferenceDinner and, like the rest of the gathering, eagerly awaited the judging panel’s decision.

Delegates and guests were led into dinner by a Highland Piper, who proceeded to address the steaming haggis presented by the hotel chef. During a superb meal the assembly were entertained by Award winning Scottish Dancers and traditional folk music from the region.

The formal proceedings began at the end of the meal, with Mr Charlie Sherling of Jamestown Metals presenting the Royal Dublin Golf Trophy to this year’s winner, Calvin Moran of Skyline.

Richard Murdoch proudly presents

the Murdoch Sponsors Award 2009

and the ultimate
accolade...

The Murdoch Award 2009

Richard Murdoch himself then took the floor to describe the entries for the 2009 Murdoch Sponsors Award and the Murdoch Award itself. There was no doubt, he said, that the overall quality of leadwork entries submitted by LCA members had continued to improve since the inception of the Awards. Potential Murdoch Award winners were no longer confined to some of the larger members and now many LCA members of all sizes were capable of producing outstanding examples of their craft.

Recognising first the entries for the Murdoch Sponsors Award for projects below five tonnes, Richard called forward Graham Hudson, Managing Director of Associated Lead Mills to present the Sponsors Award for 2009 to Vince McKee of McKee Plumbing & Leadwork for their Oast House project in Barming, Kent. This was the second time Vince McKee had won the Sponsors Award and he was warmly congratulated by both Richard Murdoch and Graham Hudson.

Graham Hudson, Managing Director of Associated Lead Mills (pictured right) and Richard Murdoch (centre) present the Murdoch Sponsors Award for 2009 to Vince McKee of McKee Plumbing & Leadwork for their Oast House project in Barming, Kent.

McKee Plumbing & Leadwork - Oast House, Barming, Kent.

McEwan Hall

Elder Park Library

Park Place

Turning to the 2009 Murdoch Award itself, Richard assured the audience that the location of the Annual Conference in Aberdeen had no bearing on the fact that two of the three finalists this year were from Scotland.

Entries had been submitted from all over the UK and the judging panel, Chaired by Phil Turner from Exe Valley Services, had pored over literally hundreds of photographs and site reports, often returning to a site to check details or have a second look at the design, before they eventually decided on the three finalists.

Richard commended the work that had been submitted by

D Blake of Edinburgh (McEwan Hall),

John Fulton (Plumbers) of Glasgow (Elder Park Library)

Norman and Underwood of Leicester (Park Place, Henley)

and asked their representatives to come forward to receive their “Finalist” certificates which commemorated their achievement.

And finally the moment everyone had been waiting for...

1996 B R Plumbing & Heating (Belfast) Castle Coole, Co Fermanough, NI

1997 D Blake & Co (Edinburgh) Cardie Hill, Peebles

1998 T & P Lead Roofing (Essex) Crosby Hall, London

1999 NDM Lead Sheet Specialists (London) Education Block at Canterbury Cathedral

2000 T & P Lead Roofing (Essex) The Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

2001 NDM Lead Sheet Specialists (London) Kinnaird House, Pall Mall, London

2002 Exe Valley Services (Exeter) Melbury House, Dorset

2003 Marshott Non Ferrous Roofing (Kent) Memorial to the Missing, Pozieres, France

2004 Full Metal Jacket (Essex) St Mary’s Church, Great Dunmow, Essex

2005 Richardson Roofing Company (Staines) Stowe House, Buckingham

2006 John Fulton (Plumbers) Ltd (Glasgow) Cloncaird Castle, Scotland

2007 GSL (Hampshire) All Saints Church, Hampshire

2008 D Blake & Co. (Edinburgh) McManus Galleries & Museum, Dundee