5 FOREWORD Two roads diverged in a yellowwood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; These words from the opening verse of ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost could be describing the start of the journey taken by the IHBC since it was formed from the Association of Conservation Officers many years ago. In 2016, the Yearbook diverges from its usual ‘professional’ theme and majors in people instead. For me that suggests a subtle change of direction. Since taking over the presidency of the IHBC in September 2015, I have been adjusting to the scale of the role. I’ve already learned a great deal from my more than capable predecessor Trefor Thorpe, who has worked wonders during his tenure to modernise the governance of the IHBC. He is indeed a hard act to follow. I set out my stall as president in the November 2015 edition of Context and will develop these themes in future issues. For those readers of the Yearbook who are not also readers of Context, these are: • Planning – putting heritage at its heart provide excellent CPD to assist in the Practice, and Finance and Economics areas of competence (see page 12). I know that many applicants consider Finance and Economics as perhaps their weakest area of competence. The themed articles and further research should help them to develop confidence in this area. The ‘people’ theme of the articles also strikes a chord with me, not only in my role as president, but also as the theme of this year’s IHBC annual school in Worcester in June. I hope to meet many members, associates and affiliates there. Indeed, one of my presidential duties will be to get myself out and about to meet members of the IHBC branches. I have already had the privilege of meeting members of the Northern Ireland Branch at its AGM in November. It is the smallest of the IHBC branches in terms of members, but certainly not in its enthusiasm or ambition. I was most impressed by their positive approach, and their can-do attitude is exemplified by the article by branch member Andrew McClelland (see page 31). I look forward to making new friends in Worcester as I get to know members from other branches around the UK. I hope, in the meantime, that this edition of the Yearbook provides food for thought and I hope to discuss some of the important and innovative ideas with you at the annual school. In a rather roundabout way, this brings me back to Robert Frost’s poem. As we continue on this IHBC journey together, we might reflect on its final words and what they might mean for us in the future. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. David McDonald IHBC President • Professionalism – developing the IHBC’s role in supporting its members to provide respected and highly professional services • Poetry of Place – celebrating placemaking and the role of poetry and the arts in achieving quality. These of course, are not the only issues that the Institute will have to grapple with in the year ahead, and Mike Brown elaborates on these in his Chair’s Review (see page 15). Now, I turn to the themes of this 2016 edition of the IHBC Yearbook, which might be summarised in two words: money and people. At first glance, these appear to be quite different topics, but both are of great importance to the profession. For very obvious reasons money is crucial because without it our buildings, sites and places will wither away. People are equally important for providing the life-blood of conservation, whether as building owners, professionals or active members of the community. Connecting these two themes is that of innovation; something we should not shy away from in our profession. For those readers who might be considering applying for membership of the IHBC, these articles will all Photo: John Webb, IHBC London
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