OTC 2008

BRITISH INVOLVEMENT at the 2008 Offshore Technology Conference, held May 5-8 at Reliant Park in Houston, was very evident, with more than just the odd stand being staffed by UK personnel. Overall attendance at this year’s Conference reached 75,092, a 26-year high. Energy professionals from 110 countries were on hand to learn about the latest technology to find and produce offshore oil and natural gas resources. This is the world’s largest offshore industry event. With more than one-half million square feet of exhibition area, the show included 2,500 companies from more than 35 countries in an area the size of 13 football fields. The UK Minister of State for Energy, Malcolm Wick, was in town for the event, and visited several British firms exhibiting at the Conference. While in Houston, he also met with global energy companies to discuss UK opportunities for exploration and investment in the North Sea, and to learn about their latest technologies and business developments, as well as to discuss alternative energy solutions.

UK Energy Minister Malcolm TXCOL – Wicks
on right at the Bridon stand at OTC

Goodbye To Respected Hill-Country Brit

The Hill Country of Texas sadly said goodbye to a well-respected Brit, Dobbie Dobson. Dobbie, was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, in 1927, and moved to the USA. In 1943 he returned to the UK and enlisted in the Royal Navy, serving as a Seaman Torpedoeman. After his honourable discharge in 1947, he came back to Texas, where he graduated from Texas A & I University. Dobbie was a Sea Scout as a boy, and a patrol leader, which in turn led to his being a Cubmaster and later a Scoutmaster, receiving the coveted Silver Beaver Award for adult service impacting the lives of young people. He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Kerrville. Our condolences go out to his wife of 57 years, Jeannette, and all of his family.

Aussie High School Rugby Team In Houston

A team of 30 high school rugby players from Scotch College in Perth, Australia visited Houston at the end of April to play Rugby against two of Houston’s high school teams, St Thomas High School and Strake Jesuit. Perth and Houston have had a long association as Sister Cities that goes back to the famous flight by John Glenn when he was the first American to orbit the Earth and the entire city of Perth turned on their lights for his passing spacecraft. Perth is arguably the energy capital of Australia, and strong business and cultural links continue to be developed between the two cities. The boys stayed with families of their opposite number, and spent a full school day at St Thomas. Rugby is a growing sport in the US and there are a great number of Houston area schools now playing Rugby, from Katy to the Woodlands. St Thomas was nationally ranked last year and there are a number of Houston boys representing the US on national teams this year.

Dynamo Stadium Problem

It seems that Houston Dynamo’s hopes of a downtown soccer stadium, and the future of professional soccer in Houston, might have been jeopardised by a letter from MLS Commissioner Donald Garber to the owners of the Dynamo, in which he threatens to relocate the team if a decision on the stadium is not forthcoming. The letter somehow made its way into the hands of Houston Mayor Bill White, who was quick to say that he did not respond well to threats! Oliver Luck, the Dynamo President, wants the city to put forward financial help in building the stadium, but Mayor White refuses to commit taxpayer’s funds, instead recommending that private funding be secured. No deadline has been set for a decision, and Luck says that the Dynamo has not been talking to other cities about relocation. We’ll have to see what happens!

Houston G & S

Houston’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society will present The Yeoman of the Guard, at the Wortham Centre’s Cullen Theatre. Opening night is Friday, July 18, with evening performances on Saturday, July 19, Friday July 25 and Saturday July 26 and matinees on Sunday July 20 and Sunday July 27. For tickets call (713) 627-3570 or visit the Society’s website at http://gilbertandsullivan.net. Tickets go on sale through the website on June 1.

Ted’s Excellent Adventure

A round-the-world journey by a British teddy bear, named Ted, included a recent visit to Houston! Five year’s ago, in 2003, Rosemarie Van Mechelen the librarian at Fowey Community College in Cornwall, had the idea to send Ted off to visit 30 countries and report back to the students. To quote Ted’s web page, “The purpose of sending the little bear on its global travels is to provide students with a wider knowledge of the world and its differing cultures.” Armed with a special passport made by the Foreign Office, Ted has visited Brunei, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and 18 other countries, ending in the USA. Ted’s visit to Texas included stops at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, NASA, and the Alamo in San Antonio. British Consul-General Paul Lynch, even took Ted to a Houston Astros baseball game. The plan is for Ted to be back home in Cornwall by the end of term in June.

No Grand Prix for Houston

Motor racing fans in Houston were disappointed to learn that, for the second time in Houston Grand Prix history, the race was cancelled, and its future is now unsure. The February 2008 merger of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series resulted in the cancellation of the 2008 Grand Prix of Houston. The organisers had hoped to proceed with an event featuring the American Le Mans Series, but it was not to be. It is hoped that this is not the end of ‘open-wheel’ racing in Houston. Officials with the Grand Prix of Houston are working towards having the city included on the IRL schedule for 2009.

Spitfire and Hurricane

It was a sad day at the Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston Air show in April when a Supermarine Spitfire taxied into the rear of the recently restored Hawker Hurricane, flattening the Hurricane’s tail section. The Spitfire and the Hurricane, (recently restored after 15 years of effort and $2 million), were both seriously damaged in the ground collision. A Museum official said that the damage to both planes will be repaired, although it may take months. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. The restoration of the Hurricane was completed in May 2006. The Spitfire, a rare two-seater version, registered to a private owner in Colorado, appeared to have damage to the wings and landing gear.

The Spitfire involved in the Galveston ground collison.

Arizona

On May 30, in Socorro, New Mexico, senior representatives of the British Government will attend a commemoration ceremony for retiring US Senator Pete V Domenici. Her Majesty’s Consul in Denver, Kevin Lynch, and Science Consul, Dr May Akrawi will be in New Mexico to honor Senator Domenici’s commitment to UK/US scientific collaboration with Professor Peter Littlewood (Chair, Physics Department) and Dr. Dave Buscher from the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory visiting from the UK for this occasion. At the May 30 event, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology will rename the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Array Operations Center as the “Pete V Domenici Science Operations Center.”