It all started with a letter marked Cabinet Office at the end of November. At first, and thirty first, reading it seemed to be informing me that the Prime Minister was minded to recommend me to the Queen for an MBE. Unless this wasn’t agreeable to me. I decided that, on balance, it was highly agreeable to me- in addition to utterly stunning. For services to Business and to Economic Development on Teesside.
Thoughts quickly turned to mum and dad- George and Olive- long since passed. He was a plumber – an immigrant from Dublin via Liverpool. She was a barmaid from Redcar. Brought together by the steelworks and alcohol. Like so many on Teesside. This didn’t happen to people like us. Mum and dad were very conscious of ‘their place’. Terraced house. Where people like us belong. As an only child they wanted the very best for me – but for me to always be aware of my roots. Our personal values. Hard work, honesty, integrity, good manners (always say please and thank you), do the best you can always, family first, look out for your neighbours and at all times an inherent fear of debt.
At 58 I think they’d recognise their Robert- even if they wouldn’t have expected me to be announced at Buckingham Palace this month to be presented with an MBE by the Prince Of Wales. We chatted – Prince Charles chatted to over 70 that day and did it with great charm and warmth.
I describe myself as a Teessider but optimistic- if I have one criticism of us Teessiders is that we’re prone to pessimism. Even in the 1960s mum and dad told me things were better a few years ago.
Throughout my working life I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many business leaders – and Teesside is blessed to have so many that care about future generations. One of them – my great friend Bill Scott, Chief Executive of Wilton Engineering received his OBE on the same day – though he was Dr William for the day. I think we flew the flag of Teesside well.
I’ve always been happy to participate in anything that can help improve Teesside’s future- from talks to schools, CBI events, Common Purpose, to Chairing the Teesside Committee of The Chamber and the IOD amongst others. In recent years I was invited to be a member of the SSI Task force and most recently to be a board member of the South Tees Development Corporation lead by Ben Houchen. Across the South Tees site itself and indeed the wider Teesside region, we have exciting opportunities and a business community that I think is second to none- and it’s been a privilege to have established strong relationships with so many great businesses and their leadership teams. I include Jacksons Law Firm in that list which is why I’m so pleased to be working with Jane Armitage and the team as a non-executive.
I don’t care about party politics – though I come from a staunch Labour family background – and have been happy to support anyone in influence who wants to deliver positive outcomes for Teesside. I think mum and dad would approve.
Thursday March 8th was the proudest day of my professional life and it was a joy to share it with my long suffering wife Linda and two of my boys, Christopher and Kieran.
The sun shone – as true Teessiders we fully expected it to rain!
