| Main Performers | Dr Beeching (Chairman of British Transport Commission),
Sir Richard Powell,
The Archbishop of York,
Lord Home,
Sir Robert Renwick,
Mr Ed Murrow (broadcaster),
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Viscount Chandos (IoD Director),
Professor A L Goodhart (Oxford University) - speakers |
| Set List | Opening Remarks (Lord Chandos),
Speech (Dr Richard Beeching),
Questions,
Speech (HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh),
Speech (The Archbishop of York),
Questions,
Speech (Mr Ed Murrow),
Questions,
LUNCH INTERVAL
Speech (Lord Home),
Speech (Sir Edward Spears),
Closing Remarks (Lord Chandos) |
| Royal Presence | HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh |
| Performance Notes | Film footage of this event is available from British Pathe (Film ID 1735.24) Running time 1min 55secs.
The event was filmed by A-R Television and recorded by BBC Sound.
Image of Beeching at the podium is available from PA Images (Image ref # 1713600)
"...The Earl of Home, Foreign Secretary, denounced "brinkmanship" yesterday in a major speech made before the conference of the Institute of Directors at the Royal Albert Hall. He said it was "unforgiveable" in the 20th century.
He also made it quite clear that it was the Russian Government which had been guilty of it over the Ciban crisis, and added: "The reason that the free world can breathe again is that the President of the United States did not fail and did not lose his nerve."
The [Cuban missile] crisis was an instance in which the nuclear deterrent had deterred...
PRINCE'S SPEECH.
Earlier Prince Philip appealed to industry to sponsor the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme. "Much of the trouble young people get into," he said, "is through boredom because they have never had a chance to discover an absorbing interest.
...The 5,000 directors present...ate a picnic lunch on their knees, costing about £1 10s and consisting of mousse de foie gras, chicken and salad, confectionery and cheese, served in large cartons with vin rose."
(The Daily Telegraph, 1 November 1962)
Dr Beeching discussed his proposals for revolutionising the railways;
"Delegates seemed surprised at yesterday's Albert Hall conference of the Institute of Directors that Dr Beeching managed to give a 30-minute talk on his plans for the railways without mentioning the question of redundancy or labour difficulties.
It was on the rturn to railways of industrial freight that he pinned all his hoped of making them pay. The audience might have reflected that here the decision rested with them. Hence Dr Beeching's sales talk.
When a questioner pointed out the serious implications of redundancy Dr Beeching showed his teeth for the first time. With a crisp reminder, "It is scarcely necessary to tell me that," he sat down." An awkward silence followed.
(The Daily Telegraph, 1 November 1962)
"RAIL DECISIONS FOR MINISTER.
Freight is the key, says Dr Beeching.
The final decision on what is to happen to uneconomic railway branch lines will rest with the Minister of Transport. This was made lcear yesterday by Dr Beechin, chairman of the British Transport Commission, in a sepeech to the Institute of Directors.
If stopping services were discontinued, £50 million would be "a conservative estimate" of the savings. He went on: "Either we must stop such services or they must be subsidised."..."
(The Daily Telegraph, 1 November 1962) |