Meeting Reports
ICM Chilterns Branch
Quiz Night
For the final meeting of the year we met at Yamaha Europe in Milton Keynes for a Christmas themed Quiz Night.
With some festive food available, thanks to the resourceful committee members, Pauline and Gillian, we settled down into five teams of four to tax our brains. Teams included a mix of members and guests with a wide range of age and experience available. Gillian Reynolds (Vice Chairman) was our Quiz Mistress for the evening, ably assisted by our scorer Ope Sebastien. Gillian had compiled a mix of the usual pub quiz type rounds and one particularly off-the-wall brain teaser round which required some pretty lateral thinking - rather than the usual general knowledge.
After five rounds and some two hours there was a tie on the leader board with Team JADGE and Team Moorhead's level on 79 points (out of a possible 90). Even a tie breaker round of five more questions failed to break the deadlock. The final decision came down to a quick reaction question (no buzzers), which saw Team JADGE shout loudest and answer correctly the name of the late Steve Jobs' Company (I think Gillian must have wanted to go home...she was battling a severe cold!)
The evening also provided us with an opportunity to thank our long term Secretary Janet Davies, who sadly has decided to step down after leaving the industry with Grant Thornton's decision to disband their Creditor Services division. Chairman Stuart Hopewell paid tribute to Janet's long-term support for the Branch and presented her with a suitably large bouquet (and later a bottle of Champagne saved from the prize giving.)
The Committee would like to thank Pauline and Yamaha for providing us with an excellent venue and food, not forgetting, of course, our quiz mistress Gillian.
See you all again on 25 January, at 7pm, for our Burns Night special.
Credit scoring for commercial decisions
Chilterns Branch 25th Anniversary Dinner at Putteridge Bury
40 members and guests (including past Chairs and a founder member) gathered at this magnificent venue to celebrate 25 years of the Institute in the region.
Finally our Treasurer, David Kerr, presented Stephen with a bottle of Italian wine from the cellar at Putteridge Bury as a thank you for his attendance. Guests lingered at their tables long after the meal had finished continuing to enjoy the superb surroundings.
The event was sponsored by FUJIFILM, the Insolvency Practitioners Association and Schuco and supported by the Institute. The Committee would like to pass on its grateful thanks to all four for their support.
AGM/Voluntary Arrangements
The day began with the Annual General Meeting and election of the committee for the forthcoming year. In May of this year, the Chilterns branch will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary and so the incoming committee will be busy preparing for the gala dinner to celebrate the event at Putteridge Bury Conference Centre, in Luton, Bedfordshire.
Due to the interesting nature of the topic there was a great deal of audience participation which meant that the chairman had to bring the meeting to a close before running out of time and for members to chat informally.
The event was well attended and educational for all. Thanks went to Janet Watson and to everyone who participated making this an enjoyable and interesting evening.
For our first meeting of 2012 we welcomed colleagues from neighbouring Northampton Branch and held a traditional Burns Night supper.
Our principal guest speakers were Jackie Ray of Brethertons solicitors and Mark Harrison of Flex law Scotland (Mark had flown in especially from Edinburgh to add an authentic Scottish touch to the evening.)
The subject of Jackie and Marks presentation was differences in English and Scottish law as they affected Credit. (On the same day Mr Alex Salmond had been putting forward his case for Scottish Independence, so Mark came in for some light hearted questioning about this before he could start!)
Our two guests presented as a double act guiding us through the history of the two systems (English law being rooted in Norman Society and Scottish tracing its “ancestry” back to Roman times).
The decision “to sue or not to sue” appeared to be governed by similar considerations in both cases and the dreaded “pre action protocols” were never far from the process...with mediation and arbitration being offered as alternative routes. (Whilst in Scotland Mediation isn’t a formal requirement, Mark did indicate that it is often used in small claims where these are sent to a free in–court service if the Sherriff considers it appropriate)
The process of an actual claim, whilst similar in both jurisdictions did throw up some differences... the “worst” of which (in the author’s opinion) appeared to be the lengthy delays “built in” to the Scottish system... The usual 21 day notice being followed by a return date and “calling date” which can add 5 to 6 weeks to the date of an eventual decree. (although this can be shortened by the claimant submitting motion on lodging a summons to shorten the initial 21 day notice.) In England, of course similar delays can be inherent with counter claims and requests for “further information” when a debtor is minded to delay proceedings...
Preparation for trial and gathering of evidence (and if necessary witnesses) appeared very similar but Mark did introduce a novel concept in Scotland, that of a witness giving evidence by video link.
Enforcement (Judgment in England, Decree in Scotland) appeared very similar with both utilising charging orders, attachment of earnings and Bailiffs or Sheriffs.
If all else fails of course there is bankruptcy, winding up and in Scotland sequestration or winding up.
To end the evening in style, Mark treated us to the traditional “address to the Haggis” by Robbie Burns the Haggis being ceremonially dispatched with a frighteningly large carving knife whilst being toasted by all present, a wee dram of malt Whisky helping to see it off. The Haggis then formed the centre piece of the buffet whilst members lingered around the remains of the whisky and had an opportunity to discuss the finer points of the law with our two speakers.
Our thanks to Jackie and Mark for a very informative evening (in particular Mark for his willingness to travel south and face the English inquisitors!)
Thanks also to Gillian Reynolds for all her organisation and her choice of venue.
