Members of Court

Dylan Barker was installed as Thames Warden in July 2023.

After leaving school Dylan became an apprentice within the construction Industry. On completion of his apprenticeship he moved into the building services sector, later forming his own company primarily as a heating and ventilation contractor serving mostly the retail sector. During this time Dylan also formed a recruitment company that specialised in supplying labour into the heating and ventilation industry.

His knowledge gained in the mechanical service sector stood him in good stead as he now works along with his wife Sharon at Precolor, which specialise in the manufacture of potable water, effluent & chemical storage tanks. Through his tenure Dylan has been responsible for increasing the product range of one piece rectangular freestanding tanks to the largest in Europe. Designed systems for testing ROV’s, covers for the security of water treatment works and designed chambers for well heads for the security of boreholes.

Dylan’s hobbies include rugby and sailing.

Professor Carolyn Roberts FRGS, FIEnvSc, FCIWEM, CEnv, CWEM, SFHEA was installed as Fleet Warden in July 2023.

Carolyn is a water resource management and science communication specialist who has worked, researched and published across the world. She specialises in the impact of human activity on the water cycle and water quality, including the impact of housing, industry, mining and waste disposal, but has wide interests in environmental management. Carolyn was Technical Advisor to Gloucestershire County Council following the dramatic flooding of 2007 that led to changes in UK flooding policy.

After an academic career at Exeter including the Head of the School of Environment and Director of the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Gloucestershire University, she moved to Oxford University, directing a national programme that linked industry with researchers to foster the development of innovative environmental technologies. At Oxford Carolyn worked with hundreds of businesses – multinationals to SMEs and also assisted the government to promote UK technical expertise internationally.

Carolyn was first Professor of Environment at Gresham College in London, delivering public lectures and following in the footsteps of Christopher Wren and Thomas Hooke! She remains as Professor Emeritus and a Fellow of the College.

Tom Flood was installed as the Walbrook Warden Elect in September 2023.

Tom was born and educated in Southern Ireland where he gained a lifelong appreciation for the natural world. In 1972 he emigrated to the UK. His first sales and marketing position was with 3M UK. He then joined the voluntary sector, The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Over a 26 year career, 12 as a CEO he made this a UK wide organization recognized as ‘Charity of the Year’. Its Patron was the late Duke of Edinburgh. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE for services to conservation. A founder member of the UK Water Partnership (with Past Master Mark Lane) they helped to establish a private public body. Today it provides thought leadership, informed research and collaboration to drive innovation in a diverse water community. Its relevance is reflected in the public debate about the quality of water.

In 2021, he became Chair of the Dorset Community Foundation, a grant giving body. He also manages the Paul Cornes Fund, which is a living legacy to his late civil partner who sadly died during Covid of prostate cancer. He was recently elected President nominee for the Rotary Club of Poole.

Tom divides his time between Farrington EC1 and Bournemouth. He’s a keen gardener, amateur chef and explorer of the Dorset countryside. He’s also a co-owner of a Patterdale Terrier ‘Miss Jessie’ – she’s great company.

Colin Drummond is the Deputy Master Water Conservator for 2023/4 having previously served as Master in 2007/8 and 2022/3. He was one of the founding masters of the WET 10 group of water related livery companies and served as its chair from 2008 to 2013. He is also a Liveryman of the Musicians’ and Gardeners’ companies.

Colin grew up in Belfast and is a graduate of Oxford University and Harvard Business School where he held a Harkness Fellowship. After working in the Bank of England and the Boston Consulting Group, he moved on to heavy engineering and textiles before finding his real metier as a bin man; he created Viridor the leading UK waste management and renewable energy company in 1992 and ran it as Chief Executive until his retirement in 2012. He is currently Chair of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and has recently retired as Chair and Pro Chancellor of the University of Plymouth. He was appointed OBE in 2012 and DL in 2016. His hobbies are music and growing vegetables in the manner of a peasant farmer.

The term ‘Bailiff’, derives from the Latin bailus – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction was committed. Today, Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offices and duties vary greatly.

In the Water Conservators’ Company, each new Warden is entitled to appoint a Bailiff from among Liverymen not on the Court, who retains that office until the Warden has been Master. To a great extent, what the Bailiff does rather depends on the Warden. One task is usually to look out for guests of the Company at formal events, and ensure that they are introduced to their host for the day.

The Bailiff may work with the Warden to plan his/her year as Master, especially with regard to the planning of informal, social events, but may also act as a sounding board for ideas about the aims and objectives that the future Master hopes to achieve. During the Master’s year, the Bailiff may assist in the organization and running of the planned informal events.

The current bailiffs are:

• The Master’s Bailiff, Miss Gemma Harvey
• The Thames Warden’s Bailiff, Mr. Stuart Herritty

Court Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators are elected annually.

The Court Assistants (including *Past Masters on the Court) for 2023 – 2024 are:

• Mr. Brett Bader
• Mr. Allan Barton
• Dr. Ramon Bravo Gonzalez
• Mr. Nigel Cartwright, OBE
• *Mr. Rob Casey
• *Mr. Colin Drummond, OBE DL
• Mr. Afzal Ginwalla
• *Mr. Peter Hall
• Mr. Trevor Harrington
• Ms. Christine Jarvis
• *Mr. Mark Lane
• Dr. David Lloyd Owen
• Mr. Ken Marsh
• Mr. Nigel Mattravers
• Dr. Alex Money
• Miss Dinah Nichols, CB
• Mr. Neil Reynolds
• Mr. Yusaf Samiullah, OBE
• Mr. Guy Titman
• Mr. Richard Waller

The position of Bargemaster is held by Past Master David Jones.

Miss Christine Duthie has been performing the role of Clerk since July 2022. She joined the Water Conservators’ Company in 2014 and served as Hon. Secretary of the Water Conservation Trust from 2016 to 2023. She was a Court Assistant from 2018 until taking on the Clerk’s role and was also a member of the Finance, Membership and General Purposes Committee (FM&GP) during that time.

Our Beadle Mark Anderson was born in Ipswich. Soon after the family moved to Cornwall and Mark was brought up in Penzance. Mark attended the local grammar school and at 16, left to join the Army. He was assigned to join the Royal Corps of Signals serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, the Middle East, and the Balkans. In 2000 Mark was promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1 and posted to Middlesbrough as the Regimental Sergeant Major of 34th (Northern) Signal Regiment. In 2003 Mark was appointed as the Office Manager in Northampton’s Army Recruiting Office.

In 2010, Mark was selected to become a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London. Apart from the usual duties associated with that position, Mark is a member of the team who look after the Ravens.

Mark has been married to Sandi for thirty nine years; they have three grown up children and three grandchildren. In his spare time, Mark is a member of the London City Voices Community Choir.

When not in London, Mark lives in Leicester, and visits his local rugby club where he is an Honorary Vice President. He is also writing two novels and hopes to publish them at some time in the future.

Beadle, sometimes spelled “bedel” is from the Latin “bidellus” or “bedellus”, rooted in words for “herald”, an official of the Roman Temple.

The Livery Companies, as they evolved, needed a point of contact between the Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants and the Livery in general. They therefore appointed (and paid for) a Beadle, who took care of the Company’s meeting place (‘Hall’), called the Court members and/or Livery together on behalf of the Master, and enforced any disciplinary measures decided by the Court.

He would be issued with a Staff of Office, often wrongly called a mace, with which to protect the Master and enforce discipline. The Staff is usually a tall one so that it could be used as a rallying point at Common Hall etc. when the Livery was summoned to “Attend upon the Master”.

The position is vacant.

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