Life/Job Talk

23rd October 2025 Job/Life talk – David John

President Gail presented a cheque to Lucy for her Rushcliffe Christmas Toy activity over the last 5 years, then mentioned the cheque for Nikki, First Responders, who, again, would be helping with our Christmas Float & EBGC collections. Rob mentioned communication had been received on the Website from David Lockwood thank us for the Memory Café work at All Saints Church at Cotgrave, which his elderly parents really enjoy and appreciated. Gordon presented Gail with a certificate for the Club’s continued support to Foundation.

David then started at the beginning regarding the family name ‘John’, coming from the Mid Wales area, before his great grandfather moved to the Valleys for mining work. His father did his National Service after the war as RAF ground crew. David was brought up in SW Lancashire, born in Ormskirk, then living in Maghull, before going to Manchester University, reading geology and where he met his wife, Margaret.  Children Catherine Assoc. Professor and son Andy, a deputy head. David continued his education with an MSc. At Worcester College, Oxford, reading Geochemistry, then back to Manchester for a PH. D, studying selected Uranium Minerals (at a later stage he said “I realised I didn’t want to be an academic!”). So in 1984 he started in refractory manufacture (G.R.-Steins) in R & D researching bricks for stainless steel manufacture. He enjoyed the contact with customers, so after 4 years took the risk of moving to ‘sales’, based on a carbon plant at Bawtry, involved with blast furnace hearths, chemicals (Phosphoric Acid), ferro-alloys and Aluminium. He focused on the Aluminium smelting process, which is a very energy intensive industry, with pictures of Hydro Sunndal (Norway), and one in Brazil. So he travelled worldwide, progressing to Technical Sales Manager and finally Director. He joined Rotary at Rotherham in 2018 and became President in 2021/2, finally moving to Nottingham to be closer to family.

President Gail did the Vote of Thanks commenting that he started at the beginning and demonstrating that he was a ‘family man’ and despite some of the chemistry was over her head, he clearly showed a depth of knowledge and an enthusiasm for work and Life. So the members joined her in a warm round of applause.                  AR