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In another in this series about those who run some of our local clubs
and associations Patrick Middleton meets Mike Lorimer, Chairman of the
British Chamber of Commerce
Am I due for an irate letter from a
Sunderland fan accusing me of unacceptable bias because this is the
second piece in two consecutive issues about a supporter of the
Magpies, aka Newcastle United? First there was Selwyn Glick, now
there’s Mike Lorimer. “It started with my grandfather,” he told me. “He
worshipped Jackie Milburn and got me to understand there was no other
team in the league that mattered. From about the time I was five we
moved around to other places in the North-East but that loyalty hasn’t
waned. Wherever I can I listen to commentaries on their matches on the
Internet. I’m addicted.”
“To be respectable pays”
Mike made his career on the production side
of the newspaper industry. “Hot metal, that was me, and then the
technological revolution in printing happened. Cumberland was in the
forefront of all that, believe it or not. I survived by getting a job
selling the new machines. One of my clients was Rupert Murdoch.” And
how did he end up in France? “In my mid-fifties I decided on a new
life. I’d visited this area and like it so I came to live here. I got
into financial services the proper way, got the qualifications, got the
carte professionnelle. That was important. You’ve got some dodgy
characters out there purveying ‘advice’. I wanted to be respectable. In
the long run, it pays.”
And the Chamber of Commerce? “I joined
because I could see it could be useful to those in business here. It
had a rather checkered history going back to the late eighties but in
more recent years I think we can say we’ve turned it round. About two
hundred paid up members, a turnout of seventy or so at most meetings.
We’re doing something worthwhile.” What does the Chamber do? “Three
things, basically. We’ve got a lot of expertise and experience on
board. It’s at the disposal of all members. It’s especially useful for
those starting up. I’ve too often seen people making mistakes they
needn’t have.”
“Give it a try ...”
“Then there’s the
networking. That’s not just about lunches and dinners – though we put
on some decent meals, I have to say – but it’s rather the chance to
relate to each other informally as well as putting business in each
other’s way and exchanging advice. Last but not least, there’s our
programme of seminars and workshops. These are held monthly and cover a
wide range of topics – from getting the best out of the Internet
through the functions of the British Consulate in Marseille to – yes! –
clairvoyancy in business. And one very final point: we’re now into our
fourth year of selecting the business person of the year within the
English-language community. Previous winners were Mike Meade, Clive
Stokes and Nicky Hooper: this year our members chose Dorothy Foster of
the International School of Nice. All people you know, of course.”
From Reporter 113 - Feb/Mar 2006
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