Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant organiser receives award from HRH The Princess Royal at this year’s Maritime Media Awards
Adrian Evans has received a Maritime Foundation Fellowship Award for masterminding this summer’s river pageant on the Thames. Millions of television viewers worldwide watched as over 1,000 boats took part in the hugely successful event marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June.
Last night (November 14) Adrian received his honour from HRH The Princess Royal at the Maritime Media Awards dinner, held annually at London’s Institute of Directors. He said: “I’m delighted and honoured to receive the fellowship. The pageant was an extraordinary opportunity for the river and maritime industries to show themselves in the international spotlight and so much credit for its success goes to the organisations who stood shoulder-to-shoulder to allow it to happen.”
A second Maritime Fellowship Award was made to Richard Doughty director of the Cutty Sark Trust for leading the project to restore the iconic clipper ship after she was almost destroyed by fire in 2007.
Over 200 journalists, business figures and senior naval officers – including First Sea Lord Sir Mark Stanhope and last year’s winner BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt – attended the annual dinner.
Six awards were presented by HRH The Princess Royal:
- The Desmond Wettern Media Award for best journalistic contribution – Richard Hargreaves, News Editor, Navy News.
- The Desmond Wettern Fleet Award for best media contribution from HM Ship, submarine, Royal Navy Air Squadron or Royal Marine unit – Type-23 Frigate HMS Somerset.
- The Donald Gosling Award for best television and film contribution – Andy Attenburrow for his film Arctic Convoys (Testimony Films for Yesterday Channel).
- The Mountbatten Maritime Award for best literary contribution – Professor Callum Roberts for his book Ocean of Life – How our seas are changing (published by Penguin).
- The Maritime Fellowship Awards for an outstanding contribution in a particular maritime field – Richard Doughty for managing the refurbishment of the Cutty Sark by fire and to Adrian Evans for organising the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant.
Maritime Foundation Chairman, Julian Parker said: “The Maritime Awards provide an opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals who have contributed to raising maritime awareness during the past year. The sea remains a positive influence on the nation’s culture and aspirations, but this influence needs to be demonstrated and celebrated if it is not to be subsumed by other more immediate and pressing demands.”
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Editors’ Notes
- Further details of the Awards can be found by logging onto www.bmcf.org.uk and photographs of the winners can be downloaded from this website.
- Desmond Wettern wrote on maritime affairs for over 30 years but is probably best known as The Daily Telegraph’s naval correspondent.
- He was so respected within the Royal Navy that the service sent a signal to every ship and naval establishment to inform them of his death in 1991.
- The Maritime Media Awards were established in 1995 with a single journalism prize presented in his memory.
- Over the years the event has steadily grown to become the largest and most prestigious within the maritime sector.
- The Maritime Foundation was set up in the early 1980s to promote Britain’s interest across the maritime sector. Its purpose is to inform and raise public and parliamentary awareness of the importance of our maritime industries, commerce and defence.
- For further information please call Ali Kefford on 07775 737062.
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Gallery
A selection of photos from the Maritime Media Awards 2012. More photos are available from the Maritime Foundation’s Flickr Photostream.
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