Women in Tobacco Thames Cruise
Thursday 7th June 2018
On the Thames
Just one event left. I was invited by Women In Tobacco (WIT) to give a presentation on the Tobacco Pipe Makers & Tobacco Blenders and the livery movement in general. Maureen and I boarded the boat at Westminster Pier with almost 40 Women In Tobacco. As I was the only male passenger, I took comfort in the knowledge that the queues for the men's loo would be mercifully short. We headed upstream past the MI5 building before we turned around to cruise downstream to what used to be the Millennium Dome and is now known simply as O2.
My "act" followed Marie Hanson MBE who talked about S.T.O.R.M. (Support, Trust, Opportunity, Rebuilding, Motivation). We heard from Marie about rebuilding her life after the most appalling domestic abuse and creating an organisation to help others in similar circumstances. Talking to Marie over dinner, she is now addressing almost all society's major problems in South West London. There really isn't anything too big or difficult for Marie to tackle and she has the will power, energy and commitment to make a real difference. I was very impressed. It was a privilege to meet her.
I am grateful to Elise Rasmussen and WIT for the invitation and the opportunity to meet Marie Hanson.
