Guest Speakers

GUESTS OF HONOUR OVER THE YEARS

The BWDC has a distinguished history of speakers since it was formed – the more recent ones (from 1942) are below

Columns are: Year – Number of Diners – Guest Speaker

 

2024 – 114 – Sir Simon Gass GCMG CVO
2023 – 106 – The Rt Hon, the Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom
2022 – 108 – HRH The Princess Royal
2021 – 101 – George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen
2020 – no dinner – Covid Cancellation
2019 – 160 – Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge
2018 – 160 – Lord Tony Hall
2017 – 160 – Maj Gen Richard Semple
2016 – 160 – Vice Admiral Duncan Potts
2015 – 160 – Lord John Reid
2014 – 160 – Gen Sir Peter Wall
2013 – 160 – Vice Admiral ‘Al’ Richards
2012 – 148 – HRH The Princess Royal
2011 – 143 – Nigel Inkster
2010 – 143 – Lt Gen Bob Baxter
2009 – 141 – Sir David Omand
2008 – 141 – Sir Ken Knight
2007 – 139 – Lt Gen Frank Hickling
2006 – 130 – Vice Admiral Sir Robert Walmsley
2005 – 118 – Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy
2004 – 122 – Admiral Sir Peter Abbott
2003 – 118 – Andrew Pinder
2002 – 123 – Jed Babbin
2001 – 121 – Air Chief Marshal Sir John Willis
2000 – 111 – General Sir Sam Cowan
1999 – 110 – Professor Heinz Wolff
1998 – 107 – Lord Weinstock
1997 – 91 – Sir Michael Bett
1996 – 90 – Sir David Davies
1995 – 92 – Sir Donald Spiers
1994 – 90 – Sir Neil Cossons
1993 – 97 – Tony Sale
1992 – 105 – Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine
1991 – 99 – Marmaduke Hussey
1989 – 69 – Gordon Owen
1988 – 79 – Sir Robert Telford
1988 – 78 – Sir Brian Tovey
1987 – 81 – Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fieldhouse
1986 – 82 – Sir William Barlow
1985 – 75 – Sir George Jefferson (J Hodgson)
1984 – 84 – General Sir John Hackett
1983 – 93 – John Stanley
1982 – 110 – Lord Nelson
1981 – 110 – Professor W Gosling
1980 – 100 – Professor W A Gambling
1979 – 94 – Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Ashmore
1978 – 114 – Professor A V Jones
1977 – 91 – Field Marshal Sir Michael Carver
1976 – 104 – Sir William Ryland
1975 – 109 – Professor Sir Hermann Bondi
1974 – 108 – Dr J A Saxton
1973 – 118 – Lord Orr-Ewing
1972 – 195 – HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
1971 – 96 – Airey Neave
1970 – 104 – W W Herbert
1969 – 102 – The Right Hon John Stonehouse
1968 – 111 – Sir Edmund Irving
1967 – 118 – Air Marshal Sir Edouard Grundy
1966 – 91 – Dr Eric Eastwood
1965 – 87 – Sir Ian Jacob
1964 – 120 – Field Marshal Lord Harding of Petherton
1963 – 104 – Vice-Admiral le Fanu
1962 – 105 – Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick
1961 – 113 – Marshal of the RAF Sir Dermot Boyle
1960 – 110 – Sir Arthur fforde
1959 – 119 – Sir Vivian Fuchs
1958 – 114 – Marshal of the RAF Sir William Dickson
1957 – 120 – Sir Ben Barnett
1956 – 106 – The Right Lion Charles Hill
1955 – 127 – Lord Brabazon of Tare
1954 – 133 – Earl Alexander orTunis
1953 – 129 – Lord Fraser of North Cape
1952 – 105 – Sir John Cockroft
1951 – 120 – Sir Harold Scott
1950 – 110 – Sir Robert Watson-Watt
1949 – 93 – Lord Cherwell
1948 – 96 – Sir Vincent dc Ferranti
1947 – 97 – Sir Edward Appleton
1946 – 116 – Sir Henry Tizard
1945 – 132 – Sir Stafford Cripps
1944 –  – No Dinner
1943 – 15 – Vice-Admiral Lord Mountbatten
1942 –  – Admiral Sir Charles Kennedy-Purvis (Lunch)

1941 – No event: The Blitz