Special 30th anniversary message from James Simpson, past chairman of the BLF
It’s now 30 years since the formation of the BLF – an occasion I remember well. We have achieved a huge amount in that time, but there is much, much more still to do.
We now have a dozen BLF chapters and independent forums around the world and the collective knowledge of our members is massive: but none of us knows enough. The purpose of a ‘forum’ is communication and exchange of information. Why is this even more important today than it was in 1992?
When we began, ‘heritage’ was the driver; today it’s ‘climate change’. To reduce carbon emissions and energy use, we must: minimise demolition; avoid the use of concrete, cement mortar and steel; make new construction recyclable; retain and repurpose our existing buildings, old and new; and make them drier and warmer.
For all these reasons, the knowledge of how to use lime is fundamentally important and we must design, specify, quarry, burn, slake, mix and build better than ever!
James Simpson, OBE HonDSc FRIAS