At our offices at 15 Belgrave Square, we share the building with the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).\u00a0 When I started working for Valkyrie in September 2021, I was pleased to see that one of the Presidents of the SCI was Lord Melchett!\u00a0 Those Blackadder fans among us will remember the character of Lord Melchett, Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth the First, played by Stephen Fry!\u00a0 Clearly these two characters are not linked in any way*, but I often smile when I see Lord Melchett\u2019s name on the board in the ground floor reception area.<\/p>\n
Lord Melchett was President of the SCI in 1930.\u00a0 The tenure for presidency is usually two years, but Lord Melchett sadly died during his term.\u00a0 Lord Melchett was born Alfred Moritz Mond on 28th October 1868.\u00a0 Interestingly, his father, Dr Ludwig Mond was also President of the SCI from 1888 to 1889.<\/p>\n
Mond was created a\u00a0Baronet, of Hartford Hill in\u00a0Great Budworth\u00a0in the County of\u00a0Chester, in 1910,\u00a0and was admitted to the\u00a0Privy Council\u00a0in 1913.<\/p>\n
Mond first achieved renown as a prominent member of the Liberal War Committee set up in January 1916, the ginger group of Liberals who helped to propel\u00a0Lloyd George\u00a0to the premiership.<\/p>\n
Consequently, the new Prime Minister made Mond First Commissioner of Works, one of the most important posts not of Cabinet rank to be filled by a Liberal.<\/p>\n
In April 1921 Mond succeeded\u00a0Dr Christopher Addison\u00a0as Minister of Public Health.<\/p>\n
In 1928 he was raised to the peerage as\u00a0Baron Melchett, of\u00a0Landford\u00a0in the County of Southampton.<\/p>\n
The other Lord Melchett was famous for his trademark bellow \u201cBaaaah!\u201d and was affectionately called \u2018Melchy\u2019 by Queen Elizabeth the First!<\/p>\n
*perhaps there is a link or just a coincidence?\u00a0 In the final episode of series two of Blackadder, Lord Melchett is murdered by Prince Ludwig the Indestructible.\u00a0 Ludwig, obviously is also the father of Mond, the Lord Melchett and President of the SCI!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At our offices at 15 Belgrave Square, we share the building with the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).\u00a0 When I started working for Valkyrie in September 2021, I was pleased to see that one of the Presidents of the SCI was Lord Melchett!\u00a0 Those Blackadder fans among us will remember the character of Lord Melchett, …<\/p>\n