The Linguist

Chartered Institute of Linguists WINTER 2024 The Linguist 29 FEATURES Christine served as Chair of CIOL's Interpreting Division (ID) for over two decades, and I had the privilege of knowing her during part of that time. Her passing this year shocked us all because she was always so full of life. The news brought back memories of our time together on the ID Committee – both the hard work and the personal moments that bonded us as part of a unique group of volunteers. We shared a common purpose: creating a space for discussion, problem-solving and much-needed connections in the often isolating world of freelance work. Christine was very much the driving force behind it all. She began her career in the UK-Germany import and export sector. Later, she established a language service for German businesses and joined CIOL in 1993, achieving Fellowship status five years later. She actively participated in CIOL's translation and interpreting divisions, volunteered on The Linguist Editorial Board and CIOL Council (serving as Vice-Chair), and helped develop the online networks InterpNet and TransNet. Beyond her numerous professional achievements, she was a proud mother and grandmother. She often spoke with great pride about her two sons. When I introduced myself to them at her funeral, they responded, "Oh yes, Christine loved CIOL." Christine also loved to travel. Like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, she could have easily said she'd travelled around the world. She loved the theatre and sports and was a keen badminton player. Our catch-up conversations often ended with an abrupt goodbye as she hurried off to the gym or the swimming pool. This boundless energy was classic Christine. During the pandemic, when some of us were ill and self-isolating, she would call to check on us, simply saying, "I'm just doing the rounds." Those thoughtful calls meant so much during those tough times. Christine is deeply missed. While these words can't fully capture all the moments we shared, I hope they provide a glimpse of the incredible force she was. Remembered by Diana Singureanu Having joined the Institute in 1981, after working as a Spanish lecturer in Australia, the UK and Jamaica, he was quickly promoted to General Secretary. He settled in Clapham with his wife Val, who he met in Jamaica. With a combined family of eight children, life was often busy and complicated, but he was a proud father and grandfather. Working in Higher Education throughout his career, his final post was as Administrative Director at the University of London's School of Advanced Studies. He loved music – everything from reggae to Bach – sang in the local community choir and was a trustee of the local opera group, taking up the clarinet in retirement. Tony's loyalty to the Institute was exceptional and invaluable, as was the quiet way he went about sharing precious advice and lending support to those he worked alongside. I particularly appreciated the time he gave me when I took up the reins as CEO, and I always knew that if Tony was in the room I could count on his support. What I remember most is his energy and enthusiasm. The way he would bowl into Council meetings, fresh off his bike, waterproof panniers in hand, pulling out the day's papers as he found his spot at the table. When proposals were tabled for discussion he was always the 'litmus test'. If anyone could see a flaw in an argument it would be Tony. He could be deadly serious with his attention to detail, sometimes making for a lengthy process, but any debate usually ended with a mischievous grin, and you could be sure that the output would be close to perfect. For that, we have a lot to thank Tony for. When he learnt that I was planning a bike ride across the Alps, he wanted to know all about it. A parcel soon arrived with a republication of the diary Elizabeth Robins Pennell wrote while crossing the Alps in 1898. I loved the thoughtfulness of the gift, but what I loved even more was the note which came with it: a photo of a bike that was the same model as Elizabeth's, which Tony himself had once owned. I didn't know Tony well but I was extremely touched by the gesture, and when the cycling got tough, it was just the inspiration I needed to keep going. The Institute is much changed, we now know it as CIOL, but the solid foundations on which it is standing are in no small part thanks to Tony . Remembered by Ann Carlisle, with additional words from Val Johnson-Bell Christine Pocock 1948-2024 Tony Bell 1943-2024 I knew Tony only for a short part of his 40 years or so with CIOL, or the Institute as he would have called it, and over those years he contributed so much. Early on, he worked on the start of recognition, training and qualification for public service interpreters with Ann Corsellis. "Without Tony, it might never have got off the ground," she told me. As Treasurer, Vice-Chair and Chair of Council (among many other roles), Tony steered CIOL through some turbulent times, and through his involvement with the many facets of its work he built up a detailed and wide-ranging knowledge of its affairs. "Tony will know" was a recurrent phrase in the office – so much so that CIOL turned to him to write the definitive history of the Institute (the little red book) to mark its centenary in 2010.

• Cover