The Journal. Editorship and Change of Title

Gentlemen,-If any excuse is needed for the appearance, at such an early stage of the life of the Institution, of a paper on Education, I would point out that the special aim of the following thoughts is to focus attention on structural engineering as a profession. Probably the first question that a man who is thinking of putting his son into one of the professions asks himself is, " Which will reward him best for his labour?" It is true that the probable remuneration does not always determine the choice, and in all cases the lad's natural instinct and bent for certain work should be taken into account, but it is only natural that the man should wish to know what chances of success will follow the period of severe training which all must pass through who enter upon professional careers in our time. Harry Hayes Clapham

Niamh McCloskey reflects on her personal experience of the challenging reality of returning to work after maternity leave, questioning whether workplaces truly support women in this transition and highlighting how, with the right support and recognition of the new perspectives and skills that motherhood can bring, we can retain mothers and allow them to thrive in underrepresented industries.

Steven McKerlie is troubled by longstanding underinvestment in maintenance of UK bridge assets and the implications of this for safety if weaknesses in past assessments that are still relied on are not acknowledged.