World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

The way we were – 30 years ago

Myson-dist-meeting-1986

UK: A photo from 30 years ago this month brings back memories of what many might consider a golden age of UK air conditioning.

Some well known faces and long lost names in this photo of a Myson distributors’ meeting from April 1986. Myson, then a leading UK air conditioning manufacturer, would later acquire Qualitair.

Our thanks to former BRD owner Richard Manning (2nd from left at the back) for supplying us with this photo. Richard, with his brother Nigel, now owner of Heronhill, would later sell BRD to HRP. Mike Creamer (3rd from left, 2nd row, standing), for many years now the owner of Business Edge, was also then at BRD.

Also in the picture is John Roe (left hand end, 2nd row, standing), then a director of WF Refrigeration (an air conditioning distributor and not to be confused with the now defunct refrigeration contractor WR Refrigeration). WF would soon be sold to Dean & Wood and John would move on to form 3D air conditioning as a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries distributor. In 2005, 3D was acquired by HRP, the circle being completed this year when HRP was acquired by Dean & Wood’s owner Beijer Ref.

There are many other faces in the picture that we can’t put names to, or the companies they worked for. Many will remember Derek Davidson (at the back, 2nd from right) and who can forget Mandy Webb (front and centre), but how many faces can you put names to (please use the comment box below)?

BRD010
The former BRD premises

Latest News

22nd June 2026

Green group calls for end to subsidies for EVs using R1234yf

GERMANY: The influential German environmental aid association Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) is calling on the German government to end subsidies for electric cars with R1234yf refrigerants in their AC systems.
22nd June 2026

Daikin agrees $8.5m penalty over hazardous PTAC

USA: Daikin has agreed to pay an $8.5m civil penalty for failing to immediately report that one of its US-made Amana packaged terminal air conditioners could overheat.
21st June 2026

Korea project to improve refrigerant management

KOREA: The Korean Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute has announced an initiative to improve the country's HFC refrigerant management.
21st June 2026

Ammonia leak kills 7 and sends 70 to hospital

INDIA: Seven people are reported to have died and over 70 hospitalised following an ammonia gas leak at a seafood factory in Tamil Nadu.
20th June 2026

Year-long trial proves electric TRU reliability

UK: Following a year-long trial of Sunswap’s Endurance solar and battery-powered transport refrigeration unit by the TIP Group, the trailer and truck hire company has recorded a 100% uptime.
19th June 2026

Daikin Applied builds new $30m US training centre

USA: Daikin Applied has broken ground on a new $30m training facility in Plymouth, Minnesota.