Remembering Past Master George Ernest Banks RIP (1933-2026)

Remembering Past Master George Ernest Banks RIP (1933-2026)

 To those who worked in the Plumbing and Gas Industry in the 1980s and 90s  George Banks’ legacy is remarkable.  Transitioning CORGI (Council for Registration of Gas Installers)  from a voluntary organisation to a regulatory body was the single most important step in protecting the public from gas-related tragedies.

A giant of the Industry, he was Director and very much the public face of CORGI the former statutory gas registration body for Great Britain.

CORGI was established in the 1970s in the wake of the 1968 Ronan Point Tower Block Disaster. He was largely responsible for CORGI ‘s appointment to operate the gas registration scheme in 1991, the UK’s watchdog for gas safety, certifying installers of commercial and domestic gas equipment. He oversaw the process whereby registration with CORGI became a strict legal requirement under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The fact that the CORGI brand and smiling dog logo remains so vivid in the public consciousness, nearly two decades after the transition to Gas Safe, is a direct reflection of the successful communication and standards he championed.

A career gas engineer, George started as an apprentice working for North Thames Gas (BG Group) and worked his way up through their management structure.

George was President of the Institute of Plumbing, now the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, in 1982/83. He was Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers in 1993/94. He was additionally closely associated with the Institution of Gas Engineers (IGasE, now IGeM) in the 1980s, for many years chairing their pension fund.

It was in the mid-1980s that I first met George. A courteous man, with a keen mind, alert to opportunities and a dry sense of humour. When he retired, I arranged for the staff to purchase a small cake to mark his retirement to share with the governing council of the IGasE.  To George’s amusement what arrived was a massive beast of a cake enough to feed at least one hundred guests; I know, as I brought my car into London the next day to deliver to the CORGI offices in Basingstoke the more than three quarters that was left.

George joined the Company in 1977.  In 1989, as a Court Assistant he participated and reported on the Company stand at the 800th anniversary of the Mayoralty where Lvy Terry Fillary demonstrated Lead work.  The Mayor and HRH The Princess Royal both visited the stand. His year as Master of the Company included the opening of the enhanced display at Singleton and a further Livery Companies Exhibition at Guildhall.

He assisted in the formation of the World Plumbing Council and, in 1993 George attended their Conference in Hong Kong and Chaired one of the workshops.

As a Past President of CIPHE, George gave his time generously in service to the Institute and its members. He championed the Institute’s role in education and was a great advocate of industry collaboration. His contribution to the Institute’s work and his commitment to public health engineering were valued by those who served alongside him. In recognition of this he was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the IoP in 1999.

In 1999 he became a Director of The Jubilee Walkway Trust, a premier walking trail in London.

Throughout his career, George was recognised for steady leadership, professional integrity, and a deep commitment to raising standards across the gas sector. In his role at CORGI, he collaborated closely with colleagues, industry partners, and stakeholders to support quality, competence, and safety, and to strengthen confidence in the work carried out by registered gas installers.

His journey from a North Thames Gas apprentice to Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers is a story that should inspire those entering the craft today.

Sandra Raine, Master