Funny Water

Funny water

Water is peculiar stuff. Because it is all around us in its 3 forms of water, steam and ice we tend to take it for granted. It is strange in that by usual chemistry it would be a gas but its weak interactions between its molecules means it is a liquid under normal conditions. Water shrinks on melting where most substances expand. This means that lakes and ponds freeze from the top down rather than from the bottom up which preserves life. Water is a very good solvent which means it is ubiquitous in life. There are other oddities such as hot water freezing faster than cold water known as the Mpemba effect.

While I was working for Unilever there was a Faraday society meeting on surface properties at Cambridge University. These are high powered very academic meetings which normally I would never attend. However the head of the Research Laboratory was secretary to the Faraday Group and wanted a good attendance. So the word went out and along with other colleagues I went. The papers presented were fascinating at the forefront of the field and represented some very elegant and painstaking work.

Among the foreign scientists present was  an eminent man from Bulgaria. Our head invited him to Port Sunlight laboratories to continue his work. He had become famous at that time for discovering what was thought to be a new form of water where the individual molecules were believed to form a chain like a polymer. In fact the new form was christened polywater.

There was a scare story in the press suggesting that that the new form could act as a catalyst turning surrounding water into polywater. So research on the topic at Port Sunlight was immediately controversial. The controversy didn’t last for very long because it was discovered that the polywater was a mistake. Water very, very slightly dissolved the glass container and it was this trace of dissolved glass which misled the researchers.

The meeting was memorable for other reasons. One of my colleagues had been a doctoral student at Cambridge. He eagerly showed us around including taking us out on a punt on River Cam. He was excited to find what was, he thought, an easy way to climb into the college at night when normally the entrance would be closed.

After our first night ( we were staying in student accommodation) I was surprised to find on rising a trail of blood leading to his room. Looking to find what the problem was I found him lying in pain on his bed. He explained he had climbed in but seeking to gain just a bit  more height over a massive gate he stood on the spikes and attempted to hoist himself up. Wearing soft soled shoes the spikes had penetrated his feet.

With another colleague we rushed him to hospital and returned to the conference. The climbing in after hours was totally unnecessary as the main entrance never closed. I did drive him back to the Wirral after the conference but he was in disgrace. In fact this wasn’t his only transgression and he was fired shortly afterwards

I’ve recently been reading about some work which suggests water may in fact exist in 2 forms, one highly ordered and one not. The evidence is controversial but may lead to an explanation for the strange behaviour of water.

Todays smile.. She was only a photographers daughter but she was really well developed

( Not sure this is politically correct nowadays

Farnborough

To me Farnborough is synonymous with the biennial air show. Although it is partly a trade show it opens to the public on several days when the flying display is seen as a big spectacle. It used to be held annually and was a show case of the British air industry. Now Britain’s role is more a contributor of parts to the globalised aero industry it is held alternately to the Paris Air Show so every two years.

Farnborough is one the most historic sites in British aviation. It is also the home of a prestigious government owned aviation research centre. It is now the only such site which combines with an airfield in Britain.

The show is now held in July ( 21-26 this year, trade earlier ) although traditionally it was in September. I went to the show on a trip organised by a school friends parents in 1957. At that time the British aero industry was large with many companies. Through government led mergers there is now a much smaller single company which makes aircraft in the UK. This was known as British Aerospace but now suppresses its nationality as BAE. As a company BAE specialises in defence equipment of all kinds and aircraft are a small part of its activities.

I was a great enthusiast for all things aviation related. By 1957 I had given up on my earlier ambition to become a pilot because I realised my eyesight wasn’t good enough. I had buried myself in the technicalities of the industry subscribing to Flight magazine every week. My intention was to make a career in the technical side of aviation; in fact I seriously thought of an apprenticeship with Armstrong-Whitworth at Coventry just after GCE “O” levels- the GCSE of the time. In the event I went into the sixth form at school and never looked back.

I never seriously contemplated aero engineering at University which was regarded as very mathematical as this was a weaker point with me. I was content to do better than scraping a pass at GCE “A” level maths and do a degree in chemistry. Looking back I lacked confidence in maths and ironically the superior teaching at university helped my ability and self confidence a lot which was valuable in later life..

I’m getting ahead of myself because the 1957 trip was something of a pilgrimage as far as I was concerned. I had read about various aviation technologies and it was these as much as the flying display which interested me. There were some very ingenious examples. One such was the Napier Nomad engine. Essentially this combined a piston engine with a turbine engine in the exhaust flow. This could be considered a giant turbocharger with the turbine linked to the propeller.. Sadly never taken up this promised much better economy that the thirsty jets of the time. This was a period when piston engines were much in use in commercial aviation with turboprops seen as very “avant garde” while jet airliners were flying as developments but not yet in service. Sadly the de Haviland “Comet” disasters had meant that the first jet airliner had been withdrawn.

I knew my interest would have bored my schoolfriends so I contrived to lose them before I wandered around the trade show. I suppose the exhibitors thought the boy walking around was probably lost. The weather was atrocious with continuous rain and low cloud. This meant that I was kept fairly dry in the trade tents but the flying display was curtailed. Obviously this was a big disappointment to those whom the flying display was all important. On getting back to the coach one of the adults asked if the organiser was taking names for next years trip. Amid laughter he said “well cross mine off”.

I was quietly satisfied with my visit. I have never been since. Although I’m still interested in aviation affairs I can’t face the crowds and congestion.

University of the Third Age

The title needs some explanation. University of the Third Age is not a university and Third Age refers to the elderly, so the group, always known as U3A, are elderly people who associate to take part in a wide variety of interests. The U3A is a national organisation with semi independent branches in many towns and cities.. In the branches special interest groups who are largely self  governing are formed by interested members.

In my part of the West Midlands, Burton, Lichfield and Tamworth all have branches. We joined the Lichfield one about 5 years ago. Philip joined Bookworms book club and a science and technology group and has attended both quite frequently since. Annette joined creative textiles and photography groups but dropped out of both. Part of the reason was that photography was on the same day as her Women’s Institute meeting and she didn’t want to go to two in one day. Recently her interest has been heightened by the bird watching group which has been newly founded. We have written about Bookworms before.

We were urged on by my cousin George and his wife Brenda. They were very keen members of branches in Penrith and Carlisle. Before he died George led a walking group and attended a philosophy group. However they have been in various special interest groups such as gardening, bridge and IT in the past.

Periodically the U3A branch holds a display of all the special interest groups. The groups put on a small display at the Town Hall with the idea that members can see what is going on and groups can recruit new members.  The groups are listed in the branch handbook but it is sometimes not totally clear what they do so display and chat is helpful.

As usual I was amazed at the range of interests within the U3A branch. Some particular ones are so popular that they split into  smaller subdivisions. Many groups meet in peoples houses so that imposes a rough limit of 10 to 12 on the size of the group. I go to science and technology 2 but there is also S&T 1 ( I have been once when they had a space ) and S&T 3. Curiously I met a former colleague from Unilever Port Sunlight at S&T1. We didn’t know one another well and didn’t recognise each other. It was only when invited to give our backgrounds that we realised.

I said the range was huge. Writing in various forms, poetry, history in several variants ( local etc ), music ( choral, appreciation etc. ) and very many more. There are 3 bookgroups all fairly similar as far as I can see. We had a joint meeting with one which seemed fairly similar to mine. We draw our books from the Staffordshire county reading sets so I guess that sometimes we must look at the same books. I also lead our village bookgroup drawing from the same source so it is not surprising that we sometimes duplicate.

While the age range is 50 upwards most join when they retire as groups meet during the day. As might be expected from the demographic women outnumber men by perhaps 60:40. In so far as there is a general background I would say generally middle class with mildly intellectual interests. I wouldn’t want to exaggerate this as the only intellectually demanding group is the mathematics special interest. The science and technology group I attend has members mainly retired from technological jobs although it isn’t essential. We have an ex accountant for instance.

The emphasis varies, most rely on their members but some get outside speakers. Our S&T2 relies on the format of a member talking about a topic and then a general discussion over tea. We use the Tesco community room because the current convenor didn’t want to use his house. Until recently we always met in past convenor’s houses. The Bookworms group circulates around members houses.

The central U3A costs £12 per year. Interest groups generally cost 50p a meeting to defray the cost of tea and biscuits. The annual cost includes a quarterly magazine which gives news of various branches and resources available to members.

Battle of Britain

All my life I’ve been fascinated by the Battle of Britain. I can attribute this to a very particular childhood episode. By my bed on a chair was a government  Ministry of Information booklet published after the battle as a PR exercise. This was widely distributed and my parents must have received one. After I had started school and was learning to read I was enthralled by the booklet even though reading it was still a puzzle.

The booklet had simple diagrams, photo’s of downed German planes, and a fairly simple text. It had to be simple so as a small child I could make it out. The diagrams were almost cartoon like. I remember one sequence where a lone RAF plane meets a German squadron head on , downs one , dives under and then climbs up behind. This plucky pilot then dives down picking off another couple. I’m pretty sure this never happened certainly not as shown

I also recall there was a certain “we are the best” ethos throughout. The premier German fighter the Me 109 is quoted as having a top speed of 365mph. The Spitfire is given 366mph; a distinction without a difference, but asserting we are the best.

As a boy I was immensely proud of wartime exploits.and my early ambition was to become a pilot in the RAF. I recall even now feeling sad when my poor vision ruled this out. Even so I wanted to work in the aircraft industry  going as far as seeking an apprenticeship with Armstrong-Whitworth at Coventry. I’ve no regrets now that I didn’t take it up but I agonised at the time.

I now consider that after a lifetime of study of the battle I have some expertise. The head of Fighter Command, Hugh Dowding had set up the structure of air defence before the war. Fighters were very much the poor relation in the RAF with its between wars belief that bombing was overwhelmingly important and that “the bomber would always get through”. The No 11 group commander in the south east was Keith Park, a New Zealander who directed a clever battle. It was distressing that he got little support from some fellow commanders one of whom not only didn’t give the support owed but actively tried to influence politicians against him.

Dowding was an austere, non clubbable man who was treated in a shabby fashion as was Park when the battle was over. Incidentally the major 1960’s film Battle of Britain distorts history by taking one of the anti Park faction as adviser.

The course of the battle can be divided into 3 main phases. Firstly the Germans sought to attack shipping in the Channel. They were successful in denying this to commercial traffic although not to the Royal Navy. During this stage they discovered the vulnerability of the Ju 87 Stuka. This slow dive bomber had been used very successfully during the land battle with its screaming sirens striking fear.

The second phase was an attack on the RAF stations. This was partially successful denying some completely to the RAF and damaging others. However poor intelligence caused the Germans to attack some aerodromes which were not part of Fighter Command while ignoring the vulnerable radar stations.

The third phase was in a sense an accident. It happened that RAF bombers seeking another target dropped bombs on Berlin. Hitler, who had promised this would never happen, immediately ordered a switch to attacking London. Although this was difficult for Londoners it relieved the pressure on RAF bases. The Germans figured that the RAF would be bound to defend London which they did so well that the Germans had to switch from day to night bombing. .London is so large that it could absorb the bombing even though damaged.

So how did the victory come. German fighters could only spend 10-15 mins over south east England and German pilots hated returning over the Channel. The RAF had radar direction so that attacks could always be met without standing patrols. The RAF was fighting on home ground. Shot down pilots landed in friendly areas while Germans crews would be imprisoned. Although the Germans had overall numerical superiority; in terms of fighters alone the two forces were rather similar. Damaged British aircraft were repaired in a slick organisation. Importantly the RAF had an edge in quality; the Spitfire was much better than all the German aircraft excepting the Me 109.

In total fewer than 3000 RAF fighter pilots took part in the battle. There is no better summing up than Churchill’s famous phrase “ never before in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”.

Britain wasn’t invaded at a time of great vulnerability. The dictatorships suffered a reverse which changed the course of the war. Although many trials remained ultimately democracy was victorious

Periodic Table 3

Above is a better version of the Periodic Table in its most usual form. Still symbols rather than names for the elements I'm afraid.