My first experience of Cambridge while working was at a scientific conference. It was a Faraday Society Surface Science event chaired by the head of Unilever Research, Brian Pethica. This was a very prestigious event and it was a great honour for him. He was naturally looking for a good attendance so many of us from Unilever Research attended ( it was an invitation we could not refuse! ). From my group Dave, Norman and myself agreed that we would travel together. The meeting over 3 days was at a Cambridge college ( Churchill ) at Easter time while the normal students were on vacation.
We travelled in a hire car which I drove, a Hillman Hunter GT. Norman had done a doctorate at Cambridge attached to Churchill college. He was eager to show us around. As we arrived in early afternoon he suggested we go in a punt on the river Cam which flows by the colleges. He assured us that he was experienced and he did a fair job. The views from the Cam are impressive with many of the colleges strung out along the riverside..
After our spell on the river we took a walk around the college. I was interested to see a photo of a group of doctoral students which included a lad, Rodney, I had been at school with. He had been an outstanding student and I felt rather inadequate to be working in a similar area. This was quite by chance in my case and not then at such an elevated level. I have been in contact with Rodney since then and he moved into medical research and particularly ethical matters.
In particular Norman showed us the rear gates, massive with vertical spikes. He explained that he used to climb in over this gate when the main entrance was closed late in the evening. He was eager to show us how but we dissuaded him.
In the evening there was some sort of social function to which we, as mere minions, were not invited.. The following evening there was to be the course dinner which to my disappointment was fully booked. However the actual organisation of the course had been delegated to my friend, Roy, from the lab so I asked him to use his influence if it would be possible to take up any cancellation.
We retired to our rooms ( usually the students accommodation ) ready to be up bright and early the next day. Going off to the bathroom the following morning I was puzzled by a trail of bloody footprints. Then Dave found me and said that Norman had tried to climb in through the back gate in soft soled shoes. Standing on the pointed spikes to clamber in the spikes had penetrated his shoe and his feet. Norman was lying on his bed in agony. He had been up all night although earlier partly anaesthetised by the amount he had drunk. Off we went to Accident and Emergency missing our breakfast and only returning minus Norman just in time for the start. The irony was that for the conference the main gate was open all night so climbing in had been completely unnecessary.
The papers presented were generally pretty high powered. One was a particularly elegant work using an instrument designed and made by researcher himself. I was frankly absolutely amazed. In fact the whole conference made me feel inadequate. I certainly didn’t draw attention to myself by asking any questions; such questions as were asked seemed very erudite. As it was the cream of world surface science which was presented it made my niche seem far away from the leading edge. There were people present who were pillars of surface science and of near mythical status. One well known researcher came to spend some time at Port Sunlight immediately after the conference.
At lunchtime we collected Norman from hospital although he wasn’t able to attend the rest of the conference.
Roy had scrounged me a place on the course dinner. I seem to remember I spent some time chatting to his wife, Maureen, who I knew slightly. It was a 95% plus male attendance in those days ( the seventies ) and I think she felt slightly out of place so she saw me as a welcome diversion. I found out later she was avoiding one of the eastern European delegates who had propositioned her. Roy was busy with organisation so couldn’t give her the attention she deserved.
The next day we drove back to the Wirral. It was a subdued trip with Norman crossways in the back seat full of pain relievers. Norman was definitely in disgrace. Perhaps not coincidentally he was invited to leave the company not long afterwards.
My only other visit much later was to a Mongolian student postgraduate in sociology. He was the partner of a young lady who we knew as she was a friend of Alison and Frances. Isabel was the daughter of a colleague in Castrol France who had stayed with us for a while working at the research centre at Pangbourne and improving her English. I was quite amazed because although in rented rooms they were on the university internet which was very fast. Although such high speeds are quite common now it was the first time I had seen such blistering performance. The student was a great football enthusiast and his leisure time seemed to be taken up watching football video’s over the internet. I was amused that his knowledge of England was based on football teams. As soon as I mentioned a place he immediately referenced their team.
Later our friend Isabel had a child by him, lived briefly in Mongolia but then they split and she returned to France. The last I heard Chuka ( the Mongolian guy ) was lecturing at the university in Ulan-Bator. I was impressed that Chuka said he didn’t have much English language tuition but learned by meeting with Americans in NGO’s.
Bringing me right up to date, Rajiv, my step son, has just started studying at Cambridge
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