Technically, this is day five, but I started writing this back on Monday, so… ach, whatever.
Up at stupid o’clock this morning to catch an early flight to London, to meet the gang and get cracking on the Christmas Lectures. ‘The gang’ are, it transpires, a small group of very lovely people and – at least as important – all damned clever. Having hoovered up as much of the scripts as I felt able to in a day, I joined researcher Tom and AP James heading over to Albemarle Street for my first visit to the Royal Institution for something like twelve years. It’s both timeless, and unrecognisable – the lecture theatre and prep room lab are still there, but with notable changes. It’s a curiously bitter-sweet feel – I’m hugely excited to be back there, but what have they done to Faraday’s study? And so on.
In the photo are Tom and James, fiddling around in the old prep room. Above them hangs a decrepit model of Saturn, which didn’t look much better when I made it fifteen years ago.
Claim To Fame
I remember at school, the pride you’d have telling others, “I’ve met so-and-so”, or the importance placed in autograph books. In fact, I’ve still the one from Gilshill which I’d passed round all my school mates on the last day…