Another anniversary has crept up without me noticing it, until I came across this photo from David Sugden's collection -- taken on Livingston Island (I think!) in the South Shetlands group during our fieldwork there in 1965. All of 50 years ago......
We were studying the raised beaches and glacial history of the islands, and for part of the time we worked with the Whirlwind helicopters based on the ice patrol vessel HMS Protector. That was all great fun, but incredibly exhausting, because we had to use every minute of flying weather that was available to us. Never been so fit!
The above map is a recent Russian one, showing the ice cap, glaciers and ice-free areas. They are marked green, although in truth there is not much greenery there. With the aid of the helicopters and many boat landings, we worked on the majority of these ice-free areas.
Van Mildert College, University of Durham (just up the road from the Geography Department) also was founded in 1965 so Anniversary celebrations this summer. The place was only 2 years old when I arrived there! Tempus fugit! We are all part of History. That includes Piltdown Man.....and Others......
ReplyDeleteI saw one of the most erotic things ever at van mildert.
ReplyDeleteJavanese court dancers, who flicked the hems of their dresses just above the ankles. They moved slowly towards the audience.truly breathtaking.
Lovely college.
I was stuck for years at St Mary's, little erotic there.
Tempus most certainly (is) fugit. Just discovered, by happenstance, that Tony Blair is 62 today. Some of his early school education was at Durham School, fairly near St Mary's College.
ReplyDeleteHow come you were "stuck at" St Mary's College, Myris, for years? In my time it was all - female. Geology Summer Schools? If so, surely they would have involved both sexes......
Yes over a dozen year's Summer schools two weeks a year.
ReplyDeleteCertainly all the sexes were there. When I was school/course director I could choose not to go out and would do the book shops. I learned the valuable lesson that my job was to stop the tutors from killing each other and ensure there was enough, correct, booze for debriefing every night. The students looked after themselves.The downside was isolating the malcontents, by keeping your enemy closer(both tutors and students).
M
That all sounds very exciting, Myris. Is there something about geologists? All the geography field courses, conferences and seminars I was ever involved with were all sweetness and light.....
ReplyDeleteIn brum uni the geology dept was next to the administration area and was known as "Albania" because "everyone knew it was there but nobody knew what went on inside.
ReplyDeleteGeology dept are by and large lively with factions, fiefdoms and strong rivalries, but I genuinely think that all academic depts are the same.
Perhaps all those human geographers make geography departments more bovine.
We had libel, solicitor's letters, wife stealing as well as the usual staff student affairs.
But by and large we were loved and forgiven.
M