then know as chief technician, but today probably as the ‘Director of All Things’ – and for the students the man who said firmly ‘get your feet off the chairs!’. Gordon was to teach me to fish. Tim Hadwin, then the young draughtsman, later Faculty Manager, was
The Washburn Valley
always perceptive and helpful. Tim attempted to further my golf – not so
As many readers might recall I have always had
perceptive then!
close working, and indeed personal relations, with well of course you have to see the real objectives
speak on how to establish links with industry –
the water industry (personal I mean in terms of
and try to get solutions that are financially viable,
A dreadful confession to make here – I enjoyed
friends rather than immersions although those
legally defensible and scientifically credible but it
the lecturing. And in many ways the students and
have happened!). I can’t really recall how they
really comes down to the ‘3Ts’ talent, track record
research students make the job worthwhile and
started but I think it was the need for an
and above all trust.
memorable. Mike Sanderson – measuring
undergraduate exercise. I had decided that the
dissolved oxygen using a probe that looked like
students would calculate water demand by
My last ‘reflection’ is on field trips. Here I will be
two sticks of explosive on the end of a cable and
household type – the nice cross over between
brief as there is another contribution by a fictitious
dangling this in the small hours of the night from
applied human and physical geography that I had
Professor Cameron Macintosh in this very edition.
Leeds Bridge at the height of the IRA bombing
always liked. So I phoned and visited ‘Claro
I came from a tradition that had fieldwork every
campaign; the result being the phone call from the Water, Craven Water, Halifax Water’ etc – yes its
week and major field trips every year and I came
police asking if I could vouch for this possible
going back a bit and got the flows into small
to realise that it was only in the field that you
terrorist. Dave Kay, now Prof Kay, with boundless
defined areas – and that’s how I first met all the
really understood the complexity of the subject.
energy appearing at 7.30 every Tuesday morning
local water companies. The students determined
Field work is fun, fraught and (un) forgettable
at my house ready for a day in the field brings
from air photographs the proportions of housing
(trying to keep the alliteration going here!) and we
three memories – the first that we tossed a coin to types in each supply area and we finished with a
are lucky in Leeds to have had over the years,
decide who got to have their hands in their
series of equations which we solved using a
excellent field teachers – Mike Kirkby, Bob Eyre,
pockets for the last half hour having learned that
‘programmable calculator’ since PCs did not exist
John Stillwell, Richard Smith jump immediately to
otherwise we were both too cold to open the van
and you ate ‘apples’. It was nearly 20 years later
mind. Let us not dwell on John Lockwood’s forest
door, the second, the threatening nature of the
(when asked to do demand calculations for the
fire raising in an attempt to track wind currents on
underside of Blackpool pier when we and the
water companies) that I realised that the
Ben Lomond, John Stillwell’s loss of half the
upturned boat are getting swept under it with a
undergraduates had been doing really ground
students in the Garrigue (sorry John I really
final year student saying, rather late in the day, ‘I
breaking work.
thought you were joking!), the icy cold of the
cant swim by the way!’, the third the entire sweet
Scottish national camps venues in Aberfoyle and
shop jar of sweets that Dave brought my kids –
Links to the water companies across the UK and
West Linton or, worst of all, having the unfeeling
they remain in awe to this day several decades
indeed beyond grew as did my admiration for the
lecturer have you working over the Saturday of
later. Colin Hunter, now Prof Hunter, with a field
people in the industry and it is a real delight for
the Cup Final – has Martin Clarke forgiven me?
site on the most impossible slippery, steep slope
me to meet Leeds graduates – new and old – in
– how many times I finished at the bottom! Alan
many water plcs and some in top ‘Board’
The staff share such hazards – think of John
Jenkins, now Prof Jenkins, with his patented gut
positions. For 20 plus years we have had lectures
Lockwood falling horizontal to the floor from an
buster for sucking the bacteria from the river
in Leeds from Bob Lloyd, Izzy Caffoor, Miles
upper bunk and still asleep, trying to get back into
bottom and in so doing created mystery for
Foulger, etc., explaining the real questions and
bed - with Mike Kirkby. My own broken ribs the
walkers in the Washburn Valley – can’t see his
challenges that the companies face. It’s also been result of an ambitious dance routine and an ill
dignity, style and sharp suit allowing that sort of
interesting to link up lots of my geography BA
defined night-club stage edge! My hope is that
thing now! Apologies to the other 50 PhDs – your
colleagues with the companies – Sir Alan, Martin
even in these economically difficult times
time will come.
C., Graham C., Pete B., etc. have all contributed
fieldwork will continue. It’s the place where we
to the water industry. I have often been asked to
really get to know our students and they us.
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