ISIS Flags

The flags of all the nations which contribute to ISIS fly out the front of the main control room. The flags and paintwork are in the process of receiving a facelift as Lord So-and-so is planning visit.

Cosener's House

I'm staying at Cosener's House in Abingdon at the moment. Its so old that none of the walls/floors are flat or level/plumb. All the furniture in my room has been specially adjusted so that things don't roll off.

New CJK photo

A good one for talk acknowlegements.

World Record

I've always described ISIS as the most intense pulsed neutron source - now here's the evidence, direct from the folks at Guinness World Records.

Blackwells in Oxford

Returned to Oxford for the evening and popped into Blackwells which looks like a library but is really a bookstore. They boast the largest academic bookroom in the world, complete with signs for the best photo vantage points.

After that I wandered up an alley, turned left, went down another alley, turn, alley, turn..... til I arrived at the Turf Tavern. It was built so long ago, with such low ceilings, that even I am in danger of bumping my head.

Paper B502850G

Submitted. Yay!!!!
My first 'first author' paper related to my PhD work.
Celebratory g&t's tonight - feel free to join in.
Hopefully it gets accepted.

Crystals for SXD

With x-rays you're lucky if you can actually see the sample. With neutrons the crystal (dark red lump at top left) is so hefty that you wrap it up with foil to catch it just in case the glue isn't strong enough and it falls off.

ISIS experimental hall

Did you ever wonder what a neutron experimental hall looks like? No? Ever wonder where I've been hanging out for the past few weeks? No? ... Oh well...

Swings and Roundabouts

The English roads are a congested mess, liberally decorated with elaborate roundabouts. For example this one which has a lovely 6-fold symmetry and can be negotiated in either the clockwise or anti-clockwise directions.

King's Choral Service

King's College is renowned for it's chapel and choir which are televised worldwide in it's annual carol service. If you want to visit the chapel they charge some ridiculous entrance fee.... OR you can attend one of the services for nothing and you get to hear the choir in action. So I went to a the choral service today. The acoustics of the chapel are pretty impressive.

In Cambridge

In Cambridge for the weekend to unwind from 2 stressful weeks of experiments. The few light snowflakes seemed quite pretty from the breakfast table but translated to freezing conditions for wandering about cobbled streets and old colleges. They must have just broken the punts (like gondolas) out of their winter moorings as there were lots of eager punters out on the Cam braving a potential dip in its icy waters. The snowdrops and croqus were on the verge of blooming out on the 'Backs', the large open green areas behind all the old, rich colleges, where the river Cam winds.

Kings' Porters Lodge

Punts on the Cam

Chutney's

Last night I had another quintessentially English dining experience. No not another pub meal. Not scones and cream. Indian. Yummy.

The white hart

Dinner with Mark (left) and Bruce (another neutron scatterer) at the White Hart in Wytham, a cute thatched village.

Oxford with its dreamy spires

Pascal and Martin on PRISMA

It can't be a good thing when you need to get the instrument scientists to lift up the shielding on the experiment, climb down into the machine and check whether something has fallen in front of the detector

Strawberry valentine

An irresistible seasonal dessert at my favourite Berkshire pub - the Crown and Horns in East Ilsley.

Babysitting beamlines

Some experiments are highly automated, some are not. And yet others are fully automated EXCEPT they need someone to push a single button twice every 6 hours. In other words I'm sleeping over at the beamline.

We have neutrons

All the interesting stuff is happening in the glowing blue pit.

....and we have data.

Dining at the High Table

As a former Research Fellow at Christchurch College, Cameron has dining rights and can return for high table dinner with guests in tow. So I got to have a high table dinner. Not wanting to draw unnecessary attension to myself, I declined to bring my camera, but if you can imagine the high table at Hogwort's then that's it (Harry Potter was filmed at Christchurch). After the three course meal which included raw scallops, 'best end' lamb cutlets, a chocolate brownie with pistatio ice cream and some good wine, we adjourned to a smaller room for port/muscat aperitifs and a second dessert of fruits etc.

Canterbury Quad, Staircase 3, Rm 4

I've arrived in Oxford and settled into my room at Christchurch College. After a week in cramped shared hostel dorms, my little room in the Canterbury Quad seems luxurious, but I won't be swinging any cats soon. Breakfast was in the dining hall under the watchful eyes of the former deans of Christchurch, Lewis Carroll and Queen Liz I.

At ISIS

So I've come to ISIS to use the neutrons, but they must have heard me coming because they've disappeared. Once again, ISIS is having difficulties and so we're playing the game of sitting and hoping that they get it fixed before we fly home. Based on our previous experiences, we've got a 50% chance.

Edge of the world

We trekked all the way to the western edge of the world - or rather the known world pre- America, Australia etc. On the Dingle peninsula.

Cliffs of Moher

Down the road from Doolin are the black Cliffs of Moher which have been shaped by the whims of the Atlantic ocean. Leaving our hostel early, we arrived at the cliffs as the sun rose and light the fort on the edge of the cliff.

Doolin

Doolin, in county Clare, is the traditional home of Irish music. Every night a musician turns up at the local pub. And then soon another comes, then another, and another.

They gather at the specially reserved table in the corner, and over a pint Guinness try to pick a song that they all know. Then, after some careful negotiation - they play. The music is still rattling along inside my head.

Celtic Crosses

Leprechaun Sighting

Ireland's little people