Tuesday 2 October 2012

RAL 13th September 2012

On the 13th September I took a train ride to Didcot near Oxford and met up with my daughters partner, Nick, to visit the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Complex.

They had a photographic open day organised by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC). This is an annual event and was well worth visiting.

The STFC do organise other open days at different Labs across the country.

We were allowed to visit two Labs during the afternoon event. We visited the Optics Laboratory and the Materials Science Laboratory.
In the foyer exhibition room ....
 
 

 

In the Optics Lab
This lab, although better equipped, reminded me of my time at the old Cambridge College of Arts and Technology (CCAT and now the Anglia Ruskin University on East Road) when I studied HNC in Applied Physics in the late 70's.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


A walk round the outside of the building

 



 
Off to the Materials Science Lab
...... 'playing with liquid nitrogen'
 
 
 



Our guide 'had a play too'
 
 

Blue tack being hammered into a wooden flock after being frozen in liquid nitrogen.
 
 
 
 

The other extreme - Heating ... 
 
 
 
 A 'hunk' of amber.

The day concluded with a walk to the Radio Telescope.
 
 
There were four or five labs open for visiting, each group had time to visit two. Going again next year we will be given the choice to visit two of the others.
 

Cambridge University Botanic Garden with the Camera Club

Saturday 17th Feb 24 - Sue and I met up with other members of the Cambridge Camera Club at the  Cambridge University Botanic Garden .