Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

experienced and some of them had a lot of style. Looking back, I think they were
extremely tolerant of naive young ‘sprogs’, like myself, who had come up straight
from school and knew nothing about life.
Among close friends I particularly remember were: Syd Fox, Captain of the
College and University rugby clubs; Ian Beer, later Headmaster of Harrow and
President of the CURUFC; John Haynes (another Headmaster); Arthur Lee, who
became Director of the Lowestoft Fisheries Laboratory; Bill Pile, later Sir William,
and Permanent Secretary at the Home Office; and G P Mason, later a High Court
Judge - all serious rugger players, several awarded blues. Another was Frank
Merritt, a returned war veteran, who had been incarcerated in a Japanese Prisoner of
War camp; he was now reading and later researching in physical chemistry.
I had a particular girl friend and a few others.
My funds were quite limited, but I managed to live reasonably well. I even
bought a suit, tailor-made at in Trinity Street, a double-breasted navy blue blazer
and later a dinner jacket - initially I had to hire one when needed. I also acquired a
college rugger colours blazer - maroon, with silver buttons and bearing a rather
splendid, colourful shield with a Catharine wheel in gold wire, on the breast pocket.
Also ties and scarves of course of various kinds.
Academic work
Teaching at the University of Cambridge has two major components. The
University provides the formal lectures, the libraries and laboratories and sets and
marks the examinations. And the Colleges, individually, provide accommodation
and informal tuition by means of Tutors and Supervisors. Advice to students on
general academic matters and what University courses they should take, is given by
Directors of Studies, also appointed by the College. The College, through the Tutorial
system is responsible for their general well-being.
In the beginning I was a medical student, having taken my First MB qualification
and reading for the Natural Sciences Tripos: Anatomy, Physiology, Zoology and
Biochemistry for Part I of the Natural Sciences Tripos. I quickly became familiar with
the teaching system, because of the self-reliance that had been inculcated at school.
The lectures varied in quality; some were very dull others extraordinary stimulating,
if occasionally somewhat bizarre, including for example Lord Adrian, a Nobel prizewinner,
introducing us to the behaviour of Pavlov's dogs, and demonstrating
conditioned reflexes with a live cat that had been beheaded. In Physiology we
experimented on ourselves - for example pouring cold water into our ears to
experience the loss of balance as the semi-circular canals were influenced. I also
remember impressive lectures and practicals on vision by Roughton, and learning
the rudiments of histology from E N Wilmer. I was supervised in physiology by W S
Feldberg, later FRS, who was Reader in Physiology and a very enthusiastic teacher;
his research then was at the ‘cutting edge’ on acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. I
don’t now recall the names of my supervisor in Biochemistry but D V Davies
supervised me in Anatomy.
In Zoology, a subject in which I was very interested, the teaching was then rather
formalized and a major part of the courses consisted of morphology and systematics
- subjects which are hardly touched upon today. But the practicals were interesting
and I had a bench next to Mick Steele-Bodger of later rugby football fame. I almost
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