IAS Meetings, the when, the where and the why.
Where did it all start? Well, really on the 16th
December, 1981 at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, and then again
on 15th April, 1983 at St. George's
Hospital Medical School. The then Inspector of Anatomy Dr.
Harvey Andrew, in association with the London Committee of Licensed
Teachers of Anatomy, organised one-day seminars for technical and
secretarial staff employed within London anatomy Departments. Their
aim was to unify the staff and discuss common problems. At the end
of the second session in April 1983 Dr. Andrew said ‘Go away, and do
your own thing’. We did!
Three months later, on 8th July, 1983 I hosted the first
meeting of the London Technical staff at King’s College, London.
Bari Logan, then at the Royal College of Surgeons, kindly chaired
the gathering. John Fish from St. Georges Hospital Medical School
impressed us with his enthusiasm and was elected Secretary and
Chairman of the new ‘body’.
Bari, myself, John Fenton, Dave Adams and George Bridgeman of Guy’s
were all involved in John’s team. Our brief was to organise regular
meetings; a newsletter, which we started in November 1984 with
Newsletter No. 1 (John Ben, our most recent News magazine editor has
just sent out News Magazine No. 115);
a Constitution;
a name and an education system.
The first spring meeting organized by the
Association of Anatomical
Preparators and Technicians was held on the following April
13th 1984 at Guy’s Hospital Medical School - obviously
due to George Bridgeman’s influence!
Please note that the title of the Institute then was the Association
of Anatomical Preparators and Technicians (AAPT). The name was the
choice of John Fish but it was unwieldy and not very user friendly.
We very quickly overcame Johns’ choice of name and, on the 29th
March 1985, the first spring meeting of the IAS occurred at St.
Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College, in Charterhouse Square. This
is, sadly, a name now swallowed up together with the London Hospital
Medical School by Queen Mary Westfield College.
By this time we had become National, indeed our President was
Professor Philip Harris from, at that time, Manchester University,
before he took charge of a department in Oman. He has subsequently
returned and is teaching again in Nottingham.
Council’s original intention was to hold two meetings each year, one
in April and one in September. In 1985, obviously with John’s
influence, the September meeting was hosted at St. George’s Hospital
Medical School. The list of speakers on the programme contained
names as familiar with us then, as they are today – John Fish, Bari
Logan, Alan Greenhalgh, Richard Neave and Mike Hutchinson with our
then President, Professor Harris, presenting ‘What future for
Anatomy?’ Interesting in retrospect – I wonder how he saw twenty
years forward? And, interestingly a safety officer reviewing
embalming fluids entitled ‘Formaldeheyde Toxicity’
Top
21st March, 1986 saw the spring Meeting at St. Mary’s Hospital
Medical School Paddington before its merge with Charing Cross to
found what is now known as Imperial College School of Medicine. The
spring meeting programme announces the debut performance, with us,
of Mrs. S. A. Evans. Also on the programme were Dr. Marjorie
England, Mr. Barry Johnson, Mr. John Davies, Mr. Frank Young and Mr.
Graham Fowler of Adam Rouilly Ltd. Graham has been a great supporter
of the Institute.
The September meeting of 1986 (5th September) was our first
provincial meeting, a tradition that we still carry on today. Then
it was a day in Leeds. Perhaps not as grand as a weekend in Dublin
or Edinburgh but it allowed us to visit and see other Departments.
The talk from Paul Mason, the then H. M. Inspector of Anatomy and
the man who initiated our points system for practical hands on
involvement with the IAS, was entitled ‘1984 Anatomy Act’
On 27th March, 1987 we were back at St. Georges again. I feel a lack
(or reluctance) of volunteer Departments in London. It was here that
we met Professor John Pegington, our second President from 1987 to
1993. John was an enthusiast anatomist from University College
London, that Godless place in Gower Street. Johns’ particular
interests were art in anatomy and the welfare of his staff. Sadly,
John died very early, on the 28th July 1994, even before
retirement. Another name on the programme is one David Adams (then
at Leicester now at Oswestry) talking about Education and the IAS.
4th December 1987 saw us in Bari Logans’ Department in
Cambridge (the only December meeting we have held!) and a notable
inclusion on the programme is the name of Mr. D. Farr.
Spring 1988 (22nd April) saw us leave ‘real’ Anatomy and progress to
Veterinary Anatomy at
theRoyal Veterinary College, Camden Town, London. More notable names
on the programme from Sue’s department are Neil Stickland, Dr. Oscar
Craig - legendary Radiologist from St. Mary’s Paddington, Vin
Chauhan from Imperial and Dr. John Palfrey – one time Anatomist from
St. Thomas’s before moving to Charing Cross where he set up the
London Anatomy Office. John sadly suffered a stroke some years ago
but is recovering well.
The provincial autumn meeting on the 30th September 1988 was a one
day meeting at the University of Bristol. One notable name on the
programme was Pam Wiltshire. Steve Gaze was not on the programme but
I guess that in 1988 he was not old enough to have started work.
In spring 1989 (14th April), we visited Charing Cross Hospital
Medical School, where Dr. John Palfrey welcomed us. Les Aldrich
spoke to us, together with Vin Chauhan and Dr. Diane Watt (now
Professor and Head of Department at Brighton & Sussex Medical
School).
On 22nd September 1989, we went to Birmingham University for the
day. The names on the programme included Dr. Ian Parkin and Terry
Williamson.
Top
In spring 1990 (30th March), we visited University College London
where H. M. Inspector of Anatomy Dr. Paul Mason’s talk was entitled
‘Her Majesty’s Inspector of Anatomy – so what!’
The autumn meeting of 28th September 1990 was held in Dave Adams’s
Department at Leicester University, where Dorothy (Dot) Peters made
her IAS speaking debut.
1991 (19th April) saw the spring meeting held at King’s College
London in the Strand. There were many notable names. Professor Keith
Webster, my Head of Department; Dr. Roger Soames – at that time a
King’s lecturer before he went to Leeds, then to Australia and now
back happily in Dundee; Professor Ruth Bowden, a very loyal friend
of the IAS, sadly now deceased; Donal Shanahan, now in Newcastle and
Dr. John Cordingley, another former KCL Anatomy lecturer. Our ‘new’
H.M.I. - Dr. Elmer Clissold’s talk was entitled ‘Hello!’
We visited, for the day in autumn 1991 (27th September), Manchester
University where ‘Mr. Plastination’ – John Davies, educated us.
The spring meeting in 1992 (24th April) was held at Guy’s Hospital
Medical School. This is where we I first met Dr. Susan Standring who
as Professor Standring, was, until I retired in 2005, my Head of
Department at the merged King’s College London GKT School of
Biomedical Sciences incorporating Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’.
Among our speakers was Dr. Ian West, Home Office Pathologist, now
sadly dead.
18th September 1992 at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
(RCSI), Dublin saw the first two-day provincial meeting. The
programme was scheduled for one day but it took the rest of the time
to drink the Guinness, Murphy’s and Caffrey’s. Professor Monkhouse
had very kindly invited us to the RCSI. Eric Clark reinforced the
message and we travelled to Ireland, the first time for the IAS.
Main memory was of Eric dreaming up from nowhere a venue for the
official dinner, together with a printed menu!
16th April 1993 a train strike forced the last minute cancellation
of the AGM at Queen Mary and Westfield College (QMW), but we
substituted this on 9th July with a visit to the Royal College of
Surgeons in England, Lincolns Inn Fields.
The autumn visit on 17th September 1993 to the University of
Southampton was still a one day visit. 1993 also marked the standing
down from the office of President of John Pegington and the taking
up of the post by Dr. Ian Parkin. Ian had similar qualities to John,
especially regarding the welfare of technical staff. Ian hosted
Council meetings in a wonderful venue within his College at
Cambridge.
Top
The visit on 15th April 1994 to Queen Mary and Westfield College put
the record straight, with our cancelled spring meeting from the
previous year taking place at QMW.
The 30th September 1994 marked our first visit to Scotland. Tony
Patton welcomed us to the University of Glasgow. Dr. John Shaw-Dunn
entertained us in his unique style and no-one present will ever
forget the presentation by Gordon Reford, technician in the
Dissecting Room with his BBC – Bowls, Buckets and Chairs routine.
21st April 1995, saw us in the spring back at St. George’s Hospital
Medical School and to celebrate 10 years of the I.A.S we enjoyed the
first John Fish Memorial Lecture, suitably back at St. Georges and
presented in the most professional manner by Bari Logan .In the
autumn the meeting on 15th September 1995, at the University of
Nottingham, marked the debut, with us, of the ‘new’ H.M Inspector –
Dr. Laurence Martin.
1996 on 19th April, we returned to King’s College, London - we
definitely were experiencing a shortage of London venues - where we
first met Dr. Alistair Hunter;
Mrs Barbara Webb and Sir Montague Levine. Bert Wilson, Eric
Clarke and Eric de Villiers also entertained us.
The autumn meeting on 20th September 1996 at the
University of Wales, Cardiff reminds me, personally, of the
convoy up and down the M4 from Reading. I had arranged a Don’ll fix
it for Sue Evans’ friend Luisa. She had never travelled in a Mini
Cooper! I bet that when we were travelling at 100 mph she knew why
she had never been in a Mini, nor would again. The meeting was
memorable with Professor Berny Moxham’s remarkable enthusiasm to
teach, live and breathe anatomy as well as Omri Morgan’s
organisational abilities.
On 18th April 1997 we returned for the spring meeting to Charing
Cross Hospital Medical School.
For the provincial meeting on 11/12th September 1997, Professor
Fraher invited us to University College, Cork. More memorable names
were Dr. Robin O’Sullivan, a regular external examiner with us at
King’s and now teaching anatomy out in Bahrain, Roger Summers and
Paul Dansie; as well as the first appearance of Dr. David Heylings.
Memories? Lots of drink and more drink. Seeing the arrival off the
ferry of the Bristol contingent following a sleepless night on the
boat! The ambulance tour of Southern Ireland!
In spring 1998 (27th March) we had our second visit to the Royal
Veterinary College and saw the debut on the programme of Mr. Bill
Wrigley and Mr. Steve Gaze.
The autumn meeting on 10/11th September 1998 was held at Dave Adams’
new ‘home’ at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital
in Oswestry, Shropshire. This was a fascinating venue with talk to
match. I personally collected one of our ‘new’ rotating dissecting
tables, on the way, from Sheffield and demonstrated it at Oswestry.
There are lots of memories of this meeting. Dr. Laurence Martin
attending, with his wife, the evening meal in the old school
building: but, the overriding memory is of the belly dancers. The
lovely librarian who had talked to us earlier in the day became a
scantily clad entertainer. I tried to shrink into the background to
avoid being ‘selected’ to dance with the belly dancer. I moved back
and Steve Franey pushed me forward. Fortunately my skills of belly
dancing were not called upon. The journey home through North and
South Wales with the Dissecting Table on the back of the College van
was interesting. The obligatory visit to a slate mine was
entertaining, and embarrassing, because somehow my admission ticket
was for an Old Age Pensioner – and no one questioned it!
Top
The spring meeting on 16th April 1999 was a joint meeting with the
Pathology Museums Group, which we held, once more, at King’s
College, London. In fact it was the final meeting within our old
accommodation at the Strand, before our move to London Bridge. The
additional expertise from the pathologists made for great interest,
in particular, talks about Jack the Ripper and the Elephant Man.
This was a nostalgic and memorable meeting.
Not long after this meeting Ian Parkin stood down as our President
and Dr. Marjorie England moved from Vice President to President. Our
first Council meeting under Marjorie’s patronage was complete with
champagne!
The autumn meeting on 2/3rd September 1999 at the University of
Bristol was a landmark. This was our first
official programmed two
day meeting. The meeting started on Thursday afternoon and continued
into Friday, with a convenient break for a Conference Meal in the
City centre.
The 10th April 2000 marked another first. The spring meeting had two
venues – the morning in the museums of the Royal College of Surgeons
in England with a ‘charabanc’ ride to the Royal Veterinary College
for the afternoon session. This meeting saw a ‘new’ HM Inspector of
Anatomy, Dr. Jeremy Metters and his talk was entitled ‘The
Inspectors past and future’.
Our second two-day provincial meeting was held on 21/22nd September
2000 at Southampton University where, once more, there was a superb
venue for the ‘Conference Dinner’.
A highlight of this meeting for many of us was Omri’s talk
derived mainly from letters received from potential donors. Dear Mr.
Morgan………..
Top
The meeting on 2nd April 2001 saw the return ‘away’ leg
with the Pathology Museums Group at the old London Hospital Medical
College whilst the autumn meeting went to Edinburgh.
The meeting was held on 20/21st September
2001 at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences,
Edinburgh. Mrs. Joyce Wood had only joined the IAS the year before,
had met us for the first time at the Southampton meeting and one
year later found herself hosting the provincial meeting herself.
Some memories were negative. Dr. Helen Denley was forced to visit
Edinburgh, and the meeting, in a wheelchair and seeing how
unfriendly life can be to the disabled. Other memories were
positive. We had yet another performance from Dr. John Shaw-Dunn and
an evening visit to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Never to be forgotten would be the IAS mountaineering attempt on
Arthur’s Seat after an evening out and before breakfast. Copies of
the video are still changing hands for excessive amounts of money!
On 25th March 2002 we returned to London Bridge for the spring
meeting, to the Guy’s Campus of King’s College, London. We repeated
the format of 2000 with a two venue spring Meeting. The morning
session and AGM was held in the old operating theatre in St. Thomas
Street, whilst the afternoon session was conducted in the Gordon
Museum of Guy’s. Among our memories was another performance from Dr.
John Shaw-Dunn and Sir Montague Levine.
The autumn meeting on 12/13th September
2002 took us to Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern
Ireland. Ernie Murray and Dr. David Wilson made us so welcome. The
accommodation was excellent; the crack was first class, the
Conference Dinner wonderful, the mystery tour on the Friday night
was fascinating as was our visit on the Saturday to the Giants
Causeway. This was perhaps my favourite meeting of all time.
On the 14th April 2003 Wendy Birch accommodated us at the Godless
place for the spring meeting. Its proper name is University College
London and is now a composite of U.C.L, the old Middlesex Hospital
Medical School and the Royal Free Medical School.
I stood down from the chair after what seems like a hundred
years and Steve Gaze took over the reins.
Our provincial meeting was a return to University of Bristol on
4/5th September 2003 and another Steve Gaze/ Bill Wrigley
extravaganza complete with boat trip round the harbour. This meeting
was more hands on than usual with us dissecting rats, taking part in
tutorials as well as sitting a written exam.
For the Spring Meeting on 5th April 2004 we were once again welcomed
by Vin Chauhan at Charing Cross (Imperial). I personally was not an
officer of the IAS but still managed to find my way onto the
programme (twice!). This was a good meeting with a new newsletter
editor, Babz Defriez-Irving and a new web master, Sue Standley. It
was really important to see new names joining the running of the
IAS.
For the Autumn Meeting we went back to University College, Dublin
Veterinary School on the 2/3rd September 2004. This was
another excellent Irish meeting.
Spring meeting 2005 was back to our ‘spiritual’ home at St. Georges
at Tooting. Most memorable about this meeting was the 2nd John Fish
Memorial lecture, a presentation given by four eminent members of
the IAS – Dave Adams, John Ben, Donald Farr and Steve Gaze.
The autumn meeting was held at the University of Cambridge on 8/9th
September 2005.
Top
3rd
April 2006 saw us back at the Royal Veterinary College hosted by
Andrew Crook. 7/8th September we were back to Dublin.
This time we were at the heart of Dublin with the meeting, and
accommodation, in Trinity College Dublin.
We enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Ireland, and a
superbly hosted meeting by Siobhan and Philomena.
Spring 2007 and Stephen Franey hosted a return to King’s. An
enjoyable meeting, perhaps most memorable for the fact that Steve
arranged for the Principal of King’s to address the meeting, also
remembered for the attendance of the first recipient of the IAS
Bursary, Dr. Muhammad Shafi from Lahore, Pakistan.
6/7th September 2007
we visited the south coast, and our first visit to the brand
new department at the University of Brighton.
In January 2008 Dr. Marjorie England stepped down from the role of
our President after nearly 10 years dedicated support for us, often
attending events when times were difficult. Her backing for us,
predominantly during my term of chairmanship, has been appreciated.
Our Vice Chair – Professor David Wilson originally at Belfast, now
at Cardiff, stepped into the role, and, so good has been the
continuity, you can scarcely see the join! Professor Ceri Davies was
approached to fill the Vice President role, which he kindly
accepted.
7th
April 2008 saw us return
to Imperial College, C.X Campus – another fine Vin Chauhan hosted
meeting. Vin was the originator of hot food at lunchtime at the
London meetings in 2004 and he excelled again. The food was
delicious.
The 4/5th September 2008 saw us at a new, for us, venue
in Scotland - Dundee Medical School. Most pleasurable for me because
the meeting was arranged for us by personal friend Roger Soames from
many years ago when we was a lecturer at King’s. Very successful
meeting, which was well supported.
2009 will see a change from the norm with the Spring meeting and AGM
being held at a provincial location for the first time. Liverpool is
the venue, the dates being 16/17th April. Unfortunately
this will be the first IAS meeting that I have ever failed to attend
due to the date clashing with holiday commitments in Crete. I have
really enjoyed my involvement with the previous 52 meetings.
The Autumn meeting 2009 will be held at the new Hull York Medical
School.
2010 may see a return to a London School for the Spring meeting and
AGM, with an invitation back to Ireland for the Autumn meeting, in
fact back to Cork, last visited by us most memorably in 1997.
Top
© Donald Farr
IAS webmaster November 2008
|
