Careers

the standard of difficulty of the songs (Clark) and partly by standard of performance. He commended Temple's part song for good tempo and precision with plenty of contrasts (Croft-Baker) and The Rise's part song for a clear and charming performance of a difficult piece (Croft-Baker). Dr. Fox, who was undertaking his first engagement straight from hospital after a recent accident, gave his views briefly and to the point (Oliver), and deserved every bit of the applause (Bilsborough). He then presented the cup to Kirkus of The Rise, and after being thanked by the Head Master, left the platform to return next day to hospital for further treatment. We all hope this will be completely effective.

Three visits were arranged during the Summer Term. The first was to the Treasury Department of York Corporation to see the electrical and electronic calculating equipment recently installed by International Computers and Tabulators. The installation is one of the smaller ones, but nevertheless very impressive, and we spent a very absorbing evening seeing how the machines can deal with complicated calculations involving such problems as irregular hours, pay as you earn and insurance contributions. I.C.T. offers very fine opportunities both on the production and the sales and advisory side for "A" level scientists, and this in a growing field of opportunity, because as yet only a relatively small proportion of the type of work which can be tackled by these machines is handled mechanically.

The second and third visits were to Sheffield University Department of Chemical Engineering and Fuel Technology, and to Mainsforth Colliery, Ferryhill, respectively. Separate accounts of both these visits follow. We are very grateful to Mr. Peat for making the initial arrangements for us to visit the Colliery.

VISIT TO DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND FUEL TECHNOLOGY, SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY

On 24th July a party of 20 boys visited the above department of Sheffield University. The party was met by Dr. Hulse of the department's staff, and coffee was kindly provided.

The party was then allowed to roam freely through the laboratories in the new block in which the department is housed. The departmental staff were extremely helpful in showing and explaining the exhibits, though in certain cases they were rather over-enthusiastic!

Some of the most interesting exhibits were: two parabolic mirrors used to focus the heat from a carbon arc at some point more convenient than the point of discharge; the "Gallenkamp" "Adiabatic" Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter, the last word in the determination of the calorific values of solid fuels; and apparatus for measuring the size of wax droplets, and hence the size of droplets of fuel when atomized. There were also some excellent firms being shown in one of the lecture theatres.

The visit, thanks to the staff of the department, was found useful and interesting by all; and it is hoped that further visits to University Departments will be possible in the future. D.L.M. 24

Such was the popularity of this visit to the Mainsforth Colliery, near Ferryhill, that there were more than 40 applicants for the 20 available places, and lots had to be drawn to decide the final party.

On the last Tuesday of term we breakfasted early, so that by 9-45 our coach had arrived at the pit-head. A glance at the casualty department, where the toll of dead and injured was displayed, removed any lingering suspicions that mining is just another job. On this sombre note we changed into "borrowed robes", assumed the miner's helmet and were plunged into the earth.

The cage took us to the main seam, 400 feet below the surface of the earth. Our first impressions were of dust, mud and age: dust not unexpectedly clouded the cool air of the main tunnel of the seam; mud covered the floor and was only interrupted by rails, sleepers and puddles; age seemed to have taken its toll on every side, and when one of the five miners with our party confessed to an admiring audience that he had worked in the same pit since 1913 we were less surprised at the results of constant use. Furthermore, on opening several of the air-blocks we were confronted by pit ponies, and thus reminded of harder days in the mines. These sturdy animals now reinforce the drawing power of diesel and electric locomotives.

We pressed on ever further from the well-lit central tunnel, the roof became considerably lower and our attention was occupied in learning to step from sleeper to sleeper while keeping our heads clear of the roof supports. After some time we appeared to reach the end of the tunnel, but, on closer inspection, we perceived a small opening little more than 24 feet high, from which a miner emerged. We accepted the invitation to worm our way into the tunnel on our hands and knees. It was a gruelling and seemingly endless crawl: now we groped over awkward blocks, now our knees were exposed to fragments as sharp as splintered diamonds. The conveyor belt at our side provided a useful roadway for a short time, but soon it began to move and we had to roll off hurriedly. At last we crawled over a cutting machine to reach the end of the tunnel, and, with the hardest 150 yards of our lives behind us, were able to stand upright again.

On the last lap of our tour through the labyrinth of tunnels our guides told us to put out our light, and we experienced the full reality of total darkness.

A little more hard walking brought us back to the main tunnel and on to the cage and the surface. Never were trees and fields a more pleasant sight !

After a shower we had lunch and then were taken to the District Centre to look at the training department and see a film describing coalmining in this country. Our final hour was spent in the workshops where repair and maintenance work is carried out on mining equipment.

At four o'clock we left the colliery, a more humble and thoughtful party than had set out. This trip gave us the opportunity to see the conditions under which 800,000 men work, and all were grateful for it. D.L.B. AND T.D.F.A.

As announced at Commemoration, we shall be holding a Careers Convention in the Easter Term. Most parents who filled in the questionnaire 25