There is in the United States an organisation called the Gordon Research Conferences, which is a marvellous institution in many subjects, there’s 20 or 30, something like that, Gordon Conferences held each year in particular subjects, of which inorganic chemistry is one. And perhaps not surprisingly I was invited, in due course, to give one of the main lectures on our work that I’ve just been talking about.

The point about the Gordon Conferences is twofold. The first is that the speakers talk about contemporary work, there is no photographing of slides, some of the work is already unpublished... still unpublished, and it is for discussion of work in progress.

The second point is that it is a discussion conference, residential, and in the case of inorganic chemistry it was held at New Hampton School, which is a well-known boys’ boarding school in upstate New Hampshire in delightful countryside, surrounded by wooded hills, Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Pemigewasset, boating on the lakes, it’s tennis courts, walking, whatever, is there. And the idea is that one held conference meetings all morning, until lunch, there’s a communal lunch, and then the afternoon was free, either for discussing science with colleagues, taking up points, or going on the lake in a yacht, or playing tennis, whatever. Getting to know scientists as people. But a lot of chemistry was talked there as well.

And then in the evening, there was an evening session until about 11 o’clock. And that went on for five days. It was a full week’s conference. But it was a very fertile discussion conference, limited to 100 people, and there would be... perhaps 15 or 20 full papers given, but other people could join in the discussions.