We were put up in a university residence, in those days that was pretty basic, but the people were without exception very kind, very solicitous, very thoughtful, and they gave us a wonderful time there.

My job was to lecture to the students, but of course in those days none of the under-graduate students were familiar with English. Some of the professors were, to some extent, and so I had to lecture by making a particular point and perhaps writing something on the board. And then after two or three minutes that section would be translated, so a one-hour lecture was certainly a good two to two-and-a-half hours.

But this was made possible by a delightful Chinese custom of having fresh tea, green tea, in little teacups, which were continually replaced. As you sipped something, someone was detailed to keep the cup refilled.

And whilst the Chinese professor was speaking he would be putting Chinese characters on the board so that the students were following. But quite clearly it was limited, the amount that one could transmit in this way, or indeed the level, because I began to feel that the level of the students was not as high as we would have expected perhaps in Western Europe at that time.