In 2006 we were informed that our current second and third year laboratories were to be combined into the space occupied by the existing second year laboratory.

Accordingly, a small party was held one lunchtime at the end of Session Two, to celebrate the mysterious process of transmogrification that was soon to be invoked.

Attractions included:

• A lucky door prize of a Digital Entertainment System. (It was a finger puppet of Einstein). Each student was given a resistor of a different value as they entered the party. The winning value was then drawn by the Head of School. Students who could not remember how to read their colour codes were thus at a significant disadvantage.

• Circe, the School of Physics’ notorious flying pig, made a special appearance.

• Meter billiards. Students could slide panel meters along the length of the laboratory floor into a series of boxes that attracted different scores. Contrary to student belief, these scores did not necessarily translate into final Physics marks!

This proved to be the perfect way for staff and students to farewell a lab that had served the School for well over forty years, and also to farewell Mick Benton, who had been a fabulous Laboratory Manager for more than twelve years. The next Monday the builders were due to arrive, ready to spend the Summer creating a new laboratory space to be shared by all upper year physics students.

John Smith