COMMENT

摘要

This is my first article for the Comment page and I'm very pleased it coincides with the 50th anniversary of our conference. I would like to just spare a thought for the people involved in that first event, held at the Blossoms Hotel in Chester in September 1961. It started with the organisers, who saw the need for and opportunity of a national gathering. In the back of their minds there must have been the thought that no-one would come. In fact, 150 people attended! Then there were the speakers, seven in all. No PowerPoint, fancy models or videos for them; neat writing and fingers crossed on the spelling were the order of the day. Would the audience be hostile? Firm but often different views were held in 'em days by many. The six exhibitors didn't have it easy either, the kit weighed a ton and would there be any buyers? The delegates should also get a mention, persuading their organisations to let them go must have been difficult, though in a similar way as today I've no doubt they came away with new ideas, new friends and a wider circle to offer and gain advice from. The science and understanding has grown since that time, along with our now formidable ability to extract defects from very obscure and subtle changes in signals.