I was asked to write a few words for "The Refractories Engineer" to include recollections of the early days of the organisation. A long time ago a distinguished director of RTB described me as an iconoclast, for what reason I do not know nor did I know what it meant. However, only recently, an example of that trait emerges when I am asked to make a speech after the dinner held at the Belfry Hotel, celebrating the Institutes 40th birthday. I said no! my speech, if it could be called that, was mercifully short but I could not see why my dinner should be spoilt, thinking throughout about what I was going to say. Nor would the audience be thinking what on earth is this fellow from the past going to tell us, thus perhaps spoiling their dinner. So I broke with tradition, asked permission from the organisers and the kitchen staff to begin the proceedings with my short speech.
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