Page 40 - Eclipse - Autumn 2015

Class notes & news from you
The RVC Graduates Association (RVCGA) News
The Association’s “Spring” meeting of 2015 has now morphed into an “Autumn” meeting to include the AGM. Trying to co-ordinate date, speaker and dinner venue proved problematic but nally a date of Wednesday 4th November has been agreed. The meeting will take place in London covering a number of locations – with something, somewhere bound to please everyone!
The Camden campus will be the host for our AGM at 2.30pm then we move onto a 4.30pm tour at The Wellcome Collection in Euston. Unfortunately, much to our Secretary’s disappointment, the temporary exhibition from “The Institute of Sexology-Undress your Mind” is due to nish on 29th September, but the permanent exhibitions of “Medicine Now” and “Medicine Man” offers members an interesting hour or two.
Turning to our dinner venue, we are delighted to be inviting Members to join us at 7:30 pm, for the rst time at the Civil Service Club in Great Scotland Yard. Whilst there is ongoing debate among historians about whether the ‘Scotland’ in Great Scotland Yard refers to the grant made by England’s King Edgar in 970 A.D. to King Kenneth II of Scotland for a piece of land to be used by King Kenneth when he attended the Court at Whitehall, or whether it was simply a piece of land owned by Mr Scott, there is little doubt that this will be one of the Association’s more interesting evenings.
Still functioning as the main social club for members of the Civil Service, the present building was created in the late Victorian period to serve as a re station for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade – complete with stabling for the Brigade’s teams of horses; storage for ladders, carts, and of course housing
for the latest re engine! After 40 years, the re service moved out and the Club subsequently served as of ces; as an intelligence and interrogation centre (!) during the Second World War; and as the Press Centre for the 1951 Festival of Britain before being purchased for its current purposes.
Dinner will be served in our private dining room – with a full wine and bar service available to our Members and guests, and we encourage early bookings as numbers are going to be strictly limited. (Well what do expect when dining in a Victorian re-station on a 10th century site in the heart of Whitehall!)
We are delighted to have Professor Gary England
as our after dinner speaker. Gary will enlighten us on “Establishing a New Veterinary School”. The Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science will be ten years old in 2016!
And nally, a note on last year’s RVCGA Eclipse article on the Toxicological garden, within the Hawshead Campus Nature Trail, which opened late spring 2014. The redevelopment of the “Spring Wood” has proved to be a valuable addition to the campus and the RVCGA had pledged up to £2,500 for two Interpretation Boards. Unfortunately the boards have not yet been established as RVC has not agreed on a name for the trail. However the RVCGA now plans to go ahead with purchasing the boards with an undertaking to add the name at a later date.
We look forward to seeing you later this year in London!
David Harwood (1974)
‘Rural Tranquillity to National Crisis: A Farm Vet’s Story’
David’s autobiography begins with
his early life in Worcestershire being born in Evesham the son of a market gardener, but developing a passion for farming from his grandfather and the local Evesham vet the late Geoffrey Bowler (a former RVC student).
It traces his time as a student and in practice, with the inevitable amusing and frustrating stories experienced along the way. In 1983 he left practice and joined the veterinary investigation service (now APHA), specialising in the investigation of farm animal health and welfare issues, and the detective work often required to identify the problem. His work with BSE, and involvement in a variety of roles during the FMD incidents are both covered, giving a view from within Defra (published with their knowledge!).
Although cattle have been his main interest, he has had a long interest in goats and is currently chairman of the Goat Veterinary Society and honorary vet to the British Goat Society – and is known to many veterinary undergraduates as
the “the goat man”. Before his retirement from full time work, he was a member of the Surveillance 2014 Group, and his views and reservations on the future of veterinary surveillance are covered in the nal chapters.
We’ve just received our copy here so we’ll be reading it in the of ce soon!
Copies can be purchased from a number of outlets or online for £12.99 (9781910455012) from 5mbooks.com with a 15% discount if you quote ‘RVC’ when ordering.