40s and 50s Memories
of which I was now the leader, consisted of six
oarsmen and a cox. We were the firm favourite.
At the gun the whole flotilla moved off, but
we appeared to be stationary. I sent the cox
under the boat to investigate and he found a
huge canvas nailed onto the bottom which he
eventually managed to free. After that, rowing
furiously, we overtook the whole fleet, except
the suspected culprits who ran off with the prize
(a case of rum) before we could disembark.
All this witnessed by thousands of amused
(or disgusted) spectators! We eventually took
it in the spirit in which it was intended, just a
practical joke at our expense, not untypical of
students of our generation. Supported by a
generous County Award (Nottinghamshire), my
fees and residence were covered totally. This is
a moral obligation which I carry with gratitude.
At graduation in 1957 I was faced with my
National Service obligation. Like my brother, I
was a member of the University Air Squadron.
However, the RAF was no longer taking National
Service pilots, so I opted to teach mathematics
instead (up to the release age of twenty six). My
first post was Assistant Master at Hurstpierpoint
College. During this period I enrolled as a part
time postgraduate student at Birkbeck College,
University of London (conveniently situated
right next to the Senate House Library). This
led me into an academic career. I completed
my Ph.D. in 1962 (graduating in 1963); I took up
an assistant lectureship at Glasgow University
(with a 25% drop in salary); I was a lecturer at
the SE Essex Tech at the time. My first tenured
appointment (at Hull University) came a year
later.
In 1967 I left for Australia with my wife and six
month baby daughter, to do research at the
Institute of Advanced Studies in Canberra.
We immigrated to South Africa with daughter
and infant son in 1972 to join the staff of the
University of Cape Town, where I worked until
my retirement in 1999. This is truly the "fairest
cape". I duly earned my second doctorate,
d.sc. (London). Sabbaticals, conferences, and
collaborations have taken me to universities in
various countries: Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Germany, Peru, Spain, UK and USA. A highlight
was my visit to the University of Indiana at South Bend, where a professor and I spent a
week staying at their house and working round
the clock on the book I was writing, providing
invaluable input. The warmth, hospitality, and
collaborations I received on my trips to the US
are memorable.
In 1981 I joined the local Masters Athletics
club. At the time I was a road and crosscountry runner.
Now I switched to the shorter
distances, long jump, triple jump, hurdles and
pentathlon (200 metres, 1500 metres, discus,
javelin and long jump - now discontinued in
favour of the decathlon). Some of my national
(age group) records still stand. There was
a hiatus, during the years when the country
suffered under apartheid, when we were barred
from international competition (despite our
having racially integrated membership). All in
all, I have competed in world championships in
Rome, Buffalo, Durban, Gateshead, Brisbane,
San Sebastian, and most recently, Sydney
(2009). Also the US National Masters Athletics
championships in San Diego (1989) where
I won the pentathlon event in the 55-59 age
group category. I was particularly successful at
the World Masters Games in Sydney, where I
gained my first international gold medal (the
final count was three gold medals, for the 200
metres, long hurdles and short hurdles, and a
bronze for the 100 metres).
At age 75 I had arrived ! There are no qualifying
restrictions for entering world championships in
masters' athletics, and there is a truly amateur
spirit, including among dedicated athletes.
Many, if not most, participate purely for the love
of sport and as a holidaying opportunity.
Two years before retirement I began taking
weekly piano lessons at the College of Music
(University of Cape Town) and continue to this
day. My reward is a substantial repertoire of
(mainly classical) music, over a thousand works,
which I play by sight. There is much club activity
which I engage in locally, in particular, ballroom
dancing (and other forms such as line dancing,
country dancing, etc.) twice a week at least -
my favourite is a fast Viennese; our Computer
Club (offering life changing experiences - one
marvels at the expertise and creativity there is
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