Here’s my latest Editorial for the Journal of the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers

Here’s my latest Editorial for the Journal of the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers
Anyone been playing with the latest “Barbie” doll in the image of a scientific glassblower? Just me in my dreams then! Apparently, the latest reincarnation of the toy doll appears in the shape of the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine co-creator Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert. It’s an attempt to encourage girls to consider careers in science. Not sure if this is sexist or narrowminded but sure profits will tell the story better than me! If a toy was created to represent the humble scientific glassblower, then perhaps a more suitable product would be a “Lego” model. In fact, one could buy a whole “Lego” workshop complete with a brick lathe and gas cylinders. On reflection I think this type of workshop already exists as I am sure I’ve visited one or two workshops that looked so pristine they couldn’t be real!

What a fantastic photograph on the front cover of this issue as I am sure you will agree? The glassware, a Kippenberg Extractor was made by Lisa Preußner. Not only is she a talented scientific glassblower but it appears she can take a fair good snap too! In theory it should be so easy to photograph anything and email images around the World, yet my mailbox is starved of such material, and I ask myself why. The answer keeps coming back to me that people just don’t care as much as I think they should. There are companies and individuals existing in the scientific glass World that seem to enjoy working in isolation. That’s the trouble with restrictions due to pandemics. We get brainwashed into living a certain way and forever get stuck in bubbles of our own making. I am not talking about glass bubbles either!

As I am sure we can all identify with seeing a piece of complicated glass apparatus that has been made by your own hands is a thrilling and satisfying feeling. On closer examination devastation occurs if we spy a crack. No matter how small, it’s a frustration that can only be solved by sealing the crack in the hope no evidence remains. This happened to me recently and on showing the offending piece of glass to a colleague I heard the remark, “well it’s only you that would notice that”! Giving the impression that I should leave well alone. Oh, how little did this person know me!

I was texting a friend to ask them how they were getting on with their new phone. After several hours of silence, I tried ringing the number but still no answer. I repeated this process over a few days only to be greeted with silence all the time. Obviously, my friend was not getting on very well with her new phone. Technology as we know seems to pose challenges for us that are almost out of proportion to the benefits they bring. I exceeded my monthly data allowance on my mobile phone due to goodness knows what. The guy in the shop said, if I remember him correctly, that to get all these free Apps then you must pay for another App otherwise you can’t see anything on the Apps. But I never wanted to see anything anytime anywhere so decided to switch things off but wanted to make sure I was switching the right buttons so consulted the font of all knowledge, the Internet. Shame I couldn’t access it due to my Apps not working.

Using desktops is my favoured option although recently I was in a panic due to messages saying my emails would cease to function and Word would die. If the latter happened, then there would be no Journal as I use Word to type all the content you enjoy! I had to renew my Microsoft licence I was told and instructed exactly how to do this which miraculously I achieved. Half an hour later the fraud department of my bank phoned me to ask me what year I was born in. I did admit the year but aware this could be a scam. The young lady with a thick Glaswegian accent assured me she was genuine and was just checking that it was I that had used my credit card. So that was very reassuring and pleasant to hear a real live voice that was clear and understandable but then I am no stranger to Glasgow.

I like Glasgow or more precisely I like certain aspects of the city. I like the art; I like museums and of course I like the cheap Travel Lodge! One of my favourite areas is the Merchant City and it is near here that the Scottish Glass Society has held exhibition over the last few years. This year the theme was Journey as it was thought all of us have been through an epic time of not knowing where we were heading and, in some cases, not knowing where we had been. Sums up me exactly. The next issue of the Journal will contain a review that exhibition.

Crieff is definitely not in Glasgow, it’s in Perthshire. Caithness is not in Perthshire and yet the name featured prominently during my recent visit to the town of Crieff. I did spend some effort seeking out the word and when it is linked to the word “glass” then I hope you realise I am talking about the factory of Caithness Glass which is based now in Crieff. For me seeing its current situation was very sad as I remember the glory days of the sparkling visitor centre in Wick which visitors were entertained by dancing glassblowing conjuring hot globes in a magical performance. Now Caithness Glass is situated well out of the town centre in what looked like to me an industrial park with businesses on the edge of bankruptcy. To add insult to injury the nearby charity shop was doing a thriving trade. The showroom of Caithness Glass was silent with no visitors and the viewing gallery was closed. The notice said until further notice. I smelt the horrible odour of forever.

Its not every day than my glass workshop welcomes a fellow scientific glassblower but in July Stuart Johnston walked in and he wasn’t looking for a job! Stuart is the scientific glassblower at Edinburgh University and was on holiday in Thurso with his family. To be honest he was only on a day trip from a caravan park in Dornoch as his preferred choice of the sunny Mediterranean was off limits!