10/1/24
“Forensic Investigation as a Career” Part 2” Isobel
Colclough, told the audience of 60+, that she gaining a degree in
Chemical Engineering (1989) and did research on Composting at
Agricultural College before joining Greater Manchester Police
(GMP) as Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) in 1996. Here she was
able to attend a number of internal training courses to learn the
basics of crime scene investigations and lead some
investigations. Gun crime (hence, the name ‘Gunchester’) and
crime gangs were prevalent then but were now replaced by drugs.
In 2009, she joined UCLAN to lecture on the subject, including
Archaeology and Anthropology, and gained an M.Sc. in Fire
Investigations. In 2018, while still at UCLAN, she also worked
for GMP and was in charge of the Longsight Area. In 2018, she
joined the UK Crime Training Service, with was trained in photography,
forensic techniques and taking finger prints. She subsequently
set herself up as an Independent Consultant, working mainly on teaching
and auditing Crime Procedures in UK and in Afghanistan (dangerous),
Iraq, Nigeria, The Gambia, Falkland Islands and Libya.
International Humanitarian Law covered Genocide, Crimes Against
Humanity, War Crimes and Aggression and were covered by ISO Procedures
17020 (2012) and 17025 (2017).
You did not need a degree to be a
CSI, just have an enquiring mind, problem solving skills and lateral
thinking ability, but did need a STEM subject degree for Forensic
Research. The most important thing was to get into employment and
then apply for internal promotions to progress your career.
7/2/24
“Living On The Moon, Living Off The Moon” Dr. Joshua
Resera, of Imperial College, London, told the audience of 120+ that a
‘resource’ was a natural concentration of a useful material and a
‘reserve’ was a resource that could be exploited economically. It
was prohibitively costly to carry everything up from Earth but
different types of asteroids had limited ranges of materials and the
Moon, formed by a collision with Earth, had all Earth’s elements.
Mars was similarly endowed with volcanic rocks, but unlike the Moon,
also had sedimentary rocks.
The Moon rotated once in 27
Earth days so each ‘lunar day and night’ was 13½ days long.
Temperatures varied from +127 to -173oC, which was too cold for
batteries, so energy at night would have to be from nuclear decay
heat. As there was no water on the Moon (or Mars), recovery of
minerals would have to be via dry processes, e.g. comminution, sieving,
vibration and magnetic or electrostatic separation.
Gravity-driven processes might also be possible. Imperial College
was undertaking research into dry processing in the more arid parts of
Australia.
The lunar highlands were the light parts of the
Moon and the Mare the dark areas. The regolith was very fine
grained grit, sized from 0-1mm, with an average of 72μm; this proved to
be a real problem for the 1970’s astronauts as the particles ‘got
everywhere’ and threatened the rubber seals between their (removable)
helmets and spacesuits. Coarse fibre filtration followed by
hepafiltration would be needed. It was cohesive,
electrostatically charged and, when disturbed, could spread a long way
over the lunar surface. The regolith consisted of agglutinates,
breccias, pyroclastic glass beads and rock fragments, resulting from
incessant bombardment. The low gravity (1/6th Earth’s) would be a
problem, e.g. an astronaut digging in the regolith could exert only
1/6th of his mass on the spade! However, manufacture in low
gravity could give products which could not be made on Earth, such as
single crystals.
Several nations had landed probes on the Moon and
there was an International Treaty prohibiting colonisation of the Moon,
etc. but it was ambiguous on Space Resource Utilisation (SRU) and this
could lead to friction in the future.
28/2/24 “A595
Grizebeck Road Improvement” Will Storey (of Story Contracting)
and Ian Roberts (of the Design Authority) told the audience of c.110
that in 2018, two proposals were tabled; one (A) was to widen the
existing road from Chapels through the farmyard and build a new road
(with cycle lanes) to join the A5092 W. of the present junction at
Grizebeck, and the other (B) was a completely new road, E. of the farm
through/over Pan Hill to join the other new road up to the new
junction. At review, B was chosen. This would involve
taking a major slice off the sandstone Pan Hill and use the spoil as
infill for the new road to the junction plus an underpass for farm
traffic, an over bridge for the old road, badger tunnel, bat and owl
provision. The speakers explained how the excavation and building
of the new road would be done to maintain traffic access, connect with
sewers, electricity and telephone services and provide pondage for
rainwater runoff from the new road. A great deal of planning had
gone in to minimise disruption and meet ecological needs. Final
approval was expected soon for an Aug. ‘24 start and Mar. ‘26ish
completion.
13/3/24 “Nuclear Powered Hydrogen
Production” Professor Tim Abrams told the audience of c. 120 that the
National Grid had the duty to supply electricity to the whole of the UK
@ 50 Hz ± ½Hz. This meant matching power generation with
demand. However, we were now relying on large amounts of
renewables (wind and solar), which were variable in supply. On
the other side of the equation, demand was also variable.
Domestic needs rose from overnight at breakfast time, fell during the
day and rose again towards teatime and further in the evening.
There could be sudden peaks, e.g. in advertising breaks during popular
programmes. Short term peak surpluses and / or demands could be
met by pumped storage and battery facilities. Base load
generation could not be varied quickly, without damage to equipment;
however, the destination of the power generated could be changed from
one usage to another at the flick of a switch. One possible
application would be to run base load at the optimum level and divert
excess power to manufacture H2 gas. The gas would be stored on an
interim basis and reacted with biological crops, grown with atmospheric
CO2 to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuel, e.g. AvGas. The CO2
produced, when the AvGas was burnt, would be returned to the
atmosphere; it would not be new CO2 but recycled existing
atmospheric CO2. The H2 could be obtained by electrolysing water
or dissociating it at high temperature (c. 850oC). The Teesside
AGR could be used as a Test Plant.
Giving the VoT, Ian said that, in
WW2, the Germans had reacted CO + H2 (Water Gas) to make liquid fuel
for the ME262 jet engined planes using the Fischer Tropsch Process;
this process could be varied to react CO2 (from the atmosphere) with H2.
10/4/24
“The Last Battlewagons; The King George V Class in Combat
1940-45” Dr. Scott Lindgren told the audience of c.70 that the
Treaty of Versailles ended WW1 and the Treaties of Washington (1922)
and London (2) (1930 & ’36) defined warship building for GB, US, FR
and JP. In 1937, building started on the KGV Class to pre-designs
(35kT, 14” guns, 28kts & 1400 men). These were very good
ships, with good side and deck armour and the guns were very
effective. One weakness was the mounting of the gun turrets on
the ships, which was too flexible and was affected by heat, cold and
stormy weather so that seldom did all guns fire together in a
broadside. Quadruple 14” gun turrets all built in Barrow but
mounted on weak parts of hull. Service in 1940-’45:-
King
George V: Home fleet, Atlantic Convoys, Sinking Bismarck (with Rodney),
Arctic Convoys, Med. bombardments, Pacific Fleet, at Japanese surrender
in Tokyo Bay 1945.
Prince of Wales: Atlantic convoys, Denmark Strait
(seriously damaged Bismarck but was damaged herself), repaired,
Malaysia (attacked by waves of torpedo bombers, 1st torpedo hit hull
where port outer shaft exited hull (critical), sunk with Repulse).
Duke
of York: Home fleet, Atlantic convoys, Med. to support W. African
landings, Arctic convoys, 26/12/43 North Cape sank Scharnhorst, more
Arctic convoys, Pacific fleet, at Japanese surrender.
Anson: Never fired main armament in anger, Home fleet, arctic convoys, Pacific fleet, at Japanese surrender.
Howe:
Home fleet, Arctic convoys, bombardment in Med., Flag of UK Pacific
fleet, shot down a kamikaze plane, at Japanese surrender.
KGV Class was highly successful and last of the battleships, replaced by carriers, whose aircraft had longer offensive reaches.
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11/9/24 “Finding Life Beyond Our Solar System with The James Webb Space
Telescope”
Addressing an audience of c.80, Robin said that single-celled life had
existed from soon after the planet had cooled up to the present day as
Archaea and Bacteria, Eukaryotes appeared in mid-life and Intelligent
life was a latecomer. Single celled organisms (extremophiles) had
colonised areas of extreme heat, cold, acidity, radiation, deep
underground and possibly even the mid-atmosphere of Venus. Such
organisms could exist today on the some of the moons of Jupiter and
Saturn and Nasa’s rovers had found positive signs on Mars. Using
the JWST and other instruments, the atmospheric constituents and
conditions on exoplanets could be determined to look for the chemicals
associated with life but nothing positive and no free oxygen had yet
been found, though we knew of only c.5000 exoplanets. There was
the possibility of life being based on Silicon, which is chemically
similar to carbon but we do not know of any.
25/9/24
“Bahamas – The Story of a Steam Locomotive” Peter Skellon told
the audience of c.40 that :Bahamas’ was a Jubilee Class engine,
designed by W. Stainier, built in 1934 and served with distinction from
1935-67, 2 years longer than her design life. She worked out of
many depots all over England, Wales and Scotland, including Carlisle
involving trips to / from Barrow. He explained how the boiler
worked with the exhaust steam from the cylinders exiting the blast pipe
into the smoke box to create a vacuum to draw air into the fire grate
and combustion products through the heat exchanger tubes
(boiler). One development had been to bifurcate the blast pipe to
feed a double chimney, which considerably improved the engine’s overall
efficiency. The Clean Air Act of 1952 was the start of the end
for steam as BR turned to diesel and electric traction. In 1967,
a group of volunteer enthusiasts raised £3k to buy Bahamas from BR and
then £900+k (including a £776k Lottery grant) to restore her; this
involved the volunteers learning new skills, e.g. riveting, welding,
plating, etc. She had become a major attraction in Steam
Excursion Specials all over the country, earning considerable income
for her Trust, based with the Keithly & Worth Valley Railway.
The provision of coal supplies and new safety regulations, e.g. remote
locking of doors on vintage carriages, presented future problems.
9/10/24
“MNZ Cluster: Permanent Storage of CO2 in Depleted Morecambe Bay Gas
Fields” Jack Richards, Spirit Energy, unable to come. He had
apologised and offered to give the talk at a later date. We
pencilled in 26/2/25; IP to contact him.
IP talk instead:-
“Carbon
Dioxide – Friend or Foe?” Ian Palmer told the audience of 50
about the origin, chemistry and bonding of CO2 , strength of C=O double
bond and its historic role in keeping Earth warm and its role in
supporting the evolution of life, the long term historical role of
[CO2] and its role since start of Industrial Revolution (1750) in
Climate Change. Described photosynthesis and its essential
contribution to life. Discussed problems due to Climate Change,
ways to mitigate its effects, including CCS and CCU, and advocated a
long term CCU solution.
23/10/24 “Dorothée Pullinger, M.B.E. – A Life in Automobiles,
Munitions and Other Engineering Enterprises” Nina Baker told the
audience of c.60 that DP (1894-1986) was the eldest daughter of Thomas
Pullinger (TP); born and living in France, she took a keen interest in
her Father’s bicycle making business, which moved on from making pedal
cycles to motor-assisted ones. At age 8, the family moved to England
and TP moved into making cars, initially buying French cars and
replacing components with British equivalents. DP attended
Loughborough High School as a boarder and later evening classes to
learn engineering. TP became the General Manager of Arrol-Johnson
(1907-26), which took them to Glasgow; DP worked in the Drawing &
Design Office and on the shop floor. TP acquired a licence to
manufacture Astro-Daimler areo-engines and, by the start of WW1, DP was
a competent engineer. In 1915, there was a catastrophic shortage of
shells for the guns on the Western Front. In Barrow, there were
French-speaking women making and filling shells and bi-lingual DP was
ideally suited to organise them and the English-speaking ones; she had
to recruit women, train them, organise their accommodation and manage
up to 7000 by the end of the war; she was awarded an MBE. After the
war, she returned to her Father’s business, which was now building cars
unprofitably. They built a new factory nearby at Tongland, reduced the
number of models and replaced the ‘craft manufacture’ (one team
building the whole car) with the American ‘production line system’ and
produced the ‘Galloway’ range of cars, a saloon & a coupé – 2
models remain in museums and the saloon was driven by the Dr. Snoddy
character in the ‘Dr. Finlay’ TV series). DP became a Member of IMechE
and, in 1946, she moved with her family to Guernsey on to a farm. She
then set up a Laundry Service in the locality and died in 1986.
13/11/24
“Staying Alive: Debunking Common Misconceptions About Body Armour” Dr.
Eluned Lewis listed 7 misconceptions, for the 55 person audience, and
then comprehensively demolished them with a very, detailed talk. Body
armour was usually made of a combination of materials, it would not
stop all types of attack but reduced the severity of any injury; chain
mail was the best anti-stab protection but would only slow down a
bullet (dissipate it’s energy) to reduce deep penetration and ‘buy
time’ for medics to save the life. Silk undies were very useful
reducing injuries when a soldier stepped on an IED. Kevlar® was
important for both vehicle and personal protection but the armour must
not hamper the user’s movement. Women were not ‘small men’ and
required special types of protection as well as garments to wear for,
say, a 12-14hr. patrol in an armoured vehicle (allowing for calls of
nature). Race was important as the faces of Gurkas were different
shapes to those of Europeans needing unique eye and face protection.
Police faced different threats to soldiers. All protective products
had to be proved by specialist laboratories before use. Excellent
talk.
2.1 Attendance Summary
In 2023 / 24, 690 people had attended 8 PESC lectures – an average of 86 per lecture.
In 2022 / 23, 465 people had attended 7 PESC lectures – an average of 66 per lecture.
In 2021 / 22, 180 people had attended 6 PESC lectures – an average of 30 per lecture.
In 2019 – 2021, there were no lectures due to the Covid pandemic.
In 2018 / 19, 1135 people had attended 11 PESC lectures – an average of 103 per lecture.
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