Memories of Minerals Engineering '95

With the next MEI Conferences in Falmouth only two weeks away, its nice to reminisce on the first of the annual Minerals Engineering series of conferences to be held in Cornwall, which opened at the Tregenna Castle Hotel in St. Ives 20 years ago in 2 weeks time. The conference was attended by just over 100 delegates, and apart from 3 days of presentations, there was a memorable conference dinner at the Land's End Hotel and an evening boat trip from Falmouth up the River Fal to Malpas near Truro.

Below are a few photos which remain in our archives.

Poster session with Dave Osborne

Visiting the Crowns engine houses at Botallack

Dinner at Land's End

On the River Fal

If you attended the conference it would be good if you could share your memories of the event. I know it was particularly important to one of the delegates, Dr. Malcolm Powell, then of Liner-Design Services, UK. He later wrote to us of his life-changing experience:

"Having completed my PhD, I had been travelling for a year and was located in a somewhat penniless state in London. I determined to write up my work for your journal [Minerals Engineering] and attend your conference to present it. I took on a menial job and Frances and I scraped together every last pound we had to attend the conference. While there I got the first serious airing of my PhD work, and made some crucial contacts. I met Walter Valery, of the JKMRC, and through him I was offered the JKTech agency for when I got back to South Africa. I also met Prof Cyril O'Connor of the University of Cape Town, the institute through which I had studied for my PhD. He encouraged me to come and start a comminution research group at UCT, to supplement the growing flotation group. These two contacts lead directly to the position I have held for the past 7 years, as Southern African Agent for JKTech, and leader of the comminution research group at UCT. Both facets of my work have developed into a wonderful career."

Malcolm later developed the comminution group at UCT into a world renowned leader in the field, now headed by Prof. Aubrey Mainza, and he is now Chair in Sustainable Comminution, JKMRC, University of Queensland, Australia. A great testimony to the value of attending conferences- you never know who you will meet or what will transpire!