November summary: Cape Town etc

We began the month with a celebration of the 90th birthday of Dr. Peter Hackett, who was Principal of the Camborne School of Mines from 1970 to 1994, overseeing the merger with the University of Exeter in 1993. For most of my stint at CSM (1974-1996) he was Principal and I have a lot to thank him for as he encouraged my travels around the world to conferences and visiting lectureships.  In the picture below Peter is with staff and students who were at CSM during his tenure: left to right Bob Pine (Rock Mechanics and Director from 2002-2008), Sally Pine, Barry Wills (Mineral Processing), Barbara Wills, Carol Richards (CSM Associates Secretary 1996-1999), Peter Hackett, Nick Eastwood (ACSM 1974), Steve Pendray (Mineral Analysis), Lesley Atkinson (Geology and Museum Curator), Mary Shepherd (CSMA Secretary 1999-2005) and Pete Shepherd (ACSM 1967). 

On the following day we set off on the long journey to Cape Town for Flotation '23 (posting of 2nd November). Flotation '23 was our biggest and most successful conference to date, attended by 336 delegates from 32 countries and it has been great to see the reaction to it. 

Our first conference at the Vineyard Hotel was Flotation '07 and in the twelve years leading up to the pandemic the exceptional Vineyard staff were led by Robyn van Oudtshoorn and Keith Mitchell, who retired during the Covid years. It was good to meet up with them for lunch in Simon's Town, and thanks to Robyn for introducing us to the very unpretentious Lighthouse Cafe, our recommendation as the restaurant of the week.

In Simon's Town with Robyn and Keith

Barbara also met up with Jan Thomas, wife of the late Roger Thomas (posting of 24 January 2019), who was acting plant metallurgist and effectively my first boss on the Nchanga Concentrator in 1970.

Barbara and Jan

After Amanda returned home following our long weekend together (posting of 14th November), Barbara and I visited a couple of our familiar and favourite places, but no time for all of them- there is so much to do in Cape Town (see 10 good reasons to spend some time in Cape Town). In the past we would have rented a car but these days I do not recommend it, as it is so easy to get around these days by Uber, which provides an exceptional service in the Cape.

For 13 years we had a cabin for 2 weeks every November overlooking the stunning Noordhoek Beach, under Chapman's Peak with its spectacular drive. After 12 years it was great to go back and walk that magnificent beach again and then relax with a drink at the Monkey Valley Resort.

Beautiful Noordhoek Beach....

....overlooked by Chapman's Peak

The Monkey Valley Resort, Noordhoek

Our final visit was to Groot Constantia, South Africa's oldest wine producing estate, established in 1685 and noted particularly for its high quality red wines. Only a 20 minute drive from the Vineyard Hotel, it is one of Cape Town's major tourist attractions. In 1925 its beautiful manor house was completely burnt down, but funds were raised to reconstruct it to its original Cape Dutch splendour.

Groot Constantia

We were lucky to enjoy three splendid sundowners with Flotation '23 delegates but missed this month's Cornish Mining Sundowner, as did our regulars Nick and Flee Wilshaw, who had their own sundowner in Brisbane with fellow Camborne School of Mines alumni John Webster and Martin Moloney. Martin was one of the 1st CSM mineral processing graduates in 1979. Apparently the Cornish Mining sundowner at the Chain Locker was a quiet affair this month, but thanks to Carol Richards for the photo.

Flotation '23 sundowner with our longest serving delegate, Prof. Antonio Peres from Brazil

John Webster, Flee Wilshaw, Martin and Linda Moloney and Nick Wilshaw in Brisbane

Cornish Mining Sundowner

And now we are back in a wet and grey Cornwall where the news is dominated not just by the wars in Europe and the Middle East but by the inquiry into how the Government handled the Covid pandemic. Not surprisingly, very badly on the evidence so far, with Boris Johnston and his ministers showing a huge degree of ineptitude, failing to grasp the simplest of scientific data. Not sure that we needed an inquiry to tell us this, it was all too evident from the PM's bumbling at the daily press conferences.

And talking about Conservative Prime Ministers- who remembers David Cameron? He was the 4th Prime Minister before Rishi Sunak, which should be a long time ago, but it isn't - he resigned in 2016 after taking the UK into the Referendum which took us out of Europe. Now no longer an MP he was made Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton and ironically, as he left the UK alone on the world stage, was this month made Foreign Secretary. Politics and politician never fail to amaze!

Gee but it's great to be back home!
Simon and Garfunkel