Ice and Cricket

Britain is in the grip of ice at the moment, suffering the longest cold spell in 30 years. Even sub-tropical Falmouth has a thin blanket of snow today.

So it’s nice to think that in 3 months’ time we will be back in sunny Cape Town and the beautiful Vineyard Hotel.

The Vineyard is a short walking distance from Newlands Cricket Ground, one of the world’s most impressive Test Match grounds. This week Jon and I have spent a great deal of time in front of the TV, avidly watching the gripping 3rd Test at Newlands between South Africa and England, and wishing that we were in the crowd enjoying the perfect weather. It is not easy to explain to our friends from non-cricketing nations how a test match such as this one, played over 5 full days, and ending in a draw, can be so nail-bitingly exciting, but it had everything needed to keep us on the edges of our seats.

Cricket fans who will be attending any of this year’s 4 MEI Conferences in Cape Town would be advised to take the short walk down to the cricket ground. Jon and I did this last year and found the staff very friendly, showing us the members’ enclosure and the Honours boards and then allowing us out onto the ground itself. It’s a pilgrimage second only to a visit to Lord’s!!

Jon at Newlands Cricket Ground

Necessity the mother of invention

I've just been browsing through the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the Southern African IMM, and came across an interesting article by R.M. Whyte, a metallurgical consultant.

Drawing from his personal experience, the author presents four case studies that demonstrate the value of creative thinking in addressing the challenges typically encountered by the extraction metallurgist.

He concludes that creative expression most often occurs in response to a perceived strong need within an organisation. By deliberately laying down meaningful challenges, management can stimulate innovative thinking and achieve extraordinary results.

ICRA Workshop Update

I hear via University of Cape Town’s Aubrey Mainza that the International Comminution Researchers Association (ICRA) members’ workshop will be held on 10 to 11 April 2010 and an open PEPT workshop and demonstration on 12 April 2010.

The members’ workshop will discuss measurements in comminution systems which include Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT), DEM, SPH, CFD, Neutron based measurements, PVA, Charge sensors, etc.The workshop will be hosted by the African Chapter in the Franschhoek area, Cape Town. Dr Indresan Govender and Chapter chair persons for all the chapters around the world form part of the organising committee.The Workshop immediately precedes Comminution '10.

Flotation '09 Conference Report Published

A full report on Flotation '09, including comments from delegates, can now be viewed on the conference website.

Comminution '10 papers listed on website

If you would like to view the papers that have been accepted for presentation at April's Comminution '10 in Cape Town, you can now do so via the website.

We hope to have a provisional timetable by the weekend.

The wheels begin to turn

A very happy New Year to everyone. It seems an age since the start of the Christmas break, mainly due to the interminable endless void between Christmas and New Year, not helped in my case with a battle against a viral infection.

The wheels are moving again though, emails beginning to trickle in, and hopefully by the end of the week we will all be back to normality, with cautious optimism regarding the year ahead.