Founded in 1949 The Newspaper of Imperial College Union

FOR GOD'S SAKE

G R O W U P ! Southside wardens insist on

Dr Paul Jowitt, pictured in a

FELIX from 1973 when he

was responsible for the

provision of a room for the

student welfare service at

the top of Union Building.

hard route to the top

The penthouse flats above the Southside Hails of

Residence have now been filled, after lying empty for a

term. However, the new residents are not to be allowed

access to their accommodation by the lifts of the

penthouse level, but have agreed to use the Tizard/Selkirk

gallery level and stairs as their means of entry.

T h e condit ion that the resi­

dents cou ld not use the lilt to

the penthouse level was made

quite clear to the applicants,

and those who were successful

h a v e , n o t u n s u r p r i s i n g l y

a g r e e d to t h i s a n d o t h e r

terms. Whi lst not disputing

that the condit ion has been

fully accepted, F E L I X feels

t h a t t h e m o v e is t o t a l l y

unnecessary and is a further

e x a m p l e o f t h e p e t t i n e s s

w h i c h has s u r r o u n d e d the

whole question of the South-

side penthouse Oats.

Last term the Hats were left

empty, pr imari ly due to the

fact tha t D r P a u l J o w i t t .

F a l m o u t h K e o g h W a r d e n

w a s 11 v i n g i n o n e w h i 1 e

another, larger flat was being

d e c o r a t e d for his use. It

appears that the condition of

the second Hat was not good

enough for him (although it

was lor the previous occupant.

D r Frank Potter). This lost

the College revenues of the

order of ^2,000.

N o w we see a I n r t h e r

example of this short-sighted

attitude. The students l iv ing

in the flats are not b e i n g

a l l o w e d to use t h e l i f t s

p r o v i d e d b e c a u s e it w i l l

d i s t u r b the p r i v a c y of the

w a r d e n s . S u r e l y this is an

e x a m p l e of the " w e don ' t

w a n t a b l a c k l i v i n g next

d o o r " p r e j u d i c e m e n t a l i t y

being applied to a group of

students.

It is such a shame that D r

Jowitt above a l l , who is a

former student and Deputy-

P r e s i d e n t o f t h e U n i o n ,

should be so petty. H e ap­

parently d id a lot of work for

students and would probably

have been wr i t ing an article

like this himself eight or so

years ago.

So cut the pettiness and

reverse this decision, South-

side wardens. Remember that

you and your neighbours are

truly on the same level.

N o 601 F r i d a y , J a n u a r y 15,1982 F r e e !

Dear Mark

In vour issue of Dew-nil Xt 4

von published a letter from

N i c k G r e e n i n w h i c h he

alleged (hat Professor Hart ley

is currently negotiating the

sale of one of the College's

most valuable resources in

i n d u s t r y : the f e r m e n t a t i o n

pilot plant. H e quoted as his

authority the ,\m Scientist.

Professor Hart lev is doing

no such thing. The pilot plant

is not for sale and could not.

for many reasons, be sold. It is

the case that the Govern ing

B o d y has a u t h o r i s e d t h e

examination ol proposals with

a v i e w to i m p r o v i n g the

income derived from the pilot

plant by fuller use ol spare

capacity.

There are a number ol such

proposals and no decision has

been taken.

}'mos sincerely

John Smith

College Secretary

Dear Sir

I write in reply to the letter

from a G a r d e n H a l l resident

that you published in the last

F E L I X of last term. I am

w r i t i n g because I feel that you

could not have checked its

factual content and I cannot

let it go unchallenged. The

letter concerned the laundry

i n W e e k s H a l l a n d was a

complete tissue of fabrication,

containing not one truthful

statement. In g iv ing the facts

behind the current contro­

versy I shall not lower myself

to the level of this obviously

extremely unpleasant person

by being abusive, but w i l l try-

to, in spite of my extreme

a n n o y a n c e , g i ve the l a c t s

objectively and politely. They

are as follows.

T h e laundry in the base­

ment of Weeks H a l l is pro­

vided as part of the facilities

lor the H a l l and is intended to

he used by the residents of the

H a l l only. Hence the notice to

this elfecl on the door which

has been there lor at least the

last live years. T h e lock on the

laundry door is of the same

type as the front door and

thus wi l l accept the residents

front door keys. It also has

been thus for at least the last

ive years. Hence the state­

ment made by your ollensive

correspondent to the ellect

that there was a petty-minded

conspiracy to lock out Garden

H a l l residents is a complete

lie.

There has been no recent

changing of locks. T h e truth is

very far from this. Most , if not

a l l Weeks residents would be

happy to share their laundry

and were in fact doing so last

term when they heard of the

misfortune of Garden H a l l

whose washing machine had

b r o k e n d o w n . T h i s h a p p y

s i t u a t i o n w o u l d d o u b t l e s s

have continued if it were not

for the totally unreasonable

b e h a v i o u r o f s e e m i n g l y a

great number ol Garden H a l l

residents. Towards the end ol

last term large numbers of

them would take over the

laundry for very long periods

o f t i m e i n t i m i d a t i n g t h e

rightful users by their aggres­

sive and unc iv i l attitude and

preventing their access.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , a t u m b l e

dr iver was broken by putt ing

a l a r g e a m o u n t o l s o a p

p o w d e r i n i t , the i r o n i n g

b o a r d w a s b u r n t s e v e r a l

times. Weeks H a l l residents

had their washing removed

from the driers belore it was

dry and the laundry was left

very untidy with litter and

soap powder strewn across the

floor.

It should be noted here

that if this was how Garden

H a l l residents treated their

own laundry then it is not

surprising that it has broken

down.

C o n c e r n i n g y o u r c o r r e s ­

pondent's assertion that it was

o f f i c i a l p o l i c y to lock out

G a r d e n H a l l residents this is

most certainly not the case.

B u t w h o c a n b l a m e the

ind iv idual Weeks H a l l stu­

dent who chooses to protect

his washing whilst he is away

by locking the door.'

II Garden H a l l residents

would like to use Weeks H a l l

l a l t n d r y th i s y e a r t hen I

would suggest that they write

to Weeks H a l l C o m m i t t e e

apologising for their disgrace-

fu I be h a v i o u r last t e r m .

offering to reimburse Weeks

H a l l l o r the d a m a g e they

perpetrated and asking per­

mission to use the laundry

s p a r i n g l y a n d at o f f - p e a k

times for which they would be

prepared to make a contr ibu­

tion to the maintenance costs.

) burs ill

Andrew L y a l l

Weeks H a l l resident

,S»,

Stan Kearns , former South-

side and H o l l a n d C l u b bar

manager has now retired and

M r M o r t o n tells us that tin-

poor chap is very i l l . As a

r e s u l t o f t h i s M r M o r t o n

p r o p o s e d M r K e a r n s for

Honorary Life Membership

of IC U n i o n at C o u n c i l last

term. H e felt it would be a

nice gesture.

W r i t i n g as an irate H o n o r ­

a r y L i f e M e m b e r o f t h e

U n i o n , I feel it is an insult to

mysell and other life members

l o r s u c h a p e r s o n to be

nominated by the President.

A t best M r K e a r n s was s

e x t r e m c l v nasty , at worst ,

extremely extremely nasty,

c o n t i n u a l l y i n t o x i c a t e d on

duty and on one occasion told

an elderly lady to " F u c k off,

you old cow". M y mother

wasn't at a l l impressed.

O n the Bar Committee last

year, M r M o r t o n expressed

loud unfavourable opinions

concerning M r Kearns and

his p o o r h a n d l i n g of the

Southside Bar. T o change his

opinion simply because the

poor chap is i l l is the sign of a

weak president.

As for Stan Kearns , he has

been awarded Life M e m b e r ­

ship by C o u n c i l , prov ing how

stupid they a l l are.

) burs faithfully,

Steve M a r s h a l l

Dear Sir

I am wri t ing to complain

about your presumptious and

pre-emptive action in having

v o u r n a m e p l a c e d on the

F E L I X Editors ' board despite

having only produced a dozen

or so issues. At least the U n i o n

Executive have the decency to

refrain from awarding U G A s

to each other unti l later in the

term.

} ours

I. Joyce

Dear Mail

Barnev M c C a b e is cont inu­

ally informing us that money

is being stolen from the U n i o n

p inbal l machines.

W h e n I c a m e i n t o the

U n i o n Q u a d last week to get

my bicycle I saw him empty­

ing the machines. 1 realise this

is one of his jobs, but at

5:00am.'

lours tasting aspersions

Stefan Twadowski . D o C P G

Dear Sii

W i l l i reference to the lasl

F E L I X you published in the

autumn term — 600 issues

old. and Christmas — w i n

the u s u a l , b o r i n g c l a p . '

Thanks, but don't bothering

commenting. :

\\ c were r e a l l y l o o k i n g

forward to a bumper issue

with lots ol fun. and expected

better. (Yes. we know your

whatnot was ill and you had

to find a replacement, but )

O n page 12. you ask lor

more spacelillers, so whv were

many small ads and Christ ­

mas w ishes to some people not

p r i n t e d . ' E v e n t h o u g h vou

complain about the number

ol ads sent in (quote "tut. tut,

tin over the top boys'") —,

and we do agree with vou that

the number ol ads sent in was

a bit excessive, we had hoped

vou would have printed mosl

ol them.

1 mils disgustedly)ishi

Carol ine Low Brian Stevens

M . Sturgess Duncan Batty

A . Bawan I . M . Mavvcr

Andy M e r r i l l

'PS: C a n we have a Chcrri ,2

column. '

Ed 's N o t e

G o o d idea! I ' l l cal l it (.hem (2)

Egotistical 'jerks Column. So il

vou want to make a tool ol

vourself. just send in a sicken- '

inglv " i n " small ad vvith/,'5 (to

cover administrative costs).

Page 2 FELIX. January 15, 1982

Student dies in

climbing tragedy

Peter Robinson, a first year physicist, died tragically dur ing the

Christmas holiday whilst c l imb ing on an I C Mountaineer ing

C l u b trip to the Cairngorms.

He was in a party of five attemtpting an ice-climb on Hell 's

L u m , on December 30, M a r k Bown, a chemist, also sustained

minor injuries but is now fully recovered.

A lu l l report on the circumstances of the death wi l l be

submitted to IC U n i o n next week. F E L I X would like to extend

sincere condolences to the family and friends of Peter Robinson

RCM in tune with NUS Students at the R o y a l College

of Mus i c are to lose one of

their two halls of residence.

The c o l l e g e a u t h o r i t i e s

have decided to sell Robert

M a y o r H a l l , s i t u a t e d i n

E v e l y n G a r d e n s , w i t h o u t

consultation with the students

association. This has brought

into question the power of the

s t u d e n t s a s s o c i a t i o n , w h o

a p p e a r to be i n a w e a k

bargaining position at present.

Indeed, it has led to a proposal

lo affiliate to the X L ' S , which '

was discussed yesterday.

It is believed that the move

to sell the hall is part of a

money-saving plan which is

necessary in order to expand

the R C M by the opening of a

new opera school.

And now, by popular demand, the

increasingly enter I aim ng

Barney McCabe The rest of this bit is extremely important to all c lub and society

officers. N o w is the time to start preparing your estimates for next year's

expenditure. The only way the Union can continue its high level of

activities is for all wastage to be eliminated. I hope everyone will be

responsible enough so that we don't have to resort to the large scale

"s lashing" which happened last year.

Some of you may have noticed my new hair-do, nice isn't it? For those

of you who really like it I'm selling signed photos of me from my office at

£5 each. (Incidentally if you try Jingles on Gloucester Road , ask for Sue,

she's very good.) F o r your entertainment also, anyone is welcome to

come and try one of my superb curries cooked in my new pressure-

cooker. T o book just fill in the form in the Union Office. I also got a radio-

a larm for C h r i s t m a s , so that I can not get into the office before

eleven—wow!

Incidentally, a certain Director of a certain Royal C h o r a l Society

seemed to think that my little "feeling" was "f ine" to use for a rehearsal in

the Concer t Hal l . I must also add that it gave me great pleasure to hear

people using it (e.g. Opsoc) . That 's what the piano was bought for, and

soon there will be an easy procedure for anyone who wants to have a

tinkle to do so. Y e s , fellow musicians, a first for I C — a reasonable piano

that is readilt

that is readily available for students to play!! (Incidentally, if anyone

would like to borrow my spare banjo, or even to play just ask.)

Wel l , that's it for the present, thanks for bearing with me (or is it just

bearing me?) See you soon and I wish you all a very enjoyable,

entertaining, stimulating and rewarding 1982.

Barney McCabe

IC Men thrash

Cambridge Women

A Happy New Year was not

had by the women of the

New Hall Cambridge Uni­

versity Challenge team as

they were resoundingly

slaughtered by the male

chauvinist IC team last

term.

T h e IC line-up consisted of T .

P i g d e n . G . M a s t e r t o n , A .

G r i f f i t h s , w i t h reserve Z .

Loz insk i , under the masterful

l e a d e r s h i p o f M a r t i n S.

T a y l o r , h y p n o t i s t e x t r a ­

ordinaire.

T h e heat was on a cold

winter's day in Manchester

on D e c e m b e r 16. T h e I C

team rattled out the starters

for ten in a surprising contrast

to last year ' s i l l - p r e p a r e d

team.

The final score was 275 t<

IC . with the paltry 165 to tht

New H a l l ladies. '

M a r t i n S. Tay lo r has urged

us to p o i n t owl l h a l the i i

success was a limited one. as

they didn't manage lo score

with the other team He also

expressed extreme disrespect

for the U n i o n Deputy Presi­

dent, Barney M c C a b e . who

failed to br ing " M i k e " . the

I C U mascot , despi te I C U

policy to the contrary.

T h e next heat is on January

27, and the team wi l l wi l l ingly

take Spanner & Bolt, as all

the team are Gui ldsmen.

T h e successful match wi l l

be broadcast on February 14.

alternatively titled the 'St.

Valentine 's Da\ Massacre ' .

Mooney gets

his just desserts!

3. You.. 4. It's beef..

90 x 130mm colour prints can be ordered from

The Hit Squad, c/o City & Guilds College Union, Mech Eng

Set of four: £1

Single print: 30p each.

All profits to charity.

Please quote corresponding number and title for single prints.

Do not send money with your order, cash will be required on delivery.

Guilds Hit Squad would like to thank M r Mooney for allowing the

hit to take place and all those who contributed to the £30 required

for the contract.

FELIX, January 15, 1982 Page 3

This is a revived feature which gives the

opportunity for anyone to express their

views more fully than the space con­

straints of the letters page will allow.

Articles will not be accepted which

merely attempt to contradict the previous

weeks column, as the letters page is

usually sufficient for that. Contributions

should occupy no more than a page and

be typed or double spaced. You will be

free to say whatever you like, as it will be

you who is to be "judged" for your own

honest opinions. This week:

Charles Darwin

and Creationists

by Frank James

This year witnesses the centenary of the death

of one of B r i t a i n ' s g reates t s c i e n t i s t s —

Char les Darwin . Unfortunately this coincides

with the rise of an opposition to Darwinism

from those who term themselves 'creationists'.

I will discuss their motivation for holding this

belief later. The kernal of their opinions, so far

as the development of life is concerned, is that

all the species of plant and animal life were

formed by acts of special creation during the

past six thousand years. (An Irish Archbishop

'calculated' this value of the age of the earth in

t h e s e v e n t e e n t h c e n t u r y ) . F o s s i l s a r e

explained as the remains of animals killed off

during the universal flood.

So far as I am concerned people are free to

believe such myths or not as they please (there

are still flat-earthers after all). But 1 strongly

o b j e c t to p e o p l e h o l d i n g s u c h b e l i e f s

attempting to force such contentions down

other people's throats in the name of truth and

science. They quite seriously believe, and mis­

use modern philosophical arguments to justify

this belief, that creationism has the same

theoretical status as Natural Selection. They

f u r t h e r s a y t h a t t h e y h a v e t h e s a m e

institutional structure as modern science. A n d

that among their adherents there are several

doctorates in biology. O n closer examination

the degree awarding bodies of most of thesr

people are universities in the southern United

States — the sort of institutions from which

Ian Paisley 'gained' his doctorate.

N o w all this is pure propaganda on the part

of the creationists to spread their point of view

in the e d u c a t i o n a l s y s t e m a n d to g a i n

respectability. If we let their views predominate

and do no! use reason to show that their views

are absurd then there is the possibility that

their views might spread in this country as they

have already done in the United States.

The creationists appear to be dissatisfied

with a materialistic account of the development

of man. Yet what can science do but discuss

the nature of the material world? T o advance

theories which in their very nature cannot be

substantiated by any direct material evidence

is unscientific to say the least. O n the other

h a n d D a r w i n i s m d o e s a c c o u n t for the

evolution of life and also for the evidence

w i t h o u t any need to i m p o s e c o n v o l u t e d

i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s or r e s o r t to n o n - s c i e n t i f i c

arguments.

What is the motive of these people? The

only answer I can find is power. B y setting up a

system for the development of life which is not

dependent on chance, and which within itself is

logically coherent (Alice Through the Looking

Class is incidentally logically coherent given

the initial postulates), the creationists argue

that this will lead to a secure society. They

cannot tolerate a pluralistic society in which

people can do as they please. They want to

enforce a system of belief on others from

which no deviation is permitted and thus

ensure their control over society.

They ignore the evolutionary fact that man

is an animal and should be proud to be so. It is

after all by pure chance that any of us are here

at all, and I do not see what is so very odd in

accepting that our species is also here by

chance. If Darwin knew that there were still

creationists in existence 100 years after his

death he would be spinning in his grave in

Westminster Abbey.

BAii THE

Don't worry dear, one ol these days

Mr Left is sure to come along.

Lady Flowers and the IC Wives Club invite you to a FREE BEER AND

B A N G E R S in the Rector's Pad (170 Queensgate) on Tues Jan 26, from

5:30 to 7pm. Everybody welcome, names to Jen in the Union Office by

5pm, Fri Jan 22.

Dinner in Hall

D i n n e r s - i n - H a l l w i l l be held on the fo l lowing dates d u r i n g the spr ing

t e r m : , J a n 19; Feb 2; Feb 1G; M a r c h 2; M a r c h H i ; and M a y 11 1982.

M e m b e r s ol the Senior C o m m o n R o o m wishing to attend any of the

above dinners should book places through Miss K . D a i l l y , R o o m 354.

Sherf ield (int 2231) using a booking form which can be obtained, from

the beg inn ing of the term, either from Miss D a i l l y . or from the box

located in the Senior C o m m o n R o o m in the Sher l ie ld B u i l d i n g . Students

should book through the students' union. The Idlest lime for hooking is 12:00

noon on llie Friday preceding the dinner.

Charges

Payment for dinners booked must be made, in accordance with the

rates shown on the booking form, at the lime ol booking but. as

bookings are accepted subject to the ava i lab i l i ty of places, deposits w i l l

be refunded if a d inner is over-subscribed at the l ime ol booking. Il is

regretted thai no refunds can be made in respect ol cancellations by

ind iv iduals after m i d d a y on the M o n d a y preceding the dinner.

Genera l

Staff and students at tending H a l l dinners should Ibregalher in the

S e n i o r C o m m o n R o o m or the A n t e - r o o m in the S h e r l i e l d

B u i l d i n g — d e p e n d i n g on whether the d inner is being held in the Stal l

or M a i n D i n i n g H a l l — a t 7:00pm lor d inner at 7:30pm. (The location

o f e a c h d i n n e r — w h i c h w i l l d e p e n d on the n u m b e r ol p e o p l e

a t t e n d i n g — w i l l be displayed on hoticcboards on the Level 1 and Level

2 Lift Concourses of the Sher l ie ld B u i l d i n g . ;

Sherry or other dr inks w i l l be avai lab le lor purchase In the Senior

C o m m o n R o o m or A n t e - R o o m before dinner , f l i c wine and port

served d u r i n g d inner w i l l be inc luded in the overal l charge.

Dress

Except for the final H a l l D i n n e r of the term ( M a y I I . 1982, when

evening dress (black lie) should be worn , the co l lec t dress for men lor

H a l l Dinners is a lounge suit.

Page 4 FELIX, January 15, 1982

Students To those of us who work here the Student

Services Office seems remarkably like the

centre of the universe, so it always comes

as a rather nasty shock when, in moments

of casual conversation with a student or

member of staff in another part of College,

we are met with blank expressions and

remarks like "where's that?" or "what do

y o u do t h e r e ? " , w h e n we h a p p e n to

mention where we come from or what we

do. Admittedly we have only been in

e x i s t e n c e (in our present p l a c e a n d

structure) for one year, so to make the

event and spread the news a little further

here again is a brief rundown of our

various activities.

. College Accommodation

Application and billing for all the College

a c c o m m o d a t i o n al located to students

begins with us, including a limited number

of flats for families.

Private Sector

There are quite a number of landlords and

l a n d l a d i e s in West L o n d o n who now

contact us rather than other agencies

w h e n t h e i r f lats or b e d s i t s b e c o m e

available, while we attract new sources of

accommodation through advertisements

in London newspapers at regular intervals.

This means that we always have some

current information on vacancies through­

out the year with an extra effort to gain

more p l a c e s at the b e g i n n i n g of the

academic year and each new term. If we

c a n n o t p r o v i d e y o u with the type of

accommodation you are looking for an

Accommodation Guide may be of use with

a list of agencies and legal and practical ad­

vice.

Serviced Legal Advice

This includes all kinds of legal problems

from traffic offences to making claims

under the small claims procedure in the

county court.

In certain cases where you may have to

have a solicitor, as for example, you would

if you wanted someone to represent you in

a magistrates court , we have lists of

solicitors who do legal aid work—which is

free if y o u r i n c o m e is low e n o u g h —

together with the areas of the law that they

s p e c i a l i s e i n . T h e s e l ists a l s o n o t e

solicitors who speak languages other than

English.

Landlord Problems

These can be many and varied. One of the

problems is knowing just what your rights

are. Other problems, such as an imminent

breakdown in the relationship between

tenant and l a n d l o r d , may be h e l p e d

through an intermediary such as ourselves.

Consumer Rights

Legislation over the last few years has

given the c o n s u m e r c o n s i d e r a b l e p r o ­

tection. However, it is still up to the

individual to find out how he stands in any

transaction that appears to have g o n e

wrong, and summon up enough energy to

commence battle! This is where we can

provide reinforcements with advice and

s o m e t i m e s direct i n t e r v e n t i o n w h e n

appropriate.

Immigration/Home Office Problems

This is an area which may require the skills

of specialist organisations or solicitors

which we can put you in t o u c h with

although for routine enquiries we should

be able to provide most of the answers.

A fairy's assistant

tells all Insurance

We have quite a selection of leaflets on

m a n y t y p e s of i n s u r a n c e , i n c l u d i n g

bicycles, possessions and holidays. We

may also be able to help sort out problems

concerning claims.

Covenants

Here is a useful way of supplementing your

income by reclaiming tax paid by your

parents on their contribution to your grant.

F o r m s e x p l a i n i n g the p r o c e d u r e a r e

available from Student Services.

Benefits

We have most of the Department of Health

and Social Security leaflets relevant to

students, such as those on all aspects of

the NHS, unemployment benefit, supple­

mentary benefit , and s o c i a l s e c u r i t y

a g r e e m e n t s with the E E C a n d o t h e r

countries. Our own information sheet also

explains the rent allowance and rebate

schemes.

Grants

Help with chasing up recalcitrant L E A s ,

advice on eligibility for grants, details of

certain discretionary allowances and lists

of educational charities can be provided.

Miscellaneous

This includes such things as reference

books on h o l i d a y j o b s a n d w o r k i n g

holidays, while we also aim to act as

intermediaries between those looking for

tutor ing work and those in n e e d of

tutoring.

If t h e r e ' s a n y t h i n g e l s e y o u n e e d

information on topics not mentioned here,

come and see us in the Student Services

Office. If we can't help, there's always our

book of useful phone numbers.

Sue Telling

Small Ads

• T O D A Y

in C h e m E n g Theat re 1 at 1:00pm

Industrial Society presents

T h e C h i p s A r e D o w n

A view of the effects of m i c r o ­

computers on industr ial emp loyment

with the West L o n d o n representat ive of

A S T M S .

A real live trade unionist!!

• F a n t a s t i c Kn i twear Sa le

Tuesday , January 19 11:30-2:30 J C R

Br i t ish made Shet land jerseys £7.50

L a m b s w o o ! jerseys £9.50.

• M i n i 1300, 1971, f lared arches, w ide

wheels , no rust, recent respray M O T

(Oct 82), £425. P h o n e 584-0854.

• F r e e offer: Hardly used pos i t ion of

p o w e r — R a g C h a i r m a n , wanted by R a g

Commit tee . Next meeting 5:45pm, J a n

21 in S C R .

• A d i d a s c o u n t y s q u a s h racket , towel

grip, racket cover, and squash b a l l — a l l

for£12. Contac t A. Winkler , C h e m Eng

letter - racks.

•We l fa re Week F e b 15-19. W a t c h this

space for further detai ls s o o n .

• A s t r o s o c observ ing meet ing : A talk

on the use of the C e l e s t r o n by Dr B i g -

nall on Wed J a n 20 in the Waveguide ,

P h y s i c s Bu i ld ing at 3:30pm.

• W o u l d a n y o n e w h o wants an entry

form for the G L C ' s 'Portrait of a C i ty '

p h o t o g r a p h i c c o m p e t i t i o n , p l e a s e

contact H. R u d d , C h e m 2 . (I've on ly got

six, so first c o m e first served.)

• B U N A C and your s u m m e r in A m e r i c a

today 12:30-1:30. G r ee n C o m m Rm.

• D o you want to rule the un iverse? Or

just b e c o m e another un ion h a c k ? E i ­

ther way, you ' re go in g to need p u b ­

licity. Contac t Pal lab G h o s h , P h y s i c s

2. PS : Steve Marsha l l is a liar.

• L a t e night tours of K e w — c o n t a c t T.

Raynham, C h e m 2.

• W e d e m a n d t h a t s o m e o n e d o e s someth ing about this evil tyrant C o l o ­ne l B e r t a z z i a n d h is f o u l f a s c i s t s . H 1 2 R 2 1 H S .

• T h i s s u m m e r s p e n d your vacat ion at

Needham's Ho l i day C a m p , Barns ley ;

all poss ib le faci l i t ies, 7 real ales, and 12

rugby pi tches.

• W o o d s t o c k : N i c e to have you back.

Love and k isses . B o n z o .

• T o Debbie "I can take them all o n "

Thanks for the brush . S igned the p i n ­

kos.

• R C S R U F C invite app l ica t ions for the post of "hal f - t ime entertainer". A l l i n ­terested shou ld see Euan for audi t ion . • P h y s i c s Wanderers footbal l team cha l lenge a l l - comers for games on gundays . A n y o n e interested contact C. Bannock , P h y s i c s 2 via letter - racks.

• The R i c o c h e t D i s c o L o o k i n g for a more pro fess iona l d i s c o t e q u e for you r party or soc ia l funct ion? Don't settle for less, book the best. C o n t a c t C o l i n R o o m A2, L ins tead Hal l . • C h e m i s t r y 2. Don't you real ise that s o m e people in your ranks are gett ing you all a reputat ion as egot is t ica l je rks? H o w about an acc ident in the L a b ?

• W a t c h out! If too few art ist ic and literary cont r ibut ions are submi t ted to the Ed i tor of The Phoenix, (Barney M c C a b e ! ) , then he has threatened to fill it up with his own work. S e n d cont r ibu t ions to The Phoenix Editor, c/o FELIX Office.

A l l m a n n e r of c o n t r i b u t i o n s a r e

u r g e n t l y n e e d e d f o r t h i s a n n u a l

m a g a z i n e . F o u n d e d in 1886 by H G

W e l l s , T h e P h o e n i x is t h e a r t s

m a g a z i n e of Imperial Co l l ege U n i o n .

P r e v i o u s e d i t i o n s have c o n t a i n e d ;

a r t i c l e s , s t o r i e s , p o e t r y , m u s i c ,

p h o t o g r a p h s a n d a r t w o r k .

C o n t r i b u t i o n s a n d offers of help

s h o u l d be sent to :

T h e Ed i t o r ,

T h e P h o e n i x ,

Fe l i x Office,

I C U n i o n .

THE MAGAZINE OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE UNION

FELIX, January 15, 1982 Page 5

F i r r i f i f r r i f F F r r i f r i r i f r i r i r i r F

FELIX Csilciulsup 1982 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

0 Jan 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 Ents f i lm: Deerhunter, 6:30,

ME220. J C R Party

© Elec E n g / C o m p u t i n g

2nd year careers party

IC U G M , 1pm Great Hal l

0 U L U B a n d Compet i t i on : IC

heat, C o n c e r t Hal l

Ents f i lm: Kentucky Fried

Movie, 6:30pm, ME220.

0 0

O Feb 0 0 0 Ents f i lm: Star Trek, 6:30pm

ME220.

0 0 0

0 0 M e c h E n g / C h e m Eng

2nd year careers party

0 0 Sabbat ica l Papers U p

Ents film: McVlcar, 6:30pm,

ME220 .

0

Gu i l ds D inner and D a n c e

0 0

O 0 0 0 0 0

IC C o u n c i l

Ents f i lm: Flash Gordon,

6:30pm, ME220 .

L inks Carn iva l , Un ion

Bu i ld ing

C iv E n g / A e r o

2nd year careers party

Ents f i lm: Airplane, 6:30pm,

ME220.

0

O Mir 0 0 0 IC Hust ings U G M , 1pm

Great Hal l

Ents f i lm: Being There, 6:30

ME220.

0 0 0

o 0 0 0 IC Resul ts U G M , 1pm

Great Hal l

Ents f i lm: China Syndrome,

6:30pm, ME220.

0 0 0

0 0 0 0 Ents f i lm: The Great Rock

and Roll Swindle, 6:30pm,

ME220 .

0 0

IC C o u n c i l :tnc<

tst

H a i

C L U B S A N D S O C I E T I E S

Astrosoc

This term, as well as regular lectures on

various astronomical topics such as "Hip-

parchus" by Prof Welford on January 19 (i.e.

fhis Tuesday) and "Quantum Gravity" by Dr

Isham on March 23, and observing meetings

(with further talks from Dr Bignall on practical

observing technique), we hope to be able to

take advantage of telemetered information

from the University of Surrey's planetary

sciences satellite U O S A T - O S C A R - 9 . O n ­

board experiments from which we hope to be

able to collect data, include radiation detectors

for the investigation of auroral displays and a

magnetometer allowing the detection of

geomagnetic storms. The C C D camera

imaging system promises to be the most

interesting (and most comprehensible!) though

as this relays pictures of weather patterns on

earth. However, before we can receive and

use any of this, we need to build up the

relevant circuitry. We have the components,

we have the circuit diagrams, we even have

soldering irons, and, yes, solder—but is there

a n y o n e out t h e r e f a n c i e s w i e l d i n g a

soldering iron? The more the merrier of course

come to any one of our meetings (Tuesdays,

Physics LT2, 6:30pm, or alternatively contact

Gary Fuller in Physics 3).

CND

Audiosoc Is it true, has the Chairman of the Audio

Society defected, only being able to print small

ads in this so-called magazine? Is he exiled to

reside permanently in Chelsea? Does Jo of 84

Granville Rd SW18 really have a decent

system? Is she still going to keep her promise

of taking me out for a meal? The answers to

these questions (and more) are no, no, very

yes(!) and 'I don't know, why don't you ask

her?1.

I may have been quiet, but certainly not

dead. I have been scheming, planning and now

I bring you not just one but two major

lectures. No, you're not hallucinating, this is

actually happening.

J . Scott Strachan, eminent engineer and

designer of the world famed Syrinx PU1 and 2

tonearms will, in the Quiet Room, QR002,

Sherfield Building this evening at 6:30pm

deliver a lecture and demonstrate equipment

(at the same time as downing a pint) on the

subject of 'Tonearm and Turntable Design'

(Hear it like it is folks, from the pros.)

The second lecture will be in the same place,

QR002 at 6:30pm on Wednesday, February 3

and this time Mr Mike Daniels will euphemisc

on the sales directions of audio companies.

Mike Daniels is one of the sales managers of

D W Labs, the company that bring you such

goodies as the Gale loudspeakers and the

Carver Cube magnetic amplifier and Mr

Danie ls will also be demonstrating this

equipment. What a great man! Come along

and bring a friend and an open mind.

T h e I C E u r o p e a n N u c l e a r D i s a r m a m e n t

groups has arranged, through the Humanities

Dept , a n excellent series of lectures for this

term under the title "Nuc lear War in Europe?"

Cr i t i ca l decisions are going to be made over

the next few years on which not only our

defence but also our very survival will depend.

C a n you afford not to listen to the arguments

from both sides which will be presented this

term? Unless you plan to live for the rest of

your life with your head in the sand you will

finally have to confront and take a stand on

these issues—and this lecture series could be a

fine place to start.

A l l of the talks will be given in Physics L T 1 .

The full list is:

Tuesday, January 19 "Nuclear Weapons in

E u r o p e " , Field Marshal the L o r d Carver .

Tuesday, January 26 "The Soviet 'Threat '

a n d Bri t ish Defence Pol icy" , Professor Robert

Ne i ld .

Tuesday, February 2 " U K Defence—The

Neutral i ty O p t i o n " , A l a n C l a r k , Tory M P for

P lymouth Sutton.

Tuesday, February 9 "Nuclear Deterrence—

F a c t o r F i c t i o n " A debate b e t w e e n L o r d

Chal font and Professor Michael Pentz.

Dancing O n November 28 IC Dancing C l u b hosted all

the other L o n d o n University Dancing Clubs

(and Cambridge) at the L o n d o n B a l l — a series

of friendly competitions, some in a lighter vein

t h a n o t h e r s , i n t e r s p e r s e d w i t h g e n e r a l

dancing and a display by two professional

Lat in -Amer i can dancers. The event was highly

successful , and the J C R was packed for the

whole of a very enjoyable evening.

T h e Danc ing C l u b Dinner & Dance two

weeks later also proved to be a good night

ou t—hav ing eaten our fill, we danced to a live

band until the small hours.

N o w that some of you have missed two of

the best social events of the academic year,

we're going to give you yet another opportunity

to learn how to put one foot in front of another

without treading on someone else's toes—not

quite as easy as it sounds when you're on a

c rowded dance floor.

O n Tuesday, January 19, at 7:30pm in the

J C R , we are starting another beginners' class

i n b a l l r o o m a n d L a t i n - A m e r i c a n d a n c i n g .

Hopeful ly by M a r c h 5 all of those who have

been brave enough to take their first faltering

steps will have the chance to represent IC at

the Inter-Varsity Danc ing Compet i t ion in the

"Of f Beat " event—a team effort which we

usually do well in.

Whether you just want to learn a social skill ,

or whether you intend to be the best thing

s i n c e s l i c e d b r e a d , y o u ' v e got to s t a r t

somewhere—so how about investing 40p in

IV2 hours professional tuition by coming along

to the lesson on J a n 19.

( N B : W e now also have an Intermediate

C lass at 7:30pm in the J C R on Wednesdays).

Hamsoc

F e d up with C B ? Bored with IC Radio? Why

not get onto the airwaves with amateur radio.

This term H a m s o c will be running a series of

lectures for those of you wishing to pass the

Radio Amateurs E x a m , an essential require­

ment for an amateur licence.

T o start things off there'll be a talk just giving

an introduction to what's involved in taking the

exam and what you'll be able to do once you

have a licence, there'll also be a demonstration

of some typical equipment as well , so if you're

interested come along to R m 1207 Elec Eng on

W e d n e s d a y , J a n u a r y 20 at 1:00pm. M o r e

details are available from Julian C o o c h , Ext

3000 or Michae l Bul l , Ext 3035.

Debsoc

O n Thursday , January 21, there will be a

lunchtime debate on the Socialism versus

Captialism theme featuring speakers from IC

Conservat ive Society and the Socialist Party of

Great Britain . Further details will appear in the

pre-debate publicity. If you would like to join

t h e D e b a t i n g S o c i e t y c o n t a c t D e r m o t

M c C a u l e y or C h r i s L e e v ia M a t h s l e t ter -

r a c k s — w e only bite when angry.

SF Soc

It was January 15 1982, but for four and a half

billion people it would soon be January 18 1982,

and people would flock to M e c h Eng 220 to see

Time After Time, a spiffing comedy thriller in

which H . G . Wells pursues Jack the Ripper into

1979 , s t a r r i n g D a v i d W a r n e r , M a l c o l m

M c D o w e l l and M a r y Steenburgen, with a few

laughs and a bit of blood. Recommended.

I trust you were all aghast at what the Beeb

did to 2001-A Space Odyssey, that other

slighly more famous comedy thriller. I know I

was. Not ice to r ich film fans: tomorrow the

Scala is showing the Star Trek blooper real

Those who do not understand that would not

be interested. Not ice to book fans: Timescope

and Riddiey Walker out in paperback. Notice

to S F Soc bulletin fans: author out to lunch.

But where have all the jokes gone? Is it the

weather? The F T Index? The Editor? The

sinister little men I see out of the corners of my

eyes who vanish when I look at them? O r

perhaps I dreamt it all. N o , something must

have happened to give me the vivid nightmares

which make me wake up screaming the lyrics

of Dancing Cheek to Cheek. W h o has

kidnapped all the inspectors on the under­

ground? What really happened to Ambrose

Bierce? H o w should I know?

Robert Blake and his Batrachian Rhythm

Boys

J. Scott Strachan, designer of the Syrinx PU1 and 2 arms

Quiet Room, QR002,

Sherfield Building.

Page 8 FELIX, January 15, 1982

What's On

Friday, January 15

• T h e C h i p s a r c D o w n : a talk by A S T M S , 1:00pm, Chem

Eng LT1 .

• C h r i s t i a n U n i o n F e l l o w s h i p M e e t i n g with talk on

'Prayer', 6:30pm, Music Rm, 53 Princes Gate. Followed by

coffee and biscuits.

• B U N A C w e e k l y c l u b meet ing , 12:30pm, Green C o m

mittee Rm.

Sunday, January 17

• W a r g a m e s c l u b meet ing , 1:00pm, Union S C R .

Monday, January 18

•Hang -g l i d ing c l u b meet ing , 12:30pm, above Southside

Bar.

• D a n c i n g c lub a d v a n c e d c lass , 7:30pm, J C R .

• B o a r d s a i l i n g c l u b w e e k l y meet ing , 12:30 and 6:15pm,

Southside Upper Lounge. Contact Nick Ajderian, Mech

Eng 3 or Andy Grimshaw, Zoo 2 for further details.

• W i n d B a n d rehea rsa l , 5:45pm, Great Hall, cheese

and wine afterwards.

• S F S o c f i lm: Time After Time, 6:30pm, ME220, 20p

members, 50p non-members.

Tuesday, January 19

• C a t h o l i c m as s a n d l u n c h , 12:30pm, Chem 231. Nomi

nal charge for lunch.

• 3 F s l u n c h t i m e meet ing , 12:30pm, Southsider Upper

Lounge.

• S T O I C p r o g r a m m e , 1:00pm, J C R , Southside Tele

vision Lounge, Southside, Beit, Linstead & Weeks Halls.

See posters for details.

• D e p t of H u m a n i t i e s p resents :

1. Nuciear War in Europe?

Part 1: The Soviet 'Threat' and British Defence Policy with

Prof Robert Neild, Prof of Economics, Cambridge; lately

Director of the Stockholm Peace Research Institute,

1:30pm, Blackett Lab Theatre 1. (Arranged by IC Euro­

pean Nuclear Disarmament Group).

2. Man, Mind and Spirit

Part 1: Christian Communication with Michael Taylor,

Editor Methodist Recorder, 1:30pm, Read Theatre.

• IC A m n e s t y G r o u p meet ing , 5:30pm, Green C o m m

Rm.

• W i n e t a s t i n g Soc— tast ing a selection of top German

wines, 6:00pm, Union Lounge.

• M e t & Mat S c i S o c even ing lecture 'Dental Materials'

by Dr B.E. Causton (London Hospital Dental College),

6:00pm, R S M G20.

• A s t r o s o c L e c t u r e by Prof Welford on 'The Instru­

mentation of Hipparchus', 6:30pm, Physics LT2 . Free to

members.

• D a n c i n g C l u b beg inners ' c lass , 7:30pm, J C R .

• I C C A G S o u p R u n , meet 10:30pm, Falmouth Kitchens.

Wednesday, January 20

• W a r g a m e s C l u b meet ing , 1:00pm, Union S C R .

• A s t r o s o c o b s e r v i n g meet ing : Use of the Celestron by

Dr Bignall, 3:30pm, Waveguide, Physics. Members free.

• I C T r a m p o l i n e S o c , meet 5:30pm, Courtauld Hall,

Q E C , Campenden Hill Rd.

• D a n c i n g C l u b Intermediate C l a s s , 7:30pm, J C R .

Thursday, January 21

• C h r i s t i a n U n i o n g roup meet ing , 1:00pm, Seminar

Rm, Level 2S, Botany.

• S T O I C p r o g r a m m e , 1:00 and 6:00pm, all usual places.

• M o p s o c l e c t u r e 'Noise' by Dr Blitz, Brunei Univ, 1:10,

Physics LT2. Free to members (membership 60p), non-

members lOp.

• D e p t of H u m a n i t i e s p resents :

1 Fi lm: The World at War (Thames TV )

Part 10: Genocide, 1:15pm, Great Hall.

2. Lunch-hour Concert , Albert Ferber (piano), 1:30pm,

Music Rm. 53 Princes Gate.

3. New Nations: Making Independence a Reality with E.C.

Anyaoku, Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1:30,

Read Theatre. (Arranged by IC C o m m on Overseas

Students.)

• G l i d i n g C l u b meet ing , 5:30pm, Aero 254.

• F i s h i n g C l u b meet ing , 6:00pm, Stan's Bar.

• L i f e S c i Pa r ty , 8:00pm till late, J C R , 50p.

sec The social clubs estimates for next session

have to be submitted to the Union Finance

Committee this term. I have prepared an

estimate form which has to be completed by

each club and returned to me by January 28.

These forms will be placed in the chairmen's

pigeonholes on Monday . It is important that all

club chairman or treasurers collect a copy.

A n y claims submitted after this date will be

d i s r e g a r d e d . A n y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of the

Co mmu n i s t Society should contact Stephen

Gou lder immediately via the U n i o n Office

because this club faces abolition.

Community Action

Wel l , we're back in action again. Soup runs as

usual. W e need help to carry donated clothes

from Holy Trinity B r o m p t o n to the action

group room on Sunday evening on February 7.

If you can help, drop your name to Sean

Coy le , E E 3 .

A r e you interested in helping with the Ac t i on

G r o u p for handicapped children as featured

o n B B C t e l e v i s i o n ' s Grapevine—Every

S a t u r d a y a f t e r n o o n , or h e l p i n g b u i l d a n

adventure playground for them.

Meetings on Monday at 12:30 in the action

group r o o m , top of the union.

Wind Band IC W i n d Band exists to enable players of

w o o d w i n d a n d brass i n s t r u m e n t s to play

together in a group. There is no required

s t a n d a r d ; we p lay for fun a n d a n y o n e is

welcome. N o great commitment is needed.

The band rehearses on Mondays from 5:45

until 7:15pm in the Great Hall and gives two

concerts each term on Tuesdays at lunchtime.

W e are having a cheese and wine party after

the rehearsal on Monday , so if you would like

to join us, please come and play and stay

afterwards.

Industrial Happy new year everybody, and we trust you

had a fun time in the holiday.

T h i s t e r m we w i l l be as busy as e v e r ,

administering a mixture of trips and talks. The

first event is today no less! At 1:00pm in C h e m

Eng L T 1 , a real live trade unionist will present

a talk, entitled 'the Ch ips are D o w n ' about

the impact of microprocessors on industry.

O n Tuesday, January 19, we have a trip to

the Proctor and G a m b l e soap factory, meet

Beit A r c h , 12:30pm for good clean fun.

Ian Ross , the Industrial Correspondent of

the B B C , w h o m you have no doubt seen on

the news, is coming to College on January 29;

more about that in our next few articles, so

watch out!

City & Guilds

It's a busy week to start the term with. Tonight

is the Gui lds "for no reason whatsoever" party

with a live band—The Stargazers (hot off

Pebble Mill at One) and a disco. F r o m 8:00 till

late. T ickets £1.00 from C C U Offices.

O n Tuesday, January 19, there's a Genera l

Committee in the U n i o n Dining Hal l . If you're

supposed to be there and can't make it, send

apologies to Sue Ridd before the meeting.

There 's a trip to the pub of the week—the

Frog and F i r k i n — o n Monday . Meet U n i o n Bar

at 7:00pm. See Guildsheet for details.

F i n a l l y t i c k e t s for D & D ( the a n n u a l

engineers dinner and dance for the uninitiated)

are now on sale from the Gui lds Office, £30 for

a double ticket.

Have a good term. Happy new year.

NeiV

Your chance to meet Kodak

c o \ 0 l

Kodak Limited will be interviewing at your University on

FEBRUARY 8

We need engineers and scientists,

computing, marketing and account­

ancy trainees. Your careers service has

the details. Collect a copy of "Kodak

and Your Future" and apply as indicated.

Look forward to seeing you.

E9 FELIX, January 15, 1982 Page 9

*7&eat*e The Mayor of Zalamea by Pedro Calderon

de la B a r c a in a v e r s i o n by A d r i a n

Mitchell. Directed by Michael Bogdanov.

The Olivier, National Theatre.

In August 1580, troops were massing in

Zalamea, a small Spanish town, for what was

to become a successful assault on Portugal.

This was the Spain of Philip II where Holy

Wars brought about the conquest of vast

d o m a i n s . T h e s e h i s t o r i c a l facts f o r m the

background of the play The Mayor of Zalamea

by Calderon , the great 17th Century Spanish

playwright who still remains one of Spain's

greatest dramatists (the other being Lope de

Vega). In some respects he is akin to our own

Shakespeare. Calderon himself was incredibly

versatile: he was a dramatist of superb wit and

intellect, a magnificent swordsman who fought

m a n y d u e l s , a n a c c o m p l i s h e d p u r s u e r of

women and, finally in life, a priest. H i s plays

were prolific in number and extraordinary in

var iety . H e wrote tragedies and histories,

comedies of manners, mythological plays and

dramas of chivalry and philosophy.

The troops are given shelter in Zalamea by a

farmer, a man of principle and honour. But no

sooner does the rough brigade enter the town

when the captain is determined to lay his

hands on the beautiful farmer's daughter. His

determination allows nothing to stand in his

way and as may be feared he succeeds in

attaining a girl only by raping her. Spaniards at

the time of the play and of the events upon

w h i c h the p lay is b a s e d w e r e e s pec ia l l y

sensitive in matters of honour. H o n o u r in the

form of virginity is the keynote of The Mayor

The Oresteia. The trilogy by Aeschylus in

a version by Tony Harrison. Directed by

P e t e r H a l l a n d m u s i c by H a r r i s o n

Birtwistle. The Olivier, National Theatre.

The National Theatre production of the

Oresteia is a rare and long awaited event.

F r o m the L a n d of A e s c h y l u s (b. 5 2 5 B C ) ,

founder of European theatre, it is one of the

most powerful works in all drama. The play

tells in three successive parts an epic story of

blood-guilt, vengence and reconciliation, and

concerns the gods of the House of Atreus.

Agamemnon returns to Argos after conquering

Troy and is killed by his wife Clytemnestra.

G o a d e d by Apol lo to avenge his murdered

father. Orestes kills Clytemnestra. The Furies

threaten him and he goes to seek Apollo 's

help. The G o d promises protection and sends

him to seek justice from Athena , which he

Duel from the Mayor of Zalamea.

of Zalamea. In fact El Honor lies at the core of

much of the Spanish Go lden Age drama. The

culprit is brought to trial by the newly-elected

M a y o r of the town who ironically turns out to

be the victim's father.

Complet ing the narration of events would

not only spoil potential enjoyment but would

also oversimplify or even belittle the play. It is a

g r e a t m a s t e r p i e c e t h a t h a s b e e n a c t e d

continuously in Spain since it was written in

about 1644. The timelessness of the play and

the reasons why it will continue to delight

audiences for many generations to come lie in

its masterful blend of contrasts. It is at once a

eventually attains to the annoyance of the

Furies.

In keeping with the ancient tradition, the

entire cast in the production use masks, and

this forces nearly all one's attention on the

dialogue. The masks certainly remind me how

important facial expression is in drama. The

d ia l ogue is p o e t i c , r e l en t l e s s in d r a m a t i c

intensity and somewhat monotonous in tone,

a n d s t a r t i n g at 5 :00pm the p lay c e r t a i n l y

d e m a n d s a lot f r o m trie a u d i e n c e . T h e

accompanying music provided by percussion,

wind and harp is simple and imaginative and

provides added poignancy to moments of

drama. The Olivier's auditorium complements

the work marvellously. The fan-shaped theatre

with open stage and banked seats are based

on the ancient amphitheatres where the great

Greek dramas were once performed.

superb comedy but yet a tragedy. Tender love

s c e n e s g i v e w a y to b i t t e r s w o r d f i g h t s .

Beautiful Spanish tunes rendered on the guitar

contrast with the brutal, naked sound of the

cannon, and all human types from the King of

Spain to the c ommon tart make an appearance

in the play. A very strong cast is headed by

Daniel Massey and Michael Bryant who both

give outstanding performances. This is the first

production to be transferred from the National

T h e a t r e ' s s m a l l C o t t e s l o e T h e a t r e to the

Olivier, and this surely demonstrates its wide

appeal. This is a play that I cannot recommend

too highly.

A modern audience seeing The Oresteia

largely lacks, of course, the shared culture

w h i c h was fami l iar to al l w h o w i t n e s s e d

performances in the Fifth Century B C . In his

plays, Aeschylus reflected the issues of his

own day as well as drawing on legends known

to all his contemporaries such as the epic

poems of Homer . The legends made up a

pretty comprehensive history of the world as

the ancient Greeks knew it. T o Harrison, the

director of the play, the main social factor

mot ivat ing the tensions a n d the apparent

resolution of The Oresteia was what Friedrich

Engels called "the historical defeat of the

female sex"; the transition from the old world

of m a t r i a r c h y to the n e w w o r l d of male

domination, female subjection and property

rights assured by inheritance in the male line.

In the time of Aeschylus, Athenian women

were unfree. "The best reputation a woman

can have is not to be spoken of among men,

either for good or for evi l" claimed Pericles, and

"by nature the male is superior, the woman

i n f e r i o r ; there fore the m a n ru les a n d the

woman is ru led" stated Aristotle. It is said that

the figure of Clytemnestra in The Oresteia

probably resembles what many men today fear

w i l l be t h e u l t i m a t e r e s u l t of w o m e n ' s

liberation; a terrifying figure capable of taking

her husband's life in her hands. "The new

wor ld , " says Harr ison , "the world of Zeus and

Apol lo , has continued unbroken and almost

unchanged until our own time. N o w however it

faces a challenge from radical feminism. A n d

the insights that have emerged from that

movement are crucial to our understanding of

The O r e s t e i a a n d the confl icts A e s c h y l u s

portrayed in i t . "

Nick Bedding Masked players in Oresteia.

Page 10 FELIX, January 15, 1982

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, 214

pages, Picador, £1.95.

This isn't a bad book, but it's nowhere near

as good as the rave reviews all over the cover

say it is. It's set in the east of Kent about two

and a half thousand years in the future after a

full-scale nuclear war in 1997. Everyone has

b e e n p e r m a n e n t l y r e d u c e d to a m u d hut

existence. The hero, Riddley Walker , writes an

account of the adventures that happen to him

over a period of about a week following his

twelfth birthday.

The author writes that the book is "written

not even in proper English but in a broken-up

and worn-down vernacular of i t . " This is the

most striking feature of the book. Here 's a

sample:

"Being the Big 2 they only done ther 4 shows

a year regler plus special Is now and then but

they liket to look like Jul time Eusa showmen

they kep ther faces shavit and all. Orfing the

littl 1 he carrit the fit up and Goodparely the

big 1 he carrit the weapons the same as regler

Eusa show partners done even tho they cudve

had the hevvys carry the fit up and the

weapons and them as wel."

I don't think it's meant to be a serious

attempt to predict what an English dialect

might be like two thousand years in future but

it is v e r y e f f e c t i v e at e s t a b l i s h i n g a n

atmosphere. A jarring note in the dialect is the

presence of technical words like program

(make a plan) and pirntowt (printout, meaning

conclude). They add a futuristic touch that'll

apeal to science fiction fans but it's a gimmick.

The story itself contains a strong mystical

element that puts the book closer to fantasy

than science fiction. The plot concerns events

which are important for the main characters

but don't have any significance for the whole

world. This isn't quite clear until the end of the

book, which makes for an anti-climax, and

when the Punch and Judy show starts on page

128 the book begins to get silly. A l l the same

it's a more imaginative book than most and

well worth the initial struggle that's needed to

make sense of the language.

Stories (seventeen of them) by Desmond

Hogan, 254 pages, Picador, £1.95.

Pretentious rubbish. Every paragraph is a

candidate for Pseuds' Corner, for example:

" H e came in the summer, left Dubl in , city of

hippies, of Divine Light people, flowers before

an altar in Santry, oranges before the same

altar and rhubarb . " Rhubarb it is.

N . IViflson

What has 16 million feet, a radius of 14 miles

and a big nose? Give up? It's London (I lied about the nose).

Have you ever held a warm, voluptuous

woman (or man, for 14% of you) in your

arms? No? Neither have I. But if you have,

then it probably gives you very little idea as

to what London is like. Life here, like

anywhere else, is what you make of it; to

different people it is different things: the

proverbial rose or the thorn that lies below

it. In this series of epic written voyages

(blockbuster film coming soon) I will try

and show you places that I enjoy, or would

enjoy, whenever I visit them.

- Chelsea

(To be read in an Alan Wicker style.)

"Welcome to one of the most eccentric

roads in England. In the mid-60s it revelled

under the title "the most hip street in

London" . Come down here any Saturday

and you'll see why. For this corridor which

links Sloane Street to Parsons Green by

passing through the area of discussion

allows some of the most eccentr ical ly

(some say forlornly) dressed people to taxi

through as they stare at expensive shops,

restaurants and, most of all, themselves."

But equally worthy of comment are the

parades of very individual shops that line

it. Let us divide King's Road (for that is

what the A to Z calls it) into three sections,

the first running westward from Sloane

S q u a r e to C h e l s e a C o l l e g e a n d the

Chelsea Fire Station, the next continuing

to that temple of architectural araoe and

economic folly, the World's End, and the

final part running on from there which I do

not intend to deal with and suffice it to say

that it contains some very extravagant

antique stores (very compelling study for a

lazy S u n d a y afternoon). No, far more

interesting are the first two regions.

Sloane Square itself has many things

including a notable arena of very good,

mostly exoerimental plavs (thanks Mrs

Thompson), i.e. Royal Court Theatre and

the only underground station I know with a

pub on the platform—the less said about

that, the better, I fear. Nevertheless, good

sense prevails and we may begin our trek

by musing at one of the J o h n Lewis

archipelago, the Peter Jones departmental

store which houses all kinds of somewhat

middle-class goodies.

Then we get into what the Kings Road is

all about—boutiques. No taste in forms of

attire is spared the ravages of commercial­

ism; all kinds of mannequins stand all day,

all night trying to convince you that you

too may, when so dressed, be equally

g o o d - l o o k i n g . H e a v e n f o r b i d s u c h a

morbid thought!

There are many such emporiums which

may well withstand close inspection and,

indeed, even intrigue one into looking

inside. The Great Gear Market (just take a

peek at this one!), The Chelsea Drugstore

(No. 49, clothes in the basement, bar on

the g r o u n d f loor and topless g o - g o

dancers and a disco upstairs), The Chelsea

Cobbler (No. 54, booties), and Boy (No.

153, army gear) reside in the first bit of

Kings Road, while the likes of The Dress-

Pound (No. 396, second-hand clothes from

Dior downwards),Tibet House (No. 490a,

take a g u e s s ) , Ace (No. 185, w i l d i s h

clothes, diamante T-shirts, expensive), Flip

(American preppy get-ups), Retro (No.

229. 30s and 40s clothes) and many, many

more tend to fill the other important bit.

A s with any other major s h o p p i n g

centre, restaurants abound and some of

the more notable ones on this road are, in

order (approximate), The Chelsea Kitchen

(No. 98, cheap, good), Borscht'n'Cheers

(No. 273, Russian and rushin'), The King's

Road Jam (No. 289a, extremely, very

interesting), Kennedy's (No. 316, good

hamburger and live rock music), Asterix

( N o . 329, for R e a l B r e t o n C r e p e s ) ,

and Theirry's (No. 342, nicely romantic).

Instead of letting my article rampage

further into the wilderness of lists, I will

take this opportunity to consider The

Chelsea Antique Market (No. 245a, see the

F O R G E T ME N O T stall) and Antiquarius

on the corner of Flood St (where Mrs

Thatcher lived) and King's Road for they

are both very I think I've overused most

superlatives.

Chelsea, as you may well be wondering,

is not just made up of King's Road. To be

sure (in slight Irish accent) there are many

more streets but, with the exception of

maybe Fulham Road, they are certainly

less fulfilling with regard to trade. (They,

h o w e v e r , m a i n t a i n t h e i r very great

aesthetic value and are a pleasure to walk

along.)

For people with wallets willing to die, I'd

point them towards places like The Frock

Exchange (450 Fulham Road), A. Clarke

(340 Fulham Rd) for second-hand clothes

and Laura Ashley at 157 Fulham Rd and

cheaper, slightly imperfect Laura Ashley at

60 Lower Sloane St, SW1.

As nightlife will always be a part of

student life (try taking that away, Maggie)

one could spend time at the Paris Pullman

Cinema (65 Drayton Gdns, 11:00pm every

night), the Pan Bookshop (158 Fulham Rd,

open till 10:30pm), Midnight Blue (186

Fulham Rd, an expounder of the D. Dirts

tricks) or mayble try getting an early

breakfast from Up All Night (325 Fulham

Rd, closes at 6:00am). And, whatever the

rest may say, I'd tell you to go to Parson's

at 311 Fulham Rd for good hamburgers

and great waitresses. (If you push this one

a bit, you know do your Imperial bit, I may

have a special discount scheme for all of

you lovely people.)

I am sorry that I may have successfully

avoided public houses so far, but you must

be considerate. Enjoying yourself may

mean going to the Six Bells (197 Kings Rd)

for a spot of jazz on Monday nights or,

equally, you may want to try a hand at the

lunchtime strippers at the Golden Lion

(490 F u l h a m R d , i n c l u d i n g s t u d e n t

d iscount) . The Cafe des Artistes (266

Fulham Rd) have a nice enough disco

while The Trafalgar (200 Kings Rd) have

jazz sessions sometimes.

As a guide this is somewhat discriminat­

ing, but fairly comprehensive. It is not, as it

may seem, attempting to go through all the

shops that may exist in Chelsea, but an

attempt to get some of you folk off your

bums and trying to enjoy some of this

fabled conurbation. I hope it goes some

way towards helping.

Shezi Abedi

FELIX, January 15, 1982 Page 11

Dinner-in-Hall

O n page 4 you will find details of this term's

"Dinners in H a l l " . This title has caused some

confusion in the past and not many people are

certain about the purpose of these events.

The idea really sU-ms from the collegiate

system of O x f o r d and Cambridge , where a

formal dinner in the place where you live is a

regular event. T o imitate this, to an extent,

Imperial Col lege hold several dinners a term

which anyone (not just those living in halls) can

a t t e n d . A f u n d h a s b e e n set up w h i c h

subsidises the meals for students. This gives

p e o p l e w h o l i v e i n o r o u t o f C o l l e g e

accommodat ion the chance to mix with staff

over a meal and is intended to promote social

wellbeing.

Election Fever

This term sees the onset of election fever,

which will soon grasp you all by the throat.

Papers for the sabatical IC posts go up on

, February 11 with husting on M a r c h 4 and

e l e c t i o n s o n M a r c h 8 a n d 9. I wi l l w a r n

candidates for these posts in particular to be

early with their publicity. Every year people

leave things to the last minute, so if you have

considered standing, plan ahead. The last date

on which I will accept completed posters or

h a n d o u t s for p r i n t i n g w i l l be M o n d a y ,

February 22. After that financial penalties will

be imposed and I cannot guarantee that they

will be done in time, or even at all.

Soapbox

A s explained on page 4, this is a revived

feature which is intended to give people a

chance to air their views at greater length than

the letters page may allow. I cannot guarantee

inclusion but will keep articles over for future

inclusion if I receive too many. I do not intend

to impose very great editorial contol over

these a r t i c l e s so y o u may be as d a r i n g ,

damning or controversial as you like. This

provides a unique opportunity for free speech

and also means that you will be judged on the

merits of your own arguments by the masses.

S o don't be shy—take up the gauntlet and tell

us all about something you feel strongly about.

C r a s h Pad

O u r glorious leader, M r Nick M o r t o n , has

asked me to inform you that if the industrial

action by the train drivers continues, a "crash

p a d " will operate in the Union Building. So if

you live out in the sticks you can bring in your

sleeping bag and take up residence until British

Rail resumes normal services. Enquire at the

U n i o n Office for details.

Staff Meeting

There will be a staff meeting today at 12:30pm

in the F E L I X Office. Br ing along your bright

ideas for this term. Remember that it's never

too late to join the staff.

Credits

M y thanks to Peter Rodgers, Dave Britton,

J o h n and Soheel (promising newcomers—it 's

never too late!), R i c h A r c h e r , Mart in S. Taylor,

L o v e l y L e s l e y , R e t c h , D a v i d (where ' s the

interview?), Pallab, M a z and Ian.

mwmwm

I w o n d e r how m a n y of y o u r e c a l l A n g u s

M c O a t u p , the drunken c loakroom attendant

at The Inebriated Haggis? After the alcoholic

excesses of last year's Hogmanay, he thought

it prudent to stay dry this year, and so he spent

N e w Year 's Day in the Highlands, watching

the sporran flinging and the haggis dancing at

the Highland Games .

The climax of the games is, of course, the

tossing of the caber, in which each competitor

tries to throw a thirteen foot tree trunk up Billy

Connol ly 's kilt. A t least, it should traditionally

be a thirteen foot pole, uniform in diameter,

and cylindrical in shape; but nowadays many

tossers prefer a shorter length, and so each

c a b e r is ' p e r f o r a t e d ' by par t ly s a w i n g it

t h r o u g h ; in th i s way the c o m p e t i t o r s , by

b r e a k i n g t h e c a b e r at a n a p p r o p r i a t e

perforation (or perforations) can shorten it

from its original thirteen feet to any whole

number of feet less than thirteen. But sawing

through a caber weakens it, and so to reduce

the possibility of injuring Billy Connol ly for life

(or to increase the possibility, depending on

h o w v i o l e n t l y y o u p l a y ) the n u m b e r of

perforations is kept to a minimum. Angus has

been passing the time between tosses by

working out where along its length the pole

should be perforated. A n y offers?

Solutions, comments and criticisms to me at

the FELIX Office please. £5 donated by Mend-

a-Bike to the correct solution randomly

selected at 1:00pm on Wednesday.

Christmas Puzzles

The only person to get three puzzles out of

four completely correct was Zar Amrolia. H e

wins the £10 voucher and £5 cash. Other

prizes go to George C h a n , Maths 2, Mike

Hodgson, Physics 1 and Andrew Britton,

Maths 3. Congratulations to these and all who

entered, and also to J . Bl i tz , D o C 3 who won a

competition last term, but whom I forgot to

credit. Cheques for all the above people will be

available in the F E L I X Office on Monday

afternoon. Finally, very many thanks to Mend-

a-Bike for their continuing generosity with

prizes.

Light on the Matches

A v B : 2 - 1

A v C : 1 - 1

B v C : 1 - 1

Chess Player's Nightmare

1. White had played P(B2)-B4 instead of P-Q5.

2. Black had just played P - Q B 4 . White played

P(N4)xP instead of P (Q5)xP en passant. Of

the four positions this was the hardest, and a

number of people were caught by it.

3. Again Black had just played P -QB4 . White

played P (N5)xP en passant instead of P(Q6)-

Q 7 .

4. White played P-B7 instead of P-Q8=Knight.

C o d e in the Head

This one was easily the most difficult (?) and I

didn't expect anyone to find all four carols. In

fact, nobody found more than one, although

not everyone found the same one.

The bold face letters, reading in reverse

order, spell 'First Noel ' .

Count ing A = l , B=2, and so on, the numbers

of letters in each line spell out 'Rudolf the Red' .

Subtracting the numerical values of each

pair of letters (so, e.g. il gives 9, 12, and since

12 - 9 = 3, il gives c) spells out 'Deck the

H a l l s w i t h B o u g h s o f H o l l y ' . S p e c i a l

congratulations to M i k e Hodgson who was the

only one to crack this code.

Finally replace each capital letter with a 1,

and each lower case letter with a 0 and you

have the numerical values of ' G o o d K i n g

Wenceslas ' in binary! Not an obvious idea, but

fairly well-known (it's described in one of

Mart in Gardner ' s books) and I warned you it

was difficult.

Other solutions next week. A n d now; a

word from our sponsors.. .

Mend-a-Bike N e w B i k e s f r o m £ 6 5

Discounts for FELIX Readers

P a r k W a l k G a r a g e , Park W a l k

(near E v e l y n G a r d e n s )

FELIX is published by the Editor for and on behalf of the Imperial College Union Publications Board, and is printed by the Union Print Unit, Prince

Consort Road, London SW7 2BB (589-5111 ext 1048 int 2881) Copyright FELIX 1982. Editor: M A Smith, Advertising Manager: S M Giblin.