THE SUSS-EX CLUB
NEWSLETTER No. 39 February 2017
Forthcoming events
22 March – Strokes and their prevention
11 or 13 April – Waste management in Hollingdean
24 May – David Streeter nature walk
22 March - Strokes and their prevention
The success of last year’s meeting on dementia leads us to take advantage once again of the skills and research findings of expert colleagues in the Medical School, and a meeting on strokes has been arranged. Here is the programme:
2 pm Prof. Rajkumar, chair of geriatric care and stroke medicine
'Stroke - how to prevent it.'
A model of the brain will be shown, and it will be explained what a stroke is, why people have strokes, the risk factors about strokes, how to treat them and how to prevent them. This will include how to prevent both a first stroke, and also further strokes in patients who have already had one.
Tea break
3 pm Dr Philip Thompson, Stroke Consultant
‘Recent advances in stroke management.’
Removal of clot from blood vessels (thrombectomy). How to treat patients who have woken up from sleep with a stroke. Use of blood thinning agents such as aspirin, and blood pressure management after a bleed in the brain.
There will be time for questions and discussion after each talk.
The meeting will be held on 22 March, from 2-4 pm, in room G5 on the ground floor of the Jubilee building. (Turn left immediately after the swing doors.) People planning to come are asked to let Jennifer Platt (j.platt@sussex.ac.uk, or tel. 01273 555025) know in advance, so that we have an idea of the number of seats needed. You may bring friends and relatives who are not Suss-Ex members,
11 or 13 April – Waste management in Hollingdean
Veolia run a ‘Materials Recovery Facility’ in Hollingdean, Brighton. The entrance is in Hollingdean Lane, which is probably best reached by leaving the Lewes Road gyratory by Hollingdean Road, and continuing straight on after passing under the railway bridge.
This is where household waste from East Sussex and Brighton is sorted and bulked for onward transport to recycling, recovery and disposal facilities. Each year 160,000 tonnes of waste are dealt with, and the scale and complexity of the operation are well worth seeing.
We have been offered visits on the afternoons of the 11th and/or 13th April. Please let Adrian Peasgood know (adrian@peasgood.plus.com; 01273 508620; 14 Harrington Villas) if you want to reserve a place or places, indicating which date you prefer. It would be very helpful to have responses by 17 February:
NB There are strict requirements of visitors to this site: please read the notes at the end of this Newsletter to ensure you can comply!
24 May – David Streeter nature walk
An opportunity to benefit from David Streeter's unrivalled knowledge of Sussex flora and fauna. David has led previous nature rambles for Suss-Ex and they were memorable and fascinating experiences.
The likely location is the Castle Hill National Nature Reserve on the downs between Kingston and Woodingdean, in which case a hunt for the Early Spider Orchid will form part of the walk.
This will be a free event starting at 2 pm; a later Newsletter will ask you to sign up with Charles Goldie (organiser) in case numbers have to be limited, and will give the rendezvous for the start. Note the date now and hope for a glorious May afternoon!
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Research and related activities by Suss-Ex members
For several years we have collected in January/February a list of retired members’ research and related activities for the previous year. The reason for doing this is that many Suss-Ex academic members are, while notionally retired, still active in research, for which some access to university facilities is required. The extent to which our needs are met can vary from one part of the university to another, and sometimes, as a minority group, we simply get forgotten though our contributions to the university's research output will continue to be of value. It seems likely that it will always be advantageous to those of us who wish to maintain our relationship with the life of the university for our contributions to be noted. We are now compiling the record for calendar year 2016.
Please, therefore, send in, with your name and subject group affiliation, a list of your 2016 activities, even if notification of them has already appeared in the Bulletin. These could include:
· publications
· conference papers and invited talks given
· fellowships
· prizes and honours
· new grants
· research students completing
· officerships in learned societies
· refereeing, doctoral examining, etc.
This should if possible be done by email, please, and sent to j.platt@sussex.ac.uk as soon as convenient; we plan to include all the reported activities in a consolidated list in the next newsletter, and may use the list in club publicity.
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The Christmas party
The now traditional Christmas party jointly for members of Suss-Ex and USPAS was held on 15 December in Bramber House (or the Refectory, as many of those present probably still think of it). We were very pleased that the new Vice-Chancellor, Adam Tickell, was able to come, as did the chair of USPAS; both spoke briefly .
Spreading the word
Please encourage former colleagues with whom you are in touch to sign up for the Suss-Ex Club mailings if they haven't already done so. Some may not yet have heard about us. They should write to Charles Goldie, who maintains our mailing list, at c.m.goldie@sussex.ac.uk .
Hollingdean visit notes
Veolia provide the following notes and guidance to visitors: Please ensure you are compliant before requesting a place on the Suss-Ex visit. (‘MRF’ = Materials Recovery Facility, the Veolia unit at Hollingdean.)
Parking
Parking is limited at our facilities. For all visits we would request larger groups (over 10) to consider travelling by coach and smaller groups (under 10) to car share where possible.
Health and Safety
A minimum age requirement of 7 applies to all tours of the MRF, IVCF and ERF facilities. Younger age groups can be accommodated in the visitor centres.
Please be advised that we are unable to offer site visits to the MRF or ERF to anyone who has medical implants such as an implantable cardio converter defibrillator (pacemaker) as these may be affected by the eddy currents and electro-magnets used on site.
Tours may be difficult for visitors with reduced or restricted mobility as there are several flights of steps to climb at the ERF and MRF.
When undertaking a site tour outside of the visitor centre our Health & Safety Policy requires visitors to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Please see site specific list of items required by Facility below.
Personal Protective Equipment
At the sites where you will require full PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) most items are available to borrow on the day, apart from footwear. Suitable footwear includes steel toe cap safety boots, which are preferred but not mandatory, or walking/sturdy boots. The following footwear is NOT acceptable; sandals, pumps, soft training shoes, high heels, open toed or backless shoes of any description. Without PPE and correct footwear you will not be permitted to attend the tour – VES Management on site have the final decision.
Also, please be advised that the appropriate clothing will need to be worn at all sites, all visitors should wear long sleeves and trousers. Any person arriving on site wearing inappropriate attire, such as shorts or skirts or inappropriate footwear listed above will not be permitted on the tour
Suss-Ex: the website and the Committee
The website
More information about Suss-Ex is available on its webpage at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/suss-ex/. ‘Suss-Ex Club’ in Google will get you there, as will http://tiny.cc/sussex, or you can find us in the A–Z on the University’s homepage. The website has copies of past Newsletters.
The steering committee
Suss-Ex activities are organised by a steering committee, which currently comprises:
Sir Gordon Conway, Chair G.Conway@imperial.ac.uk
Sue Bullock sue.bullock@hotmail.co.uk
Colin Finn colinfinn@btinternet.com
Jackie Fuller jkfuller21@hotmail.com
Charles Goldie c.m.goldie@sussex.ac.uk
Arnold Goldman a.goldman@cowbeech.f9.co.uk
Steve Pavey miniperson2003@yahoo.co.uk
Adrian Peasgood adrian@peasgood.plus.com
Jennifer Platt J.Platt@sussex.ac.uk
David Smith j.d.smith@sussex.ac.uk
Paul Tofts uos@paul-tofts.org.uk
Ideas for the future
We are always seeking ideas for social occasions when we can meet former colleagues. Please let us have your suggestions, or volunteer to join the committee. We meet once a term, when practicable immediately before a Suss-Ex event.