MC Brest in Kent

Journal of a two-year Marie Curie research fellowship in Canterbury

[mcbrestinkent]

Farewell party at the lab

I said goodbye, for now, to my colleagues at the lab last Friday. I had brought some drinks and a few nibbles to celebrate.

My colleagues had prepared kind words and lovely presents. I was  deeply touched and a little lost for words when my time came to speak.

We then took a group photo in the British sunshine.

What a beautiful team! Thank you very much and all the best to each of you for the future!

[mcbrestinkent]

Last visits to historic houses

We have a list of ‘to see’ places before we leave, so our last hectic weekends in England have included a visit to:

- Audley End, near Cambridge, where we discovered the history and everyday life of an estate. It really felt like visiting the real-life version of Downtown Abbey. And as always, the park was amazing. This one, designed by Capability Brown, was particularly vast and offered carefully crafted views from each part of the house.

- Leeds Castle, about 40 minutes’ drive from Canterbury. This, we had been told from the beginning, is a favourite of local families who purchase annual tickets and regularly come to enjoy the park, river, maze and various activities. The advertising brochure claims it is the loveliest castle in the world! Well, probably not in the world, but we did have a great time there.

There are quite a few other stunning gardens that we would have liked to visit but won’t be able to this time. Kent is the garden of England, after all!

[mcbrestinkent]

Packing time

Box after box, room after room... While Sylvain hurries to the lab to try and conclude his projects, Gwen and a sympathising friend have started packing.

Going through the children’s toys and increased collection of English-language books hasn’t been easy, but it’s done!

The van is booked (we have managed to find one that we could take across to the continent); the ferry is booked; appointment with the estate agent has been arranged... We are almost there!

[mcbrestinkent]

Last visits to London

This July, we had a few visitors, so we seized that opportunity to pay more visits to the capital city.

We embarked onto the London Eye with spectacular views over London.

Walked the streets and took the river bus again...

And went north to Kenwood house and park (a free-for-all English Heritage property thanks to a Guinness millionnaire). The painting collection is interesting (Rembrandt, Vermeer and many others) and the park much visited by Londoners and tourists alike.

Passing through Camden Town, we realised we still have so much to discover...

[mcbrestinkent]

It’s the final countdown!

We find it hard to believe, but the truth is we are coming to the end of our stay in Canterbury. We have had to start saying goodbye to people we have met here, with promises of staying in touch.

So this could be the soundtrack for the next three weeks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

While the children are busy with their last week at school and Gwen is organising our moving back to France, Sylvain is putting the finishing touches on a paper he’d like to send before the end of the month. And he’s working with a student on another project...

While we missed the celebrations of Brest marine heritage, we were pondering where the wind may take us next.

Sylvain is glad he has been able to secure funding to invite a British colleague to his lab in Brest next year so they can go on working together. He would have liked to be able to come back to Canterbury on a regular basis, but the changing political and financial situation may jeopardize this.

Anyway, let’s make the most of our remaining time here!

[mcbrestinkent]

End of term is looming

The children’s school has a busy programme for the last weeks. After the school outings (around 200 children on buses to London Science and Natural History Museum, 7.30am to 6.30pm), the Year 6 are getting ready for the end-of-year musical production, the farewell disco night and the leaving service. All the school is also working hard for the Road to Rio Carnival this Friday and next week.

But on Monday, the year 6 were put to another test before they move on to secondary school: A Bear Grylls survival experience!

Our older son spent the day in Kingswood, near Ashford, building a shelter, walking with heavy gear in his backpack, crawling in mud, finding bugs for food, jumping into a lake and getting dry by heating a blanket over the fire and being wrapped in it for a few seconds... Lots of waooh stories to tell in the evening before a good relaxing shower and deep sleep.

“That was hard, but I’m ready to do it again” was the conclusion of our proud mud-caked little warrior. We are not sure he would like to experience the week-long experience some other primary schools are offering!

[mcbrestinkent]

Picturesque Shakespearean England: The Cotswolds

South of Birmingham starts a different country, closer to London and the South, mainly rural and very picturesque. We had already visited Stratford-upon-Avon, so we went to Kenilworth castle first, and then to the Cotswolds.

Kenilworth was a romantic a castle as Walter Scott described it, despite the brilliant sunshine. The grand ruins and beautiful surroundings associated to Queen Elizabeth I’s love for Lord Dudley made it a perfect relaxing sequel to the Black country discovery.

We spent our last evening in Bourton-on-the-Water, one of the prettiest villages in England, and a major tourist attraction thanks to its lovely honey coloured houses and stream.

We could certainly understand what attracted the numerous Asian visitors to the place. A postcard photo of Old England!

[mcbrestinkent]

The end of a Stay

We’ve got a funny feeling in the stomach this morning since we discovered the results of the UK referendum on Europe. 51.9% of the British voters decided to leave the European Community.

What does it mean for Britain, and for the rest of Europe?

Some parents had a longer chat than usual in front of the local supermarket after dropping their children at school. Gwen couldn’t help but overhear parts of their conversation. “Some people were saying ‘Yeah, we need to leave Europe really, we’ll be better off outside’ and now they say ‘oops, we’re out!’...” Our neighbour has certainly been prompt to remove the “Leave” stickers from his car this morning.

Because the campaign has been fiercely about immigration, under a disguise of sovereignty, we juste hope voters haven’t bargained the whole European collaboration process for something no one is able to provide: the end of people’s will and hope to see if life can be better elsewhere.

At the University of Kent, we got a message from the Vice-Chancellor this morning:

“The University of Kent is proud to be outward facing and international. We are especially proud of our diverse student body and our European and international staff. We recognise that we benefit greatly from this diversity. I am naturally disappointed at the result of the EU referendum. It reflects neither my personal views nor those of the University. I recognise, nonetheless, the democratic process that has led to this outcome. I want to reassure all staff and students that we are committed to supporting them through the uncertain period as the UK negotiates its exit from the European Union. There are at this stage many unknowns.[...] The University of Kent continues to be one of the nation's leading universities, offering both an outstanding student experience and world-leading research. We also continue to be proud to remain the United Kingdom's European university.”

From the lab’s point of view, we had been working on future collaboration projects. This is what research is about, isn’t it? So much energy and time is spent on crafting applications for funding that today’s uncertainties are discouraging. How will the European Research Area be impacted by the decision? The British government hasn’t been able to provide much support for its scientific research so far.

Let’s hope future negotiations are successful for everyone.

[mcbrestinkent]

Britain’s industrial revolution re-enacted: The Black Country Living Museum

A little further down is the great Birmingham conurbation where we had been advised to visit the living museum of the Black Country. That was another exciting day, full of fun and learning.

This is one of the places where a group of passionate volunteers and professionals gather to make sure the past is not forgotten. On a former mining site, they have collected old vehicles (we find English people are dedicated mechanics), machinery, engines, houses, pubs, shops, even a shool and a chapel, and a funfair, of course, a lot of them dating from Victorian times.

And there we traveled in time again, listening to the inhabitants of that re-created village as they tell us of their life, when rural central England  turned from green to black, because coal mining, however dangerous and difficult, was far more lucrative than agriculture.

Walking down a drift mine was the highlight of the day. We had been warned not to wimp when down there in the dark and the boys proudly stood together, scared but excited. Some older visitors had to be taken back to the surface, overcome by panick. What a harsh world that must have been to 6 year old children in the early 1800s! No wonder the average life expectancy in the area was below 30 at the time!

Watching a chain maker at work also made our younger son dream of another career than in football. He now wants to be an iron forger!

[mcbrestinkent]

A taste of British popular culture: the legend of Manchester United

Coming back down by the West, we passed the industrial heartland of England, which is also home to some of the most famous football clubs. Before the start of the Euro tournament, we wanted our sons to see one of the major birthplaces of passion in England: Old Trafford.

We purchased a “Behind the scenes and Museum tour” on the  Manchester United website and steeped into a century of football history. The boys didn’t know much about it all before we went. They were glad to recognise Ronaldo on some photos, but then, they really bought the whole story.

Our cheeky, passionate guide took us around the stadium, inviting us to the VIP lounges and the players’ changing rooms. Our younger son wanted nothing more than to be allowed to play on that perfectly-green pitch (despite the strong garlic smell that is supposed to keep grass-eating worms away).

Both wanted to become professional football players of course and add to the list of French players that made it in ManU. Cantona, Martial, Rivet! What else?

[mcbrestinkent]

Where the Romans drew a line

After York, we left the South of England and its rain for the sunshine of the Scottish border, or close to the border. We had heard so much about Hadrian’s wall that we wanted to see it for ourselves.

We bowed to the Angel of the North as we passed Newcastle upon Tyne and there it was: the wall that the Romans had built to separate Roman citizens from the barbarians and the associated series of forts!

We traveled back in time to Roman Britain, walked in the steps of the Spanish centurions that Rome had sent to protect its borders, marvelled at the skilled masonry that linked Carlisle in the West to Newcastle in the East, across the island.

Many people were hiking along the remains of the wall. We may come back to green and sunny Northumberland for a trek some day too!

[mcbrestinkent]

Going North: York

End of May, we took a week off during the school half-term holidays to explore the North of England. We only have two months left in Britain so the rest of the world and its sunshine could wait, couldn’t they?

On a very rainy Tuesday we set off towards York, via the Dartford Crossing under the Thames, passing Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield... In other words, what should have been a 4 hour trip ended up as 7 hours in traffic jams, carefully avoiding lorries. England does get narrower and more heavily populated in the North, doesn’t it?

York in itself is a medieval town surrounded by popular suburbs and two chocolate factories (We felt like Roald Dahl’s Charly as we walked the streets, sniffing the air with delight). The house bricks are different from the south, a beautiful variation of shades from white to dark red.

Living in Canterbury, we didn’t think much of the famous Shambles, the medieval shop-filled street. Apart from the rich history of the town, what we will really remember from our trip is the visit to its Cold War Bunker (Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Hidden in a middle-class suburb, this is where a group of volunteers and officers of the Royal Observer Corps practiced monitoring nuclear radiations that might result from a nuclear attack on the country. It was terrifying and fascinating at the same time to witness how the country’s authorities had planned for this, how the volunteers lived and worked, the scenarii that had been envisaged. Our children discovered the danger of nuclear bombs through a well-made video too. Many questions followed the visit!

[mcbrestinkent]

Unbelievable: Eye test appointment within 2 days!

I thought I needed new glasses so I decided to have my eyes tested here in Britain. Extraordinarily, I got an appointment the same week I called while in France I would have had to wait at least 6 months to see an ophtalmologist.

The thing is, opticians do the initial screening here, which turned out to include an image of the back of my eyes and a measurement of the eye pressure, thus a complete checkup for only £10 (thanks to a voucher we got through the letter box).

The children’s sight was tested earlier this year in the same way and when needed, glasses were paid for by the NHS. If the optician detects the slightest problem, he writes a letter of referral to our doctor who then refers us to the relevant hospital service.

In the end, I didn’t need new glasses. But I have found the British approach unbelievably easy and efficient.

[mcbrestinkent]

Street parties for the Queen’s birthday

As everyone in Britain is bound to know, Queen Elizabeth II is 90 years old this year, a great deal older than I am! ;-) Being the Queen, she is entitled to 2 birthday parties, at least. The first one was her “private” party, on April 21, where family and celebrities were invited.

But the rest of the country is also invited to celebrate on 12th June by having street parties. A lot of people are expecting this eagerly, remembering former street parties for her jubilee or even at the end of the war.

Our children’s school had it a little earlier, on the Wednesday before half-term. Parents and teachers made cakes and sandwiches. They were asked to replace the usual uniform by something “red, white or blue”, or by something British. So we did.

The Mayor, elderly people living locally and the Salvation Army were invited. We had lines of tables and chairs in the main playground, tea or squash was served to help the food down. It was amazing how hungry everyone could be at 1.30pm when some had only finished lunch at 1pm!

The school’s choir had prepared a medley of songs from the 1940s to today. And to conclude, the Salvation Army played “Rule Britannia”, of course, although few people actually knew more than the chorus. But everyone had great fun.

In our street, too few people were available on 12th June, and the Local Residents’ Association is already taking part in the “Clean the Country for the Queen” operation on that day. So we are going to have a street party, but early July. Surely the Queen won’t mind...

[mcbrestinkent]

And a 5th paper!

Just before I took a week off with the children for half-term, we heard that another paper had been accepted.

This work follows on the tool we had developed for the 3rd paper and the patent. My colleague has designed a software to implement the idea of complex MSI so as to get real-time images of the top of the eye, in depth.

I’m glad C-MSI has started attracting attention from the scientific community. Beginning of May it appeared as the Feature of the Week on the OCT news website.

It seems such a powerful tool that I keep having ideas to improve all sorts of measurements. And my own project on the polarimetric module is under the spotlight in this week’s (2 June) “Featured articles” on OCT news too. There is so much left to do!

[mcbrestinkent]

Falling in love with the Tudors

Some friends had introduced us to Wolf Hall, the award-winning BBC series on the rise of Cromwell and Henry VIII’s decision to establish himself as the head of the Church of England. We immediately fell for Mark Rylance’s interpretation of Cromwell and the fascinating atmosphere of the series.

So we also followed their advice to visit Hampton Court, one of the Royal Palaces, to the West of London. It was supposed to be a grey weekend in May, but it turned out to be warm and dry all afternoon, so we were able to enjoy the beautiful gardens, including the Children’s Magic Garden (a 1st-class playground apparently well-known to Londoners).

What a beautiful place! From the Gothic red-brick main gate to the Baroque façade, we were steeped in centuries of English history, from the Tudors to the XVIIth century German-born King George. Actors took us onto a visit of the Georgian wings of the castle, giving us insight into the terrible relationships within the royal family. The murderous Tudors were not that bad, after all!

The cheeky French that we are couldn’t help but notice that, despite the obvious wish to built a Versailles on the Thames, the original was still more impressive.

[mcbrestinkent]

Rewarding teachers

Gwenola has taught a few French classes at the University’s Centre for European and World Languages. And this week, she was surprised to receive a mug from a secretary. She said it was awarded by the Student Union.

After a quick enquiry, it turns out that Kent Union is running Kent Union Teaching Awards every year. They open an online voting page and each teacher from the university that is nominated at least by one student gets a mug.

We had never heard of such a thing in France and wonder how it might be received in our country. We occasionally receive personal thanks from individual students, but for a student organisation to acknowledge the actual work of teachers is unheard of. Student unions are usually asking for changes, or resisting imposed changes, not celebrating what the University offers.

And in terms of career management, teachers can only expect a slow increase in their salary, sometimes sped up by a promotion. But in times of economic austerity these become very scarce. So she will happily raise a mug to the “at least one” student who thought she did well in her job.