In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s  I worked as a medical laboratory technician at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. I was fortunate to work in the laboratory overseen by the then Dr Abrahams (later Professor Abrahams) and his fellow researcher Dr Guy Newton. I found the Dunn School to be inspirational as I was introduced to biological/medical studies for the first time and learned the importance of  its role in the development of Penicillin and later Cephalosporin that Dr Abrahams and Guy worked on.

Guy was the ‘gentle giant’  who was much loved by us all as he always  had time for a friendly word and to give advice and encouragement to all. He would arrive every morning on his Vespa scooter and make his entrance to the lab wearing his motorcycle helmet and gear. The scooter was the subject of some gentle ribbing as it was none too reliable. Typically, Guy once explained to us that the scooter kick stand was broken but resourceful as ever, he solved the problem by carrying a house brick everywhere with him to prop the scooter up when parking! On telling us he was off to get the scooter MOT’d, one of the research assistants shouted after him as he left “Don’t forget to take the brick”.

I was extremely privileged to have known Guy and I take every opportunity to explain to anyone interested the huge contributions the Dunn School made to the world of medicine especially with the gift of on Penicillin and Cephalosporin.

In my last two years there, twice a week after night school I used to have to sleep on a stretcher in the basement of the lab as I had no means of getting home to my village some 17 miles away in Oxfordshire. One evening Sir Howard Florey’s lab technician (very senior) took pity on me and let me sleep on the floor of the Pofs  apartment in the building. Fortunately, he was away a lot living on his reputation. The only conversation I remember with the Prof. was him complaining that an experiment I’d been asked to set up that involved growing bacteria in a flask that was continually shaken had kept him awake all night! 

It was a golden age to work in the labs and a great inspiration for me to better myself. Working at the Dunn School was such a pleasure and inspired me to continue my studies at night school, gaining a London University BSc and later do research leading to a PhD.