Just One Year at the ISC

By David McKirdy (Computing Scientist during Dec 1979 – Dec 1980)

Received: 27^th November 2025

I worked at the ISC from December 1979 to December 1980 with the job title of Computing Scientist. I worked mainly under David McGregor on computer typesetting of the Bulletin and Catalogue. I also remember including crustal phases Pn, P* and Pg in the Bulletin, more for identification, as only P waves were used for location.

There were nine staff members at the time: the Directorate was Anthony Hughes and David McGregor; the seismologists were Robin Adams and Lita Garcia; I shared an office with Beryl Scott-Barrett, who was responsible for the Bibliography; admin was done by Gillian Spears; Pauline (Clarke?) did data entry and Mr (Charles?) Clifford drove the van. The vehicle was used to transfer computer tapes to and from the Rutherford Lab whose computing facilities we used over a landline. After Lita returned from holiday, we frequently had to answer the main door to florists who were delivering her bouquets. Mr Clifford, as a former butler to Lord Porchester, delivered the morning coffee with aplomb.

We shared a very old brick building with a thin tiled roof with John D Wood estate agents in London Road [Editor: in Newbury]. The rear of the building was only single storey and there was little or no insulation under the tiles. Anthony was quite embarrassed to find me sitting at my desk wearing a quilted waistcoat one winter morning. Another hazard was wasp nests under the tiles. The exterminator used derris dust and Lindane, which seemed to give me a headache, and I went home early. I looked up Lindane in the local library and found out it was a chlorinated form of cyclohexane. Clearly no permanent damage was done, as I turn 70 tomorrow.

Editor: After working at the ISC, David left to take up postdoc work in Canada, where he stayed for 11 years.