Herbert M. Runciman

I was born in 1941 in Glasgow, and 'rode out' the war on Skye until my education in Hillhead High School. I always enjoyed tinkering with things, and after a temporary excursion into chemistry (read home-made fireworks) I moved on to electronics – playing with valves and things, and getting some pretty impressive shocks. Other hobbies were walking and photography. I then entered Glasgow University Nat. Phil. Course and emerged with a Bsc in 1963.

I then joined Barr & Stroud, then the refuge in Glasgow for those of a scientific bent. My initiation was developing monitoring systems for deposition of thin-film optical filters – about 10% inspiration and 90% trying to find leaks in vacuum systems. I then joined a newly formed fibre-optics development team and became leader of their research group, including some work on single-mode fibres. In 1975 I joined a team developing thermal imagers for MOD, and acquired several patents in this field. My work later expanded to cover other areas of electro-optics and I became the 'Principal Consultant' on such matters within the company, which had meanwhile become Pilkington Optronics Glasgow, then was taken over by Thomson (France) and finally (and currently) Thales Optronics (Glasgow). In 1991 I was awarded an OBE for services to industry, and in late 1999 I took early retirement during a round of redundancies. Since then I carried out some consultancy work for Thales and a Strathclyde University start-up group.

During my working life I developed a taste for foreign travel, and in retirement I have given this urge full rein. I have managed to visit most of the 'Axis of Evil' and many places that would now be difficult or unwise. I have now been in the same walking club for 50 years, and both these hobbies provide excellent fodder for photography. In my quieter moments I have developed a taste for the cinema, and I am involved in some social groups and the church choir. All I want now is a lot more days in the week!