I had a good time a few days ago at the IRDG's Christmas Meeting, held at University College London: excellent scientific talks and a very nice lunch.
John Chalmers (a former SAS President) received the Norman Sheppard Award, and Mike George (University of Nottingham) announced he was stepping down from the IRDG organization after 19 years.
The (infamous) after-lunch talk was given by Steve Bell (Queen's University, Belfast) comparing problems common to SERS and Brexit!
(The Infrared and Raman Discussion Group, usually referred to as the IRDG, was formed in 1950 and is one of the oldest independent spectroscopy groups in the UK. It is the national organisation which caters for all who are interested in the theory, practice and teaching of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Members of the group come from industry, government and academic institutions.)
