Edinburgh University Chemistry Class of 1966
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George Mieras - CV
Post-Ph.D I went to teach our beloved subject at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh. During the Ph.D years I had got very involved in the sport of Squash and at Merchiston with an influential ex-pupil managed to get the Governors to agree to lease us land on which we created our dream of a commercial squash club, a totally absorbing part of my life for the next 40 years. That apparently displayed some entrepreneurship as a result of which after 7 years teaching the School invited me to move over into the Works Bursar's chair, overseeing buildings, grounds, catering, cleaning alongside the Accountant. I did that for the next 15 years then decided it was time for a change. During these years I had built up a Company owned by the School which let facilities to outsiders, especially during vacations, and this I now took on self-employed from home for another 17 years - functions, sports lets, conferences, anything that might make money! Towards the end of that time I took on a second contract, administering the production of a leading scientific research Journal, British Poultry Science (there is a a Whitehead connection here!) and running the Company as Company Secretary which I am still doing, useful extra income too for comfortable travel in old age! Some of you might remember me in Ph.D years as a volunteer special constable, I did this for some 22 years until realising it was a bit dangerous to chase recaltricant youths over roof tops when now self-employed and needing to be fit to work and earn. I then had many years of fascinating voluntary work for the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust assessing business plans for often disadvanted youngsters wanting to set up in business on their own - wonderful work done by the Trust. Squash though was the dominating force in my life all these decades, I was involved in most areas of Scottish Squash including team management, coaching, refereeing, up to a spell as President- and yes, playing, see new hip! I got very involved in the International scene, World more than European (timely?!) and ended up for 5 years as Secretary General of the WSF overseeing the detail of the bid by the sport to get into the summer Olympic Games. This failed, not through lack of merit but as a victim of IOC sports politics about which I learned a very great deal, mostly very unedifying. But it did see me have some incredible experiences in particular attending major Games - Olympics, Asian, Pan-American, 5 Commonwealth and more. Now it is peace and quiet, bit of gardening, mebbe some golf, lunches out instead of squash!