Mike Senior  - Chemical Technology

 

First the important bits: married Marian (Hanson) in 1968, and have two children, Joan (1970) and Neil (1973), and 6 grandchildren aged from 16 to 8.  Now retired on the Isle of Islay, and as a Chemical Engineer spend some of my time converting good wine and even better whisky into urine.

 

Now for the mundane: after graduating in Chemical Technology in 1966, stayed on for a PhD, largely to put off having to work for a living.  Joined ICI in late 1969, mostly applying computer technology to running and designing their chemical plants.  During this time I worked for six different ‘Divisions’ of ICI on five different sites, on Teesside and in Cheshire, and survived two attempts to make me redundant, moving to what is now Astra-Zeneca in 1993, where I produced validation reports on computer systems for the FDA and the UK Medicines Control Agency and the Medical Devices Agency.  Unfortunately contracted a helicobacter pylori (stomach ulcer bacterium) infection (1995), which stubbornly declined to submit to various antibiotic concoctions, and was eventually advised to take early retirement (1996).  Built a house on the Isle of Islay in 1997 and moved there in 1998.  Each summer Marian and dig our own peat for fuel.

 

Amateur radio (callsign GM3PAK) was my main hobby when I left school, but home computing has latterly partly replaced this.  In the meantime I have enjoyed Scottish Country Dancing, skiing, hill walking and swimming lifesaving, and was for several years the oldest part-time lifeguard at the Islay swimming pool.  I also sang in the Islay Gaelic Choir for a few years, but gave up because I couldn’t hack the Gaelic language.

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Marian Hanson (now Senior) - Chemistry

 

After graduating I spent a further year at the University to gain a Dip Ed, while also at Moray House for my Teaching Certificate.  In 1967 I joined the staff at Cranley School in Edinburgh as the only Chemistry teacher.  In 1968 Mike and I were married, and we moved to Guisborough in North Yorkshire at the end of 1969 when Mike took up his job at ICI.  Two children followed  - Joan in 1970 and Neil in 1973.  In 1974 we moved to Tarvin, near the city of Chester, when Mike was transferred to Runcorn.

 

In 1977, when both children were at school, I applied for various teaching jobs and was offered one as Head of Chemistry at a newly formed independent school, Abbey Gate College at Saighton Grange on the Westminster estate, where the late Duke of Westminster grew up.  The school rapidly grew from the initial fifty pupils and so I was involved with my colleagues in the Science department in designing a new science block, which was an exciting project.  By 1996 the school had grown to over three hundred and had a primary section.  In my last year of teaching I was asked to do the maths, science, geography and technology in the primary school, which somehow I combined with my last A level sixth form class.

 

In 1998 we moved to Islay and over the next fourteen years I did babysitting (sorry, supply teaching) in Islay High School.  I never knew what I was going to have to teach till I arrived, and subjects varied from Religious Studies to PE to Gaelic to Home Economics, but just once Chemistry!  I was even inspected by the HMI in Personal and Social Education!  I have now retired - at last.

 

I have been involved in Girlguiding since the age of ten and have run units in all sections as well as holding appointments at District, Division and County level.  I was presented with my fifty year service brooch earlier this year and have now retired - except that Islay District hasn’t yet found a new treasurer.

 

Other activities over the years have included hill walking, skiing, and Scottish Country Dancing.  I was a member of the Edinburgh University New Scotland Country Dance Society where I met Mike and since then we have danced in all the places we’ve lived and I am now teaching a class on Islay. I was Session Clerk at The Round Church on Islay for ten years.  More recently I have taken up quilting, joining the very active group here.