Random Cactii I found in the Plant Barn. Broxi’s choice.

I’m a chemist by trade and was an accountant for a time in Jersey C.I. Mostly a teacher after that and now relieving in West Auckland.

After graduation I lived the dream, playing with my molecules while earning money in Glaxo Pharmaceuticals Research and Development Unit, Greenford London. The Glaxo Greenford site is a housing development now.

Some of my history has been deleted.

I transferred to the Glaxo Montrose factory after a few years to play with my molecules in much bigger test tubes, glass lined reactors, in antibiotic manufacture. I did some work on salbutamol a B-blocker chemically similar to the one I use today.

Next a stint with Syntex Pharmaceuticals in Ennis, County Clare Ireland. The factory was built on a “green field” site. The factory is gone now leaving behind a “nearly green site” I know where all the drums of smelly stuff were buried but it does look like they have done a thorough job.

Some of my history has been deleted

My last gig as a chemist was in Liverpool around the time King Kenny, also from Glasgow arrived in town to play at Annfield. I worked in the Ward Blenkinsop fine chemicals factory, mostly on Bromine recovery. I decided it was time to move on after an incident with a concentrated sulphuric acid tanker. The driver had connected the chemical hose to the tanker and was happily pumping away oblivious to the fact the high level indicators on the tank were not functioning. Nek minute I was aware through the winter gloom that concentrated sulphuric acid was spraying into the tank bund and lapping round the bases of leaking copper cyanide drums.

I left behind my career as molecular manipulator soon after and Ward Blenkinsop is no more.

Some of my history has been deleted.

After a brief career as an accountant in Jersey C.I. I became a teacher and eventually moved to New Zealand with my family.

I taught in Invercargill South Island; another piece of my history was deleted when Kingswell High School closed shortly after I left.

While all this was happening I tried to do the best for my family.

Now I amuse myself, teasing out the science behind anything that interests me. Cactus plants have my interest. An organism that lives on fresh air, a small amount of water, and little else under the desert sun, produces beautiful flowers.

The camera is a useful device for having a closer look.

Apologies for my erratic punctuation.

……… Rangers have just lost against Aberdeen and Broxi is throwing his plants around.

Small flowers and long spines.

A collection of Cactii.

Huge pale pink flowers.

Why so large?

Careers come and and go. Factories, fired with human endeavour, shift working around the clock, pausing only for maintenance shutdowns, all close their gates for the last time eventually.

The next game is on the calendar, it has been that way since dad took me to the park with other kids to kick a football before I was five. Broxi Bear, the team mascot loves cactii plants. He bought one to celebrate Rangers best result in Europe last week.

I love rocks and fossils.

They have a story to tell.

Inside one of those beautiful pink flowers.

An interesting arrangement of anthers and twisty stigma.