I have now finished my Diploma of Health Sciences * with the Open University... which enables me to use the above letters after my name...

I chose modules: Human Biology (SK277), Biological Psychology (SD226), Science of the Mind: Investigating Mental Health (SDK228), and Infectious Diseases and Public Health (SK320).

I have several family history links to these courses... my mother's godfather, Professor J. Z. Young, was a well-known neurologist who discovered the giant squid axon... and my great grandfather, Humphrey Morris, was Chairman of the Port of London Health Authority (see earlier posts) - mentioned in this lecture about Infectious Diseases by John Averns, Port Health Director of LPHA.

I'm now moving in deeper to the study of cells and the molecules of cells... in Cell Biology and Molecular Cell Biology.  It has not been enough to understand that 'cells use glucose and oxygen' .. I want to know how and why... what happens when a cell becomes hypoxic?  what causes a cell to ignore signals and proliferate or die?  what is oxygen actually doing? (turns out, its role is to accept electrons at the end of a long series of events that break glucose down into energy and CO₂.)  and finally I see where Ubiquinone (CoEnzyme Q10) is required in that process.. and riboflavin (Vitamin B2) in FAD is also required...)  

I also found a subway map of the cell developed by Roche... Online Biochemical Pathway Map - and they do a hard copy which has arrived in the post... I wonder if biochemists and cell biologists understand even half of all these interactions!!

* the link to the E21 is dead - which I think is bad administration by the OU - they may have scrapped the diploma, but many people have just achieved this qualification only to have all the information about the qualification removed from their website.  What does that say about the qualification to you?  I think there should always be a record of what the course entailed accessible to anyone who wishes to look into someone's CV...

When Humphrey met Chris

There's no indication when the article was written... so at some point Boatshed Essex acquired the 'dodgy' "Humphrey Morris Cutter" which they note is one of the more 'interesting and unusual vessels' on their lists.

The Medical Officers' Cutter, "Humphrey Morris" is an old boat.  Boatshed write that it was built in 1966 (but this is not possible because the BMJ printed their article about its launch in 1961) "by James Pollock & Co in Faversham, Kent for the City of London Port Health Authority, the boat's original functions were to meet incoming passenger liners at the North Foreland, conduct health checks, remove casualties and to give the ship health clearance inwards". It was converted to a private yacht in 1997.

The "Humphrey Morris" has 25 berths in 10 cabins.  It's been totally re-fitted with a bar.  "Further alterations have guaranteed that the floating Florence Nightingale will most likely find her next calling as a sailing club's dream clubhouse, or the perfect live-aboard for the large boat enthusiast."

I can't find the listing on their website - I've emailed so I'll wait... Perhaps this news item is quite old... why don't people think to put the date of the news item on their 'News' web page?

Also I have just signed up to SDK228 The Science of the Mind - from Oct 2011... to keep me occupied over the winter and spring months :-)

It turns out that my great grandfather, Humphrey William Carlile Morris, died in 1961... and worked for the City of London... so I have to guess that this ship was named after him...  fancy that!

And now the more I look for Humphrey Morris and 'cutter' the more I can find about it...