What’s new?
This page gives notices and pointers to what’s new at the Quekett Microscopical Club, being (roughly) the last six months’ events of the Club, some important forthcoming events, and any other items of interest we can’t find a place for elsewhere…
Dinoflagellates videos
Posted 7th March 2025
Zena Henderson has written a comprehensive review article for the Winter 2024 issue of the Journal (“The dinoflagellates: a review”, Henderson, Z. (2024) The Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 44: 597–612.
Dinoflagellates are unicellular organisms that are not only colourful and fascinating, but which play an important role in the ecosystems of marine and freshwater habitats. These four videos which accompany the article portray the more dynamic aspects of the lives of the dinoflagellates.
The contents of the videos are as follows:
- Transverse flagella in action.
- Corkscrew motion of swimming dinoflagellates.
- Birefringent nature of dinoflagellate chromosomes.
- Peduncular feeding mode of certain dinoflagellates.
Your Bulletin Needs You!
Posted 10th February 2025
Chris Thomas, Bulletin Editor, is putting the Spring edition together with the few articles and reports he has to date. However, he needs more contributions, no matter how large or small – articles, letters, methods, microscopy-related stories, all with any accompanying pictures.
Closing date for contributions is the end of February 2025. Please send your contributions to either [email protected] or to [email protected].
Bulletin Archive
Posted 27th January 2025
In case you’ve lost or loaned out your copy of a past Quekett Bulletin, members can now view a new batch of past issues in .pdf format. Issues of October 2021 to November 2023 are now available.
New Videos
Posted 19th January 2025
Members can now view the videos of the Quekex24 Lectures:
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- “Recreating John B Dancer’s Microphotograph Technique”, by Mark Osterman (Rochester, NY)
- “Touched with Prolifick Virtue: the Art & Science of Pollen“, by Prof Rob Kesseler (London)
- “The Good, the Bad, and the Algae“, by Prof Chris Howe (Cambridge)
and also:
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- The Christmas Lecture “Our Heroes Don’t Always Win“, by Phil Greaves
- and the Christmas Quiz, devised and presented by Robert Ratford.
New Programme page
Posted 31st December 2024
The Quekett Programme for 2025 is now available. In addition to QMC events it also includes reference to events at several other clubs, societies and organisations, so keep an eye on it and you’ll not miss anything! The page is updated frequently and is the definitive document, or ‘Def-Doc’ of the Programme.
The page had to be reconstructed for this edition, so there may be some links out of place. If anyone spots an error please notify the Webmaster and it will be put right.
L.V. Martin Lecture and Gossip videos
Posted 3rd January 2025
Members can now view the video of the L.V. Martin Lecture on the Ted Kellock Collection and the Gossip video on Dark-ground Microscopy. The L.V Martin Lecture was given by Katy Firth of the Stromness Museum in Orkney and describes the background to the collection, the types and ranges of samples and how they were prepared, and the work which the Museum has done, supported by the Quekett, in bringing it up to date and making it available to the wider public.
“Dark-ground Microscopy” was the theme of a Gossip meeting led by Carel Sartory, a past-master of the technique, who described the theory of increasing contrast by dark-ground illumination and how it is done in practice. He focussed mainly on low/medium power microscopy and described how patch stops can be made inexpensively while maintaining the accuracy needed for successful illumination. He showed images to illustrate how, when done properly, the technique can reveal detail not seen by bright-field observation and also when done poorly how the resultant image can appear washed out. The talk was followed by a spirited and informative discussion.
Gift Aid
Posted 18th November 2024
Members will shortly be receiving invitations to renew their membership. With this in mind we would like to remind you, if you are eligible, to register for Gift Aid. Claiming Gift Aid will not cost you any more but allows us to recover an extra 25p in every £1.00 paid in membership fees. To a small charity such as the Quekett this can make a huge difference to our income, so please do consider logging in and updating your records. You will find the Gift Aid declaration at the top right of the screen when you log in.
The Kernow Microscopical Society
Posted 14th November 2024
The Kernow Microscopical Society meets monthly (usually 3rd Saturday afternoon) at Kea Community Hall, Playing Place, Truro TR3 6ET. Here is their programme for 2025.
For further information please contact the Publicity Officer at [email protected]
Poole: Drop-in Microscopy
Event – 5th October 2024
New at the Quekett Microscopical Club – come and try your hand at pond water microscopy at this all ages-welcome event. Make your own slides of pond water dippings and see what creatures live in those murky depths! Members of the Quekett and of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society will be on hand, and everything will be provided for visitors to have a great day.
2024 Small World in Motion Competition
Posted 25th September 2024
Nikon Small World is the world’s preeminent photographic competition for images taken through the microscope. It is comprised of two separate contests, Nikon Small World and Nikon Small World In Motion (sometimes referred to as SWIM). Nikon Small World is for still images taken through a microscope and Small World In Motion is for movies, time-lapse movies also taken through a light microscope.
The results of the 2024 competition have been announced and we were particularly pleased to see that Quekett member Wim van Egmond was awarded an Honorable Mention. This is a high mark of esteem and we congratulate Wim on his superb entry. You can see all the 2024 winning entries on the SWIM page.
Manchester Microscopical Society
Posted 11th September 2024
The Manchester Microscopical Society (MMS) starts its new season on October 26th with a meeting of talks, demos, gossip, books, sales and a tour of the University Bioimaging/EM Facility led by Peter March. Meetings are held in the Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, M13 9PT and are usually held monthly on Thursdays or Saturdays.
Only a few years younger than the Quekett, the MMS mounts a varied range of presentations, and is always open to new members, especially those based in the north of England.
Here’s the programme for 2024/25.
Paul Smith
Posted 29th August 2024
It is with great sadness that we have to share with members news of the death of Paul Smith, the Club’s Meetings Secretary, whom many of you will know from his time on the Committee. Paul was a familiar and friendly face at meetings in the south-east. He could always be relied on to help at outreach events, to bring interesting exhibits to gossip meetings, to bring fascinating gadgets to workshops, and to bring a microscope on excursions. He was largely responsible for getting us started with Zoom meetings, and was able to find ways to make them work at awkward venues. The loss will felt both by the Committee and our wider microscopy family.
Quekex24 – The Annual Exhibition
Event – Saturday 19th October 2024
Quekex24, the Club’s annual exhibition of all things excellent in microscopy was again held at Elm Court, Potters Bar. Whether you’re interested in videomicrographic recordings, photomicrographs, or microscopy as an art form there was something here for you. You can see a report of the Exhibition, and members can see galleries of all the entries and recordings of the three Quekex Lectures:
Barnard Awards – Still images (Artistic) and (Technical)
Barnard Awards – Videomicrographs
Eric Marson Awards – slide preparations
Micrographic Art Awards
The Quekex24 Lectures (see post above, 19.1.2025)