futures❵KEW GARDENS
employers were impressed by the laboratory skills he had acquired at Hatfield. Tim had two six month placements; the first involved cutting up mice at an institute outside Cambridge, which put him off animal research for life, while the second, studying plant pathology at the East Malling Research Station, suggested an alternative career direction. Phil graduated in 1970 in need of a job, but still not knowing what he wanted to do. Eventually he decided to try teaching and took a Diploma in Education at the University of Sheffield. The interviewer suggested that, with his practical background, he might consider teaching in Further Education. It seemed a good idea. Several interviews later, Phil accepted the job of his
dreams, teaching Biology and Human Biology almost entirely to A-level and mature students on part-time and evening courses at Kidderminster College in Worcestershire. He enjoyed it so much that, aside from an interview at Wakehurst Place, Phil stayed in the same job for 32 years. Much to their amusement, Phil and Tim later found that they had both been interviewed for the same job at Wakehurst Place in 1982. Tim finished in June 1978 with a 2:1 and the
prospect of a PhD at East Malling. Thus began a long association with plant tissue culture. He returned to Hatfield briefly in 1983 to start a post-doc studying immobilised plant cells. However, a ‘permanent’ job soon beckoned back at East Malling, working on ornamental trees and shrubs; the group he joined were working on propagation science, including cloning techniques and environmental control, and making sense of these to the horticultural industry. It was a buoyant time with funding from a variety of
sources. Tim’s research developed tissue culture as a propagation tool, but also as a means of understanding whole plant physiology, with topics ranging from micropropagating rhododendrons to gene hunting in Forsythia. Whilst Tim was pursuing a career in plant tissue
culture, Phil had been introduced to growing orchids by one of his work colleagues who grew cymbidiums in his greenhouse. Phil was immediately hooked and soon had a small collection of his own. He was persuaded to apply to Wolverhampton Poly to take a part-time MPhil by research. Much to his surprise and delight they were happy to let him research whatever interested him. This turned out to be orchid seed storage and changes in the flask atmosphere as the seeds germinated and grew under aseptic conditions. He was awarded his MPhil in 1985, and presented with it by Norman Lindop, who had been principal of Hatfield when Phil and Tim were there. Phil presented his findings on orchid seed storage at his first scientific conference, on a cold and frosty morning at Kew in 1986, where he first met Hugh Pritchard, the successful candidate for that job at Wakehurst back in 1982! Thus began a series of collaborations between the soon-to-become friends on orchid seed storage, culminating in what turned out at
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Flagship Thailand Rhynchostylis gigantea
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