Although I deem it a great honour to have been asked to give this lecture I will be perfectly honest and tell you that for a long time I resisted. 1964 is an important landmark in the Hatfield Branch history. It has been in existence for a quarter of a century and the developments which have taken place during this period in the Aeronautical World have been remarkable. The lecture also ranks as a Halford Memorial Lecture and so I felt that someone far better qualified than myself was needed in order to do justice to the joint occasion. However, I finally agreed and I would like you to know that this was not because some sudden inspiration gave me confidence that I was the man for the job, but rather because I felt that as the Hatfield Branch had done so much for me I should try and do something in return.