Thanks for all the replies, and the invitations to visit. I would love to follow them up, and might avail of those nearer to home! I found it interesting that no two people named the same laboratory. This may reflect that by the time a new laboratory is built, it has been modified due to financial restrictions, or that plans are out of date by the time the building takes place, or else we all have our own individual ideas as to what an ideal laboratory should be. Dr Helen Grimes Department of Clinical Biochemistry University College Hospital Galway Ireland