+ + + Reflections on TSG - and thanks + + +

The TSG annual meeting at Leicester UK, this week, was terrific! On
behalf of everyone, I'd like to thank the organisers, Dickson
Cunningham, Richard England, Steve Temperley & co who made it work so
well. Anxieties have been expressed recently about attendance, and we
no longer see the 200+ people of the late 1980s, because of a reduced
population in structure and tectonics. But instead of looking
backwards to former big meetings in large lecture theatres, where not
everyone could speak, isn't it better to think of some of the positive
advantages of small meeting, that have been demonstrated so well at
Leicester? For those of you unable to attend, you missed one of the
friendliest and most constructive TSG AGMs for years, all held in a
single comfortable venue. The untiered lecture room and comfy chairs
had the effect of producing some of the best (as well as good-natured
and unintimidating) discussion I have experienced at any conference.
Somehow, it seemed to be the ideal number and mix of people, so that
everyone - whatever their 'rank' - had a chance to talk to each other
and discuss their science.

You might wonder why I'm writing this at all. But several people
(including those who didn't attend this time) have reported that their
senior colleagues now urge them NOT to go to local specialist study
group meetings, but instead should go to big international meetings
(AGU, AAPG, GSA, EUG, etc.). That seems to me to be bad advice, which
we need to guard against.  In terms of time, money and scientific
content, the Leicester TSG wins as a "best buy". The total costs were
less than the GSA meeting registration at the Boston, which I attended
last November. I generally find the interesting science spread quite
thinly at big meetings, whereas at TSG Leicester we had two and a half
days of tip-top talks on structure and tectonics, plus posters, and
socialising (networking) in between and into the night. This is also a
meeting where people can participate, even if they do not have a
formal lecture to give, as demonstrated by John Ramsay and others. So
I say to all those folk in the UK and elsewhere, who have dropped off
from going to TSG conferences in recent years, or have been persuaded
that "bigger is better", please think again. Small can be beautiful.

I think we need to maintain the TSG AGM as the priority meeting for
researchers in structure and tectonics in Britain, and a definite
"must" for all our research students. If we can get funding for big
international meetings, all the better: but don't let's make it
either/or.

Another point worth making is the value people from abroad place on
our style of TSG annual meetings. And I hope I speak for everyone in
saying how much we value their attendance and participation, too.
Although the numbers from the UK have been slowly decreasing in
recent years, to some extent this has been offset by increased
attendance from mainland Europe. At Leicester we welcomed and enjoyed
contributions from Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Italy,
and many other countries.

You will soon hear about the plans for next year's AGM at Liverpool,
for a change to be held at the Adelphi Hotel (as seen on TV),
organised by Dave Prior and others. I hope some of the comments above
may persuade a few old faces to return, especially if this message is
passed on to colleagues.

Best wishes for 2002, Sue Treagus
Dr S.H. Treagus
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Manchester
Manchester M13 9PL
U.K.
Tel: 0161 275 3822
Fax: 0161 275 3947 (from overseas: 44 161 275 3947)
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