Dean's Diaries

David Purdie was born privately and educated publicly. Having spent most of his early years as a child, he went on to Ayr Academy and then Glasgow University where he read Medicine. He concluded his medical academic life in 2007 and is now an Hon. Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh. While devoting his time to writing, broadcasting and public speaking, he has served as chairman of the Sir Walter Scott Club and the Edinburgh Burns Club, as a patron of the JP Morgan Library, New York and of the National Galleries and Na-tional Library of Scotland. A freelance journalist, he contributes to the broadsheet press and to BBC radio on medical and scientific matters. He is a parliamentary speechwriter and editor for certain members of the House of Commons and is speech adviser to a number of major figures in the sports and entertainment fields.

• ContentsForeword 7Introduction 9College Animals 13The 15 Tesla Problem 18The Guest in the Laundry Chute 22High Table Dining 28Misprisions 34The Decalogue 40Richard Porson ma 46The Dean at Oxford 53New College 57Scott and the Aussies 63Saints & Sinners 68Public Transport 73The Big Bang – and Chimps 80Armistice day 84The Lord’s Taverners Lunch 89Student Japes 94A Summer Roundup 99The AGM 104Gravity 109Founder’s Day Lecture 115Appraisals 120Trains 125The Dean from Krakow 131Machrihanish 138The Dean on the Phone 144The Dean in America 150The Dean in DC 155Golf in America 160College Burns Nicht 165The Dean’s Ivanhoe 171The Lady Mondegreen 176The Dean in Musselburgh 181The Dean’s Correspondence 185

David Purdie is arguably our best after-dinner speaker of the moment. - THE DAILY TELEGRAPH