Saville's father John - also a historian, this time at Hull - is the subject of the Antithesis summer competition. Now 81, he was entered for the research assessment exercise at the age of 80. (Both his and Richard's departments got a 5.) Was anyone older entered in the 1996 RAE? And can anyone shed light on two of his ex-students who seem to have vanished into obscurity? They are former matelot John Prescott and junior civil servant Ron Dearing.