"Save British Science Society: Supporting Science and the Applications of Science" is the header that accompanies all SBS press releases. The society's bold mission (impossible?) seems however to ignore elementary planning.
For the rail union Aslef announced as long ago as July 9 a full schedule of ten strikes on the London Underground. One of the dates happened to be August 13. So what does SBS arrange the previous week? You guessed it. A big press conference in London for that very day to have a moan about Gillian Shephard ignoring scientists.
Of course it had to be cancelled. And to add insult to injury, the tube strike was cancelled at the last minute. ErI PS. Christmas Day is on Wednesday December 25.