Charter chance

Makers of wax seals, fine vellum and other essentials of life in modern Britain should head for Japan if they feel like opening up a new export market. Last Friday's presentation of the Royal Charter to the new Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils by Sir John Cadogan, director general of the research councils, was made at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the presence of leading lights of Riken, Japan's national physics and chemistry lab. They were amazed at the intricate charter and said that no laboratory or university in Japan has anything remotely like it.