Once again, just before Easter, a goodly number of people gathered to hear a series of papers on a variety of aspects of adhesion presented by authors from a number of countries. Overall they all seemed to be as well pleased as ever with what they received. One might have thought that by now-the twenty-eighth year-the whole range of possible topics had been scanned; but no, there are two papers which are concerned with an entirely new one. This arises from the fairly recent recognition that if society is to utilise adhesives and gain anything like their potential advantage, then there is a whole area of dissemination of information and a special sort of education which must be accomplished. To meet this need various initiatives have been undertaken, and two of these are reported within this volume-in addition to papers of the more conventional technological type. As always, I must record my thanks to all those who make possible both these conferences and the books through which the papers are available to a wider audience. The audience, the authors and their secretaries, various people within the University, the publishers and their staff; all are essential parts of the whole. To them, each and everyone, may I express my sincere appreciation and gratitude.
