Random Personal Memories of a Long-Term ACP Member

These are some of the random memories of happenings and events linked in my mind with the ACP for approximately the last thirty years. There are so many many people, and I am naming very few but all of the recalls are populated.

I became aware of the importance in my professional life of the ACP when I attended my first study weekend – one of the many initiative occasions which cemented the unity of the Association. These yearly meetings, taking place at the Hampstead Child Therapy Course & Clinic (renamed the Anna Freud Centre on Miss Freud's death), were exciting, exhilarating events with presentation of high-quality papers by members of each training school, followed by intense discussions in which semantics added to the wonderful learning confusion (what were the definitions of introjection/projection?). All continued as we ate and drank, with our amazing appetites, the delicious food and drink provided by the members. We were asking to bring our favourite dish, yet there was always a balance of savoury and sweet – could this have been symbolic of the diversity in our unity? They were ‘getting to know you’ gatherings, and the beginnings of long-lasting friendships in our small community – fewer than 100 members. As the membership has increased, we outgrew the original venue, moving to the Tavistock, to the Business School, and onwards, being however still provided with diverse, often brilliant papers and usually excellently catered food; but it is more difficult now for the ‘oldies' to keep in touch with the many new faces.

I cannot remember when (perhaps in ) I was ‘coerced’ into standing for the Executive Committee and found myself involved in a series of sub-committees for many years. I do remember Doris Wills, one of the original founders of the Association, the clear authority on any constitutional matter, kindly instructing us all on what could be done legally, cutting through our too frequent hazy proposals. Jess Guthrie was the convener