The odd bit of carbon

Anthony Hill joined Gordon Stone's research group as a post-doctoral research assistant from 1986-8 in the halcyon days of the "E317" lab at the University of Bristol. The supportive environment of creative and imaginative synthetic design that Gordon fostered in Bristol was unparalleled, quite without apology for the pursuit of curiosity-driven science that bordered on molecular fine arts. In 1996 Gordon handed over the reins of Advances in Organometallic Chemistry, the journal series, now running to some 60 volumes, which Gordon inaugurated in 1964 with Bob West. During Gordon's mid-career phase, when he had a mere 400 publications to his name, carbyne chemistry held special interest for him. The work to follow reflects the enthusiasm those times engendered in this intriguing class of compounds.