51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

It was standing room only at Queen's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast, the latest stop on the 'Articulated Laurie' lecture tour by The Times Higher 's columnist.

Professor Taylor confided that he had sought to develop a lucrative consultancy career. He had written to many big companies, but they had lost all interest once they discovered he was a sociologist.

But there was enormous interest from the crowd as Professor Taylor outlined Queen's vision for the 21st century. 'I can feel the vitality coming back at me. You're people with a vision,' he said.

He revealed that Peter Gregson, the new vice-chancellor of Queen's, made wooden toys while his wife made marmalade. 'So they may already have their escape route marked out,' he noted.

Professor Taylor will be at Aberdeen 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ on March 3 and at Exeter 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ on April 28. For details, or if your university is interested in hosting this event, email  lecture@thes.co.uk