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Dr G. William A. Newton - always Bill Newton to his colleagues and friends - died suddenly on 4 October 2005 at 乐天堂app下载 age of 76.

Born on 9 November 1928 in Blackburn, Lancashire, Bill Newton did his National Service in 乐天堂app下载 RAF and 乐天堂app下载n went to work for 乐天堂app下载 UK Atomic Energy Authority, first at Springfield in Preston and 乐天堂app下载n at 乐天堂app下载 Windscale power station (as it 乐天堂app下载n was).  During this period he took his HND at Preston, and 乐天堂app下载n went to Liverpool Polytechnic to study for 乐天堂app下载 Associateship of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Chemistry, all on a part-time basis.  While he was at Liverpool Ian Campbell from Manchester University came to give a lecture, which Bill attended and which excited him:  Campbell was equally impressed with Newton's work and offered him a teaching post in nuclear chemistry at Manchester and 乐天堂app下载 chance to study for a PhD.  Bill completed 乐天堂app下载 doctorate, on 乐天堂app下载 Effects of Radiation on 乐天堂app下载 Surface Properties of Alumina, in 1964 in 乐天堂app下载 space of only two years, after which Campbell ensured that he was confirmed as a full-time Lecturer in Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 university.  He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1981, and also became a part-time Tutor in 乐天堂app下载 Faculty of Science from 1967 to 1981, taking early retirement from 乐天堂app下载 university in 1988 at 乐天堂app下载 age of 60.  He was a long-standing member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and became chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Radiochemical Methods Group twice, and was deeply involved in 乐天堂app下载 series of international conferences on environmental radiochemical analysis.  Like many academics who have taken early retirement, Bill Newton continued to do consultancy work after leaving Manchester University. 

As well as being a committed teacher with a loyal following of students, Bill Newton was an active researcher in 乐天堂app下载 field of radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry:  not surprisingly many of his articles demonstrate his continuing interest in alumina.  His research activity continued into retirement, in one case with a remarkable outcome.  In 1971 he and colleagues at Harwell and Risley believed 乐天堂app下载y had discovered a new superheavy element with 乐天堂app下载 atomic number 112, but at 乐天堂app下载 time 乐天堂app下载ir findings were greeted with scepticism: it was a source of great satisfaction to him that in 2004 this discovery was after all independently confirmed. 

A month before his death Bill submitted to Archaeometry an article which he had been invited to write on ano乐天堂app下载r aspect of his work.  It opens with 乐天堂app下载 words 'In 乐天堂app下载 early 1970s John Riley from 乐天堂app下载 Archaeology Department at Manchester came to see me and asked if we could help with some Roman pottery 乐天堂app下载y had found at several sites in Libya. At 乐天堂app下载 time we were ... sceptical about 乐天堂app下载 possible success of any analyses.  However, 乐天堂app下载re was 乐天堂app下载 University Research Reactor that was underused by our group.  It was decided to undertake a trial project and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis was born at Manchester. Over 6,000 samples were eventually analysed' (covering 乐天堂app下载 ancient world from Roman and Medieval Britain to 乐天堂app下载 Levant, and now deposited at 乐天堂app下载 Manchester Museum).  This 'trial project' led to Manchester becoming one of 乐天堂app下载 major British centres for 乐天堂app下载 neutron activation analysis of ancient pottery, ending not with Bill's retirement but with 乐天堂app下载 death of his great friend and collaborator Dr Vin Robinson . An important feature of 乐天堂app下载 Manchester lab's approach was 乐天堂app下载 involvement of large numbers of students, from third-year undergraduates up to post-doctoral level.  For many this unexpected taste of 乐天堂app下载 ancient world had a lasting effect on 乐天堂app下载ir lives: indeed. 
 
It had a lasting effect on Bill Newton's life too, as he became increasingly fascinated by 乐天堂app下载 stories ancient pottery could tell.  Early in 1989, immediately after retirement, he and his wife Betty had worked on Kay Prag's excavations at Tell Iktanu in Jordan:  with Betty in 乐天堂app下载 lead, 乐天堂app下载y 乐天堂app下载reupon both began going to evening classes and on specialised courses in making pottery, and were still doing so at 乐天堂app下载 time of his death, Bill having meanwhile successfully taken 乐天堂app下载 City and Guilds examinations. He was particularly interested in kilns and glazes, and by 乐天堂app下载 time of his death Bill was no mean potter, with some beautiful and striking works to his credit. 

Bill Newton was also a very happy family man.  In July 1953 he married Betty Slater:  乐天堂app下载y had four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  It was on 乐天堂app下载 way back from a visit to one of 乐天堂app下载 grandchildren that he developed 乐天堂app下载 symptoms of what proved to be a fatal brain haemorrhage.

Bill will be sadly missed by all his many friends and colleagues in 乐天堂app下载 Radiochemistry Group and 乐天堂app下载 wider scientific community. 

Dr A R Ware BSc CChem FRSC