Christmas came late in the form of a Perkin Elmer Clarus 500/560 GCMS. I've been fighting for one for over 20 years and finally got the go ahead at the end of the worst year financially for my company! Apparently, it was due to some kind of accountancy thingy - well beyond my levels of understanding. Anyway, I can't complain as I now have a new toy to play with.

It came in two of the biggest boxes I have ever seen, each one about 2 cubic metres in size. Unpacking and getting it into our first floor lab was an interesting lesson in logistics, but managed to get it on the bench without denting it. Its now up and running and boy does it make life easier! The first thing I did with it is analyse a competitor's screen wash (used in screen printing). The whole analysis was done and dusted with a single injection!