9781422277577

At four o’clock there was tea in the library, a very small room at the top of a turret staircase. A small table, a few kitchen chairs, and a couch was all that there was in the way of furniture. A kettle on a small stove provided boiling water, and tea was served in an odd collection of cups and mugs. There was enough food to keep the team going until ten o’clock, when there was a second tea break before they went home. Some would stay even later if their work was interesting or had to be completed that night. The main purpose of the four o’clock meetings was to talk about work. The results of the previous day’s experiments would be reported, and they would all discuss them. After this Wright would talk about any new ideas he had. Finally, they would plan the night’s work.

John Freeman (1877–1962) recruited Fleming to take a post in the bacteriology department at St. Mary’s—mainly so he could contribute to the shooting team. The two men would be colleagues for many years, with each expecting to eventually succeed Almroth Wright as head of the bacteriology department.

The late-night meetings were similar, but they were often attended by visitors who would come there to talk with Wright. These included his old friend George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright; statesmen like Lord Balfour; and industrialists like Arthur Guinness.

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