Wednesday, 22 September 2010 00:00

Going Home in the Dark is Nothing New for Qual Researchers

Now that the festivities of summer have come to a close, people everywhere will be trudging home shaking their fists at the setting sun as that the time of year has come again for depressing hometime journeys. The joy of leaving work will now be overcast with the shadow of a 4pm sunset and that melancholy buzz of streetlights that pitifully light our journeys home.

We've watched night-time descend at an increasing pace throughout the summer – those few extra moments left unappreciated. What ever happened to playing Stuck in the Mud right up until dinner time?

Most will admit to a case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) as soon as autumn pops its dreary head around the September seasonal crossroad. But us quallies don't do SAD.

You can often find us night-creatures of research howling (with joy) at the moon or grinning like the Cheshire Cat after some predictably predictable groups. It's a function that folds itself seamlessly into our nocturnal tendencies. It makes us a unique breed.

Going home in the dark isn't new to quallies. We're used to it. We've adapted and evolved. Going home when its dark is as normal for a quallie as a DUI is for George Michael.

Although we consider ourselves a proud party of night workers (not quite in that sexy Soho way), for those of you who value our nocturnal tendencies please spare a thought for our distinct lack of Vitamin D and a retirement riddled with misshapen hips, rickets and jaundice. Vitamin supplements are most welcome.