The following diary contains the personal views of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the producers.

Day 1 — Saturday, 10 July

Julie, the Production Assistant, picks me up at home at 0945, on our way to where? I've no idea where we're headed; it's all been kept a secret. All I've been told is that we're going somewhere hot, so pack sunblock and shorts. I suspect from one or two hints that have 'accidentally' been dropped that we're going somewhere in Italy, though I'm not sure at all. We arrive at Gatwick [Airport] just after midday and the rest of the team is waiting for us. It's good to see them all again, and comforting to know that the other scientists have no idea where we're off to either. The excitement's palpable. We all met for a 'getting-to-know you' day back in June. The day also served as a practice run at the kind of thing we're going to be expected to do on our 'deserted' island, which is now only a few hours away. The only (scientific) team member I know well is Jonathan (Hare), with whom I'd worked on some TV programmes for The VEGA Science Trust and Professor Sir Harry Kroto (the 1996 Chemistry Nobel Prize-winner). I know some of the production team members, but not all of them. Now that we're all together again, it looks like we're going to have a fun time, wherever it is we're off to.

Jonathan's a physicist/chemist I think. The other scientists are Anna (a plant biologist), Mike the younger (a molecular biologist who used to be a car mechanic; I can see that his skills as the former are likely to be less useful to us than his ability to wield an oily rag), and Vanessa (a marine biologist who I'd worked closely with on our 'getting-to-know you' day).

As well as the scientists, there's Kate, the series presenter [host], two cameramen (Derek and Drew), sound recordist John, Producer and Director (David), Series Producer (Paul), our researcher and scientific adviser Angie, and Julie the PA. Thirteen in all!

Waiting for us, wherever it is we're headed, is the fourteenth member of the team, a 'local' woman called Amy who's role will be to 'fix' things for us. What a crowd; you can sense we're in for a good time. This is going to be special.

After a two-hour flight, we arrive at Pisa, and are whisked off to the Ferry port at Livorno, a few kilometres to the south west. We're told that this is where we'll be staying overnight – in a hotel just across the road from the ferry terminal. We eat well that evening in the hotel's restaurant, and then head off to bed; tired little bunnies one and all. Understandably, everyone's really excited about what lies ahead.

Day 2 — Sunday, 11 July

After an early breakfast, it's time to check out and head off for the early-morning ferry. It's really good to have Julie looking after us all; there are none of the usual worries about tickets and passports — Julie handles it all. The relaxing ferry trip takes two and a half hours, but we're still no clearer as to exactly where we're going. Paul lets slip that it's an island called Monte Cristo, but this turns out to be another of his mischievous red herrings. We eventually disembark on a beautiful, but rather barren, little island called Capraia, which is a few kilometres north of Corsica. It's a desolate, volcanic pile rising 1 500 metres out of the sea. David, our Director is waiting for us at the quayside, and he looks pleased to see us. He arrived a few days earlier to set things up so that we can all start work as soon as possible.

As all fourteen of us are driven up towards the island's summit in a convoy of 4WDs, I begin to wish I hadn't eaten so much on the ferry. The tarmac road turns to dirt track, and then to rock-strewn roller coaster! We're in the middle of nowhere. It's a beautiful place to be, the Sun's out, and boy is it hot! I can't help thinking how lucky we are to be here!!

We're thrown around so much in our Land Rover that it's a relief when the five scientists and presenter are 'told' to get out and stand in the glaring early afternoon sun while the film crews go on ahead so that they can position themselves to record our 'arrival' at the place where we'll be doing most of the filming. As with much of the Rough Science material, the Production crew want to capture the spontaneity of the moment. We're not allowed to fake it. As the six of us stand in the sun wondering what awaits us, I can't help feeling that we're the only ones not getting a perverse pleasure from our predicament.

What awaits us round the bend in the 'track'? I wouldn't put it past Paul the Producer to be bluffing yet again. Is this another of his wind-ups? We're given the signal to approach, and as we turn the bend, a derelict, yet quite beautiful, set of buildings hoves into view. What is this place? It's bizarre.

A quick inspection indicates the presence of rows of cells (a monastery?), but the bars at the windows suggest a more sinister previous use. The complex looks as if it's been deserted for some years, and there's evidence that the local fauna have taken it over as a Winter refuge. Some of the rooms contain odd bits of broken furniture and other artefacts. Most of the ground-floor rooms are strewn with animal droppings of one sort or another. Mmmmm, nice working conditions.

This place is eerie!! It's like something out of a Spaghetti Western. You can almost hear the Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Some of the rooms have been 'prepared' for use as workspaces. The courtyard and surrounding land is littered with all kinds of junk that will come in handy for use as laboratory equipment. For example, there's a bottle dump, containing an assortment of glass bottles of different sizes. There are lengths of rubber tubing lying around, bits and pieces of different metals — just the kind of things we're going to need for our challenges, whatever they're going to be. As the chemist in the group, I'd been worried as to how I was going to get on without the usual hardware that we chemists usually rely on; beakers, flasks, condensers, etc. A quick stroll round the prison yard puts my mind at rest. We have enough here with which to improvise, no problem.

It turns out that until 13 years ago this place was a prison. It has the unsettling ambience of a place of torture and confinement; an altogether strange setting for the Rough Science experience we're all about to embark on.

Next page 

Major funding for Rough Science was provided by the National Science Foundation. Corporate funding was provided by Subaru.