ONE of Huddersfield University's longest-serving employees has retired.

Geoff Calderbank, Dean of Art and Design is retiring after 32 years' service.

Mr Calderbank, of Almondbury, came to the then Huddersfield Polytechnic on August 1, 1974, having gained experience of lecturing at Manchester Polytechnic.

He was part of a new contingent of architects employed in the School of Architecture at the time with the task of creating the institution's first degree in architecture.

Before his appointment he had undertaken his architectural research at Strathclyde University in Glasgow on a subject still with us now - queueing in airports.

But what really impressed his new colleagues was that Mr Calderbank had driven a huge mainframe computer in pursuit of his research. This was at a time when the pocket calculator was still a novelty.

He ran the Royal Institute of British Architects' part 2 course for several years and was then promoted to principal lecturer in charge of the building studies area.

He later became head of architecture.

Then, following the university's re-structuring, the Architecture Department became part of a new faculty, the School of Design Technology, which incorporated architecture and textile design students.

He was appointed dean of the new school and oversaw its rise to become one of the university's major components, with a rapid growth in student numbers and a large course provision.

Mr Calderbank is married to Chris and they have two sons.