As interest in the whole science and technology of adhesion and adhesives grows, so do the meetings concerned with it proliferate. In the light of this, it is gratifying that this, the oldest regular meeting in the field, maintains its position by attracting both speakers and audience of such high standard from across the world year after year; further, that we are enabled to reach a wider audience through the publication of the papers presented at the conference in this series of volumes. This present volume, Number 14, differs from its predecessors by the addition of two extra items. Firstly, 1989 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Adhesion Society of Japan. As part of the celebrations, the Society arranged a mission to Europe which culminated in a Special Anglo-Japanese Symposium on 21 April at The City University, London. We are fortunate in being able to include two of the papers presented by our Japanese visitors. Secondly, on Christmas Day,just as the final work on this volume was being completed, William C. ('Bill') Wake sadly died. We have included an appreciation of his contribution both to these conferences and to the world of adhesion generally. Finally, may I once again express my thanks to all those who have made possible the production of this volume. They are far too numerous to mention individually, including the authors, their secretaries, various members of the staff of the University, and our publishers; to them all, 'Thank you very much'.

1. Bonded Web Stiffeners for Steel Bridges.- 2. Factors Affecting Pretreatment Design to Optimise Adhesive Bonding of Aluminium.- 3. Analysis of Surface Coating on Aluminium.- 4. Rubber Adhesion Variation with Dwell Time: Influence of Polymer Type, Substrate and Environment.- 5. The Wetting of Viscoelastic Solids.- 6. Maxima in Peel Forces, as Adherend Thickness Varies.- 7. Adhesive Bonding of Plastics with Special Emphasis to Stress Cracking.- 8. Adhesive Composition Systems in Degradative Conditions.- 9. Experimental and Analytical Studies of the Fracture Behaviour of Engineering Adhesives and Adhesive Joints under Impact Loading.- 10. An Adhesive Joint Failure Investigation.- 11. Adhesive Selection Using the PAL Computer Program.- 12. Use of Fluid Baths for the Cure of Adhesive Joints.- 13. Practical Applications of Structural Adhesives.- 14. A Review of Adhesives in the Automotive Industry Today.- 15. Stress Analysis and Fracture Mechanics of Adhesive Joints.- 16. Toughening of Epoxy Adhesives with Predispersed Modified SEBS.