Interesting anecdote. While at Cambridge I literally had the door shut in my face while trying to attend Dr. Hawkins only public lecture of the year. I was extremely disappointed. The next night I was at a play and just before the curtain opened, the professor rolled -up and sat next me. We had a lovely conversation at intermission and chatted for a bit at the end. I missed the lecture but gained so much more and it was totally unexpected and unplanned. Opportunity seems to arrive on its own schedule.