My research is focussed on understanding how electrons organise themselves in solids to produce the wonderfully diverse range of phenomena encountered in modern condensed matter physics. I am particularly interested in how low-dimensionality and strong collective quantum effects can produce new states of matter, such as the high-temperature superconductors, quantum spin liquids, etc. The techniques I use are based mainly on using x-rays and neutrons to probe the structural and magnetic correlations that dominate the low-energy behaviour of these and other interesting classes of solids. This invariably means that I spend significant periods of time at central facilities such as ISIS in Oxfordshire, and the Institute Laue-Langevin and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, both located in Grenoble, France.