An appreciation of the years 1995–2020.

GLO:O8T/01dec21:jrs6102-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 1 Photomontage (courtesy of David Long and the family): From the bottom left, proceeding anticlockwise: Derek Long at the start of his scientific career, as a member of Jesus College matriculating into the University of Oxford in 1943, his first book "Raman Spectroscopy", his last book "At the Sign of Atlas: the Life and Work of Joseph Moxon, A Restoration Polymath", his cottage "Three Houses" at Llandeloy, Roch, Dyfed where much of his writing was undertaken, his collection of classic woodworking planes (including a facsimile of the ivory Roman plane excavated at Goodmanham, which was the topic of his last paper published in JRS with Howell Edwards), and finally, Derek in his garden with his dog, Rupert gl This appreciation covers the 25 years from 1995 to the present and follows on from the survey of the predominantly spectroscopic career of Derek Long that was presented in a special issue of JRS in August 1995, on the occasion of his reaching his 70th birthday that year. That same year, he collaborated in what is believed to be his last scientific research paper in Raman spectroscopy, published in JRS that same year with the author, on the Raman spectroscopic analysis of the Goodmanham plane. It is noteworthy that this last paper of his in his beloved JRS brought together his diverse interests in classic woodworking tools, antiquarianism and in Raman spectroscopic analysis. [Extracted from the article]