Twenty-five years is a considerable time span in the life of any scientific discipline; certainly in this twentieth century when development is so rapid. For the science of adhesion and the technology of adhesives this is particularly true. For these, the immediately past quarter century might be compared with the Renaissance when all the civilised world was alight with the 'new learning'. Certainly it has been a period of immense advance both of understanding and of application in this an~a of scientific endeavour. It was in the light of this situation that here at City University we set about arranging the Twenty-fifth Annual Conference on Adhesion and Adhesives, of which this volume presents the proceedings. A total of seventeen papers from seven countries, covering a span of topics from organic chemistry through physical chemistry and physics to engineering. Truly this Conference has 'come of age' and is acknowledged as the annual international venue for the consideration of adhesion in all its diversity. It is our earnest hope and intention that it shall continue for many more years. May I express my personal gratitude to all those who make the event possible; the audiences as well as the speakers, all those in the University who help in various ways, and the publishers who make it possible for you, the wider audience, to have these proceedings.