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The magazine for <strong>the</strong> staff <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong> september/october 2009<br />

<strong>Open</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

The Festival <strong>of</strong><br />

Ideas returns<br />

page 4<br />

West Road hits<br />

<strong>the</strong> high notes<br />

page 10


snapshot<br />

Sun achievement: A solar-powered<br />

racing car created by <strong>Cambridge</strong> students<br />

was given <strong>the</strong> seal <strong>of</strong> approval by Formula<br />

1 driver Jenson Button at <strong>the</strong> Goodwood<br />

Festival <strong>of</strong> Speed. Codenamed Bethany,<br />

<strong>the</strong> car is being touted as Britain’s<br />

brightest hope for <strong>the</strong> World Solar<br />

Challenge – a tough, 3,000km race<br />

across <strong>the</strong> Australian Outback this<br />

autumn. It is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong>’s 2009<br />

projects marking its 800th anniversary.<br />

contents<br />

Cover <strong>Open</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong>,<br />

a weekend <strong>of</strong> tours, walks<br />

and exhibitions, will see<br />

college doors open to <strong>the</strong><br />

public. Turn to page 11 for<br />

<strong>the</strong> full story.<br />

Photo: Philip Mynott<br />

3–5 What’s new<br />

6–7 Getting practical<br />

Sassoon bid: <strong>Cambridge</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />

Library has launched a campaign at<br />

So<strong>the</strong>by’s in London to acquire <strong>the</strong><br />

archive <strong>of</strong> Siegfried Sassoon’s personal<br />

papers. Should <strong>the</strong> £1.25 million<br />

campaign be successful, it would form<br />

<strong>the</strong> most significant archive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> poet’s<br />

work anywhere. The picture shown is<br />

copyright <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> executors <strong>of</strong> GT Sassoon<br />

deceased, used by kind permission <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

executors and courtesy <strong>of</strong> So<strong>the</strong>by’s.<br />

Making waves: This picture <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

test trials for Project Pebble – an ultralow-cost<br />

deep sea photographic device<br />

– has won <strong>the</strong> photography competition<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Engineering.<br />

The annual contest is open to anyone<br />

in <strong>the</strong> department and aims to uncover<br />

fascinating images from <strong>the</strong> world <strong>of</strong><br />

engineering. View <strong>the</strong> images online at<br />

http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/photocomp/<br />

A place for all: A new community room<br />

at <strong>the</strong> West <strong>Cambridge</strong> Site is now open<br />

for meetings and social events. The<br />

room, <strong>of</strong>ficially launched by <strong>University</strong><br />

Registrary Dr Jonathan Nicholls, pictured,<br />

can be hired free <strong>of</strong> charge during<br />

<strong>the</strong> week and for £30 at weekends for<br />

meetings <strong>of</strong> up to 30 people. To book,<br />

email Julia Bro<strong>the</strong>rton at ljb76@admin.<br />

cam.ac.uk.<br />

8–9 Making a difference<br />

How research students are helping<br />

<strong>the</strong> third sector<br />

10 Behind <strong>the</strong> scenes<br />

The West Road Concert Hall<br />

11 Inside <strong>the</strong> colleges<br />

12 People<br />

13 Prizes, awards and honours<br />

14 Advertisements<br />

15 Interview<br />

Crime writer and <strong>Cambridge</strong> academic<br />

Liz Cruwys<br />

16 Back page<br />

newsletter<br />

The Newsletter is published for <strong>the</strong> staff <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong> and is produced by <strong>the</strong><br />

Office <strong>of</strong> External Affairs and Communications.<br />

Please send in ideas for <strong>the</strong> content and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

ways we can improve <strong>the</strong> publication.<br />

Tel: (3)32300 or email newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk.<br />

Suggestions for articles for <strong>the</strong> November/<br />

December edition should reach <strong>the</strong> Editor<br />

by 22 September.<br />

Editor: Andrew Aldridge<br />

Advertising: Nick Saffell<br />

Design: <strong>Cambridge</strong> Creations<br />

Printers: Labute Printers<br />

Newsletter online<br />

www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/newsletter/<br />

2 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


what’s new<br />

Your comments and contributions are always welcome.<br />

Please send <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> Editor at newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk<br />

The deadline for <strong>the</strong> next issue is 22 September.<br />

Newcomers to get even warmer welcome<br />

New staff and visiting scholars are now<br />

able to make use <strong>of</strong> a variety <strong>of</strong> enhanced<br />

services to help <strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong>ir families<br />

settle in at <strong>Cambridge</strong>.<br />

The services, run by <strong>the</strong> Newcomers<br />

and Visiting Scholars Society, include a<br />

revamped website and Facebook page,<br />

to go with a new programme <strong>of</strong> events<br />

for Michaelmas Term.<br />

Activities ranging from guided tours<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s museums, Evensong at<br />

King’s College and talks on British culture<br />

– many <strong>of</strong> which are free – will take place<br />

over <strong>the</strong> coming months. These are in<br />

addition to <strong>the</strong> society’s regular weekly<br />

meetings at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> Centre<br />

(see ‘Find out more’).<br />

Newcomers and Visiting Scholars<br />

Society Director Liz Hodder says<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> <strong>the</strong> city and <strong>University</strong><br />

can seem an impenetrable place to new<br />

joiners – particularly those who have<br />

arrived for <strong>the</strong> first time from overseas.<br />

She says: “A lot <strong>of</strong> people feel<br />

intimidated, especially by <strong>the</strong> buildings –<br />

<strong>the</strong>y feel <strong>the</strong>y are not available to <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

Our events give people a chance to meet<br />

o<strong>the</strong>rs in a similar position and learn<br />

about <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>.”<br />

The society’s bid to attract people<br />

using social media channels is particularly<br />

important, says Liz, as many <strong>of</strong> today’s<br />

newcomers want to research <strong>the</strong><br />

The Newcomers and Visiting<br />

Scholars Society’s weekly<br />

meetings are a good place to<br />

make friends at <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> and try to develop a social<br />

network months before <strong>the</strong>y arrive.<br />

And it isn’t just those who work at<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> who can benefit from <strong>the</strong><br />

society’s work; partners and family are<br />

also welcome.<br />

Says Liz: “Our biggest mission<br />

is to reach people. We would like<br />

departmental administrators to pass<br />

on our details if <strong>the</strong>y know someone<br />

who is a newcomer or visiting scholar<br />

and encourage <strong>the</strong>m to get in touch.<br />

We can do <strong>the</strong> rest.”<br />

find out more<br />

Telephone: (01223) 338099<br />

Email: Julie Darsley at<br />

jrd32@admin.cam.ac.uk<br />

Website: www.accommodation.cam.ac.uk<br />

Facebook group: <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

Newcomers and Visiting Scholars<br />

Meetings: Every Tuesday at <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> Centre from 10.45am<br />

until 12 noon<br />

Dr John Cleaver<br />

College quartet hits 40<br />

The Fitzwilliam String Quartet celebrates<br />

its 40th anniversary this year. The quartet,<br />

resident at Fitzwilliam College, recently<br />

gave a concert at <strong>the</strong> college’s auditorium<br />

to mark <strong>the</strong> milestone. The evening’s<br />

repertoire included Tchaikovsky’s<br />

Quartet No. 1, which also featured in its<br />

first concert in 1969. Since <strong>the</strong>n it has<br />

performed across Britain, Europe, North<br />

America, <strong>the</strong> Far East and Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Africa,<br />

as well as recording many award-winning<br />

LPs and CDs for Decca and Linn. For<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r information on <strong>the</strong> quartet, visit<br />

➔ www.fitzwilliamquartet.org<br />

The Fitzwilliam Quartet,<br />

comprising (from left to right)<br />

Lucy Russell, Jonathan Spasey,<br />

Hea<strong>the</strong>r Tuack and Alan<br />

George, celebrates 40 years<br />

<strong>of</strong> excellence<br />

Music festival<br />

inspired by Darwin<br />

The 2009 <strong>Cambridge</strong> Music Festival<br />

is to take <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me ‘Music and<br />

Evolution’ in commemoration <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> 200th anniversary <strong>of</strong> Charles<br />

Darwin’s birth and <strong>the</strong> 150th<br />

anniversary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> publication<br />

<strong>of</strong> On <strong>the</strong> Origin <strong>of</strong> Species.<br />

The festival, which runs from<br />

8–29 November, incorporates more<br />

than 70 concerts, recitals and talks in<br />

various venues across <strong>the</strong> city.<br />

The choir <strong>of</strong> Gonville and Caius<br />

College will perform new settings <strong>of</strong><br />

psalms by six <strong>Cambridge</strong> alumni on<br />

22 November in St John’s College Chapel.<br />

Tickets for all concerts are available now<br />

from <strong>the</strong> Corn Exchange box <strong>of</strong>fice on<br />

(01223) 357851. For more information<br />

on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong> Music Festival, visit<br />

http://www.cammusic.co.uk/<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 3


what’s new<br />

Festival <strong>of</strong> Ideas returns ‘bigger and better’<br />

Festival highlights<br />

l David Starkey on Henry VIII’s legacy<br />

– 5.30-6.30pm, 27 October, Mill<br />

Lane Lecture Room 3. Pre-booking<br />

required (see below)<br />

l Author Michael Morpurgo talks<br />

about his writing – 10.30–11.30am,<br />

24 October, Lady Mitchell Hall,<br />

Sidgwick Site. Pre-booking required<br />

l Plant Orchestra. Artist Luke Jerram<br />

will amplify <strong>the</strong> imperceptible<br />

soundwaves <strong>of</strong> plants in <strong>the</strong> Botanic<br />

Garden. From 5.30–8pm, 21–25<br />

October. Pre-booking required<br />

l Prehistory Day. Experience<br />

aspects <strong>of</strong> prehistoric life,<br />

10–4pm, 24 October,<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Archaeological Unit,<br />

Storey’s Way. Drop in.<br />

➔ The Festival <strong>of</strong> Ideas runs<br />

from 21 October to 1 November.<br />

For more information and to view<br />

a full programme, go to www.<br />

cambridgefestival<strong>of</strong>ideas.org.<br />

To pre-book an event call<br />

(01223) 766766.<br />

The Festival <strong>of</strong> Ideas is<br />

a chance to learn about<br />

language, culture and<br />

many o<strong>the</strong>r topics<br />

Historian David Starkey is set to<br />

headline this year’s <strong>Cambridge</strong> Festival<br />

<strong>of</strong> Ideas which, in <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s 800th<br />

year, focuses on centuries <strong>of</strong> people<br />

and thought.<br />

He will give <strong>the</strong> first Mark Pigott<br />

Lecture on <strong>the</strong> legacy <strong>of</strong> Henry VIII,<br />

whose achievements included founding<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press and<br />

Trinity College.<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r authors attending <strong>the</strong> festival<br />

include Michael Morpurgo, who will<br />

launch Family Day on 24 October,<br />

<strong>the</strong> festival’s busiest day.<br />

This is <strong>the</strong> second year <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> festival,<br />

which celebrates <strong>the</strong> arts, humanities and<br />

social sciences, and is run in partnership<br />

with Anglia Ruskin <strong>University</strong>, <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> Press and <strong>the</strong> Higher Education<br />

Funding Council for England.<br />

Last year’s festival attracted more<br />

than 5,000 people, but this year <strong>the</strong> aim<br />

is to make it bigger and better. It will<br />

include more than 150 events, ranging<br />

from evening debates, exhibitions and<br />

hands-on workshops, all designed to<br />

open up <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public<br />

and inspire people to learn more about<br />

subjects as diverse as history, literature,<br />

language, art and politics.<br />

The debates, talks and events,<br />

most <strong>of</strong> which are free, will take place<br />

in <strong>University</strong> lecture halls, museums,<br />

art galleries and o<strong>the</strong>r venues around<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>. Innovations this year include:<br />

• Ideas in <strong>the</strong> Community, a series <strong>of</strong> oneday<br />

events at local community centres<br />

• A national media partner. The Guardian<br />

will stream debates on its website.<br />

BBC <strong>Cambridge</strong>shire will be <strong>the</strong><br />

festival’s local partner<br />

• A competition with <strong>Cambridge</strong> News<br />

and BBC <strong>Cambridge</strong>shire encouraged<br />

members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> public to suggest<br />

questions <strong>the</strong>y wanted to see debated.<br />

The result is a clash <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> classics<br />

with Pr<strong>of</strong>essors Mary Beard and Paul<br />

Cartledge debating whe<strong>the</strong>r languages<br />

are a force for domination or civilisation<br />

• The Mark Pigott Lecture. This will<br />

become a regular feature and has been<br />

created to recognise <strong>the</strong> contribution<br />

<strong>of</strong> PACCAR Chairman Mark Pigott<br />

who donated £2m to <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />

for <strong>the</strong> Pigott Scholars Programme.<br />

This will ensure annual funding <strong>of</strong> UK<br />

graduate students studying in <strong>the</strong><br />

arts, humanities and social sciences<br />

departments.<br />

Festival <strong>of</strong> Ideas Coordinator<br />

Nicola Buckley said: “We are really<br />

pleased to be building on <strong>the</strong> popularity<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first festival. It was great last year<br />

to see lots <strong>of</strong> local families getting<br />

hands on with a huge range <strong>of</strong><br />

subjects, and people <strong>of</strong> all ages<br />

learning about economics, politics<br />

and much more at <strong>the</strong> evening<br />

talks and debates.”<br />

4 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


Pay a visit to <strong>the</strong> online edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Newsletter:<br />

www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/newsletter/<br />

Found! First evidence <strong>of</strong> pre-Norman <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

A hoard <strong>of</strong> historic finds, including<br />

Roman pottery, medieval remains and<br />

<strong>the</strong> bones <strong>of</strong> an 11th-century dog, have<br />

been found at <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />

during an excavation marking its 800th<br />

anniversary.<br />

This late-Saxon dog<br />

was uncovered during<br />

an archaeological dig<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Old Schools<br />

The dig, which took place eight<br />

feet underneath <strong>the</strong> staff tea room in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Old Schools, uncovered material<br />

that is believed to pre-date <strong>the</strong> Norman<br />

Conquest. It is <strong>the</strong> first hard evidence<br />

that more than 150 years before <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong>’s arrival in 1209, <strong>the</strong> area<br />

that now forms its administrative centre<br />

was occupied by a bustling Anglo-Saxon<br />

community.<br />

Archaeologists unear<strong>the</strong>d a number<br />

<strong>of</strong> animal bones, boundary markings and<br />

signs <strong>of</strong> quarrying, which suggest that,<br />

in <strong>the</strong> final decades <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Saxon era, <strong>the</strong><br />

foundations <strong>of</strong> what was to become <strong>the</strong><br />

heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> were being laid.<br />

Higher up, at what is being referred<br />

to as <strong>the</strong> ‘1209 level’, <strong>the</strong> dig uncovered<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r materials that have helped to<br />

provide a snapshot <strong>of</strong> life at <strong>the</strong> time<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s foundation.<br />

Fur<strong>the</strong>r up still, <strong>the</strong> excavators hit<br />

<strong>the</strong> original medieval frontage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Old Schools.<br />

“The site has enabled us to<br />

prove what we previously had no<br />

pro<strong>of</strong> for – that by <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Norman Conquest, <strong>the</strong>re was a thriving<br />

settlement in <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong>,”<br />

Richard Newman, site director with<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong> Archaeological<br />

Unit, said.<br />

“Until now this was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

least-investigated parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city.<br />

What it has shown is that a century<br />

and a half before <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> arrived,<br />

and 300 years before it started to build<br />

in this area, people were already living<br />

and working here.”<br />

The dig was taking place ahead <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> installation <strong>of</strong> a new lift shaft to <strong>the</strong><br />

Combination Room.<br />

Going strong at ten<br />

Two <strong>Cambridge</strong> institutions hit<br />

double figures over <strong>the</strong> summer.<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Dictionaries Online (CDO)<br />

has grown to become <strong>the</strong> most popular<br />

learner dictionary on <strong>the</strong> web, with<br />

29 million page views a month. CDO<br />

also compiles a monthly list <strong>of</strong> its most<br />

frequently viewed words.<br />

While common gremlins such as ‘liaise’<br />

and ‘discreet’ are tapped in to its search<br />

engine with unsurprising regularity, <strong>the</strong><br />

‘Top 40’, as it is affectionately referred to<br />

by staff, is also an interesting barometer<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> online community’s hopes, fears<br />

and interests. Back in April <strong>of</strong> this year,<br />

<strong>the</strong> word ‘swine’ entered <strong>the</strong> list as <strong>the</strong><br />

fifth most searched-for word. ‘Pandemic’,<br />

sitting in 14th place in late-July, may be<br />

a lot higher by <strong>the</strong> time this publication<br />

comes to be printed. Those who wish to<br />

brush up on <strong>the</strong>ir English can access <strong>the</strong><br />

site at http://dictionary.cambridge.org/<br />

Meanwhile, <strong>the</strong> tenth issue <strong>of</strong><br />

Research Horizons, <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s<br />

flagship research magazine, has just<br />

rolled <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> presses. The magazine<br />

provides a snapshot <strong>of</strong> research,<br />

discoveries and innovation across all<br />

disciplines at <strong>Cambridge</strong>: from science<br />

and technology, to arts, humanities and<br />

social sciences.<br />

Says editor Dr Louise Walsh:<br />

“Accessibility is our aim. <strong>Cambridge</strong> is<br />

renowned worldwide for <strong>the</strong> breadth and<br />

excellence <strong>of</strong> its research, and we aim<br />

to reflect this in a way that provides an<br />

informative and engaging read for our<br />

wide audience.”<br />

The magazine’s readership includes<br />

academics, funding bodies, policymakers,<br />

industry, students and media.<br />

“It is also a valuable way for colleagues<br />

across <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> to keep up-to-date<br />

with developments in disciplines o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

than <strong>the</strong>ir own,” adds Louise.<br />

The termly magazine and website is<br />

published by an editorial team within <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong>’s Research Services Division. It<br />

works closely with <strong>the</strong> Office <strong>of</strong> External<br />

Affairs and Communications, <strong>the</strong> Chairs<br />

<strong>of</strong> each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s six academic<br />

Schools and <strong>the</strong> Pro-Vice-Chancellor for<br />

Research.<br />

For details, please contact <strong>the</strong> editor at<br />

research.horizons@rsd.cam.ac.uk or visit<br />

www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 5


getting practical<br />

Streets ahead<br />

Many new and existing<br />

members <strong>of</strong> staff will<br />

need to find a property<br />

before or during <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

time at <strong>Cambridge</strong>,<br />

and <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> is<br />

dedicated to making it<br />

as hassle free as possible<br />

A mid-August afternoon at <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> Accommodation Service<br />

and staff are coping admirably with a<br />

relentless stream <strong>of</strong> enquiries. No sooner<br />

has one call been answered than ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

takes its place. The front door is opening<br />

and closing pretty quickly, too, as<br />

students and staff-to-be come along<br />

to hear about potential properties.<br />

Above <strong>the</strong> noise and bustle,<br />

Head <strong>of</strong> Service Nicky Blanning is trying<br />

to explain how she and her team can<br />

help newcomers and staff with a range<br />

<strong>of</strong> services – except <strong>the</strong> phone rings<br />

again, and she is <strong>of</strong>f to advise someone<br />

about primary schools in <strong>Cambridge</strong>.<br />

“August, September and October<br />

are our busiest months,” she explains on<br />

her return. “We are <strong>the</strong> first port <strong>of</strong> call<br />

for people looking for accommodation<br />

in <strong>Cambridge</strong>, and we will help any<br />

member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>.”<br />

“We have a<br />

two-storey<br />

house, with<br />

high hedges<br />

and four or five<br />

fruit trees on<br />

<strong>the</strong> lawn. To be<br />

honest, we’ve<br />

been blessed”<br />

Last year Nicky and her team<br />

helped more than 6,500 people and,<br />

while much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir work centres around<br />

finding appropriate properties for staff<br />

and students, she is keen to stress that<br />

<strong>the</strong>y can help in o<strong>the</strong>r areas as well.<br />

“We <strong>of</strong>fer a whole relocation package.<br />

We help people find schools for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

children and places to buy cars. We are<br />

concerned about <strong>the</strong> wider family, and<br />

link up with <strong>the</strong> Newcomers and Visiting<br />

Scholars to help newcomers, partners<br />

and <strong>the</strong>ir children settle in to <strong>University</strong><br />

and city life.”<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>, she admits, can be a<br />

difficult place to move to, with a wide<br />

range <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and employers<br />

placing demand on <strong>the</strong> city’s housing<br />

stock. Thankfully, <strong>the</strong> Accommodation<br />

Service, based on Tennis Court Road close<br />

to <strong>the</strong> junction with Lensfield Road,<br />

has a database <strong>of</strong> more than 2,500<br />

6 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


places to live. This ranges from rooms<br />

with families, to five-bedroom houses.<br />

One member <strong>of</strong> staff who benefited<br />

from <strong>the</strong> service’s help was Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

Paul Berkman, Head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Arctic Ocean<br />

Geopolitics Programme at <strong>the</strong> Scott Polar<br />

Research Institute. He was on a train from<br />

St Petersburg to Moscow when he got<br />

an email saying that a house fitting<br />

his needs had been found in Girton.<br />

“I arrived in September 2007, with<br />

my family following me a year later,” he<br />

says. “I had said to <strong>the</strong> Accommodation<br />

Service that I was looking for a large,<br />

furnished place for my wife, daughter and<br />

dog. I thought it was a tall order but <strong>the</strong>y<br />

managed to find our current property.<br />

It’s a two-storey house, with high hedges<br />

and four or five fruit trees on <strong>the</strong> lawn,<br />

and close to my daughter’s school.<br />

To be honest, we’ve been blessed.”<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Berkman, who came<br />

to <strong>Cambridge</strong> from <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

California, Santa Barbara, says dealing<br />

with <strong>the</strong> Accommodation Service was<br />

very pleasant. “They understand <strong>the</strong><br />

needs <strong>of</strong> families,” he adds.<br />

The <strong>University</strong> also owns and<br />

manages 360 properties – at West<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>, Madingley, Fen Causeway<br />

and George Nuttall Close. Priority for<br />

<strong>the</strong>se is given to those who are new to<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> and <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> – people<br />

like Ibraheem Hanneef, who moved to<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> from Lahore to study for a<br />

PhD in <strong>the</strong> Engineering Department.<br />

He says <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> securing<br />

his accommodation from Pakistan<br />

was surprisingly straightforward.<br />

His supervisor at <strong>Cambridge</strong> put him<br />

in touch with <strong>the</strong> Accommodation<br />

Service, which recommended a property<br />

in George Nuttall Close, <strong>of</strong>f Milton Road.<br />

A few emails later and his bro<strong>the</strong>r and<br />

sister in law, who were based in Liverpool<br />

at <strong>the</strong> time, came to view <strong>the</strong> property<br />

and gave it <strong>the</strong> thumbs up.<br />

Says Ibraheem: “On <strong>the</strong> day we<br />

travelled, everything went smoothly.<br />

We set <strong>of</strong>f from Lahore at nine in <strong>the</strong><br />

morning, and by nine o’clock at night<br />

we were in <strong>the</strong> flat.”<br />

Ibraheem and his family value<br />

<strong>the</strong> quiet and friendly atmosphere <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> flats. “There is a very nice community<br />

here. A lot <strong>of</strong> our neighbours are<br />

academics and we found it easy to settle<br />

in. The children all play toge<strong>the</strong>r and<br />

it is very safe. There is also a custodian<br />

living nearby. If we contact him because<br />

something needs mending, he will be<br />

round in five minutes.”<br />

He estimates that his rent is about<br />

“We set <strong>of</strong>f<br />

from Lahore<br />

at nine in <strong>the</strong><br />

morning, and<br />

by nine o’clock<br />

at night we<br />

were in <strong>the</strong> flat”<br />

Find out more<br />

The Accommodation<br />

Service is based at Kellet<br />

Lodge in Tennis Court Road,<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> CB2 1QJ<br />

➔ Email accommodation.<br />

service@admin.cam.<br />

ac.uk<br />

➔ Phone (01223) 338099<br />

➔ Visit <strong>the</strong> website at<br />

www.accommodation.<br />

cam.ac.uk<br />

£50 to £100 cheaper than comparable<br />

local properties that are advertised<br />

privately, and mentions that <strong>the</strong> ample<br />

parking facilities at George Nuttall Close<br />

are welcomed by those with families.<br />

The <strong>University</strong> can also help staff<br />

moving away from <strong>Cambridge</strong> – perhaps<br />

on a fixed contract or sabbatical. Those<br />

who own property and don’t want to<br />

sell can let <strong>the</strong>ir home through <strong>the</strong><br />

Accommodation Service. This incurs a fee<br />

<strong>of</strong> 7.5 per cent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> property’s monthly<br />

rental income, but this is well below<br />

commercial market rates, and comes<br />

without any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> additional fees that<br />

many estate agents charge. The service’s<br />

website (see ‘Find out more’) also lists<br />

details <strong>of</strong> moving sales and house swaps.<br />

In a more recent development,<br />

<strong>the</strong> service has been working with a<br />

number <strong>of</strong> colleges to find tenants for<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir properties. “One college bursar was<br />

suprised when we filled a five-bedroom<br />

house in 24 hours,” says Nicky proudly.<br />

It is something <strong>the</strong>y are keen to extend.<br />

Back in <strong>the</strong> Accommodation Service’s<br />

reception area, <strong>the</strong>re is no sign <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

pace letting up, despite <strong>the</strong> working<br />

day coming to a close. It’s a sign <strong>of</strong> how<br />

challenging <strong>the</strong> business <strong>of</strong> relocating<br />

new members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> is.<br />

And how important.<br />

nicky’s tips<br />

Renting property has plenty <strong>of</strong> pitfalls<br />

– here are five things to do before you<br />

sign on <strong>the</strong> dotted line:<br />

The Accommodation Service has been working with a number <strong>of</strong> colleges to help <strong>the</strong>m find tenants for <strong>the</strong>ir rooms and properties<br />

1<br />

2<br />

3<br />

Keep an open mind<br />

Nicky Blanning<br />

Read <strong>the</strong> tenancy agreement<br />

Check whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> landlord<br />

has registered with <strong>the</strong> Tenancy<br />

Deposit Scheme<br />

4 Ask about fees<br />

5 Always ask <strong>the</strong> Accommodation<br />

Service for advice.<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 7


making a difference<br />

Charity work<br />

pays <strong>of</strong>f<br />

A worldwide movement that helps<br />

not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it organisations fulfil <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

research needs inspired a group <strong>of</strong> staff<br />

and students at <strong>Cambridge</strong> to <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

expertise to local charities<br />

RESEARCH TRIPS HAVE long played<br />

an important role in developing<br />

undergraduates’ academic skills. But five<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> students studying Politics,<br />

Psychology and Sociology have been<br />

able to combine degree work with<br />

helping <strong>the</strong> third sector – and stay<br />

close to home.<br />

The five confined <strong>the</strong>ir studies to<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> – but <strong>the</strong>y did enter a new<br />

and sometimes disturbing world: that <strong>of</strong><br />

a domestic violence refuge for women.<br />

Their plan was to research and write<br />

evaluations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> service to aid charity<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Women’s Aid, which works to<br />

end domestic violence against women<br />

and children.<br />

The students were <strong>the</strong> first<br />

participants in <strong>Cambridge</strong> Community<br />

Knowledge Exchange, a new <strong>University</strong><br />

scheme inspired by an international<br />

movement <strong>of</strong> science shops known as<br />

Living Knowledge (see box ‘Science<br />

shops: a brief history’). There are more<br />

than 100 such organisations worldwide<br />

helping to bridge <strong>the</strong> worlds <strong>of</strong> academia<br />

Knowledge<br />

exchange<br />

projects take<br />

questions from<br />

<strong>the</strong> voluntary<br />

sector and<br />

find students<br />

and staff to do<br />

research<br />

*The name is a pseudonym as<br />

Women’s Aid refuge staff do not<br />

publicise <strong>the</strong>ir indentities.<br />

and not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it groups. They take<br />

questions from <strong>the</strong> voluntary sector and<br />

find students and staff to undertake<br />

<strong>the</strong> research.<br />

A great benefit<br />

Kristina, Project Co-ordinator* at<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Women’s Aid, knew her<br />

organisation could benefit from<br />

knowledge exchange projects when<br />

she read about <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s<br />

e-bulletin for <strong>the</strong> voluntary sector.<br />

“Some people who work in <strong>the</strong><br />

voluntary sector might have been<br />

apprehensive about <strong>the</strong> ability <strong>of</strong><br />

undergraduates to pursue research<br />

sensitively,” she says. “But partly because<br />

I had worked with student volunteers in<br />

<strong>the</strong> past, I thought that <strong>the</strong>y could bring a<br />

great deal to our centre.”<br />

Kristina had an initial meeting with<br />

Dr Brendan Burchell from <strong>the</strong><br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Sociology, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

academics who have <strong>of</strong>fered to help with<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>’s Community Knowledge<br />

Exchange. He found five students to<br />

undertake a project as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

second-year studies. “It was quite<br />

challenging ensuring that we could do<br />

<strong>the</strong> research in time, and that we could<br />

allow <strong>the</strong> students enough time to do<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir research and write <strong>the</strong>ir projects to<br />

meet course deadlines,” he says.<br />

One area <strong>the</strong> students worked on<br />

was <strong>the</strong> Freedom Programme, which is<br />

run in <strong>the</strong> community and helps women<br />

understand <strong>the</strong> dynamics <strong>of</strong> abusive<br />

relationships, make sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />

experiences and help <strong>the</strong>m avoid abusive<br />

men in <strong>the</strong> future.<br />

The students were able to draw<br />

conclusions about how important groups<br />

such as <strong>the</strong> Freedom Programme are to<br />

women recovering from abuse. They also<br />

made suggestions for improvements if<br />

funding were available. Their work also<br />

provided <strong>Cambridge</strong> Women’s Aid with<br />

evidence that such a service was needed<br />

in <strong>the</strong> region, and it has been used in<br />

a funding bid for joint working with a<br />

London-based project.<br />

One student, Halliki Voolma, has<br />

8 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


Science shops: a brief history<br />

SCIENCE SHOPS don’t sell <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

research, and <strong>the</strong>y don’t just research<br />

scientific topics. They originated in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rlands in <strong>the</strong> 1970s as a way<br />

<strong>of</strong> democratising access to research<br />

and universities, and were linked<br />

ideologically to <strong>the</strong> cultural and<br />

protest movement <strong>of</strong> 1968.<br />

Their establishment coincided with<br />

<strong>the</strong> start <strong>of</strong> project-based education<br />

in universities, and was fed by an<br />

emerging environmental awareness<br />

in society.<br />

Students across <strong>the</strong> world have<br />

carried out projects as diverse as<br />

measuring noise or environmental<br />

pollution, researching cancer risks and<br />

addressing topics <strong>of</strong> community safety.<br />

Sarah Jones<br />

Find out more<br />

If you would like to learn<br />

more about <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

Community Knowledge<br />

Exchange or be involved,<br />

email Nicola Buckley on<br />

njb1010@cam.ac.uk<br />

Information is also<br />

available at www.<br />

admin.cam.ac.uk/<br />

<strong>of</strong>fices/communications/<br />

community/knowledge/<br />

decided to use her time at <strong>the</strong> refuge<br />

as <strong>the</strong> basis for her third-year research<br />

project in Sociology. She will investigate<br />

<strong>the</strong> plight <strong>of</strong> women with no recourse to<br />

public funds who experience domestic<br />

abuse. Halliki’s superviser was pleased<br />

she was able to do <strong>the</strong> kind <strong>of</strong> research<br />

with service users that many students do<br />

not embark on until Masters or PhD level.<br />

Dasha Makarova, ano<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

student researchers, reports a similarly<br />

positive experience. “I enjoyed every<br />

moment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project and am so grateful<br />

for <strong>the</strong> opportunity to give something<br />

back to <strong>the</strong> community while, at <strong>the</strong> same<br />

time, doing <strong>the</strong> research I really enjoy.”<br />

And Kristina says that working with<br />

<strong>the</strong> students helped with <strong>the</strong> refuge’s<br />

work. “The women who use our services<br />

found it beneficial. They were pleased<br />

that <strong>the</strong> students were interested in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

experiences, and <strong>the</strong>y liked <strong>the</strong> idea that<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir experience could help o<strong>the</strong>r women<br />

access effective services in <strong>the</strong> future.<br />

We would appreciate <strong>the</strong> chance to work<br />

with students on projects in <strong>the</strong> future.”<br />

Now for<br />

girls as well<br />

as boys.<br />

To find out more, come to our<br />

Co-education Information<br />

Evening on Wednesday<br />

9th September 2009. Please<br />

call 01223 403805 or email<br />

admissions@perse.co.uk to<br />

reserve your place.<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 9


BEHIND THE SCENES<br />

Pitch<br />

perfect<br />

West Road Concert Hall attracts<br />

world-leading performers, is used by<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s Faculty <strong>of</strong> Music –<br />

and finds space in its busy programme<br />

for local music groups. Meet <strong>the</strong><br />

person who makes it all happen<br />

Philip Mynott<br />

How many people does it take to run<br />

a concert hall? A large concert hall with<br />

three resident ensembles, more than 300<br />

events a year and a place visited by heads<br />

<strong>of</strong> state?<br />

Large music venues might draw on<br />

scores <strong>of</strong> employees but at West Road<br />

Concert Hall <strong>the</strong> job falls to George<br />

Unsworth, her assistant Nell Halford and<br />

a group <strong>of</strong> three dedicated custodians.<br />

The days may be long and <strong>the</strong> work<br />

intense, but keeping <strong>the</strong> team small has<br />

it advantages, as George explains. “It<br />

would be nice for us to have facilities<br />

such as a box <strong>of</strong>fice and marketing<br />

department, but as soon as you do, your<br />

costs increase. These <strong>the</strong>n have to be<br />

passed on to <strong>the</strong> groups who perform<br />

here, and we don’t want to turn people<br />

away because we have become too<br />

expensive.”<br />

The challenge, <strong>the</strong>n, is to maintain<br />

<strong>the</strong> concert hall as a space that appeals to<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, is open to community music<br />

groups, and can accommodate <strong>the</strong> needs<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s Faculty <strong>of</strong> Music, one<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> oldest and most famous university<br />

music departments in <strong>the</strong> world.<br />

It is a difficult balance to strike,<br />

but a quick run-through <strong>of</strong> this year’s<br />

programme suggests it is one that<br />

George and her team have honed to<br />

a fine art. For instance, <strong>the</strong> summer<br />

months have seen high-pr<strong>of</strong>ile slots<br />

for <strong>the</strong> Academy <strong>of</strong> Ancient Music, <strong>the</strong><br />

2009 Darwin Anniversary Festival and<br />

BBC television’s Question Time (with<br />

Any Questions? scheduled for October<br />

this year). But <strong>the</strong>re have also been<br />

performances by youth, community<br />

and student groups – from <strong>the</strong> National<br />

Youth Recorder Orchestra, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

Handel Opera Group and a large number<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>University</strong> music groups.<br />

Not surprisingly, George’s work<br />

as Concert Hall Manager is varied.<br />

One day she might be stuffing sheet<br />

music into folders for <strong>the</strong> BBC Proms;<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r liaising with <strong>the</strong> Vice-Chancellor’s<br />

Office and police over security for a<br />

foreign dignitary.<br />

So just why does West Road punch<br />

above its weight as a venue? One reason<br />

is its exceptional acoustics. You might<br />

“The fantastic<br />

acoustics were<br />

one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

reasons why<br />

I came to work<br />

at West Road”<br />

Find out more<br />

For more information,<br />

including a programme <strong>of</strong><br />

events and details <strong>of</strong> West<br />

Road’s resident ensembles<br />

– <strong>the</strong> Academy <strong>of</strong> Ancient<br />

Music, <strong>the</strong> Britten Sinfonia<br />

and <strong>the</strong> Endellion String<br />

Quartet – log on to<br />

www.westroad.org<br />

George Unsworth, Concert Hall Manager at West Road<br />

expect nothing less from a concert<br />

hall designed by Sir Leslie Martin,<br />

<strong>the</strong> architect responsible for <strong>the</strong> Royal<br />

Festival Hall in London. But that said,<br />

George believes <strong>the</strong>re aren’t many<br />

spaces in <strong>the</strong> world that surpass its<br />

sound quality.<br />

The acoustics were one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reasons<br />

why George herself came to work at<br />

West Road, having spent time in senior<br />

positions at <strong>the</strong> London Philharmonic<br />

Orchestra, Barbican and Academy <strong>of</strong> St<br />

Martin in <strong>the</strong> Fields. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />

was <strong>the</strong> chance to work for a concert<br />

hall that had strong links with local<br />

community groups. She mentions <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Holiday Orchestra, which<br />

<strong>of</strong>fers a wide range <strong>of</strong> musical activities,<br />

including bands, choirs and a full<br />

orchestra for young musicians. Many<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> staff, she adds, are involved<br />

with local music groups that make use<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hall.<br />

“I suppose we’re a bit like a garage,”<br />

she says, laughing. “People park <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

events in us, but that’s not always such<br />

a bad thing.”<br />

10 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


INSIDE THE COLLEGES<br />

1A tour through<br />

Clare College<br />

garden<br />

Access<br />

all areas<br />

2Walk down<br />

a hidden<br />

underground<br />

tunnel<br />

Before <strong>the</strong> Second World War, Clare<br />

was described as <strong>the</strong> “jewel in <strong>the</strong><br />

wilderness”. Today, <strong>the</strong> college is set<br />

in some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most beautiful gardens<br />

in <strong>the</strong> city. The inspiration for <strong>the</strong><br />

gardens came from a design in 1947<br />

by College Fellow Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nevill<br />

Willmer, says Head Gardener Steve<br />

Elstub. “He coordinated <strong>the</strong> garden<br />

around colour <strong>the</strong>mes, views, vistas<br />

and gardens within gardens.”<br />

The garden still retains some <strong>of</strong><br />

its earlier features: old yews and<br />

chestnuts, a fine riverside specimen<br />

<strong>of</strong> Swamp Cypress and an old stone<br />

wall that, toge<strong>the</strong>r with two apple<br />

trees, once formed part <strong>of</strong> an old<br />

kitchen garden.<br />

➔ Tours take place on 11 and<br />

12 September at 10.45am and 2pm<br />

and last for an hour and a half<br />

science at king’s college library<br />

A selection <strong>of</strong> libraries will be open<br />

throughout <strong>the</strong> weekend, showing<br />

collections that include medieval<br />

manuscripts, early printed books and Winston<br />

Churchill’s papers. The library at King’s houses<br />

documents and books by, among o<strong>the</strong>rs, Sir Isaac<br />

Newton, economist John Maynard Keynes and<br />

British ma<strong>the</strong>matician Alan Turing, some <strong>of</strong> whose<br />

papers are pictured with King’s Library archivist<br />

Dr Patricia McGuire. Those who are interested in <strong>the</strong><br />

environment can visit and browse an exhibition <strong>of</strong><br />

books from <strong>the</strong> Global Warming Collection.<br />

➔ The library opens on 11 September from 10am<br />

to 4pm, is free and does not require booking<br />

Behind stately college<br />

frontages and <strong>University</strong><br />

buildings lies a world <strong>of</strong><br />

hidden gardens, ancient<br />

libraries and fantastic<br />

art collections. <strong>Open</strong><br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>, a weekend<br />

<strong>of</strong> tours, talks, exhibitions<br />

and more is <strong>the</strong> public’s<br />

chance to enjoy <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

There are scores <strong>of</strong><br />

events to choose from,<br />

but here’s a small taste<br />

<strong>of</strong> what’s on <strong>of</strong>fer...<br />

Philip Mynott<br />

Emmanuel Street is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> busiest<br />

thoroughfares in <strong>Cambridge</strong> – a hive<br />

<strong>of</strong> activity created by bus stops, John<br />

Lewis shoppers and those looking<br />

for a short-cut to Christ’s Pieces.<br />

Most passers-by aren’t aware that<br />

beneath <strong>the</strong>m lies <strong>the</strong> Emmanuel<br />

College subway, which connects<br />

New Court in <strong>the</strong> main college<br />

premises to North Court on <strong>the</strong><br />

o<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> road. The green<br />

and cream tiled tunnel is a favourite<br />

with participants on <strong>the</strong> Bridge <strong>the</strong><br />

Gap charity walk, which visits several<br />

colleges in one day. Staff can also<br />

see it as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Emmanuel<br />

College – Past and Present tour.<br />

➔ Emmanuel College – Past and<br />

Present is on 11 September, 10–11am<br />

and 2.30–3.30pm<br />

➔ Bridge <strong>the</strong> Gap is on 13 September,<br />

starting on Jesus Green from<br />

9.30–11am<br />

Find out more<br />

➔ For a full programme <strong>of</strong> events and to<br />

pre-book online, visit www.cam.ac.uk/<br />

opencambridge<br />

➔ For more information, call (01223)<br />

766766<br />

Philip Mynott<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 11


people<br />

People coming<br />

Obituary<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wallace-Hadrill<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Colin Lizieri<br />

Dr Rebecca Lingwood<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill OBE takes up <strong>the</strong><br />

Mastership <strong>of</strong> Sidney Sussex College this month, becoming<br />

<strong>the</strong> 25th Master since <strong>the</strong> college was founded in 1596.<br />

A Roman social and cultural historian, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wallace-<br />

Hadrill has been for <strong>the</strong> last 14 years Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> British<br />

School at Rome. An expert on Pompeii and Herculaneum,<br />

he has directed major projects at both sites, including<br />

<strong>the</strong> Herculaneum Conservation Project for which he will<br />

continue to take responsibility.<br />

He was awarded <strong>the</strong> Archaeological Institute <strong>of</strong><br />

America’s James R. Wiseman Award in 1995 for his book<br />

Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (1994) and<br />

is currently working on a new book on Herculaneum. He<br />

has written several o<strong>the</strong>r books, including Suetonius: <strong>the</strong><br />

Scholar and his Caesars (1985), Augustan Rome (1993), and,<br />

most recently, Rome’s Cultural Revolution (2008), published<br />

by <strong>Cambridge</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wallace-Hadrill<br />

has held visiting fellowships at Princeton <strong>University</strong> and <strong>the</strong><br />

Getty Museum, and is a frequent contributor to radio and<br />

television broadcasts.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wallace-Hadrill will be accompanied in his<br />

new role at Sidney Sussex by his wife Josephine, and has<br />

pledged to ensure his role as Master is “at <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong><br />

college life, generating institutional self-confidence<br />

and promoting and building on a shared vision” .<br />

He succeeds Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dame Sandra Dawson who<br />

stood down in August after ten years as Master.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Colin Lizieri has been appointed Grosvenor<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Real Estate Finance at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>. He will<br />

lead <strong>the</strong> research and teaching in Real Estate Finance<br />

within <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Land Economy, building on<br />

<strong>the</strong> innovations made by his predecessor Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John<br />

Glascock, particularly in <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MPhil in<br />

Real Estate Finance.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lizieri has a long and distinguished record<br />

<strong>of</strong> research, publication and teaching, and was most<br />

recently Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Real Estate Finance at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> Reading.<br />

Dr Rebecca Lingwood has been appointed <strong>the</strong><br />

new Director at <strong>the</strong> Institute <strong>of</strong> Continuing Education.<br />

Dr Lingwood, who gained her Engineering degree,<br />

MA and PhD at <strong>Cambridge</strong>, will succeed Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

Dick Taylor on 1 October 2009.<br />

She is currently Director <strong>of</strong> Continuing Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

Development at Oxford <strong>University</strong>. She said: “I am delighted<br />

to be returning to <strong>Cambridge</strong> and have <strong>the</strong> opportunity to<br />

build on <strong>the</strong> Institute’s traditions, and create a strong and<br />

vibrant future for continuing education.”<br />

Miss Helen Stephens has been appointed Head Porter <strong>of</strong><br />

Selwyn, joining <strong>the</strong> college on 18 August. Helen was Deputy<br />

Head Porter at Trinity College from May 2008 and previously<br />

a gate porter at Jesus for three years.<br />

Selwyn has a small team <strong>of</strong> dedicated porters including a<br />

Deputy Head Porter, five Day Porters, two Night Porters and<br />

a receptionist.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Graham<br />

Stanton<br />

(1940–2009)<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Graham Stanton, Lady<br />

Margaret’s Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Divinity at<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong>, was<br />

a New Testament scholar whose<br />

studies focused on <strong>the</strong> Gospels,<br />

particularly Mat<strong>the</strong>w’s Gospel.<br />

Probably his best-known work<br />

was The Gospels and Jesus, while <strong>the</strong><br />

collection <strong>of</strong> essays on Mat<strong>the</strong>w’s<br />

Gospel, A Gospel for a New People,<br />

used a variety <strong>of</strong> methods to throw<br />

light on <strong>the</strong> community behind<br />

<strong>the</strong> text.<br />

In 1996-97, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Stanton<br />

served as President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Society<br />

for New Testament Studies. For<br />

nine years he edited New Testament<br />

Studies and <strong>the</strong> associated<br />

monograph series, both published<br />

by <strong>Cambridge</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press.<br />

During his time in <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

he presided over <strong>the</strong> celebrations<br />

for <strong>the</strong> Quincentenary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Lady Margaret’s Chair in 2002,<br />

and was involved in securing <strong>the</strong><br />

re-endowment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chair from<br />

<strong>the</strong> Kirby Laing Foundation in<br />

October 2007.<br />

As a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Fitzwilliam College<br />

he secured a key benefaction for<br />

<strong>the</strong> endowment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chaplaincy<br />

in 2008.<br />

As a scholar, a loyal friend<br />

and an encourager <strong>of</strong> all young<br />

researchers he will be greatly<br />

missed.<br />

12 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


prizes, awards and honours<br />

Birthday Honours<br />

Five <strong>Cambridge</strong> academics were named<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Queen’s Birthday Honours list.<br />

They were:<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Baulcombe, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

<strong>of</strong> Botany at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Trinity, who was<br />

knighted for services to Plant Science.<br />

Dr Kate Pretty, <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s Pro-<br />

Vice-Chancellor for International Strategy<br />

and a Principal <strong>of</strong> Homerton College,<br />

who was made a CBE for services to<br />

Higher Education.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lynn Gladden, Shell Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

<strong>of</strong> Chemical Engineering and Head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Chemical Engineering<br />

and Biotechnology. A Fellow <strong>of</strong> Trinity,<br />

she was awarded a CBE for services to<br />

Chemical Engineering. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Gladden<br />

was awarded an OBE in 2001 for her<br />

services to Chemistry.<br />

Stephen Cleobury, Director <strong>of</strong> Music<br />

at King’s, who was made a CBE for his<br />

services to Music.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sheila Rodwell, who sadly<br />

died a few days after <strong>the</strong> list was made<br />

public, was made an OBE. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

Rodwell had most recently held <strong>the</strong><br />

position <strong>of</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MRC Centre<br />

for Nutrition in Cancer Epidemiology<br />

Prevention and Survival at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>.<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r awards<br />

➔ Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Stephen O’Rahilly,<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Clinical Biochemistry and<br />

Medicine, Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Institute <strong>of</strong><br />

Metabolic Science Metabolic Research<br />

Laboratories and Honorary Consultant<br />

Physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital,<br />

has been awarded an Honorary DSc by<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Warwick in recognition<br />

<strong>of</strong> his contribution to research in<br />

human metabolic disease.<br />

➔ The Millennium Ma<strong>the</strong>matics Project<br />

has been awarded <strong>the</strong> 2009 Gresham<br />

Prize for its education project On Your<br />

Maths, about ma<strong>the</strong>matics and <strong>the</strong><br />

2012 Olympics. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John D Barrow,<br />

Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Millennium Ma<strong>the</strong>matics<br />

and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Ma<strong>the</strong>matical Sciences,<br />

has been awarded <strong>the</strong> 2009 Kelvin Medal<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Institute <strong>of</strong> Physics and has been<br />

elected a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Academia<br />

Europaea.<br />

➔ Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mary Beard, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />

Classics and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Newnham, has<br />

been awarded <strong>the</strong> Wolfson History Prize for<br />

her book Pompeii: <strong>the</strong> Life Of a Roman Town.<br />

The prestigious annual award is presented<br />

to <strong>the</strong> authors <strong>of</strong> two exceptional works<br />

each year to promote and encourage<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Stephen O’Rahilly<br />

Dr Kate Pretty<br />

Dr Mark Stevens<br />

standards <strong>of</strong> excellence in <strong>the</strong> writing <strong>of</strong><br />

history for <strong>the</strong> general public. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

Beard’s book presents a unique view <strong>of</strong> life<br />

in Pompeii, which was buried when Mount<br />

Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.<br />

➔ Dr Sam Chamberlain, from <strong>the</strong><br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Psychiatry and <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong>’s Behavioural and Clinical<br />

Neuroscience Institute, has been<br />

awarded <strong>the</strong> Junior Preclinical Wyeth<br />

Psychopharmacology Award for<br />

2009 by <strong>the</strong> British Association for<br />

Psychopharmacology (BAP) at <strong>the</strong> annual<br />

BAP conference in Oxford. The award was<br />

for his research in healthy volunteers, and<br />

in patients with impulse control disorders,<br />

which has shed light on how psychiatric<br />

medications exert beneficial effects on<br />

symptoms via actions on <strong>the</strong> brain.<br />

➔ Two <strong>Cambridge</strong> academics –<br />

Dr Martin Stevens and Dr Alessio<br />

Ciulli – have been awarded fellowships<br />

by <strong>the</strong> Biotechnology and Biological<br />

Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).<br />

Both received David Phillips Fellowships,<br />

given to support <strong>the</strong> UK’s<br />

most promising early career<br />

researchers.<br />

Pilkington Prizes awarded<br />

Twelve <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s best teaching<br />

talents have been honoured at <strong>the</strong> annual<br />

Pilkington Prizes awards ceremony.<br />

The Pilkington Teaching Prizes were<br />

established in 1994 by businessman and<br />

Trinity alumnus Sir Alastair Pilkington.<br />

The aim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> prizes is to ensure that<br />

excellence in teaching at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> is<br />

given proper recognition. The list includes<br />

a posthumous award for Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mike<br />

Majerus. The prizes were awarded to:<br />

Dr Mat<strong>the</strong>w Juniper, Senior Lecturer in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Engineering Energy<br />

Group and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Trinity.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Andrew Thomason,<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Combinatorial Ma<strong>the</strong>matics<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Faculty <strong>of</strong> Ma<strong>the</strong>matics and a<br />

Fellow <strong>of</strong> Clare.<br />

Dr Julia Riley, Lecturer at <strong>the</strong> Faculty <strong>of</strong><br />

Physics and Chemistry and a Fellow<br />

<strong>of</strong> Girton.<br />

Dr Simon Taylor, Lecturer at <strong>the</strong> Judge<br />

Business School.<br />

Dr Martin Ennis, Senior Lecturer at <strong>the</strong><br />

Faculty <strong>of</strong> Music and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Girton.<br />

Dr Kate Plaisted-Grant, Senior Lecturer<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Experimental<br />

Psychology and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Trinity.<br />

Dr Helen Smith, <strong>University</strong> Associate<br />

Lecturer in <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong><br />

Anaes<strong>the</strong>tics.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kenneth Siddle,<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Molecular Endocrinology<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Institute <strong>of</strong> Metabolic Science<br />

and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Churchill.<br />

Dr Charles French, Reader at <strong>the</strong><br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Archaeology and<br />

Anthropology.<br />

Dr Peter Mandler, Reader in <strong>the</strong><br />

Faculty <strong>of</strong> History and a Fellow <strong>of</strong><br />

Gonville and Caius.<br />

Mrs Haruko Laurie, Senior Language<br />

Teaching Officer at <strong>the</strong> Faculty <strong>of</strong><br />

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies<br />

and a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Selwyn.<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mike Majerus, Reader in<br />

Evolution at <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Genetics<br />

who was a Fellow <strong>of</strong> Clare.<br />

Do you want to<br />

LOSE WEIGHT?<br />

HOW ABOUT TRYING SOMETHING NEW?<br />

We are using a new diet drink and an<br />

Internet support programme and we<br />

would like you to help us find out how<br />

useful <strong>the</strong>y are.<br />

If you are:<br />

• Willing to take part in a 12-week study<br />

• Aged 18-64 years<br />

• Overweight<br />

• Have regular internet access<br />

• Are able to exercise 2½ hours/week<br />

CONTACT Hannah Lewis on (01223) 426356<br />

or email Hannah.Lewis@mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk<br />

You will be reimbursed for participation in <strong>the</strong> study and<br />

reasonable travel expenses<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 13


advertisements<br />

Advertising on this page is open to <strong>University</strong> staff. The cost is £15 for a single insertion or £75 for six insertions. The deadline<br />

for <strong>the</strong> November/December issue is 8 October. Send your copy – no longer than 70 words – to <strong>the</strong> Editor at newsletter@<br />

admin.cam.ac.uk or call 32300. We reserve <strong>the</strong> right to edit contributions<br />

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English speaking host. Double<br />

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Contact: Penny Marrone on<br />

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Contact: Cristiano Ristuccia on<br />

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➔ North Yorkshire Moors,<br />

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Accommodation comprises<br />

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Fabulous walks in all directions.<br />

Near Rievaulx, Castle Howard,<br />

Runswick Bay. £370 per week.<br />

Contact Horace or Miranda Barlow<br />

on 01223 366 618/333 867 or email<br />

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➔ Godmanchester, flat<br />

Ground-floor flat in<br />

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transport links to Huntingdon, St<br />

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£445pcm (negotiable).<br />

Email ap233@cam.ac.uk<br />

SERVICES<br />

➔ Private English Lessons<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Classroom <strong>of</strong>fers<br />

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Visit www.cambridgeclassroom.<br />

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➔ Orchestra<br />

The King John Orchestra is a<br />

sociable orchestra set up by<br />

and for parents and friends <strong>of</strong><br />

schools in and around <strong>Cambridge</strong>.<br />

It rehearses fortnightly on Monday<br />

evenings in school term time in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Grange Road area and currently<br />

has vacancies for brass and string<br />

players. If you want to get back<br />

to playing your instrument in an<br />

informal and friendly atmosphere,<br />

please email kjo@kcs.cambs.sch.uk<br />

➔ Art classes<br />

Get creative and join an art<br />

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printmaking or sculpture. Taught in<br />

modern, purpose-built workshops<br />

and studios, students will quickly<br />

develop research and design skills<br />

alongside art and craft techniques.<br />

All courses run in <strong>the</strong> evening and<br />

start <strong>the</strong> week commencing 21<br />

September.<br />

Phone 01223 226315 or visit<br />

www.camre.ac.uk<br />

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED<br />

➔ Bridge <strong>the</strong> Gap walk<br />

Volunteers are needed for Bridge<br />

<strong>the</strong> Gap charity walk on Sunday,<br />

13 September at Jesus Green<br />

from 8am–2pm. You will help<br />

direct 2,500 people around <strong>the</strong><br />

4.5-mile route <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

colleges. Lunch provided. The walk<br />

raises money for <strong>the</strong> Arthur Rank<br />

Hospice Charity and Press Relief:<br />

<strong>the</strong> News Community Fund.<br />

Contact Emma Wenborn at emma.<br />

wenborn@admin.cam.ac.uk or<br />

phone 01223 339666<br />

➔ Scouting<br />

Adult leaders needed to help<br />

with activities for boys and girls<br />

in Scouting (aged six years and up)<br />

in many areas around <strong>Cambridge</strong>.<br />

If you have an hour or two a week<br />

to spare, please get in touch to<br />

discuss what <strong>the</strong> opportunities are<br />

to become a leader or assistant.<br />

Contact Nicola Buckley at nicola.<br />

buckley@admin.cam.ac.uk<br />

The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

accepts no responsibility for <strong>the</strong><br />

advertisements or <strong>the</strong>ir content.<br />

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14 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter


interview<br />

Murder<br />

in <strong>the</strong> colleges<br />

As <strong>Cambridge</strong> celebrates its 800 th anniversary,<br />

we meet an author whose crime fiction is<br />

set in <strong>the</strong> emerging years <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>,<br />

complete with inter-collegiate skulduggery,<br />

academic intrigue and worse<br />

Lis Cruwys combines historical research with a cracking good story<br />

ON A FINE MORNING in 1996 Liz Cruwys,<br />

a marine biologist, cycled from <strong>the</strong> Scott<br />

Polar Research Institute to Heffers book<br />

shop on Trinity Street. There on a table<br />

in <strong>the</strong> crime fiction section lay a pile<br />

<strong>of</strong> freshly delivered copies <strong>of</strong> A Plague<br />

on Both Your Houses: <strong>the</strong> First Chronicle<br />

<strong>of</strong> Mat<strong>the</strong>w Bartholomew by Susanna<br />

Gregory, an author new to <strong>the</strong> genre.<br />

Liz opened <strong>the</strong> top copy and flicked<br />

through <strong>the</strong> first few pages – a dedication<br />

to <strong>the</strong> author’s husband, a map <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> and a plan <strong>of</strong> Michaelhouse<br />

circa 1348, followed by a prologue that<br />

sets <strong>the</strong> scene for <strong>the</strong> unfolding <strong>of</strong> clerical<br />

skulduggery and academic scheming.<br />

It was, she says, a “surreal feeling” because<br />

Susanna Gregory is a pseudonym – and<br />

<strong>the</strong> author <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> book with <strong>the</strong> brightly<br />

coloured cover was none o<strong>the</strong>r than<br />

Liz herself.<br />

A Plague on Both Your Houses<br />

unravels <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> a murder against<br />

a backdrop <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> savage rivalry <strong>of</strong><br />

medieval <strong>Cambridge</strong>, as college fellows<br />

jockey for position. In <strong>the</strong> background<br />

looms <strong>the</strong> ever-present threat <strong>of</strong><br />

approaching plague. When it arrives,<br />

<strong>the</strong> Black Death brings desperation<br />

among <strong>the</strong> local population as resources<br />

dwindle, and town and gown rivalries<br />

intensify. Descriptions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> stench from<br />

<strong>the</strong> River Cam, filthy kitchens and piles <strong>of</strong><br />

“<strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

most magical,<br />

magnificent<br />

and murderous<br />

places<br />

anywhere”<br />

rubbish are stark reminders <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

as a miserably cold town in <strong>the</strong> Fens.<br />

The central character is Mat<strong>the</strong>w<br />

Bartholomew, a physician and teacher<br />

<strong>of</strong> medicine at Michaelhouse, one <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> earliest <strong>Cambridge</strong> colleges,<br />

which was eventually incorporated into<br />

Trinity College. With his pragmatism,<br />

Bartholomew is more modern in his<br />

methods than most <strong>of</strong> his peers in<br />

<strong>the</strong> book as he seeks to find a logical<br />

explanation for <strong>the</strong> spread <strong>of</strong> infection<br />

and a means <strong>of</strong> treating it – perhaps<br />

a pointer to some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> brilliant<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> minds to come.<br />

Liz says she became fascinated by<br />

medieval history while “living among<br />

<strong>the</strong> wonderful medieval remains <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>”. After school in Bristol,<br />

she earned her first two degrees at <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Lancaster and <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> Durham. Her subsequent career<br />

as a police <strong>of</strong>ficer gave her an insight<br />

into human behaviour in all its guises,<br />

subterfuge and crime-solving.<br />

In her late-20s she returned to<br />

academia, taking a PhD in Biological<br />

Anthropology at <strong>Cambridge</strong>, and later<br />

becoming a Fellow and Tutor at Wolfson<br />

College. During her time in <strong>Cambridge</strong>,<br />

she conducted extensive fieldwork in<br />

both polar regions, while pursuing her<br />

love <strong>of</strong> medieval history and architecture<br />

in her free time. In constructing her plots,<br />

she combines historical research with a<br />

cracking good story.<br />

Since <strong>the</strong> publication <strong>of</strong> A Plague<br />

on Both Your Houses, 14 fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

Mat<strong>the</strong>w Bartholomew Chronicles have<br />

appeared. The latest, A Vein <strong>of</strong> Deceit,<br />

centres on sly dealings and murder as<br />

Michaelhouse negotiates for timber and<br />

coal with Suffolk landlords. An interest in<br />

Restoration London prompted Liz to start<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r series, this one based around<br />

<strong>the</strong> character Thomas Chaloner. On top<br />

<strong>of</strong> that, she is author <strong>of</strong> books on British<br />

castles and ca<strong>the</strong>drals <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world.<br />

She says: “Each time I finish a book,<br />

I quickly plunge into <strong>the</strong> next one –<br />

and soon I scarcely remember what<br />

<strong>the</strong> last one was about.”<br />

In 2006, Liz moved to Carmar<strong>the</strong>nshire<br />

in west Wales, where she has a large<br />

garden and engages in heated debate<br />

with o<strong>the</strong>r writers <strong>of</strong> crime fiction<br />

on matters <strong>of</strong> pithy historic detail,<br />

and works full time on her books.<br />

She still visits <strong>Cambridge</strong>, where<br />

she lived for 20 years, whenever she<br />

can. Sometimes she pops into <strong>the</strong><br />

Michaelhouse Café, a flourishing<br />

reminder <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong>’s ‘lost’<br />

colleges, imagining vespers being sung<br />

<strong>the</strong>re by early college scholars as she<br />

sips her tea.<br />

september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 15


pictures: Chris Christodoulou<br />

BACK PAGE<br />

x<br />

Proms fly <strong>the</strong> flag<br />

for <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

THE BBC PROMS celebrated <strong>the</strong> 800th Anniversary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong> with a sold-out concert on 22 July<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Royal Albert Hall in London.<br />

More than 5,000 music lovers and <strong>Cambridge</strong> alumni,<br />

including His Royal Highness The Prince <strong>of</strong> Wales, enjoyed <strong>the</strong><br />

performance. At <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> concert <strong>the</strong> conductor Andrew<br />

Davis was called out for several curtain calls to a cheering<br />

audience and a sea <strong>of</strong> waving <strong>Cambridge</strong> flags.<br />

Some 240 singers from 16 college choirs were joined onstage<br />

by <strong>the</strong> BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew<br />

Davis, baritone Simon Keenlyside and organist Thomas Trotter,<br />

all <strong>of</strong> whom studied at <strong>Cambridge</strong>. The evening’s repertoire<br />

was by composers associated with <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>, including<br />

Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Villiers Stanford and Ryan<br />

Wigglesworth. Outside <strong>the</strong> Royal Albert Hall, people were<br />

queuing up for tickets as early as 6am. The ‘Prommers’, as <strong>the</strong>y are<br />

known, are a close-knit group, many <strong>of</strong> whom have been coming<br />

to <strong>the</strong> Proms for most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir lives.<br />

NVQ courses <strong>of</strong>fer chance<br />

to learn at work<br />

Sam McGrath-Thompson has had some<br />

interesting experiences with <strong>the</strong> public<br />

as Head Attendant at <strong>the</strong> Museum <strong>of</strong><br />

Archaeology and Anthropology.<br />

One day during <strong>the</strong> <strong>Cambridge</strong><br />

Science Festival he saw a bunch <strong>of</strong><br />

heads bobbing around under a table. He<br />

investigated fur<strong>the</strong>r and found a family<br />

having a picnic in <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> galleries.<br />

He says he gets a tremendous buzz<br />

from dealing with <strong>the</strong> public, and that<br />

enthusiasm has been deepened after he<br />

took part in <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> pilot for an<br />

NVQ Level 2 in Museums, Galleries and<br />

Heritage.<br />

Sam, who has been Head Attendant<br />

for about six years, says <strong>the</strong> course, which<br />

he took alongside his work, helped him to<br />

see his job in <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> museum<br />

as a whole. “It looked at how <strong>the</strong> museum<br />

functions and how each part is separate<br />

but important,” he says. “It made me<br />

understand how important gallery staff<br />

are. A lot <strong>of</strong> what I do every day is done<br />

on autopilot, and this made me look at<br />

<strong>the</strong> wider context <strong>of</strong> my job.”<br />

Sam, 56, was given an Endeavour<br />

Award by <strong>Cambridge</strong> Regional<br />

College, who supervised <strong>the</strong> NVQ. The<br />

qualification was funded by <strong>the</strong> Centre<br />

for Personal and Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

Development (CPPD).<br />

He was in a group <strong>of</strong> five staff from <strong>the</strong><br />

Archaeology and Anthropology Museum,<br />

as well as <strong>the</strong> Fitzwilliam Museum.<br />

The course focused on areas such as<br />

Hauser Forum now complete<br />

A topping out ceremony has marked<br />

<strong>the</strong> completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main structure <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> £15.7 million Hauser Forum at West<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong>.<br />

Dr Hermann Hauser and Dr Pamela<br />

Raspe joined Chris Goldsmith <strong>of</strong><br />

Turnstone Estates, Mike Hart <strong>of</strong> Willmott<br />

Dixon and, from <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>, Director<br />

<strong>of</strong> Estate Management Michael Bienias<br />

and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ian Leslie.<br />

communications, over-<strong>the</strong>-counter work<br />

and dealing with <strong>the</strong> public.<br />

Sam says he decided to go on <strong>the</strong><br />

course because he wanted to see if<br />

it would be useful to his staff. He will<br />

definitely be recommending it to his<br />

colleagues. “You can never have enough<br />

education,” he says.<br />

For fur<strong>the</strong>r information, phone Jenny<br />

Tootal, Vocational Development Adviser<br />

at CPPD on (3)32345 or email<br />

jmt37@admin.cam.ac.uk<br />

The participants in <strong>the</strong> pilot group NVQ Level 2<br />

Museums, Galleries and Heritage, all <strong>of</strong> whom<br />

achieved <strong>the</strong> qualification. Left to right are:<br />

Amy Brady, Fitzwilliam Museum; Sue Foakes,<br />

tutor <strong>Cambridge</strong> Regional College; Peter<br />

Rooley, Archaeology and Anthropology<br />

Museum; Siobhan Lee, Fitzwilliam Museum;<br />

Colin Yaxley, Fitzwilliam Museum; Sam<br />

McGrath-Thompson, Archaeology and<br />

Anthropology Museum.<br />

The development, due for completion<br />

this December, will comprise a home for<br />

<strong>Cambridge</strong> Enterprise, an “idea space” for<br />

emerging companies, a seminar centre,<br />

a café, and <strong>the</strong> Broers Building – named<br />

after former Vice-Chancellor Lord Broers –<br />

for rent to commercial companies.<br />

The Hauser Forum has been made<br />

possible thanks to a generous £8 million<br />

donation to <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s from <strong>the</strong><br />

Hauser-Raspe Foundation.<br />

16 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter

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