MER-13565 COVER 2011.indd - Merton College - University of Oxford
MER-13565 COVER 2011.indd - Merton College - University of Oxford
MER-13565 COVER 2011.indd - Merton College - University of Oxford
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POSTMASTER<br />
AND<br />
THE <strong>MER</strong>TON RECORD<br />
2011
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> OX1 4JD<br />
Telephone +44 (0)1865 276310<br />
www.merton.ox.ac.uk<br />
Edited by Matt Bowdler, Christine Taylor, Helen Kingsley and Philippa Logan<br />
Produced by Holywell Press Ltd, <strong>Oxford</strong>
Contents<br />
NEWS<br />
5 FROM THE WARDEN Sir Martin Taylor looks back at<br />
his fi rst year as Warden<br />
6 JCR NEWS<br />
7 MCR NEWS<br />
9 <strong>MER</strong>TON SPORT Football, rowing and tennis success.<br />
14 CLUBS & SOCIETIES <strong>Merton</strong> Floats and the Neave<br />
Society report on busy years<br />
16 INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUPS<br />
18 THE LIBRARY<br />
21 THE ARCHIVES<br />
25 THE CHAPEL<br />
27 THE CHOIR<br />
28 THE GARDENS<br />
29 SCHOOLS LIAISON & ACCESS<br />
30 DEVELOPMENT<br />
FELLOWS<br />
34 HAIL TO NEW FELLOWS<br />
FEATURES<br />
37 VIEW FROM THE TOP Mark Fiddes gives Postmaster<br />
his views on creative marketing and how to get ahead in<br />
advertising<br />
41 SCENES FROM A PGCE A moving and thoughtprovoking<br />
story about the education system from Gabriella<br />
Gruder-Poni<br />
44 <strong>MER</strong>TONIANS IN… LITERATURE A collection <strong>of</strong><br />
memories and musings from contemporary <strong>Merton</strong> authors<br />
and poets<br />
48 <strong>MER</strong>TON CITIES: PARIS Carol Pearson provides her<br />
perspective on the City <strong>of</strong> Light<br />
50 2010-11 HAITI ELECTIONS George Zachariah reports<br />
on his work for the UN during diffi cult times on the<br />
Caribbean island<br />
52 FOR GOODNESS SHAKES Stuart Jeffreys tells<br />
Postmaster about the triumphs and tribulations <strong>of</strong> starting<br />
his own business<br />
53 WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP 2010 Ulrika<br />
Andersson-Hall revisits representing her country, Sweden,<br />
at the pinnacle <strong>of</strong> women’s rugby<br />
54 AWARDS OF THE VICTORIA CROSS Alastair Porter<br />
refl ects on <strong>Merton</strong>ian’s war-time bravery<br />
55 LOST, LITTLE KNOWN & UNBUILT <strong>MER</strong>TON 8<br />
Alan Bott takes a look at the 19 th -century restoration work<br />
<strong>of</strong> Edward Blore and William Butterfi eld<br />
58 ROBERT GILBERT, WARDEN OF <strong>MER</strong>TON 1417-<br />
21 Roger Highfi eld examines the curious connection<br />
between the medieval warden and a small church in the<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>shire countryside<br />
61 LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL An intriguing<br />
historical item by Alan Bott, inspired by the recent<br />
acquisition <strong>of</strong> an illustration <strong>of</strong> Churchill<br />
62 BOOK REVIEWS The Battle <strong>of</strong> Britain, 1960s<br />
mysticism and Thomas Braun<br />
65 MUSIC PREVIEW The Choir <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>’s<br />
inaugural CD<br />
RECORDS<br />
66 THE WARDEN & FELLOWS 2010-11<br />
69 ELECTIONS, HONOURS & APPOINTMENTS<br />
71 NEW STUDENTS 2010<br />
74 PUBLIC EXAMINATION RESULTS & PRIZES<br />
75 UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS & PRIZES<br />
78 GRADUATE DEGREES, AWARDS & PRIZES<br />
80 COLLEGE STAFF<br />
82 PUBLICATIONS<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
89 THE <strong>MER</strong>TON SOCIETY Simon Tross Youle reviews<br />
the events <strong>of</strong> his fi rst year as Chairman<br />
91 MC3 All the news from alumni across the Atlantic<br />
93 <strong>MER</strong>TON IN THE CITY Richard Weaver reports on the<br />
2011 meeting at Pricewaterhouse Coopers<br />
94 GOLF SOCIETY Tom Hennessy hails <strong>Merton</strong> golfi ng<br />
achievements amongst the plus fours and par fours<br />
96 NEWS OF OLD MEMBERS<br />
134 IN MEMORIAM<br />
152 FORTHCOMING EVENTS
4 POSTMASTER | 2011
From the Warden<br />
It is astonishing to think that my fi rst academic year as your<br />
Warden is almost at an end. How quickly the time has gone; much<br />
has happened in this short time and much has been achieved.<br />
My installation ceremony seems now a distant memory, but an<br />
immensely happy one. It was a great platform from which to begin<br />
looking forward to <strong>Merton</strong>’s, and to my, future.<br />
The welcome given me has been tremendous. I am joining<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> at a time <strong>of</strong> great importance for the <strong>College</strong>: we face the<br />
challenge <strong>of</strong> major changes in the funding <strong>of</strong> higher education; and<br />
we are planning for our 750th Anniversary in 2014.<br />
The launch <strong>of</strong> our 750th Anniversary Sustaining Excellence<br />
Campaign at Drapers’ Hall in May was truly remarkable. Attended<br />
by some 300 <strong>Merton</strong>ians, the main speaker was Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Martin<br />
Rees, Lord Rees <strong>of</strong> Ludlow. Lord Rees presented to us the unique<br />
excellence <strong>of</strong> Oxbridge, against the background <strong>of</strong> the recent<br />
signifi cant developments in the UK higher education landscape.<br />
In March, I was privileged to be present at the opening <strong>of</strong> the new<br />
TS Eliot Theatre, the fi rst major building project <strong>of</strong> the Campaign.<br />
It was a great pleasure for me to welcome Valerie Eliot, the widow<br />
<strong>of</strong> TS Eliot, and I am full <strong>of</strong> admiration for all the <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
whose generosity made the Theatre possible. I must also thank<br />
Richard Durden-Smith (1963): his interpretation <strong>of</strong> ‘Macavity – the<br />
Mystery Cat’ will never be forgotten!<br />
Another event that has had a lasting effect on me was the London<br />
Dinner last November which, coincidentally, was held at the<br />
Royal Society. Coincidentally because I had recently fi nished my<br />
term as Vice-President <strong>of</strong> the Royal Society – an <strong>of</strong>fi ce I enjoyed<br />
enormously. A record 140 <strong>Merton</strong>ians and their guests joined the<br />
Rt Hon Sir Brian Leveson (1967), the new President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Society, for dinner in the Dining Room.<br />
My wife, Sharon, and I have indeed been struck by the welcome<br />
and support we have received throughout the year by <strong>Merton</strong>ians in<br />
the UK. The same can be said for <strong>Merton</strong>ians in America. I greatly<br />
enjoyed meeting many <strong>of</strong> them in Philadelphia in the spring at the<br />
annual MC3 Reunion and afterwards in New York at the launch<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> in Manhattan. I was so impressed with the energy and<br />
organisation <strong>of</strong> the North American <strong>Merton</strong>ians and their sheer<br />
numbers. <strong>Merton</strong> is fortunate indeed to enjoy such commitment<br />
from its Old Members. We very much look forward to meeting<br />
alumni from other parts <strong>of</strong> the world soon.<br />
Both <strong>Oxford</strong> and Cambridge have received much criticism in<br />
the press for their insistence on recruiting the best and brightest<br />
<strong>of</strong> students. Labour MP David Lammy raised the question <strong>of</strong> what<br />
he saw as low numbers <strong>of</strong> black students being <strong>of</strong>fered places to<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>. <strong>Merton</strong> was singled out as having a particularly poor record<br />
– a misconception built on the misuse <strong>of</strong> statistics. We have since<br />
met and enjoyed a cup <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee together. I raised my reservations<br />
about the way the fi gures had been used, and he gave me some<br />
useful insights into how <strong>Oxford</strong> is viewed from the perspective <strong>of</strong><br />
talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. My response to<br />
this point was that the <strong>College</strong> is deeply committed to accepting the<br />
brightest students regardless <strong>of</strong> their background. This commitment<br />
is key to the future <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> and has been fi rmly reinforced by<br />
meeting the undergraduates and graduates throughout my fi rst year.<br />
For me, this has to be one <strong>of</strong> the best aspects <strong>of</strong> being Warden at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>. I remember when I was fi rst announced as the next Warden,<br />
I received a huge number <strong>of</strong> messages. One in particular was from<br />
former Warden, Rex Richards, who said: “You’ll have the time <strong>of</strong><br />
your life because the students are so talented.” And he was right.<br />
The students have also impressed me with their sporting success<br />
this year. It’s something that hadn’t been mentioned during my<br />
interviews or when I fi rst arrived. I am particularly pleased that<br />
participation in rowing has more than doubled from the previous<br />
year. I think that people who have a balanced life, between academia<br />
and other interests, do best in life.<br />
Another highlight <strong>of</strong> my fi rst year has been conducting JRF<br />
interviews. I enjoyed meeting people with such talent and energy.<br />
You learn so much from them that is intellectually stimulating and<br />
across a broad range <strong>of</strong> subjects. I am absolutely confi dent that we<br />
have chosen the very best.<br />
It is a time <strong>of</strong> great importance for higher education; for the future<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>, and the wider <strong>University</strong>; many challenges lie ahead.<br />
However, <strong>Merton</strong> is in a robust position to deal with these demands,<br />
for which we must thank Jessica Rawson and her predecessor John<br />
Roberts. Their foresight and bold strategies have put us on such a<br />
fi rm footing. We are looking forward to the 750th Anniversary in<br />
2014. I look forward to engaging with the whole <strong>Merton</strong> family –<br />
alumni, staff, Fellows, students and friends. I am keen that there<br />
is a legacy that lives after it, not just a celebration. I am confi dent<br />
that the Campaign which we have begun in order to enable that<br />
legacy will continue to be successful, because it can do so much to<br />
vouchsafe the ongoing excellence <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>.<br />
I look forward to sharing <strong>Merton</strong>’s future with you all.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
5
NEWS JCR<br />
JCR News<br />
The JCR has been delighted by the<br />
numerous improvements to student<br />
facilities that have been made over the year.<br />
A particular highlight has been the opening<br />
<strong>of</strong> two new student kitchens, one in 21<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Street and the other in 1 Holywell<br />
Street. Another is to be opened over the<br />
summer vacation while the opening up<br />
<strong>of</strong> an already existing kitchen to more<br />
students has completed a very encouraging<br />
set <strong>of</strong> developments. Furthermore, a new,<br />
permanent international students’ storage<br />
facility has been set aside, again on<br />
Holywell Street. I am most grateful to the<br />
Domestic Bursar, Douglas Bamber, for his<br />
help and understanding on these matters.<br />
The Common Room itself has seen the<br />
welcome addition <strong>of</strong> a brand new c<strong>of</strong>fee<br />
machine. Many students had previously<br />
expressed the desire to have the JCR used<br />
more as a general meeting place, and so far<br />
this addition has proved very popular and<br />
successful in creating a more informal and<br />
lively atmosphere.<br />
JCR meetings continued to be well<br />
attended, with Michaelmas Term featuring<br />
debates on the proposals set forth in the<br />
controversial Browne Review <strong>of</strong> Higher<br />
Education. True to recent form, the<br />
general meeting narrowly voted that it<br />
would neither condemn nor support the<br />
proposals set forth, including the increase<br />
in annual tuition fees to £9,000. Views<br />
were passionate on either side, with<br />
many fearing that such a hike would deter<br />
disadvantaged students from applying to<br />
university, while others argued that the<br />
new method <strong>of</strong> repayment was fair and<br />
that, if suffi ciently explained, the proposals<br />
6 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
would not have a negative impact on<br />
access initiatives.<br />
On the topic <strong>of</strong> access, the latest<br />
university fi gures show that <strong>Merton</strong>’s JCR<br />
has one <strong>of</strong> the highest proportions <strong>of</strong> state<br />
school students in the university, around<br />
66%, and this is testament to the excellent<br />
access work that is done across the <strong>College</strong><br />
each and every year. From our now fulltime<br />
Access and Schools Liaison Offi cer,<br />
right through the <strong>College</strong> to the JCR Access<br />
Offi cer, it is clear that our hard work in this<br />
area is really paying <strong>of</strong>f. The JCR continues<br />
to look for ways to improve this record<br />
further, with a new Alternative Prospectus<br />
produced and printed ahead <strong>of</strong> Open Days<br />
during the Summer Vacation.<br />
Foremost on the social calendar was, <strong>of</strong><br />
course, the Nutcracker Winter Ball, held at<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> Michaelmas Term. Highlights<br />
included a live performance by rock band<br />
Electric Six in Fellows Garden, a chocolate<br />
fountain in the JCR and an ice rink in the<br />
Fellows Quad. Ticket sales exceeded our<br />
highest expectations, ultimately topping the<br />
1,000 mark as the date approached. This<br />
resulted in the Ball securing a comfortable<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>i t for the JCR <strong>of</strong> over £2,000 – a<br />
magnifi cent achievement for any studentrun<br />
Ball. Congratulations and sincere<br />
thanks must go to Corinna Fehst, the Ball<br />
Committee President, and her team for<br />
organising and overseeing such a successful<br />
event.<br />
The Neave Society continued to host<br />
fortnightly debates as well as regular<br />
speaker events. Highlights <strong>of</strong> the year<br />
included a visit by Father <strong>of</strong> the House and<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ian Sir Peter Tapsell, who shared his<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> the Arab World with reference<br />
to the spring uprisings. Lord Adonis also<br />
featured on the year’s programme, speaking<br />
in the new TS Eliot Theatre about his time<br />
in government and sharing his thoughts on<br />
current education and transport policy.<br />
On the dramatic front, the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Floats organised a number <strong>of</strong> high-quality<br />
productions, culminating with this year’s<br />
Garden Play, Charley’s Aunt, directed by<br />
second-year <strong>Merton</strong>ian Finola Austin. The<br />
four evenings were widely considered<br />
a fantastic success, despite only one<br />
performance being held outside due to<br />
inclement weather. The <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
Music Society held a number <strong>of</strong> recitals<br />
and concerts over the course <strong>of</strong> the year,<br />
and its partnership with <strong>University</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
Music Society, through the joint orchestra,<br />
continues to develop.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> once again hosted <strong>Merton</strong>bury<br />
in Trinity Term, an afternoon <strong>of</strong> musical<br />
performances ranging from solo artists to<br />
classical bands hosted on Chestnut Lawn.<br />
Now in its second year, the event is part <strong>of</strong><br />
the annual Arts Fest, intended to showcase<br />
and introduce various activities, which this<br />
year included Salsa Dancing. <strong>Merton</strong>bury<br />
has quickly developed an excellent<br />
reputation across the <strong>University</strong> and so long<br />
as the sun continues to shine on the event,<br />
and the Pimms continues to fl ow, it looks<br />
set to establish itself as a permanent fi xture<br />
on the JCR’s, and indeed the <strong>University</strong>’s,<br />
social calendar.<br />
Overall, JCR members have experienced<br />
yet another busy and enjoyable year while<br />
maintaining the hard-working and highachieving<br />
ethic which has characterised the<br />
<strong>College</strong> in recent years.<br />
Jonathan Hinder (2009)<br />
JCR President 2010-11
MCR News<br />
Over the past 12 months, <strong>Merton</strong> MCR<br />
has thrived as a hub <strong>of</strong> academic, sporting<br />
and social excellence. In academic news,<br />
Elizabeth Hunter was awarded the Royal<br />
Historical Society’s Rees Davies Prize, and<br />
Helena Gresty published Med School, My<br />
Foot in the Door, a book encouraging and<br />
advising on applying to medical school.<br />
Walter C Ladwig appeared on BBC 4’s<br />
World News Today to discuss President<br />
Obama’s Afghan drawdown plan, and on<br />
‘The Hub’ on the BBC World News channel<br />
to discuss the Indian Prime Minister’s visit<br />
to Afghanistan. Two MCR members have<br />
been awarded Junior Research Fellowships<br />
for the coming year. Edmund Highcock<br />
received the Magdalen <strong>College</strong> Prize<br />
Scholarship and Andrew Stephenson was<br />
elected to the Laming JRF at Queen’s<br />
<strong>College</strong>.<br />
This year the MCR and many <strong>of</strong> our<br />
members threw their weight into charity<br />
fundraising. In Michaelmas, a Burns’ night<br />
Ceilidh held jointly with St Cross and LMH<br />
raised £360 for the Scottish Wildlife Trust,<br />
and later that term, a month-long abstention<br />
from alcohol by one <strong>of</strong> our social secretaries<br />
raised £500 for the Down’s Syndrome<br />
Association. Ben Sherlock competed in<br />
the 2011 London Marathon, fi nishing in<br />
an impressive 3 hours 24 minutes and<br />
raising over £2,500 for Multiple Sclerosis.<br />
Kyle Martin, a keen member <strong>of</strong> the MCR,<br />
MCBC and coach <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Oxford</strong> Adaptive<br />
Rowing Club (which caters for people with<br />
physical and mental disabilities), organised<br />
MCR<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
a 24-hour Ergathon, held in the Westgate<br />
Shopping Centre and <strong>Merton</strong> gym.<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the MCR, JCR and <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
Academicals Rowing Club took part in the<br />
gruelling event, raising over £3,000 towards<br />
the purchase <strong>of</strong> a new adaptive scull.<br />
The Town & Gown 10km run was the<br />
MCR’s crowning achievement this year,<br />
with more than 40 members taking part and<br />
£1,141 raised for the Muscular Dystrophy<br />
Campaign. Numerous fundraising and<br />
training events were organised in the run-up<br />
and, on the day, the <strong>Merton</strong> running vests<br />
made a strong showing. Special mention<br />
should go to Tucker Murphy and Lee Harper<br />
(who has also been selected to represent<br />
the GB age group squad at the ITU World<br />
Triathlon Championships in Beijing this<br />
THE <strong>MER</strong>TON TOWN & GOWN RUNNING TEAM LINE-UP BEFORE THE RACE<br />
7
NEWS MCR<br />
September), who gained 7th and 8th place<br />
overall out <strong>of</strong> more than 3,000 runners.<br />
In other sporting news, both the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
men’s and the women’s Cricket Clubs<br />
won their related intercollegiate leagues.<br />
MCR members who represented the fi rst<br />
team include: Will Brandler, Kohilan<br />
Gananandan, Gautam Kalani, Daniel King,<br />
Seshadri Nadathur and Ishani Khazanchi.<br />
Impressively, more MCR members than<br />
ever are active in the <strong>Merton</strong> Boat Club. Two<br />
crews won blades this year: M2 in Torpids<br />
(MCR members Chris Gray, Paul Fineran<br />
and Felix Chow), W2 in Eights (MCR<br />
members Anne Miles, Gen Clutton, Laura<br />
Fraser and Christophe Snoeck) and W1<br />
bumped up to Division 1 in Summer Eights<br />
(MCR members Kitty Dann, Stephanie<br />
Jones, Caitlin Goss and Katharine Pates). It<br />
was truly an exciting year to be on the river.<br />
In other rowing news, at a much higher<br />
level, Kathryn Twyman represented Great<br />
Britain at the Munich World Cup, winning<br />
silver in the Lightweight women’s double.<br />
Also on the water, the Blues Yachting<br />
Team won Varsity 4:0 this year. (Out <strong>of</strong><br />
a team <strong>of</strong> nine, four were <strong>Merton</strong>ians:<br />
Masahiro Kotosaka, Hendrik Coldenstrodt-<br />
Ronge, Alexander Bajjon and Vanessa<br />
Johnen.) They went on to compete in the<br />
British <strong>University</strong> Sailing Association<br />
(BUSA) Yachting Nationals, and came<br />
12th best team overall and the 7th best<br />
university in the UK. As this was the best<br />
result for <strong>Oxford</strong> yachting to date, the team<br />
was awarded the fi rst ever Half Blues for<br />
Yachting for their successes.<br />
Other Blues awarded this year went<br />
to Victoria Ormerod, in both squash and<br />
real tennis, Ishani Khazanchi (Blue in<br />
Badminton), and Courtney Bishop, who<br />
won Half Blue in the Varsity athletics<br />
8 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FRESHERS’ WEEK CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION IN THE CHAPEL<br />
1500m. In Dance, Han Huiqing competed<br />
in the Southern Universities Dancesport<br />
Competition (5th in Quickstep), Inter-<br />
Varsity Dancesport Competition (Best<br />
Beginners Team), Varsity Dancesport (Best<br />
Newcomer Trophy) and with her partner<br />
Tobias Teo (Balliol <strong>College</strong>) won 1st in<br />
all the Ballroom and Latin events (Waltz,<br />
Quickstep, ChaCha, Jive), clinching the<br />
Best Beginner Couple Trophy. They went<br />
on to the Ipswich Latin Festival 2011 where<br />
they competed outside the intercollegiate<br />
circuit, winning 1st Solo Bronze, 1st<br />
Couple Pre-Bronze (ChaCha, Jive) and 1st<br />
Couple Bronze (ChaCha, Rumba).<br />
Jake Yorke served as President and<br />
Captain <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Power-<br />
lifting Club this year, organising and<br />
hosting the 2010 Great Britain Powerlifting<br />
Federation <strong>University</strong> and <strong>College</strong><br />
Championships, which <strong>Oxford</strong> won. He was<br />
also placed fi rst in the 2010 British Drug<br />
Free Powerlifting Association <strong>University</strong><br />
Championships Men’s Open 110 kg class.<br />
As always, the MCR played an active role<br />
in the social life <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>. We hosted<br />
a large number <strong>of</strong> events including blacktie<br />
dinners, cocktail parties, game nights,<br />
tastings, exchange dinners, cultural events<br />
and garden parties. A new committee took<br />
over leadership <strong>of</strong> the MCR at the beginning<br />
<strong>of</strong> Trinity Term. It includes: Stephanie M<br />
Jones (President, Wolf Rittersh<strong>of</strong>er (Vice-<br />
President), Patrik Flammer (Treasurer),<br />
Christophe Snoeck (Social Secretary),<br />
Pauline Souleau (Social Secretary), Kitty<br />
Dann (Welfare Representative), Amber<br />
Hood (Welfare Representative), Claire<br />
Higgins (Environmental Representative),<br />
Christopher Gray (OUSU Offi cer), Anne<br />
Miles (Arts and Culture Representative),<br />
Paul Fineran (Admiral <strong>of</strong> the Fleet), and<br />
Robert Machinek (Webmaster).<br />
Stephanie Jones<br />
MCR President
<strong>Merton</strong> Sport<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON-MANSFIELD FOOTBALL<br />
The year was a momentous one for the<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>/Mansfi eld 1st XI football team,<br />
winning the Premier Division title for what<br />
is believed to be the fi rst time ever in the<br />
combined colleges’ history and reaching<br />
the semi-fi nals <strong>of</strong> the cup, only to lose to<br />
the eventual champions, a Blues-dominated<br />
Worcester.<br />
In a league otherwise populated by<br />
college sporting powerhouses such as<br />
Christ Church and Wadham, the underdogs<br />
instantly set about upturning the applecart,<br />
clinically disposing <strong>of</strong> Teddy Hall 3-0 in the<br />
opening game. Successes in all competitions<br />
followed for the remainder <strong>of</strong> Michaelmas,<br />
disrupted only by a controversial 2-0 loss to<br />
Worcester and a 3-3 end-to-end thriller with<br />
St Catz; the term’s highlight being a 6-0 cup<br />
romp against Keble despite playing with ten<br />
men for 80 minutes.<br />
MEN’S ROWING<br />
This past academic year, the <strong>College</strong> Boat<br />
Club has enjoyed a very successful year<br />
on the river. The men started Michaelmas<br />
with a strong pool <strong>of</strong> returning rowers,<br />
and a successful dev squad <strong>of</strong> mixed boats<br />
was run throughout the term, the largest<br />
and most organised squad in recent years.<br />
Novice recruitment and retention this year<br />
was especially successful, with <strong>Merton</strong><br />
fi elding fi ve men’s boats in the Christ<br />
Church Regatta, making us the largest<br />
boat club on the river. The regatta ran its<br />
full programme this year, giving our new<br />
rowers some great successes on the water<br />
Hilary’s arrival brought with it a glut <strong>of</strong><br />
high-intensity games. Gaining a reputation<br />
for their expansive, passing football,<br />
excellent organisation and never-say-die<br />
attitude, the Ms were involved in numerous<br />
classic encounters; the titanic 3-3 battle<br />
against Teddy Hall (achieved a man short<br />
after a harsh red card for the goalkeeper),<br />
the dramatic fi ght back away to Worcester to<br />
rescue a point having been 2-0 down or the<br />
gritty victories against St Hugh’s and Christ<br />
Church, both won during the last throes <strong>of</strong><br />
the action. The pinnacle probably came in<br />
the 2-1 quarter-fi nal triumph over Teddy<br />
Hall; having heroically held fi rm against a<br />
sustained bombardment <strong>of</strong> long throws and<br />
punted set-pieces, the Ms broke away late<br />
on to snatch a winner that silenced the 50odd<br />
Hall fans on the sidelines.<br />
Despite a 5-1 loss at the aforementioned<br />
penultimate cup stage to old adversaries<br />
and contributed strongly to the excellent<br />
retention <strong>of</strong> new novices into Hilary.<br />
Hilary Term again started strongly with<br />
near to all the new novice rowers continuing<br />
into the senior ranks for the Torpids<br />
campaign. The men’s club continued the<br />
hard work <strong>of</strong> Michaelmas, with the 1st<br />
Torpid producing impressive performances<br />
at Bedford Head and the local Isis winter<br />
league races; the times produced ranked<br />
us at sixth on the river in terms <strong>of</strong> boat<br />
speed. It was very satisfying to cause a<br />
bit <strong>of</strong> a stir for our traditionally bigger<br />
rowing competitors with these results. The<br />
improvement in the pure boat speed <strong>of</strong> the<br />
SPORT | FOOTBALL<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
Worcester, the Ms recovered magnifi cently<br />
to clinch a draw against Christ Church<br />
and with it the league title, sparking<br />
wild celebrations that went on long<br />
into the night. Captain and <strong>Merton</strong>ian<br />
undergraduate Jeffrey Burgin, one <strong>of</strong><br />
three M’s representatives in the OxStu<br />
Team <strong>of</strong> the Year, said <strong>of</strong> the achievement:<br />
“It’s just been incredible, the fact we were<br />
rock bottom <strong>of</strong> the lowest division just<br />
fi ve years ago making it even more so.<br />
Everything about this season – the training<br />
sessions in the pouring rain, the dressingroom<br />
banter, the team socials, the buzz you<br />
got every match day when you pulled the<br />
shirt on – will undoubtedly be the defi ning<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> my time here and it has been<br />
something that I, and I’m sure any <strong>of</strong> the<br />
lads, will never forget.”<br />
Jeffrey Burgin (2009)<br />
Football Captain<br />
1st VIII this year can be attributed in a large<br />
part to the involvement <strong>of</strong> Rob Jeffrey, a<br />
former GB U-23 coach, with the club since<br />
January.<br />
Torpids produced a good set <strong>of</strong> results<br />
for the club across the board. The men’s<br />
1st Torpid, despite being the quickest crew<br />
in the division, didn’t quite have the speed<br />
differential to close out the bump on a quick<br />
Keble crew in front, and held station for the<br />
week. The 2nd Torpid were looking very<br />
strong all term and easily completed four<br />
bumps on each day to earn a set <strong>of</strong> welldeserved<br />
blades. In addition, for the fi rst<br />
time in recent years, we had a 3rd Torpid<br />
9
NEWS SPORT | WOMEN’S ROWING<br />
qualify for the bumps week fi nishing up<br />
one; a real testament to the strength in depth<br />
in <strong>Merton</strong> rowing this year.<br />
Over Easter the club held its fi rst training<br />
camp outside <strong>Oxford</strong> at Walton-on-Thames<br />
in Surrey. A fantastically useful four days<br />
<strong>of</strong> training was had in conjunction with<br />
Queens’ <strong>College</strong> Cambridge, and I hope the<br />
camp at the fantastic facilities available at<br />
Walton will become a regular feature in the<br />
club calendar each year.<br />
Back in <strong>Oxford</strong> after Easter, the Trinity<br />
Term preparation for Summer Eights hit<br />
the ground running. In a step up from<br />
Hilary, four <strong>Merton</strong> men’s VIIIs qualifi ed<br />
for Eights Week itself; rewarding the focus<br />
on improving the coaching <strong>of</strong> lower boats<br />
this year. The 1st VIII had a tough week<br />
chasing a very fast Brasenose crew and<br />
trying to hold <strong>of</strong>f a quick Pembroke boat<br />
from behind, which unfortunately managed<br />
to bump us on the Saturday. The 2nd VIII<br />
were again very quick, fi nishing up two<br />
for the week, and only being denied blades<br />
by a couple <strong>of</strong> klaxons. The 3rd VIII also<br />
showed their progression from the previous<br />
term by fi nishing up two as well. The 4th<br />
VIII rounded <strong>of</strong>f a hugely successful week<br />
for <strong>Merton</strong> as a whole by achieving a bump<br />
to fi nish up one. Between the men and<br />
the women, <strong>Merton</strong> led the bumps charts<br />
WOMEN’S ROWING<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>’s Women’s Boat Club has had a<br />
fantastic year, with a number <strong>of</strong> notable<br />
successes in college competitions and<br />
external events. We began Michaelmas<br />
in a strong position, with a committed<br />
development squad <strong>of</strong> 15 girls continuing<br />
from last year, including many from the<br />
10 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
for most <strong>of</strong> the week and fi nally fi nished<br />
second on the river in the total bumps<br />
tables, a fantastic achievement for a college<br />
<strong>of</strong> our size.<br />
I am certain that the coming year holds<br />
further success for the club, and that we<br />
can harness the involvement, enthusiasm<br />
and success this year to create an upward<br />
Eights W1 and the Henley VIII. The<br />
club already seemed to have reversed its<br />
downward trend in the bumps charts, having<br />
performed well in Summer Eights 2010, and<br />
I began my term as captain feeling hugely<br />
enthusiastic about what we could achieve.<br />
We set out aiming to grow in numbers and<br />
sporting pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism and to bump into<br />
pressure to drive us on further and to greater<br />
heights next year. I pass on the captaincy<br />
to Josh Monahan, knowing that the club is<br />
thriving and in good hands.<br />
Richard Millar<br />
Captain <strong>of</strong> Boats 2010-11<br />
division one in Eights, whilst maintaining<br />
the fun and sociable atmosphere <strong>of</strong> the club<br />
that gives it such appeal.<br />
An impressive Fresher recruitment<br />
allowed us to enter four boats in Christ<br />
Church Regatta. With the same number <strong>of</strong><br />
men’s crews, MCBC was the largest club<br />
in the regatta, a rather impressive feat! One
women’s boat made the third round, but<br />
even more pleasing was the overwhelming<br />
enthusiasm and the number <strong>of</strong> these novices<br />
who continued into Hilary Term. We entered<br />
four boats into Torpids, with the 3rd and 4th<br />
only narrowly missing out on qualifying.<br />
W1 bumped up three places, moving to 8th<br />
in the second division, from where I am sure<br />
we shall continue to climb. W2 achieved the<br />
very impressive feat <strong>of</strong> bumping up three<br />
places into the fi xed divisions.<br />
Summer Eights was the culmination<br />
<strong>of</strong> a year’s hard training, including a<br />
productive pre-Trinity camp, and thanks to<br />
the dedication <strong>of</strong> crews and coaches was<br />
a brilliant success. Due to several rowers<br />
having exams we entered just two boats,<br />
having a third training in a four and entering<br />
Oriel Regatta in 7th week. W1 climbed two<br />
places on the fi rst day, bumping Somerville<br />
to top division two, and then New <strong>College</strong><br />
as sandwich boat to win our place in<br />
division one. We rowed over on the following<br />
days, closely pursuing Oriel, and several<br />
lengths ahead <strong>of</strong> New <strong>College</strong>, to hold our<br />
position. I was particularly delighted with<br />
this result as it had been my greatest aim<br />
when taking on the captaincy. The success<br />
was not limited to W1, with a fantastic W2<br />
winning blades in spectacular style – barely<br />
having to race past Donnington Bridge on<br />
any day.<br />
SPORT | WOMEN’S ROWING<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
In terms <strong>of</strong> external successes, the club<br />
entered Cambridge and City <strong>of</strong> Bristol<br />
Heads, with a composite W1/W2 crew<br />
coming 3rd out <strong>of</strong> eight IM38+ boats<br />
entered in the latter, beaten only by the<br />
home crews. Caitlin Goss <strong>of</strong> W1 rowed<br />
with the OUWBC development squad over<br />
Easter, entering BUCS where the club came<br />
4th overall. I also joined the development<br />
squad at the beginning <strong>of</strong> Trinity, reaching<br />
the semi-fi nals <strong>of</strong> Henley Women’s Regatta<br />
with Osiris. Both <strong>of</strong> us entered Kingston<br />
Regatta in July with Osiris’s A crew and<br />
are intending to trial for the Blue Boat<br />
next year.<br />
None <strong>of</strong> this could have been achieved<br />
without fantastic coaching from Tom<br />
Broadway, James Watson and Edward<br />
Arnold for W1, and Anthony Lewis and<br />
Alan Sinclair for W2, whose enthusiasm<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism helped us all to realise<br />
our goals.<br />
I have enjoyed my year as captain more<br />
than I can describe and will always look<br />
back fondly on my experiences in the role.<br />
I am proud to be a part <strong>of</strong> such a friendly,<br />
vibrant and successful club, where I<br />
have made a number <strong>of</strong> great friends and<br />
discovered a sport that I am truly passionate<br />
about and hope to continue with all my<br />
life. I am sure that my successor, Tanya<br />
Goodchild, will help the club reach even<br />
greater heights with her great enthusiasm<br />
and dedication, and I am looking forward<br />
to seeing MCWBC’s successes unfold in<br />
2011-12!<br />
Mary Foord-Weston<br />
Women’s Boat Club Captain 2010-11<br />
11
NEWS SPORT | TENNIS<br />
TENNIS<br />
This year has seen a blossoming <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Tennis Team, both in terms <strong>of</strong><br />
its success in the intercollegiate League<br />
and Cuppers matches, and in terms <strong>of</strong> the<br />
consistently high number <strong>of</strong> players coming<br />
to weekly Sunday practices.<br />
In the Cuppers tournament, <strong>Merton</strong> made<br />
it as far as the semi-fi nals without having<br />
dropped a single set – the best the <strong>College</strong><br />
has done as far back as memory reaches.<br />
Unfortunately, we had a very diffi cult match<br />
against New <strong>College</strong> in the semi-fi nal and<br />
were knocked out, but not before a crushing<br />
series <strong>of</strong> victories against St Benet’s Hall,<br />
Oriel and Keble.<br />
In league matches, <strong>Merton</strong> continues to<br />
play in Division I, thanks to the brilliant<br />
leadership <strong>of</strong> our former Captain, Greg<br />
Lim. Not only have we held our position in<br />
Division I this year, but we also improved<br />
our ranking from third (out <strong>of</strong> six) in<br />
2010, to second. We avenged our previous<br />
losses to <strong>University</strong> <strong>College</strong> in Cuppers<br />
and the league, beating them solidly this<br />
year by nine sets to three. Magdalen was<br />
so intimidated by our physical prowess<br />
that they failed to show up for our match –<br />
such is the fearsome reputation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Tennis! Little further explanation is needed<br />
in declaring that these results show that<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> is one <strong>of</strong> the top three college tennis<br />
teams in <strong>Oxford</strong>.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>’s team has a roster <strong>of</strong> about 15<br />
players, but a few deserve special mention<br />
12 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
and recognition for their outstanding<br />
services and commitment: Dr Reto<br />
Bazzani, our internationally ranked Swiss<br />
player who came back to help the team after<br />
fi nishing his DPhil; Alessandro Geraldini,<br />
the stoic fresher who also played for <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>; Dr Mostyn Brown, who had the<br />
most set victories during the season; and<br />
Jack Halsey, our vice-captain, who made<br />
sure we always looked our best, even if we<br />
weren’t playing our best. The end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
season also marks my departure as captain;<br />
however, the captaincy will be placed into<br />
the very capable hands <strong>of</strong> Graeme Addison.<br />
I <strong>of</strong>fer my best wishes to him and next<br />
year’s team.<br />
And lastly, our many thanks go to our<br />
groundsman, James Lisle, who provided<br />
tea, sandwiches and cakes after every<br />
match, to the delight and envy <strong>of</strong> our<br />
opponents. And which gave our own team<br />
much time for further bonding and banter,<br />
usually at the captain’s expense. Long live<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Tennis!<br />
Michael Uy (2009)<br />
Captain, <strong>Merton</strong> Men’s Tennis
<strong>Merton</strong> Sports Blues and Haigh Ties<br />
BLUES<br />
Blues or Half Blues have been awarded<br />
to the following:<br />
Courtney Bishop Athletics<br />
Sonia Bracegirdle Rowing<br />
Jack Coward Trampolining<br />
Freddie Hendry Athletics<br />
Samuel Jauncey Rifl e Shooting<br />
Will Kane Rugby<br />
Ishani Kazanchi Badminton<br />
Joe Northover Swimming<br />
Victoria Ormerod Squash, Real Tennis<br />
Timothy Sherwin Shooting<br />
Jessamy Tyrell Rugby<br />
HAIGH TIES<br />
Haigh Ties for outstanding contribution<br />
to <strong>College</strong> sport have been awarded to<br />
the following:<br />
Jeffrey Burgin<br />
Mark Dethlefsen<br />
Michael Eager<br />
Mary Foord-Weston<br />
Richard Millar<br />
Katharine Pates<br />
Timothy Sherwin<br />
SPORT | BLUES AND HAIGH TIES<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
13
NEWS CLUBS & SOCIETIES | <strong>MER</strong>TON FLOATS<br />
Clubs and Societies<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON FLOATS<br />
2010-11 has been another strong year for<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Floats; we were keen to build on the<br />
fantastic success <strong>of</strong> last year’s productions <strong>of</strong><br />
Milton’s Samson Agonistes and Chekhov’s<br />
Uncle Vanya. Our fi rst task was to fi nd a<br />
new society secretary, after Ellen Davnall<br />
left the <strong>College</strong> last summer. Unable to fi nd<br />
just one replacement, we saw Meg Bartlett<br />
(Secretary) and Elizabeth Biggs (Technical<br />
Adviser) join Niall Allsopp (President) and<br />
Ed White (Treasurer) on the committee. We<br />
were keen to repeat last year’s successful<br />
formula <strong>of</strong> a more experimental, esoteric<br />
show in the Chapel in Hilary, followed by<br />
a more popular option (with a budget to<br />
match) for our Trinity garden show.<br />
Our chapel play in Hilary certainly met<br />
this criterion. Erstwhile Floats star Bevil<br />
Luck directed a cycle <strong>of</strong> fi ve short Japanese<br />
Noh plays, translated by modernist poet<br />
(and friend <strong>of</strong> TS Eliot) Ezra Pound,<br />
alongside <strong>Merton</strong> musician Eddie Smith,<br />
who arranged and directed the lesserknown<br />
suite <strong>of</strong> incidental music, ‘Les Fils<br />
des Étoiles’, by Erik Satie. Bevil and Eddie<br />
were kept on their toes by the producer<br />
Olivia Kirkbride. Both the Pound and Satie<br />
pieces are very rarely performed, and the<br />
interweaving <strong>of</strong> music, poetry, drama and<br />
movement made for a unique and magical<br />
production, which sought to fuse Eastern<br />
and Western traditions. <strong>Merton</strong>ian actors<br />
Ayesha Jhunjhunwala, Ben Walpole, Finola<br />
Austin and Lizzie Hunter were joined by<br />
Shaun Chua, whose knowledge <strong>of</strong> Noh<br />
theatre helped the team give the show an air<br />
<strong>of</strong> authenticity; meanwhile, Eddie’s seven-<br />
14 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
piece orchestra was augmented by Emily<br />
Meredith’s voice in Satie’s haunting songs.<br />
Although the beautiful surroundings <strong>of</strong> the<br />
college chapel in February created some<br />
unusual challenges (<strong>of</strong> both acoustics and<br />
temperature) for our intrepid performers,<br />
the play was very popular with critics and<br />
audiences alike.<br />
After treading this somewhat highbrow<br />
territory in Hilary – and after last year’s<br />
Chekhov – we felt some lighter material<br />
was necessary for Trinity’s garden show.<br />
Fresh from the chapel play, Finola Austin<br />
approached us, proposing to direct an<br />
adaptation <strong>of</strong> Brandon Thomas’ <strong>Oxford</strong>college<br />
cross-dressing farce Charley’s<br />
Aunt. Requiring lavish costumes, period<br />
furniture (particularly a folding screen that<br />
had to be pegged into the ground to prevent<br />
it blowing over), and outdoor waterpro<strong>of</strong><br />
lighting to counteract the sunset (and the<br />
clouds), staging a show in the <strong>College</strong><br />
gardens is no mean logistical feat. However,<br />
our <strong>Merton</strong>ian production team, led by<br />
Finola (director), Niall Allsopp (producer)<br />
and Elizabeth Biggs (production manager),<br />
surmounted all <strong>of</strong> these diffi culties – not<br />
least a ten-minute ‘transfer’ (or dash) to<br />
the Chapel when it started raining at the<br />
beginning <strong>of</strong> our matinee. Fortunately, the<br />
production did not require much in the way<br />
<strong>of</strong> set-dressing, as the beautiful gardens<br />
(and, indeed, the Chapel) provided a perfect<br />
backdrop.<br />
Sadly, our <strong>Merton</strong>ian stars were all<br />
otherwise engaged – with exams, other
productions, or, quite literally, engaged<br />
to be married – forcing us to recruit<br />
actors from other colleges. However,<br />
our mercenaries really settled in to their<br />
adopted college, and gelled as a cast, with<br />
lively comic performances underpinned<br />
by a charismatic emotional warmth. Peter<br />
THE NEAVE SOCIETY<br />
This year has seen the Neave Society<br />
continue to push boundaries and challenge<br />
political preconceptions, all the while<br />
holding faithfully to its guiding principles<br />
<strong>of</strong> unpretentious and reasoned discourse.<br />
And port.<br />
In March, we were lucky enough to be<br />
joined by Old <strong>Merton</strong>ian Sir Peter Tapsell,<br />
who talked entertainingly and informatively<br />
on topics ranging from the Middle East to<br />
Nick Clegg. This was a relatively informal<br />
event, with a real atmosphere <strong>of</strong> discussion,<br />
and its tremendous success has greatly<br />
informed the venue used for the hosting <strong>of</strong><br />
future speakers. Whilst one fears they may<br />
struggle to attain the dizzy heights <strong>of</strong> Sir<br />
Peter’s oratory, one feels that whispering<br />
conspiratorially amongst the wingbacks and<br />
stonework <strong>of</strong> the MCR will undoubtedly<br />
lend speaker events a touch <strong>of</strong> the informal<br />
brilliance that was such a joy to behold on<br />
that March evening.<br />
CLUBS & SOCIETIES | NEAVE SOCIETY<br />
Swann (St Edmund Hall) was particularly<br />
memorable as Lord Fancourt Babberly,<br />
who dresses up as the titular Charley’s<br />
Aunt, in order to help his friends Jack (Max<br />
Mills, Christ Church) and Charles (Charles<br />
O’Halloran, Regent’s Park) in their<br />
romantic troubles. Despite the weather’s<br />
Early this Trinity, Neave convened to<br />
debate the motion ‘This House would<br />
abolish all private property’. The fact that the<br />
motion was defeated only by the slimmest<br />
<strong>of</strong> margins truly bears testament to the leftleaning<br />
nature <strong>of</strong> this year’s membership.<br />
Indeed, many <strong>of</strong> our most vociferous – and<br />
most left-wing – members bid farewell to<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> this year. One is certain that they<br />
shall be sorely missed, and one can only<br />
hope that the new arrivals contribute just<br />
as many fi rebrands and future politicians to<br />
our society next Michaelmas.<br />
The society was extremely proud to host<br />
the distinguished Lord Andrew Adonis,<br />
who came to speak about his life in politics.<br />
A life, it emerged, that incorporated<br />
Christchurchian insolence, straight talking,<br />
political intrigue and a tragically unfulfi lled<br />
wish to see <strong>Oxford</strong> endowed with a light<br />
rail network. Ed Vaizey MP received a<br />
stiffer welcome when he visited the society<br />
for a brief question-and-answer session,<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
best efforts, the production was critically<br />
acclaimed and drew large audiences, who<br />
obligingly provided plenty <strong>of</strong> belly-laughs,<br />
and the odd burst <strong>of</strong> sunlight.<br />
Google ‘<strong>Merton</strong> Floats’ to fi nd us on<br />
Facebook.<br />
Niall Allsopp (2008)<br />
becoming mired in a lengthy debate on the<br />
subject <strong>of</strong> the censorship <strong>of</strong> pornography<br />
on the internet. One hopes that next term’s<br />
speakers will be just as prepared for such<br />
vigorous political discourse.<br />
It simply remains for me to humbly thank<br />
the outgoing executive, President Sam Hall,<br />
Vice-President Dennis Dillon and Treasurer<br />
Guy Daws and state my own excitement<br />
for the forthcoming year with the newly<br />
elected committee. We’re looking forward<br />
to welcoming new <strong>Merton</strong>ians as members<br />
and to organising a range <strong>of</strong> stimulating<br />
debates and engaging political speakers,<br />
beginning with a special visit to the House<br />
<strong>of</strong> Commons early next Michaelmas. Vice-<br />
President Karl Kahn, Treasurer Josh Brown<br />
and I have had a wonderful fi rst term and<br />
look forward to upholding the values and<br />
principles <strong>of</strong> free and diverse political<br />
discussion that our members hold so<br />
passionately.<br />
Jackson Smith (2008)<br />
15
NEWS INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUPS | BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES<br />
Interdisciplinary Groups<br />
BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES<br />
In Michaelmas Term, we held our annual<br />
poster evening at which graduate students<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong> presented their current research<br />
to fi rst-year graduates, supervisors, <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Fellows and the Warden.<br />
In Hilary Term, we held a joint meeting<br />
with the <strong>College</strong>’s History <strong>of</strong> the Book<br />
Group, where Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Peter Holland, FRS<br />
(Linacre Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Zoology at <strong>Merton</strong><br />
and Associate Head <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Zoology) gave a highly<br />
fascinating and entertaining talk entitled<br />
‘The Linacre Pr<strong>of</strong>essors at <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
1860-2010: Evolution, Ecology and<br />
Eccentricity’. Thomas Linacre, physician<br />
to Henry VIII, died in 1524, leaving funds<br />
to support a series <strong>of</strong> visiting lectureships.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> agreed to host the lecturers<br />
as Fellows <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>. After running<br />
for 300 years, the lectureships were<br />
converted into the Linacre Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship<br />
GLOBAL DIRECTIONS<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>’s Global Directions Group held two<br />
events in 2011. The fi rst, on 9th February,<br />
featured Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Kay, one <strong>of</strong><br />
Britain’s leading economists, speaking on<br />
‘The Future <strong>of</strong> Markets’, in which he drew<br />
extensively on his deep knowledge and<br />
experience within the fi eld.<br />
The second, held on 26th May, was a halfday<br />
workshop on counterinsurgency on the<br />
theme ‘COIN: Where We Are, and What’s<br />
Next?’, which examined the construction<br />
16 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>of</strong> Comparative Anatomy (which later<br />
became Zoology).<br />
In his lecture, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Holland<br />
introduced the 11 holders <strong>of</strong> the Linacre<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship spanning from 1860 to the<br />
present day, and outlined their research<br />
contributions, their published work and<br />
their infl uence on science in <strong>Oxford</strong>. The<br />
Linacre Pr<strong>of</strong>essors, plus the colleagues<br />
they brought to <strong>Oxford</strong>, included some <strong>of</strong><br />
the most prominent fi gures in evolutionary<br />
biology, the founders <strong>of</strong> ecology and more<br />
than a few eccentrics – although Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Holland left it to his audience to decide<br />
which <strong>of</strong> these distinctions described<br />
him best.<br />
In Trinity Term, we held a second<br />
extremely successful joint meeting with<br />
the <strong>College</strong>’s History <strong>of</strong> the Book Group.<br />
Our invited speaker, Dr Anna Marie<br />
Roos (Research Fellow at the Faculty<br />
<strong>of</strong> History, <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong>) gave a<br />
<strong>of</strong> US and UK counterinsurgency doctrine,<br />
its implementation in Iraq and Afghanistan,<br />
and the associated legal and ethical<br />
frameworks. The workshop, attended<br />
by over 100 people – a mix <strong>of</strong> students,<br />
academics, and practitioners from inside<br />
and outside the military – was the product<br />
<strong>of</strong> collaboration between the Global<br />
Directions Group, <strong>Oxford</strong>’s Changing<br />
Character <strong>of</strong> War Programme, and the<br />
British Army Counterinsurgency Centre,<br />
who jointly convened the workshop.<br />
highly informative and well received<br />
lecture entitled ‘The Art <strong>of</strong> Science: The<br />
‘Rediscovery’ <strong>of</strong> the Copperplates <strong>of</strong> Martin<br />
Lister’s Historiae Conchyliorum (1685-<br />
92)’. Her talk provided a unique insight<br />
into the life and work <strong>of</strong> Martin Lister and<br />
his huge contribution to natural history and<br />
conchology. Dr Roos’ fascinating talk was<br />
preceded by an introduction by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Peter Holland outlining modern day research<br />
into molluscs. Both lectures this year were<br />
followed by highly popular opportunities to<br />
view relevant old books and material from<br />
the <strong>College</strong>’s Upper Library.<br />
The continuing expansion and strength <strong>of</strong><br />
the life and biomedical sciences within the<br />
<strong>University</strong> ensures <strong>Merton</strong> is enriched with<br />
a large number <strong>of</strong> graduates and Fellows<br />
researching into all manner <strong>of</strong> living<br />
processes and medical interventions. New<br />
members to the BMLS group are always<br />
welcome, as are suggestions for formats<br />
and topics <strong>of</strong> future meetings.<br />
Simon Draper<br />
Supernumerary Fellow in Biochemistry<br />
We were fortunate to work with both<br />
institutions and their respective leaders;<br />
indeed, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hew Strachan and<br />
Colonel Alex Alderson deserve special<br />
thanks for enabling the assembled group<br />
to come together. The event concluded<br />
with a keynote address by Dr Conrad<br />
Crane, Director <strong>of</strong> the US Army Military<br />
History Institute, who is perhaps best<br />
known for heading the writing team <strong>of</strong><br />
the 2006 US Army and Marine Corps<br />
counterinsurgency manual, FM 3-24, the
fi rst counterinsurgency manual produced<br />
by either institution in over two decades<br />
and potentially the most infl uential piece<br />
<strong>of</strong> military doctrine in recent memory. Dr<br />
Crane’s keynote address, titled ‘Exorcising<br />
HISTORY OF THE BOOK<br />
An interdisciplinary enterprise, the History<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Book group has two goals: to explore<br />
the history <strong>of</strong> the knowledge-disciplines<br />
through their written records and to<br />
highlight the nature <strong>of</strong> the book itself. Both<br />
goals were very much in evidence through<br />
the group’s activities this year.<br />
Rita Ricketts shared some <strong>of</strong> her<br />
ongoing research into the history <strong>of</strong><br />
Blackwells, the iconic <strong>Oxford</strong> publishing<br />
and bookselling fi rm, drawing on materials<br />
from the Blackwell family archives held<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong>. Book history and the sciences<br />
was a particular theme in the current year.<br />
In Hilary, the history and present state <strong>of</strong><br />
preparing mathematical documents was<br />
elucidated by <strong>Merton</strong>ians James Binney,<br />
Yang Hui-He and (in a typographical rather<br />
than mathematical tenor) Giles Bergel. We<br />
were honoured to receive a lecture from<br />
the Head <strong>of</strong> the Library and Archives <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Royal Society, Keith Moore, who delivered<br />
an illuminating talk on the Royal Society’s<br />
publishing and book-collecting throughout<br />
its 350 years.<br />
Dr Anna Marie Roos continued the<br />
scientifi c theme with a talk on the illustrations<br />
<strong>of</strong> Sir Martin Lister’s natural history books<br />
that combined scientifi c, bibliographical<br />
and historical expertise. The talk was<br />
jointly held with the Biomedical and Life<br />
Sciences group and was accompanied by a<br />
description <strong>of</strong> the current state <strong>of</strong> Lister’s<br />
fi eld by <strong>Merton</strong> Linacre Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
Zoology Peter Holland: it was no surprise<br />
INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUPS | HISTORY OF THE BOOK<br />
Old Demons and Discovering New Ones:<br />
American Counterinsurgency Doctrine<br />
in Iraq, Afghanistan and Beyond’, was<br />
particularly timely given the nomination<br />
<strong>of</strong> the architect <strong>of</strong> the US doctrine,<br />
that it attracted an appreciative audience<br />
from biology, book history, the history <strong>of</strong><br />
science and beyond. Peter Holland also took<br />
the spotlight for a lecture on the history <strong>of</strong><br />
his own Chair, paired with an exhibition <strong>of</strong><br />
books and papers in the <strong>College</strong>’s library<br />
relating to the distinguished position.<br />
Another lecture paired with an exhibition<br />
(in fact, two) was <strong>College</strong> archivist Julian<br />
Reid’s talk on the Bible translator and<br />
Warden <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> Sir Henry Savile, which<br />
drew on his recent experience in co-curating<br />
the Bodleian Library’s highly successful<br />
exhibition on the King James Bible in its<br />
400th year, accompanying a glimpse <strong>of</strong><br />
some remarkable printed and manuscript<br />
Bibles and related holdings in the <strong>College</strong>’s<br />
keeping. All <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>’s library and<br />
archive staff have been strong supporters<br />
<strong>of</strong> the History <strong>of</strong> the Book group: their<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> books and their generosity in<br />
affording access to some <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>’s<br />
literary treasures for group meetings has<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
General David Petraeus, as Director <strong>of</strong><br />
the US Central Intelligence Agency in late<br />
April 2011.<br />
Travers McLeod<br />
Deputy Principle <strong>of</strong> Postmasters<br />
been a tremendous asset. This was perhaps<br />
most graphically illustrated by the presence<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> MS 317 – an exquisitely-illustrated<br />
12th-century manuscript <strong>of</strong> Flavius Josephus<br />
that accompanied a paper by <strong>Merton</strong> classics<br />
Fellow Dr Luuk Huitink in Trinity (one <strong>of</strong><br />
three papers on the classical text-tradition,<br />
the others being given by Enrico Prodi and<br />
Alessandro Vatri). The year was roundedout<br />
with two lively discussions <strong>of</strong> recent<br />
work in the fi eld, which were particularly<br />
well attended by humanities graduate<br />
students, for whom book history affords<br />
a vital forum for following intellectual<br />
histories across linguistic, temporal and<br />
disciplinary boundaries. It’s been a privilege<br />
and a delight to serve as the convenor <strong>of</strong> the<br />
History <strong>of</strong> the Book group at <strong>Merton</strong>, whose<br />
production and stewardship <strong>of</strong> books shows<br />
no signs <strong>of</strong> diminishing even as the book<br />
itself continues to evolve.<br />
Giles Bergel<br />
JPR Lyell Research Fellow<br />
TURNING PAGES AT DR ANNA MARIA ROOS’ LECTURE ON MARTIN LISTER<br />
17
NEWS THE LIBRARY<br />
The Library<br />
The Library report in Postmaster <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
highlights how individual items or entire<br />
collections provide links between the<br />
<strong>College</strong> and others, whether <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
<strong>of</strong> the past or researchers and other<br />
communities <strong>of</strong> the present. That was<br />
demonstrated this year in different ways by<br />
three special collections: the Sandy Irvine<br />
Archive, the Frank Brenchley TS Eliot<br />
Collection and the John Robson Collection.<br />
On 1st June, the writer Julie Summers,<br />
biographer and great-niece <strong>of</strong> Andrew<br />
(Sandy) Irvine, gave a lively talk about<br />
Irvine, which drew a large and enthusiastic<br />
audience to the TS Eliot Lecture Theatre.<br />
The occasion marked the donation to the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Sandy Irvine Archive by<br />
the Sandy Irvine Trust, a milestone in a<br />
relationship between the Irvine family<br />
18 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
and the <strong>College</strong> that is now in its third<br />
generation.<br />
Sandy came to <strong>Merton</strong> to read Chemistry<br />
in 1922, already something <strong>of</strong> a celebrity as<br />
an oarsman. When he and George Mallory<br />
disappeared close to the summit <strong>of</strong> Mount<br />
Everest in June 1924, he became part <strong>of</strong><br />
one <strong>of</strong> the great unsolved mountaineering<br />
mysteries <strong>of</strong> all time. Sandy’s Everest<br />
diary had already been a particular treasure<br />
<strong>of</strong> the college collections for several<br />
decades when the more extensive archive<br />
was placed on deposit in 2004. What was<br />
and is so exciting about the archive is its<br />
inclusion <strong>of</strong> letters, photographs and other<br />
documents relating to Sandy’s life and<br />
the Everest expedition which were only<br />
rediscovered in an Irvine family home<br />
in 2000.<br />
The ‘new’ material included photographs<br />
taken by Sandy on the expedition and<br />
developed at Everest Base Camp in 1924.<br />
Sandy sent the negatives home to his sister<br />
Evelyn who had them developed and who<br />
kept Sandy’s brief descriptive notes <strong>of</strong> each<br />
image. The previously unknown letters,<br />
however, were the real prize.<br />
It is fair to say that Sandy was not a prolifi c<br />
letter writer, but the letters written during<br />
the Everest expedition to family and friends<br />
greatly enrich the brief diary entries which<br />
were intended to form an aide-memoire for<br />
a fuller account that Sandy planned to write<br />
later. Two excerpts will have to suffi ce here<br />
(spelling and punctuation are Sandy’s):<br />
30 April 1924, Base Camp, Rongbuk<br />
Glacier, to Peter Lunn, a friend who was<br />
then just 10 years old:
“Its great fun this expedition, you would<br />
love it if you were a bit older!<br />
You will probably hear the result <strong>of</strong> the<br />
1st attempt before you get this letter I<br />
hope it will be to say that at any rate the<br />
Oxygen party reached the top. I really<br />
hate the thought <strong>of</strong> it. I’d give anything<br />
to make a non-oxygen attempt. I think I’d<br />
sooner get to the foot <strong>of</strong> the fi nal pyramid<br />
without oxygen then to the top with it.<br />
Still as I’m oxygen mechanic I’ve got<br />
to go with the beastly stuff to look after<br />
it. After all I’ve got nothing to complain<br />
about being in the fi rst party.”<br />
30 April 1924, Base Camp, to his mother:<br />
“We arrived here yesterday in perfectly<br />
beastly weather – the worse for the fact<br />
that I’d been seedy for about 3 days –<br />
probably through working up to 12 + 2am<br />
with the Oxygen Apperatus for about a<br />
week + getting up at 6.30.<br />
Still I feel quite fi t again today though I<br />
have been hard at it since about 8 oclock.<br />
I expect to have 6 <strong>of</strong> my new patent<br />
apparatus ready by tomorrow night + 4<br />
original pattern patched up to be safe!...<br />
Today has been perfectly glorious. I don’t<br />
get much peace with my tool box at hand.<br />
I have cinemas, cameras, stoves lamps,<br />
chares [sic] + tents to mend in my spare<br />
moments when not fi ghting pressure<br />
gauges, fl owmeters etc.”<br />
Although the Everest material – the<br />
equipment lists, invoices for supplies,<br />
Sandy’s drawings for the oxygen apparatus,<br />
the photographs and letters – are the<br />
best known and have been displayed in<br />
exhibitions and studied by researchers, the<br />
archive also documents Sandy’s outstanding<br />
success as a rower, with photographs, press<br />
cuttings, medals, pennants, and regatta<br />
ANDREW ‘SANDY’ IRVINE<br />
programmes. In addition the collection<br />
contains some photographs <strong>of</strong> the Irvine<br />
family, Sandy and his friends at school and<br />
university and the Spitsbergen expedition <strong>of</strong><br />
1923, in which his <strong>Merton</strong> friend Ge<strong>of</strong>frey<br />
Milling (1920) also took part.<br />
Perhaps some <strong>of</strong> Sandy’s love <strong>of</strong> invention<br />
and adventure remains in the archive.<br />
This is certainly a collection that attracts<br />
more than standard academic researchers.<br />
The past year has brought legendary<br />
mountaineers Peter Habeler (one <strong>of</strong> the pair<br />
to make the fi rst successful Everest ascent<br />
without supplemental oxygen in 1978) and<br />
Tom Hornbein (who in 1963 made the fi rst<br />
Everest summit via the West Ridge) to Mob<br />
Library to look at Irvine’s oxygen apparatus<br />
drawings; and we later welcomed a forensic<br />
scientist in search <strong>of</strong> Sandy’s DNA. We look<br />
forward to many more unusual encounters<br />
THE LIBRARY<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
and to joint projects with Julie Summers<br />
and other members <strong>of</strong> the Irvine family.<br />
When the Brenchley T S Eliot collection<br />
was deposited in the <strong>Merton</strong> Library in<br />
1986, Frank Brenchley wrote about it in<br />
Postmaster, describing his fi rst purchase:<br />
“On the afternoon <strong>of</strong> my fi rst day as a<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> freshman in 1936, I went<br />
to Blackwell’s to stock up with the <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
Classical Texts I would need for the term.<br />
Gazing in pleasure around that delightful<br />
shop, I saw on a table a prominent display<br />
<strong>of</strong> a dozen or more copies <strong>of</strong> a blue-bound<br />
book entitled T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems<br />
1909-1935. I had never heard <strong>of</strong> the author;<br />
English literature at my school did not<br />
extend beyond Thomas Hardy. But, being<br />
an avid poetry-reader, I picked up one <strong>of</strong><br />
the books and opened it at random. I was<br />
immediately fascinated by stanzas which<br />
struck me as beautiful and unalterably<br />
‘right’, even where I was puzzled about<br />
their meaning.”<br />
Thus began an interest that grew into<br />
a major collection <strong>of</strong> Eliot’s works, with<br />
a special strength in original issues <strong>of</strong><br />
periodicals and smaller publications.<br />
Frank continued to add to the collection<br />
from time to time after it came to <strong>Merton</strong>,<br />
with some <strong>of</strong> the more recent additions<br />
including volumes inscribed by Eliot<br />
to Warden Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Mure, whom Eliot<br />
had known at <strong>Merton</strong> in 1914. This year,<br />
at the celebratory opening <strong>of</strong> the new<br />
lecture theatre named for the poet, it<br />
seemed ‘unalterably right’ that both Mrs<br />
Valerie Eliot and Frank Brenchley were<br />
present and that the <strong>College</strong> was able to<br />
display for guests a selection <strong>of</strong> highlights<br />
from the Brenchley Collection. Sadly,<br />
Frank Brenchley passed away in July.<br />
His warmth and generosity towards the<br />
19
NEWS THE LIBRARY<br />
<strong>College</strong> will be remembered fondly. The<br />
fact that the exhibition included some<br />
new translations <strong>of</strong> Eliot’s poems into<br />
Armenian, sent to the library just days<br />
earlier by <strong>Merton</strong>ian Joseph Chytry<br />
(1967), indicates that the collection will<br />
continue to grow.<br />
Just as the Brenchley Collection began in<br />
Blackwell’s bookshop, so the John Robson<br />
Collection also owes something to that<br />
famous <strong>Oxford</strong> bookselling and publishing<br />
A LETTER HOME FROM EVEREST<br />
20 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
business. John, who died in December<br />
2010 at the age <strong>of</strong> 80, worked in the book<br />
production side <strong>of</strong> Blackwell’s for over<br />
30 years. He had a personal interest in the<br />
history <strong>of</strong> printing, and after retirement<br />
and on advice from Blackwell historian<br />
Rita Ricketts, he donated to <strong>Merton</strong> his<br />
working library <strong>of</strong> publications about<br />
typography and book design. The books<br />
arrived almost at the same time that the<br />
<strong>College</strong> established the research group in<br />
the History <strong>of</strong> the Book, and many <strong>Merton</strong><br />
students and researchers have had cause<br />
to be thankful for the breadth <strong>of</strong> John’s<br />
interests. When preparing this year for<br />
the History <strong>of</strong> the Book seminar on the<br />
mathematical typesetting s<strong>of</strong>tware TeX, I<br />
was not surprised to fi nd a relevant book<br />
in the Robson Collection. The collection<br />
is housed in the Mob Lower Library;<br />
the <strong>College</strong> continues to add relevant<br />
publications and welcomes donations.<br />
Collections like these rightly receive<br />
attention, but smaller donations that arrive<br />
with less fanfare also play a large role in<br />
the successful functioning <strong>of</strong> the library.<br />
This year one might mention the Blunden<br />
pamphlets inscribed to Derek Hudson<br />
(1930), donated by Hudson’s daughter<br />
Katherine Jessell, or the books on classics<br />
and philosophy from the library <strong>of</strong> the late<br />
John Garrod (1950), some <strong>of</strong> which were<br />
borrowed by students as soon as they were<br />
catalogued. We make every effort to ensure<br />
that no one’s name is omitted from the list<br />
<strong>of</strong> donations, as a way <strong>of</strong> expressing thanks<br />
and also as a way <strong>of</strong> making visible the<br />
many connections represented by these<br />
gifts large and small.<br />
Julia Walworth<br />
Research Fellow and Librarian
The Archives<br />
2011 marks the 400th anniversary <strong>of</strong> the<br />
publication <strong>of</strong> the King James version <strong>of</strong><br />
the bible; a fact that has been diffi cult to<br />
ignore, given the attention it has received<br />
on television, radio and in the newspapers.<br />
As the home <strong>of</strong> the one <strong>of</strong> the six companies<br />
that produced the translation, <strong>Merton</strong> has<br />
received a reasonable share <strong>of</strong> that media<br />
attention. In February, BBC 4 aired a<br />
documentary by Adam Nicolson, When<br />
God Spoke English: the Making <strong>of</strong> the King<br />
James Bible. The programme included<br />
Nicolson in conversation with Dr Peter<br />
McCullough <strong>of</strong> Lincoln <strong>College</strong>, fi lmed in<br />
the Upper Library.<br />
The Library, together with the Chapel,<br />
featured again in KJB – The Book that<br />
Changed the World, broadcast on the History<br />
Channel in May. Directed by Norman<br />
Stone, who has also directed Shadowlands<br />
and Beyond Narnia, the programme<br />
combined interviews, ‘to camera’ narration,<br />
and historic re-enactment. The narrator,<br />
John Rhys-Davies, may be known to<br />
readers from Indiana Jones fi lms and as<br />
Gimli the Dwarf in the fi lm version <strong>of</strong> The<br />
Lord <strong>of</strong> the Rings. In the programme, Rhys-<br />
Davies talked about Sir Henry Savile, and<br />
examined some <strong>of</strong> the books that may have<br />
been used on the translation. The Archivist<br />
met with the directors <strong>of</strong> both programmes<br />
in advance, helping them reconnoitre the<br />
<strong>College</strong> and identifying locations especially<br />
associated with the translation. He also<br />
identifi ed some <strong>of</strong> the books used on the<br />
translation and, with the Fellow Librarian,<br />
supervised some <strong>of</strong> the fi lming.<br />
The Archivist has also been involved<br />
with some <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>’s own activities to<br />
commemorate its contribution to the King<br />
THE ARCHIVES<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
James translation. As archivist <strong>of</strong> the two<br />
colleges where the translating companies<br />
met in <strong>Oxford</strong>, viz. <strong>Merton</strong> and Corpus<br />
Christi, this was perhaps unavoidable.<br />
From April until September, the Bodleian<br />
Libraries are mounting an exhibition in<br />
the Old Schools Quadrangle, Manifold<br />
Greatness: <strong>Oxford</strong> and the Making <strong>of</strong><br />
the King James Bible, which not only<br />
celebrates the translation itself and outlines<br />
the processes involved, but also examines<br />
the antecedents <strong>of</strong> the King James<br />
version, and considers how this particular<br />
translation entered the national culture and<br />
consciousness.<br />
The Archivist curated one <strong>of</strong> the sections<br />
<strong>of</strong> the exhibition, on the <strong>Oxford</strong> translators,<br />
which features Sir Henry Savile, together<br />
with several <strong>of</strong> the other translators, such<br />
as George Abbot and Leonard Hutten,<br />
21
NEWS THE ARCHIVES<br />
who met at <strong>Merton</strong> in what is now the<br />
Breakfast Room. The <strong>College</strong> has loaned to<br />
the exhibition a number <strong>of</strong> Savile’s books,<br />
including his Hebrew lexicon, together<br />
with its 16th-century astrolabe by Walter<br />
Arsenius, which is exhibited alongside<br />
Savile’s translation <strong>of</strong> a commentary by<br />
the Greek astronomer and mathematician<br />
Theon <strong>of</strong> Alexandria. The commentary<br />
forms part <strong>of</strong> the collection <strong>of</strong> Savile<br />
Manuscripts permanently housed in<br />
the Bodleian’s Department <strong>of</strong> Special<br />
Collections and Western Manuscripts.<br />
Sir Henry Savile and the contribution<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> to the King James translation<br />
also serve as the focus <strong>of</strong> our summer<br />
exhibition in the Upper Library, which<br />
was available for attendees <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Society Weekend. The exhibition includes<br />
the <strong>College</strong>’s copy <strong>of</strong> the fi rst edition <strong>of</strong> the<br />
King James Bible, together with some <strong>of</strong> its<br />
antecedents, such as copies <strong>of</strong> the Geneva<br />
and Bishops’ Bibles. The <strong>College</strong> Register<br />
(the record <strong>of</strong> decisions <strong>of</strong> the Governing<br />
Body) contains an entry for 13th February<br />
1605, which records the borrowing <strong>of</strong><br />
books from the Library for the use <strong>of</strong> the<br />
translators. Examples <strong>of</strong> the works <strong>of</strong> Sir<br />
Henry Savile also help to demonstrate<br />
the range <strong>of</strong> his interests, and include his<br />
translation into English <strong>of</strong> the Histories <strong>of</strong><br />
Tacitus and an edition <strong>of</strong> the works <strong>of</strong> early<br />
English historians, Rerum Anglicarum<br />
Scriptores, that appeared in 1598.<br />
The <strong>College</strong>’s showcasing as a nursery <strong>of</strong><br />
the King James translation should conclude,<br />
all being well, with an appearance <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Upper Library within the pages <strong>of</strong> the<br />
National Geographic magazine. In late June<br />
the Archivist and Fellow Librarian spent<br />
several hours with a National Geographic<br />
photographer and his assistant as they<br />
22 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
documented the library from almost every<br />
conceivable angle, for a feature on the King<br />
James Bible. The article is due to appear<br />
towards the end <strong>of</strong> the year.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians who visited the Upper Library<br />
during the <strong>Merton</strong> Society Weekend also<br />
had an opportunity to see part <strong>of</strong> a recent<br />
acquisition purchased for the Library through<br />
the combined generosity <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>ian David<br />
Ure, and the Dyson Fund, created in memory<br />
<strong>of</strong> former English Fellow Henry (‘Hugo’)<br />
Dyson. The acquisition comprises four<br />
domestic account books dating from 1596,<br />
1606, 1630 and 1787, which were <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
for sale by the Antiquarian Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Blackwell’s bookshop. The books help to<br />
fi ll some <strong>of</strong> the many gaps in our series <strong>of</strong><br />
accounts, which have been dispersed over<br />
the centuries as no longer required. The three<br />
earlier records are Spice Books, and record<br />
the daily consumption <strong>of</strong> luxury foods by the<br />
Fellows. Such delicacies did not form part<br />
THE BREAKFAST ROOM AT <strong>MER</strong>TON<br />
<strong>of</strong> their Commons provided at the <strong>College</strong>’s<br />
expense, and so the cost would have been<br />
charged to the Fellows’ battels. The word<br />
‘spice’ was used more broadly in the 16th<br />
and 17th centuries, and included not only the<br />
condiments we recognise, but also vinegar,<br />
sugar and dried fruit.<br />
Although superfi cially merely a rather<br />
nondescript shopping list, even just the<br />
fi rst page <strong>of</strong> the earliest account gives us<br />
a glimpse into the pioneering world <strong>of</strong><br />
the 16th century. The Fellow who kept<br />
the accounts for the week beginning 19th<br />
November 1596, Samuel Slade, was a Greek<br />
scholar who later travelled Europe collecting<br />
manuscripts for Henry Savile’s edition <strong>of</strong> the<br />
works <strong>of</strong> St John Chrysostom. He was to die<br />
on the island <strong>of</strong> Zakynthos in 1613 on one<br />
such mission.<br />
The commodities recorded also attest<br />
to the great trading enterprises <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Elizabethan age. Sugar was traditionally<br />
imported from India, but by 1596 might<br />
also be procured from Brazil. Ginger was<br />
purchased from India and Africa, and mace,<br />
nutmegs and cloves from the Moluccas<br />
archipelago in Indonesia. Vinegar and<br />
mustard might be sourced at home, but<br />
dried fruit like currants and raisins might<br />
well be imported from southern Europe,<br />
Turkey or North Africa. By the 1630s the<br />
Fellows were enjoying additional delicacies,<br />
such as dates, almonds, capers, olives and<br />
oranges (‘orringadows’); all testimony to the<br />
human appetite for novelty, and to the global<br />
compass <strong>of</strong> English trading enterprises <strong>of</strong><br />
the 17th century. We are indebted to David<br />
Ure for making this acquisition possible.<br />
Julian Reid, Archivist
Donations to the Library and Archives 2010-11<br />
It is a pleasure to record the following particularly noteworthy<br />
donations to library and archive collections:<br />
• The Sandy Irvine Archive: correspondence, photographs and artefacts<br />
relating to Andrew Comyn Irvine (1902-24; <strong>Merton</strong> 1922) and his<br />
family, donated by The Sandy Irvine Trust<br />
• Four domestic account books, viz Spice Books 1596, 1606, 1630, and<br />
Receptions Book 1787. Purchased jointly via donation from Mr David<br />
Ure (1965) and the Dyson Fund<br />
• Additional records relating to BH Blackwell, Parker’s <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>, and<br />
William George’s Bookshop <strong>of</strong> Bristol (Mr Julian Blackwell)<br />
• Eleven pamphlets and <strong>of</strong>fprints by Edmund Blunden, several inscribed,<br />
from the library <strong>of</strong> Derek Hudson (1930), donated by Katherine Jessel<br />
• Additional records <strong>of</strong> Dr John Morris Roberts, former Warden (Mrs<br />
Judith Roberts)<br />
• Letter from Richard Cobb to John Morris Roberts, 13th March 1988;<br />
black and white photograph <strong>of</strong> senior members <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>, including<br />
Alick Harrison and Dr Cooke, entering Fellows’ Quad, c.1964 (Dr<br />
Roger Highfi eld, Emeritus Fellow)<br />
• One thousand rupee gold coin issued by the Bank <strong>of</strong> Mauritius, to<br />
celebrate 40 years <strong>of</strong> the independence <strong>of</strong> Mauritius (Mr Rundheer Sing<br />
Bheenick, 1964)<br />
• <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> Association football team shirt and socks, c.1973 (Dr<br />
Gary Backler, 1973)<br />
• A large number <strong>of</strong> recent critical editions and monographs relating<br />
to Classics and Philosophy from the library <strong>of</strong> the late John Edward<br />
Garrod (1950), donated by Mrs Susan Garrod<br />
• Postcard dated 11/11/35 from Oliver Elton to Lascelles Abercrombie<br />
(1935), donated by Arthur French<br />
Grateful thanks for gifts and support are extended to:<br />
Ward Allen; James Armshaw (2007); Brian Austin; Tom Barrett (2007); The<br />
Bodleian Library; Alan Bott (1953); Brepols Publishing; James Brown;<br />
Dragos Calma; the library <strong>of</strong> Corpus Christi <strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>; Charlotte<br />
Crowther; Rebecca Dobbs; The Revd Mark Everitt (Emeritus Fellow);<br />
Helena Gresty; Alan Morrison (Fellow); Christopher Braun; John Casson;<br />
the Consortium <strong>of</strong> European Research Libraries; Josef Chytry (1967);<br />
Juliana Dresvina; Lara Ehrenh<strong>of</strong>er; the Farncombe Estate; Christine<br />
Ferdinand; Louisa Fong; David Foxton; Karl Gerth (Fellow); Robin Taylor<br />
Gilbert; K F Hilliard; Luuk Huitink (Fellow); The Institute <strong>of</strong> Archaeology;<br />
Roger Highfi eld (Emeritus Fellow); J T Hughes; David Hunt (2005); The<br />
Editors <strong>of</strong> the Journal <strong>of</strong> Legal History; Brian Kemp; Roger Knight (2009);<br />
Magdalena Koz´luk; David Leighton; Neil McLynn; Michael McVaugh;<br />
Margaret M Manion; Francis T Marchese; David Mitchell; <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
LIBRARY & ARCHIVES | DONATIONS<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>University</strong> Press; Alex Polley; Julian Reid (Archivist); Thibaut Maus de<br />
Rolley; John Scattergood (VRF 2008); Tony Scotland; Eric Sidebottom;<br />
Julie Summers; Nicholas Utechin; Julia Walworth (Fellow); Elia Weinbach<br />
(1967); Dominic Welsh (Emeritus Fellow); Michael Whitworth (Fellow);<br />
Wolfson <strong>College</strong> Library; Michael Wood; Yale <strong>University</strong> Press<br />
We also thank <strong>Merton</strong>ians who have given us copies <strong>of</strong> their<br />
publications:<br />
Beatson, Sir Jack (1973), with JS Burrows and J Cartwright, Anson’s Law<br />
<strong>of</strong> Contract (<strong>Oxford</strong>: OUP, 2010)<br />
van der Blom, Henriette (Lecturer), Cicero’s Role Models (<strong>Oxford</strong>: OUP,<br />
2010)<br />
Bowers, John M (1973) End <strong>of</strong> Story. A Novel (Santa Fe: Sunstone Press,<br />
2010)<br />
Bradley, Laura (Junior Research Fellow 2003-2005) Brecht and Political<br />
Theatre (<strong>Oxford</strong>: OUP, 2006) Cooperation and Confl ict (<strong>Oxford</strong>: OUP,<br />
2010)<br />
Braun, Thomas (1935-2008, Fellow), donated by the editor, Christopher<br />
Braun, Tomfoolery (Chippenham: ARP, 2010)<br />
Canepa, Matthew P (Visiting Research Fellow 2009) The Two Eyes <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Earth (Berkeley: <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> California Press, 2009); editor, Distant<br />
displays <strong>of</strong> power: understanding cross-cultural interaction among the<br />
elites <strong>of</strong> Rome, Susanian Iran, and Sui-Tang China in Ars Orientalis 38<br />
(Washington: Smithsonian, 2010)<br />
Chen-Wishart, Mindy (Fellow) Reciprocity in Contract (<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Hong<br />
Kong, 2010)<br />
Clayton, David (1955) Lost Farms <strong>of</strong> Brinscall Moors: the Lives <strong>of</strong><br />
Lancashire Hill Farmers (Lancaster: Palatine Books, 2011)<br />
Cr<strong>of</strong>ts, Natalia (2000) Fragments (pamphlet; Kherson: 2010)<br />
Dixon, Jack (1949) Dowding and Churchill: the dark side <strong>of</strong> the Battle <strong>of</strong><br />
Britain (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2009)<br />
Dunnill, Michael (Emeritus Fellow) ‘Victor Horsley (1857-1916) in World<br />
War I’ (<strong>of</strong>fprint: Journal <strong>of</strong> Medical Biography, 2010); ‘Victor Horsley<br />
(1857-1916) and the temperance movement’ (<strong>of</strong>fprint: Journal <strong>of</strong> Medical<br />
Biography, 2011)<br />
Everson, Paul (1965), with D Stocker and B Lott, Little Sturton<br />
Rediscovered, Part 2: Sturton Old Hall and its Owners, and St Swithin’s<br />
Church, Baumber and the Burial <strong>of</strong> Dukes in Newcastle-under-Lyme<br />
(<strong>of</strong>fprints: Lincolnshire History and Archaeology Vol. 43, 2008)<br />
Forker, Charles (1951) editor <strong>of</strong> George Peele’s The Troublesome Reign <strong>of</strong><br />
John, King <strong>of</strong> England (Manchester <strong>University</strong> Press, 2011)<br />
Garfi tt, Roger (1963) The Horseman’s Word (London: Jonathan Cape, 2011)<br />
Gay, Robert (1975) Shelltime 4 and ShellLNGTime (London: Intertanko<br />
2010)<br />
23
NEWS LIBRARY & ARCHIVES | DONATIONS<br />
Gerth, Karl (Fellow) As China Goes, so Goes the World (New York: Hill<br />
and Wang, 2010)<br />
Grimley, Daniel M (Fellow) Carl Nielsen and the Idea <strong>of</strong> Modernism<br />
(Woodbridge: Boydell, 2010); editor, The Cambridge Companion<br />
to Sibelius (Cambridge: CUP 2004); co-editor with J Rushton, The<br />
Cambridge Companion to Elgar (Cambridge: CUP, 2004)<br />
Haywood, Stephen (1981) Symmetries and Conservation Laws in Particle<br />
Physics (London: Imperial <strong>College</strong> Press, 2011)<br />
Herwig, Malte (Junior Research Fellow 2000-03) Meister der Dämmerung<br />
(München: DVA, 2011)<br />
H<strong>of</strong>mann, Petra (Assistant Librarian) An Early Humanist Donation to All<br />
Souls <strong>College</strong> (<strong>Oxford</strong>: All Souls <strong>College</strong>, 2009)<br />
Hooker, Simon (Fellow) and C Webb, Laser Physics (<strong>Oxford</strong>: OUP, 2010)<br />
Jenkinson, Matthew (2003) Culture and Politics at the Court <strong>of</strong> Charles II<br />
(Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2010)<br />
King, Andrew (Fellow) Auditory Neuroscience (London: MIT Press, 2010)<br />
Kreuzer, Gundula (Junior Research Fellow 2002-05) Verdi and the<br />
Germans: From Unifi cation to the Third Reich (Cambridge: CUP, 2010)<br />
Lewis, Catherine (Assistant Librarian) Language <strong>of</strong> Stones (privately<br />
printed, 2010)<br />
Maclachlan, Ian (Fellow) co-editor with S Gaston, Reading Derrida’s ‘Of<br />
Grammatology’ (London: Continuum, 2011)<br />
Mairs, Rachel (Junior Research Fellow) The Archaeology <strong>of</strong> the Hellenistic<br />
Far East (BAR International Series, 2011)<br />
Mayr-Harting, Henry (1954) Religion, Politics and Society in Britain 1066-<br />
1272 (Harlow: Longman, 2011)<br />
McCabe, Richard (Fellow), editor, The <strong>Oxford</strong> Handbook <strong>of</strong> Edmund<br />
Spenser (<strong>Oxford</strong>: <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press, 2010)<br />
Melican, Brian (2003) Lost in Deutschland (Stuttgart: Pons 2010)<br />
Mighall, Robert (Junior Research Fellow 1995) Private Lives: Keats<br />
(London: Hesperus Press, 2009)<br />
Newsholme, Eric (1935-2011, Emeritus Fellow) Functional Biochemistry<br />
(Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), donated by Mrs Newsholme<br />
Norbrook, David (<strong>Merton</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English Literature) contributor, The<br />
Intellectual Culture <strong>of</strong> Puritan Women, 1558-1680, ed J Harris and E<br />
Scott-Baumann (Basingstoke & New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011)<br />
Oxley, James (1975; Visiting Research Fellow 2004-05) Matroid Theory,<br />
2nd ed. (<strong>Oxford</strong>: <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press, 2011)<br />
Page, David (1963) co-author with W Crawley, Satellites over South Asia<br />
(New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2001)<br />
Perera, Shalini (2003) Corporate Ownership and Control (London: World<br />
Scientifi c, 2011)<br />
Rahtz, Sebatian (1973) contributor, The LaTeX Graphics Companion,<br />
2nd ed. (Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2007); The LaTeX Web Companion<br />
24 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
(Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1999); TeX People (Portland: TEX Users<br />
Group, 2009)<br />
Rawson, Jessica, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dame (Warden, 1994-2010), editor, with K<br />
Goransson, China’s Terracotta Army (Stockholm: Ostasiatiska-Museet,<br />
2010)<br />
Reid, Julian (<strong>College</strong> Archivist) and H Moore, editors, Manifold Greatness:<br />
The making <strong>of</strong> the King James Bible (<strong>Oxford</strong>: Bodleian Library, 2011)<br />
Ricketts, Rita (Member <strong>of</strong> Common Room), editor, with C Morgan and J<br />
Stallworthy, Initiate. An anthology <strong>of</strong> new <strong>Oxford</strong> Writing (<strong>Oxford</strong>: The<br />
Kellogg Centre, 2010); contributor, Unbroken Wings, ed. by D Chandler<br />
and M Gelashvili (Tblisi: Universal, 2010)<br />
Ridpath, Michael (1979) Where the Shadows Lie (London: Corvus, 2010)<br />
Scattergood, John (Visiting Research Fellow 2008) Occasions for Writing.<br />
Essays on Medieval and Renaissance Literature, Politics and Society<br />
(Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2010)<br />
Shue, Henry (Emeritus Fellow) editor (with SM Gardiner) and contributor,<br />
Climate Ethics: Essential Readings (<strong>Oxford</strong>: OUP 2010); contributor,<br />
The Routledge Companion to Ethics, edited by Skorupski, J, (Abingdon:<br />
Routledge, 2010); contributor, Global Climate Change, edited by Arnold,<br />
D G (Cambridge: Cambridge <strong>University</strong> Press, 2011)<br />
Slomson, Alan (1961), with R Allenby, How to Count. An Introduction to<br />
Combinatorics, 2nd ed. (Boca Raton & London: CRC Press, 2011)<br />
Sowerby, Tracey (1997) Renaissance and Reform in Tudor England<br />
(<strong>Oxford</strong>: <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press, 2010)<br />
Walker, Revd Robert T (1969) editor <strong>of</strong> two books by TF Torrance,<br />
Incarnation, the Person and Life <strong>of</strong> Christ (Milton Keynes: Paternoster,<br />
2008), and Atonement, the Person and Work <strong>of</strong> Christ (Paternoster, 2009)<br />
Walworth, Julia (Fellow Librarian), and D d’Avray, ‘The Council <strong>of</strong> Trent<br />
and Print Culture. Documents in the Archive <strong>of</strong> the Congregatio Concilii’<br />
(<strong>of</strong>fprint: Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 2010)<br />
Wright, Anthony D (1965) The Divisions <strong>of</strong> French Catholicism, 1629-1645<br />
(Farnham: Ashgate, 2011)<br />
Wycherley, Lynne (Library Assistant), contributor, No Space but Their<br />
Own: new poems about birds edited by Howard, J, (Keighley: Grey Hen<br />
Press, 2010); contributor, Soul <strong>of</strong> the Earth: the Awen Anthology <strong>of</strong> Ecospiritual<br />
Poetry edited by Ramsay, J, (Stroud: Awen, 2010)<br />
Zeilinger, Anton (Visiting Research Fellow 2010) Dance <strong>of</strong> the Protons<br />
(New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010)<br />
Zilber, Boris (Fellow) Zariski Geometries (Cambridge: CUP, 2010);<br />
contributor to A Course in Mathematical Logic for Mathematicians by Y<br />
I Manin (New York: Springer, 2010)
The Chapel<br />
The Chapel continues to provide a focal<br />
point for Christian worship within the<br />
<strong>College</strong> community, attracting a diverse<br />
congregation <strong>of</strong> current <strong>Merton</strong>ians and<br />
their guests, as well as an increasing number<br />
<strong>of</strong> old members and visitors. We are always<br />
pleased to welcome people back to the<br />
<strong>College</strong>. Details <strong>of</strong> all our services can be<br />
found on the <strong>College</strong> website.<br />
The year began with the installation <strong>of</strong><br />
Sir Martin Taylor as 50th Warden <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>College</strong>. The installation ceremony<br />
takes place within the context <strong>of</strong> an act <strong>of</strong><br />
worship which, on this occasion, included<br />
music sung by the <strong>College</strong> Choir. The<br />
Chapel community has already benefi ted<br />
enormously from the support <strong>of</strong> the Warden<br />
and Lady Taylor, for which we are most<br />
grateful.<br />
The Sunday evening service <strong>of</strong> Choral<br />
Evensong or Sung Eucharist is the principal<br />
act <strong>of</strong> worship each week and attracts an<br />
average congregation <strong>of</strong> about 100. Preachers<br />
this year have included the Archbishop <strong>of</strong><br />
Wales, the Bishop <strong>of</strong> Norwich, Pr<strong>of</strong> Alister<br />
McGrath (1976), Canon Gilly Myers and<br />
the Revd Anna Burr, a parish priest serving<br />
in the Diocese <strong>of</strong> York, who is also mother<br />
<strong>of</strong> two <strong>of</strong> our current undergraduates, both<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the choir.<br />
The celebration <strong>of</strong> Christian Initiation<br />
forms an important part <strong>of</strong> the liturgical<br />
cycle each year. Amber Hood, a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the MCR, was confi rmed by the<br />
THE CHAPEL<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
Bishop <strong>of</strong> Stockport in October, and<br />
another graduate, Olga Bardina, was<br />
baptised and made her fi rst communion on<br />
the feast <strong>of</strong> Pentecost. Also at Pentecost,<br />
Alice Brooke, Tony Chappel and Kristine<br />
Merriman made a public pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> faith<br />
and renewed their baptismal promises.<br />
Last December, Tristan Pichon, son <strong>of</strong><br />
Visiting Research Fellow Pr<strong>of</strong> Christophe<br />
Pichon, was baptised, and Jakob Issa, the<br />
son <strong>of</strong> a member <strong>of</strong> the MCR, was baptised<br />
in August. Combining elements from the<br />
Christian and Jewish traditions, on Trinity<br />
Sunday there was a service <strong>of</strong> thanksgiving<br />
for the two children <strong>of</strong> our politics tutor<br />
Dr Sarah Percy.<br />
The Chapel continues to benefi t from<br />
25
NEWS THE CHAPEL<br />
the hard work and dedication <strong>of</strong> Chapel<br />
Wardens, Sacristans, the Chapel Clerk<br />
and Pastoral Assistants (three this year:<br />
two from Ripon <strong>College</strong>, Cuddesdon and<br />
one from St Stephen’s House). During the<br />
last nine months we have said farewell to<br />
four students who have made particularly<br />
signifi cant contributions to the life <strong>of</strong><br />
the Chapel: Greg Lim, James McMillan,<br />
Richard Tovey and Michael Uy. I am very<br />
grateful to them and to the other students<br />
who sustain the Chapel’s activities<br />
throughout the year.<br />
As for clergy, at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the<br />
year the Revd Peter Anthony replaced<br />
the Revd Dr Andrew Davison (1992) as<br />
Junior Chaplain, and in Trinity Term we<br />
welcomed Canon Pr<strong>of</strong> Paul Bradshaw, from<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Notre Dame, as a Visiting<br />
Research Fellow. In October the Revd<br />
Mark Stafford will join the team as Junior<br />
Chaplain. Mark was ordained deacon at<br />
the beginning <strong>of</strong> July. He is serving his<br />
curacy at St Barnabas, Jericho and, with<br />
the agreement <strong>of</strong> the Bishop <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>, will<br />
spend 15% <strong>of</strong> his time at <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
The <strong>College</strong> Choir continues to enrich<br />
our worship on Sunday and Wednesday<br />
evenings, at the popular twice-termly<br />
Compline and on other occasions. They go<br />
from strength to strength, and I am extremely<br />
grateful to the Reed Rubin Directors <strong>of</strong><br />
Music, Organ Scholars and singers for<br />
their dedication and commitment. Musical<br />
highlights this year have included the<br />
Mozart Requiem at the All Souls’ Eucharist,<br />
an outstanding performance <strong>of</strong> Handel’s<br />
Messiah at the Passiontide Festival, the<br />
Easter Carol Service and, not least, the tour<br />
<strong>of</strong> the United States which, without the<br />
generous support <strong>of</strong> Reed Rubin (1957) and<br />
MC3, would not have been possible. Clips<br />
26 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
from a few <strong>of</strong> the concerts can be found on<br />
YouTube, and some <strong>of</strong> the pieces performed<br />
on tour can be heard on the choir’s fi rst disc,<br />
In the Beginning, which will be released<br />
later in the year.<br />
Last year I reported a new collaboration<br />
between <strong>Merton</strong>, St Aldate’s Church and the<br />
Jellicoe Community in London. It has been<br />
very good to continue that this year with<br />
a service in Trinity Term, Song <strong>of</strong> Moses,<br />
which explored issues <strong>of</strong> social justice. We<br />
have also begun a series <strong>of</strong> exchanges with<br />
Oriel <strong>College</strong> where the Chaplain, the Revd<br />
Dr Robert Tobin (1999), is a former MCR<br />
President at <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
We have celebrated the 400th anniversary<br />
<strong>of</strong> the King James Version <strong>of</strong> the Bible in<br />
several different ways. In addition to the<br />
excellent exhibition in the Upper Library,<br />
the KJV has been used for the readings at the<br />
Wednesday Choral Evensong, and Warden<br />
Savile’s part in the translation was marked<br />
by a special service, attended by the Prayer<br />
Book Society, at the beginning <strong>of</strong> May.<br />
Later that month, a group <strong>of</strong> 90 children<br />
from three different schools (New <strong>College</strong><br />
School, Pegasus School in Blackbird Leys,<br />
and St Barnabas School in Jericho) came<br />
to the TS Eliot Theatre for a performance<br />
<strong>of</strong> The Bible from A to Z, written for the<br />
<strong>College</strong> by Sarah Lenton and performed<br />
by a group <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional actors. It was<br />
very good to work on this project with<br />
Lady Taylor. That evening, the same group,<br />
joined by the <strong>College</strong> Choir, performed The<br />
Full 1611 to a packed Chapel.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> remains a popular venue for<br />
weddings. John Corcoran (1999) married<br />
Emily Jenkins (2004) in April. July saw<br />
the marriages <strong>of</strong> current graduate Elizabeth<br />
Hunter (2000) to former Fitzjames Research<br />
Fellow Yang Hui-He, and <strong>of</strong> Paul-John<br />
Loewenthal (2003) to Barbara Glowacka.<br />
In August another current member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
MCR, Edmund White (2008), married<br />
Philippa Cox, and the following Saturday<br />
Supernumerary Fellow, Simon Draper,<br />
married Angela Minassian.<br />
WELFARE AND STUDENT SUPPORT<br />
In my last report I mentioned that Helen<br />
Brough, our <strong>College</strong> Nurse for 20 years,<br />
had retired. A few months after her<br />
retirement, Helen died in a tragic accident.<br />
Helen provided medical care and welfare<br />
support to so many <strong>Merton</strong>ians during her<br />
time at the <strong>College</strong>, and her family were<br />
particularly moved to see so many at her<br />
Memorial Service last September. She will<br />
be greatly missed.<br />
At her retirement, Helen was pleased to<br />
know that she would be replaced by a friend<br />
and colleague, Catherine Haines who, at<br />
that time, was <strong>College</strong> Nurse at St Anne’s.<br />
Catherine has settled in very quickly and<br />
has already become an established part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the welfare team. It is a great pleasure<br />
to work with her and Anna Camilleri, our<br />
Welfare Dean.<br />
As tuition fees and student fi nance<br />
remain a topic <strong>of</strong> national debate, the<br />
<strong>College</strong> has formed a Student Support<br />
Committee to administer all its grants to<br />
students; for hardship, research, welfare<br />
support, travel and other purposes. During<br />
the course <strong>of</strong> this academic year we have<br />
awarded grants and loans totalling £70,000.<br />
Student Support is an important part <strong>of</strong> our<br />
2014 Sustaining Excellence campaign. We<br />
remain extremely grateful for the generosity<br />
<strong>of</strong> many old members, which enables us to<br />
support our students in this way.<br />
Simon Jones, Chaplain
The Choir<br />
The academic year <strong>of</strong> 2010-11 has been a<br />
defi ning year for the <strong>College</strong> Choir. The<br />
tour to the USA in April 2011 was a huge<br />
success and we are truly grateful to our<br />
benefactor Reed Rubin and to MC3. Our<br />
eight appearances in Philadelphia and<br />
New York were very well supported and<br />
we greatly enjoyed the hospitality shown<br />
to us by several groups <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>ians. A<br />
signifi cant occasion was our performance<br />
in Wayne, Pennsylvania: we particularly<br />
enjoyed performing with their fi ne organ,<br />
built by Dobson Pipe Organs. It was most<br />
appropriate that Lynn Dobson and other<br />
members <strong>of</strong> his fi rm were able to be in<br />
Wayne with us, so that we could announce<br />
that it is the <strong>College</strong>’s intention that Dobson<br />
should build the new organ for the <strong>College</strong><br />
Chapel, in time for the 750th anniversary<br />
celebrations in 2014.<br />
As I write, we are just completing a tour<br />
<strong>of</strong> France where the choir has performed<br />
the 40-part motets ‘Ecce Beatam Lucem’<br />
by Striggio and ‘Spem in Alium’ by Tallis.<br />
The choir has featured in a number <strong>of</strong><br />
festivals, including the concert series in<br />
Louvie-Juzon and the Beaujolais Festival.<br />
Although not yet released, we were able<br />
to take our debut CD In the Beginning and<br />
sold all the copies we had with us by the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> the third concert. We are hoping for<br />
such an enthusiastic response on the disc’s<br />
release in October!<br />
In the UK, we have visited Tewkesbury<br />
Abbey where we sang Mass with the<br />
Abbey’s Schola Cantorum and in November<br />
we sang a joint service with the choir<br />
<strong>of</strong> Selwyn <strong>College</strong>, Cambridge, in their<br />
chapel. Concerts in our own chapel have<br />
included a special event for the Friends<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> Choir and our Passiontide<br />
Festival in April 2011. This year’s festival<br />
attracted even greater numbers than the fi rst<br />
festival last year and the concerts by The<br />
Tallis Scholars and Madeleine Ridd were<br />
particularly memorable. In May, we gave<br />
THE CHOIR NEWS<br />
our fi rst concert for the ‘Music at <strong>Oxford</strong>’<br />
concert series and look forward to future<br />
collaborations.<br />
John Tavener and Matthew Martin have<br />
both composed music for the choir and<br />
their pieces will form part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Choirbook, which will be part <strong>of</strong> the 750th<br />
anniversary celebrations.<br />
The sung services are the focus <strong>of</strong> the<br />
choir’s work and it has been good to attract<br />
large congregations for some <strong>of</strong> our special<br />
services, not least the service for All Souls<br />
when the choir sang Mozart’s Requiem<br />
with orchestra, to a congregation <strong>of</strong> 400.<br />
We remain very grateful to our many<br />
benefactors and Friends <strong>of</strong> the Choir who<br />
help us undertake such an active programme<br />
each year.<br />
Benjamin Nicholas and Peter Phillips<br />
Reed Rubin Directors <strong>of</strong> Music<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
27
NEWS THE GARDENS<br />
The Gardens<br />
Recently we have been asked to provide<br />
a Caribbean garden for the new Warden’s<br />
Lodgings: this has highlighted how many<br />
plants we think <strong>of</strong> as English, aren’t English<br />
at all.<br />
Pendant lilac fl owers <strong>of</strong> wisteria, seen<br />
across the front <strong>of</strong> many town houses<br />
in early summer, will be <strong>of</strong> Japanese or<br />
Chinese origin. Many plants have japonica<br />
as their species name, similar to our<br />
forename. Sharing its genus, equivalent to<br />
our surname, with its other relatives, like<br />
fatzia japonica for example. Hydrangea<br />
villosa, another Asian plant, provides<br />
us with large showy lilac fl ower heads<br />
throughout late summer; the buds are able<br />
to withstand the cold winter <strong>of</strong> Tibet by<br />
28 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
their blanket <strong>of</strong> velvety fur, similar to that<br />
found on the skin <strong>of</strong> a peach.<br />
Australasia has provided us <strong>of</strong> course<br />
with silvery, scented leaved eucalyptus;<br />
these cope with drought by having very<br />
long tap roots. Plectranthus retain water by<br />
their pubescent leaves preventing excessive<br />
water loss. Callistemon and grevillea are<br />
used as summer bedding plants and are<br />
commonly called the bottlebrush bush plant<br />
because <strong>of</strong> their unusual long-stamened<br />
fl owers.<br />
From Europe we have the castor oil plant,<br />
ricinus communis. It is now widespread<br />
throughout tropical regions for the seed<br />
being the source <strong>of</strong> castor oil. On garden<br />
tours people <strong>of</strong>ten ask if I am trying to kill<br />
them <strong>of</strong>f as the seeds also contain ricin, a<br />
toxin used in biological warfare. The 2007<br />
edition <strong>of</strong> the Guinness Book <strong>of</strong> Records<br />
put this plant as the most poisonous in the<br />
world. The real purpose <strong>of</strong> the toxin is for<br />
protection from insect pests, such as aphid.<br />
European spring fl owering bulbs usually die<br />
down in late spring to avoid the shade <strong>of</strong> a<br />
tree canopy or, in the case <strong>of</strong> Mediterranean<br />
bulbs, the hot sun. The snowfl ake, leucojum<br />
autumnale, does the same with its foliage,<br />
but fl owers in autumn to escape the huge<br />
competition for pollinating insects so early<br />
in the year.<br />
Lucille Savin<br />
Head Gardener
Schools Liaison & Access<br />
The year 2010-11 has been one <strong>of</strong> continued<br />
growth for <strong>Merton</strong>’s Schools Liaison<br />
programme. By the end <strong>of</strong> the school year,<br />
the <strong>College</strong> will have been involved in 60<br />
events for schools, an increase <strong>of</strong> more<br />
than a third on last year’s count. This is in<br />
addition to various stand-alone tours and the<br />
hosting <strong>of</strong> events organised by <strong>University</strong><br />
departments.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> these events are the result <strong>of</strong><br />
contact with schools in our regional link<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> Wiltshire, Dorset and the London<br />
Borough <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>. It has been a particular<br />
pleasure to revisit schools I saw last year, and<br />
to renew my acquaintance with the teachers<br />
– such continuity <strong>of</strong> contact is crucial to<br />
encouraging engagement with <strong>Oxford</strong>, and<br />
is a major advantage <strong>of</strong> the regional system.<br />
The last two years have seen a signifi cant<br />
strengthening <strong>of</strong> the regional link, and we<br />
continue to work more widely as well, and<br />
this year I have made many visits to schools<br />
outside these areas.<br />
2010-11 has also brought considerable<br />
change for universities nationally. Changes<br />
to the fi nance system have given renewed<br />
prominence to questions on the value<br />
<strong>of</strong> higher education and on fair access.<br />
There is also an increasing awareness <strong>of</strong><br />
the importance <strong>of</strong> working with students<br />
from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds at an<br />
early age, before preconceptions about<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> set in and before they make crucial<br />
post-16 choices that may preclude them<br />
from applying to the most prestigious<br />
universities. This is not news at <strong>Merton</strong>,<br />
where we have worked with groups <strong>of</strong> 14-<br />
to 15-year-olds for many years. We now run<br />
SCHOOLS LIAISON & ACCESS NEWS<br />
several <strong>Merton</strong> Taster Days in Hilary and<br />
Trinity Term each year, which allow groups<br />
<strong>of</strong> about ten GCSE students to visit <strong>Merton</strong><br />
and fi nd out more about life at <strong>Oxford</strong>.<br />
They are also encouraged to start thinking<br />
about their choices and academic study<br />
more generally.<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> has an excellent network <strong>of</strong><br />
outreach <strong>of</strong>fi cers in the colleges, and our<br />
active collaboration allows us to run more<br />
ambitious programmes than would be<br />
possible individually. This year we have<br />
set up a programme <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> Taster<br />
Days. These operate on a similar principle<br />
to <strong>Merton</strong>’s Taster Days, but pooling the<br />
resources <strong>of</strong> several colleges allows more<br />
schools to benefi t from a single event.<br />
About 600 students have visited through<br />
the programme so far, and <strong>Merton</strong> has<br />
been particularly active in running plenary<br />
sessions in the TS Eliot Theatre. We<br />
have also hosted collaborative academic<br />
Study Days for sixth-form students.<br />
Further initiatives are planned for the next<br />
academic year, and <strong>Merton</strong>’s enthusiastic<br />
involvement makes a clear statement about<br />
our continued commitment to fair access.<br />
We have also developed new initiatives<br />
for engaging with teachers. In March we<br />
hosted our fi rst Teachers’ Lunch, with a<br />
particular focus on the Social Sciences at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>. The relative informality <strong>of</strong> this<br />
event provided an excellent opportunity for<br />
teachers and advisers to speak to our tutors<br />
personally, and allowed both sides to learn<br />
more about our applicants’ experiences. We<br />
look forward to hosting more <strong>of</strong> these in the<br />
upcoming year.<br />
Ashley Walters<br />
Schools Liaison & Access Offi cer<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
29
NEWS DEVELOPMENT<br />
Development evelopment<br />
Looking back over another exceptionally<br />
busy year 2010-11, two elements stand<br />
out: the arrival and introduction to<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians <strong>of</strong> the new Warden, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Sir Martin Taylor, as the 50th Warden <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Merton</strong>; and the public launch <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>’s<br />
750th Anniversary Campaign Sustaining<br />
Excellence, with its precursor: the opening<br />
<strong>of</strong> the brand new TS Eliot Theatre.<br />
Once again record numbers <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
have attended a broad range <strong>of</strong> events,<br />
which we very much hope cater for all tastes<br />
and for all ages. Sir Martin has been present<br />
at most <strong>of</strong> these, and has much enjoyed<br />
meeting the many different <strong>Merton</strong>ians.<br />
The 26 events were hosted at venues as<br />
diverse as the Corney and Barrow Wine<br />
Bar in Broadgate Circus, the Headquarters<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Royal Society in Carlton House<br />
Terrace; the Links Club in Manhattan and<br />
30 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Drapers’ Hall in the City <strong>of</strong> London; PwC<br />
on the Embankment and the Vesper Club in<br />
Philadelphia; Freshfi elds in Fleet Street and<br />
a restaurant in the 5ième arrondissement in<br />
Paris – to name but a few. And we must not<br />
forget that <strong>Merton</strong>ians and their guests have<br />
especially enjoyed coming back to <strong>Merton</strong><br />
itself to see each other and reunite with<br />
their Tutors – for special reunion Lunches<br />
and Dinners, for Gaudies, for meals at High<br />
Table and for the <strong>Merton</strong> Society Weekend.<br />
As the <strong>Merton</strong> Society and MC3 in the<br />
US and Canada broaden out to embrace the<br />
Lawyers’ Association, ‘<strong>Merton</strong> in the City’<br />
and ‘<strong>Merton</strong> in Manhattan’, as <strong>Merton</strong><br />
success in the <strong>Oxford</strong> Town and Gown 10k<br />
Road Race rivals with the success <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Golfers in the Inter-Collegiate Golf<br />
Tournament, as alumni activities encompass<br />
the Friends <strong>of</strong> the Choir and the Friends <strong>of</strong><br />
the Boat Club, we very much hope that there<br />
is something for everyone. Presentations<br />
and talks at these events – with <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
playing a major part – brought together<br />
stars <strong>of</strong> the police, the world <strong>of</strong> retail,<br />
<strong>of</strong> diplomacy, <strong>of</strong> academia and the law.<br />
Themes took us from ‘Zero Tolerance’ to<br />
‘Loyalty Points’ and Shakespeare’s Othello.<br />
We are extremely grateful to all those who<br />
have spoken, who have hosted events at<br />
their companies, or sponsored events for<br />
us at special clubs and private venues.<br />
Thank you for your generosity. Without<br />
it we could not <strong>of</strong>fer the programme that<br />
we do. In these events and others at home<br />
and abroad, we have made contact this year<br />
with over 1,000 alumni – or 20% <strong>of</strong> our total<br />
alumni base. And I am especially grateful,<br />
as I know you all are, to the indefatigable<br />
Helen Kingsley, our ever-smiling and ever-
effi cient Alumni Relations Manager, who<br />
organises them all, in conjunction with the<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Society, MC3 and the individual<br />
committees.<br />
Publications too have increased this year,<br />
as Matt Bowdler, formerly our Development<br />
Assistant, has become Publications and<br />
Web Offi cer. He now looks after the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
website, and all our alumni publications,<br />
which includes the role <strong>of</strong> liaising with the<br />
Year Reps for their vital contributions to<br />
Postmaster. <strong>Merton</strong>ians are keen to know<br />
more about how the fi nances <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong><br />
work, and precisely how their donations<br />
are used and so we have produced the<br />
fi rst <strong>Merton</strong> Donor Report. We have also<br />
received excellent feedback on the enhanced<br />
Newsletter. Because Matt has altered his<br />
role, Sarah-Louise Hood joined the team in<br />
January and is already giving much support<br />
to us all as Development Assistant. Another<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the team is Rob Moss, who<br />
looks after the database and is managing<br />
the transfer <strong>of</strong> alumni data to DARS, the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>’s Development and<br />
Alumni Relations Database. For some time<br />
now <strong>Merton</strong>ians have been asking us for<br />
an online networking function, which the<br />
DARS system will provide.<br />
Alongside <strong>Merton</strong> events and<br />
publications, we have continued with the<br />
Annual Fund, which is such a welcome<br />
addition to the annual <strong>Merton</strong> Budget. Each<br />
year the Annual Fund, made up <strong>of</strong> gifts<br />
below £25,000 and raising approximately<br />
£800,000 <strong>of</strong> donations per year, adds huge<br />
value to the <strong>College</strong>. Since the beginning<br />
<strong>of</strong> the quiet phase <strong>of</strong> the 750th Anniversary<br />
Campaign Sustaining Excellence, in<br />
August 2007, until the public launch<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Campaign in May 2011, <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Annual Fund monies have brought in some<br />
£3 million or about 19% <strong>of</strong> the total. This<br />
unprecedented level <strong>of</strong> support, given<br />
by hundreds <strong>of</strong> donors world-wide, has<br />
allowed us to continue to fund a number <strong>of</strong><br />
areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>College</strong> life which directly benefi t<br />
current undergraduates and graduates, and<br />
it has had a real impact on many aspects <strong>of</strong><br />
our activities.<br />
Not all <strong>of</strong> the money allocated last year<br />
for student support, (around £650,000)<br />
came from the Annual Fund. The<br />
<strong>College</strong> has, over the centuries, received<br />
benefactions in support <strong>of</strong> students in<br />
fi nancial need, and we have also had several<br />
major gifts for student support over the<br />
last few years, some to fund the ever more<br />
important Graduate Scholarships. But the<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
NEWS<br />
Annual Fund is a very important element<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>’s fundraising – we welcome<br />
participation at any level, whether a one-<strong>of</strong>f<br />
or regular gift, big or small – every gift is<br />
signifi cant. Within the Development Offi ce,<br />
it is Daphne O’Connell who runs, with great<br />
effi ciency and charisma, the Annual Fund<br />
and, as part <strong>of</strong> that, the annual Telephone<br />
Campaign. Indeed the Telethon, in which<br />
current students engage with alumni, has<br />
been very effective, not only in raising<br />
regular income, but also as a means <strong>of</strong><br />
exchanging news and feedback on <strong>College</strong><br />
events and publications. The students much<br />
enjoy speaking to <strong>Merton</strong>ians <strong>of</strong> all ages and<br />
hearing about how life was at the <strong>College</strong><br />
during their time. This year, for the fi rst<br />
ALUMNI AND MEMBERS OF THE CHOIR ENJOYING THE MC3 DINNER IN PHILADELPHIA<br />
31
NEWS DEVELOPMENT<br />
time, they are particularly looking forward<br />
to speaking to some <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Merton</strong>ians in<br />
the Americas.<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> the 750th Anniversary<br />
Campaign, we aim to have more than 30%<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>ians giving on an annual basis to<br />
the <strong>College</strong>. This will be a great challenge,<br />
just as reaching our target <strong>of</strong> £30 million<br />
will be too, but we are clear about the<br />
direction the <strong>College</strong> must take to navigate<br />
the fi nancial currents <strong>of</strong> the coming years.<br />
The success <strong>of</strong> our Campaign will keep us<br />
fi rmly on course.<br />
The 2010-11 year has been particularly<br />
exciting with respect to the Launch <strong>of</strong> the<br />
750th Anniversary Campaign, Sustaining<br />
750TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN LAUNCH<br />
On Tuesday 24th May, <strong>Merton</strong>’s 750th Anniversary Campaign<br />
Sustaining Excellence was <strong>of</strong>fi cially launched at a reception at<br />
Drapers’ Hall, in London, attended by nearly 300 <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
and friends <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>.<br />
We were privileged to host Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Martin Rees, Lord Rees<br />
<strong>of</strong> Ludlow, the Astronomer Royal, who spoke on ‘The Future<br />
<strong>of</strong> Higher Education: whither Oxbridge?’. He announced that<br />
“even to an astronomer, three quarters <strong>of</strong> a millennium seems a<br />
long enough time to be worth celebrating”. In an illuminating<br />
overview <strong>of</strong> higher education, Lord Rees reminded us that the<br />
overall teaching budget for all universities in the UK is being<br />
cut from £3.5 billion to only £0.7 billion – by 80%, and that, in<br />
consequence, there is a near trebling in student fees.<br />
He emphasised too, and I quote: “Our ancient universities<br />
were established in order to pursue ‘education, religion,<br />
learning and research’ – that in modern terms, is their<br />
‘mission statement’, and must never become a lost cause.<br />
These pursuits – whether in natural or social science, or in the<br />
humanities – have a value that transcends what can be measured<br />
in economic terms. And the experience that colleges <strong>of</strong>fer their<br />
32 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Excellence. Our goal was to reach 50% <strong>of</strong><br />
the total £30 million before the Campaign<br />
Launch on 24th May. This we have done.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians and Friends <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong><br />
have donated £15.75 million prior to the<br />
launch date. We are enormously grateful<br />
to all those from around the world who<br />
have helped us. We also give huge credit<br />
to the fundraising success <strong>of</strong> our previous<br />
Warden, Dame Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jessica Rawson,<br />
without whose leadership and expertise we<br />
would not have reached that target.<br />
But before the Campaign Launch, we<br />
formally opened the TS Eliot Theatre, the<br />
fi rst major building project <strong>of</strong> the Campaign.<br />
TS Eliot’s widow, Valerie Eliot, as well<br />
as donors, Fellows, staff and students,<br />
attended the opening ceremony on Saturday<br />
12th March and enjoyed readings <strong>of</strong> his<br />
poems. Thanks to the many gifts which have<br />
made this project possible, the <strong>College</strong> now<br />
has a tiered auditorium, providing versatile<br />
space for lectures, seminars and recitals.<br />
The complex also includes three seminar<br />
rooms which broaden the <strong>College</strong>’s <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
to corporate clients. We are delighted that<br />
the <strong>College</strong> conference business has already<br />
seen an increase in business revenue,<br />
and this summer is on target to attain<br />
£0.5 million in revenue/income.<br />
We are very grateful to the more than<br />
a thousand <strong>Merton</strong>ians and Friends <strong>of</strong><br />
students – is ever<br />
more precious – it’s<br />
something which<br />
can’t be replaced<br />
by any conceivable<br />
advance in distance<br />
learning. That is<br />
why all <strong>of</strong> us who<br />
work in colleges<br />
are so concerned<br />
that they should<br />
remain accessible<br />
to those who can<br />
benefi t from them<br />
most – and who<br />
will, through their PROFESSOR MARTIN REES<br />
education, serve<br />
society best in their future careers. These are noble aims,<br />
which deserve support from philanthropy as well as from the<br />
public purse – that’s why I’m privileged to be here to wish a<br />
fair wind to <strong>Merton</strong>’s ambitious appeal.”
the <strong>College</strong> who have donated since the<br />
beginning <strong>of</strong> the quiet phase <strong>of</strong> Sustaining<br />
Excellence in August 2007. During<br />
that period, with your support, we have<br />
endowed three existing Fellowships: the<br />
Mark Reynolds Fellowship in History, the<br />
Jessica Rawson Fellowship in Modern<br />
Asian History (three-quarters fi nanced)<br />
and one Classics Fellowship; endowed<br />
the following new Fellowships: the Dr<br />
Peter J Braam Fellowship in Humanitarian<br />
Issues, the Peter Moores Junior Research<br />
Fellowship in Classical Archaeology and<br />
the Fitzjames Fellowship in Economics<br />
(three-quarters fi nanced); raised £2.8<br />
million for student support, including for<br />
new graduate scholarships; established<br />
the Choral Foundation; completed the<br />
following very necessary Capital Projects:<br />
the refurbishment <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> Lodge,<br />
the renewal <strong>of</strong> the Upper Library Lighting,<br />
the installation <strong>of</strong> new lighting and a sound<br />
system in the Chapel, the building <strong>of</strong> the<br />
TS Eliot Theatre. We have a great challenge<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FELLOWS<br />
THE WARDEN SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE T S ELIOT THEATRE<br />
ahead <strong>of</strong> us to raise the remaining £13<br />
plus million over the next three and a half<br />
years to achieve our 750th Anniversary<br />
Campaign target <strong>of</strong> £30 million. But as<br />
we strive towards this goal, we remain<br />
convinced that more and more <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
will want to give back to their <strong>College</strong>.<br />
Their support, against the background <strong>of</strong><br />
the huge reductions to the teaching budget<br />
and the increase in student fees, will ensure<br />
that young men and women are given the<br />
opportunity to enjoy and benefi t from life at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> just as they did.<br />
So, in the coming months we shall be<br />
focusing in particular on raising funds<br />
for Student Support (both undergraduate<br />
and graduate), as well as for a number <strong>of</strong><br />
Fellowships: completing the Economics<br />
Fellowship and the Jessica Rawson<br />
Fellowship, and launching the fundraising<br />
for Chemistry, Philosophy and English.<br />
We owe much to the Old Members<br />
who serve on our various fundraising<br />
committees who are helping us so greatly<br />
at this time. In addition to our Campaign<br />
Board, co-chaired by Charles Manby and<br />
John Booth (both 1976), the Chairman’s<br />
Council and the Americas Capital Gifts<br />
Committee have been formed this year,<br />
the latter chaired by David Harvey (1957).<br />
The Americas Capital Gifts Committee will<br />
focus on the 750th Anniversary Campaign<br />
in the Americas, whereas MC3 itself will<br />
focus on the annual reunion and the Annual<br />
Fund. The help, advice and support <strong>of</strong> these<br />
committees are invaluable in enabling the<br />
<strong>College</strong> to achieve its Campaign goals.<br />
We are also hugely grateful to all those<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong> Society and MC3,<br />
as well as other alumni relations committees<br />
who help us run our events programme. We<br />
look forward to meeting many more <strong>of</strong> you<br />
in the course <strong>of</strong> the coming year both in the<br />
UK and overseas.<br />
Thank you all for your support. It is much<br />
appreciated.<br />
Christine Taylor<br />
Fellow and Development Director<br />
33
FELLOWS HAILS | DAVID AL-ATTAR<br />
Hail to New Fellows<br />
DAVID AL-ATTAR<br />
I joined <strong>Merton</strong> as a Junior Research Fellow in<br />
Geology in October 2010. Prior to this I was<br />
working towards a DPhil in Earth Science at<br />
Worcester <strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>. My fi rst year at the<br />
college has been very enjoyable, and I have felt<br />
grateful to be able to live and work in such a<br />
friendly and stimulating environment.<br />
My research focuses on mathematical and<br />
computational problems in seismology and<br />
geophysics. The principal application <strong>of</strong> this work is in studies <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Earth’s interior. During my DPhil, I developed a number <strong>of</strong> methods<br />
DR RODERICK CAMPBELL<br />
My fi rst (and sadly, last) year at <strong>Merton</strong> has been a wonderful<br />
experience for myself and my family. We have grown attached to<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> in a remarkably short time and will remember our time here<br />
fondly. For me in large measure my enjoyment has stemmed from<br />
the warmth and intellectual stimulation <strong>of</strong> my brilliant colleagues at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> in its unique and beautiful surroundings.<br />
Before coming to <strong>Merton</strong> and after graduating from Harvard<br />
<strong>University</strong>, I held postdoctoral fellowships at NYU’s Institute for the<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> the Ancient World, the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology<br />
and the Ancient World, and conducted a Luce-ACLS funded<br />
international collaboration at the Anyang Workstation, Institute <strong>of</strong><br />
Archaeology, Chinese Academy <strong>of</strong> Social Sciences in China.<br />
My research is focused on North China in late 2nd millennium<br />
BCE and employs the techniques <strong>of</strong> history, archaeology and<br />
epigraphy. My writing has included articles and book chapters on<br />
ancestors, sacrifi ce, the origins <strong>of</strong> Chinese civilization (co-authored,<br />
Antiquity 2009) and a new theoretical approach to the archaeology <strong>of</strong><br />
socio-political complexity (Current Anthropology 2009). My nearly<br />
unfettered research time as a JRF at <strong>Merton</strong> has allowed me to fi nish<br />
34 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
for simulating seismic wave propagation in realistic models <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Earth. In addition, I have worked on the theory <strong>of</strong> seismic wave<br />
propagation in linear viscoelastic materials, and on the determination<br />
<strong>of</strong> hydrostatic equilibrium fi gures <strong>of</strong> rotating planets.<br />
During my time at <strong>Merton</strong>, I intend to apply and extend the<br />
methods developed during my DPhil to the construction <strong>of</strong> models<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Earth’s interior structure. In particular, I will use observations<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Earth’s free oscillations to investigate large-scale variations<br />
in density within the Earth. Reliable knowledge <strong>of</strong> such density<br />
variations is needed in addressing a number <strong>of</strong> current questions<br />
in geophysics, and is likely to play a key role in understanding the<br />
dynamics and evolution <strong>of</strong> the Earth.<br />
an edited volume – Violence and Civilization:<br />
Studies <strong>of</strong> Social Violence in History and<br />
Prehistory (Joukowsky Institute Publications<br />
forthcoming 2011); write a book chapter<br />
on Shang animality, humanity and divinity;<br />
complete the data analysis and write an article<br />
based on my Chinese fi eldwork (to appear in<br />
Antiquity), while applying for and receiving a<br />
Wenner-Gren International Collaboration grant<br />
to continue work in China. I am fi nishing a<br />
preliminary paper on the scale <strong>of</strong> Shang dynasty bronze casting and<br />
a book manuscript on the archaeology <strong>of</strong> the Chinese Bronze Age.<br />
While at <strong>Merton</strong> I have had the enriching opportunity to act as<br />
college supervisor and teach several Chinese archaeology classes.<br />
I will deeply miss the many productive conversations with Dame<br />
Jessica Rawson and other faculty at the School <strong>of</strong> Archaeology as<br />
I take up an Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship <strong>of</strong> Chinese Archaeology and<br />
History at the Institute for the Study <strong>of</strong> the Ancient World, New York<br />
<strong>University</strong> this coming academic year.
DR MARTINS PAPARINSKIS<br />
My fi rst year as a Junior Research Fellow in<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> has been a very rewarding one.<br />
I am privileged and humbled to be part <strong>of</strong> such<br />
an impressive intellectual community. Prior to<br />
coming to <strong>Merton</strong> I completed my DPhil at the<br />
Queen’s <strong>College</strong> in 2009, and spent 2009-10<br />
at the New York <strong>University</strong> as a Hauser<br />
Research Scholar.<br />
I have varied research interests in the area <strong>of</strong><br />
public international law. The focus <strong>of</strong> my research and publications<br />
is on the place <strong>of</strong> the international law on the protection <strong>of</strong> foreign<br />
investments in the international legal order. Investment protection<br />
law is largely expressed in the form <strong>of</strong> bilateral investment protection<br />
treaties; importantly, these treaties provide the foreign investor<br />
with a direct procedural right to take the host State to international<br />
arbitration. The relevance <strong>of</strong> investor-State treaty arbitration was not<br />
fully appreciated until the very end <strong>of</strong> the 1990s. The great quantitative<br />
increase in these arbitrations in recent years raises important legal<br />
DR SYDNEY PENNER<br />
I joined <strong>Merton</strong> as a Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy in October<br />
2010, after working on my PhD at Cornell <strong>University</strong>. I am honoured<br />
to be part <strong>of</strong> a college that has a philosophical history stretching from<br />
the <strong>Oxford</strong> Calculators in the 14th century to FH Bradley in the 19th.<br />
My research focuses on Francisco Suárez, a prominent but<br />
neglected fi gure in the more generally neglected tradition <strong>of</strong><br />
scholastic philosophy in the late medieval and early modern period.<br />
Suárez was part <strong>of</strong> the Golden Age <strong>of</strong> Spain: the composer Tomás<br />
Luis de Victoria was born in the same year (1548) as Suárez, and<br />
Miguel de Cervantes, the author <strong>of</strong> Don Quixote, a year earlier. The<br />
fl ourishing <strong>of</strong> philosophical inquiry is less well known today than<br />
other aspects <strong>of</strong> the Golden Age, but in the 17th century Suárez’s<br />
fame as a philosopher ‘almost without equal’ extended throughout<br />
Europe and beyond. Suárez was a prodigious author: the standard –<br />
and incomplete – edition <strong>of</strong> his works runs to 26 large Latin volumes.<br />
He covers topics from metaphysics to ethics to political philosophy<br />
to theology.<br />
HAILS | DR MARTINS PAPARINSKIS<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FELLOWS<br />
questions both about the scope and content <strong>of</strong> international investment<br />
protection obligations and, more broadly, about the way in which<br />
traditional international law concepts <strong>of</strong> sources, interpretation and<br />
responsibility operate in this particular area.<br />
My research focuses precisely on these issues, exploring the<br />
recent practice both to explain the developments within investment<br />
protection law and tease out the implications for general international<br />
law. I have pursued a number <strong>of</strong> research projects during my fi rst year<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong>. On the basis <strong>of</strong> my DPhil, I have prepared a monograph<br />
on the obligation to provide fair and equitable treatment for foreign<br />
investors that will be published by <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press in<br />
2012. I have prepared a collection <strong>of</strong> documents on international<br />
investment protection that will be published by Hart Publishing. I<br />
have also worked on a number <strong>of</strong> articles and chapters that address<br />
different aspects <strong>of</strong> investment protection law from an international<br />
law perspective, ranging from procedural aspects and substantive<br />
obligations to certain meta-issues (e.g. sources and interpretation in<br />
investment law). One could not have wished for a better and more<br />
supportive research environment than the one provided by <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
In my work to date, I focused on Suárez’s<br />
account <strong>of</strong> practical reason and action, looking<br />
at how he answers questions such as: What<br />
gives us reason to act? Which reasons are good<br />
reasons? What kinds <strong>of</strong> ends are there? What is<br />
happiness? Space does not allow more than the<br />
briefest <strong>of</strong> sketches <strong>of</strong> Suárez’s answers: Suárez<br />
thinks that our ultimate end is happiness. We<br />
have reason to act ins<strong>of</strong>ar as so acting brings<br />
us happiness. But Suárez does not think that<br />
happiness is simply a matter <strong>of</strong> satisfying whatever desires we might<br />
happen to have. The sort <strong>of</strong> creatures we are puts constraints on what<br />
will make us happy. We can be, and <strong>of</strong>ten are, wrong about what will<br />
make us happy. It is the task <strong>of</strong> ethics to help us get it right.<br />
I hope to use my time at <strong>Merton</strong> to expand my research into<br />
other areas <strong>of</strong> Suárez’s thought, as well as to learn more about his<br />
intellectual predecessors and contemporaries.<br />
35
FELLOWS HAILS | PETER SZANTO<br />
PETER SZANTO<br />
I joined <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> as a Junior Research<br />
Fellow in October 2010 after having spent four<br />
years as a graduate student at Balliol and a<br />
further seven studying Sanskrit and Tibetan in<br />
Budapest.<br />
My area <strong>of</strong> research is late Buddhism in<br />
India and Tibet (roughly between 750 and<br />
1300 CE) with a special focus on the issue<br />
<strong>of</strong> initiation in Tantric Buddhism. This – in<br />
many ways, unique – religion was once one <strong>of</strong> the most infl uential<br />
systems <strong>of</strong> beliefs in Asia, having spread from its humble beginnings<br />
in Central and Eastern India to China, Korea, Japan, Inner Asia,<br />
Siam, the Indonesian archipelago and Tibet. Yet, its original texts,<br />
predominantly in Sanskrit, constitute one <strong>of</strong> the least explored<br />
areas in South Asian studies in spite <strong>of</strong> the fact that the material to<br />
PROFESSOR KATHERINE WILLIS<br />
I joined the <strong>Merton</strong> Fellowship last October as a Pr<strong>of</strong>essorial Fellow<br />
after being appointed to the new Tasso Leventis Chair in Biodiversity<br />
based in the department <strong>of</strong> Zoology. I ‘migrated’ from Jesus <strong>College</strong><br />
where I was a Tutorial Fellow in Geography for six years. <strong>Merton</strong><br />
is in fact the sixth Oxbridge college that I have had the pleasure to<br />
be associated with (there must be a record somewhere in here). In<br />
Cambridge I was at Corpus, Darwin and then Selwyn <strong>College</strong> and<br />
in <strong>Oxford</strong> at St Hugh’s, Jesus and now <strong>Merton</strong>. All the colleges have<br />
very distinctive characteristics and I am greatly enjoying my time<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong> thus far – although every time I move college it is rather<br />
depressing to become one <strong>of</strong> the most junior Fellows again – it feels<br />
a bit like a game <strong>of</strong> ‘snakes and ladders’ where I keep falling to the<br />
bottom <strong>of</strong> the ladder!<br />
I am a biological scientist by training and the main focus <strong>of</strong> my<br />
research is on biodiversity responses to environmental change and<br />
the dynamic processes <strong>of</strong> species and their interactions with their<br />
environment over a range <strong>of</strong> timescales. I run the <strong>Oxford</strong> Long-term<br />
Ecology Laboratory which is a hub <strong>of</strong> facilities and researchers in<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> that use long-term ecological datasets (those spanning more<br />
36 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
process is almost embarrassingly rich. The most important task in the<br />
fi eld therefore is to produce reliable critical editions from which a<br />
detailed history <strong>of</strong> Tantric Buddhism could be written. This involves<br />
work with manuscripts and other primary sources, a task that can<br />
sometimes be tedious but is ultimately incomparably rewarding.<br />
During my three years I wish to edit several such texts accompanied<br />
by annotated translations and introductory studies.<br />
My Fellowship at <strong>Merton</strong> provided me with the most important<br />
things a young scholar in my position can hope for: an accepting,<br />
inspiring and incredibly learned community, generous support,<br />
and freedom to continue my research. One <strong>of</strong> the most humbling<br />
experiences was to discover that one <strong>of</strong> my ‘childhood heroes’,<br />
the explorer and scholar Marc Aurel Stein, was once a guest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>College</strong> and wrote one <strong>of</strong> the fi rst books that awakened my interest in<br />
Asia in what is now the Music Room. I could not help but play with<br />
the idea that Buddhists would interpret this as a very auspicious sign.<br />
than 50 years) to address questions relating to<br />
biodiversity changes through time. Research<br />
topics covered fall broadly into four categories:<br />
(i) reconstruction <strong>of</strong> biodiversity baselines<br />
and targets; (ii) examination <strong>of</strong> ecosystem<br />
resilience, variability and thresholds; (iii)<br />
understanding drivers and rates <strong>of</strong> change to<br />
ecosystem services and (iv) biodiversity beyond<br />
reserves. Projects currently underway include<br />
studies in South America, Africa (Congo basin,<br />
Botswana), Borneo, Galapagos, Hungary, India (Western Ghats),<br />
Lebanon, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Mongolia, Romania,<br />
Slovenia, Tenerife and UK (oxlel.zoo.ox.ac.uk). Work in the lab<br />
is also focused on the development <strong>of</strong> web-based decision support<br />
tools to provide a measure <strong>of</strong> ecological and biodiversity value <strong>of</strong><br />
landscapes outside <strong>of</strong> protected areas.<br />
I also hold an adjunct Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship in Biology at the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Bergen, Norway, and I am the Director <strong>of</strong> the recently established<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> Martin School Biodiversity Institute: www.biodiversity.<br />
ox.ac.uk.
VIEW FROM THE TOP | MARK FIDDES<br />
A View From the Top: Mark Fiddes<br />
OUR SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH <strong>MER</strong>TONIANS<br />
AT THE TOP OF THEIR PROFESSIONS CONTINUES<br />
WITH MARK FIDDES (1979). MARK HAS<br />
BEEN A SENIOR CREATIVE BOTH IN THE UK<br />
AND GLOBALLY FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND IS<br />
NOW EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT<br />
DRAFTFCB. HE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON’S 750TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO.<br />
POSTMASTER: What has changed<br />
since you started in advertising and<br />
marketing, and what has stayed the<br />
same?<br />
MARK FIDDES: Lunch, is the quick<br />
answer. We are much thinner as a pr<strong>of</strong>ession<br />
thanks to a diet <strong>of</strong> Pret a Manger and one<br />
stiff recession every decade. Marketing<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
spend is always the fi rst budget line to get<br />
clobbered.<br />
The tectonic shift, however, is in media.<br />
The Economist recently calculated that we<br />
all have to process 30 times more messages<br />
every day than we did in 1980.<br />
Human beings are overloaded. When Bill<br />
Bernbach brought out his famous ‘Lemon’<br />
37
FEATURES VIEW FROM THE TOP | MARK FIDDES<br />
campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle in the<br />
early Sixties, it was seen by virtually every<br />
car driver in the developed world. Those<br />
universal audiences don’t exist anymore.<br />
Whereas you could once speak to well over<br />
half the adult population during Coronation<br />
Street, you’re lucky now to reach one fi fth.<br />
This is why there’s even more <strong>of</strong> a premium<br />
on ‘the big idea’ that engages people<br />
wherever they are. That’s the one aspect <strong>of</strong><br />
advertising that has not changed over the 25<br />
years I’ve been a creative.<br />
Which <strong>of</strong> your many successful<br />
advertising campaigns are you most<br />
proud <strong>of</strong>?<br />
It’s usually the last campaign because<br />
the scars <strong>of</strong> the battle are still fresh. Most<br />
recently, we helped NIVEA celebrate<br />
38 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
its 100-year anniversary by reminding<br />
people what NIVEA was always good at –<br />
skincare. Like many companies in the skin<br />
business, they had become seduced by the<br />
myth <strong>of</strong> ‘impossible’ beauty, that ‘Because<br />
I’m worth it’ narcissism. So we reminded<br />
them <strong>of</strong> the simple truth that healthy skin<br />
brings people together. Now the ‘Feel<br />
Closer’ campaign is running in 80 countries,<br />
across all media from TV to the internet and<br />
awareness is up over 90%.<br />
Other campaigns I did my bit for include<br />
Tango (You know when you’ve been<br />
Tangoed), Royal Mail (If you mean it, write<br />
it), Finish (The Diamond Standard), Vanish<br />
(Trust pink, forget stains), Calgon (Washing<br />
machines live longer with Calgon), Jaguar<br />
(Gorgeous), Jamaica (Once you go, you<br />
know).<br />
Are there any campaigns you look back<br />
on and say ‘what was I thinking?’<br />
Scores <strong>of</strong> them. How about the poster for<br />
The Spectator that purported to show US<br />
Secretary <strong>of</strong> State George Shultz’s bottom<br />
with a Princeton fraternity tiger tattoo<br />
on the right cheek? The headline read<br />
‘Known for its revealing features’ but I had<br />
to get my mate to fi nd a tattoo parlour in<br />
Soho that did tigers and then stand in as<br />
Shultz’s buttock double. Then there was<br />
the press ad that went out under my watch<br />
to celebrate Obama’s victory on behalf <strong>of</strong><br />
Veet hair removal cream. The headline read<br />
‘Goodbye Bush’ and, from a small space<br />
in the Sydney Telegraph, fl ew across every<br />
news site on the internet in hours. That took<br />
some explaining.<br />
What’s the one campaign you wish you<br />
had come up with?<br />
I admire the T-Mobile ‘Life’s for Sharing’<br />
campaign which just picked up the British<br />
Television Advertising Grand Prix. The last<br />
execution had a procession <strong>of</strong> genuinely<br />
bemused passengers arriving at an airport<br />
to be greeted with an operatic chorus <strong>of</strong><br />
singing trolley-dollies and security men. It<br />
was a tremendous production and a great<br />
example <strong>of</strong> advertising’s ability to ‘Enlarge,<br />
Enliven and Enlighten’ to quote Maggie<br />
Smith’s character in Peter Shaffer’s Lettice<br />
and Lovage.<br />
What’s the most challenging campaign<br />
you’ve run?<br />
It’s the fact that the challenges are everchanging<br />
that makes the advertising<br />
business fun. Mind you, the hardest part<br />
<strong>of</strong> any campaign today is to orchestrate the<br />
right messages along the multiplicity <strong>of</strong><br />
media channels available.<br />
Have you ever been approached by an<br />
organisation that, for ethical or moral<br />
reasons, you felt you could not produce a<br />
campaign for?<br />
I’ve always refused to work for political<br />
parties, partly because the end result<br />
becomes little more than childish<br />
mudslinging that does no service to<br />
democratic pluralism, or advertising.<br />
We see a lot <strong>of</strong> campaigns these days that<br />
include a charity or education element to<br />
them. How important has the ethical side<br />
<strong>of</strong> marketing become?<br />
Good question. You can see two types <strong>of</strong><br />
organisation using an ethical element to<br />
their campaigning today. There are those
like Innocent and Apple who project clear<br />
values <strong>of</strong> caring, sharing and growing as<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the DNA <strong>of</strong> their enterprise. Then<br />
there are those who use Corporate Social<br />
Responsibility credentials as a fi g leaf to<br />
cover their vulnerabilities. I’m thinking<br />
right now <strong>of</strong> BP marketers who imagine<br />
that – a year on from the Deepwater disaster<br />
– showing a Paralympic runner Richard<br />
Whitehead in their ads will convince people<br />
the brand is making a positive difference.<br />
Yes, it’s a start, but one that will generate as<br />
much cynicism as empathy.<br />
How does an advertising agency keep<br />
up with the ever-changing pace <strong>of</strong><br />
technology?<br />
You buy smaller agencies who do<br />
understand. You employ busloads <strong>of</strong><br />
younger people for whom the technology<br />
is second nature. You stay inquisitive.<br />
You have children who live on Facebook<br />
and Twitter. With all <strong>of</strong> this, you try to<br />
fi nd opportunities to push that technology<br />
further than anyone has done before.<br />
Remember too, people’s motivations<br />
change at a much slower pace.<br />
Understanding these beliefs and knowing<br />
how to engage and dialogue with them<br />
will always be more important than the<br />
latest platform or application. To borrow<br />
an expression once used <strong>of</strong> that quaint<br />
technology The Newspaper, they will end<br />
up around tomorrow’s digital fi sh and chips.<br />
With the way people consume media these<br />
days becoming ever-more fractured, has<br />
it become more diffi cult to target them?<br />
Yes, <strong>of</strong> course. But fi ner targeting also<br />
means more relevant messaging otherwise<br />
it’s just junk or spam. Last year we carried<br />
VIEW FROM THE TOP | MARK FIDDES<br />
POSTER TO MARK THE OPENING OF<br />
THE LATEST DORCHESTER HOTEL AT<br />
COWORTH PARK<br />
out research across the world to fi nd out<br />
how long people would give an advertiser<br />
before they mentally switch <strong>of</strong>f. We<br />
surveyed over 2,000 people in their usage<br />
<strong>of</strong> every medium, from TV to radio, press,<br />
poster and the internet. We found that, on<br />
average, they will give you 6.5 seconds.<br />
We call this the 6.5 seconds that matter and<br />
we use this framework to ensure that initial<br />
message has enough impact to provoke<br />
deeper involvement. It’s not a philosophy<br />
but an operating principle.<br />
What challenges lie ahead for Draftfcb?<br />
Immediately, we are helping Coke in<br />
Atlanta with their Olympic investment. We<br />
want the campaign to increase participation<br />
in physical activities <strong>of</strong> all kinds in the run<br />
up to the Games. We have also just picked<br />
up a large assignment for Hyundai, the<br />
Korean car manufacturer who have doubled<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FELLOWS<br />
their market share in the last two years. I am<br />
challenged by the fact that ‘Hyundai’ means<br />
‘modern’ in at least fi ve Asian languages.<br />
Like all ad agencies, however, we have to<br />
keep winning at new business. It sounds a<br />
bit Mad Men to say it, but agencies are like<br />
sharks. They have to keep eating to survive.<br />
How does Draftfcb go about advertising<br />
itself?<br />
We’re awful at it. Think cobbler’s children’s<br />
shoes syndrome. The best way to stay top <strong>of</strong><br />
mind is to win awards and earlier this year<br />
we received The Guardian Award for Best<br />
Consumer Campaign, voted by readers.<br />
Again, in common with most other<br />
ad agencies, we have a silly name that is<br />
hard to remember. Ours is a construct <strong>of</strong><br />
Draft, named after the visionary Chicagoan<br />
Howard Draft, and Foote Cone and Belding<br />
(FCB), one <strong>of</strong> the oldest ad agencies in the<br />
business with over 130 years’ track record.<br />
My favourite FCB story is what happened<br />
when the Florida Orange Growers<br />
Association asked for a new press ad to<br />
double the consumption <strong>of</strong> Florida oranges.<br />
The agency founders went away to think<br />
about it. What they came back with was an<br />
alternative to an ad that had much greater<br />
longevity. We know it today as orange juice.<br />
Are there idiosyncracies specifi c to<br />
creative advertising in the UK?<br />
Some say the reason for the UK’s declining<br />
performance in the international Cannes<br />
Lions awards every year is down to our<br />
arrogance and insularity. There is some<br />
truth in the belief that a lot <strong>of</strong> what we do<br />
makes little sense to the rest <strong>of</strong> the world.<br />
I’m thinking particularly <strong>of</strong> the reliance on<br />
puns in headlines. Unless it’s a killer, leave<br />
39
FEATURES VIEW FROM THE TOP | MARK FIDDES<br />
it to the experts at the tabloid newspapers.<br />
We also like to write celebrities and comic<br />
caricatures from TV shows into our ads.<br />
This is just lazy and does not build longterm<br />
idea equity for a brand.<br />
You are a Fellow <strong>of</strong> the Royal Society<br />
<strong>of</strong> Arts. Do you think advertising<br />
occasionally crosses into the territory <strong>of</strong><br />
art?<br />
How long have you got? First, as a true<br />
enlightenment organisation the full name<br />
<strong>of</strong> the RSA is the Royal Society for the<br />
encouragement <strong>of</strong> Arts, Manufactures and<br />
Commerce. So it has always viewed human<br />
progress as the indivisible contribution <strong>of</strong><br />
all three activities.<br />
On the Art specifi cally, I’m with Proust<br />
who observed that, when one reaches<br />
a certain level <strong>of</strong> receptivity, there is as<br />
much to be learned from a soap advert as<br />
from the Pensées <strong>of</strong> Pascal. I also recall<br />
Nietzsche writing that ‘we have art in order<br />
that we don’t die <strong>of</strong> the truth’. In the age <strong>of</strong><br />
Charles Saatchi, I would add that we have<br />
advertising in order that we don’t die <strong>of</strong><br />
(modern) art.<br />
40 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Seriously, what makes my job as a<br />
Creative Director most satisfying is to work<br />
with experts – directors, photographers,<br />
typographers and designers – whose<br />
aesthetic sensitivity and skill can be<br />
breathtaking. ‘Nothing should be made by<br />
man’s labour that is not worth making.’ In<br />
this respect, I hope we are still followers <strong>of</strong><br />
William Morris.<br />
Working in the creative sector, is it<br />
diffi cult to switch <strong>of</strong>f? What do you do to<br />
help switch <strong>of</strong>f?<br />
Mahler... Fulham Football Club... Running<br />
fairly slowly around London’s parks and<br />
commons. My greatest fortune in life was to<br />
marry una encantadora Catalana, Maribel,<br />
with whom I have two kinetic teenage boys,<br />
Alec and Sergi.<br />
How did <strong>Merton</strong> help you prepare for<br />
your career?<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> taught me the importance <strong>of</strong><br />
curiosity and the humility never to assume<br />
you have the full picture. The study <strong>of</strong><br />
philosophy helped me understand that<br />
framing a question provocatively will<br />
always guarantee a satisfactory answer.<br />
On a personal level, it gave me an odd<br />
resilience. Once you’ve tried defending<br />
Aristotle’s conception <strong>of</strong> eudaimonia to JR<br />
Lucas, convincing a Top 100 CEO that he’s<br />
dead wrong is a piece <strong>of</strong> cake.<br />
What advice would you give to any<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ian wishing to follow in your<br />
footsteps?<br />
Try to fi nd an internship fi rst and see what<br />
it’s like. You won’t make a lot <strong>of</strong> money.<br />
I remember doing a <strong>College</strong> careers talk<br />
on advertising a few years back with the<br />
legendary Adrian Vickers who founded<br />
our greatest UK agency AMV with fellow<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ian David Abbott. A rather selfassured<br />
fellow at the back asked why on<br />
earth he should join Mr Vickers’s ad agency<br />
on £18,000 a year when Lehman Brothers<br />
had just <strong>of</strong>fered him £35,000 plus bonus.<br />
“Think <strong>of</strong> it this way,” returned the suave<br />
and imperturbable Vickers, “it’s a bit like<br />
being a student for the rest <strong>of</strong> your life.”<br />
Perfect message... perfect targeting...<br />
brilliant advertising.
Scenes From a PGCE<br />
Two months into a PGCE in English, I<br />
noticed that the Year 9 students in my school,<br />
considered one <strong>of</strong> the best in the county,<br />
had trouble with basic vocabulary: ‘envy,’<br />
‘lament,’ ‘fi end,’ ‘distinguish,’ ‘negative’<br />
and ‘eternal’ were Greek to them; no wonder<br />
they found reading frustrating. So I brought<br />
from home a stack <strong>of</strong> vocabulary books that<br />
I had used in middle school. With their witty<br />
exercises on usage and notes on etymology,<br />
these books had awakened in me a love for<br />
the English language. In the spirit <strong>of</strong> sharing<br />
a good book, I lent one <strong>of</strong> the volumes to the<br />
convenor <strong>of</strong> my PGCE. A few months later,<br />
instead <strong>of</strong> returning the book to me, Mr<br />
F— summoned me to his <strong>of</strong>fi ce. “Why did<br />
you lend this book to me?” he demanded. “I<br />
thought you would be interested.” Far from<br />
being interested, he was outraged. The book<br />
was ‘dreadful’ and ‘frightening.’ Wouldn’t<br />
learning new words make the students better<br />
readers and writers? Not at all; the books<br />
were ‘boring’ and ‘dangerous’ because they<br />
did not include all possible defi nitions <strong>of</strong><br />
the words. Hoping to placate him, I said, “If<br />
you don’t want me to use them, I won’t.”<br />
“Oh, you certainly won’t,” he exclaimed.<br />
“They’ll never need those words!” I left<br />
the interview with those words ringing in<br />
my ears. Never need words like ‘assail,’<br />
‘assimilate’ or ‘mishap.’ Why not? Didn’t<br />
he expect them to read or to write when<br />
they left school? I began to suspect that my<br />
students’ ignorance might be a consequence<br />
<strong>of</strong> attitudes like those <strong>of</strong> Mr F—.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> his objections to learning<br />
vocabulary was that it would take up<br />
valuable class time. If one hour a week on<br />
ESSAY | SCENES FROM A PGCE – GABRIELLA GRUDER-PONI<br />
vocabulary was too much, what, then, was<br />
there time for in school?<br />
Year 6: Literacy Hour<br />
The students read a biography on the website<br />
biography.com and then gave one-minute<br />
presentations on what they had learned.<br />
Unfortunately the website, sponsored by<br />
a television station, directs the reader to<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>i les <strong>of</strong> entertainment celebrities. So the<br />
students spent half an hour madly clicking<br />
from one celebrity to another. One <strong>of</strong> the<br />
few students who didn’t choose a pop star<br />
was a boy from Sudan who had been a<br />
refugee for most <strong>of</strong> his life. He chose Nelson<br />
Mandela. Maybe because Liban was shy<br />
about speaking in public, or maybe because<br />
English was his third language, he gave a<br />
confused [and rambling] presentation. “He<br />
was very brave,” he kept repeating, without<br />
saying why Mandela had spent decades in<br />
prison. I was sure the teacher would pick<br />
up where Liban left <strong>of</strong>f. I remember well<br />
the homilies my primary school teachers<br />
in the US and in Italy gave on exemplary<br />
lives, on civil rights workers, [anti-fascists,]<br />
and people who had sheltered Jews in the<br />
Second World War. I was very moved by<br />
these stories, and <strong>of</strong>ten we students came<br />
back the next day with our own tales, having<br />
quizzed parents and grandparents. But this<br />
teacher said nothing more about Nelson<br />
Mandela. Instead she stood up and gave her<br />
own presentation — on Sean Connery.<br />
Year 8: Text Types<br />
The class was broken into pairs; each pair<br />
received an envelope containing pieces<br />
<strong>of</strong> paper with the names <strong>of</strong> different ‘text<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
types’ written on them. The students then<br />
had to tell each other the order <strong>of</strong> the planets<br />
following the conventions <strong>of</strong> a randomly<br />
selected ‘text type.’ For an hour the children<br />
said things like, “Add Mercury to Venus and<br />
stir” (recipe) or “Great pass from Earth to<br />
Mars!” (rugby commentary) or “Turn left<br />
at Jupiter and go straight until you reach<br />
Saturn” (travel directions).<br />
Text Message<br />
The year before I enrolled in the PGCE<br />
there had been a small scandal in the press<br />
surrounding a student who text-messaged an<br />
essay to her teacher. It was agreed that those<br />
who criticised the students were old fogies.<br />
By contrast Mr F— encouraged us to come<br />
up with ‘creative’ ways to integrate mobile<br />
phones and computer games into lessons.<br />
A-level class<br />
The students drew illustrated maps <strong>of</strong> the<br />
places described in the book they were<br />
reading. In another lesson, the teacher<br />
picked objects out <strong>of</strong> a bag and asked her<br />
students to explain their signifi cance in the<br />
book; then she covered all the objects with<br />
a cloth and asked the students to make a list<br />
<strong>of</strong> as many objects as they could remember.<br />
Two overriding themes emerge in this<br />
sample <strong>of</strong> characteristic lessons. First,<br />
there’s the pursuit <strong>of</strong> topicality: “Students are<br />
interested in mobile phones and celebrities;<br />
therefore, we’ll give them lessons about<br />
mobile phones and celebrities.” There was<br />
no notion that education ought to expand<br />
one’s horizons, or that students might enjoy<br />
being introduced to new ideas. The teachers<br />
were fatalists: the students are as they are,<br />
and we’re not going to change them. But<br />
their fatalism was self-righteous rather than<br />
regretful. Once I prepared a worksheet on<br />
41
FEATURES ESSAY | SCENES FROM A PGCE – GABRIELLA GRUDER-PONI<br />
paragraph structure for my Year 8 students,<br />
which included a paragraph on Leonardo da<br />
Vinci. The teacher objected that Katherine,<br />
the weakest student in an outstanding<br />
class, “won’t have heard <strong>of</strong> the 1500s or <strong>of</strong><br />
Leonardo.” To me that seemed an excellent<br />
reason to introduce Leonardo; for the teacher,<br />
it was self-evidently a reason not to do so.<br />
His own handouts for the class concerned<br />
hair care and school policy on stationery. I<br />
began to wonder if the real reason for the<br />
banishment from the classroom <strong>of</strong> anything<br />
that smacked <strong>of</strong> culture was the lack <strong>of</strong><br />
interest not among students but among<br />
teachers. For the students, especially the<br />
younger ones, regularly showed themselves<br />
to be curious about subjects other than<br />
gadgets and celebrities.<br />
The second theme is an absolute lack<br />
<strong>of</strong> faith in words. Pictures, objects, roleplays:<br />
these were considered memorable<br />
and compelling. But not words. Methods<br />
that didn’t involve words were approvingly<br />
called ‘learning by doing.’ Clearly, a lecture<br />
on knitting or gymnastics would not get one<br />
very far, but what does ‘learning by doing’<br />
mean in the study <strong>of</strong> English, a subject that<br />
consists entirely <strong>of</strong> words? How can one<br />
‘do’ English without reading, writing, and<br />
discussing? The assumption that students<br />
were beyond the reach <strong>of</strong> all but the simplest<br />
words and sentences informed every lesson.<br />
I was <strong>of</strong>ten asked, for example, how the<br />
students would understand what I was<br />
teaching them; at fi rst I would regularly<br />
answer, “I would explain it, like this … And<br />
if they didn’t understand, I would explain<br />
it another way, like this …” But I soon<br />
realised that my supervisors were sceptical<br />
<strong>of</strong> any teaching that involved explanations;<br />
when they spoke to students they gave<br />
instructions, never explanations.<br />
42 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
STUDENTS AT THE BBS ACADEMY, NEW YORK<br />
In May I met with the parents <strong>of</strong> my<br />
Year 7 students in routine parent-teacher<br />
conferences. My supervising teacher,<br />
Ms E—, sat next to me and occasionally<br />
intervened. This was my second placement,<br />
so parents <strong>of</strong>ten turned to Ms E—, knowing<br />
that I had been teaching their children only<br />
for a few weeks. I had prepared reading lists<br />
for Year 7, and planned to say to almost every<br />
parent, “Nothing will improve your child’s<br />
writing skills more than reading. Here’s a<br />
list <strong>of</strong> books he or she might enjoy”. I did<br />
this with the fi rst family, and they seemed<br />
appreciative. But after they left, Ms E— said<br />
to me, “Don’t give that list out to anyone<br />
else.” I was too shocked to dissemble. “Why<br />
not?” She couldn’t possibly have objected<br />
to the content <strong>of</strong> the list, which featured<br />
titles such as The Lion, the Witch and the<br />
Wardrobe and Anne <strong>of</strong> Green Gables. “This<br />
is a comprehensive school, and these are<br />
working class families. These people don’t<br />
go to the library regularly. Don’t give them<br />
the list.” Well, if that’s the case, I’d be happy<br />
to give them an excuse to go to the library, I<br />
thought. But I knew it was pointless to argue.<br />
I did, however, manage to get permission to<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer reading suggestions to students, if they<br />
approached me individually. Over the next<br />
few days a steady trickle <strong>of</strong> students came<br />
up to ask for the list.<br />
The parent-teacher conference was a<br />
revelation, because I saw that some <strong>of</strong> these<br />
supposedly bovine parents were sceptical<br />
about what was going on in school. Turning<br />
to Ms E—, they said:<br />
“Couldn’t you assign more homework?<br />
His little brother, who’s seven years old,<br />
gets more homework than he does.”<br />
“She’s starting to read books like Black<br />
Beauty and Tom Sawyer...”<br />
(“Those are on my list!” I thought to<br />
myself.)<br />
“... by Jane Austen, which is the most<br />
challenging book she’s read so far.”<br />
“... I mean when I was her age we were<br />
reading the Iliad. I guess times have<br />
changed.”
Four years will pass before these children<br />
are asked to read a book cover to cover<br />
in school, four delicate years between<br />
childhood and adolescence, when a child’s<br />
natural curiosity must become habitual if it<br />
is to survive. I was hopeful for some <strong>of</strong> my<br />
youngest students, especially after hearing<br />
their parents. But maybe I shouldn’t have<br />
been: years <strong>of</strong> academic deprivation take<br />
their toll; the saddest thing was to see how<br />
indolent and incurious many <strong>of</strong> the older<br />
students were. As horses that worked in<br />
coal mines for years would go blind for<br />
lack <strong>of</strong> visual stimulation, so young people<br />
Epilogue<br />
In the end I fl unked the PGCE. I had been encouraged to withdraw,<br />
but I was stubborn, and I wanted to gather material for my article,<br />
however painful and humiliating the process might be. And I wanted<br />
to teach. Looking back, I think Mr F— decided all the way back in<br />
November, when I lent him the Wordly Wise books, that I wouldn’t<br />
pass the course. However much I tried to conform, to dumb down<br />
and be obsequious, it was to no avail; I had revealed my true colours<br />
in the autumn, and nothing I did would convince my supervisors that<br />
I wasn’t play-acting.<br />
A week after fl unking the PGCE I went back to New York, and<br />
started teaching at a summer school I had found on the internet. I had<br />
no idea what to expect when Dr Kim interviewed me. The school,<br />
housed on the second fl oor <strong>of</strong> a commercial building in the borough<br />
<strong>of</strong> Queens, was not yet in session, and the small, windowless<br />
classrooms, furnished only with deskchairs and a whiteboard, <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
no clues. As soon as I started teaching, however, I knew things would<br />
be very different from the PGCE. The students were all children <strong>of</strong><br />
immigrants, and none <strong>of</strong> them spoke English at home, so there was no<br />
question about learning vocabulary: Mrs Kim, the headmaster’s wife,<br />
handed out xeroxed pages from the vocabulary books I had used in<br />
middle school every week, and every week the students were quizzed<br />
on the previous week’s words. I introduced lessons on etymology,<br />
and had the students write sentences using their new words, which<br />
we critiqued for usage. Mrs Kim herself spoke little English, but she<br />
would occasionally give me tips on particular students. Refreshingly,<br />
she would say, “He lazy. Push him,” gesturing with her hands.<br />
ESSAY | SCENES FROM A PGCE – GABRIELLA GRUDER-PONI<br />
lose their thirst for knowledge for lack <strong>of</strong><br />
intellectual sustenance and stimulation.<br />
Every time I suggested teaching a topic<br />
that couldn’t be called hard but that might<br />
begin to make up for years <strong>of</strong> wasted time,<br />
I was told it was impossible, because this<br />
was a comprehensive school, these students<br />
weren’t like me or the people with whom<br />
I had gone to school. A school that takes<br />
all kinds shouldn’t be able to argue that its<br />
students are special, and have to be treated<br />
like invalids.<br />
The pr<strong>of</strong>essionals who supervised me<br />
subscribed to two contradictory beliefs: that<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
they had nothing to teach the students, no<br />
knowledge to impart; and that the students’<br />
origins were their destiny. I’m convinced<br />
<strong>of</strong> the contrary: I’m sure I have a great<br />
deal to teach my students, but I do so in the<br />
expectation that one day they will be my<br />
intellectual equals.<br />
This is a drastically abridged version <strong>of</strong> an<br />
article that appeared in the September 2009<br />
issue <strong>of</strong> The Reader magazine. The full version<br />
can be found online at http://thereaderonline.<br />
co.uk/2009/09/17/the-reader-gets-angry/ or<br />
readergetsangry.notlong.com/.<br />
The students themselves were the biggest revelation. They were<br />
lively and funny, and their curiosity, having been encouraged, was<br />
boundless. My younger students in Britain had been lively and funny<br />
too, and many were, in spite <strong>of</strong> their teachers, curious. But I listened<br />
to them with a tragic sense <strong>of</strong> being forbidden to communicate with<br />
them, knowing that I was being observed at every moment. Now<br />
at last I could talk to my students, nurture their interests, and share<br />
with them my own enthusiasms. It was a great relief to do this, and<br />
even more, to see the children get excited about (for example) Greek<br />
mythology, the Flushing Remonstrance, or Blake’s poem ‘The Poison<br />
Tree.’ And fi nally I could place real demands on my students without<br />
fear <strong>of</strong> reprisal from above. When I asked to teach Tom Sawyer, Dr<br />
Kim did not hesitate to order a class set <strong>of</strong> books. When I nervously<br />
inquired whether I could assign reading for homework, or have the<br />
students write essays in class, he seemed amused and perplexed, as if<br />
thinking, “What else would one do?” Slowly I began to recover from<br />
the PGCE, to unlearn my refl exive fears and to regain faith in myself<br />
and in education. Now that I teach in a regular school I know that<br />
BBS is no exception; what happened there is what happens every day<br />
in a good school. But after the PGCE it seemed like nothing short <strong>of</strong> a<br />
miracle to be allowed to teach, and to see my students grow and learn.<br />
Gabriella Gruder-Poni (2001)<br />
Gabriella welcomes contact from anyone wishing to discuss the issues<br />
raised in her article. You can contact her at gabriella.gruder-poni@merton.<br />
oxon.net<br />
43
FEATURES <strong>MER</strong>TONIANS IN | LITERATURE<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians in... Literature<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON IS STEEPED IN LITERARY HISTORY.<br />
IT IS SAID TO BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE TABLE<br />
ON WHICH ASLAN WAS SLAIN ON IN THE LION,<br />
THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE AND ALSO OF<br />
THE ENTS IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS.<br />
Many written works by <strong>Merton</strong>ians can<br />
now be found in the Bodleian Library,<br />
founded, <strong>of</strong> course, by another <strong>Merton</strong>ian,<br />
Sir Thomas Bodley. Max Beerbohm,<br />
Edmund Clerihew Bentley, TS Eliot, Louis<br />
MacNeice and JRR Tolkien have all added<br />
to the rich story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> literature.<br />
Postmaster has collected the thoughts<br />
from a handful <strong>of</strong> contemporary <strong>Merton</strong><br />
writers who continue in their footsteps.<br />
MICHAEL RIDPATH (1979)<br />
They say second books are diffi cult, but I<br />
found planning the second book in my series<br />
about Magnus, my Icelandic detective,<br />
fairly straightforward. The premise is that a<br />
group <strong>of</strong> Icelanders decide to take revenge<br />
on those whom they hold responsible for<br />
the kreppa, their word for the credit crunch,<br />
which crushed their country.<br />
My editor liked the idea, but suggested<br />
that I needed to add a touch <strong>of</strong> myth and<br />
superstition. Myth and superstition? To the<br />
credit crunch? A problem.<br />
After some frantic head scratching and<br />
speed reading, I booked myself a return<br />
ticket to Iceland and borrowed a copy <strong>of</strong><br />
The Saga <strong>of</strong> the People <strong>of</strong> Eyri from the<br />
London Library. This saga deals with the<br />
experiences <strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> touchy Vikings<br />
who arrived in the Snaefells Peninsula<br />
in western Iceland at the turn <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tenth century.<br />
44 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
One story captured my imagination. Two<br />
berserkers had been brought from Sweden<br />
to Iceland as slaves. They proved diffi cult<br />
to control. Eventually, their master, a local<br />
farmer, told them to cut a path through the<br />
lava fi eld between two farms. They drove<br />
themselves into a berserk frenzy and cut<br />
the path. When they had fi nished they were<br />
exhausted and the farmer had no diffi culty<br />
running them both through with a spear.<br />
I reread the saga on the plane, hired a car<br />
at Kefl avík airport and drove north for about<br />
three hours, until I spied the snow-covered<br />
dome <strong>of</strong> the Snaefells Glacier. I drove up<br />
through a mountain pass, and pulled over<br />
to the side <strong>of</strong> the road. Beneath me stretched<br />
the Berserkjahraun, or Berserkers’ Lava<br />
Field, a frozen river <strong>of</strong> grey stone, nibbled<br />
at by mosses <strong>of</strong> russet, yellow and lime<br />
green.<br />
Close up, the folds <strong>of</strong> frozen lava reared<br />
up into twisted sculptures <strong>of</strong> stone horses<br />
and warriors. I found a faded wooden sign<br />
pointing to the Berserkjagata. Sure enough,<br />
this was a narrow path only a few inches<br />
wide cut through the lava. I followed it for a<br />
quarter <strong>of</strong> a mile until I came to a depression<br />
in the ground and a low broad cairn. Inside<br />
this, 19th-century archaeologists had found<br />
two skeletons – not especially tall, but very<br />
broad – which had been buried there a<br />
thousand years before.<br />
I fl ew home and began typing. Chapter<br />
one <strong>of</strong> 66° North is about the demonstration<br />
outside the Icelandic Parliament in the<br />
winter <strong>of</strong> 2008. But chapter two begins with<br />
two small boys, one <strong>of</strong> whom is Magnus’s<br />
grandfather, playing berserkers in a lava<br />
fi eld on the Snaefells Peninsula.<br />
Michael Ridpath’s two Icelandic novels<br />
are Where The Shadows Lie and 66° North.<br />
HECTOR MACDONALD (1992)<br />
My writing career wasn’t planned. I didn’t<br />
pen short stories or poems as a teenager, I<br />
didn’t read English Literature, and I never<br />
sought work experience in a commissioning<br />
editor’s <strong>of</strong>fi ce. I was a biologist at <strong>Oxford</strong>,<br />
and a strategy consultant thereafter. But I’ve<br />
always loved reading novels, and it struck<br />
me during a boring patch at work that I
HECTOR MACDONALD<br />
might be able to write one. Astonishingly,<br />
that fi rst attempt became a bestseller, The<br />
Mind Game, translated into 18 languages<br />
by the time I was 26.<br />
Wow, this is easy, I thought. If that’s what<br />
I can do (and earn!) when I know nothing<br />
at all about writing, just think what literary<br />
masterpieces I’ll be capable <strong>of</strong> with a little<br />
craft and experience. It didn’t quite work<br />
out like that. My second and third novels<br />
were published to a resounding silence from<br />
most critics and booksellers. This turns out<br />
to be a common pattern for writers <strong>of</strong> ‘big’<br />
fi rst novels. Luckily I still had my business<br />
career, for which I am particularly grateful<br />
now that the publishing industry is tearing<br />
itself apart in a ‘perfect storm’ <strong>of</strong> economic,<br />
technological and structural change.<br />
Heaven knows how most writers are coping<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS IN | LITERATURE<br />
fi nancially as contracts are cancelled, terms<br />
changed, stock remaindered, and new<br />
works by veteran authors shunned in favour<br />
<strong>of</strong> celeb ‘autobiographies’ and TV tie-ins.<br />
But in all the technological upheaval<br />
I have found an even more exciting<br />
opportunity: I now edit www.BookDrum.<br />
com, a crowd-sourced multi-media website<br />
that collates pictures, music, video, maps<br />
and background information to add a new<br />
illustrative dimension to books as diverse<br />
as The Interpretation <strong>of</strong> Dreams, Brighton<br />
Rock and Siddhartha. Book Drum is already<br />
much loved by teachers and students in<br />
the US, and it <strong>of</strong>fers scholars and authors<br />
an unprecedented opportunity to annotate,<br />
illustrate and continuously update their own<br />
books. It’s a thrilling new development in<br />
publishing, and we hope soon to produce<br />
fully enhanced e-books, complete with<br />
interactive maps, TV footage, relevant<br />
songs and photographs all built into the<br />
text. Publishing is a precarious business…<br />
but these days it certainly isn’t dull.<br />
LORNA FERGUSSON (1980)<br />
I arrived in 1980, when <strong>Merton</strong> fi rst accepted<br />
women. I was Scottish, my friend Catherine<br />
Reilly, a brilliant bibliographer who later<br />
won the Library Association’s Besterman<br />
Medal, was Mancunian. I’d never drunk<br />
Pimms in my life before I arrived here. All<br />
round culture shock. During my studies,<br />
I found myself both fulfi lled and frustrated,<br />
particularly by assumptions that I would go<br />
on to teach. How could I reconcile my love<br />
<strong>of</strong> literary criticism with my desire to be<br />
creative, to be my own person?<br />
Reader, I managed it. I still live in<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>, never having tired <strong>of</strong> its beauty and<br />
its cultural history. I did end up teaching<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
literature, and after publishing my novel,<br />
The Chase, with Bloomsbury, I’ve been<br />
involved in creative writing teaching too.<br />
Three decades ago, there was Arvon and<br />
there was Malcolm Bradbury’s Creative<br />
Writing MA at UEA – but not much else.<br />
Now, literary conferences, festivals and<br />
courses burgeon up and down the land: there<br />
seems to be an incredible hunger in people<br />
for self-expression and for some way <strong>of</strong><br />
validating their desire for self-expression.<br />
You can argue that much <strong>of</strong> it is solipsistic<br />
and unrealistic in its expectations. You can<br />
argue that writing can’t be taught (and I<br />
won’t get into that debate at present!) – but<br />
we are in the midst <strong>of</strong> a revolution in the<br />
publishing world which is part-daunting,<br />
part-exciting. Writers can fi nd their own<br />
way to readers, through social media,<br />
through print on demand, through the<br />
Kindle.<br />
I’ve taught for the Writers’ Conference at<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Winchester and for <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>’s Department for Continuing<br />
Education. Two years ago, I set up fi ctionfi re,<br />
LORNA FERGUSSON<br />
45
FEATURES <strong>MER</strong>TONIANS IN | LITERATURE<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering day courses, mentoring and editing<br />
services. So the skills I gained as a student,<br />
skills <strong>of</strong> analysis and critical reading, have<br />
proved immensely useful when it comes to<br />
helping new writers explore their potential.<br />
I believe in being eclectic, drawing on<br />
whatever example is relevant to illustrate a<br />
point. If I’m drawing a plot-graph, I’ll use<br />
King Lear or Great Expectations. If I want<br />
to show how effective it is to start in medias<br />
res, I’ll use Paradise Lost. But I’m just as<br />
likely to use Stephen King or Lee Child. It’s<br />
a delight to see how people react to texts<br />
from the canon they might well have seen<br />
as unapproachable before. When they hear<br />
Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale, they realise the<br />
art <strong>of</strong> the perfectly-formed short story has<br />
always been with us. A good yarn is a good<br />
yarn, whether it’s medieval or modern.<br />
I intend to develop fi ctionfi re: more<br />
workshops, perhaps e-books and online<br />
courses. All <strong>of</strong> this is immensely fulfi lling.<br />
But one problem continues: how to balance<br />
nurturing the creativity <strong>of</strong> others with<br />
fi nding time for my own writing!<br />
RICHARD LEE (1984)<br />
I love literary societies, and belong to<br />
several. They’re a way <strong>of</strong> bringing likeminded<br />
people together, a way <strong>of</strong> asserting<br />
some solidarity in a world that mostly<br />
seems interested in other stuff. They’re<br />
rarely ‘cosy’. Indeed they’re probably<br />
the quickest way <strong>of</strong> fi nding a like-minded<br />
person who completely disagrees with you.<br />
But that’s part <strong>of</strong> the fun.<br />
Now that’s set to change. Or if not change<br />
exactly, to play itself out on a different,<br />
far bigger stage. Where previously you<br />
published learned journals for the paid-up<br />
few (1,200 in our case), now you can publish<br />
46 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
free-to-view for many times that number –<br />
daily. In the past you were limited by copy<br />
dates, printer and distribution delays. Now<br />
you can publish every day <strong>of</strong> the year: the<br />
news can be new. Typically that news gets<br />
tweeted and re-tweeted, so it also spreads<br />
quickly. And <strong>of</strong> course membership is now<br />
global. If you wake in the night and wander<br />
down to the computer you’ll fi nd scores <strong>of</strong><br />
new messages from different time-zones.<br />
The problems <strong>of</strong> this are as immense<br />
as the opportunity. Nowadays if I write<br />
a review the chances are I not only know<br />
the author, but probably ‘spoke’ with them<br />
recently. Twitter is more intimate than<br />
email; like being in the same room at a<br />
party, you have the opportunity to ignore,<br />
say hello, or make contact – you’ve ‘seen’<br />
them, and they you. This exerts a pressure.<br />
Your review, article, or choice <strong>of</strong> promotion<br />
is intimate now in a way not dissimilar to<br />
the coteries <strong>of</strong> old. Similar pressure comes<br />
from the publishers, agents, publicists –<br />
and implicitly from other writers in the<br />
same area.<br />
So, literary societies today are<br />
interconnected and intimate; and at the same<br />
time, have massive exposure and potential<br />
infl uence. It’s a very exciting time!<br />
MARC MORRIS (1998)<br />
Being a writer is a lonely old business,<br />
so it’s always nice to be asked to come<br />
and give a talk. Once every month or so I<br />
fi nd myself speaking to a school or local<br />
history society about some aspect <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Middle Ages. Also, when a new book<br />
comes out, my diary starts to fi ll up with<br />
literary festivals – usually I’m awarded the<br />
prestigious Tuesday morning slot. These,<br />
too, can be very enjoyable, <strong>of</strong>fering the<br />
chance to spot bona fi de celebrities and<br />
partake <strong>of</strong> their backstage privileges (once I<br />
had a dressing room with light bulbs around<br />
the mirror).<br />
The downside with literary festivals<br />
is the occasional audience member who<br />
attends with the intention <strong>of</strong> picking a fi ght.<br />
My last book, for example, A Great and<br />
Terrible King, was a biography <strong>of</strong> Edward<br />
I, one <strong>of</strong> the most controversial fi gures in<br />
British history, and for some people, the<br />
mere fact <strong>of</strong> my having written it appears to<br />
have made me president <strong>of</strong> his appreciation<br />
society. At one particular provincial festival,<br />
a woman sat in the front row, tutting loudly<br />
throughout, upset because my take on<br />
Scottish history differed substantially from<br />
that <strong>of</strong> Mel Gibson. Did I not realise, she
asked me during the questions, that Edward<br />
I could have picked Robert Bruce to be king<br />
<strong>of</strong> Scotland in 1291, thus avoiding all the<br />
subsequent wars? No amount <strong>of</strong> argument<br />
on my part could persuade her that the<br />
Robert Bruce in question was not in fact the<br />
legendary Scottish patriot, but his namesake<br />
grandfather, a notorious English quisling.<br />
Of course, one tries to be as polite as<br />
possible in such circumstances, though<br />
I sometimes wish I had the gumption to<br />
say “Excuse me, but this is what I do for<br />
a living, day in, day out.” Instead I invite<br />
them to chat about it at the book-signing<br />
afterwards. A sale is a sale, after all.<br />
ROGER GARFITT (1963)<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the pleasures <strong>of</strong> bringing out<br />
a memoir is that old friends reappear<br />
from nowhere. I’ve just had a letter from<br />
Christopher Walker, who was an art student<br />
at the Ruskin when I met him, and for the<br />
last 40 years has been drawing and writing<br />
in Ireland. It was Chris who took us out to<br />
Northmoor when I was starting to write<br />
myself and we didn’t have two pennies to<br />
rub together. Chris had been haymaking for<br />
George Lucas and knew he was living alone<br />
in his old stone farmhouse. Could he let us<br />
have a couple <strong>of</strong> rooms?<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS IN | LITERATURE<br />
“I dunno,” George said, “my house isn’t<br />
really fi tted up for livin’ in.” But we managed<br />
perfectly well, drawing our water from the<br />
cold tap in the bathroom and cooking on<br />
Calor Gas rings. Each morning I would<br />
walk around the fi elds, the uncut hedges so<br />
alive with birds it was like walking in the<br />
margins <strong>of</strong> a medieval manuscript. I would<br />
come back to the oval <strong>of</strong> a gate-legged<br />
table and the unlined pages <strong>of</strong> the artist’s<br />
sketchbook I used for writing because they<br />
gave me a free space where I could try out<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
phrases without them being marshalled into<br />
any order. I had sworn never to accept a line<br />
unless it was better than I thought I could<br />
write and I would work for days before<br />
I found a phrase that had the right tension,<br />
a combination <strong>of</strong> inevitability and surprise.<br />
I would build up from there, fi nding other<br />
phrases that seemed to grow out <strong>of</strong> that<br />
rhythm, to belong to that movement across<br />
the page – just the same scrying <strong>of</strong> silence I<br />
am having to bend to now that the memoir<br />
is out and I’m back to writing poetry.<br />
ROGER GARFITT (SECOND LEFT), HIS WIFE PRISCILLA AND FRIENDS,<br />
ON HIS WEDDING IN 1972, OUTSIDE CHRISTOPHER WALKER’S FARMHOUSE<br />
47
FEATURES <strong>MER</strong>TON CITIES | PARIS<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Cities: Paris<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS HAVE MADE MANY OF THE FINEST<br />
CITIES IN THE WORLD THEIR HOME. TO TAP<br />
INTO THIS PRIVILEGED MINE OF INFORMATION,<br />
POSTMASTER TALKS TO CAROL PEARSON<br />
(2000) TO UN<strong>COVER</strong> THE BEST KEPT SECRETS<br />
OF PARIS.<br />
Where is the best place to eat/drink?<br />
It could take a while to answer this question!<br />
Paris really is a treat for food lovers and<br />
there are so many places to choose from. For<br />
a simple snack, I’d recommend stopping for<br />
a platter <strong>of</strong> cheese and meats and a carafe<br />
48 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>of</strong> good French red at one <strong>of</strong> the brasseries<br />
on the slopes <strong>of</strong> Montmartre, or along the<br />
Seine (La Palette on the Rue de Seine is a<br />
favourite with the locals <strong>of</strong> the St Germain<br />
de Près crowd).<br />
One all-time classic among Parisians and<br />
the expats is the library-styled Le Fumoir,<br />
just behind the Louvre and, if you fancy<br />
trying Corsican, then A Casaluna, hidden<br />
in the backstreets round Palais Royale is<br />
a great fi nd. On a cold winter’s day, try<br />
the eccentric but cosy Le Gros Minet,<br />
in Les Halles area, or Les Galopins near<br />
to Bastille for some very good traditional<br />
French food.<br />
For those not on a limited budget, La<br />
Closerie de Lilas in the 6th arrondissement,<br />
famed for having hosted among others<br />
Stein, Hemingway, and Picasso in the<br />
past, is an excellent choice for some<br />
fabulous bistro food and old-world<br />
Paris ambiance.<br />
If you feel like really splashing out, try<br />
the Sunday brunch at the stunning Hotel<br />
Crillon, a palace originally commissioned<br />
by Louis XV, which overlooks the Place<br />
de la Concorde. Go with an empty<br />
stomach, because the food is copious<br />
and excellent.
What is the best way to spend a morning<br />
in Paris?<br />
Take it easy. Paris is not a city that should<br />
be rushed. Start out with a croissant, c<strong>of</strong>fee<br />
and a newspaper in a café. Then a stroll<br />
through the Luxembourg Gardens, taking<br />
in the Luxembourg Palace and the fountains<br />
is always a great way to start the day. The<br />
gardens are always a bit quieter before<br />
lunchtime.<br />
… an afternoon?<br />
Depending on your frame <strong>of</strong> mind, you<br />
could head to one <strong>of</strong> the many museums<br />
or exhibitions. The Musée d’Orsay, in<br />
the magnifi cent former train station, has<br />
an extensive collection <strong>of</strong> impressionist<br />
and post-impressionist works. The Musée<br />
Picasso, housed in a 17th-century mansion,<br />
is really worth a visit for its collection as<br />
well as for the impressive backdrop. The<br />
Musée Rodin and its gardens are <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
overlooked, but should be on the list if you<br />
have time.<br />
If you want to get a real taste <strong>of</strong> city life,<br />
it’s best to avoid the Champs Élysées, and<br />
instead take a velib’ (the bicycles for hire)<br />
or walk around the different districts <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city. The Marais area (east <strong>of</strong> the Pompidou)<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers some wonderful architecture, and in<br />
the Grand Boulevards area you can discover<br />
the historic galleries and passages from the<br />
18th and 19th centuries and their quirky<br />
boutiques. For more sporting types, take<br />
in some fabulous views and the bridges<br />
rollerblading along the quais <strong>of</strong> the Seine.<br />
Stopping for a macaroon and hot<br />
chocolate at Angelinas on the Rue de<br />
Rivoli, or one <strong>of</strong> the famous Ladurée cafés<br />
is a must. Plan ahead though, as you will<br />
probably have to queue on the weekend.<br />
… an evening?<br />
If you’re looking to keep it simple: drinks<br />
and dinner in a light-hearted ambiance<br />
head over to the lively Rue Montorgueil<br />
area. Café Etienne Marcel does some<br />
great cocktails. The rue Montorgeuil and<br />
perpendicular rue Tiquetone <strong>of</strong>fer some<br />
very good restaurants with a wider variety<br />
<strong>of</strong> cuisine.<br />
To try something a bit different, La<br />
Bellevilloise in the 20th arrondissement is<br />
a bar and restaurant with a stage that <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
hosts eclectic musicians. The Jazz bars<br />
situated near Châtelet, the Duc Du Lombard<br />
or the Sunset Sunrise are two low-key clubs<br />
popular for their good range <strong>of</strong> concerts.<br />
If your French is up to scratch, get tickets<br />
to one <strong>of</strong> the theatres on Rue Caumartin.<br />
Otherwise there is normally something on<br />
at Salle Pleyel and the Opera Houses.<br />
Where is the best view?<br />
While most would head to the Eiffel Tower,<br />
there are several other options to get a good<br />
view with fewer queues and spending less<br />
money. The Montparnasse Tower, one <strong>of</strong><br />
the tallest skyscrapers in France, is a good<br />
choice for those who want an easy trip –<br />
you can go to the bar on the 56th fl oor and<br />
get a drink while taking in the landscape,<br />
great for sunset views <strong>of</strong> the city. If you’re<br />
willing to put in a bit more effort, climbing<br />
the steps up to the very top <strong>of</strong> the Sacre<br />
Coeur is really worth it. Other places to try:<br />
top <strong>of</strong> the Pompidou Centre, the top <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Arc de Triomphe<br />
What is a good day trip from Paris?<br />
Art lovers should defi nitely head to Giverny,<br />
a few hours west <strong>of</strong> Paris, where Monet<br />
spent the fi nal 43 years <strong>of</strong> his life and where<br />
he drew the famous Japanese bridge series.<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON CITIES | PARIS<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
You may be jostling among the masses,<br />
but the gardens are kept in magnifi cent<br />
condition and are still breathtaking.<br />
The Château de Versailles is always a<br />
good option for visiting both the palace<br />
itself as well as its gardens. You can easily<br />
spend a very full day, taking a boat on the<br />
Grand Canal, exploring Marie Antoinette’s<br />
hamlet built in the style <strong>of</strong> a Norman<br />
village, the Groves, the Ballroom and the<br />
Colonnade. Try to book tickets in advance<br />
to avoid queuing.<br />
Alternatively, the lesser-known 14thcentury<br />
Château de Vincennes to the east<br />
<strong>of</strong> the city has been open to the public for<br />
the past few years. Nearby, at the Vincennes<br />
park, you can join the families and couples<br />
boating on the lake.<br />
What is Paris’ best kept secret?<br />
Its parks. Aside from the well-known parks<br />
(the Tuilleries, Luxembourg, Place de<br />
Vosges to name but a few), Paris doesn’t<br />
have a great reputation for its green<br />
spaces. But there are several treasures not<br />
so frequently visited by the tourists where<br />
you’ll fi nd the Parisians congregate in all<br />
seasons, for meeting friends, playing with<br />
their children, reading a book or simply<br />
taking a nap under a tree. The Butte<br />
Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement is<br />
a favourite with the locals, as its unusual<br />
composition, featuring cliffs, a grotto, and<br />
lake with exceptional panoramic views over<br />
Paris make this a popular place for walks<br />
and a picnic.<br />
49
FEATURES HAITI ELECTIONS<br />
2010-11 Haiti Elections<br />
AN ELECTORAL PREPARATION FIELD VISIT TO PORT DE PAIX (GEORGE ZACHARIAH<br />
KNEELING FRONT RIGHT)<br />
On 12th January 2010, an earthquake struck<br />
Haiti, killing approximately 222,000.<br />
This disaster, the worst in the Western<br />
Hemisphere, struck the poorest country <strong>of</strong><br />
the region. The earthquake also brought<br />
increased political uncertainty to Haiti,<br />
a country that had already had repeated<br />
political crises and faced many governance<br />
challenges including corruption and<br />
organised crime.<br />
50 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
The country was to have held<br />
parliamentary elections in February 2010<br />
and presidential elections later in the year.<br />
With the end <strong>of</strong> their mandates on 10th May,<br />
all the members <strong>of</strong> the National Assembly<br />
and one third <strong>of</strong> the Senate gave up their<br />
seats. The elections were to be the second<br />
set since the appointed 2004-06 Interim<br />
Government. Following the earthquake,<br />
many asked whether elections could be<br />
held: as well as destroying infrastructure,<br />
the earthquake killed a third <strong>of</strong> civil<br />
servants.<br />
There are normally three critical areas<br />
to assess when considering elections in<br />
countries experiencing major shocks<br />
(disasters, civil war, etc.): constitutionality<br />
and timing <strong>of</strong> elections; legitimacy and<br />
willingness <strong>of</strong> institutions and parties; and<br />
strength and capacity <strong>of</strong> institutions.<br />
Despite the many challenges, for its<br />
reconstruction, the country needed a new<br />
government with democratic legitimacy and<br />
for its legal and constitutional processes to<br />
be respected. President René Préval asked<br />
the United Nations (UN) and Organisation<br />
<strong>of</strong> American States (OAS) Secretaries<br />
General to advise whether elections could<br />
be held in 2010. Following their favourable<br />
fi ndings, President Préval agreed to hold<br />
presidential and parliamentary elections.<br />
Regarding legitimacy and willingness,<br />
most <strong>of</strong> the opposition parties and candidates<br />
contested the independence and therefore<br />
the legitimacy <strong>of</strong> the government-appointed<br />
Provisional Electoral Council (PEC), which<br />
was responsible for organising the elections.<br />
Their criticism <strong>of</strong> the Government and the<br />
PEC created what the OAS observers later<br />
termed a ‘toxic environment’ prior to the<br />
fi rst round.<br />
On 20th November 2010, citizens voted<br />
without incident in most polling centres.<br />
In a few areas, there were problems and<br />
allegations <strong>of</strong> fraud. At midday, 14 <strong>of</strong> the<br />
19 presidential candidates alleged that there<br />
had been widespread fraud and called for<br />
the elections to be annulled. The following<br />
day, two <strong>of</strong> the 14 (Michel Martelly<br />
and Mirlande Manigat), who believed<br />
themselves to be the front runners, retracted<br />
their demand.
On 7th December, the PEC announced<br />
that presidential candidates Mirlande<br />
Manigat from the opposition and Jude<br />
Celestin from Inite (the President’s party)<br />
had qualifi ed for the run-<strong>of</strong>f election. This<br />
led to three days <strong>of</strong> widespread violent<br />
popular protests, because many believed<br />
that Inite and the PEC had committed fraud<br />
to rob presidential candidate and popular<br />
musician Michel Martelly <strong>of</strong> second place.<br />
The country found itself in a political<br />
crisis. At the same time, a cholera epidemic<br />
broke out in the north <strong>of</strong> the country<br />
which eventually reached Port au Prince,<br />
exacerbating the crisis.<br />
President Préval invited the OAS to<br />
investigate. The OAS reported that all sides<br />
had committed fraud, but, having removed<br />
the fraudulent fi gures from the count,<br />
advised that Manigat and Martelly should<br />
be in the second round. The Government<br />
and PEC did not accept this immediately,<br />
despite united international support for<br />
the OAS fi ndings. The international<br />
community had to play the role <strong>of</strong> a<br />
legitimating body, because the competing<br />
political camps had grievously damaged the<br />
Government and the electoral commission’s<br />
credibility.<br />
Eventually, the PEC adopted the OAS<br />
fi ndings and implemented its suggested<br />
procedural improvements. The second<br />
round on 20th March went smoothly.<br />
Reassured by the international involvement,<br />
the opposition parties and candidates<br />
supported the process, in contrast to the<br />
fi rst round.<br />
When countries need support, they <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
draw upon the assistance <strong>of</strong> organisations<br />
to which they belong to reinforce national<br />
institutions and build their capacity. The UN<br />
stabilisation mission from the Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Peacekeeping Operations and the<br />
UN Development Programme provided<br />
technical, logistical and security assistance<br />
to Haitian institutions and the OAS fi elded<br />
an electoral observation mission. Many<br />
countries provided substantial fi nancial and<br />
technical support.<br />
Despite the rocky process, Haiti<br />
transferred power democratically from one<br />
elected government to another and had its<br />
fi rst ever run-<strong>of</strong>f election for President.<br />
Haitians elected Michel Martelly, <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Peasants’ Response party, as President,<br />
and representatives <strong>of</strong> other parties to<br />
Parliament. Haiti faces many challenges<br />
ahead, but has taken an important step to<br />
consolidate its democratic system. This is<br />
a signifi cant achievement for a country that<br />
suffered a severe tragedy so recently.<br />
George Zachariah (1991)<br />
HAITI ELECTIONS FEATURES<br />
DEVASTATION CAUSED BY THE EARTHQUAKE @ UNICEF SVERIGE<br />
George Zachariah was a UN Political<br />
Affairs Offi cer in Haiti. He now works<br />
in New York for the UN Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Peacekeeping Operations, having spent<br />
the last six years with the UN in Haiti,<br />
the Sudan, and the Democratic Republic<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Congo. The views expressed here<br />
are his own and do not represent the UN’s<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi cial position.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
51
FEATURES FOR GOODNESS SHAKES<br />
For Goodness Shakes<br />
When I left <strong>Merton</strong>, I wanted to learn about<br />
business so I joined L’Oréal, the French<br />
cosmetics and beauty care fi rm. I moved<br />
around between marketing, supply chain<br />
and fi nance and was there for seven years in<br />
total, which was probably about two years<br />
too long. It’d been pretty exciting in the fi rst<br />
few years – learning new things, travelling<br />
a bit and even occasionally meeting models<br />
– but towards the end, things had stagnated<br />
and I was really bored. I remember waking<br />
up thinking “Oh no, not work again”. I<br />
used to look at my fellow passengers on the<br />
tube in London, and so many looked like<br />
unhappy prisoners. I thought that there has<br />
to be more to life than this, so I quit without<br />
another job lined up.<br />
After travelling for a couple <strong>of</strong> months,<br />
I came back to the UK with my future still<br />
undecided. As a pleasant distraction from<br />
the looming question <strong>of</strong> “what next?”, I<br />
spent most <strong>of</strong> my time on sports, having<br />
always been keen on long-distance cycling<br />
and running. In longer races, I found that<br />
the sports nutrition products I used didn’t<br />
quite hit the spot. The only products<br />
available seemed to be marketed towards<br />
bodybuilders, or looked and tasted terrible,<br />
so I consulted with a nutritionist and<br />
developed products for my own use. I was<br />
happy with them, and gave them to friends<br />
who also enjoyed them and started to buy<br />
them <strong>of</strong>f me.<br />
At the time, I was sharing a fl at with an<br />
old colleague from L’Oréal. He was looking<br />
for a change too, so we agreed to set up in<br />
business together. Our objective was to<br />
provide better sports nutrition products<br />
52 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
– products that had proven performance<br />
benefi ts, but also tasted good and were<br />
easy to use. Our fi rst product was the sports<br />
recovery drink ‘For Goodness Shakes’. If<br />
consumed directly after training/racing, it<br />
helps you rehydrate, refuel and rebuild so<br />
that you can train harder tomorrow.<br />
Retail sales <strong>of</strong> the brand are now<br />
£5 million, and we have a team <strong>of</strong> 12. We’re<br />
still very much a small company but are<br />
now certainly a bit further on our journey. It<br />
seems like it was only yesterday we started<br />
up, but so much has happened since. After<br />
my ‘education’ at L’Oréal, I thought this<br />
would be easy. How wrong I was! There<br />
is such a developed infrastructure in a big<br />
company that cushions and protects you.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> our size, we don’t have that<br />
luxury and one <strong>of</strong> our frustrations has been<br />
how hard it is to fi nd good people to help run<br />
the business. Despite the many attractions,<br />
it can be diffi cult to persuade people to<br />
join a smaller business. Negotiating with<br />
your biggest customers feels like a game<br />
<strong>of</strong> chess with particularly high stakes. You<br />
fi nd yourself up against big competitors,<br />
looking for a repeat <strong>of</strong> David vs Goliath. In<br />
a smaller organisation you have much more<br />
responsibility – the buck really does stop<br />
with you. You have your staff, shareholders<br />
and business partners counting on you –<br />
not to mention your wife and child back<br />
at home!<br />
I recall one terrible setback at the<br />
beginning. We had made all our business<br />
plans and were ready to go but the factory<br />
who had agreed to manufacture our products<br />
called us up and said they wanted to meet.<br />
Although they bought us a very nice lunch,<br />
something in their tone made us nervous –<br />
and, sure enough, the champagne wasn’t<br />
to celebrate our new deal. It was a “Sorry<br />
we’re dumping you... it’s not you, it’s us...<br />
we need some space” lunch. I think most <strong>of</strong><br />
us have probably delivered or received that<br />
lunch in different circumstances, but it was<br />
the fi rst time I’d seen it done in business.<br />
We had to go back to the drawing board,<br />
and soon found someone else who could<br />
manufacture for us.<br />
Today I can fi nd myself switching roles<br />
between strategist, accountant, salesman,<br />
scientifi c advisor and legal counsel within<br />
the space <strong>of</strong> one morning. It’s certainly more<br />
varied, challenging and rewarding than<br />
what I did before. I enjoy the adventure, and<br />
have no regrets about leaving the boredom<br />
behind. I’m glad I made the switch to<br />
running my own business as I enjoy being<br />
master <strong>of</strong> my own destiny, and smile at<br />
how unemployable (for anybody else) I’ve<br />
probably become. I’ve learnt far more doing<br />
this than I ever would have done working<br />
for someone else.<br />
I feel immensely proud when I see our<br />
products being used. I’ve followed people<br />
round the supermarket when I’ve seen them<br />
put our products in their trolley. I’m always<br />
surprised and touched when people write to<br />
us to tell us how important our products are<br />
to them. I wouldn’t say everything has gone<br />
smoothly, or to plan, but we appear to be<br />
creating something <strong>of</strong> value. For Goodness<br />
Shakes is already the UK’s number one<br />
sports recovery brand, and we have a new<br />
range <strong>of</strong> products to bring to the market<br />
later this year.<br />
Stuart Jeffreys (1990)
WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP 2010<br />
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010<br />
For Mother’s Day 2009 I was handed a<br />
permission slip from my husband and two<br />
boys. With my two broken hands I could<br />
just about hold the slip and read “This<br />
permission slip gives you all the support<br />
you need to compete in the 2010 Rugby<br />
World Cup, including time away from us<br />
and all the babysitting you need”. This<br />
probably sounds strange to other people but<br />
for me it was the best present I could have.<br />
I came to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1996 as an exchange<br />
student from Uppsala <strong>University</strong>, Sweden,<br />
which led to a DPhil at the Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Biochemistry 1997-2001. During my<br />
time at <strong>Merton</strong> I gained four rugby Blues,<br />
including one as Blues’ Captain. We won all<br />
our Varsity matches and also won the BUSA<br />
fi nal at Twickenham 1999. The research<br />
at <strong>Oxford</strong> was fun and went well but in<br />
my spare time I really lived for rugby. In<br />
1998, as a fairly inexperienced fl y-half, I<br />
represented Sweden in my fi rst World Cup<br />
– an incredible experience, but was it one<br />
that I would have again?<br />
The road back was not straightforward.<br />
Sweden was left out <strong>of</strong> the World Cup<br />
for 12 years because <strong>of</strong> our international<br />
ranking. In 2009, however, a qualifi cation<br />
system was put in place for emerging rugby<br />
nations. The 2009 European Championship<br />
was the fi nal qualifying tournament,<br />
scheduled that year to take place in<br />
Stockholm. Victory over Spain, Italy and<br />
Germany was required – a real challenge, as<br />
Spain and Italy, in particular, have women’s<br />
rugby traditions strong enough to see them<br />
seriously challenge the more traditional<br />
‘Home Nations’.<br />
So at 36 years <strong>of</strong> age, married with two<br />
children, I was now captain <strong>of</strong> Sweden<br />
and was about to experience a week I will<br />
never forget. Italy went down fi rst – an<br />
incredibly high work rate and the gods <strong>of</strong><br />
rugby smiling on our ‘dummy-switch-miss’<br />
move in the last minute saw us snatch the<br />
game. Spain next in Game 2. We played<br />
smart and hard, aiming to stay in their half<br />
<strong>of</strong> the pitch. The game was extremely tight<br />
and with two minutes left I kicked for our<br />
winger to chase down a ball. The defender<br />
made a mistake and we scythed through for<br />
a try that won us the game, putting us out <strong>of</strong><br />
reach <strong>of</strong> Germany. After 12 years, we were<br />
returning to the World Cup 2010. When the<br />
fi nal whistle blew, the loudspeakers were<br />
blasting out our theme song for the week:<br />
‘Fairytale’ (Eurovision song contest winner<br />
that year). A fairytale end to the game, and<br />
a magic moment that I relive every time I<br />
hear the song.<br />
The week <strong>of</strong> the qualifi ers, however, didn’t<br />
end as sweet. Only a few minutes into Game<br />
3 against Germany I broke and dislocated<br />
the thumb <strong>of</strong> my right hand. Having already<br />
broken a bone in my left hand against Italy<br />
ULRIKA REPRESENTING HER<br />
CLUB SIDE IN GOTHENBURG<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
I was now sitting in hospital with two<br />
broken hands. My poor husband James<br />
(Hall, Wolfson 1993-96, <strong>Merton</strong> 1996-99)<br />
is incredibly supportive with my rugby and<br />
I would not have been able to do all the<br />
training needed and play all those games<br />
without the sacrifi ces he has made. But<br />
meeting me after my hospital visit with<br />
both hands bandaged, even his patience was<br />
stretched. Anyone who has ever taken care<br />
<strong>of</strong> two small children can probably imagine<br />
how good I would be at the job with two<br />
broken hands. This is why the permission<br />
slip a few weeks later from my three boys<br />
was worth more than any diamond.<br />
The 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup<br />
in England was a dream. The whole<br />
tournament was very pr<strong>of</strong>essional and well<br />
organised. The rugby was fantastic. A world<br />
apart from 12 years earlier when we had<br />
last been to a world cup. We had worked<br />
very hard to get to the World Cup and we<br />
had worked even harder preparing for it.<br />
We did play some <strong>of</strong> our best rugby ever<br />
(coming close to an upset defeat <strong>of</strong> France),<br />
but it wasn’t enough and the other results<br />
didn’t go our way. It was a great experience<br />
for us individually and for Swedish rugby,<br />
and most <strong>of</strong> all it was great to see how much<br />
women’s rugby has developed and how<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional it has become.<br />
I retired as promised from International<br />
Rugby 15s after the World Cup. However,<br />
I still need to speak to James about the 2016<br />
Olympics (Rugby 7s has just been made an<br />
Olympic Sport). Wish me luck in getting<br />
another permission slip.<br />
Ulrika Andersson-Hall (1997)<br />
53
FEATURES AWARDS OF THE VICTORIA CROSS<br />
Awards <strong>of</strong> the Victoria Cross<br />
Carrying out some gentle research on the<br />
history <strong>of</strong> the Victoria Cross for a talk to<br />
be given to the Heritage Group <strong>of</strong> our local<br />
branch <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Third Age<br />
(U3A), I visited the new Ashcr<strong>of</strong>t Gallery<br />
on the fourth fl oor <strong>of</strong> the Imperial War<br />
Museum. There one can fi nd, beautifully<br />
arranged, an impressive display <strong>of</strong> Victoria<br />
and George Crosses from the collections <strong>of</strong><br />
the Ashcr<strong>of</strong>t Trust and that <strong>of</strong> the Museum<br />
itself. Complementing the display is a<br />
book entitled Extraordinary Heroes, which<br />
describes the feats <strong>of</strong> bravery that led to the<br />
awards made to 80 <strong>of</strong> the recipients.<br />
Two <strong>of</strong> that number were <strong>Merton</strong> men:<br />
John Randle and Leonard Cheshire. Both<br />
were born in 1917 and they knew each<br />
54 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
other as contemporaries and friends as they<br />
pursued their studies at <strong>Merton</strong> immediately<br />
before the war, but their paths diverged once<br />
war broke out.<br />
‘Jack’ Randle became an infantryman,<br />
commissioned into the Royal Norfolk<br />
Regiment, and was awarded the Victoria<br />
Cross in May 1944 for several outstanding<br />
acts <strong>of</strong> courage in the course <strong>of</strong> closequarters<br />
fi ghting with the Japanese in<br />
Burma. In the end, he sacrifi ced his own life<br />
to minimise casualties among his men and<br />
the award <strong>of</strong> his VC was posthumous. He<br />
is regarded by many as having been among<br />
the bravest <strong>of</strong> the brave and it is recorded<br />
that Leonard Cheshire wept on receiving<br />
news <strong>of</strong> his death.<br />
Cheshire himself, having been a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> Air Squadron when at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>, joined the RAF with a permanent<br />
commission in June 1939. He became a<br />
legend in Bomber Command, fl ying over<br />
100 missions, and being decorated with the<br />
DSO and two bars and the DFC. At one time<br />
he commanded the famous Dambusters<br />
squadron but is best remembered as a<br />
pioneer <strong>of</strong> the pathfi nders’ strategy. It is<br />
not surprising that his award <strong>of</strong> the Victoria<br />
Cross was made on the basis <strong>of</strong> a period <strong>of</strong><br />
consistent gallantry rather than for a single<br />
act <strong>of</strong> bravery.<br />
Somewhere within the 150 years <strong>of</strong> the<br />
existence <strong>of</strong> the Victoria Cross, there may<br />
be other <strong>Merton</strong> names: it would be good<br />
to know.<br />
Alastair Porter (1949)
<strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | LOST <strong>MER</strong>TON 8<br />
Lost, Little Known and Unbuilt <strong>Merton</strong> 8<br />
The restorations <strong>of</strong> Edward Blore, 1835-44 and William Butterfi eld, 1848-64<br />
On 25 April 1835, according to the <strong>College</strong><br />
Register, the Bursar was instructed ‘to see<br />
Mr Blore with reference to a plan for the<br />
restoration <strong>of</strong> the Front <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>’.<br />
Edward Blore (1787-1879) had come to<br />
prominence as an antiquarian artist and<br />
architect when, in 1816, he had produced<br />
plans for enlarging Abbotsford for Sir Walter<br />
Scott (Plate 1). The latter had found Blore<br />
‘a very fi ne young man, modest, simple<br />
and unaffected in his manners, as well as a<br />
most capital artist’. 1 Blore was later to work<br />
at Peterborough, Ripon, Norwich and Ely<br />
cathedrals, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle<br />
and Buckingham Palace. He was surveyor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Westminster Abbey from 1827 to 1849.<br />
Plate 1<br />
Edward Blore, 1868, by George Koberwein.<br />
On 1 February, 1838, the <strong>College</strong> further<br />
resolved that ‘Mr Plowman be directed<br />
to re-front with Bath stone the tower and<br />
gateway towards the street according to an<br />
estimate furnished by him and the plans and<br />
drawings <strong>of</strong> Mr Blower (sic)’ 2 (Plate 2).<br />
Happily, the Register sometimes also<br />
records some more fl eeting <strong>College</strong> affairs.<br />
In 1840, for example, it was resolved “in<br />
celebration <strong>of</strong> HM’s marriage (Queen<br />
Victoria to Prince Albert) all the resident<br />
members and the servants be entertained at<br />
the expense <strong>of</strong> the college”.<br />
Evidently satisfi ed with his work on the<br />
Front <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>, it was resolved on 7<br />
June 1843 that “Mr Blore be directed to<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
prepare forthwith the detailed drawings and<br />
estimates <strong>of</strong> the works . . . he proposes to<br />
undertake in the Ante-Chapel . . . also other<br />
works in the Chapel he would recommend”<br />
(Plates 3a-d). While engaged in designing<br />
the major parts <strong>of</strong> the proposed restoration,<br />
Blore found time to make sketches <strong>of</strong><br />
details <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the mediaeval fabric. He<br />
drew some <strong>of</strong> the grotesques on the exterior<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Chapel and more importantly the<br />
discarded stalls <strong>of</strong> Warden FitzJames <strong>of</strong><br />
the 1490s. These were to disappear shortly<br />
afterwards 3 (Plates 4 and 5). Although<br />
Blore’s proposals for the Ante-Chapel,<br />
which involved the removal <strong>of</strong> the tower<br />
ceiling to reveal the fi ne wooden vault<br />
Plate 2 Restoration <strong>of</strong> the north front, Edward Blore, 1838. Watercolour by J M W Turner (Tate Gallery).<br />
55
FEATURES <strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | LOST <strong>MER</strong>TON 8<br />
a.<br />
above, the construction <strong>of</strong> the bell ringers’<br />
gallery, supported by four fan vaults, were<br />
all executed, his plans for re-ro<strong>of</strong>i ng the<br />
chapel, a new screen and reredos were not.<br />
Why was this so?<br />
In 1833, Tractarianism, the <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
Movement, had been launched with John<br />
Keble’s Assize Sermon in the <strong>University</strong><br />
Church <strong>of</strong> St Mary the Virgin. Although<br />
originally centred on Oriel <strong>College</strong>, <strong>Merton</strong><br />
was to be much infl uenced by this High<br />
Church Movement. John Henry Newman,<br />
later a Cardinal, was Vice Principal <strong>of</strong> St<br />
Alban Hall (1825) and Henry Manning,<br />
also later a Cardinal, was a fellow <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Merton</strong> (1832-3). In The Seven Lamps<br />
<strong>of</strong> Architecture (1849), John Ruskin<br />
had pronounced Perpendicular Gothic<br />
56 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
b.<br />
Plate 3 Designs, 1843, for: a. the Ante-Chapel; b. and c. the Chapel; d. Screens with alternatives.<br />
Only a. was implemented.<br />
d.<br />
c.
‘detestable’ and ‘early Decorated the safest<br />
choice’ for tasteful construction. Rather<br />
later, in 1879, Sir George Gilbert Scott,<br />
who was later to work at <strong>Merton</strong>, declared<br />
he had ‘from a very careful consideration<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ancient churches <strong>of</strong> Germany, France<br />
and England, been led to fi x the period<br />
1270-1300 as the period at which the most<br />
perfect ecclesiastical architecture is to be<br />
found. 4 <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> Chapel, built 1290-<br />
94, is thus at the heart <strong>of</strong> this brief peak<br />
period <strong>of</strong> perfection! Although doctrinally<br />
Tractarianism was centred on <strong>Oxford</strong>,<br />
the practical architecture required for the<br />
implementation <strong>of</strong> the return <strong>of</strong> the church<br />
to pre-Reformation practices, was led by the<br />
Camden, later the Ecclesiological Society,<br />
at Cambridge. In 1844, their journal, the<br />
Ecclesiologist, thundered that Edward<br />
Blore was ‘entirely unacquainted with the<br />
true spirit <strong>of</strong> Pointed Architecture (and<br />
is) manifestly unfi t for the charge <strong>of</strong> any<br />
works at Westminster (Abbey)’. Clearly<br />
late Decorated/Perpendicular Gothic was<br />
becoming beyond the pale.<br />
The <strong>College</strong> dealt with the matter<br />
summarily on 29 May 1844. It resolved that<br />
‘Mr Blore’s charges £145.16 be paid, also<br />
for his plans for the alteration <strong>of</strong> the Chapel.<br />
Further consideration <strong>of</strong> the improvement<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Chapel be postponed for the present;<br />
£257 be paid to Messrs Locking and<br />
Nesham for work on transepts and tower;<br />
£5.5 to Mr Blore for recent survey <strong>of</strong> the<br />
works in Chapel be paid’. Then, after a<br />
decent period for refl ection, on 26 October<br />
1848 the <strong>College</strong> decided: ‘that William<br />
Butterfi eld be invited to visit the <strong>College</strong><br />
with a view to giving his advice as to the<br />
restoration <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> Chapel’.<br />
Sir Gilbert Scott was to describe<br />
Butterfi eld as ‘the architect <strong>of</strong> the High<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | LOST <strong>MER</strong>TON 8<br />
Church party’. Edward Blore’s days at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> were done but his pleasing Ante-<br />
Chapel ro<strong>of</strong> and his attractive north front <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>College</strong> splendidly remain today.<br />
Notes:<br />
1 DNB, 2004.<br />
2 This is evidently a somewhat ‘plummy’ version <strong>of</strong> ‘Blore’!<br />
See The <strong>Merton</strong> Gatehouse, Alan Bott, Postmaster 2000,<br />
50-55.<br />
3 The only other known drawing <strong>of</strong> these stalls was made<br />
by J C Buckler in 1824. (British Library Additional MS<br />
36376). Copies <strong>of</strong> all his <strong>Merton</strong> drawings are in the<br />
<strong>College</strong> Library.<br />
4 G G Scott, Personal and Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Recollections,<br />
1879, 124.<br />
Note: All the drawings by Edward Blore (with the<br />
exception <strong>of</strong> Plate 3d, which is in the <strong>College</strong> Archives)<br />
are deposited in British Library Additional MSS 42027<br />
ff. 8-11 and 36374 ff 72, and 125 b. Copies <strong>of</strong> all these are<br />
now placed in the <strong>College</strong> Archives, where other original<br />
drawings and plans by Blore are already deposited.<br />
Alan Bott (1953), Bodley Fellow<br />
Plate 4 Sketch <strong>of</strong> grotesques, numbered 1 - 15<br />
north transept and 1 - 11 south transept.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
Plate 5 Sketch <strong>of</strong> stalls <strong>of</strong> Warden FitzJames,<br />
c.1490, in the Ante-Chapel, 1843.<br />
57
FEATURES <strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | ROBERT GILBERT, WARDEN OF <strong>MER</strong>TON 1417-21<br />
Robert Gilbert, Warden <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> 1417-21<br />
Pictorial representations are known for<br />
only six <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>’s 20 medieval Wardens,<br />
namely Mr Peter Abingdon (Warden 1264-<br />
86), John Bloxham (1275-87), Robert<br />
Gilbert (1417-21), Henry Sever (1456-<br />
71) Richard Fitzjames (1483-1507), and<br />
John Chambers (1525-44). Four Wardens<br />
appear on items belonging to the <strong>College</strong>:<br />
Abingdon on a seal, Bloxham and Fitzjames<br />
on manuscripts, and Sever on a brass in<br />
the chapel. 1 Chambers can be seen in the<br />
magnifi cent portrait <strong>of</strong> Henry VIII and<br />
the Barber-Surgeons by Hans Holbein the<br />
Younger (1541), at the Royal <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
58 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Surgeons in London. 2 Gilbert’s portrait,<br />
however, is in the unexpected location <strong>of</strong> an<br />
obscure <strong>Oxford</strong>shire country church. How<br />
is this to be explained?<br />
The answer lies in the conjunction <strong>of</strong><br />
a successful late-medieval clerical career<br />
with probably a local initiative in church<br />
building. Robert Gilbert was born in the<br />
early 1380s and came to <strong>Merton</strong> as a Fellow<br />
in 1398, almost certainly to work for an MA<br />
with the <strong>College</strong>’s fi nancial support. 3 He<br />
had presumably studied for his BA in one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>’s 120 or so academic halls. 4 Gilbert’s<br />
election was a considerable achievement as<br />
HORLEY CHURCH, SHOWING THE NORTH AISLE WHICH WAS REBUILT IN THE EARLY 15TH CENTURY<br />
there were only seven secular colleges and<br />
correspondingly few fellowships. He left<br />
in 1402, but soon returned to <strong>Oxford</strong> and<br />
for two years rented a room at Exeter<br />
<strong>College</strong> while he taught in the <strong>University</strong><br />
and studied theology. He was ordained<br />
priest in 1403, and was awarded a doctorate<br />
in theology by 1413.<br />
At this time the English Church,<br />
especially the Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Canterbury<br />
Thomas Arundel, was concerned about<br />
the continuing infl uence in <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
the philosopher and heretical theologian<br />
John Wyclif, a former Fellow <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>
and Master <strong>of</strong> Balliol. Wyclif had died in<br />
1384 having repudiated the authority <strong>of</strong><br />
the Pope and the clerical hierarchy, denied<br />
fundamental Catholic doctrines such as<br />
transubstantiation and purgatory, and having<br />
advocated disendowment <strong>of</strong> the Church. 5<br />
In the early 14th century there were still<br />
Masters in <strong>Oxford</strong>, including some Fellows<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>, who were impressed by Wyclif’s<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | ROBERT GILBERT, WARDEN OF <strong>MER</strong>TON 1417-21<br />
DETAIL OF PORTRAIT OF ROBERT GILBERT<br />
logic and sometimes sympathetic to his<br />
theological ideas. 6<br />
Gilbert was clearly a leading opponent <strong>of</strong><br />
Wycliffi sm and benefi ted accordingly.<br />
Around 1409 he was appointed to a<br />
<strong>University</strong> committee to examine works by<br />
Wyclif and list his errors, a task that led<br />
eventually to a visitation <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> by<br />
Archbishop Arundel in 1411. In 1414, after<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
MASTER ROBERT GILBERT,<br />
PROBABLY 1420S,<br />
IN HORLEY CHURCH, OXFORDSHIRE<br />
Lollards (followers <strong>of</strong> Wyclif) led by Sir<br />
John Oldcastle had attempted to assassinate<br />
King Henry V, Gilbert was one <strong>of</strong> two<br />
commissaries (deputies) appointed by the<br />
Bishop <strong>of</strong> Lincoln to make another visitation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong>. In 1417 Robert<br />
Gilbert moved onto an international stage<br />
when he attended the Council <strong>of</strong> Constance.<br />
Convened in 1414 to end the ‘great schism’<br />
in the Western Church, the Council had so<br />
far brought about the removal <strong>of</strong> two <strong>of</strong><br />
three rival popes. It was also concerned with<br />
combating Wycliffi te heresy; it is possible<br />
that Gilbert became a delegate because <strong>of</strong><br />
his experience in this fi eld.<br />
In the late Middle Ages, promising<br />
graduate clergy and theologians were<br />
routinely supported and rewarded with<br />
important church posts (usually served by<br />
deputies) and with benefi ces, mostly ones<br />
59
FEATURES <strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | ROBERT GILBERT, WARDEN OF <strong>MER</strong>TON 1417-21<br />
that lacked ‘cure <strong>of</strong> souls’. As a rising<br />
talent, Robert Gilbert attracted numerous<br />
such rewards. His departure from <strong>Merton</strong><br />
in 1402 occurred because he had been<br />
presented to a rectory (in Cheshire), a<br />
position incompatible with his fellowship.<br />
In 1411 he was appointed Precentor <strong>of</strong><br />
Lincoln Cathedral. And by 1417 he had<br />
attracted the support <strong>of</strong> both Henry V and<br />
Arundel’s successor as archbishop, Henry<br />
Chichele. Gilbert was appointed Dean <strong>of</strong><br />
the Chapel Royal in 1416 or 1417; and in<br />
1417, while he was at Constance, he was<br />
selected by Chichele, who had the fi nal<br />
choice, as Warden <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>. Gilbert<br />
was about 35 years old. Later in 1417 he<br />
accompanied Henry V to Normandy as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the royal household. 7<br />
In 1420, while still Warden, Robert<br />
Gilbert received more yet benefi ces, from<br />
the Bishop <strong>of</strong> Lincoln. He exchanged the<br />
precentorship <strong>of</strong> Lincoln Cathedral for<br />
a prebendal estate (estate attached to a<br />
cathedral canonry) in Huntingdonshire,<br />
only to relinquish it soon afterwards for<br />
another prebendal estate that had become<br />
available by the death <strong>of</strong> its holder. The<br />
second estate was that <strong>of</strong> Sutton-cum-<br />
Buckingham. 8 Its assets included the rectory<br />
estate associated with King’s Sutton church<br />
in Northamptonshire, about three miles<br />
south-east <strong>of</strong> Banbury in <strong>Oxford</strong>shire, and<br />
an associated manor and great tithes (e.g.<br />
corn, hay) at Horley and Hornton, villages<br />
respectively three and four miles northwest<br />
<strong>of</strong> Banbury. 9 There were also chapels<br />
at Horley and Hornton, which were served<br />
by a curate appointed by the vicar <strong>of</strong> King’s<br />
Sutton. It was at Horley chapel that Gilbert<br />
was to leave a memorial.<br />
In 1420 Horley ‘chapel’ was a large<br />
church built <strong>of</strong> golden Hornton stone. 10<br />
60 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Dedicated to the 7th-century saint<br />
Etheldreda, it consisted <strong>of</strong> a long chancel, a<br />
spacious nave with tall arcades, aisles, and<br />
a western tower. Early in the 15th century<br />
the north wall <strong>of</strong> the north aisle was rebuilt.<br />
The reason for this is unclear, though it was<br />
perhaps required for structural reasons.<br />
The rebuilding included new up-to-date<br />
windows and stained glass. Sections <strong>of</strong> the<br />
original glass survive in the heads <strong>of</strong> two<br />
windows. 11 One shows Henry Rumworth, a<br />
former Fellow <strong>of</strong> The Queen’s <strong>College</strong> and<br />
holder <strong>of</strong> the prebendal estate from 1412 to<br />
1420, who is described as Archdeacon <strong>of</strong><br />
Canterbury. The other, in a different style,<br />
shows Robert Gilbert. He wears a ruby robe,<br />
blue mantle, and black doctor’s ‘pileus’ (felt<br />
hat). Behind him is the inscription ‘Magister<br />
Roberus Gylbard’ (sic). Rumworth’s portrait<br />
probably dates from 1416 to 1420, when he<br />
served as archdeacon, and Gilbert’s portrait<br />
possibly dates from 1420 to 1426, before<br />
he became Dean <strong>of</strong> York in the latter year. 12<br />
It seems likely that Rumworth and Gilbert<br />
were commemorated in Horley chapel<br />
because as estate-holders they contributed<br />
to the rebuilding and glazing <strong>of</strong> the north<br />
aisle wall.<br />
Robert Gilbert resigned as Warden <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Merton</strong> in 1421 and continued his career<br />
in the Church. He suffered a setback in<br />
1432 when he was replaced as Dean <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Chapel Royal on the initiative <strong>of</strong> Humphrey,<br />
Duke <strong>of</strong> Gloucester. But in 1436, thanks<br />
to support from Cardinal Henry Beaufort,<br />
he was appointed Bishop <strong>of</strong> London.<br />
Gilbert worked conscientiously in his<br />
diocese and attended Parliament regularly,<br />
though he never achieved a prominent<br />
position in national public life. His work<br />
as bishop refl ected the more positive side<br />
<strong>of</strong> his character. As an opponent <strong>of</strong> Wyclif<br />
and recipient <strong>of</strong> ecclesiastical posts and<br />
benefi ces, Gilbert supported the structure<br />
and workings <strong>of</strong> the late medieval Church;<br />
and back in 1417, while Warden <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>,<br />
Gilbert had defended the practice <strong>of</strong><br />
awarding benefi ces to university graduates<br />
at a meeting <strong>of</strong> the Southern Convocation<br />
(Church assembly). But as a bishop in the<br />
Church led by Henry Chichele he appears<br />
to have supported the archbishop’s desire to<br />
have ‘an active pastoral clergy’, including<br />
able graduates who would propagate correct<br />
doctrine through preaching. 13<br />
Robert Gilbert died in 1448 and was<br />
buried in St Paul’s Cathedral. His tomb no<br />
longer survives, but his image remains clear<br />
and bright in the quiet provincial village <strong>of</strong><br />
Horley, deep in north <strong>Oxford</strong>shire.<br />
JRL Highfi eld (1948)<br />
RB Peberdy (1975)<br />
1 G.H. Martin and J.R.L. Highfi eld, A History <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong> (1997), Plates 1(b), 8, 12, II.<br />
2 The painting is a preparatory ‘cartoon’. Inf. from website <strong>of</strong><br />
the Royal <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surgeons (June 2011).<br />
3 Unless noted otherwise, biographical information is based<br />
on ‘Gilbert, Robert’ by Irene Zadnik in <strong>Oxford</strong> Dictionary <strong>of</strong><br />
National Biography (accessed online). See also Martin and<br />
Highfi eld, History <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>, p. 120.<br />
4 For a summary see ‘Academic Halls’ in C. Hibbert and E.<br />
Hibbert (eds.), The Encyclopaedia <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> (1988), pp. 3-6.<br />
5 For a summary <strong>of</strong> Wyclif’s theology see R. Rex, The<br />
Lollards (2002), chap. 2.<br />
6 Remainder <strong>of</strong> para. based on J.I. Catto, ‘Wyclif and<br />
Wycliffi sm at <strong>Oxford</strong> 1356–1430’ in idem. and T.A.R. Evans<br />
(eds.), The History <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>, vol. 2, Late<br />
Medieval <strong>Oxford</strong> (1992), esp. pp. 225-54.<br />
7 A.B. Emden (ed.), Biographical Register <strong>of</strong> the Members <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> to 1500, vol. 2 (1958), p. 767.<br />
8 J. Le Neve, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, 1300–1541, vol.<br />
1, Lincoln Diocese (accessed via ‘British History Online’<br />
website).<br />
9 Remainder <strong>of</strong> para. based on Victoria County History <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>shire, vol. 9, pp. 127, 132.<br />
10 Ibid., pp. 134-35.<br />
11 Description <strong>of</strong> glass based on Peter A. Newton, The County<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>: A Catalogue <strong>of</strong> Medieval Stained Glass (Corpus<br />
Vitrearum Medii Aevi, vol. 1, 1979), pp. 113-15.<br />
12 It is possible that Gilbert’s portrait dates from slightly later,<br />
but must have been inserted by 1436; Newton, County <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>, p. 114.<br />
13 cf. Catto, ‘Wyclif and Wycliffi sm’, pp. 253 (including<br />
quotation), 259.
On 20th December 1886, Lord Randolph<br />
Churchill (<strong>Merton</strong>, 1867) wrote from<br />
Windsor Castle a letter to the Prime<br />
Minister, Lord Salisbury, threatening his<br />
resignation. Churchill was then Chancellor<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Exchequer and somewhat<br />
uncharacteristically had proposed some<br />
unpopular economies, especially on<br />
naval and military expenditure. Churchill<br />
evidently had expected to win his way<br />
by this stratagem but Salisbury called<br />
his bluff and replaced him as Chancellor<br />
with GJ Goschen, a fi nancier <strong>of</strong><br />
European repute. Somewhat ruefully,<br />
Churchill later wrote “All great men<br />
make mistakes; Napoleon forgot Blucher;<br />
I forgot Goschen.” Max Beerbohm<br />
(<strong>Merton</strong>, 1890) mischievously later noted<br />
that Goschen was chiefl y remembered for<br />
having been forgotten by Lord Randolph<br />
Churchill. To be just, however, it may also<br />
be recalled that Viscount Goschen was to<br />
become Chancellor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
in 1903.<br />
I acquired Max’s ‘Mr GJ Goschen’<br />
about 25 years ago. I have just acquired<br />
F C Gould’s ‘Lord Randolph Churchill<br />
on the Benches’, which seems perfectly<br />
to catch the bemused and tragic mood <strong>of</strong><br />
December 1886. Having been, at 37 years<br />
old, the youngest Chancellor since Pitt<br />
the Younger, Randolph Churchill never<br />
returned to such public prominence and<br />
died nine years later.<br />
Randolph Churchill had rooms as<br />
an undergraduate in the 1860s on the<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON HISTORY | LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FEATURES<br />
Lord Randolph Churchill, Viscount Goschen<br />
and Sir Max Beerbohm<br />
‘Lord Randolph Churchill on the Benches’, Truth, December 1886, by Sir Francis Carruthers Gould.<br />
south side <strong>of</strong> Mob Quad, below the Old<br />
Library. These were to be occupied in<br />
the 1890s by Max Beerbohm. In a letter<br />
to Pr<strong>of</strong>essor HW Garrod <strong>of</strong> 28th October<br />
1952, Max enquired “whether a narrow<br />
side desk on which ‘Randolph S Churchill’<br />
was untidily but deeply incised, is still<br />
there”. Regrettably it is not. In 1942, the<br />
<strong>College</strong> had elected Winston, the elder<br />
son <strong>of</strong> Lord Randolph Churchill, as an<br />
Honorary Fellow.<br />
Alan Bott (1953)<br />
Bodley Fellow<br />
‘Mr G J Goschen’, c.1890, by Sir Max Beerbohm.<br />
61
BOOK REVIEWS DOWDING & CHURCHILL | JACK DIXON<br />
DOWDING & CHURCHILL: THE DARK<br />
SIDE OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN<br />
BY JACK DIXON<br />
(PEN & SWORD MILITARY, 2008)<br />
In November 1940 the Air Ministry<br />
summarily removed Dowding from his<br />
command. Seventy years on, Jack Dixon<br />
still bitterly resents this injustice. He loathes<br />
the superior attitude <strong>of</strong> the Air Ministry<br />
towards Fighter Command. His book is one<br />
great roar against the wickedness <strong>of</strong> it all.<br />
Neutral he is not. Let’s take one sentence<br />
at random: “Lifted above compunction<br />
by the vision <strong>of</strong> calamity impending, the<br />
iconoclast <strong>of</strong> Bentley Park (Dowding)<br />
demolished, with what sometimes seemed<br />
unholy glee, the heirophants <strong>of</strong> Whitehall<br />
62 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
used the pious evasion to cloak <strong>of</strong>fi cial<br />
reluctance to surrender to Dowding’s logic.”<br />
There are legions <strong>of</strong> tangy adjectives,<br />
partisan adverbs and judgmental nouns<br />
rioting through the text.<br />
This makes for a rollicking good read<br />
but the key question is: ‘Is Dixon’s anger<br />
justifi ed?’ The evidence suggests that it is.<br />
The battle <strong>of</strong> Britain was one <strong>of</strong> the key<br />
engagements <strong>of</strong> the Second World War.<br />
German victory in the battle would have<br />
forever ruled out the chance <strong>of</strong> an attack on<br />
the Reich from the west and, presumably,<br />
given the Reich access to the resources<br />
<strong>of</strong> the British Empire. German errors<br />
contributed to the Luftwaffe’s defeat but so<br />
too did actions taken by Britain.<br />
Three <strong>of</strong> these factors are directly<br />
associated with Dowding. The fi rst was<br />
one <strong>of</strong> strategic imagination. Dowding<br />
recognised that what Baldwin had said was<br />
not necessarily true. It did not have to be<br />
the case that: “the bomber will always get<br />
through”. Air power had a defensive as well<br />
as an attack role. With Britain on the back<br />
foot in 1940 it was this defensive function<br />
that was indispensible.<br />
The second was a development <strong>of</strong> the fi rst.<br />
In the years immediately before the war<br />
Dowding backed research and development<br />
<strong>of</strong> radar. The string <strong>of</strong> radar stations gave<br />
the RAF a key intelligence advantage over<br />
the Luftwaffe, to quote Wing Commander<br />
Max Aitken: “Radar really won the Battle<br />
<strong>of</strong> Britain...We wasted no petrol, no energy,<br />
no time.”<br />
Thirdly, Dowding followed his logic<br />
through. He refused to commit further<br />
planes to France. The RAF were <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
losing as many as 25 Hurricanes a day<br />
when factories were producing only four<br />
or fi ve. Dowding’s refusal was backed by a<br />
threat to resign. Given Churchill’s romantic<br />
but wasteful commitment <strong>of</strong> troops to<br />
the defence <strong>of</strong> Brittany after Dunkirk<br />
fell, Dowding’s threat was most prudent.<br />
Dowding told Halifax that when he heard<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Fall <strong>of</strong> France: “I went onto my knees<br />
and thanked God.”<br />
The evidence in Dowding’s favour is<br />
compelling. Whenever there is a giant<br />
brought down by lesser men we will fi nd<br />
plots, jealousies, insecurities and puddingheaded<br />
bureaucracy. Dixon chronicles<br />
these as he sees them, though inevitably<br />
his mapping <strong>of</strong> the detail is less cogent<br />
than the central and undeniable case for<br />
Dowding’s defence. Such defenestrations<br />
are more likely to be the effect <strong>of</strong> a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> random actions, petty grudges and backstabbings<br />
that than <strong>of</strong> a single, co-ordinated<br />
conspiracy.<br />
Altogether it is energising to have such<br />
a spirited defence <strong>of</strong> so distinguished<br />
a warrior. Dixon rightly characterises<br />
Dowding’s gaze as “penetrating and<br />
whole”. He builds his defence on the fact<br />
that Dowding recognised, both before and<br />
during the confl ict, the sine qua non <strong>of</strong><br />
maintaining the security <strong>of</strong> the base, the<br />
inviolability <strong>of</strong> Britain.<br />
Peter Truesdale (1976)
MEMOIRS OF A DERVISH:<br />
SUFIS, MYSTICS AND THE SIXTIES<br />
BY ROBERT IRWIN<br />
(PROFILE BOOKS, 2011)<br />
There was always a slight worry among<br />
the Sixties’ generation that someone<br />
might be having a more interesting time<br />
than you. My contemporary Robert Irwin<br />
clearly was.<br />
While most <strong>of</strong> us, like him, were<br />
pondering the Meaning <strong>of</strong> Life over mugs<br />
<strong>of</strong> Blend 37, Robert, with the aid <strong>of</strong> LSD,<br />
was observing the elephant-headed Hindu<br />
god Ganeesha “sitting on my ceiling and<br />
handing me down a cigarette”. Most <strong>of</strong><br />
us were smugly chalking up an encounter<br />
with a geographically convenient St<br />
Hilda’s girl, while Robert had friends like<br />
Anne, who “when a Moroccan military<br />
commander in the Sahara had tried to rape<br />
MEMOIRS OF A DERVISH: SUFIS, MYSTICS AND THE SIXTIES | ROBERT IRWIN<br />
her... had stabbed him in the balls”, or<br />
Kittoo, who once exorcised a launderette<br />
in Walton Street using a Tibetan ritual<br />
knife. And while most <strong>of</strong> us were glumly<br />
plodding to the one lecture a week we<br />
attended, Robert “scoured the lecture lists<br />
for esoteric subjects”. The clear winner<br />
was a Buddhist expert who, beside his<br />
cardboard c<strong>of</strong>fi n, mesmerised his class<br />
with his views on the relationship between<br />
pot, lightning and space.<br />
Robert wasn’t interested in the<br />
Mysticism Lite many <strong>of</strong> us dabbled in.<br />
During his fi rst year at <strong>Merton</strong> he had<br />
determined to become a Muslim saint, and<br />
this book is a wonderfully witty and well-<br />
written chronicle <strong>of</strong> this spiritual odyssey.<br />
He sets <strong>of</strong>f for Algeria, and the zawiya, a<br />
sort <strong>of</strong> Sufi saint seminary at Mostaganem,<br />
pausing briefl y in Paris to send home<br />
a couple <strong>of</strong> posters <strong>of</strong> Francoise Hardy<br />
(presumably a sort <strong>of</strong> insurance if the saint<br />
thing didn’t work out). At the zawiya he is<br />
introduced to ritual ablution and rhythmic<br />
chanting by Abdullah Faid; “he had an<br />
ingenuous, childlike face (but Ralph Davis<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong> had taught me to be wary <strong>of</strong><br />
seemingly childlike intelligences).”<br />
It is a fascinating, critical insight into<br />
Sufi sm, set to the soundtrack <strong>of</strong> Donovan,<br />
Dylan and the Beach Boys. The two worlds<br />
are constantly entwined, as Irwin lurches<br />
from one to another – at one moment<br />
uncomfortably gawky as he dances at an<br />
Eights Week ball, only to experience, back<br />
in Algeria, the swooning, ecstatic rapture<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Dervish melboos.<br />
And that’s the charm <strong>of</strong> the book –<br />
Irwin’s capacity to live simultaneously<br />
in two so dissonant universes. There’s<br />
a passage where he describes getting<br />
a fi t <strong>of</strong> the Goon Show giggles during<br />
BOOK REVIEWS<br />
the ritual incantation <strong>of</strong> ‘Yellow Teeth,<br />
Yellow Teeth’, chanted a thousand times,<br />
until he realises that this is not a Muslim<br />
preoccupation with oral hygiene, but the<br />
repetition <strong>of</strong> Yo Latif, one <strong>of</strong> the names <strong>of</strong><br />
Allah. On his birthday, he bunks <strong>of</strong>f up to<br />
the top <strong>of</strong> the minaret for a crafty two tins<br />
<strong>of</strong> Nestle condensed milk. Instructed that<br />
at the moment <strong>of</strong> sexual ecstasy he should<br />
exclaim bismillah (in the name <strong>of</strong> God) he<br />
ponders how well this would go down with<br />
his wife.<br />
Ultimately, a doomed love affair, the<br />
rancid and brutal politics <strong>of</strong> Algeria and<br />
Irwin’s ever-present self-doubt about his<br />
fi tness for sainthood combine to bring<br />
him home. He gives the defi nitive lie to<br />
the view that if you could remember the<br />
Sixties you weren’t there, with an account<br />
<strong>of</strong> a methedrine high which is clinically<br />
lucid – “I was my perfect companion, for<br />
in the palace <strong>of</strong> mirrors within my head<br />
there were a thousand <strong>of</strong> me. And the ‘me’<br />
was brilliant, for it was obvious to me how<br />
time, consciousness and spirituality all<br />
connected.”<br />
In an elegiac coda, Irwin describes his<br />
turmoil over the totalitarian face <strong>of</strong> Islam,<br />
with its judicial amputations, stonings, and<br />
women “dressed as bin bags”; and how he<br />
“fell to earth” under the “vast gravitational<br />
pull <strong>of</strong> the everyday, or work, and <strong>of</strong><br />
marriage.”<br />
This is a book which makes me regret<br />
that I did not know my contemporary<br />
better. My life would have been much the<br />
richer for it and, certainly, my Sixties more<br />
exciting.<br />
David Jessel (1964)<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
63
BOOK REVIEWS TOMFOOLERY | THOMAS BRAUN<br />
TOMFOOLERY<br />
BY THOMAS BRAUN<br />
(ANTONY ROWE)<br />
My brother Thomas Braun produced<br />
comparatively few learned works. Copies<br />
<strong>of</strong> his entire output <strong>of</strong> ‘serious’ publications<br />
– just over 100 <strong>of</strong> them, together with<br />
half a dozen interesting pieces that he left<br />
unpublished – can be found in box fi les<br />
that I have deposited in <strong>Merton</strong> Library.<br />
By contrast, Tom was a prolifi c author <strong>of</strong><br />
occasional verses and other less serious,<br />
though not less ‘learned’, writings.<br />
“It isn’t that I spend time writing it when<br />
I ought to be writing for you,” he wrote<br />
to the editor for one <strong>of</strong> his more serious<br />
pieces, “but that it comes all too naturally<br />
without the expenditure <strong>of</strong> time.” After Tom<br />
64 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
died in 2008, many people asked if there<br />
was a collection <strong>of</strong> the occasional verses,<br />
and when I gave a note to the 400 people<br />
at the memorial service inviting them to<br />
send me samples, Tim Heald, a friend <strong>of</strong><br />
Tom’s through Balliol and the Arnold and<br />
Brakenbury Society, <strong>of</strong>fered to help me<br />
produce an anthology. Tim is a pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
writer who does this kind <strong>of</strong> thing as<br />
well as publishing detective novels, royal<br />
biographies and the like.<br />
A few years ago Tom commented that he<br />
was glad to say that his Complete Works<br />
were unlikely ever to be published. Even<br />
so, I found he had begun to assemble a<br />
collection in a couple <strong>of</strong> ring binders,<br />
which became the basis <strong>of</strong> the anthology.<br />
Then there were the pieces that <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
kindly sent me. And as I worked through<br />
the mass <strong>of</strong> papers that Tom left behind, I<br />
found more and more, especially familiar<br />
earlier items. I still remember him singing<br />
his versions <strong>of</strong> Jerusalem (was it builded<br />
here? No, it was built in Palestine!) and All<br />
things bright and beautiful (“Some things<br />
are not so wonderful: why must he make<br />
them all?” with examples) during a family<br />
holiday in the Alps. So I was delighted to<br />
fi nd the original texts <strong>of</strong> these verses, and<br />
even <strong>of</strong> a related <strong>Oxford</strong> Union speech.<br />
Altogether I have found well over 700<br />
different pieces. Tim and I had fun chortling<br />
over the selection, though whittling it down<br />
to the present 140 items wasn’t easy. We<br />
tried to refl ect as many aspects <strong>of</strong> Tom’s<br />
life and character as we could: <strong>Merton</strong> and<br />
Balliol, <strong>Oxford</strong>, England and Germany,<br />
Greece, and the world, ancient and modern.<br />
The translations <strong>of</strong> German poetry, many<br />
<strong>of</strong> which were published in the <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
Magazine were new to me and a revelation.<br />
Tom’s love <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> is evident (see the<br />
Senior Common Room hymn – ‘Forgive O<br />
Lord the bribes he took/Unto our founder<br />
dear…’), as is that <strong>of</strong> Balliol (‘Admired by<br />
some, by other men abhorr’d/ Hail pungent<br />
<strong>College</strong> on the plangent Broad…’), <strong>of</strong><br />
books and <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> (see A Warning to<br />
Readers, fi rst published in Postmaster<br />
in 1969, with a terrifying description <strong>of</strong><br />
Bodley’s Librarian, or the spo<strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
Gazette announcing <strong>of</strong> the Bod’s closure),<br />
<strong>of</strong> English literature (see his versions<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pride and Prejudice in the style <strong>of</strong><br />
Hiawatha and vice versa), <strong>of</strong> the Bible<br />
(‘Have one God at most: that’s more/Than<br />
many bishops bargain for’), and, <strong>of</strong> course,<br />
<strong>of</strong> classics (for example, Eh-Wa-Au-Wau-<br />
Aooow).<br />
I hope all this whets the appetite. All<br />
good <strong>Merton</strong>ians should buy this book and<br />
give copies to their friends!<br />
Tomfoolery: occasional writings by<br />
Thomas Braun is published by Antony<br />
Rowe Publishing, ISBN 978-1-907571-<br />
084, RRP £17.00. You can buy it:<br />
❖ direct from the publishers at<br />
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book/9781907571084/Tomfoolery for the<br />
RRP plus £2.95 p&p<br />
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for the RRP, postage free<br />
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❖ from other online sellers for even less<br />
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advantage that nothing has to be paid to<br />
the middlemen, so that the entire purchase<br />
price will go towards making a pr<strong>of</strong>i t,<br />
which is to go to <strong>Merton</strong>’s Thomas Braun<br />
Classical World Travel Fund.<br />
Christopher Braun
Music Review<br />
IN THE BEGINNING<br />
BY THE CHOIR OF <strong>MER</strong>TON COLLEGE,<br />
OXFORD<br />
(DELPHIAN RECORDS, 2011)<br />
IN THE BEGINNING | THE CHOIR<br />
Over the Easter vacation the <strong>College</strong><br />
Choir recorded its debut CD for Delphian<br />
Records. The chapel has long been a<br />
popular recording venue for many wellknown<br />
choirs, and it’s exciting that the<br />
resident choir can now begin to build a<br />
discography <strong>of</strong> its own.<br />
The disc, called In the beginning, is framed<br />
with large-scale pieces.’ Opening the disc is<br />
Gabriel Jackson’s setting <strong>of</strong> the Prologue<br />
from St John’s gospel, commissioned for<br />
MUSIC REVIEW<br />
the <strong>College</strong> Choir in 2009 by the Reverend<br />
Nicholas Fisher, and closing the programme<br />
is Aaron Copland’s virtuoso setting <strong>of</strong><br />
Genesis, in which the choir is joined<br />
by mezzo soprano Beth Baxter. Three<br />
contrasting settings <strong>of</strong> ‘When David heard’<br />
(Gombert, Weelkes and Whitacre) and<br />
the ‘Nunc Dimittis’ (Palestrina, Holst and<br />
Lukaszewski) complete the programme.<br />
The CD will be launched on Wednesday<br />
26th October following the live broadcast<br />
<strong>of</strong> Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3 at<br />
3.30pm. Please check the <strong>Merton</strong> website<br />
for details <strong>of</strong> how to purchase the disc after<br />
this date.<br />
CHOIR RECORDING SESSION IN <strong>MER</strong>TON CHAPEL<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
65
RECORDS <strong>MER</strong>TON COLLEGE 2010-11 | THE VISITOR<br />
Records<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> 2010-11<br />
THE VISITOR<br />
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable the Lord Archbishop <strong>of</strong><br />
Canterbury<br />
WARDEN<br />
Martin Taylor, MA (PhD Lond) FRS<br />
FELLOWS<br />
Ian Abel, DPhil (BA Camb) Culham Junior Research Fellow in Physics<br />
David Al-Attar, MSc Junior Research Fellow in Geology<br />
Judith Patricia Armitage, MA (BSc, PhD Lond) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
Biochemistry<br />
Rhiannon Ash, MA, DPhil (MA Toronto) Tutor in Classics<br />
Douglas John Bamber, MIH Domestic Bursar<br />
Alan James Barr, (BA, MSci, PhD Camb) Tutor in Physics<br />
Giles Bergel, (BA Newc; MA, PhD Lond) JPR Lyell Research Fellow<br />
in the History <strong>of</strong> the Early Modern Printed Book<br />
James Jeffrey Binney, MA, DPhil (MA Cantab) FRS Pr<strong>of</strong>essor in<br />
Physics<br />
Kathryn Lee Blackmon, MA (BS Clemson; MBA, PhD North<br />
Carolina) Tutor in Management Studies<br />
Richard Callaghan, MA (BSc (Hons), PhD Melbourne) Offi cial<br />
Fellow, <strong>University</strong> Lecturer (non-medical) in Clinical Laboratory<br />
Services, Senior Treasurer <strong>of</strong> the Amalgamated Clubs<br />
Roderick Bruce Campbell, (BA Victoria; MA British Columbia; PhD<br />
Harvard)<br />
Paul Francis John Chamberlain, MA (BA, MD Dublin) FRCS(C),<br />
FACOG Offi cial Fellow, <strong>University</strong> Lecturer in Obstetrics and<br />
Gynaecology<br />
Mindy Chen-Wishart, MA (BA (Hons), LLB, LLM, Otago) Tutor in<br />
Law<br />
Kieran Clarke MA (BSc Flinders, PhD Queensland) Research Fellow<br />
in Physiological Biochemistry and Research Convenor, Garden<br />
Master<br />
Artur Konrad Ekert, MA, DPhil (MSc Cracow) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Physics<br />
David Gordon Ellis Norbrook, MA, DPhil (MA Aberd) <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English Literature<br />
Gail Fine, MA (BA Michigan; MA, PhD Harvard) Senior Research<br />
Fellow in Philosophy<br />
66 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Jonathan Flint, BA, BM, BCh, MRCPsych, CCST Michael Davys<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Neuroscience<br />
Karl Gerth, (BA Grinnell, PhD Harvard) Jessica Rawson Fellow in<br />
Modern Asian History, Tutor in History<br />
John Stuart Gjers Gloag, MRICS Fellow, Land Agent & Estates Bursar<br />
Guy Manning Goodwin, BM, BCh, MA, DPhil, FRCPsych WA<br />
Handley Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Psychiatry<br />
Véronique Gouverneur, MA (Licence en Sciences Chimiques, PhD<br />
Louvain) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Chemistry and Tutor in Organic Chemistry<br />
Daniel Grimley, (BA, MPhil, PhD Camb) Tutor in Music<br />
Matthew Grimley, MA, DPhil Mark Reynolds Fellow, Tutor in History<br />
Timothy Charles Guilford, MA, DPhil Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Animal Behaviour<br />
and Tutor in Zoology<br />
Steven John Gunn, MA, DPhil Tutor in History, Sub-Warden<br />
Kirstin Gwyer, BA(Hons), MSt, DPhil Junior Research Fellow in<br />
Modern Languages<br />
Peter William Harold Holland, MA (PhD Lond; DSc Reading), FRS<br />
Linacre Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Zoology<br />
Simon Martin Hooker, MA, DPhil Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Atomic & Laser<br />
Physics and Tutor in Physics, Senior Treasurer <strong>of</strong> the JCR<br />
Luuk Huitink, DPhil, MSt (MA Amsterdam) Leventis Research Fellow<br />
in Ancient Greek<br />
Simon Matthew Jones, MA, DPhil (BA, MA Durh; PhD Cantab)<br />
Research Fellow and Chaplain, Steward <strong>of</strong> Common Room<br />
Michael Keith, BA, DPhil Research Fellow in Anthropology<br />
Irene Stavros Lemos, MA, DPhil Reader in Classical Archaeology<br />
Ian Maclachlan, MA, DPhil Tutor in French<br />
Rachel Mairs, MA (BA (Hons), MPhil, PhD Camb) Junior Research<br />
Fellow in Literae Humaniores<br />
Richard Anthony McCabe, MA, FBA (MA Dublin; MA, PhD Cantab)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English Language and Literature and Tutor in English<br />
Katherine Anne McClune, BA (Hons), DPhil Fitzjames Research<br />
Fellow in Old & Middle English<br />
Robert Metcalfe, (BA, MSc Swansea; MSc LSE; PhD ICL) Fitzjames<br />
Research Fellow in the Economics <strong>of</strong> the Environment<br />
Anthony Philip Monaco, MA (AB Princeton; MD, PhD Harvard)<br />
FMedSci Pr<strong>of</strong>essorial Fellow<br />
Alan David Morrison, MA, DPhil (MSc Lond) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Finance<br />
and Tutor in Management Studies, Principal <strong>of</strong> the Postmasters<br />
James Peter Neary, DPhil, (MA UCD) FBA Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Economics<br />
Béla Novák, (MSc, PhD, Dr Habil, DSc TU Budapest; CSc DSc<br />
Hungarian Academy <strong>of</strong> Science) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Integrative Systems<br />
Biology<br />
Chih-Hao Luke Ong, MA (MA Cantab; PhD Lond) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor and
Tutor in Computer Science<br />
Christoph Ortner, MSc, DPhil Research Fellow and RCUK Academic<br />
Fellow in Solid Mechanics and the Mathematics <strong>of</strong> Materials<br />
Martins Paparinskis, MA, MPhil, MJur, DPhil (LLB Latvia) Junior<br />
Research Fellow in Law<br />
Alison Parkin, MChem, DPhil Junior Research Fellow in Chemistry<br />
David James Paterson, MA, DPhil, (MSc, DSc Western Australia),<br />
FIBiol Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Cardiovascular Physiology and Tutor in Preclinical<br />
Medicine, Dean <strong>of</strong> Graduates<br />
Jennifer Payne, MA (MA Cantab) Reader in Corporate Finance Law,<br />
Tutor in Law and Travers Smith <strong>University</strong> Lecturer in Corporate<br />
Finance Law<br />
Sydney Penner, (BA Yale; MA, PhD Cornell) Junior Research Fellow<br />
in Philosophy<br />
Sarah Percy, MPhil, DPhil Tutor in International Relations<br />
Jonathan Ralph Warburg Prag, MA (PhD Lond) Tutor in Ancient<br />
History<br />
Christopher Thomas Rodgers, MChem, DPhil Junior Research Fellow<br />
in Chemistry<br />
Suzanne Romaine, MA (AB Bryn Mawr; MLitt Edin; PhD Birm)<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English Language<br />
David Rueda, MA (MSc Lond; MA, PhD Cornell) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
Comparative Politics and Tutor in Politics<br />
Alexander Schekochihin, (BSci MIPT; PhD Princeton) Tutor in<br />
Physics<br />
Alexander David Scott, (BA, PhD Cantab) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor and Tutor in<br />
Mathematics<br />
Timothy Peter S<strong>of</strong>tley, MA (PhD S’ton) Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Chemical Physics<br />
and Tutor in Physical Chemistry<br />
Péter-Dániel Szántó, (Diploma Budapest) Junior Research Fellow in<br />
Oriental Studies<br />
Jane Christine Holmes Taylor, (BA Hons Bris) Development Director<br />
Jonathan William Thacker, MA (BA Lond; PhD Cantab) Tutor in<br />
Spanish, Secretary <strong>of</strong> the Harmsworth Trust<br />
Patricia Thornton, (BA Swarthmore; MA Washington; PhD Berkeley)<br />
Tutor in the Politics <strong>of</strong> China<br />
Ulrike Luise Tillmann, MA (BA Brandeis, PhD Stanford, Habil Bonn)<br />
FRS Pr<strong>of</strong>essor in Mathematics<br />
Joshua Sol Schelly Walden, (AB Berkeley; MA, MPhil, PhD Columbia)<br />
Junior Research Fellow in Music<br />
Julia Caroline Walworth, MA (BA Swarthmore; MA, PhD Yale)<br />
Research Fellow and Librarian<br />
Trudy Alexandra Watt, MA, DPhil (BA Open, MSc Sheff Hallam)<br />
Senior Tutor<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON COLLEGE 2010-11 | SUPERNU<strong>MER</strong>ARY FELLOWS<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
Clifford Ronald Webb, MA (MLitt Edin) Finance Bursar, Computer<br />
Offi cer<br />
Sir Ralph Wedgwood Bt, MA (MPhil Lond; MA, PhD Cornell)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor and Tutor in Philosophy<br />
Michael Hilton Whitworth, MA, DPhil Tutor in English<br />
Andrew Wiles, MA, DSc (PhD Camb) FRS<br />
Katherine Willis, MA (BSc Southampton; PhD Camb) Tasso Leventis<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Biodiversity<br />
Simon Wren-Lewis (MA Cantab; MSc Lond) Tutor in Economics<br />
Boris Zilber, MA (MSc, CandSc Novosibirsk; DSc Leningrad)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Mathematical Logic<br />
SUPERNU<strong>MER</strong>ARY FELLOWS<br />
Oliver Beckstein, (Diplom, DPhil Erlangan-Nürnberg)<br />
Andrea Cavalleri, (Laurea, PhD Pavia)<br />
Vincenzo Cerundolo, MA, MD, PhD, FRCPath, FMedSci<br />
Simon Draper, MBioch, DPhil<br />
Andrew John King, MA Status (BSc, PhD Lond), FMedSci<br />
Julian Knight, MA, MBChB, DPhil, FRCP<br />
Francis Platt, MA Status (BSc Lond; PhD Bath), FMedSci<br />
E<strong>MER</strong>ITUS FELLOWS<br />
John Michael Baker, MA, DPhil<br />
David Bostock, BPhil, MA<br />
Michael George Bowler, MA (BSc, PhD Bris)<br />
John Carey, MA, DPhil, FBA, FRSL<br />
John James Coulton, MA (MA, PhD Cantab)<br />
Michael Simpson Dunnill, MA (MD Bris), FRCP, FRCPath<br />
Mark Everitt, MA<br />
Michael Graham Gelder, MA, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci<br />
John Roger Loxdale Highfi eld, MA, DPhil, FSA<br />
Robert Basil Champneys Hodgson, MA<br />
Olwen Hufton, DBE, MA (BA, MA Harvard; PhD Lond), DLitt,<br />
FRHistS, FBA<br />
Henry John Franklin Jones, MA<br />
Vijay Ramchandra Joshi, MA<br />
John Randolph Lucas, MA, FBA<br />
Robert McCredie May, Lord May <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong>, OM, AC, Kt, MA (BSc,<br />
PhD Sydney), FRS<br />
Eric Arthur Newsholme, MA, DSc (PhD, ScD Cantab)†<br />
Donald Edward Olleson, MA, DPhil<br />
Courtenay Stanley Goss Phillips, MA, DSc<br />
Sir Gyorgy Karoly Radda, CBE, MA, DPhil, FRS<br />
67
RECORDS <strong>MER</strong>TON COLLEGE 2010-11 | HONORARY FELLOWS<br />
Nicholas James Richardson, BPhil, MA, DPhil, FSA<br />
Henry Shue, (AB Davidson <strong>College</strong>; MA, PhD Princeton)<br />
Philip John Waller, MA<br />
Christopher John Hamilton Watson, MA, DPhil<br />
James Anthony Dominic Welsh, MA, DPhil<br />
David Charles Witt, MA<br />
HONORARY FELLOWS<br />
Anatole Abragam, DPhil, HonDSc, For Mem RS†<br />
Sir Robert Andrew, MA, FRSA<br />
Sir Christopher (John) Ball, MA, Hon DLitt (CNAA)<br />
Sir Roger (Gilbert) Bannister, CBE, MA, MSc, DM, FRCP<br />
The Hon Sir Jack Beatson, DCL, (LLD Cantab), FBA<br />
Julian Blackwell, DL<br />
Sir John Boardman, MA, (MA Cantab) FBA, Hon RA, FSA<br />
Thomas Frank Brenchley, CMG, MA, DPhil (BA, BSc (Hons) Open)†<br />
William Peter Cooke, CBE, MA<br />
Sir Howard (John) Davies, MA (MS Stanford)<br />
Christopher Martin Dobson, DPhil, ScD, FRS, FMedSci<br />
David Francis Kerr Finlay, OBE, CFA<br />
The Rt Hon Sir Martin (John) Gilbert, CBE, MA, DLitt, FRSL<br />
Stuart Henry McPhail Hall, MA, DPhil<br />
Adam John Hart-Davis, BA (DPhil York), FRSA<br />
Laszlo Istvan Heltay, MLitt (MA Budapest)<br />
Sir (Charles) Antony (Richard) Hoare, MA, FRS<br />
Jonathan Alan Hodgkin, MA (MA, PhD Cantab), FRS<br />
Sir Maurice (Arthur Eric) Hodgson, MA, BSc, FEng, FIChemE,<br />
CChem, FRSC<br />
David Robert Holmes, MA<br />
Sir James Clarke Holt, MA, DPhil, FSA, FBA<br />
James Wyndham John Hughes-Hallett, BA, FCA<br />
Sir Jeremy Isaacs, MA, FRSA<br />
Sir Alec (John) Jeffreys, MA, DPhil, (DUniv Open), FRS<br />
Vassos Karageorghis, DLitt, (PhD Lond), FSA, FBA<br />
Sir Ian Kershaw, DPhil, FRHistS, FBA<br />
Sir Anthony (James) Leggett, MA, DPhil, FRS<br />
Anastasios Leventis, CBE, OFR<br />
The Hon Sir Brian (Henry) Leveson, MA (LLD Liv)<br />
Richard Charles Levin, LittB, Hon DCL, (BA Stanford; PhD Yale)<br />
Sir Callum McCarthy, BA (PhD Stirling; MS Stanford)<br />
HIH Crown Prince Naruhito <strong>of</strong> Japan, Hon DCL<br />
The Rt Hon Sir (Arthur) Michael Palliser, GCMG, PC, MA<br />
Robert Owen Paxton, MA (PhD Harvard)<br />
Timothy Dewe Phillips, CBE, MA<br />
68 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Martha Piper, (BSc Michigan; MA Connecticutt; PhD McGill) DSc<br />
(Hons), LLD (Hons)<br />
Jessica Mary Rawson, DBE, MA, DLitt (MA, LittD, Cantab) FBA<br />
Martin Peter Read CBE, DPhil<br />
Sir Rex (Edward) Richards, MA, DPhil, DSc, FRS, FBA, FRSC,<br />
FRIC<br />
Sir Howard Stringer, MA<br />
Sir Peter (Hannay Bailey) Tapsell, MA, MP<br />
Mark John Thompson, BA, FRTS, FRSA<br />
Sir Richard Hughes Trainor KBE, MA, DPhil, FRHistS<br />
The Hon Sir John Wallace QC, MA<br />
Peter Warry, MA (LLB Lond; PhD Rdg) FREng<br />
Guy Howard Weston, BA<br />
Sir Andrew (John) Wiles, MA, DSc, (PhD Cantab), FRS<br />
Robert Joseph Paton Williams, MBE, MA, DPhil, FRS<br />
The Rt Revd Dr Nicholas Thomas Wright, MA, DPhil, DD<br />
Lord Wright <strong>of</strong> Richmond (Patrick Richard Henry Wright),<br />
GCMG, MA<br />
BODLEY FELLOWS<br />
Richard Bellerby Allan, MA, FCA<br />
Alan John Bott, OBE, MA, FSA<br />
John Samuel Christopher Eidinow, MA (Dip Law City Univ;<br />
Barrister Middle Temple) Dean<br />
Prosser Gifford, MA (BA, PhD Yale; LLB Harvard)<br />
David Harvey, MA, DPhil<br />
Robert MacLaren, MB, ChB, DPhil, FRCOphth, FRCS<br />
Robert Gould McKelvey, MA (BA Wesleyan)<br />
Peter Phillips, Reed Rubin Director <strong>of</strong> Music<br />
Reed Rubin, BA<br />
David William Swarbrick, MA<br />
Adrian Vickers, MA<br />
WYLIOT FELLOWS<br />
John Booth, BA, MA<br />
Peter Braam, MA, DPhil (BSc, MSc Utrecht)<br />
Charles Manby, MA, (MBA Insead), FRS<br />
VISITING RESEARCH FELLOWS DURING THE YEAR<br />
Paul Bradshaw, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Notre Dame (Trinity Term 2011)<br />
Lorenzo Campagna, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Messina, Sicily (Hilary Term 2011)<br />
Sally Leys, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Alberta (Michaelmas Term 2010)
Christophe Pichon, Institute <strong>of</strong> Astrophysics, Paris (Michaelmas Term<br />
2010)<br />
Gordon Teskey, Harvard <strong>University</strong> (Trinity Term 2011)<br />
REED RUBIN DIRECTORS OF MUSIC<br />
Benjamin Nicholas<br />
Peter Phillips<br />
LECTURERS<br />
Stipendiary Lecturers:<br />
Ms Jennifer Altehenger History<br />
Dr Corine Besson Philosophy<br />
Dr Jane Collier Clinical Medicine<br />
Mr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne Law<br />
Dr Josie Von Zitewitz Russian<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Andy King Neuroscience<br />
Dr Michael Laidlaw Inorganic Chemistry<br />
Mr Robert MacLaren Human Anatomy<br />
Mr Roy Norton Spanish<br />
Dr Christoph Ortner Mathematics<br />
Mr Dirk Schlueter Mathematics<br />
Dr David Staunton Biochemistry<br />
Ms Renee Williams French<br />
Non-Stipendiary Lecturers:<br />
Mr John Eidinow Classics<br />
Ms Ellen Feingold History<br />
Dr Alex Feldman English<br />
Mr Daniel Gerrard History<br />
Dr Tom Hart Biological Sciences<br />
Dr Neil Herring Medicine<br />
Mr Travers McLeod Politics<br />
Dr Paul McMillan Physics<br />
Dr Christopher Ramsey Physics<br />
Dr Golo Schmidt German<br />
Dr Alice Stainer English<br />
Mr Sam Vinko Physics<br />
Dr Mary Whitby Classical Greek<br />
Joint-Joint:<br />
Dr Emma Bond Italian<br />
Dr Helen Fronius German<br />
Dr David Groiser German<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON COLLEGE 2010-11 | REED RUBIN DIRECTORS OF MUSIC<br />
ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS<br />
To an Offi cial Fellowship as the Senior Tutor with effect from<br />
1 September 2011<br />
Dr Catherine Paxton, MA, DPhil<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
To an Offi cial Fellowship as a Tutor in Mathematics with effect from<br />
1 October 2011<br />
Dr Minhyong Kim, (BS Seoul; PhD Yale)<br />
To an Offi cial Fellowship as a Departmental Lecturer in English with<br />
effect from 1 October 2011<br />
Dr Thomas MacFaul, DPhil (BA Camb)<br />
To a Research Fellowship with effect from 1 October 2011<br />
Dr Emily Holmes, BA Hons (MA Uppsala; DClinPsych Lond; PhD<br />
Camb)<br />
To a Fitzjames Research Fellowship in Philosophy with effect from 1<br />
October 2011<br />
Dr Nicholas Jones (BA, MA Leeds; PhD Lond)<br />
To a Fitzjames Research Fellowship in Old & Middle English with<br />
effect from 1 October 2011<br />
Ms Aisling Byrne (BA Dub; MPhil, PhD Camb)<br />
To a Peter J Braam Junior Research Fellowship in Global Wellbeing<br />
with effect from 1 October 2011<br />
Mrs Julia Amos, MPhil, DPhil<br />
To Junior Research Fellowships with effect from 1 October 2011<br />
Dr Michele Ceriotti (BSc, MSc Milano-Bicocca; Phd ETH Zurich)<br />
Mr Patrick Lantschner, BA MSt<br />
Miss Bridget Penman, BA<br />
FELLOWS’ HONOURS AND APPOINTMENTS<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Judith Armitage has been elected as a Member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
European Molecular Biology Organisation, as well as becoming<br />
a Fellow <strong>of</strong> both the American Academy <strong>of</strong> Microbiology and the<br />
Society <strong>of</strong> Biology. She has also been made Head <strong>of</strong> Section Faculty<br />
<strong>of</strong> 1000 and appointed Associate Head <strong>of</strong> Biochemistry Department.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Andrew King has been elected a Fellow <strong>of</strong> the Academy<br />
<strong>of</strong> Medical Sciences. He has also been appointed Chief Scientifi c<br />
Adviser for Deafness Research UK, as a Review Editor for the<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Physiology and appointed as a Member <strong>of</strong> the Wellcome<br />
Trust’s Basic Science Interview Committee.<br />
69
RECORDS <strong>MER</strong>TON COLLEGE 2010-11 | DEATHS OF FELLOWS<br />
Dr Daniel Grimley has been appointed as the fi rst ever international<br />
scholar-in-residence at the 2011 Bard Music Festival in New York<br />
State.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Peter Holland has been elected to Membership <strong>of</strong> the<br />
International Advisory Board for European Marine Biological<br />
Resource Centre. He also served as a member <strong>of</strong> the International<br />
Jury for the Francqui Prize in Biomedical Sciences.<br />
The Revd Dr Simon Jones has been appointed as a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Church <strong>of</strong> England Liturgical Commission.<br />
Dr Rachel Mairs has been awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship at<br />
the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World at<br />
Brown <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lord Robert May <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oxford</strong> was awarded the Dirac Medal<br />
by the Royal Society <strong>of</strong> New South Wales.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Richard McCabe has been awarded a major Leverhulme<br />
Fellowship for three years to write a monograph on literary<br />
patronage in the Early Modern period.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Bela Novák has become Advisory Board member for both<br />
the Biochemistry Institute and the Plant Biology Institute at the<br />
Hungarian Academy <strong>of</strong> Sciences.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Paterson is now Editor-in-Chief at The Journal<br />
<strong>of</strong> Physiology. He has also been made a Member <strong>of</strong> the national<br />
Research Excellence Framework Panel (REF).<br />
70 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Dr Jonathan Prag was appointed as ‘Chercheur associé’, <strong>of</strong> the<br />
French CNRS-funded research group ANHIMA (Anthropologie et<br />
histoire des mondes anciens).<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sir Rick Trainor has been awarded a KBE for his services<br />
to higher education. He was also presented with a Europe Leadership<br />
Award by CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support <strong>of</strong><br />
Education).<br />
Dr Joshua Walden has been appointed as the Andrew W Mellon<br />
Postdoctoral Fellow in the Humanities at John Hopkins <strong>University</strong><br />
and also as the Vladimir and Pearl Heifetz Memorial Fellowship at<br />
the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Simon Wren-Lewis has been appointed to the Offi ce for<br />
Budget Responsibility’s Advisory Panel <strong>of</strong> economic and fi nancial<br />
experts.<br />
DEATHS OF FELLOWS<br />
Anatole Abragam, DPhil, HonDSc, For Mem RS<br />
Thomas Frank Brenchley, CMG, MA, DPhil (BA, BSc (Hons) Open)<br />
Eric Arthur Newsholme, MA, DSc (PhD, ScD Cantab)
New Students 2010<br />
Undergraduates<br />
ANCIENT & MODERN HISTORY<br />
Mr C M Jones, Royal Grammar School<br />
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES<br />
Miss S Harrison, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Miss D King,<br />
Presdales School, Miss L Paris, Denstone <strong>College</strong>, Miss P J M Schuijt,<br />
Vossius Gymnasium<br />
CHEMISTRY<br />
Mr A Bajjon, King Edward VI Camp Hill Boys School, Mr J J Coward,<br />
Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, Mr K Davis, Heathside School,<br />
Miss K R Fisher, Westcliff High School for Girls, Mr M B Geeson,<br />
Dubai <strong>College</strong>, Miss S Wehlin, Malmo Borgaskol<br />
CLASSICS<br />
Miss E Arkell, Strodes <strong>College</strong>, Miss E E M Moyse, Wellington<br />
<strong>College</strong>, Miss H B M Polonsky, Perse School for Girls, Miss A<br />
Ventress, King’s School, Canterbury, Mr A Woolley, Christ’s Hospital<br />
COMPUTER SCIENCE<br />
Mr P L Gerrard, King George V <strong>College</strong><br />
ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT<br />
Mr J J J Kaikkonen, Turun Normaalikoulu, Miss P Koulia, English<br />
School, Cyprus, Mr I Peer, International School <strong>of</strong> Brussels, Mr H Y<br />
L Wong, French International School<br />
ENGLISH<br />
Miss A C Bartlett, Newent School, Miss A E Graebe, Sussex Downs<br />
<strong>College</strong>, Mr R P Hill, Nottingham High School, Miss P F C Hudson,<br />
Hills Road VI Form <strong>College</strong>, Miss C W Livingstone, Aquinas <strong>College</strong>,<br />
Miss R E Tye, Collyers VI Form <strong>College</strong><br />
ENGLISH & MODERN LANGUAGES<br />
Miss E Slattery, Archbishop Blanch School<br />
HISTORY<br />
Mr J Carver, King Edward VI Grammar School, Mr D Crowe, North<br />
Berwick High School, Miss J Furness, Newstead Wood School, Mr L<br />
Gelezauskas, Kaunas Jesuit Gymnasium, Mr D McKinnon, Wellington<br />
NEW STUDENTS | UNDERGRADUATES<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
<strong>College</strong>, Mr A Oulsnam, Simon Langston Boys’ School, Miss M W<br />
Sall, Roskide Katedralskole<br />
HISTORY & ECONOMICS<br />
Mr J C Austin, Longsands Community <strong>College</strong><br />
HISTORY & ENGLISH<br />
Miss C E Hull, Theale Green School, Mr A O’Flaherty, Dulwich<br />
<strong>College</strong><br />
HISTORY & POLITICS<br />
Miss A E Giesen, Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium, Mr M H G<br />
Schmidbaur, Hockerill Anglo European <strong>College</strong><br />
LAW<br />
Miss S J Love, Bingley Grammar School, MR W Tan, Anglo Chinese<br />
School, Miss F Zafar, Heckmondwike Grammar School<br />
LAW with LAW STUDIES IN EUROPE<br />
Mr O P Hayward, King’s School, Mr O E Lloyd, Tonypandy<br />
Comprehensive School, Mr G Hogan, Hutcheson’s Grammar School<br />
MATHEMATICS<br />
Mr D Harper, Ormskirk School, Mr H G Heaton, Beverley Grammar<br />
VI Form <strong>College</strong>, Mr C L Lake, Dr Challoner’s Grammar School,<br />
Mr P Mahony, St Andrews Catholic School, Mr B Sampson, Watford<br />
Grammar School<br />
MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE<br />
Mr S O Jauncey, Victoria <strong>College</strong><br />
MATHEMATICS & PHILOSOPHY<br />
Mr T Codrington, Marlborough <strong>College</strong><br />
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS<br />
Miss G Tiao, Harvard, Mr M Marowka, Community High School<br />
No.14, Wroclaw<br />
MEDICINE<br />
Mr N Black, Royal Grammar School, Miss F T R Edwards, Fishguard<br />
High School, Miss C M Lloyd, Builth Wells High School, Mr G<br />
Lockett, St Olave’s Grammar School, Miss R M Mitchell, Highfi elds<br />
School, Miss J Odone, Carnial Vaughan Memorial School<br />
MODERN LANGUAGES<br />
Miss K Crean, American Community School, Miss N R Dockray,<br />
71
RECORDS NEW STUDENTS | GRADUATES<br />
Alleyn’s School, Mr L E Ellmers, Sutton Valance School, Miss D<br />
Gudmunsen, Nottingham High School for Girls, Miss S-J Legge,<br />
Hedingham School, Miss L Zhou, School <strong>of</strong> St Helen & St Katherine<br />
MUSIC<br />
Miss C Robinson, Taunton’s <strong>College</strong>, Miss A M Steppler, Henrietta<br />
Barnett School, Miss M Willcock, Latymer School<br />
PHILOSOPHY & MODERN LANGUAGES<br />
Mr F W V Hendry, Southend High School for Boys, Miss L H D<br />
Simmons, <strong>College</strong> de Sevres<br />
PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & ECONOMICS<br />
Mr J Brown, <strong>University</strong> <strong>College</strong> School, Miss A Dulnik, Miss Porter’s<br />
School, Mr J Engelhardt, Salem <strong>College</strong>, Miss A Jhunjhunwala,<br />
Graduates<br />
DPHIL<br />
Mr A P Stiles, Sydney, (Ancient History), Mr A A Ginalis, Vienna,<br />
(Archaeology), Mr M T Lloyd, Lady Margaret Hall, <strong>Oxford</strong>,<br />
(Archaeology), Miss K M Johnson, British Columbia, (Organic<br />
Chemistry), Ms J Lam, MIT, (Physical & Theoretical Chemistry),<br />
Miss K Dultiz, Potsdam, (Physical & Theoretical Chemistry), Mr E<br />
D’Osualdo, Udine, (Computer Science), Mr N L de Silva, Toronto,<br />
(Computer Science), Dr S R De Silva, St John’s Cambridge/<br />
Keble, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (DTC: Biomedical & Clinical Sciences), Dr N M<br />
Oliveira, Lisbon, DTC: Systems Biology), Mr F C Chow, Toronto/<br />
St Hilda’s, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Economics), Ms E Hodges, Exeter/King’s,<br />
London, (English), Mr K J Lewis, Cardiff, (History), Mr H A Omar,<br />
Magdalen, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (History), Mr B Stevens, Trinity, Cambridge,<br />
(Mathematics), Mr F Simkievich, Queen Mary & Westfi eld/Imperial,<br />
(Mathematics), Dr C Marletto, Politecnico di Torino, (Mathematics),<br />
Dr R Banerjee, Trinity, <strong>Oxford</strong>/LSH&TM/RCP, (Cardiovascular<br />
Medicine), Ms Z Dedeic, <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Atlantic, Maine/Chicago,<br />
(Clinical Medicine), Dr G Disanto, Siena, (Clinical Neurology),<br />
Miss Y Li, York/Edinburgh, (Experimental Psychology), Miss J<br />
Steinberg, St Hilda’s, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Genomic Medicine & Statistics), Dr S<br />
A Aslam, Southampton, (Ophthalmology), Mr Z Padamsey, Toronto/<br />
Somerville, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Pharmacology), Mr P D Fineran, Magdalen,<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>, (Pharmacology), Mr J E Brooker, Oriel, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Physiology,<br />
Anatomy & Genetics), Ms C J Huang, MIT, (Public Health), Mr N<br />
72 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Mahindra United World <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> India, Mr K Ljungstrom Kahn,<br />
Saltsjobadens Samskola, Mr J Sumner, Bishops Stortford High School,<br />
Miss J J Tyrell, Peter Symonds <strong>College</strong>, Mr J W Wilson, Montgomery<br />
Bell Academy<br />
PHYSICS<br />
Mr W R Bennett, Hymers <strong>College</strong>, Mr J T P Burr, All Saints RC<br />
School, Mr M W Constable, Chellaston School, Mr R D Fern, King’s<br />
School, Mr A Geraldini, New School, Mr R Gonsalves, City <strong>of</strong> London<br />
School, Mr L Hughes, Royal Grammar School, Mr L I McClymont,<br />
Altrincham Boys’ Grammar School<br />
E Myers, Columbia/Ludwig Maximilians, (Wellcome Trust 4-year<br />
DPhil in Neuroscience), Ms E E Goodwin, St John’s, Cambridge/<br />
King’s, London, (Medieval & Modern Languages), Miss P A J<br />
Souleau, Sorbonne, (Medieval & Modern Languages), Mr H J Hope,<br />
Hoschschule fur Musik Franz Liszt Weirmar/Friedrich-Schiller/St<br />
Hilda’s, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Music), Ms S Lane Smith, Manchester/St Edmund<br />
Hall, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Philosophy), Mr V Khanna, Delhi/Stuttgart, (Atomic &<br />
Laser Physics), Mr L Z Liu, Harvard, (Atomic & Laser Physics), Mr<br />
D L Stuart, WA Nedlands, (Atomic & Laser Physics), Mr J S Moeller,<br />
St Anne’s, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Condensed Matter Physics), Mr R R F Machinek,<br />
Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische, (Condensed Matter Physics),<br />
Mr F K D Kahlhoefer, Ruprecht-Karls, Heidelberg/St Catharine’s,<br />
Cambridge, (Theoretical Physics), Mr E W Hardy, <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>, (Theoretical Physics), Mr Y Tao, Peking/Churchill,<br />
Cambridge, (Politics), Mr D J Lavenda, Kenyon/UCL, (Politics), Mr<br />
J W Christensen, Reading/York, (Politics), Miss M Ghoul, American<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Beirut/Imperial, (Zoology)<br />
MSC<br />
Mr C Snoeck, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, (Archaeological Science),<br />
Mr M H Jones, Victoria, BC/Sussex, (Biology – Integrative Bio-<br />
Sci), Mr F G K Amo, Wheaton <strong>College</strong>, Comparative Social Policy,<br />
Mr A R D Chappel, Sydney/New South Wales, (Environmental Change<br />
& Management), Mr H R Barmeier, Princeton, (Environmental<br />
Change & Management), Mr S Z L Ng, National <strong>University</strong><br />
Singapore, (Law & Finance), Mr A M Hassanali, Nairobi, (Law &
Finance), Ms I Khazanchi, Delhi, (Mathematical & Computational<br />
Finance), Mr M Pitz, Munich, (Mathematics & Foundations <strong>of</strong><br />
Computer Science), Ms C Rovi, Conservatorio Superior Vitoria/<br />
Open/Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, (Mathematics<br />
& Foundations <strong>of</strong> Computer Science), Miss A Cramer, Ben Gurion,<br />
(Neuroscience), Ms A Sato, Hawaii at Manoa, (Modern Japanese<br />
Studies), Miss G Huang, Shanghai International Studies <strong>University</strong>,<br />
(Financial Economics), Miss S Qiao, Capital <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Economics<br />
& Business, (Financial Economics), Miss Y Shen, Beijing Foreign<br />
Studies, (Financial Economics), Miss H Han, Chicago, (Financial<br />
Economics), Mr A Kanani, Islamic Azad/Iran/<strong>Oxford</strong> Brookes,<br />
(Major Programme Management), Mr S Lewis, Southern California,<br />
(Major Programme Management), Mr P M Lahsen, Chile/<br />
Miami, (Major Programme Management), Mr A Volanakis, Crete,<br />
(Biochemistry), Mr C-J Lu, UCL/Imperial, (Physiology, Anatomy<br />
& Genetics)<br />
MST<br />
Miss Y-C Kim, Seoul National, (Greek &/or Roman History), Miss<br />
C S Dann, Glasgow, (Modern Languages), Miss K Gedgaudaite,<br />
UCL, (Modern Languages), Mr L J Lewis, Salford, (Music), Ms E<br />
Mowforth, Victoria <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Manchester, (Music), Mr B C Reece,<br />
Oklahoma Baptist, (Ancient Philosophy)<br />
MPHIL<br />
Miss A S Brandt, Harvard, (Development Studies), Miss Y Tao,<br />
Robinson, Cambridge, (Economics), Mr P T L<strong>of</strong>quist, UCL,<br />
(Economics), Mr A Brassil, Sydney, (Economics), Mr C Gray,<br />
Sheffi eld, (Modern British & European History), Miss A E Miles,<br />
George Washington, (International Relations), Miss S R Bathurst,<br />
St John’s, Cambridge, (Modern Chinese Studies), Mr O B Farid,<br />
North Texas/William & Mary, (European Politics & Society), Ms M<br />
Bierbaum, Konstanz, (European Politics & Society)<br />
BPHIL<br />
Mr M J Dascal, McGill, Mr R Duda, Nottingham<br />
MBA<br />
Mr N Smith, Virginia/Spain, Mr A Rivers, Wilfrid Laurier, Mr H B<br />
Thorbergsson, Iceland<br />
EMBA<br />
Dr G H Bourhill, Strathclyde, Dr A C Carr, Dundee/Glasgow<br />
NEW STUDENTS | READMISSIONS<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
BCL<br />
Mr K Z von Csefalvay-Bartal, <strong>University</strong> <strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>/Cardiff,<br />
Miss A L Irving, Otago, Mr S Pibworth, Birmingham<br />
M JURIS<br />
Mr M Micciche, Milan, Miss E Siskou, Thrace/Luxembourg<br />
VISITING STUDENTS<br />
Mlle A R E Jatteau, Ecole Normale Superieure, (Classics), Miss L<br />
Arnolds, Konstanz, (Diploma in Legal Studies), Mr B Levy, Ecole<br />
Normale Superieure, (Philosophy)<br />
READMISSIONS<br />
DPHIL<br />
Miss E Hartrich (History), Miss K P Claiden-Yardley (History), Mr T<br />
E Hudson (Mathematics)<br />
MPHIL<br />
Mr J J Monahan (Economics), Mr C M G Wai (Economics), Ms E S<br />
Bauer (Modern Chinese Studies), Mr W A Kane (Modern Chinese<br />
Studies)<br />
MSC<br />
Mr T D Woodhouse (Computer Science)<br />
MST<br />
Miss E McCausland (English), Mr W C J Beharrell (English)<br />
SECOND BM<br />
Mr K Gananandan, Miss P Irayanar, Miss V H C Ormerod, Miss A L<br />
Pouncey, Miss J E Brice<br />
RETURNERS<br />
DPHIL<br />
Miss A G E Hood (Archaeological Science), Mr G N Kalani<br />
(Economics), Mr L A Hill-Cawthorne (Law), Mr A C Beard<br />
(Medieval & Modern Languages) Mr A S Cichy (Music), Mr Y Ohta<br />
(Philosophy), Mr S M Moore (Politics)<br />
MSC<br />
Ms L L Fraser (Comparative Social Policy), Mr M Kleiman-Weiner<br />
(Experimental Psychology)<br />
MPHIL<br />
Ms C E Goss (Law), Mr A D Dyson (Law)<br />
73
RECORDS PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS | SCHOOLS RESULTS<br />
Public Examination Results & Prizes<br />
Schools Results 2011<br />
ANCIENT & MODERN HISTORY<br />
Class I: Mr R Day<br />
Class II: Miss A Salvage (i)<br />
BIOCHEMISTRY PTII<br />
Class I: Mr Y Dong, Ms R Price<br />
Class II: Miss S Gilbert (i), Miss K Pates (i)<br />
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES<br />
Class II: Miss C Leatherland (i), Miss V McCormick (i),<br />
Mr S Murrant (i)<br />
CHEMISTRY<br />
Class I: Mr N Gunn, Mr J McMillan, Miss M O Duill,<br />
Mr L Wong<br />
Class II: Mr B Hellier (i), Mr C Jorgensen (ii)<br />
Class III: Miss H Lee<br />
CLASSICS & SPANISH (4)<br />
Class I: Miss I Sutton<br />
CLASSICS & SPANISH (5)<br />
Class I: Mr M Rabone<br />
CLASSICS & ORIENTAL STUDIES<br />
Class II: Miss H Walsh (i)<br />
COMPUTER SCIENCE<br />
Class II: Mr R Aldred (i)<br />
ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT<br />
Class I: Mr Y Chen, Mr A Linsley<br />
Class II: Miss C Fehst (i), Mr S Fuchs (i), Miss N Shah (i)<br />
ENGLISH<br />
Class I: Mr N Allsopp<br />
Class II: Miss E Barker (i), Mr B Jackson (i),<br />
Miss V Parkinson (i), Miss F Prowting (i)<br />
ENGLISH & FRENCH<br />
Class I: Miss M Burr, Miss L Ehrenh<strong>of</strong>er<br />
74 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
FRENCH & GERMAN<br />
Class I: Miss S Boraston<br />
FRENCH & SPANISH<br />
Class II: Miss H Hasan (i)<br />
HISTORY<br />
Class I: Miss L Astbury, Mr S Gray, Mr J Nation,<br />
Class II: Miss C Price Mr C Bowland (i),<br />
Miss C Holliss (i), Miss K Summers (i),<br />
Miss S Thurston (i), Miss A Turner (i)<br />
HISTORY & ENGLISH<br />
Class II: Miss J Turner (i)<br />
HISTORY & FRENCH<br />
Class I: Mr A Sampson<br />
HISTORY & SPANISH<br />
Class II: Miss S Wilson (i)<br />
LAW<br />
Class I: Mr M A Abdul Rahim<br />
Class II: Mr J Borbora (i), Mr N Langen (i),<br />
Miss S McAvoy (i), Mr R Miller (i), Miss C Sage (i)<br />
LAW WITH LAW STUDIES IN EUROPE<br />
Class II: Mr L Wells (i)<br />
LITERAE HUMANIORES I<br />
Class I: Mr T Sherwin, Miss K Watson<br />
MATHEMATICS (3)<br />
Class I: Miss X Chen<br />
Class II: Miss R Collins (i)<br />
MATHEMATICS (4)<br />
Class I: Mr C Tomer, Mr E Devane<br />
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS (4)<br />
Class I: Miss L McLelland, Mr H Thorogood
Class II: Miss T Sahyoun (i), Mr C Xu (ii)<br />
UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS & PRIZES | COLLEGE AWARDS & PROMOTIONS<br />
MEDICAL SCIENCES<br />
Class II: Miss K Al-Hourani (i), Mr C Damant (i),<br />
Miss R Joseph (i), Mr A Maynard (i), Miss J Poole (i)<br />
MUSIC<br />
Class II: Miss N Tyrwhitt-Drake (i)<br />
PPE<br />
Class II: Miss R Birchall (i), Mr P Bryant (i), Mr M Eager (i),<br />
Mr C Mockford (i), Miss H Simms (i),<br />
Mr B Skliar-Ward (i)<br />
PHYSICS (3)<br />
Class I: Miss S Weatherhead<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
PHYSICS (4)<br />
Class I: Mr M Adcock, Mr H Beeson, Mr T Gillam,<br />
Mr M Martin, Mr R Pendray<br />
Class II: Mr J Leeuwenburgh (i), Mr C Park (i), Mr R Tovey (i)<br />
SPANISH & RUSSIAN (COURSE B)<br />
Class II: Mr T Barrett (i)<br />
Undergraduate Awards & Prizes<br />
<strong>College</strong> Awards & Promotions<br />
RENEWALS<br />
POSTMASTERSHIPS<br />
For a third year:<br />
Miss S N Weatherhead (Physics)<br />
Mr L Wells (Law with LSE)<br />
For a second year:<br />
Miss K Al-Hourani (Medicine)<br />
Mr A Artley (Classics)<br />
Mr H Beeson (Physics)<br />
Miss S Boraston (Modern Languages)<br />
Mr E Devane (Mathematics)<br />
Mr T Gillam (Physics)<br />
Mr M Martin (Physics)<br />
Mr M R Rabone (Classics & Modern Languages)<br />
Mr T Sherwin (Classics)<br />
Miss I Sutton (Classics & Modern Languages)<br />
Miss H Walsh (Classics & Oriental Studies)<br />
Miss K Watson (Classics)<br />
EXHIBITIONS<br />
For a third year:<br />
Mr M A Abdul Rahim (Law)<br />
Mr T Barrett (Modern Languages)<br />
Miss E Drabkin-Reiter (Law)<br />
Mr S Fuchs (Economics & Management)<br />
Miss C Sage (Law)<br />
Mr R Tovey (Physics)<br />
For a second year:<br />
Mr N Allsopp (English)<br />
Miss E Barker (English)<br />
Mr P Bryant (PPE)<br />
Mr C Bowland (History)<br />
Miss L Ehrenh<strong>of</strong>er (English & Modern Languages)<br />
Miss C Fehst (Economics & Management)<br />
Miss W C Fu (Physics)<br />
Mr S Kolli (Mathematics & Philosophy)<br />
Mr A Linsley (Economics & Management)<br />
Miss C Parker (Modern Languages)<br />
Mr C Parker (Mathematics & Philosophy)<br />
Miss S Robinson-Caturla (History & Modern Languages)<br />
Mr A Sampson (History & Modern Languages)<br />
PROMOTIONS<br />
POSTMASTERSHIPS<br />
Mr N Allsopp (English)<br />
Miss E Barker (English)<br />
75
RECORDS UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS & PRIZES | COLLEGE PRIZES<br />
Mr T Chachamu (Mathematics)<br />
Miss X Chen (Mathematics)<br />
Mr L Collins (Chemistry)<br />
Mr R Day (History)<br />
Mr M Fox (Physics)<br />
Mr S Gray (History)<br />
Mr B Green (Mathematics)<br />
Mr N Gunn (Chemistry)<br />
Miss C Holliss (History)<br />
Mr R Jeffrey (Physics)<br />
Mr P Kaufman (Chemistry)<br />
Mr M LeDoux (Classics)<br />
Mr J H C McMillan (Chemistry)<br />
Mr X Meng (Mathematics)<br />
Miss M O Duill (Chemistry)<br />
Mr J Nation (History)<br />
Mr J Neuhaus (Chemistry)<br />
Mr R Pendray (Physics)<br />
Miss C Price (History)<br />
Mr M Raymond (Mathematics & Computer Science)<br />
Mr S Sanmugarajah (Physics)<br />
Mr J Sharman (Mathematics)<br />
Miss S Thurston (History)<br />
Mr J Warriner (English)<br />
Mr L W K Wong (Chemistry)<br />
EXHIBITIONS<br />
Mr L Bosko (Mathematics & Computer Science)<br />
Mr B Challen (Chemistry)<br />
Miss M Foord-Weston (Biological Sciences)<br />
Miss K Light (Modern Languages & Linguistics)<br />
Mr O Lloyd (Law)<br />
Mr D Main (Chemistry)<br />
Mr A Malik (Medicine)<br />
Mr J Gibson (Physics)<br />
Miss T Goodchild (Mathematics & Philosophy)<br />
Mr C Grant (Mathematics & Philosophy)<br />
Miss H Guggiari (Mathematics)<br />
Mr S Hall (Classics)<br />
Mr T Khotavivattana (Chemistry)<br />
Mr R Knight (Modern Languages)<br />
Mr F Lang (Physics)<br />
76 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Mr A Learoyd (History & Politics)<br />
Mr M Lee (History)<br />
Mr C Lester (Mathematics)<br />
Mr O Mason (Chemistry)<br />
Miss C Meehan (Modern Languages)<br />
Mr R Millar (Physics)<br />
Mr C Sandford (Chemistry)<br />
Miss E Sands (History)<br />
Miss E Tann (Mathematics)<br />
Mr L Wallrich (PPE)<br />
Mr B Walpole (Mathematics & Philosophy)<br />
Miss Z Zhou (Chemistry)<br />
There were in all 41 Postmasters and 49 Exhibitioners at the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> the year.<br />
<strong>College</strong> Prizes<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> who had achieved First Classes in Schools<br />
or Mods, or Distinctions in Prelims, Law Moderations or the First<br />
BM, were given <strong>College</strong> book prizes. Members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong><br />
who had been awarded <strong>University</strong> prizes were given <strong>College</strong><br />
book prizes.<br />
Fowler Prizes for good work in Collections were awarded to:<br />
Mr A Abdul Rahim (2)<br />
Mr N Allsopp<br />
Miss F Austin (2)<br />
Mr A Bajjon (2)<br />
Mr T Barrett<br />
Mr W Bennett<br />
Mr N Black (2)<br />
Miss S Boraston (3)<br />
Mr J Brown<br />
Mr J Burr (2)<br />
Mr B Challen (2)<br />
Mr Y Chen<br />
Mr L Collins (2)<br />
Mr M Constable<br />
Miss K Crean<br />
Mr D Crowe<br />
Mr K Davis<br />
Mr R Day<br />
Miss N Dockray (2)<br />
Miss L Ehrenh<strong>of</strong>er (2)<br />
Miss C Fehst<br />
Mr R Fern (2)<br />
Mr T Foster<br />
Mr M Fox (2)<br />
Miss R Fu<br />
Mr S Fuchs<br />
Mr M Geeson<br />
Mr A Geraldini (2)<br />
Miss T Goodchild<br />
Miss E Graham<br />
Mr C Grant<br />
Miss D Gudmunsen (2)<br />
Miss H Guggiari<br />
Mr S Hall (2)<br />
Mr D Harper (2)<br />
Miss S Harrison
Miss H Hasan<br />
Miss C Holliss<br />
Miss P Hudson<br />
Miss C Hull<br />
Mr R Jeffrey<br />
Mr J Kaikkonen (3)<br />
Mr P Kaufman (2)<br />
Mr T Khotavivattana (2)<br />
Miss P Koulia (2)<br />
Mr C Lake (2)<br />
Mr F Lang (2)<br />
Mr K Ljundstrom Kahn<br />
Mr O Lloyd<br />
Mr P Mahony (2)<br />
Mr M Marowka (2)<br />
Miss C Mason (2)<br />
Mr O Mason (2)<br />
Miss S McAvoy<br />
Mr L McClymont<br />
Miss R Mitchell<br />
Mr T Moorthy<br />
Mr S Murrant<br />
Mr J Neuhaus (2)<br />
Miss S Norman<br />
Mr A Oulsnam<br />
Mr I Peer (3)<br />
Miss C Price (2)<br />
Mr M Rabone (3)<br />
Miss C Sage (2)<br />
Miss A Salvage<br />
Mr A Sampson<br />
Mr C Sanford (2)<br />
Miss E Sands<br />
Mr S Sanmugarajah (2)<br />
Mr M Schmidbaur (2)<br />
Miss N Shah (2)<br />
Mr T Sherwin<br />
Mr J Sumner<br />
Miss I Sutton (3)<br />
Mr W Tan<br />
Miss E Tann<br />
Miss S Thurston<br />
Mr A Turnbull (3)<br />
Miss A Turner<br />
Miss H Walsh<br />
Mr J Warriner (3)<br />
Miss K Watson (2)<br />
Miss S Wood (3)<br />
Mr A Woolley (2)<br />
Miss L Zhou (2)<br />
Miss Z Zhou<br />
UNIVERSITY PRIZES<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
Other <strong>College</strong> prizes were awarded as follows:<br />
Mr S Gray, Conrad Russell Prize (joint award)<br />
Mr S Hall, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Passmore Edwards Prize in Classics<br />
(joint award)<br />
Mr O Hayward, F E Smith Memorial Mooting Prize (joint 2nd)<br />
Mr G Hogan, F E Smith Memorial Mooting Prize (1st )<br />
Miss R Joseph, William Harvey Anatomy prize: for the best<br />
performance at fi rst class level in the Anatomy exam<br />
Mr O Lloyd, Norton Rose Prize for the best performance in<br />
Law Mods by a <strong>Merton</strong> student<br />
Miss S Love, F E Smith Memorial Mooting Prize (joint 2nd)<br />
Mr F McIntosh, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Passmore Edwards Prize in Classics<br />
(joint award)<br />
Miss C Prize, Conrad Russell Prize (joint award)<br />
Mr J Sumner, Sam McNaughton Prize<br />
Miss S Thurston, Conrad Russell Prize (joint award)<br />
<strong>University</strong> Prizes<br />
Mr O Lloyd, <strong>University</strong> Prize for Criminal Law Moderations<br />
Paper<br />
Mr S Hall, Harold Lister Sunderland Prize 2011, Second Proxime<br />
Mr J Harrison, Commendation for Practical Work in the Part A<br />
Physics Examination<br />
Miss S Harrison, Wilder Penfi eld Prize<br />
Mr T Khotavivattana, Eisai Prize: 2nd Prize for performance in<br />
Chemistry Part 1A<br />
Mr F Lang, Commendation for Practical Work in the Part A<br />
Physics Examination<br />
Mr O Lloyd, Slaughter and May Prize for the best peformance in<br />
Criminal Law Moderations<br />
Miss S Norman, Eric Newsholme Prize<br />
Mr P Parameshway, Chancellow’s Latin Verse Prize 2011 –<br />
Proxime Accessit<br />
Miss R Price, Wilder Penfi eld Prize<br />
Mr C Sandford, Eisai Prize: 4th Prize for performance in<br />
Chemistry Part IA<br />
Miss L Serocold, C E Stevens and Charles Oldham Scholarship<br />
Miss I Sutton, Ramon Silva Prize for Spoken Spanish<br />
77
RECORDS DEGREE<br />
Graduate Degrees, Awards and Prizes<br />
The following graduates completed during the year 2010-11:<br />
DPHIL<br />
Dr J R Arnold (Cardiovascular Medicine), Mr R P Bazzani (Clinical<br />
Laboratory Sciences), Mr K H Benam (Clinical Medicine),<br />
Mr M L Blow (Theoretical Physics), Ms M E Brook (Modern<br />
Languages), Mr T Chantavat (Astrophysics), Ms X Chen (Chinese<br />
Studies), Mr N T Crump (Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry),<br />
Ms M Fiascaris (Physics: Particle & Nuclear), Ms C J Frieman<br />
(European Archaeology), Mr K Fujimoto (Philosophy), Mr A<br />
Genot (Condensed Matter Physics), Mr M M Hanna (Music), Ms<br />
M M Hipp (Clinical Medicine), Mr S Jacob (Clinical Neurology),<br />
Mr F Jaoui (Economics), Mr D A King (Classical Languages<br />
& Literature), Mr G B S Lim (Cardiovascular Medicine), Mr<br />
C Loenarz (Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry), Ms C E Oon<br />
(Medicine, Medical Oncology), Ms L K Nunns (Classics), Ms<br />
S Promel (Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry), Mr O Rivero-<br />
Arias (Public Health), Mr M N Shabalin (Japanese Studies),<br />
Mr B Sheard (Atomic & Laser Physics), Mr E So (Physical &<br />
Theoretical Chemistry), Ms E J Toomey (Management Studies),<br />
Mr J E Upcher (Law), Mr D A Wilkinson (Molecular & Cellular<br />
Biochemistry)<br />
EMBA<br />
Mr O Obineke, Mr R Pinkerton<br />
BPHIL<br />
Ms S Malik, Mr A Salam<br />
MPHIL<br />
Ms S Divald (European Politics & Society), Mr G Morello<br />
(Modern Chinese Studies), Mr L A Hill-Cawthorne (Law), Mr<br />
L Hopkins (Greek and/or Roman History – Distinction), Mr V<br />
Petrov (Modern British and European History – Distinction), Mr<br />
M Uy (Musicology), Mr I Zurimendi (Economics)<br />
MLITT<br />
Mr U Carrillo Cabrera (Social Policy & Social Work)<br />
78 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
MPHIL QUALIFYING EXAMINATION<br />
Ms S Bathurst (Modern Chinese Studies), Ms E Bauer (Modern<br />
Chinese Studies), Ms A Brandt (Development Studies), Mr A<br />
Brassil (Economics), Mr O Farid (European Politics & Society –<br />
Partial Pass), Mr C Gray (Modern British & European History), Mr<br />
W Kane (Modern Chinese Studies), Mr P L<strong>of</strong>quist (Economics),<br />
Ms A Miles (International Relations), Mr J Monahan (Economics),<br />
Ms E Mowforth (Music Composition), Ms Y Tao (Economics –<br />
Partial Pass), Mr C M Wai (Economics)<br />
MSC<br />
Mr A Hassanali (Law & Finance), Mr I Khazanchi (Mathematical<br />
& Computational Finance), Mr S Ng (Law & Finance – Distinction)<br />
MST<br />
Mr W Beharrell (English 1550-1700), Ms K Gedgaudaite (Modern<br />
Languages – Distinction), Ms Y-C Kim (Greek and/or Roman<br />
History), Ms E McCausland (English 650-1550 – Distinction),<br />
Mr B Reece (Ancient Philosophy – Distinction)<br />
2ND BM<br />
Ms G Baines, Mr D Chandrasekharan (Distinction), Dr C Davison<br />
(Distinction), Ms H Gresty, Mr O Khalin, Mr L Lewis (Music<br />
Composition), Mr R Ma<br />
BCL<br />
Ms A Irving (Distinction), Mr S Pibworth (Distinction), Mr K von<br />
Csefalvay-Bartal<br />
MJURIS<br />
Mr M Micciche, Ms E Siskou<br />
DIPLOMA<br />
Ms L Arnolds (Legal Studies – Distinction)
Graduate members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> who were awarded <strong>University</strong><br />
Prizes were as follows:<br />
Mr D Chandrasekhran, Radcliffe Infi rmary Essay Prize in Surgery<br />
2011<br />
Ms A Irving, Vinerian Scholarship Proxime Accessit<br />
Ms A Irving, Law Faculty Prize in Criminal Justice and Human<br />
Rights<br />
Ms A Irving, Law Faculty Prize in Medical Law and Ethics<br />
Mr S Ng, Allen and Overy Prize in Corporate Insolvency Law<br />
DEGREE<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
Mr S Ng, Law Faculty Prize in Principles <strong>of</strong> Financial Regulation<br />
Mr S Ng, Overall Best Performance in MSc Law and Finance<br />
Ms S Ng, First Principles <strong>of</strong> Financial Economics<br />
Mr S Ng, Law and Economics <strong>of</strong> Corporate Transactions<br />
Mr K von Csefalvay-Bartal, Allen and Overy Prize in Transnational<br />
Commercial Law<br />
Other <strong>College</strong> Prizes were awarded as follows:<br />
Mr J Waterlow, The Rajiv Kapur prize for graduate research in<br />
History<br />
79
RECORDS COLLEGE STAFF<br />
<strong>College</strong> Staff<br />
Name Position First Appointed<br />
Mrs K Adamczyk Housekeeping Supervisor 01/11/2007<br />
Mrs SA Allen Hall Assistant 07/07/1998<br />
Mrs J Ashford Administrative Assistant 26/02/2007<br />
Miss J Baker Cleaner 02/01/2004<br />
Mr SG Barber Second Chef 01/11/1999<br />
Mr AS Batey Lodge Porter 14/04/2001<br />
Miss H Bednarczyk Lodge Porter 04/01/2011<br />
Miss SL Bird Chef de Partie 08/10/2001<br />
Ms L Bond Assistant Warden’s Secretary 03/10/2000<br />
Mr S Bowdery Deputy IT Manager 01/04/2011<br />
Mr MR Bowdler Publications & Web Offi cer 02/01/2008<br />
Mr C Bridgman Chef de Partie 29/09/2003<br />
Mr D Brown Third Chef 02/01/2007<br />
Mr D S Brundell Chef de Partie 13/11/2000<br />
Miss R Bryant Domestic Bursar’s Secretary 13/09/2010<br />
Miss NA Bushnell Bar Assistant 22/09/2008<br />
Mr RL Butler Steward 26/02/1979<br />
Mrs RM Butler Chef de Partie 08/05/1981<br />
Mr WJ Carr Asst Accommodation<br />
& Conference Porter 14/01/2009<br />
Mrs Z Clark Hall Assistant 13/11/2000<br />
Miss M Cwyl Cleaner 01/12/2009<br />
Mrs H D’Arcy Cleaner 13/04/2004<br />
Mr G da Assumpcao SCR Assistant 07/03/2011<br />
Mrs R da Silva Cleaner 11/01/2011<br />
Mr D Dobson General Support Assistant 04/01/1999<br />
Mr A Doman <strong>College</strong> Plumber 27/02/2006<br />
Mrs AM Donnelly Scout 22/07/1996<br />
Mr M dos Santos<br />
de Oliveira Cleaner 05/01/2011<br />
Miss JM Durkin Housekeeper 02/06/1986<br />
Mr M Furse Senior Gardener 02/01/2007<br />
Miss I Gaweda Cleaner 01/12/2009<br />
Mrs J Gerhardi Admissions Offi cer 02/01/1991<br />
80 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Name Position First Appointed<br />
Mr PJ Goodhall Scout 24/11/1988<br />
Mr DJ Grainger Head Butler 31/08/1988<br />
Mr PJ Guildea Lodge Porter 22/09/1989<br />
Ms ST Hague Accommodation Manager 02/02/2009<br />
Mrs C Haines <strong>College</strong> Nurse 27/09/2010<br />
Mr DN Haines Kitchen Porter 20/08/2001<br />
Mr E Hamdi Hall Supervisor 27/01/2006<br />
Miss G Hanson Gardener 28/03/2011<br />
Mrs MN Harris Bursary Clerk 16/05/2001<br />
Miss N Harrison Estates Administrator 23/07/2007<br />
Mr CR Hedges Maintenance Assistant 01/04/1988<br />
Mr DA Hedges Bar Manager 12/10/1987<br />
Dr P H<strong>of</strong>fman Library Assistant 14/01/2011<br />
Miss S Hood Development Assistant 21/03/2011<br />
Mrs C Hume Chef de Partie 01/08/1996<br />
Mrs A Jas Cleaner 04/01/2011<br />
Mr MD Jeffs Surveyor 12/02/1979<br />
Mr JC Jones Caretaker/Cleaner 22/07/2002<br />
Miss A Joseph Cleaner 04/01/2011<br />
Mr CD Joyce Kitchen Porter 29/07/2002<br />
Mr A Kaseer Kitchen Porter 14/02/2005<br />
Mr R Kendall Lodge Porter 24/11/2008<br />
Mr KB Keogh Head Porter 21/08/1992<br />
Mr A Kessler Catering Assistant 15/10/2007<br />
Mrs HJ Kingsley Alumni Relations Manager 09/09/2002<br />
Miss J Kirby Fellows’ Secretary 06/08/1990<br />
Mr I Knight Accommodation<br />
& Conference Porter 13/07/2009<br />
Mr GM Krispijn Library Assistant 22/10/2003<br />
Miss L Lawrence Warden’s Secretary 01/09/2003<br />
Mrs C Lewis Assistant Librarian 07/05/2002<br />
Miss V Lill Academic Administrator 16/01/2006<br />
Mr JS Lisle Groundsman 17/10/1988<br />
Mrs NK Lisle Pavilion Catering Assistant 01/10/1996
COLLEGE STAFF<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
RECORDS<br />
Name Position First Appointed Name Position First Appointed<br />
Mr P Macallister Commis Chef 22/10/2007<br />
Mrs AS Mahmood Cleaner 30/04/2002<br />
Mrs NS Mahmood Cleaner 23/04/2001<br />
Ms C Massey Conference Manager 05/01/2009<br />
Mr JP McVeigh Hallman/Storeman 15/10/1990<br />
Miss A Miech Cleaner 01/02/2007<br />
Miss M Miesiac Cleaner 01/05/2008<br />
Miss J Morley Hall Supervisor 14/03/1994<br />
Mrs CP Morton Estates Secretary 18/09/2000<br />
Mr RJ Moss Database Offi cer 09/02/2009<br />
Mrs G Norridge Payroll/Personnel Administrator 25/06/2007<br />
Mrs DL O’Connell Fundraising Offi cer 20/10/2008<br />
Miss MK Panasewicz SCR Assistant 15/09/2008<br />
Mr J Parkinson Lodge Porter 18/04/2011<br />
Mr J Pawlowski Caretaker 24/10/2005<br />
Mr DJ Pike Lecture Theatre Supervisor 22/06/2010<br />
Mrs M Ponting Catering Assistant 29/10/2007<br />
Mrs LJ Pullen Scout 19/10/1998<br />
Mr JA Reid Archivist 02/12/2002<br />
Miss L Reveley Bursary Clerk 11/02/2002<br />
Mr SL Richards Lodge Porter 07/10/1985<br />
Mr AJ Richardson Deputy Head Porter 04/01/2005<br />
Miss L Savin Head Gardener 07/10/2002<br />
Miss J Selmoser Cleaner 01/11/2008<br />
Mr CE Shackell Accountant 20/01/2003<br />
Mrs M Skalik Assistant Head Butler 10/08/2005<br />
Mrs K Stepien Cleaner 02/10/2006<br />
Mr M Teixeira Cleaner 04/01/2011<br />
Mr JE Tomkins Assistant Groundsman 11/08/1997<br />
Mrs CL Turner Cleaner 27/03/2000<br />
Miss K Tworkowska SCR Assistant 15/11/2010<br />
Mr DW Tyrrell Gardener 01/02/2010<br />
Mr A Urquhart Lodge Porter 06/08/2007<br />
Mr IR Walker Lodge Porter 19/07/2010<br />
Mrs LS Walsh Sub Warden’s Secretary 16/11/1987<br />
Mr A Walters Schools Liaison & Access Offi cer 22/06/2009<br />
Mr M Wender Head Chef 20/09/1999<br />
Miss E Wesolowska Cleaner 15/01/2010<br />
Mr RJ Wiggins Decorator 16/03/1987<br />
Mr R Williams Lodge Porter 31/03/2008<br />
Mr S Williams IT Manager 17/07/2000<br />
Mrs K Wolinska Cleaner 10/01/2011<br />
Mrs L Wycherley Library Assistant 24/02/2003<br />
Mrs HL Young Bursary Clerk 02/06/2003<br />
81
PUBLICATIONS FELLOWS<br />
Publications<br />
Fellows<br />
Sourjik, V & JP Armitage (2010) ‘Spatial organization in<br />
bacterial chemotaxis’, EMBO J 29: 2724-2733<br />
Porter, SL, GH Wadhams & JP Armitage (2011) ‘Signal<br />
processing in complex chemotaxis pathways’ Nature Revs<br />
Microbiol 9:153-65<br />
Hamadeh, A, MAJ Roberts, E August, PE McSharry, PK Maini,<br />
JP Armitage & A Papachristodoulou (2011) ‘Feedback<br />
control architecture and the bacterial chemotaxis network’<br />
PLoS Comp Biol 7(5): e1001130.<br />
Delalez, N, MJ Leake, GH Wadhams, RM Berry & JP<br />
Armitage (2010) ‘Dynamics <strong>of</strong> protein turnover in the<br />
functioning rotor <strong>of</strong> the bacterial fl agellar motor’ PNAS<br />
107:11347-51<br />
Scott, KA, SL Porter, EAL Bagg, R Hamer, JL Hill, D<br />
Wilkinson & JP Armitage (2010) ‘Phosphotransfer and<br />
localization specifi city <strong>of</strong> Rhodobacter sphaeroides CheAs<br />
is critical for chemotaxis’ Mol Micro 76: 318–330<br />
Barr, AJ, P Konar, K Matchev, MPark, CG Lester & TJ Khoo,<br />
‘A storm in a ‘T’ cup: transverse projections and massconstraining<br />
variables’, arXiv:1105.2977<br />
Barr, AJ (ed.) (2011) ATLAS Collaboration ‘Search for squarks<br />
and gluinos using final states with jets and missing transverse<br />
momentum with the ATLAS detector in �s = 7 TeV protonproton<br />
collisions’, Physics Letters B701:186-203<br />
Barr, AJ (2011) ‘Search for supersymmetry using fi nal states<br />
with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum<br />
with the ATLAS detector in sqrt{s} = 7 TeV pp collisions’<br />
ATLAS Collaboration, Physical Review Letters 106, 131802<br />
Barr, AJ (2010) ‘Performance <strong>of</strong> the ATLAS Detector using<br />
First Collision Data’, ATLAS Collaboration, Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
High Energy Physics 1009:056<br />
Kunz, MW, AA Schekochihin, SC Cowley, JJ Binney & JS<br />
Sanders (2011) ‘A thermally stable heating mechanism<br />
for the intracluster medium: turbulence, magnetic fi elds<br />
and plasma instabilities’, Monthly Notices <strong>of</strong> the Royal<br />
Astronomical Society 410, 2446<br />
82 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Bostock, D (2010) ‘Whitehead and Russell on Points’, Philosophia<br />
Mathematica 18 1:52<br />
Bostock, D (2011) ‘Note on Heterologocality’ Analysis 71 252-259<br />
Carey, J, (2010) Three Homeric Hymns: To Apollo, Hermes and<br />
Aphrodite, text with introduction and commentary (Cambridge)<br />
Chen-Wishart, M (2010) Contract and Reciprocity: The Hochelega<br />
Annual Lectures <strong>of</strong> the Hong Kong <strong>University</strong> Law Faculty<br />
Chen-Wishart, M (2010) Contract Law, 3rd edition (<strong>Oxford</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Press)<br />
Chen-Wishart, M (2010) ‘Transparency and Fairness in Bank<br />
Charges’ Law Quarterly Review 126 157-162<br />
Chen-Wishart, M (2010) ‘A Bird in the Hand: Consideration and<br />
One-Sided Contract Modifi cations’ Contract Formation and<br />
Parties eds. AS Burrows and E Peel (<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press)<br />
Atherton, HJ, MS Dodd, LC Heather, MA Schroeder, JL Griffi n,<br />
GK Radda, K Clarke & DJ Tyler (2011) ‘Role <strong>of</strong> pyruvate<br />
dehydrogenase inhibition in the development <strong>of</strong> hypertrophy<br />
in the hyperthyroid rat heart: A combined magnetic resonance<br />
imaging and hyperpolariszed magnetic resonance spectroscopy<br />
study’ Circulation 123: 2552-2561.<br />
Edwards, LM, AJ Murray, CJ Holloway, EE Carter, GJ Kemp, I<br />
Codreanu, H Brooker, DJ Tyler, PA Robbins & K Clarke (2010)<br />
‘Short-term consumption <strong>of</strong> a high-fat diet impairs whole-body<br />
effi ciency and cognitive function in sedentary men’ FASEB J 25:<br />
1088-1096.<br />
Formenti F, D Constantin-Teodosiu, Y Emmanuel, J Cheeseman,<br />
KL Dorrington, LM Edwards, SM Humphreys, TRJ Lappin, MF<br />
McMullin, CJ McNamara, W Mills, JA Murphy, DF O’Connor,<br />
MJ Percy, PJ Ratcliffe, TG Smith, M Treacy, KN Frayn, PL<br />
Greenhaff, F Karpe, K Clarke & PA Robbins (2010) ‘Regulation<br />
<strong>of</strong> human metabolism by hypoxia-inducible factor’ PNAS 107:<br />
12722–12727.<br />
Heather LC, CA Carr, DJ Stuckey, S Pope, KJ Morten, EE Carter,<br />
LM Edwards & K Clarke (2010) ‘Critical role <strong>of</strong> complex III<br />
in the early metabolic changes following myocardial infarction’<br />
Cardiovasc Res 85: 127-36.<br />
Holloway CJ, HE Montgomery, AJ Murray, LE Cochlin, I<br />
Codreanu, N Hopwood, AW Johnson, OJ Rider, DZ-H Levett,<br />
DJ Tyler, JM Francis, S Neubauer, MPW Grocott, K Clarke<br />
& Caudwell Xtreme Everest Research Group (2011) ‘Cardiac<br />
response to hypobaric hypoxia: persistent changes in cardiac<br />
mass, function, and energy metabolism after a trek to Mt. Everest<br />
Base Camp’ FASEB J. 25: 792-6
Biswas, S, MD Dicks, CA Long, EJ Remarque, L Siani, S Colloca,<br />
MG Cottingham, AA Holder, SC Gilbert, AV Hill & SJ Draper<br />
(2011) ‘Transgene Optimization, Immunogenicity and In Vitro<br />
Effi cacy <strong>of</strong> Viral Vectored Vaccines Expressing Two Alleles <strong>of</strong><br />
Plasmodium falciparum AMA1’ PLoS ONE 6:e20977<br />
Douglas, AD, L Andrews, SJ Draper, K Bojang, P Milligan,<br />
SC Gilbert, EB Imoukhuede & AV Hill (2011) ‘Substantially<br />
Reduced Pre-patent Parasite Multiplication Rates Are Associated<br />
With Naturally Acquired Immunity to Plasmodium falciparum’<br />
J Infect Dis 203:1337-40<br />
Douglas, AD, SC de Cassan, MD Dicks, SC Gilbert, AV Hill &<br />
SJ Draper (2010) ‘Tailoring subunit vaccine immunogenicity:<br />
Maximizing antibody and T cell responses by using combinations<br />
<strong>of</strong> adenovirus, poxvirus and protein-adjuvant vaccines against<br />
Plasmodium falciparum MSP1’ Vaccine 28:7167-78<br />
Draper, SJ, S Biswas, AJ Spencer, EJ Remarque, S Capone, M<br />
Naddeo, MDJ Dicks, BW Faber, SC de Cassan, A Folgori, A<br />
Nicosia, SC Gilbert, & AVS Hill (2010) ‘Enhancing blood-stage<br />
malaria subunit vaccine immunogenicity in rhesus macaques<br />
by combining adenovirus, poxvirus, and protein-in-adjuvant<br />
vaccines’ J Immunol 185:7583-95<br />
Goodman, AL, C Epp, D Moss, AA Holder, JM Wilson, GP Gao,<br />
CA Long, EJ Remarque, AW Thomas, V Ammendola, S Colloca,<br />
MD Dicks, S Biswas, D Seibel, LM van Duivenvoorde, SC<br />
Gilbert, AV Hill, & SJ Draper (2010) ‘New candidate vaccines<br />
against blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria: primeboost<br />
immunization regimens incorporating human and simian<br />
adenoviral vectors and poxviral vectors expressing an optimized<br />
antigen based on merozoite surface protein 1’ Infect Immun<br />
78:4601-12.<br />
Dunnill, MS, (2010) ‘Victor Horsley (1857-1916) in World War I,<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Medical Biography 18: 186-193<br />
Grimley, D (2010) Nielsen and the Idea <strong>of</strong> Modernism (Boydell)<br />
Grimley, M, (2011) ‘The Dog that Didn’t Bark: The Failure <strong>of</strong><br />
Disestablishment since 1927’ The Established Church: Past,<br />
Present, Future eds. M Chapman, J Maltby & W Whyte (T&T<br />
Clark)<br />
Gunn, SJ (2010), ‘Archery practice in early Tudor England’, Past<br />
and Present 209, 53-81<br />
Loenarz, C, ML Coleman, A Boleininger, B Schierwater, PWH<br />
Holland, PJ Ratcliff & CJ Sch<strong>of</strong>i eld (2010) ‘The hypoxiainducible<br />
transcription factor pathway regulates oxygen sensing<br />
FELLOWS<br />
PUBLICATIONS<br />
in the simplest animal, Trichoplax adhaerens’ EMBO Reports 12:<br />
63-70<br />
Li, G & PWH Holland (2010) ‘The origin and evolution <strong>of</strong> ARGFX<br />
homeobox loci in mammalian radiation’ BMC Evol Biol 10:182<br />
Butts, T, PWH Holland & DEK Ferrier (2010) ‘Ancient homeobox<br />
gene loss and the evolution <strong>of</strong> chordate brain and pharynx<br />
development: deductions from amphioxus gene expression’ Proc<br />
Roy Soc B 277:3381-89<br />
Mulley, JF & PWH Holland (2010) ‘Parallel retention <strong>of</strong> Pdx2<br />
genes in cartilaginous fi sh and coelacanths’ Molec Biol Evol<br />
27:2386-91<br />
Zhong, Y & PWH Holland (2011) ‘The dynamics <strong>of</strong> vertebrate<br />
homeobox gene evolution: gain and loss <strong>of</strong> genes in mouse and<br />
human lineages’ BMC Evol Biol 11:169<br />
Schnupp J, I Nelken, & A King (2010) Auditory Neuroscience:<br />
Making Sense <strong>of</strong> Sound (MIT Press)<br />
King, AJ, & JC Middlebrooks (2011) ‘Cortical representation<br />
<strong>of</strong> auditory space’, The Auditory Cortex, eds. JA Winer & CE<br />
Schreiner (Springer)<br />
Walker, KMM, JK Bizley, AJ King & JWH Schnupp (2011)<br />
‘Cortical encoding <strong>of</strong> pitch: recent results and open questions’<br />
Hearing Research<br />
King, AJ, FR Nodal, & VM Bajo (2011) ‘Neural circuits underlying<br />
adaptation and learning in the perception <strong>of</strong> auditory space’<br />
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews<br />
Rabinowitz, NC, BD Willmore BD, JWH Schnupp, & AJ King<br />
(2011) ‘Contrast gain control in auditory cortex’ Neuron<br />
Wicks K & JC Knight (2011) ‘Transcriptional repression and<br />
DNA looping associated with a novel regulatory element in the<br />
fi nal exon <strong>of</strong> the lymphotoxin beta gene’ Genes and Immunity<br />
12:126-135<br />
Fairfax P, E Davenport, S Makino, AVS Hill, OF Vannberg &<br />
Knight JC (2011) ‘A common haplotype <strong>of</strong> the tumour necrosis<br />
factor receptor 2 gene modulates endotoxin tolerance’ Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Immunology 186:3058-3065<br />
Maugeri N, J Radhakrishnan & JC Knight (2010) ‘Genetic<br />
determinants <strong>of</strong> HSP70 gene expression following heat shock’<br />
Human Molecular Genetics 19:4939-4947<br />
Ramagopalan SV, Heger A, Berlanga AJ, Maugeri NJ, Lincoln<br />
MR, Handunnetthi L, Orton S, Handel AE, Watson CT, Morahan<br />
JM, Giovannoni G, Ponting CP, Ebers GC, & Knight JC (2010)<br />
‘A ChIP-seq defi ned genome-wide map <strong>of</strong> vitamin D receptor<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
83
PUBLICATIONS FELLOWS<br />
binding: associations with disease and evolution’ Genome<br />
Research 20:1352-1360<br />
Fairfax BP, F Vannberg, J Radhakrishnan, H Hakonarson, BJ<br />
Keating, AVS Hill & JC Knight (2010) ‘An integrated expression<br />
phenotype mapping approach defi nes common variants in LEP,<br />
ALOX15 and CAPNS1 associated with induction <strong>of</strong> IL-6’<br />
Human Molecular Genetics 19:720-730<br />
Maclachlan, IG (2011) ‘Blanchot and the Romantic Imagination’,<br />
Blanchot Romantique: A Collection <strong>of</strong> Essays, eds. J McKeane<br />
& H Opelz (Peter Lang)<br />
Gaston, S & IG Maclachlan (eds.) (2011) Reading Derrida’s ‘Of<br />
Grammatology’ (Continuum)<br />
Mairs, R (2011) ‘Translator, Traditor: The Interpreter as Traitor in<br />
Classical Tradition’ Greece & Rome 58:64-81<br />
Mairs, R (2011) ‘Acrostich Inscriptions at Kalabsha (Roman<br />
Talmis): Cultural Identities and Literary Games’ Chronique<br />
d’Égypte 86:251-267<br />
Mairs, R (2011) ‘The Places in Between: Model and Metaphor<br />
in the Archaeology <strong>of</strong> Hellenistic Arachosia’ From Pella to<br />
Gandhara: Hybridisation and Identity in the Art and Architecture<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Hellenistic East eds. A Kouremenos, S Chandrasekaran &<br />
R Rossi (<strong>Oxford</strong>: BAR)<br />
Mairs, R (2011) The Archaeology <strong>of</strong> the Hellenistic Far East: A<br />
Survey. Bactria, Central Asia and the Indo-Iranian Borderlands,<br />
c. 300 BC – AD 100 (British Archaeological Reports International<br />
Series 2196) <strong>Oxford</strong>: BAR<br />
May, RM (2010) ‘Tropical Arthropod Species: More or Fewer’<br />
Science 329 41-42<br />
Haldane A & RM May (2011) ‘Systemic Risk in Banking<br />
Ecosystems’ Nature 469 351-355<br />
Haldana, A & RM May (2011) ‘The birds and the bees, and the<br />
big banks’ Financial Times, 21 st February<br />
May, RM (2010) ‘Ecological Science and Tomorrow’s World’<br />
Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B 365 41-47<br />
May, RM & N Arinaminpathy (2010) ‘The Dynamics <strong>of</strong> Model<br />
Banking Systems’ J. Roy. Soc. Interface 7 823-838<br />
McCabe, RA (2011) The <strong>Oxford</strong> Handbook <strong>of</strong> Edmund Spenser<br />
(<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press), xxiii + 805pp<br />
McCabe, RA (2011) ‘Edmund Spenser’, The Cambridge<br />
Companion to English Poets, ed. C Rawson (Cambridge<br />
<strong>University</strong> Press) 53-71<br />
84 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Metcalfe, R, N Powdthavee & P Dolan (2011) ‘Destruction<br />
and distress: using a quasi-experiment to show the effects <strong>of</strong><br />
the September 11 attacks on subjective well-being in the UK’<br />
Economic Journal 121: F81-F103<br />
Dolan, P, R Layard & R Metcalfe (2011) Recommendations<br />
<strong>of</strong> subjective wellbeing measures for the Offi ce <strong>of</strong> National<br />
Statistics, Report for the ONS<br />
Eliott, A, P Dolan, I Vlaev, C Adriaenssens & R Metcalfe (2010)<br />
Transforming fi nancial behaviour, Report for the Consumer<br />
Financial Education Body<br />
Brandler, WM, TS Scerri, S Paracchini, AP Morris, SM Ring, AJ<br />
Richardson, JB Talcott, J Stein, & AP Monaco (2011) ‘PCSK6<br />
is associated with handedness in individuals with dyslexia’,<br />
Human Molecular Genetics 20 (3):608-614<br />
Novák, B, PK Vinod, P Freire & O Kapuy (2010) ‘Systems-level<br />
feedbacks in cell cycle control’ Biochem Soc. Trans.<br />
Novák B, O Kapuy, MR Domingo-Sananes & JJ Tyson (2010)<br />
‘Regulated protein kinases and phosphatases in cell cycle<br />
decisions’ Curr Opin Cell Biol.<br />
Domingo-Sananes, MR & B Novák (2010) ‘Different effects <strong>of</strong><br />
redundant feedback loops on a bistable switch’ Chaos<br />
Vinod, PK, P Freire, A Rattani, A Ciliberto, F Uhlmann & B Novák<br />
(2011) ‘Computational modelling <strong>of</strong> mitotic exit in budding<br />
yeast: the role <strong>of</strong> separase and Cdc14 endocycles’ Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Royal Society Interface<br />
He, E, O Kapuy, RA Oliveira, F Uhlmann, JJ Tyson & B Novák<br />
(2011) ‘System-level feedbacks make the anaphase switch<br />
irreversible’ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA<br />
Healy, AJ, HA Reeve, A Parkin & KA Vincent (2011) ‘Electrically<br />
conducting particle networks in polymer electrolyte as threedimensional<br />
electrodes for hydrogenase electrocatalysis’<br />
Electrochim. Acta In Press<br />
Lee, C-Y, GP Stevenson, A Parkin, MM Roessler, RE Baker,<br />
K Gillow, DJ Gavaghan, FA Armstrong & AM Bond (2011)<br />
‘Theoretical and experimental investigation <strong>of</strong> surfaceconfi<br />
ned two-center metalloproteins by large-amplitude Fourier<br />
transformed ac voltammetry’ Journal <strong>of</strong> Electroanalytical<br />
Chemistry 656:293-303<br />
Wait, AF, A Parkin, GM Morley, L dos Santos & FA Armstrong<br />
(2010) ‘Characteristics <strong>of</strong> enzyme-based hydrogen fuel cells<br />
using an oxygen-tolerant hydrogenase as the anodic catalyst’<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Physical Chemistry C 114:12003-9
Lukey, MJ, A Parkin, MM Roessler, BJ Murphy, J Harmer,<br />
T Palmer, F Sargent & FA Armstrong (2010) ‘How Escherichia<br />
coli is equipped to oxidize hydrogen under different redox<br />
conditions’ JBC 285:3928-38<br />
Basnayake, SD, JA Hyam, EA Pereira, PM Schweder, J-S Brittain,<br />
TZ Aziz, AL Green, & DJ Paterson (2011) ‘Identifying<br />
cardiovascular neurocircuity involved in the exercise pressor<br />
refl ex in humans using functional neurosurgery’ J. Appl. Physiol.<br />
110:881-891<br />
Herring, N, CW Lee, N Sunderland, K Wright, & DJ Paterson<br />
(2011) ‘Pravastatin normalizes peripheral cardiac sympathetic<br />
hyperactivity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat’ J. Mol. Cell.<br />
Cardiol. 50(1):99-106<br />
Hunter, P, B Smaill, N Smith, & DJ Paterson (2011) ‘The heart<br />
physiome project’ WIREs System Biology and Medicine In press<br />
Payne, J & L Gullifer (2011) Corporate Finance Law: Principles<br />
and Policy (Hart Publishing)<br />
Payne, J (2011) ‘Schemes <strong>of</strong> Arrangement, takeovers and Minority<br />
Shareholder Protection’, Journal <strong>of</strong> Corporate Law Studies<br />
67-97<br />
Payne J (2011) ‘Minority Shareholder Protection in Takeovers: A<br />
UK Perspective’, European Company and Financial Review<br />
Prag, JRW (2011) ‘Provincia Sicilia: between Roman and local in<br />
the third century BC’, De Fronteras a provincias. Interacción e<br />
integración en Occidente (ss.III-I aC), ed. E García Riaza (Palma<br />
de Mallorca: Ediciones Universitat de les Illes Balears)<br />
Prag, JRW (2011) ‘Troops and commanders: auxilia externa under<br />
the Roman Republic’, Truppe e Comandanti nel mondo antico,<br />
eds. D Bonanno, R Marino & D Motta (Palermo) = � � ����,<br />
Quaderni di storia antica, n.s. 2 (2010).<br />
Prag, JRW (2011) ‘Siculo-Punic Coinage and Siculo-Punic<br />
Interactions’ Meetings between Cultures in the Ancient<br />
Mediterranean. Proceedings <strong>of</strong> the 17th International Congress<br />
<strong>of</strong> Classical Archaeology, Rome 22-26 Sept. 2008, ed. M Dalla<br />
Riva.<br />
Prag, JRW (2010) ‘Sicilia Romana tributim discripta’, Le tribù<br />
romane. Atti della XVIe Rencontre sur l’épigraphie (Bari 8-10<br />
ottobre 2009), ed. M Silvestrini (Bari: Edipuglia).<br />
Romaine, S (2010) ‘19th century key words, key semantic domains<br />
and affect: “In the rich vocabulary <strong>of</strong> Love ‘Most dearest’ be a<br />
true superlative”’, Studia Neophilologica 82:12-48.<br />
Romaine, S (2011) ‘Identity and multilingualism’, Bilingual<br />
FELLOWS<br />
PUBLICATIONS<br />
youth: Spanish in English-speaking societies eds. K Potowski &<br />
J Rothman, Chapter 1. 7-30 (Amsterdam: John Benjamins)<br />
Highcock, EG, M Barnes, AA Schekochihin, FI Parra, CM Roach<br />
& SC Cowley (2010) ‘Transport bifurcation in a rotating tokamak<br />
plasma’, Physical Review Letters 105, 215003<br />
Uzdensky, DA, NF Loureiro & AA Schekochihin (2010) ‘Fast<br />
magnetic reconnection in the plasmoid-dominated regime’,<br />
Physical Review Letters 105, 235002<br />
Nazarenko, SV & AA Schekochihin (2011) ‘Critical balance<br />
in magnetohydrodynamic, rotating and stratifi ed turbulence:<br />
towards a universal scaling conjecture’, Journal <strong>of</strong> Fluid<br />
Mechanics 677, 134<br />
Rosin, MS, AA Schekochihin, F Rincon & SC Cowley (2011)<br />
‘A nonlinear theory <strong>of</strong> the parallel fi rehose and gyrothermal<br />
instabilities in a weakly collisional plasma’, Monthly Notices <strong>of</strong><br />
the Royal Astronomical Society 413, 7<br />
Kunz, MW, AA Schekochihin, SC Cowley, JJ Binney & JS Sanders<br />
(2011) ‘A thermally stable heating mechanism for the intracluster<br />
medium: turbulence, magnetic fi elds and plasma instabilities’,<br />
Monthly Notices <strong>of</strong> the Royal Astronomical Society 410, 2446<br />
Scott, AD (2011), ‘Szemerédi’s Regularity Lemma for matrices<br />
and sparse graphs’, Combinatorics, Probability and Computing<br />
20: 455-466<br />
Bollobás, B & AD Scott (2011), ‘Intersections <strong>of</strong> graphs’, J. Graph<br />
Theory 66: 261-282<br />
Loebl, M, B Reed, S Thomassé, AD Scott & AG Thomason (2010),<br />
‘Almost all H-free graphs have the Erdős-Hajnal property’, in An<br />
Irregular Mind (Szemerédi is 70), Bolyai Soc. Math. Stud., 21,<br />
Springer, Berlin, 405-414<br />
Bollobás, B & AD Scott (2010), ‘Max k-cut and judicious<br />
k-partitions’, Discrete Math. 310: 2126-2139<br />
Fey, M & AD Scott, (2011) ‘The minimal covering set in large<br />
tournaments’, Social Choice and Welfare<br />
Shue, H (2010) ‘Deadly Delays, Saving Opportunities: Creating A<br />
More Dangerous World?’, Climate Ethics: Essential Readings,<br />
eds. SM Gardiner, S Caney, D Jamieson, and H Shue (<strong>Oxford</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Press), 146-62<br />
Shue, H (2011) ‘Civilian Protection and Force Protection’, Ethics,<br />
Law and Strategy, ed. D Whetham (Palgrave Macmillan), 135-47<br />
Shue, H (2011) ‘Human Rights, Climate Change, and the Trillionth<br />
Ton’, The Ethics <strong>of</strong> Global Climate Change, ed. DG Arnold<br />
(Cambridge <strong>University</strong> Press), 292-314<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
85
PUBLICATIONS GRADUATES<br />
Shue, H (2011) ‘Target-selection Norms, Torture Norms, and<br />
Growing US Permissiveness’, The Changing Character <strong>of</strong> War,<br />
ed. H Strachan & S Scheipers (<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press, 2011),<br />
464-83<br />
Shue, H (2011) ‘Face Reality? After You! - A Call for Leadership<br />
on Climate Change’, Ethics & International Affairs 25:1, 17-26<br />
Walden, JS, (2010) ‘Performing the Rural: Sonic Signifi ers in Early<br />
Twentieth-Century Violin Playing’ Before and After Music ed. L<br />
Navickaite˙-Martinelli. Vilnius/Helsinki: Lithuanian Academy <strong>of</strong><br />
Music and Theatre, and Umweb, International Semiotics Institute<br />
Walden JS, (2010) ‘Recent Research on Musical Performance<br />
and Sound Recording’ Musica Humana 2.1 (Spring): 89-98<br />
Walworth, J & D d’Avray (2010) ‘The Council <strong>of</strong> Trent and Print<br />
Culture. Documents in the Archive <strong>of</strong> the Congregatio Concilii’<br />
in Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 121, 2, 189-204<br />
Warry, P (2010) ‘Legionary Tile Production in Britain’, Britannia<br />
Warry, P (2011) ‘Chapter 10: The Ceramic Building Material’,<br />
Silchester: the City in Transition: the Mid-Roman Occupation <strong>of</strong><br />
Insula IX, c.AD125-250/300. A Report on Excavation undertaken<br />
since 1997 MG Fulford & A Clarke, Britannia Monograph No.25<br />
Wedgwood, R (2011) ‘Gandalf’s Solution to the Newcomb<br />
Problem’ Synthese, Online First (15 March): 1-33.<br />
Graduates<br />
Agarwal, S et al. (2010) ‘Revisiting Date and Party Hubs:<br />
Novel Approaches to Role Assignment in Protein Interaction<br />
Networks’, PLoS Computational Biology 6(6):e1000817<br />
Auger, P (2010), ‘The Natural History <strong>of</strong> The Silkewormes, and<br />
Their Flies’, CahiersÉlisabéthains 78 39-45<br />
Auger, P (2010), ‘Recreation and William Alexander’s Doomes-<br />
Day (1637)’, Scottish Literary Review 2.2 1-21<br />
Bajlekov, SI et al. (2011). ‘Simulation <strong>of</strong> free-electron lasers<br />
seeded with broadband radiation’, Physical Review Special<br />
Topics - Accelerators and Beams 14, 060711<br />
Barmeier, H (2010) ‘Resilient Urban Community Gardening<br />
Programs in the United States and Municipal-Third Sector<br />
Adaptive Co-Governance’, Presented at the Second Annual<br />
European Sustainable Food Planning Conference<br />
Bishop, CA et al. (2011) ‘Novel Fast Marching for Automated<br />
Segmentation <strong>of</strong> the Hippocampus (FMASH): Method and<br />
86 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Wedgwood, R (2010) ‘The Nature <strong>of</strong> Normativity: Reply to Holton,<br />
Railton, and Lenman’ Philosophical Studies 151 (3): 479-491.<br />
Wedgwood, R (2010). ‘The Moral Evil Demons’ Disagreement<br />
eds. R Feldman and T Warfi eld (<strong>Oxford</strong>: Clarendon Press).<br />
Whitworth, MH (2011) ‘Natural Science’, T. S. Eliot in Context<br />
ed. J Harding (Cambridge <strong>University</strong> Press)<br />
Whitworth, MH (2011) ‘“Within the ray <strong>of</strong> light” and without:<br />
The New Physics and Modernist Simultaneity’, Restoring the<br />
Mystery <strong>of</strong> the Rainbow: Literature’s Refraction <strong>of</strong> Science eds.<br />
V Tinkler-Villani and CC Barfoot (Rodopi)<br />
Whitworth, MH (2011) ‘The Use <strong>of</strong> Science in Hugh MacDiarmid’s<br />
Later Poetry’, The Edinburgh Companion to Hugh MacDiarmid<br />
eds. M Palmer McCulloch and S Lyall (Edinburgh <strong>University</strong><br />
Press)<br />
Wren-Lewis, S (2010), ‘Macroeconomic Policy in light <strong>of</strong> the<br />
credit crunch: the return <strong>of</strong> counter-cyclical fi scal policy?’,<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> Review <strong>of</strong> Economic Policy vol 26 71-86<br />
Leith, C and S Wren-Lewis (2011), ‘Discretionary Policy in a<br />
Monetary Union with Sovereign Debt’, European Economic<br />
Review vol 55 93-117<br />
Wright, P (2011) ‘Memories <strong>of</strong> 1971; A Historic Year in the<br />
Emirates’, Royal Society <strong>of</strong> Asian Affairs<br />
Validation on Clinical Data’, NeuroImage 55 1009-1019<br />
Bishop, CA et al. (2011) ‘Jenkinson and the Alzheimer’s Disease<br />
Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Accounting for changes in<br />
data and labeling protocol: improving atlas-based hippocampal<br />
segmentation’, The Organization on Human Brain Mapping,<br />
Quebec<br />
Tziortzi, AC, G Douaud, P Shotbolt, CA Bishop et al. (2010) ‘A<br />
combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and [11C]-(+)-PHNO<br />
positron emission tomography (PET) study to quantify dopamine<br />
D3/D2 receptors in pallidum’ Neuroreceptor Mapping Congress,<br />
Glasgow<br />
Bishop, CA et al. (2010) ‘Evaluation <strong>of</strong> hippocampal segmentation<br />
methods for healthy and pathological subjects’, Eurographics<br />
Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine,<br />
Leipzig<br />
Bishop, CA et al. (2010) ‘Evaluation <strong>of</strong> four hippocampal<br />
segmentation methods for healthy and pathological subjects’,
The Organization on Human Brain Mapping, Barcelona<br />
Brandler, WM, TS Scerri, S Paracchini, AP Morris, SM Ring, AJ<br />
Richardson, JB Talcott, J Stein, & AP Monaco (2011) ‘PCSK6<br />
is associated with handedness in individuals with dyslexia’,<br />
Human Molecular Genetics 20 (3):608-614<br />
Brook, M (2011) ‘Keeping the myth alive: the myth <strong>of</strong> August the<br />
Strong in the GDR’, Austausch 1<br />
Dedeic, Z et al. (2011) ‘Emerin inhibits Lmo7 binding to the Pax3<br />
and MyoD promoters and expression <strong>of</strong> myoblast proliferation<br />
gene’ J Cell Sci 124, 1691-1702<br />
Disanto, G et al. ‘The emerging role <strong>of</strong> vitamin D binding protein<br />
in multiple sclerosis’ J Neurol. 258(3):353-358<br />
Disanto, G et al. (2011) ‘HLA-DRB1 confers increased risk <strong>of</strong><br />
pediatric-onset MS in children with acquired demyelination’<br />
Neurology 76(9):781-786<br />
Disanto, G et al. (2011) ‘Estrogen-vitamin D interaction in multiple<br />
sclerosis’ Fertil Steril. 95(1):e3; author reply e4<br />
Disanto, G et al. (2011) ‘Season <strong>of</strong> birth and anorexia nervosa’ Br<br />
J Psychiatry 198(5):404-405<br />
Disanto, G et al. (2010) ‘Heterogeneity in multiple sclerosis:<br />
scratching the surface <strong>of</strong> a complex disease’ Autoimmune Dis.<br />
932351<br />
Vinod, PK, P Freire et al. (2011) ‘Computational modelling <strong>of</strong><br />
mitotic exit in budding yeast – the role <strong>of</strong> separase and Cdc14<br />
endocycles’, J R Soc. Interface, doi:10.1098/rsif.2010.0612<br />
(published online)<br />
Freire, P, Zhang T (2011) ‘Two legs are better than one’, Cell<br />
Cycle 10(8):1189-90 (published online)<br />
Ginalis, A, ‘The Northern Sporades. An important junction <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Aegean trading routes’, Graeco-Arabica<br />
Ginalis, A, ‘A comparison <strong>of</strong> maritime traditions in the Red Sea,<br />
Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean’, Graeco-Arabica 12<br />
Ginalis, A, ‘The provincial harbours <strong>of</strong> Hellas and Thessaly in<br />
the Byzantine period. The question <strong>of</strong> Roman heritage and its<br />
importance for Byzantium’, Skyllis 10<br />
Gould, IC et al. (2011) ‘Indexing the graded allocation <strong>of</strong><br />
visuospatial attention using anticipatory alpha oscillations’,<br />
J Neurophysiology 105(3):1318-26<br />
Heise, V et al. (2011) ‘The APOE varepsilon4 allele modulates brain<br />
white matter integrity in healthy adults’, Molecular Psychiatry<br />
Higgins, C (2011), ‘Archives, Oral History and Australian Refugee<br />
Policy’, Circa: the Journal <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Historians vol. 2,<br />
69-73<br />
GRADUATES<br />
PUBLICATIONS<br />
Hinch, AG et al., ‘The landscape <strong>of</strong> recombination in African<br />
Americans’, Nature<br />
Hirschfeld, M (2011) ‘Croatian cinematic identity: A Balkan<br />
entity or a European individual?’, Studies in Eastern European<br />
Cinema vol. 2:1 21–36.<br />
Hopkinson, MN (2011) et al. ‘Au I /Au III Catalysis: An Alternative<br />
Approach for C-C Oxidative Coupling’, Chem. Eur. J. DOI:<br />
10.1002/chem.201100736<br />
Hollingworth, C, A Hazari, MN Hopkinson et al. (2011)<br />
‘Palladium-Catalyzed Allylic Fluorination’, Angew. Chem. Int.<br />
Ed. 50, 2613-2617<br />
Li, L, MN Hopkinson et al. ‘Convergent 18 F Radiosynthesis:<br />
A New Dimension for Radiolabelling’, Chem. Sci. 2, 123-131<br />
Hopkinson, MN et al. (2010) ‘Gold Catalysis and Fluorine’, Isr. J.<br />
Chem. 50, 675-690<br />
Hopkinson, MN et al. (2010) ‘Gold-Catalyzed Cascade<br />
Cyclization-Oxidative Alkynylation <strong>of</strong> Allenoates’, Org. Lett.<br />
12, 4904-4907<br />
Huang, C & M Baum ‘A rational basis for the chemoprevention <strong>of</strong><br />
prostate cancer’, American Journal <strong>of</strong> Bioethics In press<br />
Baum, M & C Huang (2011) ‘Is diminished free will legally<br />
relevant and is enhanced free will possible?’, AJOB Neuroscience<br />
2(3):59-61<br />
Jones, SM et al. ‘Validation <strong>of</strong> a norovirus multiplex real-time RT-<br />
PCR assay for the detection <strong>of</strong> norovirus GI and GII from faeces<br />
samples’, Br J Biomed Sci 68(3); 116-119<br />
Frandsen, MT, F Kahlhoefer et al. ‘On the DAMA and CoGeNT<br />
Modulations’, arXiv:1105.3734<br />
Bezrukov, F, F Kahlhoefer et al. (2011) ‘Interplay between<br />
scintillation and ionization in liquid xenon Dark Matter searches’,<br />
arXiv:1011.3990. Accepted for publication in Astroparticle<br />
Physics<br />
O’Sullivan, MC, JK Sprafke, DV Kondratuk et al. (2011)<br />
‘Vernier templating and synthesis <strong>of</strong> a 12-porphyrin nano-ring’,<br />
Nature 2011, 469, 72-75<br />
Ladwig III, WC (2011) ‘Looking East 2 (East Asia/Australasia)’,<br />
A Handbook <strong>of</strong> India’s International Relations ed. David Scott<br />
(London: Routledge)<br />
Ladwig III, WC (2010) ‘India and Military Power Projection:<br />
Will the Land <strong>of</strong> Gandhi Become a Conventional Great Power?’,<br />
Asian Survey vol. 50, no. 6<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
87
PUBLICATIONS GRADUATES<br />
Erickson, AS, WC Ladwig III & JD Mikolay (2010) ‘Diego Garcia<br />
and America’s Emerging Indian Ocean Strategy’, Asian Security<br />
vol. 6, no. 3<br />
Lancaster, T, JS Möller et al. (2011) ‘Observation <strong>of</strong> a level<br />
crossing in a molecular nanomagnet using implanted muons’,<br />
J. Phys. Condens. Matter 23 242201 doi: 10.1088/0953-<br />
8984/23/24/242201<br />
Prodi, E (2011) ‘Note a P.Oxy. 2459 (Eur. frr. 540-540b K.)’,<br />
Eikasmos 22<br />
Prodi, E (2011) ‘Bacchylides’, ‘Lyric (Greek)’, ‘Pindar’, ‘Sappho’<br />
and ‘Stesichorus’, The Virgil Encyclopedia eds. R Thomas & JM<br />
Ziolkowski (Wiley and Blackwell: Malden)<br />
Rabinowitz, NC et al. (2011) ‘Control in Auditory<br />
Cortex’, Neuron 70, 1178-1191<br />
Ong, C-HL, & SJ Ramsay (2011) ‘Verifying hi gher-order<br />
functional programs with pattern-matching algebraic data<br />
types’ Proceedings <strong>of</strong> the 38th annual ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT<br />
symposium on Principles <strong>of</strong> programming languages (Austin,<br />
Texas, USA, ACM)587-598<br />
Sengupta, S (2011) ‘Defending “Differentiation”: India’s Foreign<br />
Policy on Climate Change from Rio to Copenhagen’, India’s<br />
Foreign Policy and National Security, Vol.1 eds. K Bajpai & HV<br />
Pant (<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press: New Delhi/<strong>Oxford</strong>)<br />
Sengupta, S (2011) ‘International climate negotiations and India’s<br />
role’, A Handbook on Climate Change and India: Development,<br />
Politics and Governance ed. N Dubash (<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press:<br />
New Delhi/<strong>Oxford</strong>)<br />
88 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Sherlock, BE et al. (2011) ‘Time-averaged adiabatic ring potential<br />
for ultracold atoms’, Phys. Rev. A 83, 043408<br />
de Silva, N (2010) ‘A Concise, Elementary Pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> Arzelà’s<br />
Bounded Convergence Theorem’ Am Mathematical Monthly<br />
Stephenson A (2011) ‘Kant on Non-Veridical Experience’, Kant<br />
Yearbook 3 1-22<br />
Goris, T AF Wait et al. (2011) ‘A Unique Iron-Sulfur Cluster is<br />
Crucial for Oxygen Tolerance <strong>of</strong> a [NiFe]-Hydrogenase’, Nature<br />
Chemical Biology doi:10.1038/nchembio.555<br />
Wait, AF et al. (2011) ‘Formaldehyde-A Rapid and<br />
Reversible Inhibitor <strong>of</strong> Hydrogen Production by [FeFe]-<br />
Hydrogenases’, Journal <strong>of</strong> the American Chemical Society 133,<br />
(5), 1282-1285<br />
Wait, AF et al. (2010) ‘Characteristics <strong>of</strong> Enzyme-Based Hydrogen<br />
Fuel Cells Using an Oxygen-Tolerant Hydrogenase as the Anodic<br />
Catalyst’, Journal <strong>of</strong> Physical Chemistry C 114, (27), 12003-<br />
12009<br />
Olteanu, D & J Závodný (2011) ‘On Factorisation <strong>of</strong> Provenance<br />
Polynomials’, Proc. 3rd USENIX Workshop on the Theory and<br />
Practice <strong>of</strong> Provenance (TaPP), Heraklion, Crete<br />
Zocco, A & A Schekochihin ‘Reduced fl uid-kinetic equations<br />
for low-frequency dynamics, magnetic reconnection and<br />
electron heating in low-beta plasmas’ arXiv:1104.4622v1<br />
[physics.plasm-ph]
The <strong>Merton</strong> Society<br />
The Society’s year started in October with<br />
a drinks party in the City <strong>of</strong> London, held<br />
in freezing conditions on the open terrace<br />
<strong>of</strong> a wine bar in Broadgate. <strong>Merton</strong>ians,<br />
however, are not easily deterred and a hardy<br />
group <strong>of</strong> about 25 <strong>Merton</strong>ians braved the<br />
cold for an enjoyable gathering.<br />
Our annual London dinner at the<br />
Royal Society in November provided the<br />
opportunity for the Society to welcome the<br />
newly installed Warden and Lady Taylor.<br />
The presence <strong>of</strong> the new Warden was a<br />
compelling attraction, and 140 <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
and guests gathered in Carlton House<br />
Terrace. This was an appropriate setting for<br />
Sir Martin, himself a Past Vice President<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Royal Society. In his address he<br />
noted some signifi cant numbers: the Royal<br />
Society celebrated its 350th anniversary in<br />
2010, and Sir Martin spoke <strong>of</strong> his pleasure<br />
on learning that he was to become the<br />
50th Warden, as <strong>Merton</strong> approaches its<br />
own 750th anniversary. The Warden was<br />
welcomed by Sir Brian Leveson (1967),<br />
presiding over his fi rst event since assuming<br />
the Presidency <strong>of</strong> the Society.<br />
For the Society’s weekend in <strong>College</strong> on<br />
2nd-3rd July, proceedings opened with the<br />
Warden’s Strawberry Tea, with the <strong>College</strong><br />
and gardens resplendent in bright sunshine.<br />
We then moved to the TS Eliot Theatre,<br />
where new ground was broken as we<br />
welcomed the Shakespeare Schools Festival<br />
and a group <strong>of</strong> talented young actors from<br />
Penketh High School, near Warrington, who<br />
performed a 30-minute version <strong>of</strong> Othello,<br />
remarkably condensing Shakespeare’s play<br />
to achieve brevity without sacrifi cing either<br />
intensity or vitality. Their performance was<br />
followed and complemented by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Richard McCabe whose analysis added<br />
immeasurably to our understanding and<br />
appreciation (fi ring this writer, at least, with<br />
an unaccustomed enthusiasm to revisit the<br />
original play). We are indebted to Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
McCabe, and to the Warden and Lady<br />
Taylor, whose encouragement played an<br />
important part in bringing this project to<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
At dinner in Hall, Oliver Miles (1956)<br />
spoke about the situation in Libya and<br />
shared some refl ections on his own<br />
experience as ambassador to Libya,<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON SOCIETY<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS<br />
JO (1985) AND DECLAN WOODS AT THE T S ELIOT THEATRE OPENING<br />
including his departure in 1984 following<br />
the breaking <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> diplomatic relations on<br />
the murder <strong>of</strong> WPC Yvonne Fletcher. Then<br />
on Sunday morning we returned to the<br />
TS Eliot Theatre where Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Henry<br />
Mayr-Harting (1954) gave a captivating<br />
illustrated talk on art and power under the<br />
Ottonian Emperors, not only enlightening<br />
us as to the distinction between the rule<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Ottonian Emperors around the turn<br />
<strong>of</strong> the fi rst millennium, and the Ottoman<br />
Empire several centuries later, but also<br />
impressing the audience with the wealth<br />
<strong>of</strong> understanding that can be drawn from<br />
observation <strong>of</strong> the art <strong>of</strong> the period.<br />
89
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS <strong>MER</strong>TON SOCIETY<br />
FELLOWS, JONATHAN THACKER AND<br />
ALAN BARR AT THE 750TH ANNIVERSARY<br />
CAMPAIGN LAUNCH<br />
Looking ahead, we are planning a London<br />
drinks party on Thursday 13th October,<br />
at The Bunghole in Holborn, to which<br />
all <strong>Merton</strong>ians are welcome, particularly<br />
those who have recently graduated and are<br />
new to the Society’s events. Then on 18th<br />
November our London dinner will be held in<br />
the Middle Temple Hall. The Development<br />
Offi ce will keep you fully informed, and<br />
the Alumni & Friends section <strong>of</strong> the college<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Society Council<br />
President<br />
Sir Brian Leveson (1967)<br />
Vice Presidents<br />
Dame Jessica Rawson (1994)<br />
Mrs Judith Roberts<br />
AM Vickers (1958)<br />
Chairman<br />
SAL Tross Youle (1974)<br />
Secretary<br />
RB Peberdy (1975)<br />
90 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
website is regularly updated with the latest<br />
news about future events. We are grateful to<br />
all <strong>of</strong> you who support our events, and we<br />
welcome your comments and your ideas for<br />
future Society events.<br />
The Society owes everything to those<br />
who help to run its programmes and I<br />
would like to thank the Development Offi ce<br />
team <strong>of</strong> Christine Taylor, Helen Kingsley,<br />
Matt Bowdler, Daphne O’Connell, Rob<br />
Moss and Sarah Hood, our President Sir<br />
Brian Leveson, Secretary Robert Peberdy,<br />
Treasurer Cliff Webb, golf Chairman Tom<br />
Hennessy, year representatives’ leader<br />
Anna Smith and her team, our Council<br />
members, and the heads <strong>of</strong> the JCR and<br />
MCR. We are immensely grateful to our<br />
new Warden, who in the short time since<br />
his installation has already given such<br />
enthusiastic encouragement and support to<br />
our events, and we thank all <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong><br />
staff who look after us so well whenever we<br />
return to <strong>Merton</strong>. We give thanks too to Sir<br />
Michael Jenkins and Adrian Vickers, who<br />
stepped down last year after sterling service<br />
as, respectively, President and Chairman <strong>of</strong><br />
the Society. They both deserve our enduring<br />
Treasurer<br />
CR Webb (1967), Bursar<br />
Past Presidents<br />
Sir Michael Jenkins OBE (1951)<br />
Sir Jeremy Isaacs (1951)<br />
Sir Robert Scott (1963)<br />
Lord Wright <strong>of</strong> Richmond GCMG (1951)<br />
WP Cooke CBE (1952)<br />
DW Swarbrick (1945)<br />
Sir Maurice Hodgson (1938)<br />
ED RANALLO (1967) AND RICHARD BOATS<br />
appreciation and gratitude for all that they<br />
have done for the Society over many years.<br />
Before closing I would draw your<br />
attention to the Society’s Compassionate<br />
Fund, which exists to <strong>of</strong>fer assistance to<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians or their close relatives who fi nd<br />
themselves in straitened circumstances. If<br />
you know <strong>of</strong> a case for consideration, do<br />
please contact the Development Offi ce.<br />
Simon Tross Youle (1974)<br />
Council<br />
AJ Barr (2007, Fellow), JDS Booth (1976),<br />
AJ Bott (1953), RTF Crothers (1993), CAC<br />
Jenkins (1977), CL Jolly (1998), The Revd<br />
Dr Simon Jones (Chaplain), JAD Lamming<br />
(2004), RG McKelvey (1959), RMA Medill<br />
(1952), RO Miles (1956), PJ Parsons (1958),<br />
AL Smith (1991), Pr<strong>of</strong> BN Winston (1960),<br />
HJ Woods (1983) and NL Wynn-Evans<br />
(1992)
MC3<br />
Philadelphia, the City <strong>of</strong> Brotherly Love,<br />
was the setting for the MC3 Annual Meeting<br />
and Reunion over the April 1 weekend. This<br />
visit to the ‘Athens <strong>of</strong> America’ followed<br />
previous meetings in New York, Boston,<br />
Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco,<br />
Toronto and Chicago.<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians welcomed the new Warden,<br />
Sir Martin Taylor and were delighted that<br />
he was accompanied by his gracious wife,<br />
Sharon. In a weekend <strong>of</strong> highlights, we were<br />
also privileged, thanks to the generosity<br />
<strong>of</strong> Reed Rubin, to greet the <strong>Merton</strong> choir<br />
and enjoy their inaugural appearances in<br />
the United States as they began a tour <strong>of</strong><br />
well received concerts from Philadelphia to<br />
New York.<br />
The weekend began on Friday evening<br />
with a reception and dinner at the Vesper<br />
Boat House on Boathouse Row on the banks<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Schuylkill River. The venerable Boat<br />
House was bursting at the seams with over<br />
100 in attendance. There were just a few<br />
short remarks but lovely choir performances<br />
both before and after dinner. Very few <strong>of</strong><br />
those in attendance had heard the choir<br />
before and the wonder and delight were<br />
palpable. The Warden circulated bravely<br />
through the throng and met a great many<br />
old <strong>Merton</strong>ians and new friends.<br />
The annual meeting on Saturday morning<br />
was held in the elegant and historic former<br />
Board Room <strong>of</strong> the Pennsylvania Railroad.<br />
KATIE SHEEHAN (2002) AND CORY WAY (2003)<br />
MC3<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS<br />
According to our custom, Board members,<br />
other <strong>Merton</strong>ians and signifi cant others<br />
joined the meeting. The agenda was packed<br />
with meeting formalities, fi nancial reports<br />
and plans for the future. In a noteworthy<br />
recognition <strong>of</strong> the enormous success <strong>of</strong><br />
MC3 as it approached its third decade, it<br />
was decided that a committee <strong>of</strong> young<br />
alumni seasoned with a few middle-agers<br />
would conduct a serious analysis <strong>of</strong> how<br />
the institution should grow and thrive. Neil<br />
Brown agreed to serve as the chair <strong>of</strong> this<br />
important initiative. A deadline <strong>of</strong> 2014 for<br />
their report was set fi rmly in place.<br />
The fi nancial report from Bob McKelvey<br />
showed that in 2010 MC3 received total<br />
contributions <strong>of</strong> $1.6 million from 130 <strong>of</strong><br />
the approximately 800 <strong>Merton</strong>ians in the<br />
Americas. Major gifts support student<br />
scholarships ($1,045,000), the TS Eliot<br />
Theatre ($315,000) and the Jessica Rawson<br />
Fellowship ($136,000) plus approximately<br />
eight other projects.<br />
The MC3 portfolio enjoyed another<br />
successful year with a return <strong>of</strong> 12.8%<br />
building upon the 2009 return <strong>of</strong> 23.5%<br />
thereby erasing the decline during the 2007-<br />
08 fi nancial crisis. The permanent portfolio<br />
value is $1.65 million. (This does not<br />
include funds earmarked for transmission to<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> in the near term.) This endowment<br />
supports the Permanent Programs MC3<br />
has committed to fund each year including<br />
the Simms Bursaries (hardship aid), the<br />
Americas Scholar (a graduate scholarship),<br />
the Darden Junior Fellowship, and the<br />
Burwell Grant for Chinese Studies.<br />
The Warden and other representatives<br />
then provided an overview <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> as its<br />
750th anniversary approaches. Among other<br />
initiatives a £30 million capital campaign<br />
is under way to coincide with the historic<br />
91
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS MC3<br />
HELEN AND REG HALL (1954) AND HERMAN (1971) AND ALISON WILTON-SIEGEL<br />
anniversary. An Americas Campaign<br />
Committee, chaired by David Harvey,<br />
1957, was announced as in formation. (Now<br />
completed and including Nicholas Allard,<br />
Marla Allard, Susan Cullman, David<br />
Hamer, Reginald Hall, Frank Keefe, John<br />
Kirby, Robert McKelvey, Peter Palmer, Dan<br />
Seymour, and Katie Sheehan.)<br />
After the meeting, <strong>Merton</strong>ians spread out<br />
to sample Philadelphia cuisine. We were<br />
all hampered in this quest by the refusal<br />
<strong>of</strong> our event chairman, Ed Ranallo, to<br />
divulge his favorite venue for the famous<br />
Philadelphia Cheese Steak on the dubious<br />
ground that it was all a matter <strong>of</strong> taste.<br />
We carried on with the extensive list <strong>of</strong><br />
area restaurants he did provide. The most<br />
popular choice appeared to be the Oyster<br />
House for a bivalve feast. Following lunch,<br />
the <strong>Merton</strong>ians reconvened for a bus tour <strong>of</strong><br />
92 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
historic Philadelphia, complete with guides<br />
in 18th-century garb, to visit Independence<br />
Hall and the Old City.<br />
Later Saturday afternoon, the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
choir gave its fi rst formal concert at the<br />
elegant Old St Peter’s Church. A large<br />
crowd <strong>of</strong> Philadelphians joined <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
to applaud a splendid concert <strong>of</strong> ancient and<br />
modern music.<br />
Dinner Saturday was at the reunion<br />
headquarters for the weekend, the Philadelphia<br />
landmark, the Union League.<br />
Approximately 85 <strong>Merton</strong>ians and partners<br />
attended the reception and dinner that<br />
featured the Warden’s lively description <strong>of</strong><br />
events at <strong>Merton</strong> during his inaugural year<br />
and the changes coming to the British educational<br />
system as a result <strong>of</strong> the increasing<br />
fi scal constraints on government support <strong>of</strong><br />
higher education.<br />
JOHN KIRBY (1962)<br />
On Sunday morning we had a privately<br />
guided tour <strong>of</strong> the Philadelphia Museum <strong>of</strong><br />
Art, concluding with a light luncheon on<br />
the museum’s balcony. Many <strong>Merton</strong>ians,<br />
including the Warden, stayed on both at<br />
the Museum and in Philadelphia but the<br />
meeting was <strong>of</strong>fi cially at an end.<br />
Committee chair, Ed Ranallo and<br />
committee members, Charles Scudder<br />
and Craig Smith were warmly thanked for<br />
their work in organizing this splendid<br />
program.<br />
John J Kirby Jr<br />
(1962)
<strong>Merton</strong> in the City<br />
The third meeting <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> in the<br />
City was held on 9th June at the <strong>of</strong>fi ces<br />
<strong>of</strong> PricewaterhouseCoopers near<br />
Embankment. We were informed and<br />
entertained by Alan Giles (1972) as our<br />
guest speaker who spoke to the intriguing<br />
title: ‘Never mind the quality, feel the<br />
loyalty points’. Alan provided both a brief<br />
retrospective <strong>of</strong> his own career in retail,<br />
together with a thoughtful analysis <strong>of</strong> the<br />
current and future challenges facing the<br />
sector.<br />
Alan began by taking us on a whistle-<br />
stop tour through his fascinating and wide-<br />
ranging career, starting from unpromising<br />
beginnings (for a retailer) as a Physics<br />
undergraduate. He provided examples <strong>of</strong><br />
his varied experience, from imposing his<br />
taste on the nation’s women as an ‘electrical<br />
beauty’ buyer through to meeting the<br />
Queen in his role as Managing Director at<br />
Waterstones. In his role as Chief Executive<br />
<strong>of</strong> the HMV Group, Alan described the lows<br />
<strong>of</strong> renegotiating his banking agreements<br />
together with the highs <strong>of</strong> a Stock Exchange<br />
fl otation.<br />
Latterly in his career, Alan was able to<br />
draw on his experience as Chairman <strong>of</strong> Fat<br />
Face, Non-Executive Director at Rentokil<br />
Initial, Non-Executive Board Member at<br />
the Offi ce <strong>of</strong> Fair Trading and Tutor on the<br />
MBA programme at <strong>Oxford</strong>.<br />
Alan devoted the majority <strong>of</strong> his speech<br />
to the current and future issues facing<br />
retailing, emphasising the important role<br />
that the retail industry plays in the UK<br />
economy. In terms <strong>of</strong> the overall context<br />
<strong>of</strong> retailing, Alan reminded us <strong>of</strong> the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> this highly successful sector<br />
which represents 8% <strong>of</strong> UK GDP and 11%<br />
<strong>of</strong> UK employees.<br />
He started talking about the move<br />
from provision <strong>of</strong> goods to provision <strong>of</strong><br />
services. Companies such as Dixons and<br />
Boots Opticians were quoted as examples<br />
<strong>of</strong> companies successfully moving more<br />
towards the potentially higher margin,<br />
less competitive services area. One <strong>of</strong> the<br />
key players in the UK retail sector, Tesco,<br />
accounts for £1 <strong>of</strong> every £7 spent in the UK<br />
market. Alan noted that ‘services’ would<br />
contribute some 15% to Tesco Group<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>i ts this year; indeed Tesco’s ‘Finest’ and<br />
‘Value’ brands were used to market their<br />
broadband <strong>of</strong>ferings.<br />
The talk highlighted the growing<br />
realisation <strong>of</strong> the responsibility to society<br />
<strong>of</strong> the retail sector. Marks & Spencer set a<br />
benchmark with their Plan A campaign in<br />
2007 which contained 100 commitments,<br />
<strong>of</strong> which 62 are described as having now<br />
been delivered. Alan emphasised that this<br />
initiative was clearly not born out <strong>of</strong> altruism<br />
given that it had generated some £50 million<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>i t this year! He noted that the sector<br />
faces very signifi cant sustainability issues,<br />
ranging from the refrigeration and building/<br />
decommissioning challenges <strong>of</strong> retail sites<br />
to the intensive use <strong>of</strong> fertilisers and water<br />
for products such as cotton.<br />
He also saw retailers as being in the fi ring<br />
line, bearing some <strong>of</strong> the brunt <strong>of</strong> society’s<br />
broader concerns on issues such as binge<br />
drinking and obesity. On another issue,<br />
low-cost sourcing had been shown to have<br />
its social responsibility challenges and Alan<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON IN THE CITY<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS<br />
commented on the diffi culties for retailers<br />
in successfully ‘policing’ factories.<br />
Another issue which was touched upon<br />
was multi-channel retailing where nearly<br />
a quarter <strong>of</strong> UK sales were online and,<br />
perhaps more surprisingly, where the UK<br />
had the highest per capita spend online in<br />
the world. However the choice was not a<br />
straightforward one; research suggested<br />
that the most valuable customers are<br />
those who use all main channels, and that<br />
customers move backwards and forwards<br />
between channels so rendering the current<br />
delineation increasingly irrelevant.<br />
Loyalty cards were in the title <strong>of</strong> the<br />
speech and were discussed in some detail<br />
and, in particular, the insights that retailers<br />
obtain from these types <strong>of</strong> scheme. Tesco<br />
Clubcard was launched in 1995 and now<br />
some 80% <strong>of</strong> Tesco transactions are made<br />
using this card. Research suggests that<br />
the take-up rates on <strong>of</strong>fers made via the<br />
Clubcard range between 20% and 50%,<br />
compared to a miserly average 2% for<br />
direct mailing. Alan noted some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
concerns raised regarding the increasingly<br />
ubiquitous loyalty card, both in terms <strong>of</strong><br />
the extent <strong>of</strong> potential invasion <strong>of</strong> privacy<br />
but also moves towards customer-specifi c<br />
pricing where different prices are charged<br />
to different groups. In one retail chain in<br />
the United States, analysis indicates that<br />
the majority <strong>of</strong> discounts go to only 30% <strong>of</strong><br />
the customers.<br />
We moved on to the issue <strong>of</strong> how<br />
the modern world <strong>of</strong> retail provides<br />
consumer empowerment; a world where<br />
smartphones allow consumers to search<br />
prices in store via the barcode and where<br />
retailer websites operated by the likes <strong>of</strong><br />
ASOS and Mothercare seek to attract and<br />
retain customers by encouraging them<br />
93
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS GOLF SOCIETY<br />
(respectively) to discuss fashion trends and<br />
issues for expectant and new mothers.<br />
Alan fi nished with a somewhat sobering<br />
take on the question “What will the high<br />
street look like in 2025?” His answer was<br />
that we will need to work hard to avoid town<br />
centre wastelands; stores will need a real<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> local identity together with easy<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Golf Society<br />
I am very happy to report that the <strong>College</strong><br />
Golf Society is in good health, and even<br />
happier to report that our <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
team are the reigning champions for<br />
2011-12 in the <strong>University</strong> Inter-Collegiate<br />
Tournament – more details later.<br />
Our year began on 24th September, again<br />
at Frilford Heath Golf Club, on a welcome<br />
fi ne day with the course in good condition<br />
and a reasonable fi eld <strong>of</strong> 21 players,<br />
including guests, who continued to produce<br />
improving scores, which has been a feature<br />
<strong>of</strong> our outings over the past couple <strong>of</strong> years<br />
as we have become better acquainted with<br />
the perils <strong>of</strong>fered by the Red course. The<br />
morning’s 18-hole Stableford was won<br />
by Mike Renton (1956) with 35 points.<br />
Runner-up with 33 points was Mike<br />
Jenkins, who over the years has tended<br />
to pick up prizes. The nine-hole afternoon<br />
greensome competition with prizes <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Merton</strong> mugs was won by Richard Allen<br />
and Roger Gould (both 1959) with a<br />
high score <strong>of</strong> 18 points. Seventeen <strong>of</strong> us<br />
including wives and guests and our two<br />
loyal supporters Christine Taylor and Helen<br />
Kingsley from the Development Offi ce,<br />
94 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
access and retailers will need to provide a<br />
‘breathtaking instore experience.’<br />
The audience thoroughly enjoyed the<br />
balance Alan struck between serious<br />
messages regarding the retail sector and<br />
some entertaining anecdotes – some <strong>of</strong> us<br />
who ‘enjoyed’ the TV advert Alan showed<br />
for the unlamented Do-it-All retail chain<br />
retired to the <strong>College</strong> in the evening for our<br />
customary reception and dinner.<br />
Although March this year was a fi ne and<br />
dry month, there was a forecast <strong>of</strong> heavy<br />
rain for our Spring meeting on Friday 18th<br />
March. Rain it did with a vengeance, but<br />
were struck by how much advertising had<br />
moved on since the 1980s.<br />
The evening was wrapped up with a<br />
spirited question and answer session,<br />
followed by drinks and canapés courtesy <strong>of</strong><br />
our hosts.<br />
Richard Weaver (1983)<br />
our golfers battled on manfully. Mark<br />
Price (1964), who has been showing<br />
improving form <strong>of</strong> late, took the honours<br />
with a score <strong>of</strong> 37 points in the morning’s<br />
Stableford – a very creditable performance<br />
in the conditions. Bill Ford (1975), recently<br />
TOM HENNESSY (53) RECEIVES THE CUP FROM ST PETER’S FELLOW<br />
OLIVER NOBEL-WOOD. ALSO, (LEFT TO RIGHT) RICHARD ALLAN (1959),<br />
MARK PRICE (1964) AND ADRIAN VICKERS (1958)
TIM PHILLIPS (1960) ROGER GOULD (1959) AND RICHARD ALLAN (1959)<br />
returned from a golfi ng holiday in Florida,<br />
was second with 33. Fortunately the rain<br />
stopped at lunchtime and fi ne spring weather<br />
returned, encouraging Brian Roberts-Ray<br />
(1956) to win the mugs. The latter’s kitchen<br />
must be taking on a distinctly <strong>Merton</strong>ian<br />
hue – he always seems to be collecting<br />
<strong>College</strong> mugs in the afternoon competitions.<br />
Thirteen <strong>of</strong> us enjoyed our usual reception<br />
and dinner in <strong>College</strong>.<br />
The 14th Inter-Collegiate Competition<br />
was held on 8th April, played on the Red<br />
and Blue courses at Frilford Heath, with<br />
144 competitors from 17 colleges. I was<br />
delighted to be able to fi eld a full team<br />
<strong>of</strong> ten nominated players plus two<br />
reserves. The weather was lovely and both<br />
courses were in fi rst-class condition, and<br />
perhaps at their most benign having been<br />
prepared for the PGA European Challenge<br />
Competition the following week, with the<br />
rough cut back etc. Happily our team took<br />
to their tasks with enthusiasm and no little<br />
skill, providing a score <strong>of</strong> 205 points which<br />
represented the total <strong>of</strong> the best six scores<br />
returned, giving us a commanding lead<br />
over strong teams from Christ Church and<br />
Pembroke (199 each). Our hero fi gures were<br />
Paul Chamberlain (Fellow) 38 points,<br />
Nick Silk (1960) 35, Bill Ford 34, John<br />
Gloag (Fellow) 34, David Holmes (1966)<br />
34 and John Mitchell (1955) 30. The others<br />
GOLF SOCIETY<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TONIANS<br />
in the team were Adrian Vickers (1958),<br />
Mark Price, Michael Edwards (1956)<br />
and Ed Martley (1975), with reserves<br />
Jim Mackie (1955) and Richard Allan.<br />
We didn’t achieve any <strong>of</strong> the individual<br />
prizes but it was a splendid and consistent<br />
team effort, refl ecting the hard work<br />
we have been putting in over the years<br />
at Frilford.<br />
Hertford proved the most convivial and<br />
generous hosts at a reception and dinner,<br />
where I was happy and proud to receive<br />
the cup supported by Messrs Vickers, Allan<br />
and Price and <strong>of</strong> course our number one<br />
supporter Helen.<br />
A very satisfactory result overall, I<br />
believe. We have <strong>of</strong> course featured well<br />
in the competition before, having been<br />
joint fi rst once, second three times and<br />
third twice.<br />
All in all a good and most enjoyable<br />
year, and there is room for both future<br />
success and expansion. We will continue<br />
to take part in these three annual events –<br />
so if you haven’t already done so, why not<br />
join us?<br />
Tom Hennessy (1953)<br />
95
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | UP TO 1948<br />
News <strong>of</strong> Old Members<br />
Up to 1948<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: MICHAEL MILLARD<br />
35 Armorial Road, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV3 6GH<br />
Tel: 02476 414776<br />
The reward <strong>of</strong> being a year correspondent is the pleasure <strong>of</strong> reading<br />
so many (51) interesting letters. The frustration is that <strong>of</strong> being able<br />
to pass on only a little <strong>of</strong> the information received. A strong thread<br />
through many <strong>of</strong> this year’s letters is the fondness for the <strong>College</strong><br />
that many <strong>of</strong> us have.<br />
My wife Elizabeth and I spent a delightful evening at the home <strong>of</strong><br />
Guy (1948) and Mary Harris in the company <strong>of</strong> David (1947) and<br />
Rosemary Tristram. Guy writes that he progresses from integer<br />
to statistic but not yet a cipher. David spent about 20 years with<br />
Guinness in Ireland before returning to England. He has since been<br />
running a plant nursery: he produces quite exciting hybrids.<br />
John Barnes (1942) writes to say that he gave up as a gliding<br />
instructor at the age <strong>of</strong> 70. At some time he represented England<br />
against Scotland in fencing. He fi nally stopped work in the medical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession at the age <strong>of</strong> 77. He comments that the NHS would be<br />
brilliant if patients would stop interrupting the smooth fl ow <strong>of</strong> the<br />
paperwork.<br />
Trevor Fletcher’s (1940) letter emphasises contrasts: between<br />
putting his music recordings into a box the size <strong>of</strong> a lady’s handbag<br />
which will hold the recordings <strong>of</strong> a lifetime and the dozen or so<br />
78s he played in <strong>College</strong> on a hand-cranked machine; that today’s<br />
undergraduates face fi nancial worries whereas his two scholarships<br />
(Postmaster and State) left him with none; that <strong>Merton</strong> taught him<br />
that a university was not just for getting a degree.<br />
James Midwood (1947) and his wife enjoy cruising; in fact they<br />
and I were on the same ship this year but did not meet. He plans a<br />
visit to Newfoundland this year to stay with his brother-in-law Jim<br />
Greene (1949). When home, he is treasurer <strong>of</strong> his parish church.<br />
His grandchildren give him pleasure but he comments that they<br />
appear to face a depressing future, though perhaps our grandparents<br />
thought likewise.<br />
Philip Blakeley (1937) and his wife fi nd their travelling is limited<br />
but they went on a cruise last year and are contemplating another.<br />
96 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Francis Cory-Wright (1947) writes from Little Gaddesden with<br />
a copy <strong>of</strong> a newsletter <strong>of</strong> the Dacorum Heritage Trust <strong>of</strong> which he<br />
is a founding director; lots <strong>of</strong> archaeological work in Hertfordshire<br />
which, as an Old Albanian, I found interesting.<br />
Lawrence Lyle (1941), since retiring from school teaching, has<br />
been Tours Offi cer <strong>of</strong> the Historical Association and has for many<br />
years been closely concerned with the Canterbury Archaeological<br />
Trust. He and his wife hope to complete a fi nal book on Canterbury<br />
for the History Press. He is also an Honorary Steward <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Cathedral.<br />
John Byrt (1947) retired from the Bench in 1999 and since<br />
then has been the legal member <strong>of</strong> the ABTA tribunal. He is also a<br />
trustee <strong>of</strong> the Cotswold Community Trust which provides a home<br />
and education for malfunctioning or abused boys aged 8-16. Like<br />
many <strong>of</strong> us, he is glad to be alive and well.<br />
Brian Campbell (1947) enjoys retirement, still plays the<br />
trumpet, and is still Vice-President <strong>of</strong> the Royal National <strong>College</strong><br />
for the Blind.<br />
I am sorry to say that I received a letter from David Taylor telling<br />
me that his father Christopher Taylor (1940) died peacefully on<br />
11th January 2011. There were two Old <strong>Merton</strong>ians at the funeral<br />
and all the fl owers were chosen in <strong>Merton</strong> colours. I also had a<br />
letter from Adele Crowder, the widow <strong>of</strong> Christopher Crowder<br />
(1941), <strong>of</strong> whom there is an obituary elsewhere in Postmaster.<br />
Michael Hinton (1945) spent 35 years school teaching and then<br />
ten years as a Church <strong>of</strong> England priest. In 2008 he produced ‘The<br />
100-minute Bible’. He is still in touch with Leonard Allinson<br />
(1944) and John Owens (1944). Leonard Allinson is gardening<br />
keenly with results that are pleasing both to the eye and to the<br />
palate. He writes that he is in touch with John Owens and Michael<br />
Hinton but problems <strong>of</strong> hearing discourage him from attending<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> gatherings. Ralph Thornton (1942) retired after 41 years<br />
at Warwick School. He regrets that all his close friends at <strong>Merton</strong><br />
are no more.<br />
Hilary Rubenstein (1944) is happy and in good health. He is still<br />
in touch with Anthony Curtis (1944), Shanker Bajpai (1941), and<br />
Roger Bannister (1950). Anthony Curtis writes briefl y to say that<br />
he knows nothing <strong>of</strong> the ‘lost boys’. For one who lives so far away
Shanker Bajpai communicates with an unexpectedly large number <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians; the list includes Digby Neave (1948), Michael Briggs<br />
(1944), Charles Hennessy (1947), Hilary Rubenstein and Anthony<br />
Curtis. It has been diffi cult to pick out salient details <strong>of</strong> his own two<br />
brilliant careers in his Government’s service and in academia. My<br />
taste for trivia leads me to mention that his elder son was educated at<br />
Stowe and Loughborough and is an American whereas his younger<br />
son was educated in America but is a British citizen.<br />
Gerald Winzer (1947) recalls experiences in India before coming<br />
up to <strong>Merton</strong> and reminds me <strong>of</strong> our latest meeting at a Gaudy some<br />
years ago. John Sassoon (1947) clearly had a most interesting<br />
career in Africa. At one time he was given a tie by Milton Obote to<br />
which he was not entitled but which he was commanded to wear on<br />
certain occasions.<br />
Mark Lowth (1944) wrote with memories <strong>of</strong> Brian Chapple and<br />
two names on the missing list. He makes the interesting comment<br />
that his grandchildren consider him seriously crazy; the reason<br />
being that they learnt that on leaving the army he refused <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
at both <strong>Oxford</strong> and Cambridge. Food for thought surely? Thomas<br />
Shiner (1943), like Mark Lowth, did not return to <strong>Merton</strong> after<br />
War Service.<br />
Brian Chapple (1948) tells us that after a career in education<br />
and time spent in municipal work he is now one <strong>of</strong> the fi rst<br />
Honorary Aldermen <strong>of</strong> Solihull Borough. Cataract operations have<br />
improved his vision <strong>of</strong> his bridge hands but do not seem to have<br />
improved his play.<br />
Harry Corben (1944), though in <strong>College</strong> for only a few months,<br />
recalls interesting details <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> and <strong>Oxford</strong> in 1945. Later<br />
he became a Board member <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> in <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
Gerald Dearden (1941) writes that although he and his wife are<br />
largely immobilised, they enjoy the help and company <strong>of</strong> their son<br />
and daughter. Their grandchildren, all at university, fi nd it diffi cult<br />
to believe accounts <strong>of</strong> wartime life at <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
Michael Keating-Hill (1940) reports he is still in touch with<br />
Maurice Hodgson (1938), Michael Palliser (1940) and David<br />
Swarbrick (1945). His present interests are economics, gardening,<br />
wine and ornithology. In a brief note Lionel Stevens (1948)<br />
mentions occasional phone conversations with David Swarbrick.<br />
John McOmie (1943) says that since last year he and his wife are<br />
content to lead a quiet life. Many <strong>of</strong> us will sympathise with his<br />
comment that Richmond Hill (Bristol) seems to get a little steeper<br />
every year.<br />
NEWS | UP TO 1948<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
Alan Longmore (1947) writes that he and his wife live a quiet<br />
life visited by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren;<br />
contentment fails to produce news: but he exchanges letters<br />
with Peter Cr<strong>of</strong>t (1947). Philip Holden (1943) is now alone<br />
and learning to walk again after a stroke but four out <strong>of</strong> his fi ve<br />
children are at hand to help out. Of his 11 grandchildren, two are<br />
at university. He supports the Bournemouth Orchestra and the<br />
Dartmouth Yacht Club and attends naval gatherings.<br />
Nicholas Jaco (1938) writes from Ontario where he spends<br />
his summer fi shing and painting: he celebrated his 90th birthday<br />
motoring round Skye and the highlands and then round his<br />
native Cornwall.<br />
Gordon Wallace (1944) recalls being taught by Medawar,<br />
Florey and Chain. After a career in pathology, retirement has been<br />
spent mainly camping or caravanning in Scotland. But now hill<br />
walking is at an end and as a widower his ‘activities’ are confi ned<br />
to bowls, bridge and the Telegraph crossword. Christopher<br />
Middleton (1948) is still writing and publishing poetry. At the<br />
International Poetry Festival in Istanbul he found himself reciting<br />
poems amid a vociferous crowd <strong>of</strong> trippers on a Bosphorus<br />
ferry boat.<br />
Ronald Russell (1943) values his memories <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>. It is<br />
17 years since he was lecturing in Cambridge for the extra-mural<br />
department but he and Jill continue to represent UK interest on<br />
the Advisory Board <strong>of</strong> the Monroe Institute which is involved<br />
in the investigation <strong>of</strong> human consciousness; in recent years<br />
he has edited two books dealing with this work. Ian Bucklow<br />
(1943) writes that after retirement in 1990 he joined the Materials<br />
Science Department at Cambridge where he still has a corner <strong>of</strong> a<br />
lab and half an <strong>of</strong>fi ce. He fi nds cycling up Cambridge’s only hill<br />
increasingly diffi cult.<br />
Hubert Gale (1945) was at one time a lecturer in Safety and<br />
Radiation Protection at Nottingham <strong>University</strong>: I guess he may<br />
have interesting opinions about recent events. At present he helps<br />
out at a c<strong>of</strong>fee room attached to a city centre church.<br />
Lionel Lewis (1946) is still working, with his son, in the family<br />
business <strong>of</strong> picture framing: the Ashmolean and Christ Church<br />
are among their regular customers. He is in touch, sometimes by<br />
meeting, sometimes by cards, with John Rhodes (1946), Ken<br />
Poole (1947) and with Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Kidson (1946), who has also<br />
written. I have also had a long and interesting letter about his past<br />
career from Hans Andersson (1947). The most interesting event<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
97
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1949<br />
in his recent days has been an invitation from the Warden to the<br />
launch <strong>of</strong> the 750th Anniversary Campaign.<br />
Sadly two <strong>of</strong> our number write to say they are unwell: namely<br />
John Jones (1942) and Ian Young (1947). Ian adds that he is<br />
well cared for.<br />
Christopher Rose-Innes (1943) tells me that he keeps well and<br />
is still sculpting. Michael Woods (1944) describes his present life<br />
as being ‘without noise, without bustle, without fame’ though both<br />
letters and crosswords have appeared in <strong>Oxford</strong> Today over the<br />
years. John Rhodes reports general good health: after retiring as<br />
a clergyman he spent some years giving holiday cover but now<br />
only reads the lesson occasionally. Again Frank Palmer (1948)<br />
remains in good health though his wife is not one hundred percent.<br />
Nigel Sanders (1948) and his wife have moved to a ‘retirement<br />
village’ which is very good. He refl ects that 60 years from <strong>Merton</strong><br />
he is once again in a ‘one age group’ community: but now those<br />
looking after him are now a generation or two below instead <strong>of</strong><br />
the reverse.<br />
Ralph Feltham (1940) is currently giving advice to a European<br />
Government on the training <strong>of</strong> young diplomats. He was also<br />
pleased to have the eighth edition <strong>of</strong> his Diplomatic Handbook<br />
translated into Albanian: bringing the total number <strong>of</strong> translations<br />
to a satisfactory ten. Roger Highfi eld (1948) writes that he has<br />
celebrated his 89th birthday. He tells me that Michael Wood (as in<br />
Kibworth) is now an honorary <strong>Merton</strong>ian.<br />
Klaver Toalster (1948) reports the reception <strong>of</strong> one excellent<br />
jar <strong>of</strong> marmalade on visiting Duncan Cloud (1948) and another<br />
one on visiting a bridge player whom he originally met via the<br />
computer. After a visit to Spain he is now hooked on the Basque<br />
language. David Morris-Marsham (1948) has recently visited<br />
Egypt which was delightfully free <strong>of</strong> tourists, for the simple<br />
reason that the revolution had just taken place. He has returned.<br />
On a chance meeting in Front Quad last year I was talking to a<br />
<strong>College</strong> Fellow, just a little younger than me, and he expressed the<br />
opinion that retirement was an occupation for ‘the younger man’.<br />
98 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
1949<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: ALASTAIR PORTER<br />
4 Savill Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 2NX<br />
Tel: 01444 482001. Email: arw.porter@btinternet.com<br />
Given our age group, it is sadly almost an annual duty to report the<br />
death <strong>of</strong> at least one <strong>of</strong> our number, and this year we mourn the loss<br />
<strong>of</strong> Roger Titheridge, a distinguished QC and a very supportive<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ian. A tribute to Roger appears elsewhere in these pages.<br />
On a happier note, it is always a pleasure to hear from members<br />
living overseas, since we cannot expect to meet up with them very<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten. That may be less true <strong>of</strong> Ian Macpherson since he now has<br />
grandparental reasons to travel to the UK from Hong Kong from<br />
time to time. Ian refl ects that living in Hong Kong can arouse a<br />
feeling <strong>of</strong> being surrounded by other countries’ disasters – fl oods<br />
in Australia, earthquakes in New Zealand and China, and then the<br />
earthquake and tsunami in Japan. He expresses his admiration for<br />
the fortitude <strong>of</strong> those most affected, and the Japanese in particular.<br />
Hugh Sackett, although based in the USA, spends much <strong>of</strong> his<br />
time in Greece, and was in touch after two months in Crete. He<br />
still lectures at Groton MA on the archaeology <strong>of</strong> Greece and the<br />
Aegean but spends six months a year on fi eld work – mostly in<br />
Palaikastro on the east coast <strong>of</strong> Greece – and strives to keep up<br />
with the publications programme connected with his work. He did<br />
manage to return to <strong>Merton</strong> for the opening <strong>of</strong> the TS Eliot Theatre<br />
since he and his two <strong>Merton</strong>ian brothers had endowed a seat in<br />
memory <strong>of</strong> their father AB Sackett who was a friend <strong>of</strong> Eliot’s 90plus<br />
years ago.<br />
Jack Dixon, writing from Canada, is also very active, having<br />
travelled for a family birthday party to rural Manitoba where the<br />
temperature at the time was -30°C and he tried his hand at ice fi shing.<br />
Jack was sad to report the demise <strong>of</strong> the Air Cadet Foundation which<br />
he established in 2008 with high hopes that were never fulfi lled.<br />
He is working on his next book on Disobeying Orders in War and<br />
would be happy to receive any appropriate contributions.<br />
Back in the UK, Ian Skeet reports that he is well but without<br />
news and Robert Andrew reports only pride in a second set <strong>of</strong> twin<br />
grandchildren. Dan McNicol is happy to record that his church has<br />
at last been blessed with a new minister after two years without<br />
one – a problem that seems to cross national and denominational<br />
boundaries. John Lowis rejoices in at last fi nding time to travel, and
is looking forward to a trip to St Petersburg – a city that assuredly<br />
will live up to his expectations.<br />
Hugh Podger has also joined the travellers and enjoyed an<br />
extensive tour <strong>of</strong> the Far East, but has returned to his considerable<br />
involvement in church duties, which now include membership <strong>of</strong><br />
the Winchester Bishop’s Council. Hugh is a regular at the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
London dinner where we meet regularly and hope to do so again<br />
(with other forty-niners?) on 18th November.<br />
Hal Miller has retired from the RFU Council on the basis <strong>of</strong><br />
anno domini and has turned his attention to the charity world<br />
by becoming a Trustee <strong>of</strong> Age Concern in Bromyard, which he<br />
describes as a ‘surprisingly deprived area’. He confesses to some<br />
disillusionment with the way in which the charitable sector operates<br />
but is happier to report his pro-planet initiative in installing solar<br />
photovoltaic panels at home. Charities – mostly <strong>of</strong> a small and<br />
relatively anonymous nature that deserve support – have Tony<br />
Price’s attention along with his garden, which keeps him busy and<br />
healthy. As befi ts a successful novelist, he endorses the observation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the old Turk in Candide that work banishes those three great<br />
evils: boredom, vice and poverty.<br />
As for myself (Alastair Porter), a great deal <strong>of</strong> my time seems to<br />
disappear in supporting our local U3A – the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Third<br />
Age, for those who have not found one <strong>of</strong> its 800 branches. There<br />
is always a role there awaiting anyone who is prepared to <strong>of</strong>fer to<br />
research and present a subject <strong>of</strong> general interest such as the story<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Victoria Cross, my most recent <strong>of</strong>fering, which can be found<br />
on page 54 <strong>of</strong> Postmaster.<br />
1952<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: ROGER MEDILL<br />
4 The Lennards, South Cerney, Cirencester, GL7 5UX<br />
Tel: 01285 862862<br />
An interesting letter from Tony Bailey spoke <strong>of</strong> a visit to <strong>Merton</strong> by<br />
a 36-year old Francis Kilvert, mentioned in his diary. He enjoyed<br />
“the famous terrace walk upon the old city walls” and admired “the<br />
celebrated lime avenue”, but his idyllic <strong>Merton</strong> garden moment<br />
was shattered by a noisy company <strong>of</strong> men and boys using willow<br />
wands to ‘beat the bounds’. Does this still happen? I looked it up in<br />
Brewer, who records “in a few parishes on Ascension Day.”<br />
Tony’s latest book Velazquez and the surrender <strong>of</strong> Breda is<br />
NEWS | 1952<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
out later this year. He encountered Jeremy Isaacs (1951), Alan<br />
Brownjohn (1950) and Edmund Ions (1953) in lively form at a<br />
memorial occasion in May. He also keeps in touch with Cy Fox,<br />
the world Vorticist expert, who in his latest card to me described<br />
himself as ‘the wandering Fox’, having sold his house and not yet<br />
‘gone to earth’.<br />
Peter and Julia Cooke came to lunch with us recently and<br />
Patrick and Virginia Wright (1951), on a West Country tour to visit<br />
friends, dropped in to tea. I envied them their planned Hellenic<br />
cruise together, with my 55-year-old memories <strong>of</strong> acting as courier<br />
on several Hellenic air cruises to Athens, Rhodes and Crete. Thirty<br />
passengers on our Viking aircraft, fl ying at eight thousand feet, with<br />
four stops for fuel… those were the days!<br />
I keep in regular touch with Colin Allinson (1953), and Hugh<br />
and Georgina Seymour-Davies, whose latest travels have been<br />
to Vietnam and Turkey, the latter “<strong>of</strong>fering a bridge between<br />
Europe and Asia, carrying the major trade routes and providing the<br />
battlegrounds… Urfa grew rich as the hinge between the Persian<br />
and Byzantine empires.”<br />
Jack and Judy Justice recently returned to Santa Fe (I like their<br />
address: Coyote Pass Road) from a trip to Italy where they enjoyed<br />
a week in Rome followed by the “splendid hospitality <strong>of</strong> Jeremy<br />
and Gilliam Isaacs at their holiday home in Umbria.”<br />
From Carter Revard, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Emeritus <strong>of</strong> English in Arts and<br />
Sciences, I have receieved what I can best describe as an exuberant<br />
gallimaufry, positively bubbling over the scholarly reference,<br />
conjecture and critique. The origins <strong>of</strong> language, medieval history,<br />
signifi cance <strong>of</strong> poetry and many other topics spring forth, agreeably<br />
spiced throughout with wit and humour. The four-week course for<br />
international writers at the Chateau de Lavigny, Switzerland, to<br />
which Carter has been invited will evidently be a lively affair, as well<br />
as giving him an opportunity to complete a collection <strong>of</strong> his poems<br />
entitled From the Extinct Volcano, a Bird <strong>of</strong> Paradise. A surprising<br />
title, but I can vouch wholeheartedly for the quality <strong>of</strong> Carter’s<br />
verse. He also mentions attending the golden wedding anniversary<br />
<strong>of</strong> Tony and Sylvia Marland, along with Ian McMichael, Cedric<br />
Andrews, Gordon Whittle, Stuart McGregor and Ray Quinlan.<br />
Finally, a sad memory came through contact with Paul Curtis<br />
Hayward (1978), son <strong>of</strong> William, a fellow English student with<br />
me, scholar, poet, novelist, described by his Tutor as a born literary<br />
critic. He took his own life at the age <strong>of</strong> 37. His sons, Paul and<br />
Michael, were pupils at my school, Rendcomb <strong>College</strong>.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
99
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1953<br />
1953<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: TOM HENNESSY<br />
25 Church Cottages, Faringdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon,<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>shire, OX13 5QJ<br />
Email: hennessy@dsl.pipex.com<br />
Another year has passed and it seems that most <strong>of</strong> our 1953<br />
matriculands are coping well with life’s vicissitudes in various<br />
parts <strong>of</strong> the world.<br />
None more so than David Ellison who wrote from Christchurch,<br />
New Zealand about the frightening experience <strong>of</strong> the fi rst earthquake<br />
at 4.35 am on 4th September 2010, later to be faced with a much<br />
bigger one this year. His letter enclosed a newspaper cutting <strong>of</strong> an<br />
interview he gave about a charitable trust which he set up following<br />
a stroke 15 years ago. This – the David Ellison Charitable Trust – is<br />
now valued at $3 million and supports various causes throughout<br />
the world. He says the inspiration came from another <strong>Merton</strong>ian,<br />
Leonard Cheshire VC (1936), one <strong>of</strong> his war heroes. I am sure we<br />
all wish him well and continued success.<br />
Our ‘Mad Cyclist’ Peter Dalton reports that he has had his<br />
troubles, particularly when a post-operative infection kept him in<br />
hospital for more than three weeks. But now, after physiotherapy,<br />
he is back on the bike, riding one-handed through his beloved lanes<br />
around Ashby-de-la-Zouch in anticipation <strong>of</strong> eventually resuming<br />
his <strong>Merton</strong>-bound trips. The Midlands debating group, i.e. Peter<br />
and Ray Peacock and Pamela, Pauline Fletcher and Colin Battell,<br />
still lunch together regularly and put the world to rights.<br />
Nearer home, I learn from John Shore in Abingdon that he has<br />
been living in the same house and attending the same church for<br />
35 years, and looks forward to his forthcoming golden wedding<br />
celebration. He has recently achieved a boyhood ambition <strong>of</strong> sailing<br />
through the Panama Canal, and has fi nally given up ‘amdram’, but<br />
can still be found singing with a choir in Witney and will no doubt<br />
be taking part in the Boat Club activities this summer.<br />
Alan Bott expressed his delight in discovering Edward Blore’s<br />
drawing (c. 1840) <strong>of</strong> the Chapel restoration, which is described<br />
elsewhere. He will be giving a NADFAS lecture tour in New<br />
Zealand in March 2012, which includes one in Christchurch<br />
arranged by David Ellison, the Canon Almoner, and Peter Beck<br />
(1966), the Dean, for the restoration <strong>of</strong> the cathedral spire after<br />
earthquake damage.<br />
100 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
John Roberts (JCQ) writes from Chelsea, saying that there is<br />
‘life in us old dogs yet’. He made a trip to Moscow to celebrate<br />
the 80th birthday gala, at the Bolshoi, <strong>of</strong> Gennady Rozhdestvensky,<br />
a former chief conductor <strong>of</strong> the BBSO, who has done much to<br />
promote British music in Russia, including the complete Vaughan<br />
Williams symphonic cycle. While there, John translated some<br />
children’s poems, which lack <strong>of</strong> space prevents me from including<br />
here. He is currently, at the request <strong>of</strong> the Chelsea Society, preparing<br />
an article on a neighbourhood literary and musical salon frequented<br />
by Artur Rubinstein, Henry James, Diaghilev, Boris Chaliapin,<br />
Pablo Casals and others. So there is indeed plenty <strong>of</strong> life in this<br />
old canine.<br />
Bill McCulloh, writing from Gambier, Ohio, says that his brother<br />
was delighted to hear <strong>of</strong> the appointment <strong>of</strong> our new Warden whom<br />
he had encountered while teaching maths at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Illinois. Now himself retired from academia, Bill is preparing to<br />
be a heavy lifter at the forthcoming extensive exhibition <strong>of</strong> his wife<br />
Pat’s paintings and prints.<br />
Our near neighbour, Tony Verdin, continues to live an active<br />
life. With Araminta he has made visits to Oman and South Africa,<br />
and France (twice). The last was a short visit to Araminta’s holiday<br />
home in the South <strong>of</strong> France, which was bought by her father many<br />
years ago and into which my brother Charles Hennessy (1947)<br />
and others helped him to move. Tony shows great spirit and is now<br />
looking forward to this year’s <strong>Merton</strong> Society Weekend.<br />
We have been very happy to continue to maintain contact with<br />
many <strong>Merton</strong> friends. Mike Jenkins and Jackie have stayed with<br />
us during some <strong>of</strong> the golf meetings and we are looking forward<br />
to visiting them in Sevenoaks in June. Edmund Ions has been<br />
over from St Gallen and we are still waiting to hear him a give a<br />
recital when he eventually passes his Upper Mountain Yodelling<br />
Certifi cate B, Grade 4. Christopher Thomson and Daphne came<br />
for a couple <strong>of</strong> days last summer, when with other friends we<br />
visited Kelmscott Manor, not far from here, in beautiful weather.<br />
They also enjoyed catching up with Rod Reynolds and Luisa while<br />
on a visit to Lisbon – Rod has now sold his cork farms and retired<br />
to the coast.<br />
We met Roger Medill (1952) with mutual friends to sample<br />
the delights <strong>of</strong> the Bay Tree in Burford, where he gave us news <strong>of</strong><br />
Colin Allinson. More recently we were delighted to be visited by<br />
Peter Cooke (1952) and Julia, who were just about to go on a Swan<br />
Hellenic cruise with Patrick Wright (1951) and Virginia.
We have just heard a most interesting lecture in the impressive<br />
TS Eliot Theatre to mark the donation <strong>of</strong> the Sandy Irvine (1921)<br />
archive to the <strong>College</strong> by the Irvine family. The lecture was given<br />
by his great-niece and biographer Julie Summers. We were struck<br />
by the likeness <strong>of</strong> the photographs <strong>of</strong> Sandy Irvine to his nephew<br />
Andrew Irvine who came up with us in 1953, sparking happy<br />
memories.<br />
1954<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: DICK LLOYD<br />
2 Brook Cottages, Sherford, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2AX<br />
Tel: 01548 531068 Fax: 01548 531951<br />
Email: a.lloyd33@virgin.net<br />
In view <strong>of</strong> the opening comments <strong>of</strong> my 2010 report, perhaps I<br />
should begin by saying that even I have now accepted email. I have<br />
had a good response this year and I am pleased that a few <strong>of</strong> you<br />
have livened up your current news with anecdotes from your life<br />
after <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
David Barber, writing in April, says that the climate in Vermont<br />
went from deep snow to mud, so I hope he is now basking in some<br />
sunshine.<br />
Adrian Esdaile will celebrate the 50th anniversary <strong>of</strong> his<br />
ordination as a Church <strong>of</strong> England priest next year. He has been<br />
assiduously devoting his energies to courses in Art History, which<br />
has involved travel to several European Centres <strong>of</strong> Art. He is<br />
currently writing a dissertation on Illuminated Manuscripts with a<br />
focus on the Book <strong>of</strong> Hours 1400-1550.<br />
John Garrard also has a half a century achievement, as a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor, and is now Emeritus in Russian Studies at the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Arizona. I have his (and his wife’s) very well researched book on<br />
Russian Orthodoxy Resurgent and very much enjoyed it. John has<br />
also had his earlier book on the life and fate <strong>of</strong> Vassily Grossman,<br />
chief correspondent for the Red Army during WWII, entitled<br />
The Bones <strong>of</strong> Berlicher, translated into Italian and Spanish. He is<br />
intrigued by the Spanish interest, but maybe it is the Communist<br />
connection. The book was named the recipient <strong>of</strong> the 2009 Giovanni<br />
Comisso Prize for the best biography printed in Italian – another for<br />
my reading list.<br />
Reg Hall is full <strong>of</strong> praise for hip replacement surgery in the UK<br />
rather than the US and, with two new hips dating from 1999 and<br />
NEWS | 1954<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
2003, I can confi rm this! He has also sent me some reminiscences<br />
concerning his life working for multinational companies, when he<br />
needed to investigate sources for seaweed that was converted to gum<br />
for the processed food industry. The trail led him to the Philippines,<br />
which he was advised against visiting because <strong>of</strong> the presence <strong>of</strong><br />
guerrillas: Communist, Islamic and opportunist. Travelling in an<br />
Indonesian Air Force plane over the Sulu Sea, he queried why the<br />
pilot was plotting a roundabout route through the islands and the<br />
reply was that the guerrillas were well armed and would love to<br />
bag an Air Force plane. They fi nally landed and were accompanied<br />
around some malodorous warehouses by a gang <strong>of</strong> teenage soldiers,<br />
but he survived. He came back realising how the other half lived<br />
and that there was no shortage <strong>of</strong> seaweed.<br />
Mike Jordan, who commutes between homes in London,<br />
Paris and the South <strong>of</strong> France, is still engaged in promoting his<br />
considerable knowledge and experience <strong>of</strong> banking. He is currently<br />
advising the Vietnamese Central Bank on updating their banking<br />
systems, a project fi nanced by Swiss Aid.<br />
Henry Mayr-Harting has published a book, one <strong>of</strong> a series by<br />
Pearson Education, entitled Religion, Politics and Society in Britain<br />
1066-1272. This was a work which he was commissioned to do<br />
and, somewhat tardy in its execution, he received an ultimatum in<br />
2007 to complete it, which he fi nally achieved in 2010; as he puts it<br />
himself: “The last and the least <strong>of</strong> the apostles.”<br />
Robin Purdue, who has not communicated for some time, has<br />
made up for this slight defi ciency by sending me an hilarious account<br />
<strong>of</strong> the fl oating <strong>of</strong> a Dutch barge from Holland to the UK, which<br />
he had decided to add to his existing cruising fl eet <strong>of</strong> two narrow<br />
boats. For this he hired the services <strong>of</strong> a supposedly experienced<br />
skipper and engineer. They succeeded in getting the barge out <strong>of</strong><br />
Holland and as far as Dunkirk by hugging the coast but then they<br />
hit fog. They got hopelessly lost, and terrifyingly fogbound, and<br />
ended up back in Dunkirk grounded on a sandbank. They sought<br />
aid from a tug company who failed to shift it, and the ‘skipper’<br />
having proved worse than useless, Robin decided to trail Dunkirk<br />
himself, becoming, in his own words, more and more dishevelled.<br />
He acquired the name le vieux pecheur and, at one stage, being<br />
taken as a fraternal delegate from England by the striking French<br />
dockers resulted in warm welcomes and many handshakes. Finally<br />
he found a guy with a tracked excavator who succeeded in digging<br />
the old barge out and refl oating it at 3 o’clock in the morning, when<br />
the tide was just right. Robin cruised the barge on the Thames for<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
101
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1954<br />
some time, enabling him to revisit <strong>Merton</strong> from the river, and now<br />
it is in France available for cruising. For anyone interested, contact<br />
Robin at robin@bargedirect.com.<br />
Ted Mullins, despite deteriorating eyesight, still amazingly<br />
manages to continue his work as an author and will publish shortly<br />
yet another book on historical France. The book is entitled Roman<br />
Provence, and if it is as good as his previous works, which I am<br />
sure that it will be, it will be well worth reading. The research for<br />
this book involved frequent forays into forests in search <strong>of</strong> lost<br />
temples and lunches in the shade <strong>of</strong> aqueducts, accompanied by<br />
his wife, Anne, and their golden retriever, who he says would win<br />
a world record for swimming under more Roman bridges than any<br />
other canine.<br />
Mike Rines has also been involved in literary pursuits, editing<br />
and publishing a book entitled Sown with Corn; a novel written<br />
by Frank Binder, a former master at Scarborough School for<br />
Boys, where Mike underwent his pre-<strong>Oxford</strong> education. Binder<br />
had lectured at Bonn <strong>University</strong> during the rise <strong>of</strong> the Nazis and,<br />
because the hero <strong>of</strong> the book is a student there, it is clearly semiautobiographical.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ian Kershaw, an old <strong>Merton</strong>ian who<br />
wrote the two-volume massive biography <strong>of</strong> Hitler, says that the<br />
book might <strong>of</strong>fer insights into the rise <strong>of</strong> the Nazis, thus avoiding<br />
the reading <strong>of</strong> extensive non-fi ctional literature on the subject. I<br />
have read the book and found it so intriguing that I could not put<br />
it down until I had fi nished it. Anyone interested to buy a copy<br />
can contact Mike on rinesm@freeserve.co.uk. I would thoroughly<br />
recommend it to anyone interested in WWII history.<br />
David Watson has celebrated 40 years as a Reader at the<br />
parish church <strong>of</strong> Ashby-de-la-Zouch. His wife, Pam, has happily<br />
survived a very serious illness with much support from family and<br />
friends, and they are getting back to their remarkable joint work on<br />
prison visits.<br />
Peter Westwood is another with some fascinating recollection<br />
<strong>of</strong> his early days as a District Offi cer in Fiji. He was due to sail<br />
out there in October 1957 when, visiting Crown Agents simply to<br />
fi nd out about baggage, he was suddenly informed that he must be<br />
ready to fl y within a few days. He did so in First Class on a Qantas<br />
Super Constellation four-engined turbo-prop, only to fi nd no one<br />
expected his arrival. He was posted to an Indian sugar cane area in<br />
the Northern territory, where a DO was urgently needed. One <strong>of</strong> his<br />
duties was to sit as a magistrate, settling disputes over boundaries<br />
and family quarrels, well aware that the wily Indian lawyers knew<br />
102 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
much more about the local law than he did. He assiduously studied<br />
the local language, preferring that to joining in the exclusively allwhite<br />
social round, and it stood him in good stead. District Offi cers<br />
were accorded the status <strong>of</strong> a Chief and when he arrived to visit<br />
a village on <strong>of</strong>fi cial business there would be a lot <strong>of</strong> ceremonial<br />
speech-making, the speaker being obliged to hold a special whale’s<br />
tooth accompanied by the passing round <strong>of</strong> a locally prepared drink<br />
called ‘Yangona’, made from the crushed root <strong>of</strong> the plant mixed<br />
with water out <strong>of</strong> a long bamboo.<br />
The Fijians were devout Christians and Peter was accorded a<br />
place <strong>of</strong> honour in the front <strong>of</strong> the church, and on one occasion,<br />
to his total surprise and consternation, the minister announced<br />
that, as District Offi cer, he would preach the sermon! He somehow<br />
got through it, with his limited Fijian, and was congratulated<br />
afterwards on the fact that he had preached the shortest sermon that<br />
the congregation had ever heard.<br />
I haven’t really any news this year, so I will recall one <strong>of</strong> my early<br />
forays as a young and inexperienced export salesman. Due to my<br />
having acquired a limited knowledge <strong>of</strong> Spanish, I was sent out to<br />
Peru, Bolivia and Chile in 1959. After a 42-hour fl ight in a KLM<br />
Super Constellation (fi rst class, <strong>of</strong> course), there was nobody to<br />
meet me at Lima airport and no hotel reservation. The agent turned<br />
out to be a general trading company with no interest whatsoever in<br />
my visit, so I ended up having a fl aming row with the Managing<br />
Director and got some action at least. When my boss in London<br />
received my report, he wrote a furious letter to them and the reply<br />
came back: “What do you expect when you send an immature young<br />
schoolboy out here?” However, I cashed in my direct air ticket from<br />
Lima to La Paz, travelled in an unpressurised Dakota to Cuzco,<br />
visited Machu Picchu over the weekend and continued my trip to<br />
La Paz by train, crossing Lake Titicaca in an old paddle steamer<br />
built in Hull in 1905 and assembled on site after being carried up to<br />
the lake in pieces by pack mules. All at business expense!<br />
I have heard from quite a number <strong>of</strong> other ’54 vintage folk,<br />
including David Gilchrist, Gerard Greene, Mike Jordan, John<br />
Parr, John Wells and John Wallace, and would like to thank them<br />
for keeping in touch.
1955<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: JOHN MITCHELL OBE<br />
The Hedges, Church Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27<br />
3HZ<br />
Tel: 01428 652113 Email: mitchelljc@aol.com<br />
I am indebted to the pair <strong>of</strong> old faithfuls who wrote in reply to mine.<br />
Hopefully, 1955 will do better next year.<br />
David Clayton ‘quietly boasts’ <strong>of</strong> the publication in 2011 <strong>of</strong> the<br />
second book he has written since his retirement from a Burnley<br />
headship, Lost Farms <strong>of</strong> Brinscall Moors, which deals with the<br />
farms’ declines in the late 19th century and the most interesting<br />
walks. In 1971, he had written an academic book, Britain and the<br />
Eastern Question, Missalonghi to Gallipoli, so this recent book was<br />
hobby as distinct from work-based. Indeed, retirement has allowed<br />
time for the exercise <strong>of</strong> two passions, long-distance walking and<br />
singing, the former in the company <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>ian Paul Jennings<br />
(1960) in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. Singing has had<br />
its delights too, including two splendid concerts in <strong>Merton</strong> Chapel<br />
in 2008 and in 2009 given by the chamber choir from Bolton (the<br />
Brixi Singers), whose Chairman and leading bass David is. He is<br />
greatly looking forward to the choral perfomances in the Chapel<br />
during July’s <strong>Merton</strong> Society Weekend.<br />
Dermot Killingley returned to Vienna in November 2010 to give<br />
a lecture to the Di Nobili Research Institute, meet colleagues in<br />
Indology Department and go to two operas. In May this year, he<br />
attended an organ recital in aid <strong>of</strong> the S. Y. Killingley Memorial<br />
Trust, which gives grants to people following part-time courses<br />
(www.skytrust.org.uk), raising £500 for the Trust.<br />
On a completely different level, your correspondent has had<br />
a good golfi ng year, leavened, inter alia, by a glorious trip to<br />
Melbourne and Sydney for the last two Ashes Tests, during which I<br />
caught up with John Adams and his wife Jo. John is in remarkably<br />
fi ne shape, though Jo says he could take more exercise. In addition<br />
to their fi ne hospitality at their home overlooking the Harbour, they<br />
took me to the Primary Club Breakfast on the fi rst morning <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Sydney Test. I can say that John has changed less in 55 years than<br />
anyone I have met – and that is a good thing!<br />
1956<br />
NEWS | 1955<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: RICHARD KENYON<br />
Four Winds, Dalehouse Lane, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2JZ<br />
Tel: 02476 419622 Email: delaroche37@gmail.com<br />
Do you recall JRR Tolkien (1945)? Tim Brennand tells me that<br />
three years ago they moved from the Middle Earth <strong>of</strong> mid-Suffolk<br />
to Ceredigion, which both sounds and feels like Tolkien country.<br />
Having been based in Aspall Cyder country for 37 years, albeit with<br />
lengthy postings in Holland, Nigeria and China, they found the<br />
move to Wales a quite major upheaval. However the new culture,<br />
new language, new topography, new geology and new music<br />
proved a refreshing experience, an antidote in fact to the almost<br />
imperceptible growing sedimentation <strong>of</strong> years. He wonders what<br />
news <strong>of</strong> John Adams (1955), John Cooke (1955) with whom he<br />
helped install a pink tailor’s dummy (the <strong>Oxford</strong> Mail described<br />
it as ‘a sort <strong>of</strong> Haberdasher’s Venus de Milo’) on the cupola at<br />
Queen’s, John Newbold (1954) and Peter Westwood (1954).<br />
Ian Hodson and Edith (both aged 75) celebrated their golden<br />
wedding with a lunch at the National Railway Museum and a<br />
boat trip on the Peak Forest Canal. This year’s rail plans include<br />
touring Switzerland, and a journey from Holland to Sweden. The<br />
main signifi cance <strong>of</strong> all this, he supposes, is that they can happily<br />
cope at our age – so far. The grandchildren are now frighteningly<br />
old and university looms. He watches with horror the erection <strong>of</strong><br />
huge fi nancial obstacles in their paths and doubts that he is alone in<br />
giving priority to the family’s educational needs over the funding<br />
problems <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> and <strong>Oxford</strong>, however grateful one may feel to<br />
the <strong>College</strong> and the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
John Isherwood compares medical treatment in UK and the<br />
USA. His son who lives in Iowa fell in an icy multi-storey car<br />
park but, without benefi t <strong>of</strong> our NHS, for ambulance to A&E, one<br />
night in hospital and the operation to set the ankle with a plate and<br />
screws, was presented with a bill for $36,500, with subsequent<br />
bills for check-ups, a second op to remove the screws and physio.<br />
He even had to pay extra for crutches. As this happened at the<br />
time Obama was meeting fi erce opposition to his Health Bill, it<br />
really registered with them how lucky we are to have the NHS.<br />
By coincidence, their son’s godfather, Peter Heap, broke his ankle<br />
two weeks later and he had nothing but praise for the way the NHS<br />
looked after him.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
103
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1957<br />
JAY KEYSER (SECOND FROM RIGHT) AND THE AARDVARK JAZZ<br />
ORCHESTRA @ KATE MATESON<br />
Jay Keyser reports the publication <strong>of</strong> his latest book, Mens<br />
et Mania, ‘the MIT nobody knows’ and is working on another,<br />
tentatively entitled Looking for Me. He has been this year to China<br />
and Spain and in October is <strong>of</strong>f to Peru to visit Machu Picchu. He<br />
blogs on www.travelreluctantly.blogspot.com. Somehow he fi nds<br />
time to play in the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra – a winner <strong>of</strong> the 2000<br />
Independent Music Awards. He is second from the right in the<br />
picture. When he is not playing avant garde jazz, he plays Dixieland<br />
in the New Liberty Jazz Band.<br />
Inspired by the recent King James Bible challenge, Mike Renton<br />
performed a ‘hymnathon’ to raise money for the Southdown<br />
Church and Community Partnership redevelopment fund. Based<br />
on a Methodist initiative, it has been working since 1998 to<br />
provide caring support to their local community <strong>of</strong> Southdown<br />
and Whiteway in Bath. On Sunday 8th May, Mike played all the<br />
hymns, carols and religious songs he knew (290 and counting) on<br />
the keyboard at Nexus (Walcot) Methodist Church.<br />
I shared some experiences with Ian and John. In December my<br />
wife fell on the stairs and broke her ankle badly. This led to a similar<br />
operation and a month’s stay in hospital. We were really impressed<br />
by the surgical, in-patient and aftercare service. The NHS provided<br />
a wheelchair, a ramp and all sorts <strong>of</strong> other equipment to make it<br />
104 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
possible for Jan to recover at home. She now carries the X-rays<br />
<strong>of</strong> her bionic ankle in her passport in case <strong>of</strong> problems with<br />
airport security.<br />
<strong>University</strong> looms for us too. Our eldest grandson lives with us<br />
while he does his International Baccalaureate. He says he has come<br />
to the UK because he prefers the education and wants to go to<br />
university here. I suspect that the real reason may be that he can<br />
take his driving test in June when he reaches 17, a year earlier than<br />
at home in Italy.<br />
1957<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: GRAHAM BYRNE HILL<br />
26 Lawn Crescent, Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3NS<br />
Email: g.byrnehill@googlemail.com<br />
Erich Gruen is <strong>of</strong>fi cially retired from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> California<br />
(Berkeley), but continues with seven PhD students and the chairing<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Jewish Studies programme. His publications this year<br />
include: Rethinking the Other in Antiquity (Princeton UP) and<br />
Cultural Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean (Getty Research<br />
Institute). Six years after the death <strong>of</strong> his wife, Joan, he is delighted<br />
to announce his recent marriage to Anne Hasse, “thus bringing back<br />
light once more into my life”.<br />
Graham Cansdale’s Celtic-style CD, which was produced for<br />
a street children’s project in DR Congo, and was fl agged in the<br />
last Postmaster, has raised £1,000 for the project. For further detail<br />
you may google “congochildrentrust”. Other Celtic-style, Christian<br />
music <strong>of</strong> his is also available online.<br />
David Harvey honours our year as the Senior Citizen on the 750th<br />
Campaign Board and as Chairman <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>’s USA Appeal.<br />
Michael Leach will be returning shortly to the vicinity <strong>of</strong> the<br />
North Pole to observe polar bears. More prosaically, as constituency<br />
database manager, he has transformed the political fortunes <strong>of</strong> his<br />
local MP, Grant Shapps. The database is one <strong>of</strong> the largest <strong>of</strong> its<br />
kind and has helped transform a marginal into a seat with a very<br />
large majority.<br />
Ian Spurr has sprouted a new life as an organiser <strong>of</strong> local charity<br />
events: for example, Ian Spurr’s Big Curry 2010 on behalf <strong>of</strong> ABF<br />
The Soldiers Charity. He has been much encouraged and motivated<br />
by “support and generosity <strong>of</strong> ordinary folk for the sacrifi ces <strong>of</strong> our<br />
armed forces”.
Ian has, regretfully, sailed the Atlantic and Caribbean for the<br />
last time, with Robin Wilshaw’s sale <strong>of</strong> the yacht. He recalls a<br />
memorable trip with Simon Jones (also 1957). Sadly, Simon died<br />
recently after a long illness.<br />
Peter Koe has been blessed by the need to visit numerous children<br />
and grandchildren who are scattered across the world. At home he<br />
plays much table tennis and bridge. James Steadman continues<br />
vigorously to sing and act and to volunteer at Shaw’s Corner.<br />
Graham Byrne Hill maintains his involvement with the politics<br />
<strong>of</strong> the EU’s institutional development. He is active in think tanks.<br />
History doesn’t rest and the EU is no exception. It has radically<br />
reconfi gured itself in the last ten years and is far from fi nding stability.<br />
1958<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVES: BRYAN LEWIS<br />
2 Bell Close, Ratby, Leicestershire, LE6 0NU<br />
Tel: 0116 239 5319 Email: kb.lewis@tazam.com<br />
and PETER PARSONS<br />
Ashton House, Downside Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 5LT<br />
Tel: 09162 865069 Email: parsonswin@ntlworld.com<br />
One would almost think that most 1958 <strong>Merton</strong>ians have taken a<br />
vow <strong>of</strong> silence so very few have been the responses to the annual<br />
requests for printable news – which is not to imply that members<br />
have taken out super-injunctions.<br />
I can report, however, that Peter Parsons with his wife, Jane,<br />
emailed about the holiday they had enjoyed in Syria very shortly<br />
before the outbreak <strong>of</strong> ‘disturbances’ there. Peter says – and he is<br />
well-travelled – Syria is the most fascinating country they have ever<br />
visited, thoroughly deserving the epithet ‘the cradle <strong>of</strong> civilisation’.<br />
Whilst those <strong>of</strong> us in England refl ect on summer warmth in<br />
April and, in the south and east <strong>of</strong> England, the drought which is a<br />
worrying feature, Andrew Hyslop emailed from Calgary in April:<br />
“as we climb out <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the worst winters ever – two and a half<br />
feet <strong>of</strong> snow dumped on us last weekend, after only slightly less<br />
during the previous week.”<br />
In New Hampshire, John Simms says “cumulatively, this winter,<br />
we had about 10 feet <strong>of</strong> snow. With 4 feet on the ground, when it<br />
snows again you have to lift the shovelfuls at least four feet high<br />
and that’s hard work with the heavy stuff – but it’s good to prove to<br />
yourself that you can still do it!”<br />
NEWS | 1958<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
Seemingly indefatigable actor Oliver Ford Davies was recently<br />
on tour with the highly acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre<br />
production <strong>of</strong> Goodnight Mister Tom promoted in pre-performance<br />
billing as ‘Starring Oliver Ford Davies (Star Wars I, II, III, Mrs<br />
Brown) in the title role’. So much for his much praised performances<br />
<strong>of</strong> Polonius and Hol<strong>of</strong>ernes with the RSC and King Lear with the<br />
Almeida! Oliver says “Star Wars will haunt me for evermore.” I was<br />
unable to go to a performance in the Theatre Royal, Nottingham but<br />
I asked Oliver if he had played there before. He hadn’t but he said<br />
he realised that on his rare visits “I saw three great stars, Donald<br />
Wolfi t, Margot Fonteyn and Ken Dodd – not, alas, all in the same<br />
production.”<br />
Now he is preparing to play the Jacobean, Bishop Lancelot<br />
Andrewes in a new play at the RSC marking the 1611 translation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Bible. Andrewes “prayed fi ve hours every morning, mostly<br />
in tears, and preached lengthy sermons <strong>of</strong> great obscurity.” There is<br />
another <strong>Merton</strong> connection: “The play features our own Sir Henry<br />
Savile who held translators’ meetings <strong>of</strong> Acts and the Gospels in the<br />
Warden’s Lodgings.”<br />
1959<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVES: ROGER GOULD<br />
4 The Park, Grasscr<strong>of</strong>t, Oldham, Lancashire, OL4 4ES<br />
Tel: 01457 876422 Email: jrbgould@btopenworld.com<br />
and DAVID SHIPP<br />
Higher Dale Cottage, 6 Dale Lane, Delph, Oldham, Lancashire,<br />
OL3 5HY<br />
Tel: 01457 875171 Email: david@shipp.org<br />
News is rather thin this year, no doubt partly because most <strong>of</strong> us<br />
are retired but we suspect mainly because, as we write, it is a mere<br />
18 months or so since our very well-attended 50th Anniversary<br />
weekend and only four months before our next Gaudy. We expect<br />
another good turn-out, which will provide us with a further<br />
opportunity to catch up with one another. However, we have heard<br />
from a couple <strong>of</strong> people in foreign parts:<br />
Peter Hayward wrote “Greetings from Baku on the shores <strong>of</strong><br />
the Caspian Sea where some say history all began and [that it] was<br />
the original Garden <strong>of</strong> Eden. I had thought last summer that I had<br />
retired from this globe-trotting but as you can see I still cannot<br />
resist the opportunity to visit far fl ung places I have never been to<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
105
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1960<br />
and the Caucasus is one such. I certainly plan to make the Gaudy in<br />
September. Rather remarkably considering my peripatetic life style<br />
I have never missed one.”<br />
Ian McReath wrote from Brazil: “I have fi nally retired and, after<br />
a few disorganised months, have returned to doing what I like doing,<br />
i.e. practically nothing. Our university has excellent programs for<br />
over 70s, so participation in these occupies a few hours weekly.<br />
Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend the Gaudy, but best wishes<br />
to all friends from the 1959 intake. If anyone decides to attend the<br />
World Cup here, they’d have a fi ne welcome, though my English is<br />
steadily getting less perfect.”<br />
John Howe has written to say that he and his wife enjoyed an<br />
idyllic holiday on the Isles <strong>of</strong> Scilly where one <strong>of</strong> their grandsons is<br />
under chef in the best hotel in the Isles. One <strong>of</strong> their granddaughters<br />
has been staying with them for two years to do A levels, and is<br />
returning to France for university. John has been elected Chairman<br />
<strong>of</strong> his parish council yet again.<br />
David Shipp and Bill Woods recently visited Frank Usher in<br />
Weybridge. Frank has not been too well but was in good spirits<br />
and has not lost his gift as a raconteur. David and his wife recently<br />
visited their younger son who is a mid-career health manager doing<br />
two years VSO in Cambodia<br />
We have also heard briefl y from Alan Drinkwater, Martin<br />
Hawkins, John Latham and Peter Moyes (now an octogenarian!),<br />
all <strong>of</strong> whom plan to attend the Gaudy (as we do), and from Graham<br />
Boulton (now a grandparent) who is unable to do so.<br />
We continue to be active in our local Saddleworth community in<br />
various ways. Both <strong>of</strong> us are currently helping to man the booking<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi ce for its week-long Festival <strong>of</strong> the Arts at the beginning <strong>of</strong> June<br />
and plan to attend many <strong>of</strong> the events.<br />
1960<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: KEITH PICKERING<br />
24 Woodfi eld Road, Ealing, London, W5 1SH<br />
Tel: 020 8998 2614 Email: oldpick@aol.com<br />
Keith Aspinall is alive and, as he says, one year older. He is looking<br />
forward to September as it will be the fi rst time that he will be able<br />
to attend a Gaudy with his brother, John, who was up at <strong>Merton</strong><br />
from 1957 to 1961.<br />
106 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Copland is particularly busy with charities and<br />
universities. Changes to higher education funding are causing much<br />
work for universities, including their governing bodies, several <strong>of</strong><br />
which he is engaged with at present in various ways. He looks<br />
forward to being at the Gaudy.<br />
Leslie Epstein reports that his new novel Liebestod; Opera Buffa<br />
with Leib Goldhorn was published by Norton in February 2011. His<br />
play San Remo Drive, adapted by him from his novel <strong>of</strong> the same<br />
name, was performed in Los Angeles in July this year. Apart from<br />
his literary activity fi ve grandchildren continue to make life fun.<br />
Bruce Gilbert enjoyed the Anniversary Lunch. Unfortunately<br />
he is unlikely to be able to attend the Gaudy as it coincides with<br />
a grand family get together to celebrate his 70th birthday. John<br />
Hartnett has nothing to report but hopes to be at the Gaudy.<br />
Stephen Hazell enjoyed the Lunch and is looking forward to<br />
the Gaudy. He has been busy examining in the UK recently and<br />
hopes there will be an overseas tour later this year. Arthur Hepher<br />
has nothing to report but if recently pressing family commitments<br />
permit hopes to be at the Gaudy<br />
Alan Heppenstall is still Chairman <strong>of</strong> Cumbria Tourist Guides<br />
which is about to have a large increase in members following a<br />
Blue Badge guiding course currently drawing to its close, for which<br />
he has been helping with some <strong>of</strong> the training.<br />
Mike Hind notes that one set <strong>of</strong> distant memories <strong>of</strong> the<br />
anniversary year we celebrated recently is <strong>of</strong> college personalities<br />
<strong>of</strong> the day (some were recalled at the Lunch) fl itting through the<br />
illuminated lime trees on a June night to deliver lines from Yeats’s<br />
The Player Queen and Büchner’s Leonce and Lena. This was Ian<br />
Donaldson’s Floats garden production <strong>of</strong> that summer, memorable<br />
for its lovely setting and beguiling music from Pulcinella, but<br />
hardly for the fame <strong>of</strong> the plays themselves: you’ve a bit more<br />
chance <strong>of</strong> seeing the German play but Yeats’s drama still awaits<br />
its 21st century production. I also remember well our younger fi rst<br />
year tutors – Stephen Medcalf, Tony Nuttall, and others. Presentday<br />
news: he keeps keep busy by teaching English to international<br />
students at Exeter <strong>University</strong>, and besides reading, walk, travel<br />
and theatre-going, activities momentarily restricted by a recent hip<br />
operation, but not he hopes set aside for long.<br />
Alan Hopkinson is planning on being at the Gaudy. With his<br />
wife Anne he attended a reception for the OU Vice-Chancellor<br />
at the Wilshire Country Club in LA. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hamilton is an<br />
enthusiast and, Cantabridgian though he be, was able to confess to
a certain glee at the whipping the Dark Blues gave the Light Blues<br />
in the 2011 Boat Race. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nick<br />
Rawlins, was also there, and was married in All Saints-by-the-Sea<br />
Episcopal Church in Montecito (Santa Barbara, California) which<br />
is Alan’s church.<br />
In December he became one <strong>of</strong> the fi rst 25 Certifi ed Specialists<br />
in Asset Recovery in the United States, these being specialists in<br />
the tracking and recovery <strong>of</strong> assets which have been transformed<br />
and moved around the globe to avoid detection and evade attempts<br />
to recover them to satisfy major civil judgments and criminal<br />
restitution orders. Shortly after his certifi cation he addressed the<br />
Channel Counties Chapter <strong>of</strong> the Association <strong>of</strong> Certifi ed Fraud<br />
Examiners on ‘Freeze and Seize’ procedures under California’s<br />
Aggravated White Collar Crime Enhancement Act.<br />
He is busy with a number <strong>of</strong> high pr<strong>of</strong>i le fraud cases, one involving<br />
the splendidly-named three Korean gentlemen Oh, Noh and Soh.<br />
He recently celebrated the 50th birthday <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> his stepchildren<br />
and has been brought up short realising that his own son reaches 50<br />
in 2014. He is pursuing a personal mantra <strong>of</strong> “Fitter at 70 than at<br />
40” and plans to keep his children on their toes. Grandchildren, <strong>of</strong><br />
whom he shares 12 with Anne, ranging from 1 to 27, are a different<br />
matter.<br />
As a small personal vanity he plans to be sworn in as a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Bar <strong>of</strong> the Supreme Court, achieving that milestone before<br />
he reaches 70. With luck, he will be sworn in by another Oxonian:<br />
either Stephen Breyer (Magdalen 1959) or Elena Kagan (Worcester<br />
1981.) Not bad to have two <strong>of</strong> the nine is it?<br />
David Howe is in good order and has downsized to be nearer<br />
his family by relocating to Staffordshire. Alan Keat has nothing to<br />
report but aims to be at the Gaudy.<br />
Roger Laughton has nothing to report but aims to be at the<br />
Gaudy despite returning from a Spanish walking holiday earlier<br />
the same day. Chuck Lister has nothing to report but hopes to be<br />
at the Gaudy. He and your Year Representative, accompanied by<br />
wives, will have executed an Anglo-American Lunch together in<br />
the summer between the time <strong>of</strong> writing this and the Gaudy.<br />
Richard Mulgan is in good form but the journey from Australia<br />
to <strong>Oxford</strong> is a little too far for him to make the Gaudy.<br />
Keith Pickering is now as recovered as he is ever likely to<br />
be from his back operation and has been cleared to return to the<br />
golf course. He thoroughly enjoyed catching up with many <strong>of</strong> his<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> correspondents at the Anniversary Lunch and would like as<br />
NEWS | 1960<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
always to thank everyone who kindly takes the time to respond to<br />
his annual request for news for Postmaster.<br />
David Price is now well settled in Dorset, is up to six<br />
grandchildren and has the Gaudy date in his diary.<br />
Martin Scott continues his interest in mountaineering and was<br />
invited to climb la Grande Casse, the highest peak in the Alps <strong>of</strong><br />
the Vanoise, to commemorate the 150th anniversary <strong>of</strong> the fi rst<br />
ascent by the Englishman William Matthews, accompanied by<br />
French climbers dressed as the original ascensionists. He has also<br />
been inspired by Peter Fattorini’s impressive ride in the 2009 Etape<br />
du Tour to enter in for the 2011 Etape as its date coincides with<br />
Martin’s 70th birthday. Peter has kindly been giving him some tips<br />
on how to survive this rather gruelling ride.<br />
Nick Silk is in good form, enjoyed the Lunch and is looking<br />
forward to the Gaudy. Richard Thompson has had a grandson born<br />
late last year and has entered into the babysitting stakes. He and his<br />
wife Jane aim to visit as many capitals <strong>of</strong> Europe as they can while<br />
there is still strength in their bodies. He in common with your Year<br />
Representative was delighted to catch up with John Wood at the<br />
Lunch, Mr Wood having kept an unconscionably low pr<strong>of</strong>i le for the<br />
preceding 40 years.<br />
Philip Webb has published his analysis <strong>of</strong> Zamenh<strong>of</strong>’s<br />
Esperanto Old Testament on the Internet and that task behind<br />
him has now turned his attention to Cymraeg – yr hen iaith<br />
ei famau – <strong>of</strong> which he learned a lot at age 14, but then had to<br />
put aside for approaching O-levels etc. He has no present<br />
plan to learn Estonian, the language <strong>of</strong> his grandfather.<br />
Mike Williams celebrated his wife, Rosemary’s, 70th birthday last<br />
December and is happy that his daughter in Switzerland, Amanda,<br />
seems to be on the mend. He looks forward to being at the Gaudy.<br />
Brian Winston should be reporting the publication <strong>of</strong> two books<br />
but is not as quick as he used to be. The feature documentary<br />
he wrote and co-produced on the pioneering fi lmmaker Robert<br />
Flaherty (whose Nanook <strong>of</strong> the North, 1922, is conventionally<br />
the fi rst documentary) has been released and is making its slow<br />
way round the festival circuit. The worst thing about the last year<br />
is that, post our Jubilee celebrations, all contact with <strong>Merton</strong> and<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians is sicklied o’er by the pall <strong>of</strong> half a century <strong>of</strong> passed<br />
time.<br />
Jonathan Wright has nothing to report but enjoyed the Jubilee<br />
Lunch and is looking forward to the Gaudy.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
107
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1961<br />
1961<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: BOB MACHIN<br />
125 West Bay Road, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 4EQ<br />
Tel: 01308 423475 Email: bob@marciamachin.plus.com<br />
1962<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: TIM ARCHER<br />
High Chimneys, Petches Bridge, Great Bardfi eld, Essex, CM7 4QN<br />
Tel: 01371 810473 Email: tarcher@reedsmith.com<br />
Martin Hall was a PhD student at Royal Holloway, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
London and is working on a book Caffaro, Genoa and the twelfth<br />
century Crusades, and on the poetry <strong>of</strong> John <strong>of</strong> Garland.<br />
Paddy Millard has fi nally stepped down as Chief Executive <strong>of</strong><br />
the charity TaxHelp for Older People after ten years <strong>of</strong> setting it up.<br />
He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship <strong>of</strong> the Chartered Institute<br />
<strong>of</strong> Taxation in 2008 in recognition <strong>of</strong> his services to taxation and an<br />
MBE in 2010 in recognition <strong>of</strong> his services to charity.<br />
1963<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: PETER SMITH<br />
62 Old park Road, Roundhay, Leeds, LS8 1JB<br />
Tel: 0113 266 5966 Email: peterrsmith@ukgateway.net<br />
Last year in Postmaster, mention was made <strong>of</strong> Roger Garfi tt’s<br />
forthcoming book, A Horseman’s World (Cape, May 2011), in<br />
which mention is made <strong>of</strong> John Arrowsmith, Peter Hay and<br />
Derek Hughes. A recent Saga review notes ‘A book long in the<br />
making has also been long in the living, from Garfi tt’s fi rst years<br />
in Norfolk in the mid-Forties, then headlong into the Sixties as<br />
a horseman, poet, dropout and – no other word for it – madman.<br />
His survival <strong>of</strong> a fi ne madness makes a fi ne memoir.’ A Guardian<br />
review notes that ‘this is one <strong>of</strong> the fi nest fi rst-hand accounts <strong>of</strong><br />
madness…. it is a superb achievement’. Is it worth going mad in<br />
order to have something interesting to say? This book is one <strong>of</strong> a<br />
trio <strong>of</strong> books by 1960s <strong>Merton</strong>ians published in the same month,<br />
the others being The Fetish Room by Redmond O’Hanlon (1965)<br />
and Memoirs <strong>of</strong> a Dervish by Robert Irwin (1964). A great decade<br />
and the best music.<br />
108 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Separately in February on Caribbean holidays, and demonstrating<br />
their usual qualities <strong>of</strong> coordination, David Pennock and Peter<br />
Smith visited former diplomat Peter Laurie (and his wife Pam<br />
and six dogs) at his home in Barbados. Royally entertained, they<br />
learned <strong>of</strong> Peter Laurie’s happy life and recent books on Rum<br />
Shops, Caribbean cooking, children’s stories, award-winning<br />
drama, and as a regular and respected newspaper columnist on<br />
social affairs. His necessary afternoon nap is something he claims<br />
he learned initially at <strong>Merton</strong> and has merely continued.<br />
Stuart Cropper writes: “We are carrying much as we have done<br />
for the last 30 years, going to the USA six or seven times a year. We<br />
have just opened a new shop in Dallas and we have been going down<br />
to Texas twice a year. It’s a really nice place provided you stay away<br />
from politics! We still enjoy the time we spend at our little house in<br />
the Hudson Valley. We are only about 65 miles from New York City<br />
and the trains to get there run past the end <strong>of</strong> our street. Stanley<br />
Williams came to visit us there a couple <strong>of</strong> years ago.”<br />
Welcome news from Adrian Bullock. “I have retired from<br />
teaching publishing at <strong>Oxford</strong> Brookes, which I did for 20 years,<br />
and now run my own company – <strong>Oxford</strong> Publishing Consultancy<br />
– which pretty much does what it says on the tin. I canoe quite a<br />
bit (I am half way down the Thames, with the intention <strong>of</strong> ending<br />
up at the Barrier in due course), travel a lot, and enjoy living in<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>, where I am a supernumerary fellow <strong>of</strong> Harris Manchester<br />
<strong>College</strong>.” Adrian also commented on last year’s entry about the<br />
death some years ago <strong>of</strong> Malcolm Skey. “Who could ever forget<br />
Malcolm with his whistle, as he walked rapidly through <strong>College</strong> on<br />
a mission to somewhere? I remember one spectacular evening when<br />
he put on a concert in Rose Lane, and whistled the fi rst movement<br />
<strong>of</strong> a Brandenburg Concerto, accompanied at the piano by Steven<br />
Rawles.”<br />
Rick Allen claims to have no newsworthy news. “My genteel<br />
(i.e. idle) retirement is occasionally punctuated by reviews and<br />
conference papers on 19th-century literature but (between Test<br />
matches) I’m actually relishing reading more widely than ever<br />
before.” A number <strong>of</strong> others in the year also write to say that they<br />
have nothing new to tell anyone, so thanks especially to John<br />
Sturgeon, Graham Lane and Robert Freedman for advising that<br />
they are at least alive and well. As a result <strong>of</strong> Roger Garfi tt’s book,<br />
Robert has been in touch with Roger for the fi rst time in 45 years,<br />
not least to confi rm the memorable event with Ted Hughes at the<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> Poetry Society.
Gordon Whatley, still academically active at City <strong>University</strong><br />
New York, continues to pursue the lives <strong>of</strong> saints (but not the life<br />
<strong>of</strong> a saint), and spent some time studying documents in the British<br />
Library and at Durham Cathedral. With his daughter now living and<br />
working in London, he has even more reason to return to the UK<br />
from home in Connecticut.<br />
Guy English remains at sea as the Commodore <strong>of</strong> Restronguet<br />
Sailing Club, involved in running international events like the Little<br />
America’s Cup, improving each year in the Pilot Gig races (average<br />
age <strong>of</strong> his crew now 71), as well as learning to hang slates and<br />
achieve carbon neutrality.<br />
His great sailing trip last year from the Caribbean to Turkey<br />
successfully over, George Whitfi eld is now coasting locally. He<br />
recently met with Charles Tong, another deep sea sailor, to share<br />
nautical experiences, as well as to note that he acts as a timekeeper<br />
for the Thames Head <strong>of</strong> the River race. Not content with the water,<br />
George has also taken to the air again in a Chipmunk T-10, to attempt<br />
the aerobatics he once pursued in the <strong>University</strong> Air Squadron. “I<br />
can only report that the two aerobatic manoeuvers I performed, not<br />
to mention the fi nal landing, demonstrated the deterioration <strong>of</strong> the<br />
decades.”<br />
John Wormald lives bilingually in Chichester and Burgundy,<br />
pursuing semi-retirement, letting his automotive consulting<br />
business run down gradually, although graciously accepting<br />
invitations to do any interesting work or to give presentations or<br />
speeches in attractive locations. He maintains an active interest in<br />
the environmental and energy scenes, with their implications for<br />
transportation and the automotive industry, and is sporadically<br />
working on a new book on these matters.<br />
Now retired from the world <strong>of</strong> education, Peter Livsey is able to<br />
pursue his continuing interest in history, particularly local history.<br />
His latest research at the Literary and Philosophical Society in<br />
Newcastle on Tyne has resulted in an e-book entitled Napoleonic<br />
Encounters – The Waldies <strong>of</strong> Forth House, Newcastle (www.<br />
tynebridgepublishing.co.uk) which has some gripping material<br />
about the Battle <strong>of</strong> Waterloo.<br />
Richard James has been noticed successfully writing a letter to<br />
the Guardian on a matter <strong>of</strong> theological and scientifi c diffi culty,<br />
whereas Peter Smith’s letter in the Observer was merely to draw<br />
attention to the sad loss <strong>of</strong> educational opportunities for young<br />
people with the closures <strong>of</strong> fi eld study and outdoor centres as a<br />
result <strong>of</strong> fi nancial cuts.<br />
NEWS | 1964<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
For Bob Scott 2011 is the Year <strong>of</strong> the Knife, with a successful<br />
spinal operation already and a double hip replacement yet to come.<br />
Despite the (temporary) immobility, “life is good”, although the<br />
Honorary Degrees have now dried up. Grandchildren in Uruguay and<br />
Spain provide much pleasure, as does wheelchair priority at airports.<br />
Saturday afternoon cricket still keeps Dick Durden Smith busy,<br />
but he also remains dramatically active, for example appearing in<br />
an Ibsen play at the National. When the new TS Eliot Theatre was<br />
opened at <strong>College</strong> in March, he read some Eliot poems in front <strong>of</strong><br />
Eliot’s widow, “which was rather scary.”<br />
1964<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: RICHARD BURNS<br />
31 Saxe Coburg Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5BP<br />
Email: rburns@saxecoburg.demon.co.uk<br />
Most <strong>of</strong> the British respondents to my enquiries seem to be living<br />
quietly, the majority having (more or less) retired. Andy Curtis is<br />
one who has not, but he prefers to emphasise his family life and his<br />
membership <strong>of</strong> the Friends <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> Choir, whose performances<br />
he has found ‘terrifi c’.<br />
Another who is still active is Robert Irwin; his recently published<br />
autobiographical work Memoirs <strong>of</strong> a Dervish includes a description<br />
<strong>of</strong> his time at <strong>Merton</strong> which evoked many memories <strong>of</strong> that time<br />
(though his dating <strong>of</strong> the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds to 1969 seemed<br />
to me to be three years too late). Memoirs <strong>of</strong> a Dervish is reviewed<br />
on page 63 <strong>of</strong> Postmaster.<br />
David Whiteley and his wife Margaret celebrated their ruby<br />
wedding this March, after David had retired from the IT industry in<br />
November, the last 26 years <strong>of</strong> which were spent with the Halifax<br />
Building Society, now sadly subsumed in the Lloyds Banking<br />
Group. He is an enthusiastic attender <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong> Society<br />
weekend each June.<br />
John Whitworth, living in Canterbury, is still writing poetry<br />
and getting it published, despite the bankruptcy <strong>of</strong> his publisher.<br />
Robert Bradshaw contentedly reports that there has been “nothing<br />
earth-shattering in the world <strong>of</strong> Bradshaw in the last year”, which<br />
contrasts sharply with Tony Webster’s near fatal cycling collision<br />
with a lorry in Normandy in October 2009. Happily the excellence<br />
<strong>of</strong> France’s emergency services and the ICU in Le Havre resulted<br />
in his successful ‘reanimation’ as the French medics described it,<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
109
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1965<br />
but his cycling days are done. To compensate, he has taken up the<br />
tenor sax in place <strong>of</strong> the clarinet and seeks to improve his French<br />
via the Open <strong>University</strong>.<br />
I myself am quite busy with some investment trust directorships<br />
and voluntary activities, including being on the Court <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Dundee and being a Trustee <strong>of</strong> the National Galleries<br />
<strong>of</strong> Scotland.<br />
Similar themes come from my overseas correspondents, but<br />
with less emphasis on retirement. Mike Robson, now an emeritus<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Bordeaux, has found cycling in<br />
Aquitaine less dangerous than Tony’s experience in Normandy, and<br />
is also studying a language – in his case, Basque.<br />
From the USA, Will Risser reports he is fi nishing as a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Paediatrics in Texas and moving to Portland, Oregon to be near<br />
his daughter and grandchildren. Craig Smith is a member <strong>of</strong> MC3,<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>’s US charitable fundraising entity, and is looking forward<br />
to welcoming the Warden to Philadelphia this summer. After 35<br />
years in the housing development industry, he is now running a<br />
Quaker non-pr<strong>of</strong>i t affordable housing business.<br />
Moving to warmer climes, Manou Bheenick is in his second<br />
term as Governor <strong>of</strong> the Bank <strong>of</strong> Mauritius after a career <strong>of</strong> public<br />
service which started in academia. He then moved to the Mauritian<br />
Government economic service, UNIDO in Vienna and consultancies<br />
with the World Bank and the IMF before switching to politics,<br />
fi rst as an MP and then as Minister <strong>of</strong> Finance and subsequently<br />
Minister <strong>of</strong> Economic Development and Regional Integration.<br />
In Australia, Trevor Lund retired four years ago from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Canberra, where he had taught electronics, fi nishing<br />
as Head <strong>of</strong> Network Engineering. He now lives with his Czech<br />
wife Marie (a 1968 refugee from her home country) almost on the<br />
beach some 300km south <strong>of</strong> Sydney. During his career he worked<br />
for four years in Hong Kong and had four sabbaticals in Germany<br />
and Spain. He manages to return to Europe for a couple <strong>of</strong> months<br />
most years.<br />
One who has defi nitely not retired is Eric Colvin. After 22 years<br />
as Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Law at Bond <strong>University</strong> in Queensland, he is about<br />
to move to Vanuatu to be Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Law at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> the<br />
South Pacifi c and Director <strong>of</strong> its Vanuatu campus. Vanuatu was the<br />
setting for the musical South Pacifi c and Port Vila, where Eric will<br />
be based, is ‘generally regarded’ (his words) as the prettiest town in<br />
the South Pacifi c and is a popular destination for cruise ships. Eric<br />
110 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
reports that the local beer is excellent. “Divers, yachties, cruisers<br />
and other <strong>Merton</strong>ian travellers” are invited to contact Eric when<br />
passing through.<br />
Anyone who would like a fuller description <strong>of</strong> this island paradise<br />
(and indeed the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> the South Pacifi c) is welcome to email<br />
me and I will forward his full report.<br />
1965<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: PETER ROBINSON<br />
Vallecito, 5 Fir Tree Close, Coppenhall, Stafford, ST 18 9BZ<br />
Tel: 01785 254273 Email: peteredwinrobinson@gmail.com<br />
John Dryden reports that the past year has been a quiet one in<br />
terms <strong>of</strong> activity to report. He stays mainly in London, with<br />
occasional stays at his place in France. He has done a couple <strong>of</strong><br />
conferences, and peer reviewed some research papers on economic<br />
and science and technology subjects, but not much else related<br />
to his former career at the OECD in Paris. The main point is that<br />
he has cancer again, and is having chemotherapy. The treatment,<br />
which is taking place in France, started at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the year,<br />
and will continue until the end <strong>of</strong> June, after which time he expects<br />
to be OK. John is in touch with our contemporary David Stirzaker,<br />
and he also keeps in touch with former <strong>Merton</strong> mathematician Teng<br />
Teng Xu, (2002), who worked as a trainee with John at the OECD<br />
in Paris.<br />
Paul Everson continues with academic research and publication.<br />
The principal result this year has been a study <strong>of</strong> a ‘lost place’ in<br />
Lincolnshire called Little Sturton (near Horncastle) which involved<br />
him in recording and analysis <strong>of</strong> the fi eld remains <strong>of</strong> a medieval<br />
village and a 16th-century house and gardens that succeeded it.<br />
The study was published as a series <strong>of</strong> papers making up a whole<br />
volume <strong>of</strong> the journal Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. In<br />
Paul’s family it has been a year (all <strong>of</strong> a sudden) to celebrate and<br />
anticipate grandchildren. Their eldest, John, and his wife, had the<br />
fi rst, named William, in October; their daughter Kate delivered a<br />
son, named Thomas, in May; and next son Tom and his partner are<br />
expecting a child in November.<br />
Greg Ingram reports that he continues as President and CEO <strong>of</strong><br />
the Lincoln Institute <strong>of</strong> Land Policy, a private operating foundation<br />
in Cambridge, Massachusetts that produces research, training and
publications on the use, taxation and regulation <strong>of</strong> land. He and his<br />
wife Lee are fi ne and now claim seven grandchildren, the oldest <strong>of</strong><br />
whom is a bit over four, which makes for spirited family gatherings.<br />
David Mumford writes to say that he is still continuing in<br />
deepest Angus with the Scottish Episcopal Church.<br />
Peter Robinson has continued HR consulting, alongside some<br />
mentoring, coaching and English Language tutoring for two<br />
charities in Stafford. He has qualifi ed as a tutor in English as a<br />
Second or Foreign Language (Cambridge CELTA), to help him in<br />
these roles. He visited Arequipa, Peru with his wife Roxana this<br />
Easter, and is looking forward to visiting Languedoc and Roussillon<br />
this summer. The big event <strong>of</strong> the family year has been the birth <strong>of</strong><br />
Sebastian to daughter Sophie and husband Michael.<br />
Roger Witcomb says he has to confess that his intention <strong>of</strong><br />
retiring in order to teach his two grandchildren bad habits seems to<br />
have fallen by the wayside, as he has just been appointed Chairman<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Competition Commission, with the job <strong>of</strong> guiding it through<br />
an ‘institutional reform’ process that is likely to lead to a merger<br />
with the Offi ce <strong>of</strong> Fair Trading. So at least two more years <strong>of</strong> full<br />
time employment are before him, but it’s an excellent organisation<br />
and he is very excited by the prospect.<br />
1966<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: DAVID HOLMES<br />
20 Goodby Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8NJ<br />
Tel: 0121 249 9714 Email: dholmes20@blueyonder.co.uk<br />
John Baird and his wife recently enjoyed a visit to the Galapagos<br />
Islands with Steve James (1964) and his wife Ann, and have now<br />
recovered.<br />
John Dainton writes, “I confess in the last couple <strong>of</strong> years<br />
I have been a bit too decoupled from <strong>Merton</strong> through unfortunate<br />
circumstances – my wife Josephine was diagnosed with a<br />
particularly severe and advanced cancer and died last June. So I<br />
have been putting my life back together slowly, and thinking about<br />
what and how to live out my life given how much she and I enjoyed<br />
a super life together, and my obsession with Physics.”<br />
“Despite my setback, I am making some progress in my research,<br />
which I realise is something that I am fortunate to have, and which I<br />
owe to <strong>Merton</strong> in my formative years. We have gone from strength<br />
to strength, developing new research lines and playing a central<br />
NEWS | 1966<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
role in our projects in Particle Physics at CERN and elsewhere.<br />
I suppose also my grumpiness here is showing through when I<br />
say that, despite the oddities <strong>of</strong> the goings-on in the UK research<br />
councils, one can still stand up for the very best science and get<br />
funding from alternative sources, some overseas. So one feels that<br />
one can survive yet another round <strong>of</strong> bureaucratic fad in the UK and<br />
go on delivering the very best science.”<br />
Chip Filson continues as President <strong>of</strong> Callahan & Associates,<br />
founded in 1985 to serve the cooperative credit union system.<br />
There are 7,442 credit unions with over $951 billion in assets.<br />
They will soon be the second largest depository fi nancial system,<br />
after banks, in the US. Cooperatives focus fi rst on what is in their<br />
members’ interest. As a result they came through the economic<br />
turmoil in relatively good standing. The fi rm’s most recent efforts<br />
were to launch a new networked business model with credit unions<br />
that provides private loans (as opposed to government loans) for<br />
college education. The program has relationships with some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
leading universities including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Pennsylvania, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Virginia, and Emory among others.<br />
Over 20,000 students have borrowed a total <strong>of</strong> $400 million just<br />
three years after launch. Callahans continues its role as the leading<br />
provider <strong>of</strong> credit union data and analysis while also beginning<br />
an intergenerational transfer <strong>of</strong> leadership. In other words, he is<br />
hoping to retire in the not too distant future!<br />
Melvyn Hilbrown is struggling with government cuts in business<br />
support, which will probably put him in semi-retirement by the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> the year.<br />
Ian Kershaw was awarded an honorary degree <strong>of</strong> DLitt by<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> at the June 2010 Encaenia, and has a book to<br />
be published in August 2011 by Penguin called The End. Hitler’s<br />
Germany, 1944-45.<br />
Denis MacShane, MP for Rotherham is enjoying his time on the<br />
opposition backbenches and writes for newspapers and websites on<br />
international, EU and security affairs following his eight years at<br />
the Foreign Offi ce under the Blair government. He regularly chats<br />
to fellow <strong>Merton</strong>ian MPs, Peter Tapsell (1950), whose <strong>of</strong>fi ce is next<br />
to his and Ed Vaizey (1986). He is working on a book on sex slave<br />
traffi cking.<br />
Robert Venables has two recent publications, The Taxation <strong>of</strong><br />
Foundations and The Taxation <strong>of</strong> Trusts 2010. Robert has fi xed his<br />
retirement for 2030.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
111
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1967<br />
1967<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: RORY KHILKOFF-BOULDING<br />
Beggars’ Well, Baker’s Lane, Dallington, East Sussex, TN21 9JU<br />
Tel: 01435 830859 Email: rory@kbc-law.com<br />
John Macfarlane writes: “The reports <strong>of</strong> my death are greatly<br />
exaggerated (Postmaster 2010, p158, In Memoriam). In fact I am<br />
fi t, happy and hopefully fairly healthy, having retired and moved<br />
to the northern Lake District in December 2008. Prior to that I<br />
was a respiratory physician at Nottingham <strong>University</strong> Hospitals<br />
and chairman <strong>of</strong> the British Thoracic Society, and I continue<br />
as Honorary Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Nottingham <strong>University</strong> and Visiting<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Manchester <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Retirement is recommended (!) and has meant more time for<br />
travel, walking, intermittent trail running, nature and photography<br />
in a really lovely part <strong>of</strong> England, whilst continuing my interest in<br />
medical history. Both our sons went to <strong>Oxford</strong>, but visits to <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
are now unfortunately infrequent”.<br />
1968<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: IAN MCBRAYNE<br />
44 Parkland Road, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 9AP<br />
Tel: 020 8504 2491 Email: ian@mcbrayne.idps.co.uk<br />
By the stage in life which this year group has reached, as David<br />
Pelteret commented, “if any <strong>of</strong> us are doing something that is<br />
uncharacteristic <strong>of</strong> our earlier existence, it is likely to be a sign <strong>of</strong><br />
gross immaturity, considerable dissatisfaction with a life lived, or an<br />
indication <strong>of</strong> mental deterioration and premature senescence”. So,<br />
he suggested, most <strong>of</strong> us will have been doing ‘more <strong>of</strong> the same’.<br />
True, though some <strong>of</strong> us have managed new twists on old themes.<br />
Some have taken their activities to a higher level. Our<br />
congratulations to Alan Sked on his pr<strong>of</strong>essorship at the London<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Economics and to Russell Poole on becoming a<br />
distinguished pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Western Ontario.<br />
Alan’s Radetzky: Imperial Victor and Military Genius, trailed<br />
here last year, has now been published, while Russell fulfi lled<br />
40 years <strong>of</strong> good intentions last summer by visiting L’Anse aux<br />
Meadows in Newfoundland, the only authenticated Viking site in<br />
North America.<br />
112 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
David himself now serves <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> in three ways:<br />
by pro<strong>of</strong>-reading for the <strong>University</strong> Press (and straying beyond<br />
his brief into the suggestion <strong>of</strong> improvements); by acting as a<br />
consultant to the <strong>Oxford</strong> English Dictionary; and by contributing<br />
on Anglo-Saxon history and allied subjects to the <strong>Oxford</strong> History<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Middle Ages. Another with an enhanced role in his very<br />
different fi eld is Simon Orebi Gann, whose portfolio has been<br />
expanded by appointment as a director <strong>of</strong> Aspen Technology, a<br />
leading American s<strong>of</strong>tware company.<br />
Julian Leslie is completing 25 years as pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> psychology<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Ulster, having been in Northern Ireland since<br />
completing his DPhil in 1974. He has kept in touch with ‘fellow<br />
ex-inmates <strong>of</strong> Dulwich <strong>College</strong>’, Stewart Morgan and Michael<br />
Goldstein. Michael has been a pr<strong>of</strong>essor (<strong>of</strong> mathematical<br />
statistics at Durham <strong>University</strong>) for almost as long as Julian and<br />
is reported to be ‘exactly the same as ever’. Having <strong>of</strong>fspring now<br />
based in each other’s areas has increased opportunities for Julian<br />
and Michael to meet. Julian has postgraduate students working<br />
near Boston and so has also had opportunities to meet Peter<br />
Palmer, who lives in Belmont, Mass.<br />
Stewart was another who contacted me, to report a 60th birthday<br />
treat, visiting Venice and fulfi lling a lifelong ambition by returning<br />
on the Orient Express. He feared an ersatz experience but in fact<br />
encountered an extraordinary dedication to authenticity and felt<br />
truly transported back in sumptuous style to a bygone age, a<br />
reverie abruptly ended by arriving at Victoria station in the evening<br />
rush hour.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> us are no longer working. Steve Drinkwater’s<br />
retirement fi nds him doing lots <strong>of</strong> walking, especially in mountains,<br />
and leading walking holidays in the UK for HF Holidays. All good<br />
and enjoyable, he says. My own retirement is very pleasurable<br />
too, though my duties as a churchwarden and chair <strong>of</strong> school<br />
governors, and my involvement with a study group at the Museum<br />
<strong>of</strong> London in Docklands, not to mention natural lethargy, all lead<br />
to a less outdoor existence than Steve’s. Nicholas Richardson, on<br />
the other hand, reported that he was about to set <strong>of</strong>f on a sponsored<br />
walk across Crete in aid <strong>of</strong> the British School at Athens; we trust<br />
it went well.<br />
Paul Engeham returned to the Falkland Islands, 29 years<br />
after the confl ict, with his captain from HMS Glamorgan to help<br />
dedicate a new Welsh granite memorial to the men killed and buried<br />
at sea <strong>of</strong>f the islands. Moving ceremonies on shore and afl oat were
MICHAEL LOWE AND ONE OF HIS<br />
MAGNIFICENT LUTES<br />
attended by numerous<br />
islanders. He found<br />
a vibrant, young and<br />
passionately British<br />
community, worried<br />
by a new Argentine<br />
economic blockade.<br />
He also again found<br />
dramatic scenery,<br />
wind, sheep, seals and<br />
penguins aplenty.<br />
At home yet<br />
equally adventurous<br />
in his way (foolhardy,<br />
according to his son<br />
who helped him) was<br />
Scirard Lancelyn<br />
Green, who spent<br />
many days in the<br />
freezing conditions <strong>of</strong><br />
November completing a belfry extension and adding extra bells to his<br />
carillon. He also spent an interesting couple <strong>of</strong> days in Copenhagen<br />
servicing the only set <strong>of</strong> tubular tower chimes in Denmark, and sang<br />
nine Messiahs in a year as well as some interesting new works. Still<br />
on a musical theme, Michael Lowe considers himself very fortunate<br />
still to be doing the same as when he fi rst left <strong>Merton</strong>, building lutes.<br />
In the 40 years since he built his second lute, much <strong>of</strong> it on a<br />
workbench which he had introduced into his room in 58 Holywell<br />
Street, he has reached his 163rd and hopes that his lute-making has<br />
improved a little. He says that is for the future to judge over the two<br />
to three centuries that an instrument should last. He still has a full<br />
order book and hopes to continue making lutes until prevented by<br />
the dilapidation <strong>of</strong> age.<br />
David Bell (Pr<strong>of</strong>) and Chris Simmons (Revd Canon) met<br />
briefl y this year in Dave’s native, Chris’s adopted and God’s own<br />
county. Regrettably, the season was inappropriate for a re-run <strong>of</strong><br />
the memorable Conker Society Inter-Planetary Championship<br />
Final <strong>of</strong> 1970, when <strong>Merton</strong> triumphed over Jupiter. All present<br />
agreed that the years had treated them kindly; on the basis <strong>of</strong> past<br />
performance, they expect to meet again sometime in 2036. Alan<br />
Harland reports, perhaps in slightly more serious vein, on another<br />
meeting, a wonderful weekend <strong>College</strong> reunion in Philadelphia in<br />
NEWS | 1969<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
April, attended by alumni and guests from the NE United States,<br />
featuring performances by the <strong>College</strong> choir and welcoming the<br />
new Warden. Events included a formal dinner at the Philadelphia<br />
Union League and a private tour <strong>of</strong> the Philadelphia Art Museum.<br />
A <strong>College</strong> reunion <strong>of</strong> a different kind was the subject <strong>of</strong> Steve<br />
Powell’s report. He was father <strong>of</strong> the bride at a wedding in <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Chapel last September which was very much a <strong>Merton</strong> affair: his<br />
daughter Louise and her husband Paul Boswell (both 2001), the<br />
best man and three <strong>of</strong> the four bridesmaids all attended <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
It was an enjoyable day, even though one <strong>of</strong> the vintage doubledecker<br />
buses developed a puncture on the way to the reception.<br />
Most <strong>of</strong> the news came by email, but I enjoyed a long telephone<br />
conversation with James Miller, whose mobility is somewhat<br />
improved since last year and whose general enthusiasm continues<br />
unabated. Others who made contact but claimed to have nothing<br />
suffi ciently newsworthy to share are Peter Bibby, Jim Buckee,<br />
Colin Bundy, Robert Dunn, Lou Henderson, James Hughes-<br />
Hallett, Chris Laidlaw and Danny Lawrence.<br />
In the light <strong>of</strong> all this, I would venture to rewrite David Pelteret’s<br />
comments a little: no gross immaturity, but just enough continuing<br />
zest for youthful indiscretion; no deep dissatisfaction, but a clear<br />
feeling that life still has more to <strong>of</strong>fer; no mental deterioration,<br />
but for some the beginnings <strong>of</strong> a more relaxed approach; and yes,<br />
reassuringly, plenty ‘more <strong>of</strong> the same’. Not a bad record as we<br />
collect our Senior Railcards and move on.<br />
1969<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: CHARLES GRIFFITH<br />
La Commanderie, Malmort, 37510 Bléré, France<br />
Tel: 0033 2 4723 5443 Email: charles.griffi th@wanadoo.fr<br />
Duncan Campbell-Smith’s latest book Masters <strong>of</strong> the Post – An<br />
Authorised History <strong>of</strong> the Royal Mail will hit the bookstands in<br />
November 2011. He swears that the Directors, who commissioned<br />
the book, were impressed by the fact that he had been a Postmaster<br />
at one stage <strong>of</strong> his life – si non è vero, è bene trovato.<br />
Tony Hansen retired from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory<br />
in 2005, but continues to follow his <strong>Merton</strong> tutor’s advice to<br />
do something useful with physics. He runs the company that<br />
manufactures his invention: the aethalometer, an instrument to<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
113
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1970<br />
measure black-carbon particles suspended in the atmosphere,<br />
now used by governments and scientists, quite literally from Pole<br />
to Pole.<br />
Ian Rattray writes from Sydney, Australia, where a twoyear<br />
adventure, starting in 1977, turned into a permanent move.<br />
Recently retired from the IT industry, he and Lynn hope to spend<br />
more time in Europe. They have promised to include <strong>Merton</strong> and<br />
also my corner <strong>of</strong> France on the itinerary.<br />
Jeremy Cook, with disarming but unjustifi ed modesty, says<br />
that his career as a researcher and teacher in visual neuroscience<br />
and medical embryology at UCL does not warrant comment.<br />
The internet tells a different story: fascinating stuff about spatial<br />
regularity among retinal neurons, plus a lot <strong>of</strong> positive comments<br />
from his students . He claims to be retiring soon, but this will be a<br />
gradual process. Science and music (the violin for Jeremy and the<br />
viola for Rosemary) should occupy the next phase <strong>of</strong> life. “May<br />
their age be lengthened” as the Arabs say.<br />
Charles Griffi th covers a fairly wide spread <strong>of</strong> the Arabian Gulf,<br />
North Africa and some mining/energy subjects in sub-Saharan<br />
Africa from his large house in France. Corruption is becoming<br />
almost as much a priority as fraud. A side-interest is local Arab<br />
politics, in this new era, particularly the Shia community <strong>of</strong> Eastern<br />
Saudi Arabia. Retirement is not on the agenda, as far as he knows.<br />
1970<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: NICK SKINNER<br />
Copthorne, The Close, Lancing BN15 8EE<br />
Tel: 01903 767072 Email: nhskinner@sky.com<br />
This last period has been a time <strong>of</strong> anniversaries for the 1970 <strong>Merton</strong><br />
cohort. In September 2010, some 18 <strong>of</strong> us gathered for an excellent<br />
and much appreciated Gaudy, and we were able to exchange news<br />
<strong>of</strong> happenings over the remarkable 40 years since we fi rst met each<br />
other as bright-eyed young students at <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
Also this year many <strong>of</strong> us have reached our 60th birthdays<br />
(whilst not regarding ourselves as senior citizens!). Most respondents<br />
have been silent on this matter but Laurence Campbell reports<br />
that he, Ge<strong>of</strong>f Ellis, Peter Moizer and other halves are planning<br />
to celebrate the year in which they turn 60, “taking in the best <strong>of</strong><br />
Lakeland fare and fi tting in some contemplation at the l<strong>of</strong>ty and<br />
famous Black Sail Hut, which has no modern conveniences”.<br />
114 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Retirement from full-time paid employment is becoming an<br />
increasingly common item <strong>of</strong> news.<br />
Mick Polley writes that “retirement is proving congenial but<br />
busy, as Di and I are now managers <strong>of</strong> the Taunton Parish Church<br />
Book and Gift Shop.”<br />
Tony Woodruff emails from Canada to report that he has<br />
recently stepped back from full-time work heading up a company<br />
distributing gas fi res and high-effi ciency wood-burning products<br />
across the US, Canada and Australia, and after a period <strong>of</strong> travel<br />
in Central America with his wife Peggy has “joined the Board <strong>of</strong> a<br />
charity called The Water School, which has a simple, inexpensive,<br />
sustainable system for providing clean drinking water, sanitation<br />
and improved hygiene to folks in the tropics. We currently have<br />
projects working in Uganda, Kenya and Haiti.”<br />
Tony Sharp continues to be very active battlefi eld guiding for<br />
school parties and umpiring matches in the English Hockey League.<br />
Tony and Catherine have also acquired a cat “pedigree Russian<br />
Blue called Kaz (short for Warwick Kazimov, his pedigree name)”.<br />
Some correspondents continue to fl ourish in employment, and<br />
John Crabtree “remains active in the study <strong>of</strong> the politics <strong>of</strong><br />
the Andean countries <strong>of</strong> Latin America” with publications this<br />
year on both Bolivian and Peruvian politics. John teaches at the<br />
Latin American Centre in <strong>Oxford</strong>, as well as at the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Continuing Education, and is region head for Latin<br />
America at <strong>Oxford</strong> Analytica.<br />
For myself, Nick Skinner, the year has been very busy (hopefully<br />
successfully) completing my BA in Fine Art (Painting). I am writing<br />
this report (June 2011) on the eve <strong>of</strong> my Graduation Show.<br />
Many thanks to all who responded to my request for news – it is<br />
very much appreciated.
1971<br />
Rick Trainor has been awarded a KBE for his services to higher<br />
education.<br />
Jonathan Madden and his wife Vera have a new baby boy,<br />
Charlie, born on 2nd October 2010.<br />
Martin Read has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday<br />
Honours List for services to the public sector and to business.<br />
1973<br />
JONATHAN MADDEN,<br />
HIS WIFE VERA AND THEIR<br />
NEW BABY BOY, CHARLIE<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: GARY BACKLER<br />
23 Baronsfi eld Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 2QT<br />
Tel: 020 8891 0883 Email: ggbackler@hotmail.co.uk<br />
Graham Andrews writes that the 1973 maths and medics group<br />
(John Myatt, David Melville, Bill Souster, Rob Lewis, Roger<br />
Urwin and himself) all met at the All Souls memorial service<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong>, along with the parents <strong>of</strong> Paul Sch<strong>of</strong>i eld and Clive<br />
Hendrie’s father. The news since last year is that Bill Souster has<br />
started a new job as Syndicate Actuary at Hardy Underwriting and<br />
Graham got married last September in Devon.<br />
Paul Blustein continues to write on international economic<br />
issues, as a Nonresident Fellow <strong>of</strong> the Brookings Institution. He<br />
NEWS | 1973<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
has moved with his family to Kamakura, Japan, a town 50 minutes<br />
southwest <strong>of</strong> Tokyo by train, which was essentially the capital <strong>of</strong><br />
the country about 800 years ago. He reports that they certainly<br />
felt the big earthquake, but except for a couple <strong>of</strong> scares on the<br />
day, were not otherwise much affected. By the end <strong>of</strong> May, the<br />
power outages had stopped, and the supermarket shelves were<br />
full again. However, anticipating diffi culties in the availability <strong>of</strong><br />
air-conditioning during the Japanese summer, he was happy to be<br />
contemplating a long research trip to the US, Canada and Europe<br />
from mid-June to mid-August.<br />
From the English Department at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nevada in Las<br />
Vegas, John Bowers writes supportively as the Year Representative<br />
for 1973 Rhodes Scholars in The American Oxonian. As a Tolkien<br />
and Chaucer scholar, John has just had his fi rst article accepted<br />
for publication in Tolkien Studies. Inspired by the example <strong>of</strong> a<br />
medievalist who wrote novels, he has just published his own debut<br />
novel, End <strong>of</strong> Story. His fi rst customer for the novel in England was<br />
none other than Terry Jones, a fellow Chaucerian but perhaps better<br />
known from Monty Python.<br />
Simon Pallett continues as Dean <strong>of</strong> Undergraduate Studies in the<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong> Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle <strong>University</strong>,<br />
a position he has held since 2005.<br />
Gary Backler has taken early retirement from the Department<br />
for Transport, and is now pursuing a range <strong>of</strong> non-executive,<br />
consultancy and research interests. He has been appointed as a<br />
Visiting Research Fellow in the Institute for Transport Studies at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Leeds.<br />
1974<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: MIKE HAWKINS<br />
908 Hunting Ridge Road, Martinsville, VA 24112, USA<br />
1975<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: ROBERT PEBERDY<br />
38 Randolph Street, <strong>Oxford</strong>, OX4 1XZ<br />
Tel: 01865 798107 Email: r.peberdy.123@btinternet.com<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians will have noticed that recently there have been important<br />
visitations to the UK from the USA. For example, in spring 2011 Her<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
115
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1975<br />
Majesty the Queen was visited<br />
by a Mr and Mrs Obama from<br />
Washington, DC. A little earlier,<br />
on 23rd October 2010, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Stephen Oppenheimer from<br />
Baltimore, accompanied by his<br />
wife Susan, visited <strong>Oxford</strong> to<br />
receive the <strong>University</strong>’s degree<br />
<strong>of</strong> Doctor <strong>of</strong> Science in honour <strong>of</strong><br />
his medical research. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Oppenheimer was escorted by<br />
a detachment drawn from the<br />
US Air Force, though unusually<br />
for such occasions the men<br />
with black glasses, guns and<br />
big black limousines remained<br />
unobtrusive.<br />
For other 1975 <strong>Merton</strong>ians,<br />
life has been more sedentary<br />
STEPHEN OPPENHEI<strong>MER</strong><br />
though not undemanding.<br />
Cardiac surgeon Arif Ahsan, in<br />
Nottingham, regularly works night shifts because keyhole surgery<br />
for blocked arteries has been made a 24/7 service. He is uneasy<br />
about the prospect <strong>of</strong> yet more NHS reforms. In Arizona the legal<br />
fi rm run by Glenn Bacal, which specialises in intellectual property,<br />
fl ourishes despite diffi cult economic conditions. Sadly, his basset<br />
hound <strong>Merton</strong> died four years ago. He now has two dogs with poodle<br />
bloodlines, and suspects that his choice was infl uenced by the late<br />
Mr Barton’s affection for poodles. Brian Bramson was awarded<br />
the degree <strong>of</strong> Master <strong>of</strong> Mathematics by ‘the other place’ 42 years<br />
after completing Part III <strong>of</strong> the Mathematical tripos, and has also<br />
been elected a Companion <strong>of</strong> Honour <strong>of</strong> the Royal Aero Club. He<br />
continues research into relativity, quantum mechanics, singularity<br />
removal and fi nite self-energies. Alan Dolton, a commentator on<br />
tax cases for LexisNexis, has also contributed to Simon’s Taxes, an<br />
encyclopedia named after Sir John Simon. Away from his desk, he<br />
won two silver medals in 2011 in veterans’ athletics races.<br />
The Guildhall Library in London has published a new edition<br />
<strong>of</strong> The City <strong>of</strong> London and its Livery Companies: A History <strong>of</strong><br />
Survival by Ian Doolittle. To mark its publication the author gave a<br />
talk entitled ‘Why does the City <strong>of</strong> London govern only the Square<br />
Mile?’ He continues to prepare a calendar <strong>of</strong> Fire Court Decrees<br />
116 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
resulting from the Great Fire <strong>of</strong> 1666. Bill Ford, manager <strong>of</strong><br />
Tata-owned steel companies, reports that China and India remain<br />
‘the powerhouses <strong>of</strong> growth’ while the UK is ‘fl at’. The highlight <strong>of</strong><br />
his year, however, was helping <strong>Merton</strong> to win the <strong>University</strong> Alumni<br />
golf tournament in April 2011. Musician Stephen Gardiner now<br />
dwells at Bexhill, Sussex, and continues to transcribe music into<br />
braille. Recent commissions have included Symphony no. 104, the<br />
‘London’, by echt-Ollesonian composer Haydn. Another famous<br />
feature <strong>of</strong> Bexhill is the modernist De La Warr Pavilion <strong>of</strong> 1935,<br />
which was designed by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff,<br />
originally as a social centre. It is now an arts centre, though<br />
Postmaster’s correspondent fi nds much <strong>of</strong> the exhibited work<br />
disappointing.<br />
Afi cionados <strong>of</strong> Parliament on TV may have noticed Dorian<br />
Gerhold sitting bewigged and gowned in the House <strong>of</strong> Commons.<br />
As a regular duty clerk, his responsibilities include advising the<br />
Speaker, keeping a record <strong>of</strong> business and decisions, and enforcing<br />
time limits. Fans <strong>of</strong> his historical writings will be excited to hear that<br />
another book is close to completion. In June 2011 the Archbishop<br />
<strong>of</strong> Canterbury, Visitor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>, appeared to express scepticism<br />
about the value <strong>of</strong> the ‘Big Society’ concept. For reassurance,<br />
His Grace might perhaps visit Gordon Jeanes in Wandsworth.<br />
Not only is he a busy parish priest with a fl ourishing church and<br />
school, he is an active trustee <strong>of</strong> ‘Wandsworth Mind’, a mentalhealth<br />
charity which provides a drop-in centre and other valuable<br />
support. Chris Lewis has become President <strong>of</strong> the Haskins Society,<br />
an international organisation dedicated to the study <strong>of</strong> Viking,<br />
Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman history (named in honour <strong>of</strong><br />
Charles Homer Haskins, 1870-1937). Now based in Massachusetts,<br />
it organises an annual conference and publishes a journal.<br />
The Great Thespian <strong>of</strong> Congleton, Chris Mann, has recently<br />
revived his classic role <strong>of</strong> René in ‘Allo ‘Allo! and has played a dame<br />
in the pantomime Babes in the Wood. He was also nominated for a<br />
regional drama award and enjoyed attending the awards ceremony at<br />
the Blackpool Hilton. Ed Martley lately organised an AGM in the<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Convocation House at the Bodleian Library for<br />
the Thames Valley Branch <strong>of</strong> the Chartered Institute <strong>of</strong> Management<br />
Accountants, though as Chairman he resisted the temptation to hold<br />
forth from the Vice-Chancellor’s chair. He admires Thomas Bodley<br />
as a shrewd <strong>Merton</strong>ian for his pioneering use <strong>of</strong> a ‘challenge grant’<br />
in the 17th century. Nicholas Mays, who does occupy a chair as<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Health Policy at the London School <strong>of</strong> Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine, has also become Director <strong>of</strong> a collaborative<br />
research unit concerned with ‘policy innovation research’ and<br />
continues to manage independent research evaluating the impact <strong>of</strong><br />
major reforms on the NHS. Tom Millest has left the Metropolitan<br />
Police Service after 30 years’ service and has joined the Parole Board<br />
which assesses prisoners for possible release. The work involves<br />
reviewing dossiers and sitting on panels. He visits about 25 prisons<br />
and fi nds the work ‘fascinating, rewarding and quite challenging’.<br />
Physicist Ed Myers reports from Tallahassee that Florida’s<br />
public universities continue to suffer fi nancially as a result <strong>of</strong> the<br />
recession and the state’s ‘anti-tax, small-government sentiment’.<br />
Faculty pay has been frozen for several years and benefi ts have been<br />
cut. He continues, nonetheless, to undertake research on precision<br />
atomic mass measurement. In October 2010 Robert Peberdy was a<br />
speaker at the biennial Rye Medieval Conference, which examined<br />
transport and trade. None <strong>of</strong> the audience noticed that the event<br />
was substantially a <strong>Merton</strong>ian occasion: the programme organiser<br />
was Michael Hicks (1971), and the other speakers included David<br />
Pelteret (1968) and John Hare (Visiting Schoolmaster, 1996).<br />
Afterwards, visitors to Rye might have overheard a vigorous<br />
conversation in the town’s dark streets about strange characters<br />
called Braun and Barton. Robert Peberdy was made redundant<br />
from the Victoria County History by <strong>Oxford</strong>shire County Council<br />
in spring 2011.<br />
Congratulations are due to Robert Pitkethly, Fellow <strong>of</strong> St Peter’s<br />
<strong>College</strong>, who married Revd Dr Elizabeth Chevill in London in July<br />
2011. Crispin Poyser, a Principal Clerk at the House <strong>of</strong> Commons,<br />
continues to supervise several select committees. Up in Yorkshire<br />
Malcolm Price continues to lecture in education at Leeds Trinity<br />
<strong>College</strong> and York St John <strong>University</strong>. He was surprised to hear <strong>of</strong><br />
the pessimistic assessment <strong>of</strong> science teaching in primary schools<br />
made by Lord Rees at the launch <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>’s 750th Anniversary<br />
campaign in May 2011. By contrast, he considers that science<br />
teaching at primary level is stronger than ever before. In May<br />
2010 David Salter, alas, lost his post in the cabinet <strong>of</strong> Plymouth<br />
City Council as member responsible for Adult Health and Social<br />
Care, despite having an excellent record. During three years in<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi ce he helped to raise the Council’s performance in social care<br />
from ‘one star’ to equal best in the South-West (as assessed by the<br />
Care Quality Commission). Neil Smith is currently Master <strong>of</strong> the<br />
masonic lodge in Shaftesbury, Dorset (but <strong>Merton</strong>ians are asked to<br />
keep this secret).<br />
NEWS | 1976<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
On 4th December 2010, Brian Bramson and Robert Peberdy<br />
were among the <strong>Merton</strong>ians who attended a party at Balliol <strong>College</strong><br />
to launch Tomfoolery, an entertaining collection <strong>of</strong> occasional<br />
writings by the late Tom Braun (1959). It is rumoured that<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians have also been commemorating Mr Braun’s memory<br />
with an appropriate brand <strong>of</strong> Penfolds wine. For more information<br />
on Tomfoolery, See Book Reviews, page 64.<br />
1976<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: JOHN GARDNER<br />
The Orchard House, Witherslack, Cumbria LA11 6RS<br />
Tel: 015395 52232 Email: j.gardner@zen.co.uk<br />
That year being famous for its sunshine, many <strong>of</strong> the 1976 intake<br />
were reminded by May’s good weather to send an update.<br />
Several are teaching or conducting research. Married to Felicity<br />
(St Hilda’s, 1979) and living in <strong>Oxford</strong>, Richard Dendy is active<br />
at Warwick <strong>University</strong>’s Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics<br />
and at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, where he leads research<br />
teams and publishes steadily. He serves on two non-departmental<br />
public bodies: the MoD’s Nuclear Research Advisory Council,<br />
which has oversight <strong>of</strong> programmes at Aldermaston, and the FCO’s<br />
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, which grants Marshall<br />
scholarships for US postgraduate students in the UK.<br />
Christopher Duggan teaches at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Reading as<br />
Head <strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> Literature and Languages, currently working<br />
on 19th- and 20th-century Italy. Having completed a history <strong>of</strong><br />
Italy from the French Revolution to the present, he is now writing<br />
a book about Italian fascism as seen through the diaries, letters<br />
and memoirs <strong>of</strong> ordinary people. Jonathan Flint, a <strong>Merton</strong> fellow<br />
and Michael Davys Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Neuroscience, writes en route to<br />
China from a meeting ‘in Milan on rat genetics’. He is running<br />
global studies to better understand the causes <strong>of</strong> depression, both<br />
environmental and genetic.<br />
Robert Hannah has been at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Otago in Dunedin,<br />
New Zealand since leaving <strong>Merton</strong>, teaching Classical Archaeology<br />
and Greek. He gained a personal chair in 2006 and was elected a<br />
Fellow <strong>of</strong> the Society <strong>of</strong> Antiquaries in 2008. His current research<br />
is about time in antiquity, and will see him surveying Greek temples<br />
in the Mediterranean for the next three years. Married to Pat, who<br />
he met in <strong>Oxford</strong>, they have two children. Astrophysicist Nigel<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
117
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1976<br />
Metcalfe, at Durham <strong>University</strong> since the 1980s and married to<br />
Katherine for 20 years, is on the Science Council for the new Pan-<br />
STARRS telescope project in Hawaii. Last year he was one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Durham science team whose fi lm Cosmic Origins beat Disney to<br />
win a Silicon Valley award for best 3D movie.<br />
Following a PhD at MIT and spells at Harvard and Columbia,<br />
Dan Raff has been on the faculty <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Pennsylvania<br />
since 1994, holding appointments at the Wharton School, history<br />
department and law school. He remains a research associate <strong>of</strong> the<br />
National Bureau <strong>of</strong> Economic Research in Boston and in a current<br />
project is helping to write a history <strong>of</strong> the OUP. Adrian Schweitzer<br />
teaches Classics and Maths at Tonbridge School, as well as coaching<br />
and playing hockey. His three children are at university and with<br />
Carolyn he recently enjoyed a sabbatical term in Italy after 15 years<br />
running a boarding house.<br />
Recently returned to teaching chemistry after ‘rather too long as<br />
an IT consultant’, Jonathan Stephenson is growing vegetables and<br />
making music via his site jazzharmony.com. Mike Taylor, former<br />
Principal Curator <strong>of</strong> Vertebrate Palaeontology at National Museums<br />
Scotland and currently a research associate there working on fossil<br />
marine reptiles and the history <strong>of</strong> palaeontology, lives with Helen in<br />
his native town Penicuik, Midlothian. He is also an honorary research<br />
fellow at the Department <strong>of</strong> Museum Studies at Leicester <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Acceptable faces <strong>of</strong> capitalism include Chris Coombe, in Abu<br />
Dhabi since 2008 working for Abu Dhabi Government investment<br />
companies, who this year became CEO <strong>of</strong> a joint venture providing<br />
currency and commodity risk management solutions in the region.<br />
Lapsed lefty David Douglas runs equity capital markets for<br />
Standard Chartered and helps keep Cathay Pacifi c in business by<br />
commuting between Hong Kong and Paris, in addition to seeing<br />
his 15-year-old at Ampleforth. Rob Hain, having retired as Chief<br />
Executive <strong>of</strong> Invesco Perpetual in 2005, is Chairman <strong>of</strong> asset<br />
management group City Financial and a non-executive director <strong>of</strong><br />
several other companies. Rob and Tracy, an interior designer, live<br />
in London while their daughters Iska and Kayla live in the United<br />
States and Canada respectively.<br />
After tours <strong>of</strong> duty in investment banking and with the Strategic<br />
Rail Authority following a stellar career in the Navy, including<br />
commanding nuclear submarines, David Humphrey is with<br />
Standard Bank in Johannesburg. Charles Manby works for<br />
Goldman Sachs. Married to Nicky, girlfriend from <strong>Merton</strong> years,<br />
they have three grown-up children. With John Booth he is co-<br />
118 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
chairing the <strong>Merton</strong> 750th Anniversary Campaign. Ian McVeigh,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the many <strong>Merton</strong> historians, is a director at Jupiter Asset<br />
Management. His daughter is reading History at Nottingham.<br />
Peter Bernie has lived near Chester since the 1980s, bringing<br />
up three daughters and working as a fi nance director in marine<br />
insurance, recently with Liverpool & London and presently as<br />
consultant to The Strike Club. Since 2000 John Bland has been<br />
a director <strong>of</strong> Global Integration, a specialist HR consultancy for<br />
international companies. Following an M&A career with Blue<br />
Circle and Mayfl ower, erstwhile JCR President Neil Craggs is a<br />
strategy consultant living in Buckinghamshire with Fran (St Anne’s,<br />
1976) and children Juliet and Matt, now at Keble. Serial marketing<br />
director John Gardner is doing his thing on the interweb with<br />
fi nancial services and shopping sites. Wife Tracey and daughters<br />
Joanna and Carla want to see their names in print and so – because<br />
he can – they are.<br />
After 30 years with Whitbread, most recently involving ‘a bit<br />
a travelling’ as European Quality Manager, master brewer Jeremy<br />
Horton recently declined the <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>of</strong> a posting to Moscow in<br />
favour <strong>of</strong> warmer climes (Lancashire) and is now semi-retired<br />
doing Quality Project work in the food and drink sectors. Ge<strong>of</strong>f<br />
Lee has worked in the biomedical industry since leaving <strong>Merton</strong><br />
and lives in Macclesfi eld where he and Jane recently celebrated<br />
their 28th anniversary. Keen gardeners, they have renovated a<br />
ruin near Albi. Son Alex qualifi ed in Medicine at Manchester and<br />
daughter Joanna is at St Andrews. Laurence Ormerod lives in<br />
Cumbria with Gill and children Holly and Tom. He is running<br />
and sailing whenever possible and consulting in business<br />
development and strategy for technology and start-up companies<br />
in the energy sector.<br />
Dan Rickman recently joined data solutions integrator Detica.<br />
Wife Jill is a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> psychiatry at UCL and they have two<br />
grown-up children. Following a mid-life MA in Humanities he is<br />
currently completing a course on Jewish and Muslim perceptions<br />
<strong>of</strong> the other. Rod Roberts-Dear returned with Clare to bring up<br />
Max, Harry and Bruno in the UK after 12 years in Switzerland and<br />
Germany with Inchcape and Continental, settling in the Midlands<br />
as a principal at Ricardo Strategy Consulting.<br />
Next up, the lawyers. District judge Robin Barraclough sits<br />
in his home town Huddersfi eld and celebrates his silver wedding<br />
anniversary with Andrea this month. A football fan, his only regret is<br />
not being Mancunian. Simon Congdon, partner at Holman Fenwick
Willan for 20 years, specialises in international litigation and asset<br />
recovery. Much <strong>of</strong> his spare time is taken up running groups at St<br />
Helen’s church, Bishopsgate. After <strong>Merton</strong>, Tim Matthews joined<br />
Canadian fi rm Stewart McKelvey where as a partner he specialises<br />
in estate planning, tax, and estate litigation. His voice is heard<br />
in Nova Scotia not just as a choral singer and tenor soloist but<br />
as past Director and Chairman <strong>of</strong> Symphony Nova Scotia and<br />
present Chair <strong>of</strong> Scotia Festival <strong>of</strong> Music, a classical chamber<br />
music society.<br />
No surprise to those who saw his magic act, David Owen<br />
QC deals with tricky international disputes, arbitration and<br />
mediation from 20 Essex Street chambers. Closer to home, his<br />
son is at Wadham, daughter at St Andrews and wife Philippa is<br />
a London guide. David Pitman specialises in patent litigation<br />
as a partner at boutique intellectual property law fi rm Fulwider<br />
Patton in Los Angeles. Married for 18 years to Tamara Parsons,<br />
they have two daughters in high school. Antony Townsend writes<br />
from Leamington Spa, where he runs the Solicitors Regulation<br />
Authority. Father <strong>of</strong> six, he sings in London and Warwick when<br />
time permits.<br />
A documentary editor for the last 20 years for the BBC, Channel<br />
4 and other broadcasters, Toby Farrell lives with wife and<br />
son in the Vale <strong>of</strong> Pewsey, Wiltshire. Guy Montgomery is<br />
teaching tai chi and making cheese in central Portugal. He lives<br />
on an organic smallholding with his Italian consort Mariluz,<br />
their small daughters Iris and Ruby, donkey Reynolds and<br />
a fl ock <strong>of</strong> goats and sheep. Peter Truesdale was re-elected last<br />
year to Lambeth Council to serve his fi fth term as member for<br />
Bishop’s Ward.<br />
Bob Cotton was recently created an honorary canon <strong>of</strong> Guildford<br />
Cathedral and elected to the Archbishops’ Council. Having<br />
spent 15 years as the parish priest in Guildford looking after a leaky<br />
listed church, he is also well-qualifi ed in building maintenance.<br />
Charles Wookey is Assistant General Secretary <strong>of</strong> the Catholic<br />
Bishops’ Conference <strong>of</strong> England and Wales and was heavily<br />
involved in the organisation <strong>of</strong> Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the<br />
UK last year.<br />
Finally, Postmaster has been promised photographs next time,<br />
including one <strong>of</strong> this year’s class who is currently training as a<br />
belly-dancer. You know who you are.<br />
1977<br />
NEWS | 1977<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: EDMUND WRIGHT<br />
Cedar Cottage, Graham Road, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire,<br />
SL6 9JQ<br />
Email: edmund_wright@btopenworld.com<br />
Richard Humes is still living in the Lake Geneva region and has<br />
recently retired from his banking career to pursue personal interests.<br />
These include travel, writing, mountaineering, and being a parttime<br />
student again. Fortunately, he says, the academic pressure is<br />
<strong>of</strong>f this time round, which is a good thing after 25-plus years <strong>of</strong><br />
brain degeneration, not helped by an over-enthusiastic immersion<br />
in the local wine-drinking culture. Thankfully Lynda is just about<br />
managing to cope with the challenge <strong>of</strong> having him around during<br />
the day: he doubts anyone else could.<br />
After leaving <strong>Merton</strong> Ashley Knowles took an MSc in<br />
Operational Research and subsequently gravitated towards<br />
fi nancial modelling and business planning. He has been involved<br />
in some large property developments and has had clients in<br />
hospitality, telecoms, and broadcast services. He now lives in<br />
Sussex with his wife and one daughter, two dogs, and a multitude<br />
<strong>of</strong> uninvited rabbits. Of more interest to crossword solvers may be<br />
that he is ‘Boatman’ in The Guardian, where he has been teasing<br />
the readership for the last few years.<br />
Since last year’s report, Steve Lichfi eld has completed an MSc<br />
in Renewable Energy and Sustainability at Reading <strong>University</strong>,<br />
followed by a qualifi cation in energy management from the<br />
Energy Institute in London, and is currently researching best-fi t<br />
employment opportunities in the areas <strong>of</strong> low-carbon building,<br />
renewables and sustainability. He is always happy to chat about this<br />
rapidly changing area and the increasing impact it is having in all<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> life and work; please look him up on LinkedIn if interested.<br />
Steve’s older daughter is now a sculpture student in London, while<br />
the younger is working for her A Levels.<br />
And fi nally for this year, Hugh Scott-Barrett reports that that he<br />
has been appointed a non-executive director <strong>of</strong> Goodwood Estate<br />
Company Limited.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
119
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1979<br />
1978<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: MARK DAVISON<br />
37 Connaught Square, London, W2 2HL<br />
Tel: 020 7402 6991 Email: mark.davison@kpmg.co.uk<br />
It was great to get some new reports this year and further news<br />
from returning correspondents.<br />
Chris Effendowicz admits that he has “never communicated<br />
with my old college before”. He continues: “I am, and have<br />
been for 23 years, the managing director <strong>of</strong> a small, very old,<br />
soap manufacturing business in Lancashire still surviving where<br />
virtually no low tech industries remain in this country. Other than<br />
that, I am a Buddhist in the Friends <strong>of</strong> the Western Buddhist Order<br />
(FWBO, now renamed the Triratna Buddhist Community) and live<br />
with my partner, Rachel, in a leafy part <strong>of</strong> north Manchester.”<br />
From Manchester to Monaco, where Ivor Alex has been<br />
living for the last 13 years. He has an executive search company<br />
with several overseas <strong>of</strong>fi ces. The website link is www.normanalex.<br />
com.<br />
Nick Comninos is currently based in Greece and works in the<br />
family business which is “mainly a shipping company but is linked<br />
to a lot <strong>of</strong> other investments. For example, we keep a close eye on<br />
green technologies and are already active in the <strong>of</strong>fshore windfarm<br />
service sector. We are also quite youth friendly and have<br />
recently run a successful intern week in Athens for a few students<br />
and are quite active in merchant marine cadet training.”<br />
Continuing the theme <strong>of</strong> messages from warmer climes,<br />
Victor Mallet reports from Spain that he is still with the Financial<br />
Times after 25 years. “Currently Madrid correspondent, after fi ve<br />
years in Hong Kong as columnist, leader-writer and Asia editor.<br />
Madrid is landlocked, but I also write about sailing and yachts for<br />
the paper.”<br />
And fi nally from Martin Glenn “I’m the CEO <strong>of</strong> BirdsEye-Iglo<br />
frozen foods group which I’ve done since the end <strong>of</strong> 2006. I’ve<br />
recently moved to Richmond-on-Thames and bought a boat which<br />
my kids have named ‘Captain Birdseye’.”<br />
Pencil in 22nd September next year for the Gaudy; I hope to see<br />
many <strong>of</strong> you there.<br />
120 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
1979<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: NOEL PRIVETT<br />
Litchen House, 27 London Street, Whitchurch, Hampshire,<br />
RG28 7LH<br />
Tel: 01256 892514 Email: noelprivett@yahoo.co.uk<br />
There seems to be a theme <strong>of</strong> ennui running (trickling?) through<br />
this year’s 1979 submission. Everyone must be turning 50 about<br />
now, which might explain it.<br />
Mike Ryan says his life has gone on pretty much as last year.<br />
His family is all well but has been a bit tense with both boys doing<br />
exams in the summer just passed. Lancaster RGS still commands<br />
a good deal <strong>of</strong> his time but he’s found a few more little jobs with<br />
AQA to keep him out <strong>of</strong> mischief.<br />
Chris Short lives in Worcester and is married to Jo. They have<br />
two children; Will, who is at Durham, and Francesca who is still<br />
at school. Chris is on the board <strong>of</strong> a UK listed group, which he<br />
confesses “is a bit dull really”. He also occasionally sees Mick<br />
Friswell, who he thinks is a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Swansea.<br />
Mark McBride (known as Mark Dyer in 1979) isn’t sure<br />
anybody would be interested in his teaching job in “a very mundane<br />
school” in Somerset. He tells me that other than the fact that it is<br />
full <strong>of</strong> perfectly decent and ordinary kids getting perfectly ordinary<br />
grades, it is also the only place he’s worked where anyone has ever<br />
been remotely impressed that he went to <strong>Oxford</strong>. He says: “‘Why<br />
are you working here if you went to <strong>Oxford</strong>?’ is a common refrain.<br />
The other day, one student announced that it was ‘cool’ that I had<br />
been to <strong>Oxford</strong>. So for a brief moment in time, I was cool. Never<br />
happened before, probably never will again.”<br />
Jonathan Weaver reports that “sadly not much has changed”<br />
in the past year, and then contradicts himself with the momentous<br />
news that he’s added two cats to the household. Life, he says,<br />
continues to be good, so no reason to complain.<br />
Mark Fiddes tells me that his news is also “pretty normal”.<br />
He has just created the relaunch <strong>of</strong> the Nivea brand globally to<br />
celebrate their 100 year anniversary and is working on the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
750th birthday. You can read an interview with Mark on page 37.<br />
He says he hopes that one <strong>of</strong> our year has decided to do a solo<br />
rocket fl ight to Venus or retrain as a Mullah in Pakistan.<br />
By curious and serendipitous coincidence, Nicholas Horton<br />
reports that he has been doing some very exciting things fomenting
insurrection in North Africa by the power <strong>of</strong> dreams from his bed<br />
in Dartmouth and that he is also learning to speak two languages at<br />
once. Apart from that, he says, it has been a quiet year, having also<br />
published three novellas and a collection <strong>of</strong> caustic short stories<br />
called Short Tories and other diminished creatures. Alas, I fear that<br />
the only fi ction here is Nick’s entire story, save the bit about having<br />
a bed in Dartmouth. (He goes on to say that he does, occasionally,<br />
do something <strong>of</strong> great interest and value, but without being too<br />
specifi c just what that might be.)<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> our cadre, however, do appear to have been busy<br />
writing. Armand D’Angour, who is still teaching Classics at Jesus<br />
<strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>, has “fi nally completed” his academic book The<br />
Greeks and the New: Novelty in ancient Greek imagination and<br />
experience (CUP, 2011), and has since accepted a commission<br />
to write a business version – Eureka! Seven key principles <strong>of</strong><br />
innovation from ancient Greece – which he naturally hopes will<br />
become a bestseller in airport bookshops worldwide (neck and neck<br />
with Mike Ridpath’s latest thriller).<br />
Speaking <strong>of</strong> which, Michael Ridpath has a new novel out. 66°<br />
North was published in the UK in May and is the second in the<br />
series about Magnus, an Icelandic detective. A group <strong>of</strong> Icelanders<br />
meet during the pots-and-pans revolution in Reykjavik in January<br />
2009. They decide to take revenge on the people they believe are<br />
responsible for the credit crunch in their country. Magnus must<br />
fi gure out who they are and what they plan to do next. I read the<br />
fi rst in the series, Where the Shadows Lie, and liked it so much that<br />
I bought the new one. I promise to read it as soon as I’ve fi nished<br />
Michael McIntyre’s autobiography. There is more information on<br />
Michael’s book on page 44.<br />
Patrick Shorrock works in the human resources department<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Archbishops’ Council, and has recently successfully<br />
completed his studies for an Advanced Certifi cate in Employment<br />
Law. He sings with the London Gay Men’s Chorus, and<br />
has performed with them in Barcelona, Birmingham, Brighton,<br />
Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Helsinki and Turin, as well as<br />
at Cadogan Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Centre,<br />
and the South Bank Centre. He has recently found fame as one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the oral history exhibits at the newly opened galleries at the<br />
Museum <strong>of</strong> London.<br />
Steven Thomas reports from his long-time home in Tokyo,<br />
where he lives with his wife Mayumi, that daily life has gradually<br />
been settling down after the 11th March earthquake and tsunami<br />
NEWS | 1980<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
and subsequent radiation scares, although the future outlook for<br />
Japan remains very much unclear.<br />
Sky Foerster, who describes himself as “one <strong>of</strong> those US Air<br />
Force types that came up in ‘79 to do a DPhil,” retired from the Air<br />
Force in 1997, ran an educational non-pr<strong>of</strong>i t for a dozen years, and<br />
is now back teaching at the US Air Force Academy Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Political Science as the Brent Scowcr<strong>of</strong>t Pr<strong>of</strong>essor for National<br />
Security Studies. The young children whom he says his doctoral<br />
supervisor wished at the time that he didn’t have are now in their<br />
30s and doing well in San Francisco. Sky’s connection with <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
remains largely that he sits on one <strong>of</strong> the Marshall Scholarship<br />
selection committees, so he continues to “try and send <strong>Oxford</strong> some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the former colony’s fi nest.”<br />
Roger Pearse is still freelancing in the IT industry. His other<br />
main activity has been commissioning translations <strong>of</strong> ancient texts,<br />
some <strong>of</strong> which he is editing for publication. By the time you read<br />
this he hopes to have the fi rst <strong>of</strong> these out and producing a return.<br />
Frank Dean has made some very pertinent discoveries this last<br />
year in the fi eld <strong>of</strong> chemical sensing.<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f Bones on the other hand brings us right back down to earth.<br />
He says he has “not a lot to report” except that he’s changed jobs<br />
and now works for a “little diamond <strong>of</strong> a company” in Cambridge,<br />
called Red Gate. It’s a longer commute – about 10 miles – which he<br />
took to be the excuse he needed to go and learn to ride a motorbike.<br />
And best <strong>of</strong> all, he says, his older son, Chris, has fi nally graduated<br />
and is now a man <strong>of</strong> independent means.<br />
Speaking <strong>of</strong> Ge<strong>of</strong>f and earth, you may recall that he issued a<br />
challenge to all <strong>Merton</strong>ians in the last issue <strong>of</strong> Postmaster to trump<br />
his two-and-an-half pound caulifl ower.<br />
Alas, no one appears to have taken up the fi lthy gardening<br />
gauntlet. However, I did accidentally grow the world’s smallest<br />
carrot. I put some seeds in a pot (I liked the pot but didn’t have the<br />
most appropriate seeds). Nothing happened; winter came and went.<br />
And then, a tiny carrot appeared. Which was delicious.<br />
My other news – even more interesting than the carrot – is that I<br />
am now working in the third sector, as chief communications <strong>of</strong>fi cer<br />
for Sue Ryder. The family is well: Claire is still governor <strong>of</strong> two<br />
schools amongst other things, and our children are thriving. Esther<br />
is at Exeter reading English, Florence is back at Cambridge doing<br />
her PGCE, to enable her to become a primary school teacher, Jonah<br />
has completed his AS levels and Reuben is at secondary school and<br />
mercifully fairly exam free at the moment.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
121
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1982<br />
1980<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: NATALIE MILLER<br />
Dukes Farm, 39 Queen Street, Geddington, Northants, NN14 1AZ<br />
Tel: 01536 741704 Email: natalie.miller@merton.oxon.org<br />
1981<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: GRAHAM DWYER<br />
115 Lake Cook Drive, Alexandria, VA 22304, USA<br />
Tel: +1 703 664 0179 Email: gdwyer@surfshot.net.ph<br />
Many thanks to everyone who contacted me during my second<br />
year as Year Representative. It was great hearing from all <strong>of</strong> you,<br />
so please do keep your news coming in through the coming year.<br />
Mike Below is lead systems designer for Metapack, a s<strong>of</strong>tware<br />
supplier providing multi-carrier shipping systems to companies<br />
dispatching items (largely) on the business-to-consumer model.<br />
He married Rachel back in 1995 and has two children, Claire (12)<br />
and Jonathan (9). In his spare time, Mike is involved with the local<br />
church (St Peter’s, Berkhamsted) where he runs the bellringing<br />
and recently started helping out with the local Cub Pack after a<br />
gap <strong>of</strong> about 15 years.<br />
Belated congratulations to Jonathan Lord who was elected as<br />
Conservative MP for Woking in May 2010 and lives in Surrey<br />
with his wife Caroline and their son and daughter. His Private<br />
Member’s Bill to improve safety at sports grounds has passed all<br />
its Commons stages and is likely to become law later this year.<br />
In the Commons, he frequently runs into another 1981 <strong>Merton</strong>ian,<br />
Jesse Norman, who, as I reported last year, was also elected as<br />
Conservative MP (for Hereford and South Herefordshire). In<br />
the past 12 months, Jesse has been elected by fellow MPs to the<br />
Treasury Select Committee and published a book, The Big Society<br />
(<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Buckingham Press, 2010).<br />
I was particularly pleased to hear from my tutorial partner,<br />
Nicki Paxman, who is still at the BBC, producing Radio 4’s Front<br />
Row, and living in north London with partner and son, age 9, who,<br />
she reports, is coming along nicely with his music.<br />
The last year has been eventful for Peter Phillips who reports<br />
that in October he moved to the ‘dark side’, or rather the light (blue)<br />
side, when he started at Cambridge <strong>University</strong> Press as its Chief<br />
122 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Operating Offi cer. This has involved lots <strong>of</strong> business opportunities<br />
and travel to places across six continents. He has found particular<br />
joy, though, being involved with prize-winning books – from<br />
The Letters <strong>of</strong> Samuel Beckett (CUP, 2009) to Monopoles and<br />
Three Manifolds (CUP, 2008) by his friend and former tutorial<br />
partner Peter Kronheimer (currently William Casper Graustein<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Mathematics at Harvard <strong>University</strong>). He fi nds the<br />
challenge <strong>of</strong> the world’s oldest publisher getting to grips with the<br />
transition from print to digital is exciting and testing.<br />
Ben Summerskill OBE has been Chief Executive <strong>of</strong> Stonewall,<br />
Europe’s largest gay equality organisation, since 2003. The<br />
charity is now working with British employers – from Goldman<br />
Sachs and IBM to all the armed services and MI5 –- <strong>of</strong> 5.5 million<br />
people, supporting the recruitment and retention <strong>of</strong> gay staff.<br />
And last, but not least, some happy news from Patrick Turner,<br />
who has returned to Britain, after a spell in the USA, and remarried.<br />
He writes: “My last entry in Postmaster was an obituary <strong>of</strong> my<br />
fi rst wife, Rachel Charrett (<strong>Merton</strong>, 1983), who died <strong>of</strong> breast<br />
cancer in 2004, leaving behind three children: Samuel, Isaac and<br />
Flora. We had married in 1992 and enjoyed very nearly 12 years<br />
together. She died a remarkably courageous and good death, and<br />
was very much at peace.”<br />
Since then, Patrick has continued to work in Government –<br />
principally the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Defence, helping to lead work in 2005-<br />
07 to support decisions by the last Government on updating the<br />
UK’s nuclear deterrent, then led a team in the Cabinet Offi ce to<br />
write the fi rst UK National Security Strategy. After almost three<br />
years working in the Embassy in Washington ‘improving my<br />
American’, he is now back in the UK, working with the Army at its<br />
main headquarters in Andover. During his spell in Washington, he<br />
met and married (all during 2009) Therese Dymond, from Virginia.<br />
“During my time in Washington I also took the opportunity to<br />
defect from Anglicanism to Catholicism – a decision I have not<br />
regretted so far, not least since a nun at Church introduced me to<br />
my wife,” he writes. Therese is expecting a baby in the autumn,<br />
“so bankruptcy beckons with even more inevitability than before,”<br />
he says. I am sure all from 1981 would want to wish them the best<br />
<strong>of</strong> luck!
1982<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: NICK WELLER<br />
12 North Ash, Hawthorn Close, Horsham, West Sussex,<br />
RH12 2BW<br />
Tel: 01403 269883 Email: nickweller7@aol.com<br />
Thinking particularly this year <strong>of</strong> everyone whose children have<br />
had major exams – quite a few I know.<br />
Paul Collier is now looking after the Copleston Centre Church<br />
in Peckham, an Ecumenical Partnership between Hanover Chapel<br />
United Reformed Church and St Saviour’s Church <strong>of</strong> England<br />
Parish, which includes a very active community centre. Paul is<br />
taking part in the 2011 London Triathlon, raising money for the<br />
church ro<strong>of</strong>. Paul is also still playing in the Morley Big Band.<br />
Andrew Corrie has been pottering along, his year reminding<br />
him <strong>of</strong> young Albert’s trip to Blackpool.<br />
Congratulations to Simon Crutchley on the birth <strong>of</strong> Hugo<br />
Stafford, born 23rd February. Simon is now teaching at the Centre<br />
for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
London.<br />
Janet Edwards (Makower) has been arranging Federal Loans<br />
for US students at Edinburgh <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Art (merging with the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Edinburgh on 1st August 2011).<br />
John Holland has been kept busy by his children, but has still<br />
found time to study. He fi nished a Maths degree with the Open<br />
<strong>University</strong> last year, and is now working towards an MSc in<br />
Systems Thinking. John is still working for UK Borders Agency,<br />
and was recently sent to man the border control during the strike in<br />
June. It was an interesting experience being on the other side from<br />
travellers. John meets up regularly with Richard Ryder, James<br />
Thickett, Stephen Walsh, David Holbrook, Chris Edwards and<br />
David Parkinson.<br />
Michael Jary is a Non-Executive Director <strong>of</strong> Nationwide<br />
Building Society.<br />
Christopher Johnson has been inducted into the American<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surgeons and is now a Fellow <strong>of</strong> the American <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Surgery. Christopher has also been enjoying time on the beach<br />
with his daughter, Alexandra Natalia Johnson, who is two and due<br />
to begin nursery school in Bermuda.<br />
Peter Moger is now Canon Precentor at York Minster. Peter<br />
has been appointed Chair <strong>of</strong> the Academic Board <strong>of</strong> the Guild <strong>of</strong><br />
NEWS | 1983<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
Church Musicians and has been made an Honorary Fellow <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Guild.<br />
Peter Roberts has been appointed as Headmaster <strong>of</strong> King’s<br />
School, Canterbury.<br />
I have had quite a quiet year with not much change.<br />
1983<br />
Year Representative: Meriel Cowan<br />
40 Ash Grove, Headington, <strong>Oxford</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>shire, OX3 9JL<br />
Tel: 01865 762458 Email: meriel.raine@gmail.com<br />
It is 25 years since most <strong>of</strong> us sat our fi nals, and when I see<br />
stressed fi nalists in my GP consulting room it makes me feel very<br />
old! Congratulations to Andrew and Philippa Baker who are<br />
celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary in July this year.<br />
Their four sons, the Fabulous Baker Boys, keep them on their toes.<br />
Andrew continues in practice at the Bar and Philippa teaches at<br />
their local infants’ school and a local nursery as well.<br />
Richard Baxter is a tax consultant in the City. He travels a lot,<br />
but still fi nds time to watch his sons play cricket. His wife Kerstin,<br />
who is German, has taken up cricket coaching; I was very impressed<br />
to hear this! They have been based in Croydon for some years.<br />
It was lovely to speak to Paul Chavasse recently. Paul is on the<br />
board <strong>of</strong> Rathbones and commutes to London frequently, though he<br />
is based in the Liverpool <strong>of</strong>fi ce and lives with Sonia and their three<br />
children in Cheshire. He has recently been in touch with Charles<br />
Lonsdale (1984) who is currently HM Ambassador to Armenia and<br />
is getting married there shortly. The Chavasse family are meeting up<br />
with Susan and Michael Roller and their children in the Channel<br />
Islands later this month.<br />
Ernest Cheung writes from Hong Kong that he has moved to new<br />
Chambers, and now has a great view <strong>of</strong> Victoria Harbour.<br />
James Collings is now a board director <strong>of</strong> Schroders Private<br />
Bank, subsidiary <strong>of</strong> the Schroders Group. “Not the best time to be<br />
announcing one is a bank director”, he says wryly. His daughter<br />
Fran (14) has been selected to represent Great Britain at water polo,<br />
which is a fantastic achievement.<br />
Bromsgrove School, where Chris Edwards continues as<br />
Headmaster, is fl ourishing with “heaps <strong>of</strong> new buildings, a new<br />
Foundation for bursaries, and no end <strong>of</strong> international initiatives”.<br />
The school is very lucky to have him if his blog is anything to go<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
123
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1984<br />
by – very much more entertaining than anything coming out <strong>of</strong> my<br />
children’s schools! Chris reports that Everton coming seventh has<br />
been a source <strong>of</strong> great comfort to him.<br />
Michael Everett and Sarah Cr<strong>of</strong>ts live in Balham, not at all far<br />
from Walter de <strong>Merton</strong>’s priory. They have two children, Belinda (7)<br />
and Honor (5). Michael practises in shipping and leasing taxation<br />
with KPMG in Canary Wharf. Sarah is active in the domestic arts<br />
and community.<br />
“We are moving into central Cambridge over the summer”,<br />
Frances Harris (née Mortimer) tells me. “My husband Steve is<br />
getting ordained in July at Ely Cathedral, and then going to a curacy<br />
in Trumpington on the edge <strong>of</strong> Cambridge.” Frances continues to<br />
lead the rehabilitation team in the cochlear implant department at<br />
Addenbrookes Hospital. She adds that she is going to swim a mile<br />
outdoors this summer to raise funds for the MS Society.<br />
It doesn’t seem very long ago that Bridget (1982) and Michael<br />
Jager brought their baby daughter Evie to a gaudy; she is now a<br />
student at York <strong>University</strong>. When both their daughters have fl own<br />
the nest, Michael and Bridget hope to plan a sabbatical year.<br />
I met Matthew Kempshall and his wife taking their beautiful<br />
new baby for a fi rst trip out by the river at Sandford-on-Thames on<br />
a sunny spring day a few weeks ago. Matthew is on sabbatical leave<br />
from Wadham where he teaches History.<br />
Daniel Seymour was back in touch with me when he was visiting<br />
the UK with his son Jamie. Between us we failed to meet up but<br />
hope to if he is back later in the year. He is still working in fi nance<br />
in New York.<br />
Simon and I are still in same house, same jobs. We had a wonderful<br />
family road trip last summer driving round Europe for six weeks<br />
with our three boys. We were still on excellent terms by the end <strong>of</strong><br />
it. Highlights were a beautiful fl at where we stayed in Venice where<br />
gondoliers fl oated under the balcony singing; and a house on the<br />
rocky coast <strong>of</strong> an island <strong>of</strong>f Croatia. I’d love to repeat it.<br />
1984<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: DAVID CLARK<br />
19 Willowdene Court, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5ET<br />
Email: david.clark@merton.oxon.org<br />
I was delighted with the response to my rather plaintive follow-up<br />
email message requesting contributions for this year’s piece – thank<br />
124 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
you everyone! It was especially pleasing to hear from some <strong>of</strong><br />
you for the fi rst time, and so it is with news <strong>of</strong> those people that I<br />
shall start.<br />
Richard Parr emailed from San Diego, where he’s been living<br />
since 2005, having moved to the US in 1992. He works as a<br />
requirements analyst/data modeller working in healthcare IT. He<br />
writes that San Diego is “the only place I know where the local<br />
TV channels tell you about the weather in other cities, just to<br />
gloat”. Another long-distance email arrived from Karen Small (née<br />
Reynolds) who is currently Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Biomedical Engineering at<br />
Flinders <strong>University</strong> in South Australia. She and her family (husband<br />
Sandy and children Oliver and Emily) moved Down Under in 1997.<br />
In 2010, Karen spent four months on sabbatical at the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Sussex and later in the year was awarded the title <strong>of</strong> ‘Australian<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Engineer <strong>of</strong> the Year’ at the annual Australian<br />
Engineering Excellence Awards. So, congratulations Karen! The<br />
fi nal fi rst-time contributor was Charles Lonsdale, who has also<br />
been spending time abroad in his role as the British Ambassador<br />
in Armenia. He will be leaving there at the end <strong>of</strong> 2011 after four<br />
fascinating years but will be keeping up his connections with the<br />
country having married his Armenian fi ancée, Maria Sadoyan, in<br />
June this year. At the time <strong>of</strong> writing, Charles is still waiting to hear<br />
to which country he will be posted next.<br />
As well as these new contributors, it was good to have updates<br />
from some previous correspondents. Andrew Williams had a second<br />
play performed at Warwick Arts Centre at the Spring Meeting <strong>of</strong><br />
the Royal <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Paediatrics and Child Health. Called Daniel<br />
Mercy, the play concerns institutional cover-ups <strong>of</strong> child abuse cases<br />
and the diffi culties facing anyone who raises concerns over such<br />
matters. In recent years, Jonathan Ockenden has moved from the<br />
Treasury through the Commonwealth Secretariat to become the UK<br />
representative on the board <strong>of</strong> the European Bank for Reconstruction<br />
and Development (the international fi nancial institution established<br />
to support countries in the transition from communism and central<br />
planning to democracy and a market economy).<br />
Stephen Ashworth writes that his three-year term as Associate<br />
Dean for Admissions in the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Science at UEA is coming<br />
to an end this year. He has recently visited South Africa where he<br />
took part in a Science Festival and toured round some schools giving<br />
demonstration lectures.<br />
Andrew Phillips is still working for the Duchy <strong>of</strong> Cornwall,<br />
focusing on fi nance, sustainability and IT. One <strong>of</strong> his current roles is
as a director <strong>of</strong> a joint venture that is building a biogas plant for the<br />
Duchy’s development at Poundbury in Dorchester, which will make<br />
the development carbon-neutral. On the home front, he and his<br />
family still live in Wells and he notes that “all three <strong>of</strong> our daughters<br />
are at secondary school, with the eldest learning to drive and looking<br />
at universities, which is all rather scary”. Francis Marsland<br />
continues to live in Zürich and works in Zug for Biogen Idec (a<br />
global biotechnology business) as Chief International Counsel and<br />
Site Head <strong>of</strong> the International Headquarters. He spends the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
his time ferrying his two sons between ice hockey matches.<br />
Philippa Whipple reports that the <strong>Merton</strong> Lawyers Association<br />
had a very successful evening last November looking at zero<br />
tolerance policing strategies with Bernard Hogan-Howe (an old<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ian and former Chief Constable <strong>of</strong> Merseyside). This year’s<br />
meeting will take place at Slaughter and May in London on 22nd<br />
November and will look at managing risk on the release <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fenders<br />
and mental health patients. The speakers will be Sir David Latham,<br />
Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Parole Board and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Guy Goodwin, former<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ian and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Psychiatry. Philippa further reports that<br />
Eleanor Grey became a QC this year. Congratulations Eleanor!<br />
Finally, some news from your year rep. Last August, I marked ten<br />
years <strong>of</strong> working for Argenta, a company that I joined at its inception<br />
in 2000. Outside work, I have enjoyed travelling to various school<br />
sports grounds in Essex supporting my son in his rugby matches<br />
and have recently taken on the role <strong>of</strong> Secretary for the mid-Essex<br />
Branch <strong>of</strong> the Gideons.<br />
Please keep in touch – news is welcomed at any time <strong>of</strong> the year.<br />
1985<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: BEN PRYNN<br />
143 John Ruskin Street, London, SE5 0PQ<br />
Tel: 020 7703 8645 Email: ben_prynn@yahoo.co.uk<br />
One theme <strong>of</strong> the year for the Class <strong>of</strong> 1985 seems to be moving on<br />
to new jobs after a long period <strong>of</strong> stability.<br />
After 21 years at Deloitte Consulting, Adam Broun changed<br />
jobs last year, joining Credit Suisse as their Head <strong>of</strong> IT Strategy.<br />
He is still commuting between his home near Boston and the <strong>of</strong>fi ce<br />
in New York, and enjoying the new challenge. He reports that his<br />
family is well and his son Daniel turned 13 this year.<br />
This side <strong>of</strong> the Atlantic, Jo Woods (née Brindley) is fi nally<br />
NEWS | 1985<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
leaving the BBC and heading to Boston Consulting group as Head<br />
<strong>of</strong> Finance. She will continue to be based in London and is looking<br />
forward to the change. Mark Medish has joined APCO Worldwide,<br />
the public affairs fi rm, as executive vice-president and managing<br />
director <strong>of</strong> its international advisory service Global Political<br />
Strategies. He is based in Washington, DC. Mark and his two oldest<br />
sons, Vadim (17) and Nikolai (14), visited <strong>Merton</strong> in July 2010.<br />
Not everybody is changing their occupation. After 25 years <strong>of</strong> ups<br />
and downs, Jonny Morris is happy to report he is still an active<br />
Trades Unionist and Labour Party stalwart, currently organising<br />
campaigns and elections in Plymouth, with occasional forays into<br />
the Tory wasteland <strong>of</strong> Devon. He says he loves to write scurrilous<br />
verse for which people pay and he benefi ts hugely from the support<br />
<strong>of</strong> his wife and cat.<br />
Madeleine Barrows reports she is enjoying a busy and varied<br />
job working as Communications Offi cer for the Academy <strong>of</strong> Social<br />
Science, where she is editing the Making the Case for the Social<br />
Sciences series <strong>of</strong> booklets showcasing the impact <strong>of</strong> social science<br />
research. She is also still editing Catholic Ancestor, a journal for<br />
the Catholic Family History Society. Despite her four children<br />
occupying much <strong>of</strong> her time she managed to complete the London<br />
Marathon, an ambition held since 1990, and also passed Grade 7<br />
piano.<br />
Mark Bevir is Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Political Science at UC Berkeley. In<br />
2010, he published The State as Cultural Practice (<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Press) and Democratic Governance (Princeton <strong>University</strong> Press)<br />
and in 2011 is planning to publish The Making <strong>of</strong> British Socialism<br />
(Princeton <strong>University</strong> Press), which some <strong>of</strong> his contemporaries may<br />
recognise as a very belated and heavily revised derivation <strong>of</strong> his<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> DPhil.<br />
Last but by no means least, the big event in Chris Hehir’s life<br />
last year was the arrival <strong>of</strong> his fi rst daughter, Lily Yolanda on 28th<br />
December. Despite the inevitable sleep deprivation, Chris still found<br />
the time and energy to be appointed a Crown Court Recorder.<br />
1986<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: ADRIAN JUDGE<br />
The Old Vicarage, 5 Fairmead, Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire,<br />
GL11 5JR<br />
Tel: 01453 544182 Email: judgeaandh@aol.com<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
125
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1989<br />
1988<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: TIM GARDENER<br />
7 Carlyn Drive, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, SO53 2DJ<br />
Tel: 02380 275831 Email: tsg3142@hotmail.com<br />
1988 has been unreported for a little while, so here is the fi rst trickle<br />
<strong>of</strong> news. Helen Hackett (née Cobb) reports that her children are<br />
now aged 15 and 12. She is a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English at UCL and<br />
her fourth book, Shakespeare and Elizabeth: The Meeting <strong>of</strong> Two<br />
Myths was published in 2009. She recently spent a sunny spring day<br />
in <strong>Oxford</strong> and enjoyed a nostalgic stroll around <strong>Merton</strong>, including<br />
the Chapel, where her marriage took place in 1990.<br />
Suzanne Fagence Cooper and John Cooper (1989) are now<br />
living in Yorkshire. Suzanne’s latest book, The Model Wife: Effi e<br />
Gray, Ruskin and Millais is coming out in paperback later this<br />
summer. They have two daughters.<br />
Julie Potter writes that she has been the Head <strong>of</strong> the History<br />
Department at Marlborough <strong>College</strong> in Wiltshire for the past<br />
four years. She will be taking up a new role as a Deputy Head at<br />
Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire in September.<br />
Terrence Pivia is an Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor in Cell Biology at the<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Medical Sciences at RMIT <strong>University</strong> in Melbourne.<br />
His research is in the area <strong>of</strong> skin cancer, photobiology, cancer<br />
metabolism and polycystic ovarian syndrome and he has published<br />
over 40 papers and 80 conference abstracts. Apart from lecturing<br />
and research, he is involved in international student marketing and<br />
visits South East Asia twice a year to attend student marketing<br />
events for RMIT <strong>University</strong>. Terrence is married to Kerri and they<br />
have one son, Stephen, who is in year 11 at school.<br />
Tim Gardener is now living in Hampshire with his wife Kate<br />
and their two-year-old daughter. He is working in public sector<br />
management consultancy, currently tackling the problems <strong>of</strong> the<br />
NHS in the South Central region, which are mostly insoluble.<br />
1989<br />
YEAR-REPRESENTATIVES: MATTHEW GRIMLEY<br />
Email: matthew.grimley@merton.ox.ac.uk<br />
and TOM PEDRICK<br />
Email: tompedrick@hotmail.com<br />
126 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
A poor effort from your year reps this year. We hope to be more<br />
organised and persuasive next year, or you could always send in<br />
some news unprompted…<br />
John Cooper and his wife Suzanne (1988) both celebrated<br />
their 40th birthdays by bringing out major books – Suzanne’s The<br />
Model Wife: The Passionate Lives <strong>of</strong> Effi e, Ruskin and Millais<br />
(Duckworth) and John’s The Queen’s Agent: Francis Walsingham<br />
at the Court <strong>of</strong> Elizabeth I (Faber).<br />
Cat Harris and her husband Ben had a baby girl, Jessica Alice<br />
Byram-Wigfi eld, on 4th October 2010 weighing 7lb 9oz. Cat is<br />
still working for the FSA predominantly as a lawyer and part-time<br />
as an executive coach.<br />
Max Kelly married Donna North on the South coast on a<br />
sun-kissed day in June. The reception was at his family home<br />
in Warsash, with guests partying late into the night around the<br />
swimming pool just like they used to do at university. Best man<br />
Richard McGuire pointed out that his speech was payback for<br />
the time some years ago when Max was his best man but didn’t<br />
actually make it to the wedding ceremony or reception.<br />
Myles Ogilvie and his wife Tamsin have had a daughter, Phoebe,<br />
a sister for Rufus (3). Myles is now working for Barclays Wealth<br />
and will happily look after your money as long as you have<br />
enormous amounts <strong>of</strong> it.<br />
Tom Pedrick has joined the international development<br />
consulting practice at PwC, and by the time this is printed will<br />
be glad if he hasn’t been sent to DR Congo to reform one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world’s more challenging police forces.<br />
William Redgrave and his family have moved to La Coruna in<br />
Spain, from where he continues to practise as a Jersey advocate.<br />
Jonny Woodward started a new Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Tokyo in April, and has also been performing with<br />
his group Melted.<br />
1990<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: CHRISTINE BARRIE<br />
15 Badminton Close, Cambridge, CB4 3NW<br />
Tel: 01223 501598 Email: christine.barrie@btinternet.co.uk<br />
and CLAIRE WEBSTER<br />
16 Kingsgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9PD<br />
Tel: 01962 863237 Email: claire@xargla.org
In early April this year (while on a skiing holiday in Aspen, USA,<br />
with <strong>Merton</strong>ian Max Kelly) Tom Elliott became engaged to his<br />
partner Elise Mooney. He comments that they have done things<br />
around the wrong way, however, as they already have a daughter,<br />
Ava, who was born in January 2010. No wedding date has yet<br />
been set.<br />
Helen Hulme and Leo Zeef now have a baby son, Joe Kenneth<br />
Zeef, also born in January 2010.<br />
Philip Wilson recently left Salisbury Playhouse, where he<br />
has been the Artistic Director since Summer 2007. During the<br />
past four years, he has programmed eight seasons <strong>of</strong> plays, and<br />
directed 13 productions – ranging from revivals <strong>of</strong> English classics<br />
such as Private Lives, The Constant Wife and The Winslow Boy<br />
to contemporary plays including Blackbird and Faith Healer, as<br />
well as his own adaptation <strong>of</strong> JL Carr’s A Month in the Country.<br />
He has now returned to London and to freelancing; his future<br />
projects include a double-bill <strong>of</strong> The Importance <strong>of</strong> Being Earnest<br />
and Travesties at Birmingham Old Rep. Philip is delighted still to<br />
be working in the theatre, 20 years after his days as President <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Floats.<br />
Steven Brown was promoted in October 2010 to full Pr<strong>of</strong>essor in<br />
the Department <strong>of</strong> Physics at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Warwick.<br />
Jayne Joyce (née Douglas) reports that their youngest, Daisy,<br />
has turned three and started part-time at nursery school. Jayne is<br />
marking this milestone by taking another set <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional exams<br />
(every time she does this she says “never again”). She asks whether<br />
she is going to be <strong>Merton</strong>’s fi rst IBCLC – prize to anyone who<br />
knows what that means!?<br />
Claire Webster (née Farrow) is teaching Classics back at St<br />
Swithun’s School, Winchester, where she fi rst taught 15 years ago.<br />
Alison Reid is making the leap to self-employment this summer<br />
as a career change coach and training consultant. At time <strong>of</strong> writing,<br />
her business, Beyond Bounds, was not yet live, but you’ll be able<br />
to fi nd her from around August 2011 at www.beyondbounds.co.uk.<br />
She is still living in Teddington, south-west London, with her South<br />
African partner, Bryan, who is also starting a business as a tai chi<br />
instructor and coach so she reckons the next couple <strong>of</strong> years will be<br />
a bit <strong>of</strong> a rollercoaster.<br />
Christine Barrie (née Wiggins) is now Scientifi c Administrator<br />
for the MRC Laboratory <strong>of</strong> Molecular Biology. She is still working<br />
part-time as her son is only 8, and she rather enjoys leaving the<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi ce at 3pm to collect him from school.<br />
1991<br />
NEWS | 1991<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: ANNA SMITH<br />
(Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Year Representatives)<br />
c/o The Development Offi ce, <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>, <strong>Oxford</strong>, OX1 4JD<br />
1992<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVES: ANDREW DAVISON<br />
Westcott House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BP<br />
Email: apd31@cam.ac.uk<br />
Jeff Childers is working on an edition and translation <strong>of</strong> some<br />
ancient Syriac patristic texts. He has made two research trips<br />
this spring: to the newly refurbished Vatican Library (Biblioteca<br />
Apostolica Vaticana) and to St Catharine’s Monastery at Mount<br />
Sinai in Egypt. His trip to Egypt occurred just a few days after<br />
President Mubarak’s resignation, providing a rare and fascinating<br />
opportunity to witness and interact with the people in Cairo during<br />
the very early days <strong>of</strong> what they kept referring to as the January<br />
25 Revolution. A side note, his daughter Rebekah travelled with<br />
him in order to conduct research related for her university senior<br />
thesis. She conducted interviews <strong>of</strong> monks at St Catharine’s in<br />
order to collect data for a project on sacred space. The research will<br />
result in multiple volumes in the Leuven series, Corpus Scriptorum<br />
Christianorum Orientalium.<br />
Mark Freeman is a Senior Lecturer in Economic and Social<br />
History at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Glasgow, and divides his time between<br />
Glasgow and London. He continues to publish widely on modern<br />
British history, and is the co-author <strong>of</strong> a forthcoming book,<br />
Shareholder Democracies? Corporate Governance in Britain and<br />
Ireland before 1850, which will be published by the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Chicago Press.<br />
Hector Macdonald got engaged this year. He will marry Kate<br />
Kendall in the summer.<br />
Anna Watts and her husband Jason are comfortably settled in<br />
the Dutch university system. Their daughter Aeryn Ursula Farquhar<br />
was born in August 2010, rendering life both more chaotic and<br />
more fun! Whether they can learn Dutch fast enough to keep up<br />
with her remains an open question.<br />
Rachael Ball married Matthew Maunder in August 2010. They<br />
are still living in Dubai, and Rachael continues to work for an Abu<br />
Dhabi government organisation – the Media Zone Authority.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
127
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1993<br />
William Barry and his family left Paris last summer (where<br />
he had been serving as the NASA European Representative) and<br />
moved back to the USA. They settled in Annapolis, Maryland,<br />
which is in commuting distance to NASA Headquarters in<br />
Washington, DC. While in the process <strong>of</strong> moving he was <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
the position <strong>of</strong> NASA Chief Historian and very happily accepted<br />
that job. Together with his small staff, he operates a little NASA<br />
history publication operation (they hire historians under contract<br />
to do most <strong>of</strong> the writing), they answer questions about NASA<br />
history (both internally and from the public), and do their best to<br />
preserve NASA history and stimulate interest in it. For anyone with<br />
an interest, a good starting point is their extensive web presence at:<br />
www.history.nasa.gov.<br />
Rebecca Eastmond (née Shaw) married Matthew (Christ<br />
Church, 1992) in 2002 and they now have Arthur who starts<br />
big school in September and Isabel who was born in January<br />
2010. Both are generally charming children and Giles Richardson<br />
is a suitably indulgent godfather to Arthur. In 2008, Rebecca<br />
moved from heading up the Prince’s Foundation for Children &<br />
the Arts to advise JP Morgan’s private bank clients on their giving<br />
and is now enjoying her new role as EMEA Head <strong>of</strong> Philanthropic<br />
Services.<br />
Isobel Griffi ths married Kenneth AJ Tune (Christ’s <strong>College</strong>,<br />
Cambridge, 1989) at Wesley’s chapel in London in August 2009.<br />
Isobel and Ken are delighted to be able to announce the birth <strong>of</strong><br />
their daughter Rebecca Josephine Violetta Tune on 14th October<br />
2010.<br />
Steve Maxwell lives outside San Francisco and manages<br />
Google’s customised learning and development group. He enjoys<br />
playing with his son Felix (2). The family’s latest adventures<br />
include growing vegetables and camping.<br />
1993<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: JOANNA COOKE<br />
Email: jvicooke@hotmail.com<br />
This year it’s an alphabetical review but backwards to make it (a<br />
tiny bit) interesting.<br />
Jonathan Young married Debbie in March 2011 and is now<br />
working as a statistician at the Department for Education in London.<br />
128 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Liz Truss was elected as MP for South West Norfolk. She is<br />
a Conservative MP – but luckily it’s a coalition government so<br />
hopefully the fact she was an avid LibDem back at college isn’t<br />
too awkward.<br />
Helen Tesh is still in Kent, still teaching music and is now also<br />
working as head <strong>of</strong> year to help new pupils settle into senior school.<br />
Jeremy Stammers lives in Putney and recently joined the college<br />
team in a 10k run. He is very keen that next year there be more<br />
runners from the 90s as most <strong>of</strong> the runners this year were from<br />
the MCR.<br />
Malcolm Smith regrets that due to retirement from practice he<br />
has nothing interesting to report.<br />
Charley Smith now lives in Birmingham and has given<br />
birth to a son, Austin. She describes him as ‘her best work’ but<br />
I for one don’t remember Charley doing any other work… or is<br />
that unfair?<br />
Alan Renwick (who many <strong>of</strong> you will remember working nonstop)<br />
published a book in January called A Citizen’s Guide to<br />
Electoral Reform. This meant a busy time during the referendum<br />
campaign, when he spent a lot <strong>of</strong> time “pointing out all the nonsense<br />
that both <strong>of</strong> the campaigns were producing”.<br />
Jim Ratzer reports that daughter Sophie was born last September,<br />
as a younger sister to Hugo. Surprisingly, Jim has no high jinx to<br />
report, claiming: “I lead a boring life nowadays”.<br />
Clive Norton still works in the ski industry and confessed that he<br />
no longer smokes a pipe, thus proving that while the rest <strong>of</strong> us are<br />
getting older, Clive is more youthful each year.<br />
Matt Nelson has been turned into an (albeit tall and happy)<br />
emotional wreck by the birth <strong>of</strong> his fi rst daughter – Amy Elizabeth.<br />
Unsurprisingly, she is in the 99.5 percentile for height at birth – all<br />
the points to Matt’s wife SJ.<br />
Anna Jones is still the Librarian at Wolfson <strong>College</strong>, Cambridge,<br />
and is now also a Tutor (which in Cambridge terms is a pastoral<br />
role). Her domestic project for this year is to refurbish the<br />
garden pond.<br />
Jamie Inman thinks he is above Postmaster updates but<br />
unluckily for him I know his news. He has fi nally bought a fl at with<br />
the exceptional Kate, a radio journalist. They live in North London<br />
and own (to the delight <strong>of</strong> small children) a wormery.<br />
Leanda Fauset (née Cooksey) has moved to Geneva with her<br />
family. By the time you read this she will doubtless own two ski<br />
chalets and have made the down payment on a private jet.
Naomi Drewitt has moved to a new job in the Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Health and she is now Deputy Secretary to the Board.<br />
Tania Davison (née Abrahams) gave birth to a son, Malakai, in<br />
September 2010. Tania did the Blenheim triathlon without me this<br />
year (I used the ‘just had a baby’ excuse) and we would love fellow<br />
class <strong>of</strong> 1993ers to join us next year.<br />
Laura Davies (née Williams) is married to Charles and they<br />
live in London. They have one daughter, Cordelia and both work in<br />
high-fl ying jobs in the Foreign Offi ce.<br />
Ben Curthoys has started a business selling box-<strong>of</strong>fi ce ticketing<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware and recently sold its fi rst live ticket. All those in need <strong>of</strong><br />
such a system should visit www.monads<strong>of</strong>tware.com.<br />
Rhona Cox has just emigrated to Gothenburg where she will<br />
continue to work for AstraZeneca and (this is out <strong>of</strong> date but<br />
important news) she married Alexander Cameron (St John’s, 1993)<br />
in 2006.<br />
I am still on the edge <strong>of</strong> collapse after daughter three, Annie, was<br />
born in March. My husband Rob seems to think that having three<br />
girls is great; he has no idea what teenage drama lies in store.<br />
Sian Clarke (née Davies) lives near Hampton Court with<br />
husband Mark and their two children Megan and Ben. Sian is as<br />
glam as ever and returns to work teaching French in September.<br />
Emma Cayley still has two children and one husband. She says<br />
she is slightly closer to middle age than at the last update and has<br />
no current plans for any more children or husbands.<br />
I think that’s all. If you’re annoyed at not being mentioned, please<br />
email me.<br />
1995<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: TAMZEN ISACSSON<br />
Tel: 0046 87 549415 Email: isacssont@ymail.com<br />
Following last year’s bumper edition for the 1995 year, it was still<br />
good to hear from some new people this year. Lissy Lovett is<br />
living in South London and works as the Programme Manager for<br />
Stagetext where she organises captioned performances (similar to<br />
TV subtitles) in theatres across the UK.<br />
Lucy Tallents is a post-doc with the Wildlife Conservation<br />
Research Unit (WildCRU) in <strong>Oxford</strong>. She has developed a new<br />
postgraduate diploma for wildlife conservation pr<strong>of</strong>essionals in<br />
NEWS | 1995<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
biodiverse but poorly-resourced countries, and is now designing<br />
online courses in between teaching trips to Malaysia.<br />
After six years at eBay with the recent two leading the Fashion<br />
category for Europe, Xin He is taking a well-deserved break from<br />
the life <strong>of</strong> commuting/computer gazing to relax and travel. She<br />
is most likely on a long-distance bus bumping through the Gobi<br />
desert in Northwest China as you read this. We are looking forward<br />
to welcoming her to Stockholm again in July.<br />
Alex Campbell is living in North London and is working<br />
transatlantically for PensionsFirst, a provider <strong>of</strong> risk management<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware for defi ned benefi t pension schemes. Alex writes that the<br />
past year’s exciting (but exhausting) event was the birth <strong>of</strong> Seth, a<br />
little brother to his beautiful daughter Yasmin (3).<br />
Claire Jones has been working as an actuarial consultant since<br />
she left <strong>Merton</strong> in 1999 and has been a partner at LCP in Winchester<br />
since 2007. In recent years she has become heavily involved in<br />
environmental issues, mainly on a voluntary basis, and is currently<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> Winchester Action on Climate Change. She is about to<br />
change career direction this summer and is leaving LCP to start an<br />
MSc in Sustainability (Ecological Economics) at Leeds <strong>University</strong><br />
in September.<br />
Gill Cowen has an update for us from Australia. She has married<br />
her fi ancé Tim who is a civil and mining engineer. They had a<br />
fabulous day and are planning to honeymoon mid-year in the<br />
Kimberleys (NW WA).<br />
Noel Cross was promoted this year at LJMU to become<br />
undergraduate Criminal Justice Leader. He is currently writing his<br />
second book for Pearson Longman, due to be published in January<br />
201. Noel and his wife Helen are expecting their fi rst child in<br />
September.<br />
Christine Carey has a new job as the Customer and Insight<br />
Manager at Emerald Publishing Ltd, which is a scholarly publisher<br />
<strong>of</strong> Business, Management and Social Science research based in<br />
Bingley. She married Jonathan Pickup in June.<br />
Patrick Long still works for Lazard, the investment bank, where<br />
he specialises in real estate. James Mendelsohn is still living in<br />
Leeds and teaching Business Law at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Huddersfi eld.<br />
On the baby front we have yet more updates for this year. Kate<br />
Ledlie (née O’ Meara) had a son (William) last year. Felicity and<br />
Adrian Bingham write that they are well and that their second<br />
daughter Thea was born in August last year. Joanne Richmond<br />
also had a second child in 2010 called Edward Samuel.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
129
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 1996<br />
We also have an update from Jonathan and Jane Legg. They<br />
have two boys (Will and George) and Jane is taking a career break<br />
to look after them. Jonathan is a partner at law fi rm Mishcon de<br />
Reya, specialising in tax. They live in Cobham in ‘norf Surrey’.<br />
Helen Wain (née Bray) married Nick in 2008. They have a son,<br />
Toby (13 months) and a second baby due in December. They live<br />
in Clifton-on-Teme, a tiny village just outside Worcester, and when<br />
Helen is not on maternity leave, which she says doesn’t seem very<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten at the moment, she is a Sergeant with West Mercia Police.<br />
Tamzen Isacsson was promoted to Head <strong>of</strong> Broadcast Media at<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fi cial media company for the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm.<br />
I will be enjoying yet more extended Swedish parental leave soon<br />
though, as Joachim and I are expecting our second child, a little<br />
boy, in August.<br />
1996<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: MARIA PRETZLER<br />
Top Floor Flat, 23 The Grove, Uplands, Swansea, Wales, SA2 0QT<br />
Email: m.pretzler@swansea.ac.uk<br />
Lisa de Poerck (née Carter) and her husband Bruno had a baby<br />
boy Theo Sebastien in July 2010. Lisa says that she is thoroughly<br />
enjoying being at home with the little one, and she is already getting<br />
him hooked on Greek myths!<br />
Sam Kessler’s son Kit was born in August 2010.<br />
Thomas Au and Miki Kato wrote from Hong Kong – some <strong>of</strong><br />
you might not know that they got married back in 2003. Thomas is<br />
a judge <strong>of</strong> the High Court <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong and in summer 2011 Miki<br />
fi nishes a degree in interior design.<br />
Rufus Frowde got married to Polly Barclay in October 2010.<br />
The wedding was at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace,<br />
where he has been the organist for the last eight years. He also<br />
reports that his playing and the back <strong>of</strong> his head also featured in the<br />
2010 Queen’s Christmas message.<br />
1997<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: CATHERINE SANGSTER<br />
Email: catherine.sangster@gmail.com<br />
130 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
1998<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: ALEX EDMANS<br />
1919 Chestnut Street, Apt 1124, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA<br />
Tel: +1 215 893 1280 Email: aedmans@wharton.upenn.edu<br />
Adrian Barnes and Zoe Barnes (neé Moore) have both moved<br />
to Scotland (near Edinburgh). Adrian is still working as an<br />
environmental consultant and Zoe is now working as renewable<br />
energy consultant.<br />
On 17th March, Mark Eminson and Elise received the gift <strong>of</strong><br />
twins, Beatrice and Joseph. He hopes that, in a year’s time when<br />
his family moves, that the Church <strong>of</strong> England still has some decentsized<br />
vicarages!<br />
Cristian Gazdac was appointed in the Romanian government<br />
team <strong>of</strong> experts to evaluate and recover smuggled high-valued<br />
artefacts. His 7-year old son Mark-Anthony played his fi rst<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi cial football game, for the U9 team <strong>of</strong> the club that represented<br />
Romania in Champions League. In a friendly game he replaced<br />
Cristian for the last 10<br />
minutes <strong>of</strong> the game.<br />
Ben Garner has<br />
fi nally left squash for the<br />
‘real world’ and is doing<br />
strategic analysis for<br />
Connections Academy,<br />
a fast-growing online<br />
education company.<br />
Jonathan Home was<br />
appointed as<br />
Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Quantum Optics and<br />
Photonics at the<br />
ETH Zürich. He<br />
moved to Zurich with<br />
his wife Yuki Iida in<br />
August 2010.<br />
Edwin Northover<br />
married Kitty Hung<br />
(Hertford 1998) in<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Chapel on 7th<br />
August 2010 (see photo).<br />
EDWIN NORTHOVER AND HIS WIFE<br />
KITTY IN FELLOWS GARDEN
Many <strong>Merton</strong>ians who matriculated in 1997 and 1998 were<br />
present; several playing<br />
important roles in the service which they naturally undertook with<br />
aplomb (including but not limited to Revd Mark Eminson (1998)<br />
who gave a sermon liberally scattered with quotes from another<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> alumnus, Mandell Creighton). Despite an inauspiciously<br />
wet start to the day, the sun came out when it mattered and both<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> and the bride looked glorious. Since then, Edwin and Kitty<br />
have spent their time working and commuting between London<br />
and Hong Kong and leaving a depressingly large carbon footprint<br />
in their wake.<br />
1999<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVES: ANDREW TUSTIAN<br />
30 Cottage Place, Apt#2, Tarrytown, NY 10591, USA<br />
Email: andrewtustian@hotmail.com<br />
and JOHN CORCORAN<br />
57 Charles Street, <strong>Oxford</strong> OX4 3AU<br />
Email: jpcorcoran@doctors.org.uk<br />
The steady stream <strong>of</strong> 1999’s <strong>Merton</strong>ians walking down the aisle<br />
continues as weddings once again feature heavily in this year’s<br />
report. Greg Brown and Naomi Law married in Knowle in July<br />
2010. Kieran Fenby-Hulse (née Hulse) entered into a civil<br />
partnership with Guy, his partner <strong>of</strong> four years, on 29th April 2011.<br />
The blessing <strong>of</strong> their union took place in the scenic surroundings<br />
<strong>of</strong> Newmiller Dam in Wakefi eld. The City <strong>of</strong> Bradford Brass Band<br />
played for their service and the evening consisted <strong>of</strong> a northern<br />
buffet, raffl e and a gender illusionist. Perhaps the day’s defi ning<br />
moment was their fi rst dance: The Conga. Why not include<br />
everyone? At present Kieran works for Bradford <strong>University</strong> as a<br />
Research and Knowledge Transfer Support Offi cer and Guy as a<br />
store manager for Barnardos.<br />
John Corcoran and Emily Jenkins (2004) celebrated their<br />
wedding at <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> and Lains Barn, Wantage on 30th April<br />
2011; no guests were harmed during the day’s events that included<br />
two separate drinks receptions and a high-tempo barn dance.<br />
Vanessa Bloor and Chris Sherriff married on 21st May 2011.<br />
Nick Seaman and Gemma Wilson were joined in matrimony on<br />
11th June at St Luke’s Church, Grayshott before moving on to Cain<br />
Manor for their reception, the “biggest ushers ever seen” ensuring<br />
NEWS | 1999<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
that events ran smoothly throughout. By the time Postmaster goes<br />
to press Katherine Sharrocks and William (Liam) Kelly (2000)<br />
should have joined these happy couples, having set their wedding<br />
date for 25th June 2011 in Llanon and Aberaeron. Whilst not quite<br />
married, Caroline Ovadia and Ross Worrall have taken the fi rst step<br />
by announcing their engagement this year.<br />
All these weddings are now bearing fruit, with eight births to<br />
announce. Susanna Kessler (née Ross) and her husband Sam<br />
(1996) welcomed Christopher (Kit) into their family on 17th August<br />
2010. Emma Dedman gave birth to her son, Benjamin Frederick,<br />
on 29th August 2011. Patrick Tampkins and his wife Katie<br />
celebrated the arrival <strong>of</strong> their second daughter, Lucy Diana, on 10th<br />
January 2011. Rosalind Taylor-Hook (née Hook) gave birth to<br />
Miranda Josephine on 5th February. Kate Garcia (née Marten) is<br />
very much enjoying being a mummy to her son Carlos John. He was<br />
born on 28th February 2011 weighing in at a healthy 9lb 4oz. This<br />
year she also became a chartered tax advisor to complement her role<br />
as a solicitor. In March, Helen Mallalieu and her husband Steve<br />
Eldridge gave their son Oliver a sister, Charlotte Rose Eldridge.<br />
Veronika Hrbata (née Cerna) and her husband Michal were<br />
joined on 12th March 2011 by their daughter Julia Anna, who has<br />
now reportedly taken control <strong>of</strong> most <strong>of</strong> the household planning.<br />
Andrew Tustian has also entered parenthood. On 20th May 2011<br />
his wife Elisa gave birth to a boy in the village <strong>of</strong> Sleepy Hollow,<br />
New York (home <strong>of</strong> the Headless Horseman). Born late on a Friday,<br />
Charles Michael was disappointed to learn that there was no Bop<br />
on that night.<br />
After 12 years <strong>of</strong> postgraduate training Lisa Wong fi nally<br />
fi nished with her residency in June, and entered private practice<br />
in comprehensive ophthalmology near Denver in Wheat Ridge,<br />
Colorado. She would, perhaps unwisely, welcome any visiting<br />
<strong>Merton</strong>ians.<br />
Nathaniel Coleman continues with his philosophical studies<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Michigan. His intellectual fervour has been<br />
aroused by David Lammy’s comments in the Houses <strong>of</strong> Parliament<br />
that <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> continues to struggle to recruit ‘British black<br />
Caribbean’ students as undergraduates, not least as he is one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
‘three students in the last decade’ who have been singled out as<br />
recent alumni <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>. To this end, he feels compelled<br />
to contribute to public debate on the matter and has written a paper,<br />
Changing the white Oxbridge lightbulb, which is available on<br />
request from natcole@umich.edu.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
131
OLD MEMBERS NEWS | 2002<br />
2000<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: PETER COUSINS<br />
14 Rydal Avenue, Frizinghall, Bradford, BD9 4LS<br />
Email: peter.cousins@merton.oxon.net<br />
After a few relatively quiet years, 2011 sees a bumper crop <strong>of</strong><br />
news, on the back <strong>of</strong> a Gaudy in March that 35 people from<br />
our year group attended. Weddings abound, while the arrival <strong>of</strong><br />
children and career progression again feature prominently. Thanks<br />
as always to all who contributed, and special thanks to Alex Perry<br />
who tracked down some <strong>of</strong> this news for me.<br />
Aurélien Berra’s French translation <strong>of</strong> Charles Darwin’s<br />
Origin <strong>of</strong> Species was published by Slatkine and Champion in<br />
2009. In the same year his fi rst son, Ulysse, was born. (Perhaps<br />
an inheritance from his father’s linguistic talents, he was heard<br />
substituting “au revoir” for “bye bye” on his fi rst visit to England.)<br />
Aurélien continues to devote his scholarly attentions to Greek<br />
philology and the digital humanities.<br />
Lucy and Ben Brayford had their fi rst child, Jonathan, on 1st<br />
June 2010.<br />
Mike Buckworth left Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP<br />
at the start <strong>of</strong> the year to set up his own law fi rm, Buckworth<br />
Solicitors (www.buckworthsolicitors.co.uk) based in Mayfair.<br />
The fi rm focuses on corporate and shareholder matters (including<br />
intellectual property issues, compliance and transaction<br />
structuring), mainly for small and medium enterprises – and<br />
promises an Old <strong>Merton</strong>ian discount to anyone in need <strong>of</strong> legal<br />
advice reading this!<br />
Peter Cousins said adiós to Colombia in December 2010 and<br />
headed straight to Bordeaux, in an attempt to patch up his (very<br />
patchy) French.<br />
Catherine Davison left for Livingstone, Zambia, in March for<br />
a three-month medical elective.<br />
A happy couple from our year group, Adam and Ros Gamsa<br />
(née Gill) tied the knot in Winchester in April.<br />
Rosemary Golding has succeeding in breaking into both<br />
the academy and the property market, working for the Open<br />
<strong>University</strong> within six miles <strong>of</strong> Carfax, on Boars Hill, and living<br />
on the Abingdon Road.<br />
Clare Harding (née Beach) is still living down under, in<br />
Melbourne, and working in strategy at the Victorian health<br />
132 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
department. She and her husband Matthew have their fi rst baby<br />
due in September.<br />
Malte Herwig produced a biography <strong>of</strong> the poet Peter Handke last<br />
year (Master <strong>of</strong> Twilight – Meister der Dämmerung), successfully<br />
selling around 10,000 copies.<br />
Brad John-Davis has been on the move, returning from Peru<br />
in 2008, where he worked in luxury tourism, setting <strong>of</strong>f again for<br />
Kenya 12 months later. However, the birth <strong>of</strong> his son Noah brought<br />
him and his fi ancée Kerry Arnold back to the UK in mid-2010; he<br />
works in the travel technology industry.<br />
Alex Perry plans to marry his fi ancée, Rachael, in July 2011,<br />
many years after meeting her doing charity work in Lourdes. He<br />
has also been studying for an MBA at London Business School,<br />
where he has fi nally achieved some academic respectability by<br />
being named on the Dean’s List. His efforts will be rewarded in<br />
August when he starts a new career in strategy consulting.<br />
Although their son, Laurence, is expected to start school in the<br />
autumn, Tom Skinner and his wife Chrissy will be kept busy with<br />
their second child, Rosa Eleanor Skinner, born 9th August 2011.<br />
Following their wedding in June 2008, another couple from 2000<br />
Mark Tiner and Nadza Tokaca had a baby girl, Hana, on 31st<br />
March this year.<br />
At the time <strong>of</strong> writing, James Viles is preparing to get married to<br />
Chio Verastegui, whom he met at INSEAD. They are due to tie the<br />
knot in Mexico in June, although they call Sydney home.<br />
2002<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: BEN ZURAWEL<br />
4 Stonebow Avenue, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3UP<br />
Email: ben.zurawel@merton.oxon.org<br />
Since our last update, Daniel Lloyd married Alex (née Vinall). Daniel<br />
reports that Alex (Wadham, 2002) is due to fi nish a DPhil in modern<br />
German literature in Michaelmas 2011 and then to take up a post as<br />
a college lecturer at St Edmund Hall. Daniel himself surely wins a<br />
prize for the most complicated sounding employment history: having<br />
been ordained to the diaconate <strong>of</strong> the Church <strong>of</strong> England in July<br />
2010, on 6th June 2011 he was ordained to the Personal Ordinariate<br />
<strong>of</strong> Our Lady <strong>of</strong> Walsingham, established by HH Benedict XVI for<br />
Anglican clergy who wish to enter into full communion with the<br />
Catholic Church. Daniel has returned to serve churches in <strong>Oxford</strong>
after a brief sojourn in Milton Keynes, and hopes, ‘deo volente’ to be<br />
ordained into the priesthood in 2012.<br />
Frances Clemson became Frances Clemson Cload on 7th May<br />
2011 in a ceremony at St Michael and All Angels, Exeter, where she<br />
married Dominic Coad, who like her is completing a doctorate in<br />
theology at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Exeter. Unfortunately, it’s not all good<br />
news: Frances reports that by the time this goes to press, she will<br />
have gone ‘over to the dark side’ as a research associate at a higher<br />
education institution in the Fens.<br />
Other recent marriages include Mel Orchard to David McCabe<br />
(2001) in Salisbury on 23 rd July 2011, and David Gillbe to fellow<br />
Curlew Rowing Club committee member Elizabeth Wallen the<br />
following weekend.<br />
From marriages to births: Sam Carter and Angela were delighted,<br />
on 1st March 2011, to announce the arrival <strong>of</strong> the 8lb 15oz Isaac<br />
Samuel Cato Carter at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.<br />
Thierry and Antonia Richards (née Farmer) welcomed 7.7lb<br />
Isabella Aya Rochfort Richards into the world on 14th July 2011.<br />
Witnessing a birth <strong>of</strong> a different kind, Naomi Pendle has spent<br />
much <strong>of</strong> the last year working in education development in the<br />
world’s newest country, South Sudan. Other far-fl ung <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
from 2002 include Mark Brighouse, a solicitor in Dubai, and Oscar<br />
Scafi di, a teacher in Angola, who continue their tradition <strong>of</strong> bonkers<br />
holidays having recently taken a stroll along the Pamir highway<br />
between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Considered one <strong>of</strong> the world’s<br />
most dangerous roads, it was, by all accounts, a walk in the park<br />
compared to Tajik Air.<br />
In other news, Daniel and Rachel Rees (née King) report that they<br />
have moved out to work in New York and are expecting to stay for a<br />
year. Also in America have been Elena Piskounova, Carlos Lastra-<br />
Anadon and Krizia Li, who have all spent the last year completing<br />
studies at Harvard: Elena a PhD (during the course <strong>of</strong> which she<br />
became engaged to Stephen Curtis), Carlos at the Kennedy School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Government, and Krizia at the Business School.<br />
This year saw our fi rst gaudy: a sizeable proportion <strong>of</strong> the year<br />
enjoyed excellent food, a new Warden and a return to the dulcet tones<br />
<strong>of</strong> Dave the Bar: almost without exception they also managed to stay<br />
vertical for the entire evening. The coming year will be the tenth<br />
anniversary <strong>of</strong> our meeting one another in Freshers’ week: doesn’t<br />
time fl y?<br />
2003<br />
NEWS | 2003<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: NIK ALATORTSEV<br />
Email: nikita.alatortsev@merton.oxon.org<br />
2005<br />
YEAR REPRESENTATIVE: KRISHNA OMKAR<br />
Email: krishnaomkar@gmail.com<br />
OLD MEMBERS<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
133
IN MEMORIAM E<strong>MER</strong>ITUS FELLOW<br />
In Memoriam<br />
Emeritus Fellow<br />
Eric Arthur Newsholme was born in Liverpool, England on 19th<br />
May 1935 and died in Torquay, South Devon on 17th March 2011.<br />
He was brought up in the Liverpool suburb <strong>of</strong> West Derby and it<br />
was during this period he started his lifelong devotion to Liverpool<br />
Football Club. Eric moved south in 1955, to attend university<br />
in Cambridge and later to start his pr<strong>of</strong>essional research career<br />
in <strong>Oxford</strong>.<br />
He was appointed to a university lectureship at <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> in<br />
1973 and remained associated with the <strong>College</strong> until his retirement<br />
from university life. Over 50 PhD students and a similar number <strong>of</strong><br />
postdoctoral scientists received research training in Eric’s lab which<br />
was located in the Department <strong>of</strong> Biochemistry. Past members <strong>of</strong><br />
the Eric Newsholme laboratory now have their own labs in the UK,<br />
Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. Eric<br />
published over 300 original research papers, numerous reviews and<br />
book chapters: many biochemists will recall how textbooks written<br />
by Eric (e.g. Regulation in Metabolism by EA Newsholme and<br />
C Start (1973) and Biochemistry for the Medical Sciences by EA<br />
Newsholme and AR Leech (1983) provided them with much <strong>of</strong> their<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> intermediary metabolism and metabolic control. To<br />
quote Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Terence Kealey, vice-chancellor <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Buckingham, UK: “It was his Regulation in Metabolism textbook<br />
that so excited me that I gave up medicine for biochemistry. It was a<br />
great book – masterful, creative and accessible. Everyone who read<br />
it recognised it as a classic.”<br />
However, it was not entirely one way: for example, Eric found it<br />
very touching when a senior <strong>Oxford</strong> clinician told him that there was<br />
not a day on the wards when he did not call to mind the biochemistry<br />
that Eric had taught him as an undergraduate at <strong>Oxford</strong>. Eric<br />
recently updated Biochemistry for the Medical Sciences to become<br />
the textbook Functional Biochemistry in Health and Disease with<br />
Tony Leech (2010) which was written to enlighten a new generation<br />
<strong>of</strong> medical and health science students to the beauty and relevance <strong>of</strong><br />
biochemistry. Eric had the pleasure <strong>of</strong> presenting a copy <strong>of</strong> the latter<br />
textbook to his granddaughter Sinead, who is currently studying<br />
medicine in UCD Dublin, in May 2010.<br />
Eric Newsholme read Natural Sciences at Magdalen <strong>College</strong>,<br />
134 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Cambridge and, following his undergraduate degree,<br />
completed a PhD in Biochemistry under the supervision <strong>of</strong> Sir<br />
Philip Randle. Eric published his fi rst full paper in the Biochemical<br />
Journal in 1961 (on the regulation <strong>of</strong> glucose uptake by muscle) with<br />
Philip Randle. This was the fi rst <strong>of</strong> over 100 papers Eric published<br />
in the Biochemical Journal, and about 20 <strong>of</strong> these have gone on to<br />
be recognised as seminal papers by the research community. During<br />
his PhD, Eric published four more papers on the metabolism <strong>of</strong><br />
fatty acids, ketone bodies, glucose and pyruvate by muscle, two<br />
<strong>of</strong> which were published in Nature in 1962 and 1963 and two in<br />
the Biochemical Journal in 1964. These papers expanded on the<br />
data published by Randle, Garland, Hales and Newsholme in The<br />
Lancet in 1963 (‘The glucose fatty-acid cycle: its role in insulin<br />
sensitivity and the metabolic disturbances <strong>of</strong> diabetes mellitus’), and<br />
each contributed to, and added substantial support for, the so-called<br />
‘Randle hypothesis’ or ‘Randle cycle’, a regulatory mechanism still<br />
hotly debated today, given its relevance to diet, obesity and Type 2<br />
diabetes [1].<br />
In Eric’s subsequent career as an independent scientist, he set out<br />
to make major research contributions to at least three research areas:<br />
mechanisms <strong>of</strong> metabolic regulation in muscle, metabolic adaptations<br />
to exercise, and nutrient control <strong>of</strong> immune cell function. Perhaps<br />
Eric’s key contribution was to bring to each <strong>of</strong> these topics a desire<br />
to provide quantitative descriptions <strong>of</strong> complex metabolic pathways,<br />
and to consider metabolic control in terms <strong>of</strong> the biochemistry and<br />
physiology <strong>of</strong> the whole organism, not just the cell/tissue in which the<br />
study was conducted. In many respects, this makes Eric Newsholme<br />
a forefather <strong>of</strong> the re-emergent fi eld <strong>of</strong> Systems Biology [1].<br />
Eric perhaps made his most signifi cant impact through<br />
undergraduate teaching, textbooks, articles in sports magazines<br />
and personal interest in the biochemistry <strong>of</strong> exercise. (He took up<br />
marathon running in his mid-30s and successfully completed around<br />
40 marathons, passing on his enthusiasm for this sport to his wife.)<br />
As a consequence, he has contributed to a greater appreciation <strong>of</strong><br />
energy metabolism by scientist and sportsman alike. His fi nal project,<br />
uncompleted, was a major text on the scientifi c basis for outstanding<br />
human physical performance in football.<br />
In all his activities he was supported by his wife, Pauline, whom<br />
he married in 1959. His wife, his son Philip and daughters Glenda<br />
and Clare survive him.<br />
Philip Newsholme and Lindy Castell<br />
[1] Past times ‘Refl ections <strong>of</strong> a metabolic biochemist: Eric Arthur Newsholme’ The Biochemist October 2006
Honorary Fellow<br />
Anatole Abragam, who passed away on 8th June 2011, was<br />
widely regarded as a pioneer in his chosen fi eld <strong>of</strong> nuclear magnetic<br />
resonance.<br />
Born in Russia in 1914, Abragam’s family emigrated to France<br />
a decade later. He was educated at the Sorbonne between 1933<br />
and 1936, before serving during the Second World War. After the<br />
War he returned to Paris to continue his education at the École<br />
Supérieure d’Electricité.<br />
In 1947 he came to <strong>Oxford</strong> and obtained his PhD at Jesus<br />
<strong>College</strong>. He returned to France to take up the position <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Nuclear Magnetism at the Collège de France, remaining there<br />
until 1980. Working with the newly established Commissariat à<br />
l’Energie Atomique, he founded a magnetic resonance laboratory<br />
and, in 1965, became Director <strong>of</strong> Physics .<br />
He was elected a member <strong>of</strong> the Académie des Sciences in 1973,<br />
was elected a Foreign Honorary Member <strong>of</strong> the American Academy<br />
<strong>of</strong> Arts and Sciences in 1974 and made an Honorary Fellow at both<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> and Magdalen <strong>College</strong>s, <strong>Oxford</strong>, in 1976.<br />
His contributions to both nuclear magnetic resonance and the<br />
electron paramagnetic resonance won him international awards,<br />
notably the 13th Lorentz medal in 1982.<br />
1936<br />
Thomas (Frank) Brenchley passed away on 7th July 2011. A full<br />
obituary will appear in the next Postmaster.<br />
We were sad to learn from his son, Christopher, that James (Austin)<br />
Heady had passed away in November 2004.<br />
Dr Heady was born in 1917 in China, where his parents were<br />
working as missionaries. He remained there until he was nine years<br />
old, when he came to England to continue his education. He came<br />
up to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1936 to read Mathematics where he achieved a<br />
Second Class degree. He also represented the <strong>College</strong> at rugby.<br />
On leaving <strong>Merton</strong> he served as a Commander in the Royal<br />
Artillery and then the 8th Army. He also held the post <strong>of</strong> treasurer<br />
with the Queen’s Royal Regiment, before being invalided out<br />
in 1944.<br />
He took up the position <strong>of</strong> Research Assistant at Lockheed<br />
Hydraulic Brakes in 1945, but only remained there for a year.<br />
HONORARY FELLOW<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
During this time he married Alison Reynolds, with whom he would<br />
have two sons and two daughters.<br />
His career took a defi ning turn as he moved to St Bartholomew’s<br />
Hospital, London, to work in the Department <strong>of</strong> Statistics. After<br />
fi ve years at St Bartholomew’s he continued his role as a Statistician<br />
at the Social Medical Research Unit, where he continued to work<br />
until 1975, becoming Assistant Director in 1963. His work at the<br />
Unit was invaluable, undertaking major statistical studies in areas<br />
such as infant mortality and cardiovascular disease, which saw him<br />
working with the World Health Organisation.<br />
In 1975 the Unit was closed and Dr Heady continued his<br />
important work at the Royal Free School <strong>of</strong> Medicine, where he<br />
was later appointed as a Visiting Fellow. He continued his close<br />
working relationship with WHO, becoming a consultant with them<br />
after his <strong>of</strong>fi cial retirement in 1982, and regularly travelled around<br />
the world teaching and advising on statistics and research methods.<br />
He was a prominent member <strong>of</strong> the Royal Statistical Society.<br />
Elected as a Fellow in 1946, he was a member <strong>of</strong> Council between<br />
1961 and 1970, and was an Honorary Secretary from 1964 to 1970.<br />
He also played an equally important role at the Society for Social<br />
Medicine, becoming Chairman in 1984 and an Honorary Member<br />
a year later.<br />
Michael John Ottaway passed away on 21st September 2010.<br />
I really got to know Michael when I started to regularly attend<br />
St Peter’s Wolvercote after leaving school in 1956. I then worked<br />
closely with him in the parish and was one <strong>of</strong> his wardens when he<br />
retired.<br />
Michael was a <strong>Merton</strong> Scholar, trained at Cuddesdon theological<br />
college and was ordained priest in 1942. Initially he served his curacy<br />
in Kettering and then moved to Kibworth as his father’s curate when<br />
Canon Ottaway’s sight was beginning to fail. In 1948 his father died<br />
and was succeeded by Revd Paul Rebbeck, a former curate <strong>of</strong> his<br />
and previously vicar <strong>of</strong> Wolvercote. The vacancy at Wolvercote<br />
was in turn fi lled by Michael. Wolvercote, as with Kibworth, is a<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> living and at that time only <strong>Merton</strong> scholars could<br />
be appointed. On retiring from Wolvercote in 1983 he came to live<br />
in Seaforth and received a permission to <strong>of</strong>fi ciate in this diocese.<br />
Before referring to his parish ministry, I should mention his<br />
ministry in other fi elds. He was very keen on the theatre and<br />
he resurrected and was a leading light <strong>of</strong> St Peter’s Players in<br />
Wolvercote.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
135
IN MEMORIAM 1936<br />
Michael and I acted on a number <strong>of</strong> occasions together. It was<br />
through St Peter’s Players that Michael and Glenys met. They<br />
married in 1956 and on his retirement said that he attributed 75%<br />
<strong>of</strong> any success he may have had in Wolvercote to the contribution<br />
<strong>of</strong> his wife.<br />
It was through Michael inviting me to produce a short play for<br />
the vicarage summer fete in 1959 with the children <strong>of</strong> the choir that<br />
the North <strong>Oxford</strong> Youth Theatre was born and still thrives today. He<br />
was very much part <strong>of</strong> developing the Wolvercote Boys Club from<br />
an old farmhouse to brand new premises; it too still thrives. He was<br />
a scout leader in Wolvercote for many years and countless young<br />
people benefi ted from his leadership.<br />
Like my father, he had a love <strong>of</strong> gardening. I recall my father and<br />
Michael walking around our garden discussing the various plants<br />
and fl owers. And father saying to Michael, “I’m afraid I don’t come<br />
to church very much but I feel near to God in my garden” and<br />
Michael replying “Then I am sure this is where you should be.’’ He<br />
also enjoyed wine-making and travelling.<br />
He was a liveryman <strong>of</strong> the Worshipful Company <strong>of</strong> Barbers –<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the oldest <strong>of</strong> the City livery companies, which celebrated its<br />
700th anniversary in 2008. His uncle, father and two brothers were<br />
all Masters <strong>of</strong> the company and four nephews, a niece, cousin and<br />
great-nephew are all liverymen and a further eight family members<br />
(including Helen and Frances) are freemen. By any standard that<br />
is an amazing family connection with a livery company. The<br />
livery companies <strong>of</strong> the City <strong>of</strong> London contribute many millions<br />
<strong>of</strong> pounds to charitable causes every year, which would have<br />
particularly appealed to Michael.<br />
When Michael retired and moved here, he became chairman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Seaford branch <strong>of</strong> Cruse and then undertook training and became<br />
an active counsellor himself. He took up watercolour painting,<br />
joined classes, took part in local exhibitions, and produced some<br />
lovely images <strong>of</strong> this church. For many years his artwork featured<br />
on their Christmas cards. Michael also had a good singing voice.<br />
Having sung with the Bach Choir in <strong>Oxford</strong>, he and Glenys joined<br />
the Seaford Choral Society <strong>of</strong> which he became chairman.<br />
He was a very practical man. As well as being good with a saw,<br />
a drill and a wallpaper brush, he occasionally exhibited other less<br />
predictable talents. There was the time when Glenys tripped down<br />
some steps and put her shoulder out. Michael grasped both her<br />
shoulders fi rmly, did a nifty push and squeeze, and the shoulder<br />
went back in.<br />
136 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Both Helen and Frances say he was a non-judgemental father<br />
– very accepting <strong>of</strong> them as individuals and committed to giving<br />
them the freedom to choose their own paths. They always felt they<br />
had his unconditional love and support. As Glenys says, “He was<br />
always a good companion and my best friend.”<br />
Michael was licensed to Wolvercote by Bishop Kirk in 1949, to a<br />
large vicarage and huge garden. The bishop said that on a stipend <strong>of</strong><br />
£500 a year he might fi nd it diffi cult to afford a gardener. In today’s<br />
church, priests come and stay for a few years and then move on.<br />
I doubt we will see again the likes <strong>of</strong> Michael serving his parish<br />
diligently and faithfully with real commitment over 34 years. He<br />
had all the values <strong>of</strong> a traditional English vicar, with no ambition<br />
for moving up the ecclesiastical ladder <strong>of</strong> hierarchy.<br />
But don’t let that for one moment imply that he had no ambition<br />
or forward thinking. Michael was one <strong>of</strong> the fi rst vicars in<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> to introduce Christian stewardship in 1959; he was at the<br />
forefront <strong>of</strong> restoring the Eucharist as the central part <strong>of</strong> family<br />
worship, building a central altar. He was supportive <strong>of</strong> women’s<br />
ministry. Just after the fi rst seven women were ordained in the<br />
USA, one <strong>of</strong> them, Karen Sheldon, worshipped with us for two<br />
years and Michael, with the bishop’s permission, got her involved<br />
and asked her to preach. He introduced regular services for the<br />
sick in Wolvercote and on retirement developed them here at<br />
Blachington. He didn’t want to talk about miracles <strong>of</strong> healing,<br />
preferring to suggest that the miracle for him was being able<br />
to help people perhaps in small ways both spiritually as well<br />
as physically.<br />
Michael was a very good training priest and curates were regularly<br />
sent to Wolvercote to serve their curacy. Through all this, his one<br />
fi rm foundation was his pastoral work: his mission to strengthen<br />
the links between the church and the local community, keeping<br />
in touch with those on the fringe, regularly knocking on doors. In<br />
1956 he organised a major mission with the Mirfi eld Fathers led by<br />
Father Augustine Hoey over several days with processions through<br />
the parish.<br />
He admitted that some accused him <strong>of</strong> never being satisfi ed. He<br />
was not complacent and always felt he could go further, and take<br />
the church to the people. I recall one <strong>of</strong> our regular vicar/wardens<br />
meetings over afternoon tea. Michael announced he was going<br />
to retire. My fellow churchwarden said: “You can’t do that,<br />
you’re not allowed to.” Well, <strong>of</strong> course, he did retire and we entered<br />
an interregnum.
We two wardens drew up the draft parish pr<strong>of</strong>i le and we based<br />
the section on ‘what qualities do we want our new vicar to have’<br />
on the qualities we saw in Michael. We sent it to the bishop and<br />
archdeacon for approval; the bishop sent us a message saying: “Are<br />
the people <strong>of</strong> Wolvercote really wanting Jesus?” Yes, we laughed at<br />
that, but life at St Peter’s was great fun with Michael, and we had a<br />
growing church. On occasions we must have been quite a handful,<br />
but it was the love we all had for him and the way he worked with<br />
us pastorally that enabled us to enjoy ourselves and keep the faith.<br />
I remember being on sidesperson duty at the Sunday Eucharist<br />
when the Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Canterbury, Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Fisher, arrived; his<br />
son was warden <strong>of</strong> St Edward’s just down Woodstock Road. I went<br />
into the vestry and said to Michael: “The Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Canterbury<br />
is in the congregation.” “Oh Peter, don’t be silly, you’ll tell me next<br />
the queen is there.” Anyhow, after the service as people left the<br />
church, Michael said to him: “Thank you for coming, Your Grace.<br />
We hope to see you again here sometime.” To which the Archbishop<br />
replied: “I doubt it.”<br />
Michael, together with Bill Fosdike, then vicar <strong>of</strong> Summertown,<br />
and the URC Minister, Donald Norwood, were instrumental in<br />
forming the ecumenical parish <strong>of</strong> Wolvercote with Summertown.<br />
Here was a faithful servant <strong>of</strong> Christ, a man <strong>of</strong> prayer, carrying out<br />
and fulfi lling the Lord’s work in Wolvercote and latterly here in<br />
Blachington, with no fuss or great drama, and in whatever he did,<br />
wherever he went, taking the church to the people.<br />
When he retired, he said to me that he didn’t think he had<br />
empowered the lay enough during his ministry. I assured him he<br />
had. Pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> that was having built up and handed on a strong<br />
church, which sustained itself during the interregnum and continued<br />
to grow after he retired. A church now so busy that we are building<br />
an extension and re-ordering the interior. At Harvest Festival, I<br />
thought about Michael and how pleased he would have been to see<br />
St Peter’s full and with lots <strong>of</strong> families and children.<br />
Father Brian Cook told me that Michael’s death was the most<br />
peaceful and tranquil he had witnessed. Michael was conscious<br />
during the last rites and slipped peacefully away shortly after with<br />
Glenys holding his hand. The two most important commandments<br />
the Lord left us with are: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’<br />
and ‘Go forth and make disciples’. These Michael carried out<br />
to the full in a truly remarkable, long and faithful ministry. I owe<br />
my lasting faith to Michael. There will be many others like me,<br />
I am sure.<br />
1938<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
Equally, I am sure that as the Lord received him into his arms, at<br />
peace and at rest, he would have said: “Thank you, Michael. You did<br />
well, you did very well.”<br />
Peter Bridges<br />
1938<br />
Frank Featherstone Bonsall was born in Crouch End, London on<br />
31st March 1920 and died in Harrogate on 22nd February 2011.<br />
He was the second <strong>of</strong> two sons <strong>of</strong> Wilfred Cook Bonsall and Sarah<br />
(Frank) Bonsall, both formerly from North Yorkshire. Frank devoted<br />
his life to mathematics, making numerous original contributions<br />
to the fi eld <strong>of</strong> functional analysis and supervising many graduate<br />
students, some <strong>of</strong> whom went on to distinguished mathematical<br />
careers in their own right (ten appear in the ‘Mathematics<br />
Genealogy Project’). These students were fortunate in their choice<br />
<strong>of</strong> supervisor: Frank insisted on ‘mathematical understanding’, and<br />
he made the case for this in one <strong>of</strong> the few <strong>of</strong> his many publications<br />
that are accessible to non-mathematicians (‘A down-to-earth view<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mathematics’, American Mathematical Monthly, 89: 8-15, 1982).<br />
Good mathematics, he insisted, required live mathematicians with<br />
fresh ideas, not computers. That paper is not only imbued with good<br />
sense but also with humour, and those who knew him will easily<br />
recall his inimitable chuckle.<br />
Frank’s colleague and friend PR Halmos, in his memoir I want<br />
to be a mathematician: an automathography, recalled Frank<br />
introducing him with the words: “Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Halmos may look like<br />
one mathematician, but in reality he is an equivalence class and<br />
has worked in several fi elds, including algebraic logic and ergodic<br />
theory; this afternoon his representative from Hilbert space will<br />
speak to us”. Frank might almost have been introducing himself.<br />
In his own, private, memoir, Frank traces his devotion to<br />
mathematics back to his primary education at Fretherne House<br />
Preparatory School in Welwyn Garden City, where the family had<br />
moved in 1923. But it may have come earlier: his mother was an<br />
early female graduate <strong>of</strong> Leeds <strong>University</strong> and a teacher, and his<br />
father was a senior accountant in the City with an enormous facility<br />
with numbers. Frank progressed to Bishops Stortford <strong>College</strong><br />
(1933-38), where he distinguished himself academically, and then<br />
to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1938 to study mathematics. He was elected to an<br />
Honorary Postmastership and a Commoner’s Exhibition at the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> his fi rst year. Among his teachers at <strong>Oxford</strong> were JHC Whitehead<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
137
IN MEMORIAM 1938<br />
FRANK BONSALL, ON HIS<br />
ELECTION TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY<br />
IN 1970<br />
138 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
and EC Titchmarsh, and<br />
it was the latter’s<br />
Theory <strong>of</strong> Functions that<br />
accompanied Frank when<br />
his academic career was<br />
interrupted by a sixyear<br />
stint in the Royal<br />
Engineers during WWII.<br />
The last two years in the<br />
RE were spent in India,<br />
testing military equipment<br />
and whence he emerged<br />
in 1946 with the rank<br />
<strong>of</strong> major, the battered<br />
textbook and a publication<br />
in the British Medical<br />
Journal.<br />
After his return to<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong>, Frank graduated<br />
with fi rst-class honours but, perhaps more importantly, it was there<br />
and then that he met and married a fellow mathematician, Gillian<br />
(Jill) Patrick, who became his lifelong companion in all things.<br />
Together they travelled widely, not only for academic reasons (he<br />
took up visiting faculty positions at Oklahoma A&M, Yale and the<br />
Tata Institute in India) but also in search <strong>of</strong> altitude, for both were<br />
keen mountaineers.<br />
Frank climbed all the Munros, peaks in Scotland over 3,000 feet<br />
high named for their identifi er, Sir Hugh Munro, in the 19th century.<br />
Dissatisfi ed with Munro’s intuitive approach to the identifi cation<br />
<strong>of</strong> peaks, Frank developed a more rigorous method, published in<br />
the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal in 1973 and 1974, that<br />
almost perfectly mapped to Munro’s list, but had the satisfactory<br />
result <strong>of</strong> excluding some that Frank regarded as mere bumps<br />
while adding others that he thought were very fi ne mountains.<br />
Frank’s revised method infl uenced subsequent revisions to the<br />
defi nitive list.<br />
Frank was a keen gardener; he and Jill developed impressive<br />
gardens at their successive houses in Morpeth, Edinburgh and<br />
Harrogate. Many <strong>of</strong> us were privileged to enjoy those gardens and<br />
to partake in their sublime joint composition, the gooseberry pie,<br />
with Frank on secateurs and Jill on rolling pin. Among Frank’s<br />
many other interests were cricket (he was a staunch supporter <strong>of</strong><br />
the Yorkshire team), fi shing, for which he amassed a wonderful<br />
collection <strong>of</strong> split-cane fl y rods (from which his nephews were later<br />
to benefi t), and the building <strong>of</strong> very precise dry stone walls. Some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the latter still stand in the Lake District after more than 70 years.<br />
Jill survives Frank and continues to live in Harrogate.<br />
With his career interrupted by war service, Frank skipped the<br />
usual research apprenticeship and instead took up a temporary<br />
lectureship at Edinburgh (1947-48). This was followed by a<br />
lectureship at King’s <strong>College</strong>, Newcastle, where he later became<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor (1959-65). He returned to occupy the new McLaurin<br />
Chair <strong>of</strong> Mathematics at Edinburgh in 1965 and remained there<br />
until his retirement in 1984, when he became Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Emeritus.<br />
He received the DSc from <strong>Oxford</strong> in 1964 and was elected to<br />
the Royal Society <strong>of</strong> Edinburgh (1966) and the Royal Society<br />
(1970). He was awarded the Senior Berwick Prize <strong>of</strong> the London<br />
Mathematical Society in 1966 and he became an Honorary Visiting<br />
Fellow at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Leeds in 1984 when he and Jill retired<br />
to Harrogate. In 1990, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> York.<br />
In addition to Jill, Frank is survived by his brother, Arthur<br />
Bonsall, MA (Cantab), CBE, KCMG, former Director <strong>of</strong> GCHQ.<br />
Robert W Bonsall and Peter W Bonsall<br />
Alan Victor (Lennox) Mills passed away on 1st October, 2010.<br />
He was born in Ottawa in 1918 and studied at Bishop’s <strong>University</strong>,<br />
Montreal.<br />
He came to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1938, as his father had in 1909 and his<br />
brother was also to do in 1948. He was only at <strong>Merton</strong> for a year,<br />
before the War brought an end to his studies, but during this time he<br />
represented the <strong>College</strong> at both skiing and golf.<br />
He was enlisted into the Black Watch <strong>of</strong> Canada, fi ghting in<br />
Northern Europe, and was wounded whilst serving in Holland. He<br />
returned to Montreal and studied for his BCL at McGill <strong>University</strong>.<br />
In 1942 he married Elspeth Maclean.<br />
On graduating from McGill he took up a position as Trust<br />
Supervisor at the Royal Trust Company in Montreal. He performed<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> roles at the company, rising to Corporate Secretary<br />
before his retirement in 1979.<br />
He was a keen family man and a keen golfer. He was for a time<br />
captain at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Edward Ronald Weismiller passed away in Washington DC on<br />
25th August, 2010.<br />
He arrived at <strong>Merton</strong> as a Rhodes Scholar in 1938, having already<br />
received a BA from Cornell <strong>University</strong>. World War II brought an<br />
abrupt halt to his DPhil work at <strong>Merton</strong> and he was repatriated to<br />
the US.<br />
He earned his MA at Harvard <strong>University</strong>, where he also taught.<br />
It was a period that further informed his already burgeoning talent<br />
for poetry. It was when he met and married Frances Power, who<br />
was also a promising poet, with whom he had two sons and three<br />
daughters.<br />
In 1943 he was recruited into counterespionage, much to the<br />
astonishment <strong>of</strong> his friends and colleagues, and took a commission<br />
in the US Marines. He was trained by MI5 and MI6 before being<br />
sent into Europe, where he ultimately became responsible for<br />
counterespionage in the American Zone <strong>of</strong> occupied Germany. He<br />
was awarded a Bronze Star and the Medaille de la Reconnaissance<br />
Française.<br />
After the War he was invited to join the newly formed CIA but, in<br />
the wake <strong>of</strong> some success with his fi rst two volumes <strong>of</strong> poetry, The<br />
Deer Come Down and The Faultless Shore, he chose to work on his<br />
fi rst novel, The Serpent Sleeping, a story <strong>of</strong> spy hunting set in the<br />
landscape <strong>of</strong> World War II Europe.<br />
In 1948 he returned to <strong>Merton</strong> to complete his DPhil. On returning<br />
to the US in 1950, he took up a position at Pomona <strong>College</strong> in<br />
California. There he taught English, with a particular emphasis on<br />
the work <strong>of</strong> John Milton.<br />
1968 saw him move to Washington DC. Initially he had planned<br />
merely to undertake some research but stayed to teach English at<br />
George Washington <strong>University</strong>. He remained Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English<br />
until his retirement in 1980. His third volume <strong>of</strong> poetry The Branch<br />
<strong>of</strong> Fire was published in 1979 and he was invited in that same year<br />
to read some <strong>of</strong> his work at the Library <strong>of</strong> Congress.<br />
After his retirement, Edward maintained his literary output,<br />
contributing to the Princeton Encyclopaedia <strong>of</strong> Poetry, editing<br />
the Variorum Milton series and, in 2002, publishing his fourth and<br />
fi nal collection <strong>of</strong> poems, Walking Toward the Sun. Its publication<br />
formed a pleasing moment <strong>of</strong> symmetry as it was published as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Yale Younger Poet series, the same series that had published<br />
his fi rst volume <strong>of</strong> works some 66 years earlier.<br />
1939<br />
1939<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
Alan George Gale passed away on 11th July, 2011. He came up<br />
to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1939 but, like many <strong>of</strong> his generation, had his studies<br />
disrupted by the outbreak <strong>of</strong> the Second World War.<br />
In 1941 he was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in India<br />
and Burma, where he served until 1946, becoming a Regimental<br />
Sergeant Major. He returned to <strong>Merton</strong> to complete his studies and<br />
gained a Second in History, followed by a DipEd in 1949. Whilst at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> he was awarded a Postmastership and was also Secretary <strong>of</strong><br />
the Mayfl ies.<br />
His fi rst position in a long and distinguished career in education<br />
came at Bablake School, Coventry. He started as an Assistant Master<br />
and became Head <strong>of</strong> History in 1961. He took up the same position at<br />
Ilminster Grammar School in 1966 before becoming Head <strong>of</strong> Careers<br />
at Holyrood School, in Chard, Somerset, in 1972. He remained there<br />
until his retirement in 1980.<br />
The Revd Prebendary John Graham (Gerard) Charles Irvine<br />
passed away on 13th January, 2011. The eldest <strong>of</strong> fi ve children, his<br />
childhood was spent in England, India and Northern Ireland, thanks<br />
to his father’s career in the armed forces. He did not, however, wish<br />
to follow in his father’s footsteps and from a very early age knew he<br />
wanted to be an Anglican priest.<br />
He came up to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1939 to read Literae Humaniores,<br />
achieving a Second. He followed this with a First in Theology.<br />
As well as two degrees, he also found the time to act, including<br />
an appearance in Peter Brook’s fi rst fi lm, A Sentimental Journey,<br />
published a collection <strong>of</strong> poems and wrote for the Daily Telegraph.<br />
He also made a number <strong>of</strong> strong lifelong friendships that included<br />
the writer Iris Murdoch.<br />
After a brief time at St Stephen’s House, his fi rst curacy was at<br />
Holy Trinity in Knowle between 1945 and 1948. He then moved to<br />
St Mary and St Chad, Longton, in the Potteries, where he remained<br />
for three years.<br />
1951 saw him move to London, fi rst to St Thomas, Regent Street,<br />
then as London Diocesan Home Missioner in charge <strong>of</strong> Holy Angels,<br />
Cranford. During his early years in London he spent much time in<br />
the company <strong>of</strong> high church intellectuals including fellow <strong>Merton</strong><br />
alumnus, T S Eliot, John Betjeman and Rose Macaulay, who would<br />
become one <strong>of</strong> his closest friends.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
139
IN MEMORIAM 1940<br />
He was an extremely popular fi gure in London, evidenced by his<br />
being mentioned in several biographies, including those <strong>of</strong> Princess<br />
Andrew <strong>of</strong> Greece and Philip Larkin. He balanced his much admired<br />
theological intellect with his interest in all things literary, writing for<br />
the TLS and The Observer.<br />
After Cranford came St Cuthbert and St Matthias in Kensington in<br />
1961, and then St Matthew’s, near Westminster Abbey. In 1977, his<br />
character was severely tested when St Matthew’s was destroyed in an<br />
arson attack. However, rather than mourn the loss <strong>of</strong> the old building,<br />
he threw himself into the rebuilding project that saw a magnifi cent<br />
new church in the baroque style emerge from the former’s ashes.<br />
Irvine’s fi nal church was to be St Michael and All Angels in<br />
Brighton, where he spent his fi nal years with his sister Rosemary.<br />
The Revd Canon John Cyril Sladden passed away on 13th March,<br />
2011.<br />
He came up to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1939 to read Chemistry. He put his<br />
studies to great use during World War II, working as a Chemist<br />
for the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Supply. When the war ended he spent a further<br />
three years studying at Wycliffe Hall, where he achieved a First in<br />
Theology, before he was ordained as a deacon in 1948. Also that year<br />
he married Annie Jones.<br />
In 1949 he was ordained as a priest and became the curate at<br />
St Oswald, Oswestry. Three years later he became a Lecturer and<br />
Chaplain at St Aidan’s <strong>College</strong> in Birkenhead. After that he became<br />
Rector <strong>of</strong> Todwick and the Ordinands’ Secretary for the Sheffi eld<br />
Diocese between 1953 and 1959.<br />
In 1959 he became Vicar <strong>of</strong> St Oswald’s in Lower Peover,<br />
Cheshire, where he remained for many years. In 1980 he was made<br />
an Honorary Canon <strong>of</strong> Chester and became Rural Dean <strong>of</strong> Knutsford.<br />
That year also saw the publication <strong>of</strong> his book Boniface <strong>of</strong> Devon,<br />
Apostle <strong>of</strong> Germany.<br />
1940<br />
Wilfrid Edward King was born in 1921, second son <strong>of</strong> William<br />
Wilfrid King, a gynaecologist in Sheffi eld. He was educated at<br />
Stonyhurst and <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
In his fi rst term at <strong>Oxford</strong>, aged 18, he volunteered for the<br />
Manchester Regiment, where he led a machine gun platoon,<br />
and served in Burma and India. He was awarded the Military<br />
Cross for his role at Kohima in Burma. Despite the personal<br />
140 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
courage, leadership, determination and enthusiasm commended in<br />
the MC citation, the war was traumatic for him and he almost never<br />
spoke about it. He continued to have nightmares about the war (and<br />
university Finals!) into old age.<br />
After the war, Wilfrid returned to <strong>Merton</strong> to read Greats, and<br />
played some rugby and rowed. His knowledge <strong>of</strong> Classics gained<br />
at school and university stayed with him always, and heavily<br />
infl uenced his outlook on life. His career was with a steel trading<br />
company, Harlow and Jones. In the 1950s and early 1960s his<br />
work took him to China, Russia, Africa and South America, and he<br />
developed considerable expertise in fi nance and shipping law. He<br />
kept fi t cycling, walking and playing weekly squash well into his<br />
50s, and used to sail with his children in Cornwall where he had a<br />
holiday home.<br />
Wilfrid had had a practical bent and loved to work with his<br />
hands: growing vegetables, repairing anything broken, even<br />
building a boundary wall 200 ft long and 6 ft high in his garden. He<br />
was always interested in developments in technology, from bringing<br />
back tiny radios from China in the 1950s, to acquiring the latest<br />
camera. He emailed, used the internet and texted in his 80s.<br />
An active retirement saw him developing his practical skills further,<br />
studying furniture restoration and French polishing at the London<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Furniture, passing City and Guilds examinations in 1982<br />
and 1984, and running a small business in furniture restoration. He<br />
also travelled, including visiting his children in New Zealand and<br />
the USA. He took part in village life, and enjoyed walking both in<br />
Buckinghamshire and Cornwall.<br />
Wilfrid died on 3rd May 2011, just short <strong>of</strong> his 90th birthday. He<br />
is survived by his wife Noreen whom he married in 1951, their four<br />
children and seven grandchildren.<br />
Rosanna King<br />
Christopher Taylor passed away earlier this year. He read Literae<br />
Humaniores at <strong>Merton</strong>, achieving a Second Class degree. He was a<br />
keen sportsman, representing the <strong>College</strong> at squash and cricket, and<br />
the <strong>University</strong> at Chess. He was also President <strong>of</strong> the JCR.<br />
He started work at ICI in 1944, where he undertook a number <strong>of</strong><br />
commercial and managerial responsibilities. In 1967 he moved to<br />
Nalfoc Ltd (which would later become Nalco), a subsidiary <strong>of</strong> ICI<br />
where he eventually became Assistant General Manager before his<br />
retirement in 1984. He was also Trustee <strong>of</strong> the company pension<br />
scheme.
In 1948 he married Margaret Chant. Together they had three sons<br />
and one daughter.<br />
1941<br />
Christopher Crowder died on February 11th 2011 at Kingston,<br />
aged 88. The third son <strong>of</strong> Bertram and Marion Crowder, he was<br />
born in Weybridge; the Crowder family were a legal dynasty and his<br />
mother’s Edinburgh family included farmers, artists and soldiers.<br />
In 1951 he married Adele Jeffares, the sister <strong>of</strong> Derry Jeffares, his<br />
friend at Oriel; their three children and fi ve grandchildren all live<br />
in Canada.<br />
Chris went to a prep school near Amesbury and to Haileybury,<br />
where he became Head <strong>of</strong> School and Captain <strong>of</strong> the First Fifteen.<br />
He was selected to play rugby for <strong>Oxford</strong>, but after being badly<br />
concussed he turned to hockey, which he later played for Aberdeen<br />
<strong>University</strong>. He was a good cricketer, tennis and squash player, and<br />
became a member <strong>of</strong> Vincent’s. He continued to play aggressive<br />
squash until his fi fties, and then gardened, sawed trees and cleared<br />
snow for exercise until the week he died.<br />
He won an open scholarship to <strong>Oxford</strong> in 1941, and went up to<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> on a deferred call-up programme which allowed<br />
both academic and OTC work. In 1943 he was commissioned into<br />
the 83rd Regiment <strong>of</strong> Field Artillery, following his father’s choice <strong>of</strong><br />
unit in WW1. The regiment <strong>of</strong> 25 pounders fought from Normandy<br />
through to Belgium, Holland and Germany, suffering some losses;<br />
Chris became Regimental Survey Offi cer, scouting ahead for gun<br />
sites on a motor bike or a jeep and more than once encountering<br />
Germans doing the same thing. Before demobilisation, he trained as<br />
a pilot to work as an Air Observation Post. He returned to <strong>Merton</strong>,<br />
receiving a First Class degree in History in 1947.<br />
In overcrowded post-war <strong>Oxford</strong>, Chris lived for a time in <strong>Merton</strong><br />
with the family <strong>of</strong> Idris Deane Jones, who had been his tutor. He<br />
also, like a character in a farce, lived behind a screen in Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Garrod’s dining-room; his rent was paid by walking Garrod’s dog,<br />
Mud. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Garrod had great affection for John Heath, Terence<br />
O’Brien, Christopher and Joe Dean, all close friends at <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
He wrote to John in 1945: “anyway I am too glad for words to<br />
think that you and Terence and Eustace, and Christopher Crowder<br />
have got safe through this western war; and I only hope that the<br />
eastern one will be over before you get to it”. Sociability replaced<br />
1941 IN MEMORIAM<br />
soldiering, as Christopher presided over the <strong>Merton</strong> JCR, played<br />
hockey and tennis and joined <strong>Merton</strong> Floats. He played Julius<br />
Caesar in a fi eld marshal’s uniform, and Coward’s Private Lives in a<br />
blue silk dressing gown, and danced to ‘In the Mood’.<br />
Having been infl uenced by his regimental chaplain, an Anglican<br />
monk, Christopher spent two terms at Wells Theological <strong>College</strong><br />
determining whether he wanted a clerical career. Opting for a<br />
secular life, he returned to <strong>Merton</strong>, got a Harmsworth scholarship,<br />
and worked on the ‘English Nation at the Council <strong>of</strong> Constance’<br />
under the supervision <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor E. Jacobs. Only this year his<br />
DPhil thesis was described as ‘the best conciliar source in English’.<br />
In 1950 Chris was appointed as a history lecturer in King’s<br />
<strong>College</strong> in Aberdeen <strong>University</strong>, and in 1953 he joined the faculty <strong>of</strong><br />
The Queen’s <strong>University</strong> in Belfast as Lecturer in Palaeography and<br />
Diplomatic. In 1966 he moved as a pr<strong>of</strong>essor to Queen’s <strong>University</strong>,<br />
Kingston, teaching, researching and administering there and in the<br />
Herstmonceux Castle campus <strong>of</strong> Queen’s until and after retirement.<br />
He published several books including Unity, Heresy and Reform<br />
1378-1460: The Conciliar Response to the Great Schism and articles<br />
in French, German and English historical journals. In collaboration<br />
with the late Dr Edgar Graves <strong>of</strong> Hamilton <strong>College</strong>, at Clinton, New<br />
York, he worked on English legal cases before the Rota in Rome,<br />
and fi nished a complex article on a dispute between the dioceses <strong>of</strong><br />
Winchester and Canterbury in January.<br />
Throughout his life, Christopher generously gave time and<br />
resources to charity (he was described by a friend as being a true<br />
Scot in his blend <strong>of</strong> great generosity and parsimony). He was a<br />
regular prison visitor, served on several charitable boards such as<br />
that on youth employment, and for several years chaired the board<br />
<strong>of</strong> the John Howard Society in Kingston. He was also involved<br />
in academic Christian organisations, in the work <strong>of</strong> his various<br />
parishes, and in local activities such as designing a war memorial in<br />
Amherstview last year.<br />
Entertaining his friends gave Chris great enjoyment, particularly<br />
at his house in the village <strong>of</strong> Ledenon in Languedoc and his farm<br />
at Wilton in Ontario. His family and friends on two continents<br />
are grateful for his good, kind, loving and tolerant life, for<br />
his intelligence and wide knowledge, and for his occasionally<br />
acerbic wit.<br />
Adele Crowder<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
141
IN MEMORIAM 1943<br />
1943<br />
Gerald Augustus Secrett passed away on 13th October, 2010. He<br />
attended <strong>Merton</strong> as a Signals Cadet during the Second World War.<br />
He was a Commander in the Royal Corps <strong>of</strong> Signals and served in<br />
South East Asia and India.<br />
He worked for many years in horticulture, becoming Director<br />
<strong>of</strong> Horticulture at the NFU between 1973 and 1980. He also took<br />
on a number <strong>of</strong> volunteer positions, helping those less fortunate<br />
than himself.<br />
He is survived by his wife, Mary, and his son, Nicholas.<br />
1945<br />
John (Jack) Richard Noel Phipps, who died on 6th August, 2010,<br />
played a formidable role in supporting the accessibility <strong>of</strong> the arts<br />
across the UK.<br />
Born in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, he was initially<br />
educated in South Africa and served briefl y in the South African<br />
army during the War. He came to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1945 and read History,<br />
as well as representing the <strong>University</strong> at Hockey.<br />
However, music was his passion and after brief stints at the<br />
Chartered Institute <strong>of</strong> Secretaries and Associated Newspapers,<br />
he found himself at Harold Holt Ltd in 1954. Under the wing <strong>of</strong><br />
Ian Hunter, he thrived at the artist management agency, working<br />
closely with such eminent musicians as Daniel Barenboim and<br />
Yehudi Menuhin. He also played a prominent role in helping<br />
Hunter establish the Edinburgh and Bath festivals.<br />
He moved on in 1965 to form his own agency with his wife Sue<br />
looking after, amongst others, Benjamin Britten and Jessye Norman.<br />
In 1970 he was approached to help restructure and revitalise the<br />
Dramatic and Lyric Theatres Association national touring scheme.<br />
This role became the Touring Director for the Arts Council and<br />
later the Regional Director. During this period he was central to<br />
the establishment <strong>of</strong> English National Opera North, the touring<br />
programme <strong>of</strong> the Royal Shakespeare Company and moving the<br />
Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet to become the Birmingham Royal<br />
Ballet.<br />
Arts Council Touring and its ever expanding regional department<br />
thrived under Jack’s leadership. He briefl y moved away from the<br />
Arts Council to manage the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk, which<br />
had been initiated by Britten. This was not a success, partly because<br />
142 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
the composer died in 1976, so Jack transferred his energies to<br />
becoming Director <strong>of</strong> the Theatre Royal, Bath.<br />
1986 saw a return to the Arts Council, where he remained until<br />
his retirement in 1992. In the same year he was awarded the CBE.<br />
Colin Stevens was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, in Staffordshire,<br />
in 1927 and subsequently attended the local grammar school, along<br />
with his brother, Gerald, and Glyn Evans, a friend who lived close<br />
by. Gerald, to whom Colin was very attached, was killed during the<br />
World War II naval battle <strong>of</strong> Cape Matapan, an event which deeply<br />
affected Colin. However, Glyn remained a lifelong friend who,<br />
we are pleased to say, is with us today. Colin was a keen runner<br />
and rock climber in his youth and, together with Glyn and other<br />
school friends, greatly enjoyed climbing and walking holidays in<br />
the Pennines and Lake District.<br />
Colin’s father was Head <strong>of</strong> Maths at the grammar school and he<br />
was naturally delighted when Colin gained a scholarship to read<br />
Maths at <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>. Because <strong>of</strong> the subject he had chosen he<br />
was allowed to take up his place before the end <strong>of</strong> the war and he<br />
subsequently graduated with a First Class degree.<br />
By this time, the war was over but Colin was commissioned into<br />
the Navy for his National Service and became an <strong>of</strong>fi cer in the<br />
Naval Meteorological Service.<br />
Following his naval service, Colin joined ICI, near Bracknell, as<br />
a statistician and during his years there struck up a fruitful working<br />
relationship with Jeff Harrison, later Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jeff Harrison, which<br />
culminated in the publication <strong>of</strong> some papers on a new technique<br />
<strong>of</strong> processing sequences <strong>of</strong> data and predicting future values.<br />
This Bayesian forecasting technique dealt with the tricky topic <strong>of</strong><br />
prediction in the face <strong>of</strong> many different types <strong>of</strong> uncertainty, and<br />
a major stir was caused at the Royal Statistical Society in 1971<br />
when the pair <strong>of</strong> them presented what famously became known as<br />
the Harrison-Stevens algorithm to an audience <strong>of</strong> the nation’s best<br />
statisticians. While he was at ICI, Colin also met Margaret and they<br />
eventually married in 1970 and bought a house in Maidenhead.<br />
By this time, Colin had left ICI in order to pursue a freelance<br />
career to sell his statistical expertise. It is probably fair to say that<br />
the task <strong>of</strong> being a salesman for his ideas did not come naturally<br />
to Colin and this phase <strong>of</strong> his life was not an unqualifi ed success.<br />
In 1977 he joined Ferranti to work on mathematical problems in<br />
Defence and he later moved to Marconi, in Watford, to work within<br />
their underwater systems division.
In 1989, a couple <strong>of</strong> years after his formal retirement, Colin<br />
and Margaret, and their cat and dog, all moved to Tenerife, where<br />
they found a climate that was kinder to Colin’s lungs, which had<br />
been adversely affected by decades <strong>of</strong> chain-smoking. Colin and<br />
Margaret had enormous concerns about whether the cat and dog<br />
could survive the traumas <strong>of</strong> the journey to Tenerife, but when they<br />
were fi nally released from their travel crates they just looked around<br />
their new home and took up residence as if they had always been<br />
there. Colin and Margaret were the two that felt rather traumatised.<br />
In the early years <strong>of</strong> his retirement, Colin continued to do a little<br />
freelance work in collaboration with John Moon, his former boss<br />
at Ferranti. John and Julie Moon became comparatively frequent<br />
visitors to Colin and Margaret in Tenerife.<br />
After 16 years in Tenerife, Margaret unfortunately became ill<br />
and died. By this time, Colin was not able to look after himself<br />
and, despite the kind administrations <strong>of</strong> a large Canarian family<br />
with whom he and Margaret had formed a close friendship, Colin<br />
decided that his best course <strong>of</strong> action was to sell his house in<br />
Tenerife and move to a care home in England. This is how he came<br />
to spend the last fi ve years <strong>of</strong> his life at Andover Nursing Home.<br />
Colin became somewhat reclusive in his later years and<br />
unfortunately lost contact with most <strong>of</strong> his former friends and<br />
colleagues. However, he maintained his friendship with his former<br />
neighbours in Maidenhead, with John and Julie, and with Glyn,<br />
to whose house he was able to make several visits. In addition,<br />
or maybe in compensation, Colin formed close attachments to<br />
Adriana, a friend from Andover, and also to some <strong>of</strong> the care staff,<br />
especially Anita, Alfi e and Kerrie.<br />
To the end he remained mentally very alert and one could not fail<br />
to be impressed by his memory and his knowledge <strong>of</strong> 20th-century<br />
history. In the last few years Colin’s eyesight became progressively<br />
worse and he sought solace in listening to classical music. When he<br />
chose to, Colin could be very witty company and it is for his wit and<br />
intellect that he shall be remembered.<br />
Julie Moon<br />
1946<br />
William Jasper Gilmer passed away on 21st January, 2011. He<br />
was a US Army student at <strong>Merton</strong> during Hilary Term <strong>of</strong> 1946.<br />
After returning to the US he continued his studies at both<br />
Columbia <strong>University</strong> and the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Tennessee. He spent<br />
1946 IN MEMORIAM<br />
his career working as a psychologist, mainly working for social<br />
service agencies assisting youth and rehabilitation programmes.<br />
He retired on his 65th birthday and continued to help out<br />
with the local Presbyterian Church. He was an avid gardener<br />
and also enjoyed baking bread and making pies. Married for 55<br />
years to Miriam, until her death in 2006, he was devoted to his<br />
large family.<br />
Between 1957 and 1959, as a young psychiatrist he toured 40 <strong>of</strong><br />
the states <strong>of</strong> America, visiting universities, mental hospitals, and<br />
health bodies. He carried with him a fi lm <strong>of</strong> his patients tearing<br />
down the high prison fences that had surrounded the exercise<br />
courts <strong>of</strong> the two hospitals <strong>of</strong> which he had been in charge since<br />
1955. This provided graphic illustration <strong>of</strong> revolutionary changes<br />
in mental health care, based partly on new drug treatments, but<br />
in this case particularly on the concept <strong>of</strong> group therapy within a<br />
supportive community. These changes created a moment in which<br />
many who had been confi ned as a result <strong>of</strong> mental illness might<br />
be <strong>of</strong>fered greater freedom and the prospect <strong>of</strong> self-discovery and<br />
rehabilitation within a humane society.<br />
Bertram Maurice Mandelbrote was born in Cape Town on<br />
22nd October 1923, and lived most <strong>of</strong> his early life in a house<br />
called ‘<strong>Merton</strong>’, named for his father’s college. He was the only<br />
son and eldest <strong>of</strong> three children <strong>of</strong> Harry Mandelbrote, lecturer in<br />
and subsequently pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> history at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Cape<br />
Town, and his wife, Ann (née Sachs). Mandelbrote fl ourished<br />
academically at the South African <strong>College</strong> School, and developed<br />
his lifelong love <strong>of</strong> sunshine, swimming, rugby and cricket. From<br />
SACS, he moved in 1940 to the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Cape Town, where<br />
he qualifi ed as a doctor and volunteered for the medical <strong>of</strong>fi cers’<br />
ambulance reserve. In 1946, he left South Africa, effectively for<br />
good, in order to take up a place as a Rhodes Scholar at <strong>Merton</strong>.<br />
There, he completed two years <strong>of</strong> research for an MSc in neurology<br />
and biochemistry, working on the metabolism <strong>of</strong> copper, and<br />
learned to live in barely heated rooms during the months <strong>of</strong> ice and<br />
snow that marked the beginning <strong>of</strong> 1947.<br />
Mandelbrote persuaded the Rhodes Trustees to allow him a<br />
further year <strong>of</strong> funding to train as a hospital physician. He soon<br />
decided that he wished to specialise as a psychiatrist. Initially<br />
at the Maudsley, Mandelbrote moved through the ranks from<br />
Junior to Senior Registrar. An interest in psychosomatic aspects<br />
<strong>of</strong> ill-health led to a Dominion Provincial Research Fellowship at<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
143
IN MEMORIAM 1946<br />
McGill <strong>University</strong> in Montreal, Canada, in 1952-53. Following his<br />
return, Mandelbrote moved in 1954 to Warlingham Park Hospital<br />
in Surrey, where he was assistant to TP Rees, one <strong>of</strong> the pioneers<br />
<strong>of</strong> the relaxation <strong>of</strong> the restrictive management <strong>of</strong> mental illness<br />
and advocate <strong>of</strong> community care. With Rees’s encouragement, he<br />
applied at the age <strong>of</strong> 31 for the position <strong>of</strong> Physician Superintendant<br />
<strong>of</strong> the twin mental hospitals at Horton Road and Coney Hill in<br />
Gloucester.<br />
Horton Road and Coney Hill were both former county asylums,<br />
in which patients who had <strong>of</strong>ten been confi ned against their will<br />
were held in segregated and locked wards. They had recently<br />
been cited in the press as being among the fi ve worst hospitals in<br />
Britain. Mandelbrote’s response was active and immediate, driving<br />
the conversion from closed-door to open-door hospitals within six<br />
months, and carrying most <strong>of</strong> an initially hostile staff with him<br />
through daily meetings. New outpatient clinics were developed<br />
elsewhere in Gloucestershire and nurses trained to act as social<br />
workers to support community psychiatric care. County <strong>of</strong>fi cials<br />
and local grandees were co-opted to serve on the hospitals’ league<br />
<strong>of</strong> friends, helping to combat prejudice against patients and their<br />
integration into the community. As a result, the number <strong>of</strong> patients<br />
within the hospitals themselves fell rapidly, whereas day patients<br />
and outpatient referrals grew. Other innovations included the<br />
growing use <strong>of</strong> occupational therapy and the creation <strong>of</strong> a unit to<br />
treat alcoholism.<br />
Mandelbrote’s rapid success at Gloucester led to many invitations<br />
to lecture at home and abroad, <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>of</strong> academic jobs, and the<br />
chance, in 1959, to return to <strong>Oxford</strong> as Physician Superintendant<br />
<strong>of</strong> another former county asylum, Littlemore Hospital. Although<br />
the situation at Littlemore was not quite so repressive, Mandelbrote<br />
again presided over a rapid transition to an open-door community.<br />
On the Phoenix Unit, which he established with Dr Ben Pomryn,<br />
what Mandelbrote later called ‘a therapeutic community proper’<br />
was developed, in which treatment focused on daily group<br />
meetings, sometimes involving over 100 patients and staff, and on<br />
the provision <strong>of</strong> continuity <strong>of</strong> care under a single consultant for<br />
each patient.<br />
To assist in the transition from hospital to community, Mandelbrote<br />
worked closely with a league <strong>of</strong> friends to establish a system <strong>of</strong><br />
group homes and hostels. Patients from former locked units built<br />
the hospital’s social club and others worked for the local authority,<br />
the Post Offi ce, and local employers interested in providing<br />
144 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
opportunities for occupational therapy. Mandelbrote served as a<br />
clinical lecturer in psychiatry at <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> from 1961.<br />
During the early 1970s, Mandelbrote responded to growing<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> mental health problems associated with drug use in<br />
the <strong>Oxford</strong>shire community by setting up a clinic to treat drug<br />
addiction. With assistance from local charities, the Ley Community<br />
was established as a separate, residential programme for the<br />
drug-free rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> substance misusers in 1974. It was<br />
honoured by a Centre for Social Justice Award in July 2010. Much<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mandelbrote’s work during the 1970s and 1980s related to the<br />
provision <strong>of</strong> an environment in which drug users, <strong>of</strong>ten with a past<br />
history <strong>of</strong> criminal conviction, could overcome their addiction and<br />
embark on creative lives.<br />
Despite a serious car accident in December 1987, Mandelbrote<br />
continued his work in the assessment <strong>of</strong> drug addiction and in<br />
forensic psychiatry almost until his death. He remained active also<br />
in the training <strong>of</strong> occupational therapists, advising the new School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Health and Social Care at <strong>Oxford</strong> Brookes <strong>University</strong> and serving<br />
as chair <strong>of</strong> the Casson Trust. He married Kathleen Joyce Howard<br />
on 24th November 1949, and died one day after thier 61st wedding<br />
anniversary, at the Churchill Hospital in <strong>Oxford</strong>, on 25th November<br />
2010. He is survived by his wife and two sons.<br />
Bertram Maurice Mandelbrote, FRCP, FRCPsych, pioneer in the<br />
development <strong>of</strong> the therapeutic community and <strong>of</strong> social psychiatry.<br />
Born 22nd October 1923, died 25th November 2010.<br />
Scott Mandelbrote<br />
Andrew Morris Moodie passed away on 13th July, 2011. He came<br />
to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1946 to undertake a one-year Colonial Service Course,<br />
having already gained a degree from St Andrews <strong>University</strong>. In that<br />
short time he represented the <strong>College</strong> at tennis and rugby, and the<br />
<strong>University</strong> at boxing.<br />
Between St Andrews and <strong>Merton</strong> he served with the<br />
Northumberland Fusiliers and the Durham Light Infantry.<br />
After <strong>Merton</strong>, he worked for the Colonial Service in Nigeria until<br />
1957. A successful career in industry followed, including positions<br />
at the Birfi eld Group, GKN (which took over Birfi eld’s operations)<br />
and Tunnel Cement. This successful phase <strong>of</strong> his career, spanning<br />
1957-73, resulted in him being awarded an MBE.<br />
He then took up the position <strong>of</strong> Bursar at Worcester <strong>College</strong>,<br />
where he was made an Emeritus Fellow, until his retirement in 1983.
1947<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kenneth Stevens, a distinguished theoretical physicist<br />
who spent most <strong>of</strong> his career at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nottingham,<br />
died on 16th July 2010 at the age <strong>of</strong> 87. He began his research<br />
in magnetism at <strong>Oxford</strong> with a PhD thesis under the supervision<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor MHL Pryce and his subsequent postdoctoral position<br />
was in Pryce’s Theoretical Physics Group. The thesis explained,<br />
in a mathematical tour de force, how exchange interactions cause<br />
‘motional’ narrowing <strong>of</strong> magnetic resonance lines. His landmark<br />
paper dealing with a quantum mechanical formulation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
magnetism <strong>of</strong> rare earth ions remains a heavily cited article nearly<br />
60 years after its publication. The operators which he introduced to<br />
understand the properties <strong>of</strong> these materials still bear his name, the<br />
so-called ‘Stevens Operators’.<br />
His work was highly infl uential in helping experimentalists to<br />
understand paramagnetic resonance, and his joint papers with his<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> collaborators, Sir Roger Elliott and the late Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Brebis<br />
Bleaney, on this topic are still regularly cited by researchers. He<br />
was co-author with Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sir Nevill Mott (Nobel Laureate in<br />
Physics, 1977) <strong>of</strong> a paper on the band structure <strong>of</strong> transition metals<br />
and, later in his career, made important contributions to the problem<br />
<strong>of</strong> intermediate valence<br />
and to understanding the<br />
speed at which a quantum<br />
particle tunnels through a<br />
potential barrier.<br />
Ken Stevens played a<br />
leading administrative<br />
role at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Nottingham, serving as<br />
Dean <strong>of</strong> Science (1965-<br />
68) and Head <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Physics<br />
(1975-78). Shortly after<br />
coming to Nottingham<br />
he helped to design<br />
and commission a new<br />
building which has<br />
housed the Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Physics since 1964. Many<br />
KENNETH STEVENS<br />
<strong>of</strong> his PhD students and<br />
1947 IN MEMORIAM<br />
postdoctoral assistants have gained senior academic appointments<br />
in universities in the UK and abroad.<br />
Kenneth William Harry Stevens was educated at Magdalen<br />
<strong>College</strong> School and at Jesus and <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong>s, <strong>Oxford</strong>, with an<br />
interruption for war service at the Admiralty on the development <strong>of</strong><br />
radar (1942-45). From 1949 to 1953, he held research fellowships<br />
at <strong>Oxford</strong> and Harvard. He was appointed to a readership at<br />
Nottingham in 1953 and promoted to a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Theoretical<br />
Physics in 1958. In recognition <strong>of</strong> his research on the theory<br />
<strong>of</strong> magnetism, he was awarded the Maxwell Medal and Prize <strong>of</strong><br />
the Institute <strong>of</strong> Physics in 1968. He was a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Commission on Magnetism <strong>of</strong> the International Union <strong>of</strong> Physics<br />
and Applied Physics from 1984 to 1987. Throughout the 1970s and<br />
80s, he made regular visits to IBM’s research laboratory in up-state<br />
New York.<br />
He retired in 1987, when he became Emeritus Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at<br />
Nottingham. Ken excelled at tennis and was a keen hill walker<br />
and musician. He is survived by his wife Audrey, their son, Richard<br />
and daughter, Judith.<br />
Laurence Eaves,<br />
with the assistance <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sir Roger Elliott<br />
1948<br />
Shortly before going to press we learned <strong>of</strong> the death <strong>of</strong> Ernst<br />
Anselm Joachim Honigmann. A full obituary will appear in next<br />
year’s Postmaster.<br />
1949<br />
Roger Noel Titheridge passed away on 10th November, 2010. He<br />
came up to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1949 to read History, in which he achieved a<br />
Second, and stayed on to also read Jurisprudence, again achieving<br />
a Second. At <strong>Merton</strong> he was an Exhibitioner, as well as being<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the Bodley Club.<br />
There followed a long and notable career as a Silk at Gray’s Inn.<br />
Initially he worked as a Barrister. In 1973, a year after becoming a<br />
Recorder <strong>of</strong> the Crown Court, he was sworn in as a QC. In 1977 he<br />
was made Head <strong>of</strong> Chambers at One Paper Buildings.<br />
In 1984 he became a Deputy High Court Judge and a year later<br />
was made Master <strong>of</strong> the Bench at Gray’s Inn. In 1989 he was<br />
appointed as a Leader on the Western Circuit.<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
145
IN MEMORIAM 1950<br />
He retired in 2003, after nearly 50 years at the Bar, having built<br />
a reputation for being an exceptional barrister, as well as being<br />
widely respected for his generosity and humanity. He spent much<br />
<strong>of</strong> his retirement exploring the world on cruise holidays.<br />
1950<br />
Stephen Lake Gawith passed away on 12th March, 2011. Born in<br />
South Africa, he came to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1950 to read Jurisprudence and<br />
was a keen rower, representing the <strong>College</strong> on numerous occasions.<br />
He was called to the Bar in 1954 and worked at Lincoln’s Inn<br />
for four years. He returned to South Africa in 1958 to work as a<br />
solicitor at the Transvaal Provincial Division <strong>of</strong> the Supreme Court<br />
<strong>of</strong> South Africa. He moved on to become a Partner at Deneys Reitz<br />
law fi rm, where he worked until 1972.<br />
He married Patricia Jacobs, with whom he had one son and two<br />
daughters, in 1961 but they divorced in 1971. Stephen decided on<br />
a change <strong>of</strong> pace the following year and began farming in Rosetta,<br />
Natal. In 1982 he remarried, to Susan James.<br />
It was with great sadness that we learned that Ian Ninian Marshall<br />
had passed away.<br />
He initially read Maths at <strong>Merton</strong>, achieving a First in his Maths<br />
Mods, before switching to read PPE, where he gained a Second Class<br />
degree in 1953. He was awarded a Postmastership, represented the<br />
<strong>University</strong> at swimming and captained the <strong>University</strong> chess club.<br />
In 1954 he attended Charing Cross Hospital Medical School,<br />
leaving in 1959 as a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Medicine. He worked extensively<br />
as a psychiatrist, eventually settling at the Bowden House Clinic, a<br />
private practice in Harrow, in 1972.<br />
In 1977 he married Danah Zohar, with whom he had two sons<br />
and a daughter, and with whom he also wrote a number <strong>of</strong> books<br />
including Spiritual Capital, The Quantum Self and Who’s Afraid <strong>of</strong><br />
Schrodinger’s Cat?<br />
Peter Roberts-Wray came to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1950, following a tradition<br />
established by his father (1920) and his elder brother Chris (1949).<br />
He read Law, but devoted much energy to rowing – this in the<br />
heyday <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merton</strong>’s supremacy on the river. He rowed in the <strong>Merton</strong><br />
1st VIII in 1951 and 1952, and won a Trial Cap in 1951, narrowly<br />
missing selection for the 1952 Boat Race.<br />
After <strong>Merton</strong> he took a teaching post at Northcliffe School,<br />
Bognor Regis. In 1962, the school was obliged to move from<br />
146 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Bognor Regis to a new location near Southampton, and Peter was<br />
appointed Headmaster to relaunch the school. He started with just<br />
17 pupils, but such were his drive and his gifts that when he retired<br />
from Northcliffe in 1984 the school had more than 200 pupils. His<br />
distinction as a headmaster was recognised by the Independent<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> Preparatory Schools (IAPS) who elected him Vice-<br />
Chairman in 1977. He also served on IAPS Council between 1975<br />
and 1977, and again from 1983-1984.<br />
He had a passion for mountaineering and after his retirement it<br />
surprised no one when he went to live in the Lake District. In 1993,<br />
he returned to live on the Sussex coast – a stone’s throw from where<br />
he started his distinguished teaching career.<br />
He is survived by his wife Pam, a son, a daughter and fi ve<br />
grandchildren.<br />
Brian Roberts-Wray (1956)<br />
1951<br />
Thomas (Tim) William Baker-Jones passed away on 17th<br />
December, 2010. He was born in Quetta, in what is now Pakistan in<br />
1933, whilst his father was serving in the Royal Artillery.<br />
He came up to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1951 to read History and achieved a<br />
Second. He was a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>’s Church Society and a<br />
keen rugby player.<br />
After graduating he spent three years’ National Service in the<br />
Royal Navy. Most <strong>of</strong> his<br />
time was spent in the Far<br />
East and he rose to the<br />
position <strong>of</strong> Acting Sub-<br />
Lieutenant RNVR.<br />
On returning to England in<br />
1956, he took up a position at<br />
British Petroleum. He began<br />
working in distribution<br />
before moving on to a<br />
position in negotiation.<br />
Unfortunately he was forced<br />
to take early retirement due<br />
to increasing diffi culties<br />
with deafness.<br />
He did, however, fi nd a<br />
new position as Archivist for<br />
TIM BAKER-JONES AT THE 2010<br />
<strong>MER</strong>TON SOCIETY WEEKEND
WH Smith in 1973. These fascinating archives, so carefully looked<br />
after by Tim, can now be found at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Reading.<br />
He returned to live in <strong>Oxford</strong> late in life and many will remember<br />
him as a regular attendee at Gaudies and <strong>Merton</strong> Society weekends.<br />
1952<br />
Peter Michael Brown passed away on 10th January, 2011. He<br />
read Literae Humaniores at <strong>Merton</strong>, coming up in 1952. He was<br />
awarded a Postmastership and was also Craven Scholar.<br />
He served his time in National Service, between 1956 and 1958<br />
with the Intelligence Corps. After National Service he joined the<br />
Humanity Department at Glasgow <strong>University</strong>. In 1960 he became<br />
a Lecturer in Humanity and spent many years teaching at the<br />
university, later becoming a Research Fellow.<br />
He is survived by his wife Glenys, a son, a daughter and two<br />
grandchildren.<br />
1955<br />
Edward (Reynolds) Price passed away on 20th January 2011. He<br />
came up to <strong>Merton</strong> for a BLitt as a Rhodes Scholar, having already<br />
gained his degree<br />
from Duke <strong>University</strong>,<br />
North Carolina. He<br />
studied the works<br />
<strong>of</strong> Milton, which he<br />
would later teach, and<br />
developed a formative<br />
friendship with his<br />
tutor WH Auden.<br />
He returned to<br />
Duke <strong>University</strong> as an<br />
Instructor in English<br />
Literature from 1958-<br />
62, becoming an<br />
Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
in 1963 and then an<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
REYNOLDS PRICE<br />
in 1968. When joining<br />
the university he had<br />
been advised that the<br />
1952 IN MEMORIAM<br />
position was a fi xed three-year term and that there was no question<br />
<strong>of</strong> extension. Less than 20 years later he held the position <strong>of</strong> James<br />
B Duke Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> English.<br />
He will be best remembered as a novelist and dramatist; one <strong>of</strong><br />
a ‘golden generation’ <strong>of</strong> American novelists that included Gore<br />
Vidal and Truman Capote. His fi rst novel A Long and Happy Life,<br />
published in 1962, won the William Faulkner award for a notable<br />
fi rst novel and catapulted him to overnight fame. The novel was<br />
printed in its entirety by Harper magazine. In all, he wrote 39<br />
books, including the memoir Ardent Spirits, which covered his time<br />
at <strong>Merton</strong> and his return to North Carolina.<br />
His achievements were recognised with an induction into the<br />
American Academy <strong>of</strong> Arts and Letters and his services to Duke<br />
<strong>University</strong> with its highest honour, the <strong>University</strong> Medal for<br />
Distinguished Meritorious Service, awarded in 1987. A pr<strong>of</strong>essorship<br />
in creative writing was established in his name in 2008.<br />
In 1984 he was diagnosed with cancer <strong>of</strong> the spine. Undergoing<br />
radiotherapy he was cured <strong>of</strong> the cancer, but the treatment damaged<br />
his nervous system and left him paraplegic. He would recount<br />
these events in a book entitled A Whole New Life: An Illness and a<br />
Healing in 1994. His disability did not slow down his work; indeed,<br />
he became more productive than ever, and in 1986 his novel Kate<br />
Vaiden won the national Book Critics Circle prize for fi ction.<br />
1957<br />
Iain Murray Grant passed away on 27th February, 2011. He came<br />
up to <strong>Merton</strong> to read Mathematics in 1957 and also represented the<br />
<strong>College</strong> at rugby and swimming. He married Margo Kingston in<br />
1964, with whom he had one son.<br />
1959<br />
Shortly before going to press we learned <strong>of</strong> the death <strong>of</strong><br />
David Norman Miller. A full obituary will appear in next<br />
year’s Postmaster.<br />
1961<br />
John Waterhouse, who died in Edinburgh in December from a<br />
rare bone marrow dysfunction, was working full time as a leading<br />
inspector <strong>of</strong> social services in Scotland and singing with the Royal<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
147
IN MEMORIAM 1963<br />
Scottish National Orchestra<br />
Chorus until seven weeks<br />
before his death. John<br />
was energetic, resourceful,<br />
involved – and seemingly set<br />
for a long, happy retirement.<br />
John graduated in Modern<br />
Languages from <strong>Merton</strong><br />
in 1964 and then took a<br />
postgraduate qualifi cation in<br />
social work at the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Bristol. Following a<br />
period as a probation <strong>of</strong>fi cer<br />
in Inner London, he moved to<br />
Scotland in 1972 as a lecturer<br />
in the then Department <strong>of</strong><br />
JOHN WATERHOUSE<br />
Social Work at the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Edinburgh. His experience<br />
provided him with the background to become a key member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Howard League campaigning for reform <strong>of</strong> custodial sentences in<br />
Scotland. With his wife Lorraine, now Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Social Work at<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Edinburgh, they made a formidable team.<br />
In 1984 John moved across to the Scottish Offi ce with<br />
responsibility for policy development in criminal justice social<br />
work. As a civil servant he framed the fi rst-ever national Scottish<br />
standards for supervising <strong>of</strong>fenders. Fortunately, his gift for English<br />
made complex reports clear and elegant.<br />
During the fi nal part <strong>of</strong> his career, now with the Scottish<br />
Government, he toured the country inspecting local authority social<br />
services departments. His commitment to the Western Isles and his<br />
desire to support rural services there became well known.<br />
John was a fi ne modern linguist, who as an undergraduate<br />
was said to ruffl e his tutors with his spoken German. He happily<br />
presented pr<strong>of</strong>essional papers in German on either side <strong>of</strong> the North<br />
Sea. He was also an accomplished pianist who at home enjoyed<br />
playing Bach, Beethoven and the Blues. He sang baritone with the<br />
Kinghorn Singers and the Edinburgh International Festival Chorus.<br />
John’s illness took everyone by surprise, but the dignity and<br />
courage with which he faced it did not. His funeral, in St Mary’s<br />
Cathedral, was attended by more than 300 people – an indication <strong>of</strong><br />
the esteem in which he was held.<br />
David Waterhouse<br />
148 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
1963<br />
We were sad to learn that Samuel (Desmond) Hunter Lapsley had<br />
passed away a few years ago.<br />
1967 – Apology<br />
Postmaster wishes to apologise for reporting in last year’s In<br />
Memoriam section that Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Thomson Macfarlane had<br />
passed away.<br />
We are extremely glad to be able to report that Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Macfarlane has been in contact with us and is alive and well.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Macfarlane has provided updated news, which can be<br />
read on page 112. We also wish to thank him for his good humour<br />
in the face <strong>of</strong> our very serious error.<br />
We are deeply sorry for any confusion and distress the article<br />
may have caused to Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Macfarlane, his family, friends<br />
and colleagues.<br />
1976<br />
Anthony Robert Hall, who attended <strong>Merton</strong> between 1976 and<br />
1977, sadly passed away in February <strong>of</strong> this year.<br />
1980<br />
Mark Philip Lawrence passed away suddenly on 21st August,<br />
2010. He came to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1980 to read Chemistry and left with<br />
a Second Class degree and later successfully read for a DPhil at<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong>. He was also awarded a cricketing Blue and<br />
captained the <strong>University</strong> side, famously catching Gordon Greenidge<br />
in a tour game against the West Indies that briefl y left them 0 for 1.<br />
Mark started out working for Linklaters, before moving on to<br />
work as Investment Controller at venture capitalists 3i.<br />
In 2006 he founded Carbon Limiting Technologies. The company<br />
was formed to help support new clean technology ventures,<br />
turning them into viable commercial businesses. Mark’s particular<br />
acumen lay in the areas <strong>of</strong> fundraising, organisational design and<br />
management team development. He was keen to educate businesses<br />
and industry on the benefi ts <strong>of</strong> smart energy use and promoting the<br />
innovators developing the products that could provide them.<br />
Mark was also a passionate cricketer. He was a regular and very<br />
popular fi rst team player for his local club in Lindfi eld, Sussex, and
as Chairman <strong>of</strong> the club sought to improve facilities, particularly<br />
for young players.<br />
A memorial match was played at Ardingley <strong>College</strong> in order to<br />
raise funds for a science scholarship in his name at the school. It is<br />
testament to Mark’s character that the famous Bunbury cricket team<br />
turned out to play in the match and featured such modern cricketing<br />
legends as Darren Gough and Phil Tufnell.<br />
Mark is survived by his wife, Heather, who he married in <strong>Merton</strong><br />
Chapel, two sons and a daughter.<br />
1983<br />
Christopher Maynard Booth passed away on 7th August 2010. I<br />
fi rst met Chris in 1989, when I started work at the same research<br />
labs as him. He avoided me at fi rst, which seemed odd. It turned<br />
out that he had a history <strong>of</strong> girlfriends called Gill/Gillian, and when<br />
he heard that there was a new graduate called Gillian he hid in his<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi ce for months when I was around! He turned out to be right to<br />
fear that he’d fi nally met his match – though it was his secretary<br />
who made the push to get us together. She would sidle up to me<br />
and say “That Chris really fancies you”, then go to him and tell<br />
him “That Gillian thinks you’re a bit <strong>of</strong> alright”. And to begin with,<br />
it wasn’t even true! But we did get together, on May Day 1990 in<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> where I was studying for my doctorate. There was an IRA<br />
CHRISTOPHER BOOTH<br />
1983 IN MEMORIAM<br />
bomb scare and we had to walk around <strong>Oxford</strong> for hours before<br />
the all clear was given and we were allowed back to my college,<br />
Balliol. (We used to argue as to which was the older college – each<br />
convinced that we were right.)<br />
What initially attracted me was his intelligence, his sense <strong>of</strong><br />
humour (dreadful puns!), his kindness, inquisitiveness and (not<br />
least) his excellent cooking.<br />
In 1993 we got married in Upstate New York in the courthouse<br />
at Fort Edward. We fi rst had to convince the judge that we weren’t<br />
wanting to emigrate to the USA! We chose the location to be close<br />
to Christopher’s cousin and godmother. After his mother died she<br />
was like a surrogate mother to him. My family and our close friends<br />
came over to join us and it was a really happy day.<br />
I want to tell you a bit about the Chris I knew. He has lots <strong>of</strong><br />
interests and threw himself into them wholeheartedly:<br />
- Archery – he shot for the <strong>University</strong> and made close friends<br />
for life.<br />
- The guitar – he wanted to be able to play Bach’s lute suites on<br />
the guitar, and kept going until he could.<br />
- Sign language – he was fascinated with the fact that it was a<br />
language in the same way as French and German, and went to<br />
evening classes to learn it to understand better fi rst-hand how a<br />
spatial language works.<br />
- Photography – when I fi rst knew him he used to take dreadful<br />
photos. I gave him a digital camera for his 40th birthday and<br />
regretted it ever since! It became an all-consuming hobby. But it<br />
did mean that he was always willing to go out for trips/away on<br />
holiday – so long as he could bring a camera with him.<br />
- Librivox – an online community who record books to put into<br />
the public domain. Chris threw himself into the Love Letters <strong>of</strong><br />
Elisabeth and Robert Browning, and I think that maybe recording<br />
Robert brought out his romantic side.<br />
In September 2009, Chris was made redundant from his job. He<br />
was as happy as I’ve ever seen him – full <strong>of</strong> plans for fi nding out<br />
what he wanted to do with the next stage <strong>of</strong> his career. He decided<br />
to use the redundancy money to support himself while he tried to<br />
fi nd a way to make his hobbies pay. In the meantime he happily<br />
volunteered to be a ‘house husband’ and support me in my career.<br />
But in August 2009 he had already started having trouble<br />
swallowing. The doctors could fi nd nothing wrong, and suggested it<br />
was acid refl ux. We had a last foreign holiday that October in Malta<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
149
IN MEMORIAM 1985<br />
(an island which he loved and wanted eventually to retire to), but<br />
his swallowing problems were becoming more and more severe.<br />
He was fi nally diagnosed in December 2009 with inoperable<br />
oesophageal cancer – just two days before Christmas.<br />
Chris faced his diagnosis and prognosis with immense courage<br />
and openness. This was partly his scientifi c mind – always wanting<br />
to understand what was happening. He found the chemo very<br />
diffi cult, but was determined “not to be miserable for the rest <strong>of</strong> his<br />
life”. He kept on doing the things he enjoyed – the theatre, concerts,<br />
visiting castles/stately homes, meeting friends for c<strong>of</strong>fee, having<br />
Saturday lunch at our favourite pub.<br />
He had a good month in June 2010 when he was in partial<br />
remission. We had a lovely and very happy holiday in Wales. But<br />
things started to get worse in July, and in the end he went downhill<br />
very rapidly. He died in August.<br />
I will always remember Christopher as a thoroughly kind and<br />
decent man.<br />
He believed strongly in fairness and justice. He was open to new<br />
experiences, and keen to share them with others. He was extremely<br />
supportive <strong>of</strong> me. And we made a good team together.<br />
Gillian Booth<br />
1985<br />
Richard Arthur Hall, who came up to <strong>Merton</strong> in 1985 to read<br />
English, sadly passed away in August 2010.<br />
1990<br />
Shortly before going to press we learned <strong>of</strong> the death <strong>of</strong><br />
Timothy Paul Edwards Cole. A full obituary will appear in next<br />
year’s Postmaster.<br />
150 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
HELEN BROUGH<br />
<strong>College</strong> Staff<br />
Adapted from the Address given by the Chaplain at the Memorial<br />
Service for Helen Brough.<br />
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner <strong>of</strong> thing<br />
shall be well.”<br />
Those words <strong>of</strong> the great medieval mystic, Julian <strong>of</strong> Norwich,<br />
meant so much to Helen, and I think it’s probably true to say that<br />
they greatly infl uenced the way in which she tried to live her life.<br />
That she could say these words in good times and in bad, to others<br />
as well as to herself, is eloquent testimony to the strength <strong>of</strong> the<br />
faith that sustained her. Helen was unfailingly generous, caring, and<br />
compassionate; a mother, sister, wife, aunt and friend, whom we<br />
were privileged to know. There is no doubt that we are all better<br />
people for having known her, and that transformative experience<br />
can be a source <strong>of</strong> encouragement as we discover how, in many<br />
different ways, Helen lives on in us.<br />
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner <strong>of</strong> thing<br />
shall be well.”<br />
That Helen should have taken such a positive statement as a motto<br />
for life was in no way an expression <strong>of</strong> a naïve optimism that was<br />
disconnected from reality. Helen was fi rmly rooted in the reality<br />
<strong>of</strong> family life while at home and she was also rooted in the reality<br />
<strong>of</strong> life while at work; for 20 years as <strong>College</strong> Nurse at <strong>Merton</strong>, and<br />
also for part <strong>of</strong> that time as nurse at Brasenose and Lincoln.
At <strong>Merton</strong>, if a member <strong>of</strong> the community had a bereavement,<br />
Helen would always send a card, on the front <strong>of</strong> which was the<br />
image <strong>of</strong> the Virgin and Child, which can be seen in the centre <strong>of</strong><br />
the window above the altar in the Chapel. Helen <strong>of</strong>ten told me that<br />
this was her favourite window in the Chapel, the image so elegant<br />
and graceful. But to my mind, this 15th century depiction <strong>of</strong> a<br />
mother and her son appealed to Helen not simply because <strong>of</strong> its<br />
aesthetic beauty, but also because she found in it inspiration and<br />
encouragement, a model <strong>of</strong> how to care for others. In the window<br />
the mother cradles the child in her arms, and holds him close to<br />
herself. In the warmth, humanity, skill and judgement which Helen<br />
brought to her role, she was undoubtedly a mother, giving herself<br />
unstintingly to the students who needed her help: knocking on their<br />
doors and getting them out <strong>of</strong> bed to make sure they didn’t miss a<br />
morning exam, visiting them in hospital, taking them into her own<br />
home at times <strong>of</strong> particular stress and anxiety, providing cups <strong>of</strong> tea<br />
and a confi dential listening ear day in and day out.<br />
Helen was very much the <strong>College</strong> Nurse and, although she spent<br />
most <strong>of</strong> her time with students, she was also there for staff and<br />
Fellows and, on one occasion, was even called upon to tend to a<br />
tutor’s injured dog! But it wasn’t all tea and sympathy. Helen also<br />
knew how to be fi rm, in a gentle and encouraging way, and was<br />
happy to reprimand a student for not wearing a cycle helmet, or tell<br />
a member <strong>of</strong> staff to give up smoking or encourage the Chaplain to<br />
exercise more and eat less!<br />
Back in the east window, the mother holds the child in such a<br />
way that he is able to look out, and we can see his face. In whatever<br />
way Helen tried to help people, her ultimate objective was to enable<br />
them to fulfi l their potential as human beings, men and women<br />
<strong>of</strong> priceless value and worth, created in the image and likeness<br />
<strong>of</strong> God.<br />
Helen’s success in achieving this objective has been very<br />
movingly expressed in one <strong>of</strong> the many tributes which the family<br />
and <strong>College</strong> received, this one written by a recent <strong>Merton</strong> graduate:<br />
“The best thing I can say about Helen is that for all my time at<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> she was a wonderful friend. When I came to the college I<br />
was unwell and unhappy, my fi rst visit to her was because I was<br />
not eating well and knew that things could easily go downhill. She<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered me wonderful warmth, sympathy and understanding as well<br />
as every practical support she could think <strong>of</strong>… What was so special<br />
about Helen was the way that she made sure I knew that it was I<br />
who would overcome my barriers. She was always happy to help,<br />
COLLEGE STAFF IN MEMORIAM<br />
but also showed me that the things I needed were ones I already<br />
possessed. She had a real healing gift… I feel privileged to have<br />
known Helen and I doubt I would have done so well without her, at<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> or afterwards, but her skill as a healer was in helping me to<br />
grow in myself… Healer, confi dant, companion and friend, endless<br />
source <strong>of</strong> aspirin, plasters and tea, someone to turn to, someone to<br />
ask, someone who cared. I will miss her.”<br />
May the God and Father <strong>of</strong> our Lord Jesus Christ grant Helen<br />
an eternal dwelling place in the kingdom <strong>of</strong> his Son, and as the<br />
darkness <strong>of</strong> present grief slowly gives way to the dawning light <strong>of</strong><br />
future hope, may we fi nd comfort in believing that, for Helen, all<br />
shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner <strong>of</strong> thing shall<br />
be well.<br />
Simon Jones, Chaplain<br />
POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
151
CALENDAR<br />
152 POSTMASTER | 2011<br />
Forthcoming Events<br />
Further details <strong>of</strong> all forthcoming events are available from Helen Kingsley, Alumni Relations Manager, Development Offi ce.<br />
We add events to the schedule throughout the year and regularly update the <strong>Merton</strong> website with information as it becomes available.<br />
2011<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
16-18 <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Alumni Weekend, Meeting Minds –<br />
21st century challenges<br />
23 <strong>Merton</strong> Golfi ng Society Autumn Meeting at Frilford<br />
Heath Golf Club<br />
24 Gaudy for the years 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961<br />
OCTOBER<br />
13 London Drinks Party at The Bunghole (Davy’s Wine<br />
Bar), a short walk from Holborn Tube Station.<br />
tbc Meeting <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong> in Manhattan Association<br />
followed by drinks reception<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
18 <strong>Merton</strong> Society London Dinner at Middle Temple,<br />
London. (Guest speaker, historian Michael Wood)<br />
22 <strong>Merton</strong> Lawyers’ Association at Slaughter and May,<br />
1 Bunhill Row<br />
26-27 Advent Services<br />
2012<br />
MARCH<br />
16 <strong>Merton</strong> Golfi ng Society Spring Meeting at Frilford<br />
Heath Golf Club<br />
17 Gaudy for the years up to and including 1956<br />
tbc Inter-Collegiate Golf Tournament, Prize-giving<br />
and Dinner<br />
31 Passiontide at <strong>Merton</strong><br />
APRIL<br />
1 Passiontide at <strong>Merton</strong><br />
13-16 MC3 and <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> North American Reunion<br />
in New York<br />
www.merton.ox.ac.uk<br />
MAY<br />
13 <strong>Merton</strong> Team at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign<br />
Town and Gown 10km Fun Run<br />
14 <strong>Merton</strong> Society London Lecture,<br />
Speaker Sir Martin Gilbert<br />
tbc Founders’ Society Meeting and lunch<br />
26 <strong>Merton</strong> <strong>College</strong> Boat Club dinner<br />
JUNE<br />
tbc <strong>Merton</strong> in the City Association Meeting<br />
<strong>Merton</strong> Floats<br />
23-24 <strong>Merton</strong> Society Weekend<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
14-16 <strong>Oxford</strong> <strong>University</strong> Alumni Weekend<br />
21 <strong>Merton</strong> Golfi ng Society Autumn Meeting<br />
at Frilford Heath Golf Club<br />
22 Gaudy for the years 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981<br />
tbc Meeting <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Merton</strong> in Manhattan Association<br />
followed by drinks reception<br />
OCTOBER<br />
tbc London Drinks Party<br />
20 Golden Jubilee Celebration Lunch for all <strong>Merton</strong>ians<br />
who matriculated in 1962<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
tbc <strong>Merton</strong> Society London Dinner<br />
tbc <strong>Merton</strong> Lawyers’ Association<br />
DECEMBER<br />
1-2 Advent Services