downing text 2012_Layout 1 - Downing College - University of ...

DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATIONAlan Berens and John Hicks in Perth, WesternAustralia, December 2011.Past President Gwyn Bevan and President JohnHicks in Melbourne December 2011.Perth in blazing sunshine with a temperature of 35 º C which was followed from4 a.m. the next day by a continuous twelve hour thunderstorm. In Victoria, ourChristmas Day in Janet’s home town of Sale ended with a violent storm whichearlier in the day had wreaked havoc in the suburbs of Melbourne to be followeda week later by a temperature of 40 º C.It was good to be able to catch up with our members far away and I hope wewill be able to continue to keep in touch with them.G RIFFINE ARLY E DITIONS OF T HEThe Association has a number of early editions of The Griffin in its possession:Vol II, No 2 – Lent Term 1905Vol II, No 3 – Easter Term 1905Vol III, No 2 – Lent Term 1906Vol XII, No 1 – Michaelmas Term 1914Vol XIII, No 1 – Michaelmas Term 1915Vol XV, No 1 – Michaelmas Term 1917Vol XVI, No 1 – Michaelmas Term 1918These are clearly of some historic interest. The 1914 and 1918 issues, thoughrelatively modest in size, do contain important records of those Downing menwho fought and who lost their lives during WW1. Also, there are poignantdescriptions of life at the front and the impact of WW1 on life at College.Any reader interested in acquiring any or all of these documents by makinga donation to the Association’s Alumni Student Fund, should contact theEditor via Association@dow.cam.ac.uk.17