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SnaPShOt good enough to eat: One of the more unusual gifts to mark the University’s 800th anniversary was presented to Vice- Chancellor Professor Alison Richard at a reception at the Fitzwilliam Museum. A large-scale sculpture of the building was created by award-winning pastry chef Thomas Lui as the centrepiece of a gala dinner held in Hong Kong last month. It was then flown over to Cambridge. What was unusual about the sculpture? It was made entirely of white chocolate. Wheel good fun: Three teams of staff rode from Oxford to Cambridge in September in support of three different charities and the University’s 800th anniversary. The sixth annual Oxford to Cambridge bike ride was organised by the British Heart Foundation. Each staff team covered the 89 miles on University Messenger Bicycles. The teams rode in support of three charities: the British Heart Foundation, Talk to Stars and Camfed, the University’s Charity of the Year. Tomorrow’s world: More than 60 innovations went on show at the Open House Festival of Interactive Technology in September. The festival was organised by the University and Microsoft Research Cambridge to mark the University’s 800th anniversary. It offered a preview of interactive displays, games and computer technologies, among them this ‘wearable impairment simulator’, which helps designers understand how capability loss affects people’s ability to perform everyday activities. Choir auditions: Do you or your friends have a musically talented six or sevenyear-old son? If so the King’s Choir would like to hear from you. The college is recruiting new choristers, with auditions set for 16 January 2010. Successful boys will be educated at King’s College School and will receive a musical training of the highest order. Fees are subsidised and a range of financial support is available. To register an interest email choir@kings. cam.ac.uk. 2 | november/deCember 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE NEwSlETTER PHILIP MYNOTT cOntentS Cover Take a walk on the dark side with our round-up of the spookiest Cambridge ghost stories. Turn to page 8. 3-4 What’s new 5 Tribute Professor Sir David Williams remembered 6-7 making a difference The fight to preserve oral literatures 8-10 inside the colleges 11 Know your University A brief guide to the Whipple Museum of the History of Science 12 People 13 Prizes, awards and honours 14 advertisements 15 behind the scenes Unusual requests put to porters 16 back page newSletter The Newsletter is published for the staff of the University of Cambridge and is produced by the Office of External Affairs and Communications. Please send in ideas for the content and other ways we can improve the publication. Tel: (3)32300 or email newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk. Suggestions for articles for the February/March edition should reach the Editor by 4 December. Editor: Andrew Aldridge Advertising: Nick Saffell Design: Creative Warehouse Printers: Labute Printers Ghost town Spooks, hauntings and tall tales newSletter Online www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/newsletter The magazine for The sTaff of The UniversiTy of Cambridge november/deCember 2009 Oral literatures Porters reveal preserved strangest requests page 6 page 15 COVER IMAgE: ISSAM KOURBAJ
MARIE SADLER what’S new Your comments and contributions are always welcome. Please send them to the Editor at newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk The deadline for the next issue is 4 december. Sainsbury laboratory passes milestone AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE in the creation of a new world-class research facility was marked last month with a topping out ceremony. The Sainsbury Laboratory, set to house 120 scientists studying plant development, is a £92 million facility currently under construction. The topping out ceremony traditionally marks the completion of the outer structure of a new building. Nearly 100 guests gathered at the site to hear speeches from Roy Murphy, Managing Director of main contractor Kier, Professor Ian Leslie, Pro-Vice- Chancellor for Research, Professor John Parker, Director of the Botanic garden, where the building is sited, and Lord Sainsbury, whose gatsby Charitable Foundation has provided £82 million towards the cost, the largest single gift received by the University since the launch of the 800th Anniversary Campaign. “This is one of the most exciting projects with which my charitable foundation has been involved,” Lord Sainsbury said. “It combines an inspirational research programme, an historic site and a beautiful laboratory designed by Stanton Williams, and it will become a centre of excellence in plant science.” Winter wonderland: places are now open for the 2010 Artic Dog Sledge Challenge, a 200km journey through the wilds of northern Norway. The trip, from 1 to 7 March, is organised by the Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), and will see participants make their way over frozen lakes, through Artic forests and across icy wastes. For more information, telephone Challenge Coordinator Cathy Cooper on (01223) 336540 or visit the SPRI website at www.spri.cam.ac.uk. NIgEL LUCKHURST Professor John Parker speaking at the Sainsbury Laboratory topping out ceremony (left), while an artist’s impression (right) shows the building as it will appear when finished Professor Parker said: “The garden looks forward to maintaining its long tradition of the study of plant diversity in the most up to date way with this wonderful building. The laboratory will be dedicated to the advancement of curiosity-driven research on plants.” The building is due for completion in late 2010. tuscany tour hits the right notes CAMBRIDgE UNIVERSITY Musical Society continued the 800th anniversary celebrations with a highly successful tour of Tuscany in August. This ambitious undertaking took the chorus and CUMS I orchestra, 130 performers in all, to venues in Florence and the surrounding area. They performed under the batons of their Principal Conductor Stephen Cleobury and recent Cambridge graduates Mark Austin and Joseph Fort. Highlights included a performance of Dvorak’s New World Symphony in the shadow of Siena Cathedral and a triumphant rendition of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the magnificent surroundings of the Salone dei Cinquecento in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. Founded in 1843, CUMS is one of the oldest and most distinguished university music societies in the world. ➔ For more information about the society, log on to www.cums.org.uk. november/deCember 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE NEwSlETTER | 3
Page 1: The magazine for The sTaff of The U
Page 5 and 6: Professor Sir David williams (1930-
Page 7 and 8: celebrated written traditions, such
Page 9 and 10: College. These nine stories recount
Page 11 and 12: Welcome to an occasional series on
Page 13 and 14: PrizeS, awarDS anD hOnOurS new fell
Page 15 and 16: ILLUSTRATIONS BY FELIx BENNETT Behi

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