Optima
issue 9 • spring 2006
CONTENTS
The Master’s message
2 & 3 The Chaplaincy appeal
The evolving role of a College Chaplain
and ‘Friends of the Chapel’ day.
College choir hope to touch a
chord A plea for help from the choir.
4 & 5 United by Fitz, divided by
party Three MPs answer questions.
Art starts Beginnings of a
Fitzwilliam Art Society.
6 Taking strength from early
tragedy Sir Bryan Askew’s early life
and how it shaped him.
7 A day in the life of a Head
Porter David Bannister reports on
College changes during his twelve
years as a porter.
8 Remembering Fitzwilliam
All about legacies and the benefit that
can be derived from them.
9 Fitzwilliam Annual Fund
An interim report.
One golden bond The golden
anniversary row of a veteran squad.
10 Money makes the world go
around Zoë Shaw’s degree in
English led to a career in banking.
11 In the running
Silke and the Ironman Silke Pichler’s
aspirations to be an Olympic runner.
Chariots of Fire Fitzwilliam’s winning
team.
12 Taking the law into their own
hands Three law students benefit
from work experience placements.
13 The Singapore Chapter
Singapore provides a template for
overseas chapters of Fitzwilliam
alumni.
14 & 15 Students swap
Two students, one from MIT and one
from Fitzwilliam, change place.
Competition Winners of the
competitions in Optima VII & VIII and
a new one.
16 News and events at
Fitzwilliam The diary for 2006 by
Emma Camps.
Transforming Tomorrow
Dr David Starkey gives the keynote
address in New York.
To return to Fitzwilliam, after my own elevenyear absence in other institutions, is to be struck
by the College’s remarkable progress on every
front. Former students who come back to
Cambridge after a much longer gap are initially
simply awestruck by what has been achieved.
They will need no reminding about how much
we all owe to earlier generations whose hard
work and personal commitment have contributed
to the College’s development. But each new cohort
of Freshers has their attention drawn to what we
must never take for granted: the extraordinary
affection and generosity of Fitzwilliam’s alumni.
Time and again they have responded to the
College’s needs, whether to fund awards, extracurricular activities or facilities, not least in the
wonderfully successful recent Appeal to allow us
to construct a new Boathouse. The reinforcement
provided by such expressions of loyal support
is one of the College’s greatest strengths as it
confronts the challenges ahead.
Robert Lethbridge has been Master of Fitzwilliam since
3 October 2005. He is Emeritus Professor of French
Language and Literature in the University of London.
He was made Chevalier des Palmes Académiques in 1998 for
services to French culture and scholarship. His first
academic post, in 1973, was at Fitzwilliam and he was
Senior Tutor of the College for the decade 1982–92.
He has been a Life Fellow since 1994 when he was
This issue of Optima is further testimony of what
that alumni support means in practice. For the
College’s achievements collectively are inseparable
from the rich and diverse experience of individual
students past and present. They are distinguishing
themselves in all aspects of College life, making
it unsurprising that they are making major
contributions to different ‘real’ worlds beyond
Cambridge after they graduate. This takes them
not only to rewarding careers but also to many farflung parts of the globe, as befits the international
community Fitzwilliam has been since its
foundation.
We are committed to maintaining what is special
about Fitzwilliam. In that respect, 2006 represents
a key moment in our collective thinking about the
future. The introduction of top-up fees, from this
coming October, will obviously increasingly
disadvantage many Fitzwilliam students (and their
families). The more profound significance of this
can only be grasped if it is put in the same frame
as the political and financial pressures on the
Oxbridge collegiate model of higher education.
Does anybody really believe that, in ten years’ time,
the taxpayer will consider it a priority to fund the
particular experience traditionally offered to its
students by the College? And how will Fitzwilliam
itself compete in attracting the most promising
and the most talented against the richer colleges?
These are highly important issues for the College
and we are going to have to involve our entire
community of lifelong members to ensure that
Fitzwilliam continues to prosper.
I look forward to meeting many of you as we
take forward this great project.
appointed to a Chair at Royal Holloway, University
of London, where he was successively Head of
Department, Dean of the Graduate School and VicePrincipal. Before his recent return to the College, he
was Director of the University of London Institute in
Paris. Professor Lethbridge is married, with a son and
daughter and two grandchildren (so far!).
college chaplain • 2
The evolving role of a College Chaplain
In 2002, Fitzwilliam College
launched an Appeal to
safeguard the post of College
Chaplain in perpetuity
(Optima II). The ambitious
target of £450,000 was
announced, the interest from
which would cover a threequarter’s time post and all
the annual costs. The Fund,
started by the transfer of an
endowment had reached the
magnificent sum of £243,188
by the end of March 2006, due
to the addition of 339
donations. Those individuals
who had donated £50 or more
to the Fund were designated
‘A Friend of Fitzwilliam
Chapel’. They now number
over 100. The response has
been tremendous but more
funds must be realised by 2008
when the endowment must
cover the full cost of the post.
Simon Perry, Fitzwilliam Chaplain
Preparing toasted sandwiches at FitzCafé
Every Chaplain brings his/her own style of ministry
to the post. The current Chaplain is Simon Perry,
a Baptist by trade, who has extended the spiritual
and pastoral role of his Chaplaincy to overseeing
the running of a café; 24/3 meetings where students
pray for life in the College and the world beyond;
organising discussion groups of controversial
issues; fielding and uniting the different faith
elements within the College; speaking on a range
of issues on the Alpha course; rowing stroke in the
2nd Men’s VIII, coaching several boats and coxing
a Ladies’ VIII. These activities combine fellowship
and service of others with spirituality and worship
and have touched a chord with those who study and
work here. Edward Simpson, an undergraduate
(Natural Sciences 2000), now postgraduate says,
“Since coming, I have seen these groups – the Christian
Union, Fusion, the Chapel community – all grow in
strength, and become more unified. This is both a huge
encouragement and a sure sign that God is really working
in Fitz, through the Chaplain”.
FitzCafé operates every Friday as a friendly and
inviting place to spend time on a Friday night.
Occasionally live music is featured (AcousticCafé)
and it additionally opens to coincide with College
Entz events. Hot drinks and toasted sandwiches
are served for some twenty to thirty people on a
normal Friday, rising to fifty plus on an Entz night.
Four students head the management team
overseen by the Chaplain and they are responsible
for buying stock, organising the helpers’ rota,
cashing up and washing up.
It has no strings attached and those who lead it
give up their time freely, motivated by a concern to
know Christ through the service of others. Whoever
wants to be great among you must become your servant
(Matthew 20:26). The vision statement for the café
framed on the order desk is the only outward sign
of its Christian purpose.
Where possible produce is bought through
‘Fairtrade’. Any profit is either re-invested in the
café or given to charities supported by the Chapel.
Occasionally, free food is given away at the
discretion of the Committee – to Freshers at the
Staircase party (start of year) or as profit to pay for
free meals for those attending the Alpha course.
Being involved with café allows students from
Fitzwilliam Chapel and other churches to meet up
and spontaneous theological discussions may
occur but the students who work in FitzCafé share
the same vision, to serve the College and their
neighbours.
The international Alpha courses provide an
opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a
series of talks addressing key issues. The one at
Fitz was staged for eight weeks during the Lent
term aimed at students from the colleges on the
hill (Churchill, Fitzwilliam and New Hall). It
started with a communal meal and talk and then
those present broke into discussion groups to chat
over coffee. It was funded partly by local churches
but also by Fitz students in the Christian
community who made anonymous donations and
raised £250. Some fifteen to twenty-five students
attended regularly, different speakers and topics
were covered each week with Simon leading three
of the sessions. Such a lot was learned from the
experience both from the educational point of view
and from making new contacts that it is hoped it
will be repeated.
24/3 Prayer occurs every term and comprises
three days of prayer in the Chapel crypt. The crypt
is decorated with inspirational material: maps of
the world, pointers for prayer, texts and blank
pages on which to write messages. The days and
nights are divided into hourly slots and students
sign up to pray for an hour, alone or with a cell
group. Prayers are said for specific causes,
requests, world issues and for those immediately
around them. It climaxes with a special service,
held in the Chapel on a Friday called ‘Beyond
Belief ’. Vicky Robb (Theology 2003) and on the
FitzCafé Committee says, “Two of the most positive
Christian experiences I have had since being here have been
overseen by our current Chaplain; the ‘Friday night café’
where Christians of different denominations work together
to serve the College and ‘24/3 prayer events’, where all the
Christians of the College are united in prayer for their
peers. The Chaplain is essential to this process, deeply
important to the spiritual fabric of Fitz”.
Beyond Belief is a service and a half to mark the
end of the three days of prayer. The Chaplain leads
it aided by some of the students; it has no written
order of service and no choir; it uses multimedia,
video clips, DVDs and music; it is attended by the
majority of Christians in College who bring
friends, doubling the usual student congregation
and is a celebration of belief.
Simon found getting to know students initially a
hard nut to crack. He made a deliberate decision to
become involved with rowing so he could get to
know them as friends and colleagues and take the
mystery away from time spent with a Chaplain. It
has made him accessible.
He has friends among the rowers and it has the
knock-on effect of meeting their non-rowing
friends on an informal basis. He does not live on
site, but can spend leisure time furthering his
ministry in an unobtrusive way.
Finally, a plea from Katie Orchel (Geography
2003), “Many colleges have scrapped their resident college
Chaplain, however, here at Fitzwilliam we are fortunate to
still have one. The Chaplain is a key figure in College who
bridges and networks the myriad social and spiritual
groups in Fitzwilliam – a key asset for any college. This
unique role is in danger of extinction because we do not
have the funds! Please give now to ensure we can have a
permanent College Chaplain!”
For more information on giving to the Chaplaincy
Fund, please turn to the centre pages.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
The late Professor Norman Pounds (Honorary
Fellow of Fitzwilliam) with Katie Orchel
(Geography 2003)
On a beautiful autumn Saturday a number of
‘Friends of Fitzwilliam Chapel’ joined Fellows and
students for a day of celebration of the Chapel and
all it stands for. “Friends” were welcomed with tea
and coffee before attending a service of worship in
the Chapel. The Reverend Dr Simon Perry, College
Chaplain led the service basing his readings and
prayers on the theme of welcome (John IV). The
choir performed a beautiful musical programme
ranging from Rutter’s, “The Lord bless you and keep
you” to Gershwin’s, “I got rhythm ”. Dr David
Thompson, President of the College, thanked the
choir for their superb recital, extending his
gratitude to Dr Peter Tregear, Director of Music,
and lunch was served.
The ever-industrious Fitz kitchen staff produced a
superb buffet in the Walter Grave room where
conversation and wine flowed freely.
After lunch, presentations took place in the
Trust room, led by the Master, Professor Robert
Lethbridge who stated the case for safeguarding
the post of College Chaplain. The Chaplain spoke
on his role and how fundamental it is for
preserving and evangelising the Christian faith in
the College. The talks were summed up by Dr
Thompson who led the vigorous discussion that
ensued. The day ended with tea and coffee and a
feeling of a day well spent.
The Reverend Derek Duckworth (1949) wrote to
the Chaplain afterwards, “I shall remember and
treasure the day in the future”.
College choir hope to touch a chord
Ellie Goodfield conducting the choir
Alex West (Junior Organ Scholar)
Choir singing in San Augustino, Italy, 2005
Think of Cambridge. Think of choirs. King’s and
St John’s probably spring to mind. Fitz is missed.
Yet, the choir has grown in strength and
reputation, swelled by choral scholars from New
Hall who have no choir, nor Chapel of their own.
The choristers may be sopranos, altos, tenors or
basses (SATB); they may study subjects from
Maths to Medicine but they are all united in their
love of music, usually playing several instruments
as well as singing and giving their time and
expertise, freely. They have recently cut their first
CD in order to reach a wider audience and enhance
their profile.
They perform at College events such as the
Reunion and Commemoration dinners, they sing
with other choirs and combine with other
orchestras in wonderful concerts and they sing at
Chapel services every Sunday in term time. Their
gifts are great and their needs are few but they do
need help to achieve some modest aims.
Choral scholarships – Six of the Fitzwilliam
students and another six from Newhall are in
receipt of choral scholarships. Sounds grand but it
is the recognition of their skill rather than huge
financial reward. They get £100/year! David
Knight, President of the Fitzwilliam Music Society,
has sung since a boy as a church chorister and
performed in various cathedrals become coming
to Fitz.
The others have similar backgrounds. Their
collective expertise is impressive. Then there are
the organ scholars. There is a junior, Alex West
and senior, Ellie Goodfield.
They are responsible for setting the music for
the choir, overseeing practices and training (with
the help of the choral scholars) and organising all
the events and concerts that the choir are involved
in. They also receive the princely sum of £100/year.
OK, it all sounds good on your CV, adds another
string to your bow, but rarely can they go on to
perform professionally due to the precarious life
led by professional musicians. They do it because
they love it.
The first need is a few more choral scholarships.
To endow a choral scholarship, and it can be
named after a specific benefactor, an endowment
of £2,500 is needed (£1953 with gift aid) which
would derive revenue of £100 pa. The ideal choir
has six sopranos, six altos, four tenors and six
basses. At present, only some of these can be
awarded choral scholarships. Wouldn’t it be great
to have enough for each choir member?
Fitz choir is good and wants to get better
known. Its aims are stability, satisfaction,
enthusiasm and musical integrity. They would like
to have a piece of music commissioned for them.
A short SATB may cost as little as £4,000 and they
need a sponsor. They already have some
composers in mind.
College is helping with some of their needs.
When they sing out of term time, for Christmas
concerts and at the Reunion, the College are able
to provide free out-of-term accommodation.
Subsidised halls are available and a grant from the
JMA to help with running costs. Other things, like
the tours (they would ideally like one UK and one
overseas tour each year), sheet music and
instrument repair are helped by Funds already in
place donated by kind benefactors. But more
sponsorship is needed so they can really achieve
their potential.
Please help them reach the right note and
elevate the name of Fitzwilliam choir up there
with the best in Cambridge. If you would like
to help the choir, please contact Sarah
(development@fitz.cam.ac.uk).
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
friends of the chapel/college choir • 3
‘Friends of the Chapel’ Day,
29 October 2005
united by fitz• 4
United by Fitz, divided by party
It has been called ‘the Cambridge mafia’: 10% of those elected as Members
of Parliament (MP)s in the 2005 elections were educated in Cambridge and
this statistic has remained constant over the last three parliaments.
Fitzwilliam currently has six Members, only pipped at the post by Clare
College, which has seven. They are Andy Burnham (1988), Vince Cable
(1962), Michael Gapes (1972), Julia Goldsworthy (1997), James Knight (1984)
and David Wilshire (1962). In this article three of Fitz’s finest, united by a
common education but divided by the parties they serve, give their answers
to five questions. In alphabetical order, they are:
Andy Burnham (English 1988)
Labour MP
Vince Cable (Economics
1962) Liberal Democrat MP
David Wilshire (Geography
1962)Conservative MP
Andy was elected as Labour MP for Leigh, Greater
Manchester in June 2001. He has served on the
Health Select Committee and was Parliamentary
Private Secretary to David Blunkett (when he was
Home Secretary) between 2003 and 2004. In May
2005 he was appointed Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State at the Home Office and has
specific responsibility for identity cards, refugee
integration, E-borders and extradition.
He is interested in football and is an Everton fan.
Vince was President of the Cambridge Union
after Norman Lamont (Economics 1961).
Although originally in the Labour Party (Glasgow
in the 1970s), he joined the fledgling SDP in the
early 80s and became Liberal Democrat MP for
Twickenham in 1997. He is the Liberal Democrat
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, sits on a
number of Parliamentary groups dealing with
issues from adoption to overseas development
and pensions to pulmonary hypertension.
He is a keen ballroom dancer.
David was elected MP for Spelthorne, Middlesex
in June 1987. During his eighteen years as a
Conservative MP he has served as a United
Nations Election Observer in a number of
countries and has been Parliamentary Private
Secretary to the Ministers of State for Defence
Procurement (Hon Alan Clarke) and for Prisons
(Right Hon Sir Peter Lloyd). From 2001 to 2005
he was the Senior Opposition Whip.
He is both a keen gardener and an amateur
cider maker.
Why did a Cambridge education as a student at
Fitzwilliam College aid your career as an MP?
Andy Burnham: I loved my time at Fitz and feel it
set me up well for the future in so many ways, not
least in introducing me to my wife, Marie-France
(SPS 1989). My Cambridge education has certainly
stood me in good stead along my career path, but
I don't think it gave me any particular advantage
when seeking selection as a Parliamentary
candidate. I have to say I have not yet had to call
on my fading knowledge of medieval English
poetry on the doorstep in Leigh!
Vince Cable: I was in a politically active generation
at Fitzwilliam, a year behind Norman Lamont,
whom I followed as President of the Union. The
skills of debating and political writing I acquired
as an undergraduate.
David Wilshire: I was not politically active at
Fitzwilliam. However, a higher degree is a great
asset in a wide range of jobs.
Why did you choose your party?
Andy Burnham (Labour): In our family, football
and political allegiances are chosen for you. So I
knew I was an Everton supporter and Labour from
an early age. But I decided to go further and join
the Labour Party in 1985, a time when our part of
the North West was reeling under the actions of
the then Government. I saw Labour as standing
for the common good over individual privilege. I
believe that today as strongly as I did then.
Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat): I was a liberal as
a student, attracted by the party's internationalism,
classlessness and freedom from vested interests.
After failing as a student to achieve an alliance
between the University Liberal Club and the
moderates in the Labour Club, I left to join Harold
Wilson's Labour Party. I was there for fifteen years
- interalia as a Glasgow Councillor and then
special advisor to John Smith – until the ‘civil war’
of the early 1980s, when I rejoined what is now the
Lib Dems (then the SDP/Liberal Alliance).
David Wilshire (Conservative): Because I love my
country much as it is and believe in our culture,
history and traditions and consider that
responsible capitalism offers the best route to
increasing prosperity for all – and because I detest
socialism in whatever guise it dresses itself up and
because I deplore politicians who try to be all
things to all people.
What is most important thing you would like
your party to achieve?
Andy Burnham: I'd like to see us close the northsouth divide for good, spreading life chances and
good health equally throughout the country. In my
view, one of the best ways of achieving this in the
long-term, and tackling a whole range of other
social problems along the way, is to raise the
staying-on rate at sixteen in areas like the one I
represent to the same level as in the country's
most affluent areas. On the international stage, I
take great pride from the lead this Government
continues to set in increasing overseas aid,
reforming trade rules and wiping out debt.
Vince Cable: Power at national level. We have
made enormous strides in parliament and local
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
government and have the highest representation
in parliament since the 1920s. I now want us to be
seen as a party of government.
quality of service and representation they are
entitled to expect from an MP.
Development Office
Fitzwilliam College
Cambridge cb3 0dg
David Wilshire: Get rid of the current dreadful
Prime Minister and appalling Government, that is
destroying this country’s culture and traditions.
What would you say to those students who wish
to pursue a career in politics?
telephone:
+ 44 (0) 1223 332075
How do you think you, personally, can make a
difference?
email:
[email protected]
Andy Burnham: It's a privilege to serve as a
minister in the Government and I'm ever
conscious that the decisions I make will have a
direct impact on people's lives. This is particularly
true of the Home Office. At every level of politics, I
have found that it is possible to make a difference
- but that change takes time, determination and a
positive outlook. All three main parties should
work together more to tackle the corrosive
cynicism about politics and politicians. In my
experience, very few on any side are in it entirely
for themselves.
Vince Cable: As my party's Shadow Chancellor my
job is to ensure that we are economically credible;
and I think we are achieving that.
David Wilshire: By providing my 70,000
constituents (whoever they voted for) with the
Andy Burnham: I'm sure I was no different to
many students interested in politics in that I
wanted to go straight in and do all the glamour
stuff such as writing pamphlets, speeches and
press releases for leading politicians. All of that is
possible, but there is no substitute for rolling your
sleeves up and getting out campaigning at a local
level. That's the best way to earn your spurs and
get a proper grounding in how it all works.
Vince Cable: By all means get involved in politics.
Of all my many jobs – since leaving university – in
business, government, academia and international
organisations – being an MP is the one that has
given me by far the greatest level of job
satisfaction. But you have to be patient and need
stamina (it took me 27 years from my first bid for
parliament to when I was first elected in 1997).
David Wilshire: Get some experience in the real
world first and resist the temptation to become a
Special Adviser, party official or other political
anorak.
Art starts
Graeme Barnes (Geography 2002), stone
sculpting
Nutter’s note
heeded
In 2004, Fiona Mackay (Geography 2000) decided
that there was something lacking at Fitzwilliam.
Students with artistic leanings needed to be able
to express themselves, students without them
deserved the chance to “have a go” and for those
with pre-exam stress, it would provide a welcome
diversion. With a temporary studio and lots of
enthusiasm, fitzART was born and has been
growing ever since. This year sees an art studio
under construction in Wychfield Lane, alongside
the College, for ongoing projects and individual
use while classes continue to be held in the
Gaskoin room.
On Monday evenings there are Life Drawing
classes with a hired model; on Tuesdays regular
art classes take place led by a visiting artist and
when mutually convenient, groups of five or so
students at a time attend a stone carver’s
workshop for tuition in stone sculpting.
Plans are afoot to re-equip the dormant dark
room for photography and also to start pottery
classes. Successful exhibitions, demonstrating
students’ and Fellows’ prowess at sculpture, life
drawing, photography and watercolour, have been
held for the last two years and more are planned
for the future.
The Society now has a committee, they have
written a constitution and a five-year plan. They
are applying for Senior Society status from the
JMA Executive Trustees and, if successful, it will
bring with it some assured funding and get
fitzART on to a firm footing. Art was a void
waiting to be filled. Numbers and interest are
growing and with nurturing, fitzART will join
fitzTheatre and fitzMusic in creating opportunities
for every student in addition to their strict
academic regimes.
In Optima VII, at the request of Graham Nutter
(1966), the location of his vineyard in France was
published with an invitation for any Fitzbillies
to visit. One has done just that!
Here is Brian Heath (1953) on the left, at
Château St Jacques, being well received by
Graham in June 2005, as his first visitor from Fitz.
Website: www.chateaustjacques.com
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
united by fitz/art starts • 5
Dr Sarah Coppendale
The Editor
Taking strength from early tragedy
strength from early tragedy • 6
Bryan Askew (History, 1949)
Sir Bryan Askew
Sir Bryan Askew with Mrs Pat Solk, Chairman
of Leeds East Health Authority on the
occasion of a visit in 1998 to St James’s
Hospital by Ken Clarke, Secretary of State
STOP PRESS!
Photo: Jet Photographic
Mark Arends BSc
MBChB PhD
FRCPath, Reader
in Histopathology
and Fellow of
Fitzwilliam
College, has been awarded one of
the prestigious Pilkington Prizes
for 2006. The Pilkington Prizes
recognise excellence in teaching
and were set up by the late
Alastair Pilkington, former
Chairman of the Cambridge
Foundation. The prizes are
supported by Cambridge
University Press.
Bryan Askew began life in a small mining village
in Durham County, living happily in a terraced
house mortgaged from the colliery where his
father was horse keeper. The mile walk to school,
home for lunch and back again, were part of
his early childhood memories as was being
taken down the pit, aged eight, by his father.
The event of World War II brought soldiers
to the mining villages to guard the collieries.
On Bryan’s tenth Birthday in August 1940, a
fire broke out in the coal washery which had
been camouflaged by a tarpaulin and become
overheated by the sun. One of the soldiers,
who had been a guest at their home for Sunday
lunch, called Bryan’s father out to help. He
rescued one miner but was burned to death while
returning to check for survivors. He was thirty-six.
Bryan’s mother was left to bring up Bryan and
his sixteen-month-old brother on eighteen
shillings a week benefit and went to work at the
local Co-op store while his grandparents looked
after his brother. At home, he moved on to the
local Wellfield Grammar School, a co-educational
grammar school of over five hundred children,
drawn from fifteen pit villages. He was a bright
child and was able to skip a year. Things were
taking a turn for the better, until tragedy struck
once again.
On holiday in Northumberland in 1947, Bryan
contracted polio and spent six weeks in isolation
in a TB sanatorium at Berwick-on-Tweed. Another
case was also identified in the locality, a boy of
eight from Holy Island. He died and Bryan’s life
hung in the balance with regular bulletins on his
health being posted in the local paper. He was left
with a severely weakened upper body and was
transferred to his local hospital. After a few weeks
he became an outpatient having physiotherapy,
electric treatment and wax baths four times a week
for nine months. Back to square one at school
after the loss of a year’s schooling, his weakened
arms made writing difficult. Determined to gain
strength, he refused help from his well-meaning
peers and took up tennis to improve his grip and
musculature. The first few balls hit the racquet
clean from his hands but by his final term at
school he was elected Tennis Captain on merit.
He feels these setbacks made him more resilient
and able to cope with disappointments in later life,
yet progress to the next challenge. Words became
an important weapon in his armoury, as his physical
activity was limited. Arthur Scargill’s historic pleas
to protect jobs for the miners were not being
heeded at this time, as parents looked for a better
life for their children. Bryan was encouraged to
seek academic success, took Higher School
Certificate in its last year and was awarded a Major
County Scholarship that brought him to Cambridge
and Fitzwilliam, chosen because of its reputation
of catering for those from poorer backgrounds.
His fellow Freshmen were a mixed yet mature
bunch, most having served in the forces and thus
experienced war deprivation and the pain of
conflict. His childhood experiences meant that
he fitted in well; although W S Thatcher did let
slip he was the first student to have come from a
co-educational school in a pit village. At that time,
Air Vice Marshall Sir Alan Rooke was Head of the
University Health Service and took a personal
interest in Bryan’s health. At the end of his first
year, he went into Addenbrooke’s Hospital, next
door to Fitzwilliam House, and underwent an
opponens graft, the first of its kind, to insert a one
and a quarter inch bone graft into his hand to
enable him to grip.
It did allow him to write well enough to take notes
but it was apparent that the continuous writing
required in the History Tripos papers, was out of
the question. His Director of Studies, the late Dr
Leslie Wayper, offered him the choice of an aegrotat
degree (given to those whose medical condition
does not allow them to sit the examinations) or
the help of amanuensis and he chose the latter. He
sat the exams in William Washington Williams’
office, with Joanna Dannatt from Girton writing
his dictated answers. There was no allowance for
extra time, the only concession being the arrival
of cups of coffee! He achieved his degree. He
loved his time at Fitzwilliam House, the exciting
academic environment, the shared digs and
bedsits and mixing with a varied and interesting
group of people.
A varied career followed, ranging from ICI, the
steel industry, running his own company and then
Samuel Smith’s Brewery from which he retired as
Personnel Director in 1995. He stood three times
for parliament, never making it to government,
so describes himself as a “failed politician”. His
eleven-year span as part time Chairman of the
Yorkshire Regional Health Authority led to his
becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Medicine in 1988 followed by a Knighthood for
Services to Healthcare in 1989.
More recently, he has concentrated on charity
work, as Chairman of both the Tadcaster
Swimming Pool Trust and the British Polio
Fellowship. He returns to Fitzwilliam when he
is able and likes the feel of the new buildings
especially as they weather in the now established
gardens. He compares student life here with that
of his local University in Leeds, which he has
served in a voluntary capacity for twenty three
years, and hopes the students who come here
appreciate just how privileged they are.
Our congratulations go out to someone who
celebrated his Golden Wedding last year and has
risen above adversity to make the very best of a
life, beset with early tragedy.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
David Bannister retired at the end of September 2005. He was a
familiar figure to in excess of 2,000 past students in his pin striped
trousers, white shirt, College tie and blazer and served the College for
twelve years. He began as a part timer and worked his way up to the
role of Head Porter, the post he held for six years. He was a fatherly
figure and used to say, “You have to like students to do this job” and
only considered candidates applying for a job as a porter who had a
like mind. He found it best to measure the students against his own
children and he presided benignly over the Porters’ Lodge. He has
some tales to tell!
He was put up for auction in Rag Week; he has
dealt with fire alarms, burst pipes, hospitalisations
and bomb threats; he was part of the ‘Question
of Sport’ team composed of Fellows and students
that attracted a large College-wide audience; he
was responsible for closing down an Entz event
which got out of hand and he was nominated once
as the students’ favourite person. Why? Because
he made good curries! He has chased an ice-cream
thief around the College grounds, observed a
couple of streakers on the football pitch at
the Cuppers Final at Grange Road and was
responsible for Fitz becoming the first Cambridge
College to employ women porters on an equal
footing to their male counterparts.
Two aspects of College life have changed since
he started. First, it has become more intensive,
David Bannister in his o~ce
not just for the students with more demanding
courses and more pressure to succeed, but also
the day-to-day life of College with continual
activity in term time and vacation. Gone are the
days of “Sleepy Johns”, porters who moonlighted
as taxi drivers on their days off and dozed on the
job when not busy. David even recalled visiting an
Oxford College (that shall remain nameless!)
where there was a room attached to the Porters’
Lodge where the camp beds reserved for student
visitors were stored with one set up for the porters
to have a kip. The number of Fitz porters grew
from five to nine during his time, doing shifts
from 8 am – 6.30 pm (three), 12 noon – 10 pm
(two) and 10 pm – 8 am (one, the night porter).
No time for dozing,
the College is busy,
day-in and day-out.
Concurrent with
the rise in activity,
controls and
safeguards have been
introduced over the
years to make it a
safer place to live and
an easier place to
look after. A drinks
code was put into
place eight years ago
to prevent excessive
David Bannister at his leaving party with the Fulham ‘starter’
head porter • 7
A day in the life of a Head Porter
David Bannister and John Goodacre
and potentially harmful drinking on the premises.
The Manciple has the right to sample cocktails
that should not exceed one part spirit to six parts
soft drink; half a bottle of wine is the norm
allowed at student formals and students can no
longer bring in their own (unlimited) wine and
just pay corkage. This has reduced the number of
sore heads (or worse) after events such as ‘Suicide
Sunday’ (as the post exam celebrations are
known!).
Security has improved and gone are the days
when strangers could wander into College, such
as the homeless person found sleeping in a vacant
room that came out sheepishly when challenged
and was told “the game’s up”. Despite this, David
never felt unsafe or threatened on the site, even
when alone at night in the early days. Tokens, not
cash, now work the slot machines, such as the
laundry machines and all doors are kept firmly
locked. A new security system has been recently
installed throughout College that operates with
card access for staff and students alike.
One of his fondest memories was when 6’ 2”,
Sarah Winckless (1993) returned at 2 am on the
night of her 21st Birthday. As he let her in, she
picked him up, kissed him and said. “I’m 21! I can
do what I like!” His worst memories include a fire
alarm on Q staircase due to a camping fridge
leaking ammonia, leading to evacuation of the
College and the fire brigade having to go in
wearing breathing apparatus. More recently, a
flood in the Grove caused by a dead squirrel
blocking an internal gutter necessitated rescuing
all the vital paperwork of a postgraduate student
before his work was ruined.
So, his days of welfare talks to the Freshers
about their responsibilities while here, his
organisation of staff rotas, his participation
in the Head Porter’s Association, his fire
demonstrations to staff, organisation of first aid
courses, discussions about the merit of Fulham
Football team and his gripe that yet another caller
has confused the College with Fitzwilliam
Museum, have ended.
He has left a worthy successor in the avuncular,
John Goodacre, another member of the extended
Fitzwilliam family.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Remembering Fitzwilliam
“Death opens unknown doors”
remembering fitzwilliam • 8
(John Masefield)
Dennis Doyle (Music 1947) was
encouraged by a young concert
pianist he had played with while on
leave from fighting in the Western
Desert to ‘get into music’. After the
war, W S Thatcher (Censor,
Fitzwilliam House, 1924 – 54)
offered him a place and changed
his life. He has left a legacy to
Fitzwilliam to establish an organ
scholarship and says:
“I feel that what I am doing in my
legacy, in establishing an organ
scholarship and leaving the College my
‘cathedral’ and manual organ, my piano
and all my music is but a small ‘thank
you’ to the college for giving me such a
start in my new musical life”.
Mrs Tracey
Hancock
(Geography
1980) writes:
“In bequeathing
what I can, I feel
that I will be in
some way
repaying the
College for its contribution to my life. I
am not wealthy by any measure and I
am sure my legacy will be outstripped by
others, but if it helps other students to
benefit from College life in any way it
must be worthwhile, however great or
small. I am happy to let the College
decide how best to use it, for its needs in
the decades to come may well change
from the present.”
Legacy income is an invaluable source of revenue
for any charity but only 5% of the British public
makes a charitable donation in their Will, whereas
67% support a charity in their lifetime. It may be
that making a Will is a daunting procedure and
the subject of death and its impact on dependants,
a difficult subject to broach. It may be that the tax
implications are not clear. Charitable gifts are
exempt from inheritance tax.
Inheritance tax – the facts
! The lower threshold limit for inheritance tax,
known as the Nil Rate Band stands at £285,000
for the 2006/2007 tax year (£275,000 last year).
! If the value of your estate (that is all your
possessions including your house) exceeds this,
then on your death your heirs will pay a flat rate
of 40% inheritance tax to the Government on
the excess.
! 98% of people found themselves liable for
inheritance tax last year. If you own a detached
house (average price calculated as £285,697 by
the BBC News survey, February 2006) you will
automatically find yourself in this bracket.
! The Government estimated it would derive £3.4
billion in revenue from inheritance tax in 2005/6.
Shouldn’t YOU decide who gets your money?
Fitzwilliam College is a charity just like the Red
Cross or your local cats’ home. Any contribution
from a Member, however great or however small
is valued. Even a small bequest will build up to
form the large amounts needed every year by the
College.
Jargon explained
! A legacy/bequest/gift all mean the same,
something left for a recipient in a Will and can
be of any value.
! A codicil is a change to an existing will, an
addition without the need to re-write the
original Will.
! Testator/testatrix (M/F) is YOU, the person
making the Will.
! Beneficiary is anyone who is a recipient of a
bequest.
There are various types of legacy from which to
choose:
Pecuniary or Monetary legacy: This enables you to
donate a specific cash sum. To prevent this being
reduced by inflation over the intervening years,
provision should be made for index linking. Thus,
the gift you wish to make to the College will be of
the value you originally decided, not whittled away
to a less significant amount.
Residual legacy: This allows you to make a gift of
money or assets when all the pecuniary legacies
(above), debts and other liabilities have been met.
It can be part or whole of the residual amount.
Reversionary or Life interest legacy: This enables
you to leave your assets in the hands of nominated
trustees to provide for beneficiaries and
dependents during their lifetime. If you are
worried about family members being adequately
provided for, this is a good choice. On their death,
the residue or part or it would revert to the
College.
Specific or non-pecuniary legacy: This allows you
to leave personal possessions to the College. They
may be property, stocks and shares, works of art
or other valuables. The College may be given the
right to utilise them or realise their monetary
value.
The value of bequests: Bequests ranging from
£1,000 to £250,000 have significantly enhanced
the income of the College and aided its fantastic
progress over the last decades. Currently, about 80
Members have indicated to us that they wish to
pledge a bequest to the College; some state the
value, others just make the pledge. This form of
giving is ever more important in view of the
reduction in public funding. By increasing the
College endowment it serves to increase the
facilities and academic opportunities to our
students and sustain the progress of your College.
How your gift can help: If you decide to make a
bequest, you have the right to decide how you
wish to see your gift directed, to the general
endowment or to a certain area that is particularly
dear to you. A small sum can be left to name a
College prize, a larger one may set up a
scholarship, be directed towards an appeal or even
pay for a new building. Any Member who pledges
a bequest to the College becomes a member of the
1869 Foundation and will be invited to those
events organised for its members.
How to make a pledge: A legacy pledge form can
be found in the giving pages of this magazine. A
pledge is neither legally binding, nor does it carry
any legal obligation but it signifies to the College
your intention. The knowledge that funds will be
forthcoming allows us to plan for the future in a
more informed manner. Whereas we are happy to
help with information and confidential guidance
in the matter of legacy pledges, legal advice
should be sought in the preparation of your Will.
Even if you already have a Will, a Codicil may be
added in favour of the College, should you wish to
do so.
The Reverend Anthony Brown
(Theology 1953) writes:
“I decided to include a significant
capital sum as a bequest to the
Chaplaincy Fund of the College in
my Will because having been a
university chaplain, although not
in Cambridge, I recognise the value to the College
community of having someone who can provide a focus
for Christian witness and pastoral care; this can be seen
as a sign that the College values its Christian roots.”
Katie with French Horn
In September 2005, Fitzwilliam College launched
its own Annual Fund. Regular donations were
requested from Members in order that Fitzwilliam
could keep up its well-established standard of
excellence and build on the success the College
has enjoyed since it began 137 years ago. Visitors
to the College never fail to be impressed by the
advances made since it moved up to the current
site in 1963. They are able to enjoy the beautiful
collection of modern buildings, set in attractive
and well-maintained gardens all enclosed by
up-to-date student accommodation. We have
much to be proud of and thankful for.
We appealed to our Members to make an
impact on the success and direction of the College
by putting something back. We also proffered
options. Those who kindly responded chose
whether they wished their gift directed towards
teaching, research, student support, prizes or
bursaries. The majority were motivated by the
need to support our students. It is widely
recognised that students today, and even more
so in the future, will find the cost of a University
education prohibitive. Fees are set to rise so aid
must increase but debt will still put an additional
burden on our students and may even deter bright,
able young people from coming to Cambridge
altogether. A profile of one of our students who
derives direct benefit from your support follows:
Katie Jones (Music 2003) came to Fitzwilliam
from Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College in
Northwich, Cheshire, a huge state school for
sixth form studies. There were over six hundred
students in her year alone. Five only went on to
study at Oxford or Cambridge. Her music teacher
at secondary school had encouraged her to play
the French horn and she was in the National Youth
Orchestra from the ages fifteen to seventeen. She
wanted to come to Cambridge having heard it was
the best university to study music.
At Cambridge, the course consists of lectures
(musical theory, analysis and history), practising
(she plays the horn with the Cambridge University
Symphony Orchestra) and listening to music to
extend her knowledge of musical compositions
and of the people who write and play. For this,
she needs not only a large number of course books
but a variety of CDs and DVDs, the latter so she
can analyse film music. These are both expensive
to purchase and a very necessary resource.
She plays in a brass quintet, the Atlantic quintet,
named as two of the members are from the States.
They play jazz and classical and this helps by
providing extra practice as well as some welcome
cash when they perform at student gigs. Katie is
in receipt of an annual student support grant to
help her through her studies here and she says:
“Student Hardship funds reduce the stress of living in
such an expensive city. They have undoubtedly helped my
degree course, as I’ve been able to buy course books with
this money. I am grateful to anyone who provides funds
for students like me, as without them many state school
students just wouldn’t survive in Cambridge.”
By mid-March 2006 eighty-nine donations
totalling just under fifteen thousand pounds
have been received. Thirty of the donors have
completed standing orders thus committing
money to College on a regular basis. Of course,
this is just the start and we hope that over time,
more of you will want to put something back and
respond to our appeal for regular funds. We really
need to increase the percentage of Members who
support the College and are very grateful to those
who have already agreed to do so. Remember: If
one in every five Members were to give £10/month
over a five-year period, it would raise over
£750,000.
Make Fitzwilliam your favourite charity; after
all you have a vested interest! You can request
another copy of the Annual Fund leaflet if you
have mislaid yours, by e-mailing Sarah on
[email protected] or telephoning 01223 332075.
One golden bond
The 1955 veteran crew (below) outside
Fitzwilliam Boathouse
Nine good men and true left Fitzwilliam
Boathouse on a golden September morning
in 2005 to repeat a journey taken fifty years ago.
The 1955 Fitzwilliam House first May VIII plus
cox relived the memory of winning their blades
by rowing five miles to visit the sites of their
conquests. This fantastic achievement has
been extensively covered in the Fitzwilliam
Journal, both local and national press and
in Regatta, the magazine of the Amateur Rowing
Association.
The camaraderie enjoyed by rowers is
epitomised by the efforts made to get this crew
reunited, fifty years later. That same camaraderie
also has been harnessed in raising the funds for
the new Fitzwilliam Boathouse. We wish a fond
farewell to the old Boathouse in June and look
forward to the new one rising, like a phoenix
from the ashes, in the autumn. Planning Consents
are awaited, funds are being gathered, building
schedules put in place and valedictory events and
official openings being planned.
We thank all those Members who have
supported the Fitzwilliam Boathouse appeal. A
full list will be published in Optima, once the new
Boathouse is completed.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
annual fund/one golden bond • 9
Fitzwilliam Annual Fund
Money makes the world go around
money makes the world go around • 10
Zoë Shaw (English, 1979)
Zoë Shaw is the CEO and Managing Partner of New Bond Street Asset
Management Limited Liability Partnership. She combines her career as
a successful businesswoman with family life and her recent business
interests in Iceland have enabled her to explore the country and even
catch her first salmon.
She describes how an English degree from Fitzwilliam in 1982
led her to pursue a successful career in banking and gave her the
background to form her own credit fund management company,
managing assets of over three billion Euros.
Some people say that
it is strange that an
English graduate went into
banking which tends to be a
technical business.
This is only partly true,
as banking is a broad
church with many
different functions.
entrepreneurial step and established a new credit
fund management company called ‘New Bond
Street Asset Management’ (a Limited Liability
Partnership). Admittedly this move into fund
management is not a totally new departure –
more an evolution from investment banking
as the product base is similar. However, there
are significant new challenges involved in
organisation, product development and
distribution. Several of my former colleagues
joined me in what is really a low risk hedge fund.
We trade debt obligations issued by corporates,
sovereigns, banks and Asset Backed Securities
(pools of repackaged assets) and offer funds to
banks, pension funds, insurance companies and
other hedge funds worldwide. We currently have
Euro 3.6 bn of assets under management.
I have been very fortunate in working with
some marvellous international people, and this
is particularly true of the sponsors of our fund,
an Icelandic bank called ‘Kaupthing’. They are our
corporate partner and provided seed capital for our
business. Kaupthing is one of the world’s top eight
fastest growing banks and a member of the top
two hundred largest banks. Their financial acumen
has helped Icelandic corporates to buy some of our
best known high street names such as Hamleys toy
shop, Goldsmiths, the jewellery retailer, Iceland
Foods (now part of the Big Food Group) and Karen
Millen the women’s apparel chain. Iceland is a
wonderful place to visit and since I am always
keen to try new things I was delighted to go fishing
(with, amongst others, Karen Millen herself ),
white water rafting and riding in this fascinating
country.
Nevertheless my love of books has not left me
since I have written and edited two financial
textbooks and lectured at international seminars
from Helsinki to Hong Kong. I often joke with my
colleagues that we should collectively write a novel
based on our experiences in the City, the only
problem is that people would regard it as pure
fiction!
The question that troubled me at University was,
“What career could I pursue having studied English
Literature?” What did it qualify me to do? Twentyfive years later I am glad to say quite a lot. I left Fitz
in 1982 and started work with a US Bank. After
progressing through a number of product and
marketing roles in debt capital markets I became
Head of the Debt Division of a major German Bank
and Joint General Manager of the London Branch.
Some people say that it is strange that an English
graduate went into banking which tends to be a
technical business. This is only partly true, as
banking is a broad church with many different
functions. So what did I get out of learning English
and my life at Fitzwilliam College? I have found
English a very helpful base for my career because
it provided analytical reasoning (essential in all
businesses), the ability to reduce complex ideas
to summary form and the skill to write marketing
material for international consumption.
At Fitz I had both friends and tutors who were
foreign nationals. Amusingly my English tutor
at Fitz, Eric Warner, also went into Investment
banking! Later, this introduction to an
international perspective served me well as I built
up a department where we had twelve different
nationalities working in three different locations
(Berlin, London and Dublin). To generate business
I travelled weekly to Berlin (literally driving
through the Brandenberg Gate) to our HQ in the
old East Berlin. I also spent a lot of time in Central
Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia,
Hungary, Poland and the Czech
Republic working with local banks
to open up their markets to foreign
investment and create efficient
financial entities borrowing on the
international capital markets.
Nevertheless, success wouldn’t
have been possible without a lot
of specialist training which the
Americans gave me (finance,
accounting etc) and something else
critical to many career paths – a
commitment to lifelong learning
and an ability to reinvent oneself!
Now why do I say this? Well
Zoë with ghillie and first catch ( a salmon), Iceland
I recently took a more
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Run, run as fast as you can,
you can’t catch me I’m a
Fitzwilliam man – or woman,
as the case may be. Two
articles follow: The first
reports the achievements
and aspirations of Silke
Pichler, a postgraduate
student at Fitzwilliam and
a marathon and triathlon
competitor and the second
features the triumphant
Fitzwilliam “Chariots of
Fire” team.
Silke running a half marathon in
New York, 2003
Silke and the Ironman
Austrian born, Silke Pichler is studying for an
MPhil in Computational Biology in order to
acquire expertise to extend her research on the
genetics of Drosophila. Her three-year fellowship
from the Austrian Academy of Science funds both
her work and her hobby. She is a long-legged,
177 cm, extremely fit, 32 year old athlete who
competes seriously in marathon, triathlon and
ironman competitions.
She first took up running in High School but
didn’t compete in competitions until much later.
As a PhD student in Heidelberg, she practised
cycling and running on the forest tracks of the
Odenwald. Last year she qualified for the Half
Ironman World Championships by becoming
third in her class at Longleat in September and
clocking the qualifying times: cycling 56 miles
in 3h 20; swimming 1.2 miles in 45 minutes and
running 13.1 miles in 1h 33. So, in November she
joins one hundred other athletes from around the
world and heads for Florida for the World
Championships.
Silke doesn’t just do ironman distances; in
August 2005 she was third in the London triathlon
Olympic distance (swimming 1500m, cycling 40
km and running 10 km). She took first place in the
Cambridge triathlon in her group and was fifth
overall, winning a gold medal and also won “the
Picnic”, a full marathon distance cross-country
race held outside London. She was second in the
Humber Bridge half marathon, a thirteen-mile
race that includes crossing the Humber Bridge.
She ran both the New York marathon and the
Boston marathon in 3h 13, coming in the top three
percent of runners. Her times will guarantee her
a Championship place in the London marathon
so she will start out front with other fast runners.
All this isn’t achieved without effort. She runs
and swims each day for two hours, cycles for 5–6
hours at weekends and does strength training
twice a week in the gym. Last year took its toll with
three marathons, two cross-country races, four
half marathons, one half ironman, a National
aquathlon (running and swimming) and two
Olympic distance triathlons. When asked last
year about the state of her body she said, “Aching
at the moment”. This year, she plans to be more
selective so she can perform better at the World
Championships, resting more and working
towards an improved performance. Her coach,
Tim Williams, at the Cambridge Triathlon Club,
is helping her achieve this.
It isn’t just physical preparation; there is mental
preparation as well. In a triathlon the distinct
stages have to be performed correctly or time
penalty points are awarded. The event begins
with the swimming where a neoprene suit is worn
over the shorts and vest needed for the other
disciplines. After the swim, the competitor runs
into the transition zone shedding the suit and
picking up their cycle helmet. The bicycle is
pushed from the zone and at a certain point they
mount the bike and slip their feet into the shoes.
The correct route must be cycled to the next
transition zone where the cycle is abandoned and
running shoes donned for the final leg.
Her next ambition is to break through the threehour time barrier for the marathon and be in the
first ten in the triathlon championships. She
would eventually like to complete in the Olympics
under the Austrian flag. This is within her reach.
Her current time of 3h 13m is a good basis to
improve from and she is sure she can become
faster. She will work on better body preparation
with full hydration the day before a race and
a balanced diet with plenty of soya (she is a
vegetarian) and powergel during the race to
keep energy levels up. She will choose her races,
preferring European marathons (no jet lag) and
with the support of colleagues to boost her
performance. She will concentrate on time and
pace, knowing that to achieve a time of 3h 13m,
each mile must be completed in 7.3 minutes.
Proper cooling down time after the race is also
important, keeping moving and using ice where
necessary for tired muscles.
We wish her the very best for a successful World
Championship race!
Chariots of Fire
Edmund, Kaj, Peter, Richard and Andy
proudly show off their trophy
This may conjure up visions of the 1981 film of the
same name of two men chasing dreams of glory,
featuring famous names such as John Gielgud,
Ben Cross and Nigel Havers or it may bring back
memories of the famous score by Vangelis.
Wrong! On 18 September 2005, a team of six
represented Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge’s
premier fun run (a relay race of 1.7 miles through
the City Centre in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s
Hospice) and won the Collegiate Section.
Andy Bell (Mathematics 2003), Richard Benwell
(History 2001), Kaj Bernhardt (Biochemistry
2003), Roman Roth (Classics 1996), Peter Tregear
(Fellow and Director of Music) and Edmund Ward
(Materials Science 2004) finished seventh overall
with a time of 57.10; not bad considering there is
provision for 420 teams of six.
So Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, your
memory lives on as we salute a victorious
Fitzwilliam team.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
running • 11
In the running
law students • 12
Taking the law into their own hands
Three law students talk about the benefit of work experience
placements courtesy of the help of Members. Ian Redfearn worked in
America at a specialised State Government Public Policy Institute, Hyo
Joo Kim spent two weeks in Sydney in the chambers of Peter Semmler
QC (Law 1969) and Richard Gal assisted with the preparation of
motions to the court for the appeal of an offender on Death Row in
Texas. All benefited greatly from the experience and would like to
thank the College alumni and the College for grants from College
Travel Funds.
Capitol Campus in Olympia
Hyo in Peter Semmler’s office, overlooking
Sydney Harbour
Richard near Lake Placid
If any other Member from the wider
Fitzwilliam community could help a
current undergraduate with a work
experience placement, advice about
a career or even as a contact in a
new place, please get in touch. The
above reports illustrate how useful
work experience placements can be
to the students and we would like to
build up our list of alumni who can
offer help.
Ian Redfearn (Law 2004)
Ian, with an interest in the criminal justice system,
spent four weeks at the Washington State Institute
for Public Policy at Olympia, south of Seattle. The
Director of the Institute, Roxanne Leib had spent a
year in Cambridge at the Institute of Criminology
and got to know Nicky Padfield (Director of
Studies in Law at Fitzwilliam), thus the link.
Ian’s remit was collating and checking data
for a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of sex
offender treatment programmes. He also did
some work on a secondary project on the
provision of educational services for immigrant
students of High School age. He found the work
interesting and was well received by the twenty
or so colleagues at the Institute who came from
a variety of backgrounds including public policy,
economics, law and statistics.
He found a room nearby and his landlady and
other colleagues took him to see Mount St Helens
volcano and other local sites of interest. He also
went to the obligatory baseball game and visited
Seattle. His trip to the States was organised with
the assistance of British Universities North
America Club (BUNAC) who helped with flights
and paperwork.
Hyo Joo Kim (Law 2004)
Hyo hails from London and combined a month
long trip to see relatives in Australia with a
placement at the Sir James Martin Chambers in
Sydney. It is the workplace of Peter Semmler QC,
a distinguished Fitzwilliam Member (see Optima V)
who is known internationally for two notable
cases. In one historic case in 2001, he won record
damages for a lady bar attendant, disabled by
passive smoking. He was also in involved in Moran
vs Moran, a case of domestic violence culminating
in the suicide of the son, which made international
headlines.
Hyo has developed an interest in tort law
(personal injury) and was able to spend some time
in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, attend
court with Judge Rolfe, a District Court Judge and
talk to employees at the large practice. She also
spent some time at Carroll and O’Dea, a local
solicitors’ firm where she was able to sit in on
some client meetings. She attended a meeting
with Qantas concerning their poor service to a
disabled passenger, which resulted in profuse
apologies but a pitiful compensation settlement
from the airline. She was able to look at case
histories and evaluate some of the differences
between Australian and English Law. She even
had lunch with some ex-Fitz members including
Christopher Teague (Economics, 1976) and others.
They questioned her about Fitz today including
which pubs the students frequented and how the
Boathouse appeal was going!
Richard Gal (Law 2004)
Richard, who has an interest in criminal law,
found a placement with the Texas Defender
System (TDS), a charity which advises those who
seek to appeal on behalf of Death Row inmates
in the State of Texas. A chain of contacts starting
with Fitz alumnus, Michael Ross (MSt
Criminology 2005) led to an eventual contact with
John Nilaind, a capital punishment head attorney
with the TDS, who took Richard on to assist in
the preparation of the case to free Max Soffar.
Soffar had confessed twenty-five years
previously to the murders of several people in a
bowling alley during a robbery. Questions had
arisen concerning the validity of the statements,
the competence of the lawyers and a number of
other legal issues, leading to the granting of a
re-trial. This is not unusual in the States. During
Richard’s stay, he protested against the killing of
Frances Newton, a black woman who had spent
twenty-four years on death row. Despite protests
she was killed by lethal injection while he was in
the States. Texas is one of the States to still have
the death penalty and three other people were
executed during the three months Richard spent
in America.
Richard prepared motions for the court on
various aspects of the Soffar case and even met
the offender on a visit to Harris County Jail. Soffar
wore an orange prison suit, his hands and legs
were cuffed and there was thick glass between
them. The offender had an institutionalised
demeanour although was excited to have visitors
and talked volubly for half an hour finishing by
thanking Richard and the lawyers for working
on his case. Richard found the encounter quite
harrowing but the experience of working in Texas
was invaluable. He learned about the American
justice system, the ways of jury selection and the
financing of appeals via charity donations. It was
a tremendous introduction to his second year
option on sentencing and the penal system.
Flights, accommodation, subsistence and travel
added up to over a thousand pounds so the grant
from the Fitwilliam Travel Fund towards his costs
proved extremely helpful.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Alumni luncheon, Tanglin Club, August 2002
Paul Wakelin presenting Professor Johnson
with the Tanglin Club shield
Professor Johnson with Dr Lee Suan Yew and
the Tanglin Club shield
Setting up regional groups of Members on a
worldwide basis has been looked at previously
on an ad hoc basis but due to the sparsity of
Fitzwilliam alumni living within a given radius, it
has been difficult to achieve. The most active has
been the Singapore Chapter, members of which
have come together historically for visits from the
Fitzwilliam Fellowship on a number of occasions.
In 1993, Paul Wakelin (1958) joined with Dr Lee
Suan Yew (1954) and Victor Chew (1950) to host
cocktails at the Tanglin Club for any existing
Fitzwilliam alumni they could track down when
the then Master, Professor Alan Cuthbert visited
with Irving Scott (1959). Professor Cuthbert also
met up with Lee Kuan Yew (Dr Lee Suan Yew’s
brother) who had read Law at Fitzwilliam House
from 1946 –1949 and had gone on to have a
distinguished career, eventually becoming Prime
Minister of Singapore. He is now Minister Mentor
and an Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College.
In 1994 the Bursar, Christopher Pratt met up with
alumni in Hong Kong and Singapore followed in
1996 by Nicky Padfield (Fitzwilliam Law Fellow)
who visited a number of Junior Colleges in
Singapore culminating in a dinner in the Prima
Canton Restaurant attended by seven Members
and coordinated by Nigel Penny (1966). The
same year, Dr Robin Porter Goff (Life Fellow)
and his wife undertook a Swan Hellenic cruise
commencing at Singapore and entertained three
different Members on board the M V Minerva.
Nicky, as College President, went back in
October 2000 to conduct entrance interviews and
met up with Dr Lee Suan Yew, Victor Chew and
Paul Wakelin in the Tanglin Club for a Singapore
Members’ dinner. Chris also was back in
Singapore in 2001 as a judge for the prestigious
Asia Pacific Cup English Presentation Contest
which is sponsored by Tsuzuki Sogo Gakuen and
attracts thousands of entrants from High Schools
and Universities throughout Asia. While there he
hosted a reception at the Tanglin Club for eleven
Fitzwilliam Members. In 2002, Professor Brian
Johnson, former Master, cemented the strong
links with Singapore by attending an alumni
luncheon and being presented with the Tanglin
Club shield.
Singapore is special. It is a small country
(647.5 square kilometres) and although there
are only seventy-four Fitzwilliam Members among
its four million people, distances aren’t great if
they want to get together. If you think of Australia
(7,686,850 square kilometres) or the United States
(9,629,091 square kilometres), Members are
widely dispersed and distances are enormous
so you have to think regionally. This is beginning
to happen. The New York Chapter have now met
twice; the Hong Kong Chapter, once and the
Nashville Chapter have hosted a senior College
Fellow.
On a larger scale, Oxford and Cambridge
Societies already have a presence all over the
world. Indeed, Brian Johnson visited the Oxford
and Cambridge Alumni Club of Andalucia recently
after a chance conversation at the Bumps Supper
in June with Ian Mortimer (1948). It led to his
being guest on honour at a luncheon in November
2005 at the Al Andalus Hotel where he gave a talk
on “Admissions to Oxbridge – the current state of
affairs”.
Professor Johnson with Garcia Aranda (Profesor Titular, Dept of
Inorganic Chemistry, Málaga University)
Returning to Fitzwilliam, we would like to
identify nuclei of Fitz Members all over the world
and are beginning to compile a list of foci and
Members who will act as the point of contact, in
the same way Paul Wakelin has kindly become for
the Singapore Chapter. Would anyone interested
in forming an alumni group or being the principal
contact anywhere else in the world, let us know
(e-mail Emma on [email protected]). We can
thus inform them of visits of College personnel
and keep them up-to-date with College news and
events. They may enjoy meeting up informally and
it will all work to strengthen and unite the wider
Fitzwilliam family.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
singapore • 13
The Singapore Chapter
students swap • 14
Students swap
The Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) was established in July 2000 with
funding from the government and the UK private sector and a remit to:
“Enhance the competitiveness, productivity and entrepreneurship of
the UK economy by improving university-industry knowledge
exchange.” Its educational programme includes the Undergraduate
Student Exchange, now in its fifth year, where students from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) located in Cambridge,
Massachusetts and those from Cambridge University in the UK are
given the opportunity to study at the other institution for a year.
Of the 37 MIT students here last
year, one, Ben Schwartz, a Physics
and Math major, exchanged with
Steve Osborne from Fitzwilliam, a
third year undergraduate reading
Physics. Ben and Steve answer
questions about the exchange:
Why did you choose to participate in the exchange?
Ben: To experience something new and to see what
it was like to be a student in a different educational
system.
Steve: I wanted a change from Cambridge. At MIT
I could take courses other than Physics and choose
which Physics courses to take. Also, I could travel
around North and South America whilst there.
Ben, did you have any choice in which college you came to
and if so, why Fitzwilliam?
Ben: There was a choice but I expressed no
preference, as I had no idea what to expect. 2
out of the 37 MIT exchange students were reading
Physics so I was swapped directly with Steve and
ended up taking his place at Fitzwilliam.
Steve’s fraternity house
Steve by Golden Gate Bridge
How did the institutions, teaching and courses differ?
Ben: Flexibility – Cambridge has a fixed curriculum
for each course with some degree of flexibility
whereas MIT is just the opposite. There are
thousands of courses and a student has the freedom
to choose.There are lists of specific requirements
for subjects and you can attend a certain number
of recommended courses to get a major, less to get
a minor. So, in Cambridge, you choose a course,
say Physics – apply and matriculate in that subject.
In MIT, you sign up as a general student and attend
any courses. At the end of the first year you make a
“Declaration of intent” and choose your field. This
means class sizes in the US are extremely variable
due to the fluctuating interests of the students. A
student usually studies for 3 years in Cambridge,
4 at MIT which allows for a more general education.
Cambridge students are thus focused earlier and
stay focused throughout. For instance, I am
majoring in Physics but must take at least 8
classes in the Humanities. I am studying Spanish
in addition to Physics while here.
Finances – Tuition costs are ten times higher in
the US. 72% of students receive financial aid while
a few join the Forces just to go to University. To
attend a top ‘private’ university in the US costs
about £70,000 over four years.
Teaching – In Cambridge there are only 19 weeks
of lectures so each one is condensed and taken at
speed. Copies of notes and presentation material
are available and supervisions follow which serve
to clarify any points not fully understood. At MIT,
there are thirty weeks of lectures and more lectures
per week. The pace is slower and lectures are more
interactive. I expect a Cambridge student would be
frustrated by the lack of rigour at MIT.
Steve: The Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program (UROP) at MIT is a great idea and
encourages undergraduates into research. You
find a Professor in a field that interests you who is
willing to take you on and you help them with their
research. About 80% of the students do this at some
point. You can choose any subject.
Weekly assessments – At MIT, there are weekly
assessments, so you have to put a lot of effort in to
keep up with your work. You thus learn a lot more
as a result.
How did your accommodation differ?
Ben: I had a beautiful room with a private bathroom
on site. “It was not until I came to Cambridge that I
learned what a lawn was really like”. MIT is a much
more industrial setting and even the University
buildings are functional and uninteresting. In
Cambridge, I appreciated the beautiful buildings
and stylish architecture.
Steve: On MIT campus I would have just had a
dorm room but I lived in a fraternity house. The
house was in one of the wealthiest areas of Boston
(near John Kerry’s house) and had five floors, a
poolroom and employed a chef, five nights a week.
Most rooms were doubles and I shared a huge room
with two fridges, a Play Station 2 and a TV. To live
in a frat you have to pledge and that involves you
doing team-building activities with your housemates
in the first term. My UK colleagues and I chose
not to pledge, but they made us honorary Brothers
anyway!
How was student life different?
Ben: The legal drinking age in the US is 21 so the
formal halls here with wine were an eye-opener.
There are no college bars at MIT and OK, students
drink, but not openly. In the States, we celebrate
with a meal out; in Cambridge we went out drinking.
If you want to drink at MIT, the fourth years (already
21) buy the alcohol and it is consumed quietly
behind closed doors. The other difference is that
MIT is a specialist Science and Engineering
University when here I mixed with a complete
cross section of students from every discipline.
Steve: People in our house were from all over
the US (mostly Texas, Florida and California). The
frat system means that your Brothers will help you
with your work if you are failing a class or fix you up
with a date for a house formal if you don’t have one
or help you mend something that is broken.
Were you able to explore your host country?
Ben: Not as much as I would have liked. I went to
France in June with Cadenza, a University capella
group that I sang with, based at St John’s. I spent
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Ben on the ‘Cambridge Hitch’.
Ben and Steve did not meet.
Competition winners
The Reverend
Stuart Rhodes
(1955), winner of
the competition
in Optima
VII, visited
Cambridge,
with his wife,
Veronica in September and stayed
at the Cambridge Garden House
Moat House. Stuart read Theology
(Wesley House) and recalls a
wonderful occasion when he
chanced upon hearing Albert
Schweitzer playing the organ in
King’s College Chapel during his
first year.
They very much enjoyed
visiting the exhibition of religious
manuscripts in Fitzwilliam
Museum while here and were
returning home to tell their friends
they had seen the Cambridge
illuminations!
Dr Christopher McGuigan (1982)
won the crossword competition
in Optima VIII. Chris is a Clinical
Epidemiologist in Scotland and
won a two for the price of one,
whale-watching trip in Azores,
courtesy of Sarah Bennett (1989)
of Archipelago Azores
(www.azoreschoice.com).
Chris and Andrea plan to visit
the Azores in July and we hope to
feature a photo of their trip in a
subsequent magazine.
What do you think you got out of the exchange?
Ben: It is easy to get burned out in the US as
we work all the time. The change of scenery
freshened me up and I’ve returned with renewed
energy.
Steve: I want to keep in contact with the guys in
the house and go back and visit them. I did things
I could never have done in Cambridge and I did
more travelling. I got to know some leading
researchers in my field which will be a big help
if I go on to do research.
What are your best/worst memories of your time away?
Ben: The Bumps, sitting in the buttery and talking
to new friends, doing things I would not have done
in the States like ‘The Cambridge Hitch’. I hitched
from Cambridge to Morocco in five days for charity.
We don’t hitch much in America due to the
perception of danger.
My worst memory was finding my way around
cities. I am used to a grid system so navigation
was difficult with all the narrow, unsigned streets.
Steve: Living in the frat house and getting to know
the people there was great. I enjoyed my weekends
in New York and Washington.
Do you hope to return to the country/institution of your
exchange?
Ben: I don’t expect to, but the academic world
is small. I might end up as a Professor here!
Steve: I’d rather live in the UK but go to graduate
school in the US. They have much better facilities,
more money and you can go on taking classes that
interest you as well as core stuff.
Competition 2006
1
4
2
3
Spot the destination of Brian-the-Goat, the travelling companion of Neil
Rickards (1998). He is a well-seasoned traveller and correctly naming the
four destinations in the photographs below may win you half a case of a
very special wine.
The prize is 6 bottles of “Goats do Roam” kindly supplied by Fairview
Wines of South Africa (www.fairview.co.za), described as “juicy ripe red and
black berry fruit with a dash of spice”. Goats do Roam is a favourite of the
Billygoats and often appears on the menu at Boat Club and Fitz Society
dinners.
To enter, simple complete the form below with
the name of the place or monument and the country where
it is found and send it to Dr Sarah Coppendale at Fitzwilliam
College, Cambridge CB3 0DG by 30 June 2006. The winner
will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by
the closing date.
1 …………………………………………………………..............
2 ………………….....……………………….............
3 ……………………………………………............................
4 ………………….....……………...........……........
Name: …………………………………. Telephone: ……………………...…….. E-mail: ………………....……………
Address: .……………………………………………………………………………..............………………………………….
List any Fitz members with whom you are in contact (to help us locate “lost sheep”):
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………....................................................…………………………………………………………………….
students swap/competition • 15
five days in London at Christmas when my
family came over.
Steve: I spent Thanksgiving weekend and
Christmas in New York and have also visited
Washington. My advisor invited four of us
physicists, for a weekend in New Hampshire
where he has a house by the lake and we did
kayaking, water skiing and sailing. I spent
more time travelling around when term
ended.
News and Events at Fitzwilliam
Emma Camps
Events and Alumni
Relations
Development Office
Fitzwilliam College
Cambridge cb3 0dg
telephone:
+ 44 (0) 1223 332034
email:
events@fitz.cam.ac.uk
Career Networking
Hopefully you will have seen the flyer about this new
scheme in the Journal. We are appealing to our Members
to join our database of professional experts who can
offer careers advice, guidance and work experience to
our current students. Fitz students will be able to view
our Career Contacts’ profiles and send a message to
them via the Fitz website.
Huge thanks goes to Fitz Society President, Sarah
Asplin QC who initiated the scheme. Sarah introduced
the idea to Members who attended the London Drinks
evening in February and already 100 Members have
joined. Many thanks to all of you.
The scheme will be officially launched in May. For it
to be a success, we need your help. If you would like to
receive a brochure containing full details, please contact
the Development Office.
Master’s Appearance in Chicago…
At the end of October, the Master will be attending a
conference at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.
Whilst the Master is in the States, he would like to take
the opportunity to meet with our Members. Therefore,
he will be hosting a dinner in Chicago on Saturday 21st
October.
All Members and their partners are invited to attend.
Invitations to our US Members will be sent shortly.
Back to his Roots
To celebrate his 60th birthday, the Master will be
returning to New York, the place of his birth, for some
festivities. The Master and Mrs Lethbridge invite our
US Members and their partners to join them.
On Friday 23rd February 2007, the Master will be
hosting a three-course dinner at the Harvard Club.
Invitations will be sent shortly to all our US Members.
College Colours – Wear them with Pride
If you represented Fitz in any sport at the highest level
(ie first team or first boat), you have earned your College
Colours. Ties and scarves are available to purchase by all
those who are eligible. The design incorporates the lion
from the College crest with a pattern of lozenges in Fitz
colours. The silk scarf is 32" x 32" and costs £15. The
ties are available in polyester and silk, they’re priced at
£8.50 and £15.
If you believe you are eligible, please send details of
your team, the years you played, honours (ie Cuppers
Winner) and positions (ie Captain, Treasurer) along with
payment to the Development Office. Payment can be by
credit or debit card or by cheque – payable to
‘Fitzwilliam College’.
Transforming Tomorrow
Cambridge University launched its 800th Anniversary
Campaign in New York and San Francisco in November
2005 with two ‘Cambridge in America’ days. The Vice
Chancellor of the University, Dr Alison Richard spoke
on “transforming tomorrow” and the challenges faced
by the University in order to remain a beacon of
international excellence. At both of these events, Dr
David Starkey (1964) gave the keynote address to a
packed audience of alumni and their guests. David,
Local Overseas Chapters
Fitzwilliam College has an established calendar of
events in the UK, but events around the globe are
currently few and far between. The Development Office
is working hard to start Overseas Chapters that will give
our Members the opportunity to meet with others in
their area. A list of our new Overseas Chapters can be
seen in the centre pages of the Journal along with details
of the Local Contact.
Already this year, the New York and Hong Kong
Chapters have held events, the New South Wales
Chapter is having a drinks evening in November and
the Singapore Chapter is in the process of organising
a social evening too. I hope to report on many more
events throughout the rest of the year.
Dates for your Diary
4th May 2006
London Dinner
17th June 2006
Bumps Supper
24th June 2006
Past v Present Cricket Match
1st July 2006
Degree Day
16th Sept 2006
Prisons & Probation Dinner
22nd–24th Sept 2006 Reunion Weekend
21st Oct 2006
Chicago Dinner
25th Nov 2006
NSW Drinks Evening
23rd Feb 2007
New York Dinner
For further information and tickets for musical
events, please telephone the Porters’ Lodge on
01223 332000
a Bye Fellow of Fitzwilliam and a historian of world
renown, spoke on the origins and early history of
Cambridge University. We are proud to have such an
ambassador for Fitzwilliam.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
David Starkey at the New York
launch (Don Pollard)
Designed and printed by Cambridge Printing, the printing business of Cambridge University Press. www.cambridgeprinting.org
news & events • 16
by Emma
Camps