Optima 4

Optima issue 4 • spring / summer 2003

CONTENTS

The Master’s message

2 Varsity News the current state of play in Fitz and University sport

For me, as a member of the immediate post-45 war generation, tertiary education offered a highly attractive and positive way forward. Attractive At last!

A Fund for Modern Languages because it represented a free-thinking, less restrictive lifestyle and an opportunity to do so many of the 3 Special Feature things seemingly denied to my parents. Positive Katy Watson spends a year in because it provided the opportunity to extend my Mexico, and muses on more than Mariachi Bands knowledge, my capabilities and vision; essential (at least it seemed to be) to the gateway for a better 4 Topped Out future. Provided my O-level and A-level standards Fitz’s building programme were up-to-scratch, I was safe in the knowledge that reaches a pinnacle a maintenance grant would be available and 6 Views from the top sufficient to support my day-to-day living expenses.

Dermot Gleeson and his views (Tuition fees were provided by government!) on political thought I suppose my vision of the University lifestyle 7 A Vision of the Future came primarily from my exposure to the films of the Michael Frantzis re-traces his time and certainly “Doctor in the House” with Dirk path from Fitz to architectural Bogarde and Kenneth More, had a strong influence photography in Brasil on my innocent mind. Despite the restrictions of the 8 Take a Bow! time – a nation recovering from the War and all that Alan George from the – there was an enormous optimism. Newsreels were Fitzwilliam Quartet, and why full of exciting new inventions and discoveries – of they keep coming back to Fitz. the type – Dunlop announces a tubeless tyre! Rover develops a gas-turbine! End of tuberculosis in sight!

9 Richard Hooley Fitzwilliam’s Director of Law And all this national optimism helped to propel us leaves for London, but not withforward. Films such as “Lucky Jim” with Ian out a little nostalgia Carmichael, “I’m all right Jack” again with Ian Carmichael and Peter Sellers, “Room at the Top” with 10 Ray Kelly, Lawrence Harvey and the divine Simone Signoret who’s forgotten more than most of us know about Fitzwilliam, parodied the status quo and led us to believe – dare I opens a window on his memories say it – in the Brave New World just around the corner. We were confident that Science and 11 Sur-prize!

Technology would support this change; we were The highs and highs of teaching in Nepal, by Steve Farndon enamoured with the academic process and all the advances that a degree would provide, not only to Rear View the individual but also to national prosperity. the Journal of yesteryear I remind you, I began with “for me” because this 12 Events at Fitzwilliam very rosy view is very much a personal recollection, Emma Camps gives us a taste of but one I know resonates with my friends from the the delights to come same period. Of course we were aware of the misery and despair so obvious throughout much of the world but somehow we felt that the rapid progress in Science, Technology and Political Thought would solve these problems. Nevertheless, when I am asked – as I frequently am by a member “Why should I support the College?” (and rightly so too) my thoughts return to my earlier days The Master with some lucky ladies (or is it the other way around?) and my own experiences. The life at the Valentine’s Dinner in February blood of the College is the student

The Master, Tony Steadman and the Bursar celebrate the Topping Out of Gatehouse court with a beer

Certainly “Doctor in the House” had a strong influence on my innocent mind. body. Students really don’t change, they are as good as ever and in some ways better. Certainly, their concern for the less privileged, their love of art, drama and music, their participation in sport and other College activities, and their attitude towards academic work surpasses that of my generation.

But, I see the need for greater support and care than we required. The modern undergraduate has far greater financial burdens to bear and is certainly more aware of the stress imposed by the modern academic approach. I would like our College to take heed of these pressures and find ways to reduce them. We have always been the College of access.

For us, the current Government castigation is meaningless. I believe from what I hear from our Members over an extensive period, that we have a reputation as a College that truly cares about its students and offers support when it is most needed – the vulnerable years. It is my wish to sustain that reputation and enhance it.

My very best wishes to you all and I look forward to seeing many of you (and your families?) in College for one of those unforgettable dinners or lunches (Saturday lunch is highly recommended).

Why not e-mail me with your views and let me know how you are getting along. I guarantee a reply.

master@fitz.cam.ac.uk

varsity news / mml fund • 2

Varsity News To visit the Cambridge University Sport Website, go to: www.sport.cam.ac.uk To visit one of the Fitzwilliam College Sports Websites, go to the Student Societies Page at: www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/ students

Tony Jorden (1967) at Twickenham in 1968 in the Varsity Rugby Team

Tony Jorden at Twickenham in 1968, pictured) shows no signs of waning!

Martin Purdy and Jason Reilly (lifting Martin) at Twickenham in 2002

To participate in one of the Past versus Present matches/rows at the Reunion this year, e-mail Emma at events@fitz.cam.ac.uk (mixed hockey, women’s and men’s football, men’s rugby, women’s and men’s rowing)

Cambridge was the overall victor in the Annual Varsity Games in February this year – the University defeated Oxford 33-18. The win was obtained with the help of more than a dozen Fitzwilliam students who played on Varsity teams. Chee Tung Leon played Varsity Badminton, Claire Foister competed in Netball (pictured) and Duncan Sharp captained the University’s Small Bore team. This capped off an excellent year for Fitz students in Varsity, as Martin Purdy (pictured being lifted by Jason Reilly) clearly shows. The image of his catch in the Varsity Men’s Rugby Match warranted a two-page spread in the Cambridge Evening News (both he and Claire also competed in the Varsity athletics match). Clearly, the tradition of sport at Fitz (such as

Records of Blues achieved at Fitzwilliam are very good until the mid 1980’s. If you obtained a Blue after that time, or know someone who does, please e-mail Carol on development@fitz.cam.ac.uk

Claire Foister (top left) and the Varsity Netball Team after their win against Oxford

At Last! A Fund for Modern Languages In April 2003 over 110 Modern and Medieval Linguists descended on Fitzwilliam for the biggest MML function Fitzwilliam had seen for a decade. Guests came from all over the world to catch up with old friends over dinner, and view the changes (or lack thereof!) in the College since their time as undergraduates.

They also had the opportunity to hear first-hand of the launch of the new Modern and Medieval Linguists Fund. The Fund is the first at Fitzwilliam to be Dr John Leigh at the MML Dinner specifically intended for Linguist students.

Although more than two dozen Linguists study at in April this year Fitzwilliam every year, neither the College nor the Cost of a Linguist’s textbook: students themselves receive any financial support from £50 the Faculty. This is despite the fact that many Linguists are unable to finance the minimum £500 necessary to Cost of a study trip abroad: fund a study trip to the country of their chosen £500 language, in preparation for their aural exams. In All students for one year to order to ensure that this vital aspect of students’ take a study trip abroad: studies is not overlooked, the College aims (by the £5,000 start of the academic year in 2004) to raise enough money to fund a short course abroad for every Linguist A quarter of the College’s goal: at Fitzwilliam prior to their aural. This means raising a £25,000 minimum £100,000.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

Dr John Leigh, Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages said: “This Fund is a wonderful development for Linguists at Fitz. The students appreciate enormously the assistance they’ll receive as a result. I do hope our former Linguists will do whatever they can to support us”.

You can make a significant difference to the success of the MML Fund by filling out the relevant section in the centre pages.

The split of languages amongst current MML students

Special Feature In 2002-3, three MML students at Fitzwilliam have had the opportunity to spend ‘a year abroad’ – a year studying at a University, or finding full-time employment in a country where the language is one of those they have been reading at Fitz. Katy Watson is studying Spanish and Italian and is currently spending her year abroad in Mexico. She writes about how she has found the location, the language, and the latino approach to life …

Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan

… for me, the people are the most important aspect of a nation, and learning through them is the best way to get a feel for a country

Church in the main square of San Miguel de Allende

Jalisco’s … saving grace is that it is home to tequila which makes up for the mariachi overkill here

The Mexican coast at Tulum, in the Yucatan

Sangria versus Sol and tortillas versus tacos, touristy Benidorm versus tropical beaches – faced with decisions such as these, together with the fact that Spain is so near to home, I opted for Mexico for my third year abroad. I wanted to do Colonial Church in the something different and city of Guanajuato distant, so with having to choose between Italy and Hispanic countries for my degree, Mexico seemed to offer the most, being such a big and diverse country.

I wanted to study rather than work, so I decided to spend a year doing something that I would have wanted to do if I had not studied Italian and Spanish, opting for courses in international relations and journalism at the University of Guadalajara. The university has 180,000 students and the city of Guadalajara itself has a population of nearly 6 million, but both feel much smaller than they really are and so I have got to know my way around really quickly.

The university system is completely different to that of any British university in that we do not have lectures but classes of three hours, so meeting Mexicans is relatively easy, especially as they are always so interested in meeting us foreigners (of which there are very few). In addition, the discursive, active nature of classes where we have to interact, means that I end up speaking far more than I would have done had I gone to university in Europe. Some classes are really dynamic, making masks, visiting anthropology museums to do some sketching, and even acting. I have to hold three-hour presentations which unnerved me at first but I suppose that is part of the year abroad – you manage to do the impossible, be it speaking Spanish to natives, or writing 2,000 word essays!

People might well question what is so different from university life in Britain and what I am actually getting out of it. Well, for me, the people are the most important aspect of a nation, and learning through them is the best way to get a feel for a country. It is easy to make friends here and being with them, observing people in the streets and Mexican life in general is great. Even getting on a bus to the faculty is full of surprises, whether

it is the speed, the music or the décor of the bus, it always brightens my day!

Talking of travelling, Mexico offers an abundance of beauty. In the summer, I went to the Yucatán peninsula, on the eastern side of Mexico, and as long as you avoid the concrete (so-called) heaven that is Cancún, you can chill out on incredible white sand beaches and swim in clear waters, with few people to disturb the tranquility. Mexican towns are veritable treasures too and where I live there is a plethora of colonial towns nearby to spend a quiet weekend.

My city, the colonial Guadalajara, is in the state of Jalisco, which is relatively close to sprawling Mexico City and to the resort of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast. It is home to Mariachi music but I will forgive it that (I liked it when I came, but I have had enough of the guitar strumming and serenading to last my stay here). The State’s saving grace is that it is home to tequila which makes up for Authentic Mexican Beer! the mariachi overkill here.

In fact, my impressions of Mexico have really changed since living here. No longer is it a country filled to the brim with sombreros, tacos, mariachis and latin lovers, it long lost that exotic (yet trite) image for me. I have come full circle, through a love-hate relationship and now affection for Mexico. Of course, these stereotypes do exist (like the latin lovers, who just become far too excited about us foreign girls, especially my housemate who is a 6 foot blonde German), but I have discovered far more in terms of attitudes, ways of life and the nature of Mexico seen from living here, as opposed to the typical images we have. The Mexican identity is a fascinating and confusing one, not just for foreigners, but for Mexicans themselves. The fusion of the Spanish and the indigenous, the problems and the enriching results can explain so much about the country and is material for an article in itself. Anyway, despite these complexities, my experience of Christmas Day in Chihuahua with four inches of snow and then New Year on a beach can’t be bad.

If you would like to give to the Modern and Medieval Languages Fund – to help students like Katy continue to study abroad – please turn to the centre pages for further information.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

special feature – katy watson • 3

A World Away

Please Help Us!

please help us! • 4

The End is Nigh but …

This will be the final time at which the building of Gatehouse Court can be described as ‘work in progress’.

By the next edition of Optima, it will be complete.

It is difficult to contemplate the Buildings Programme without dramatically contrasting feelings. There is certainly enthusiasm for the project, and intense excitement at seeing the buildings approach completion, but the current shortfall in the funding for the Gatehouse, and Theatre/Auditorium Projects cannot but cool some of the exhilaration.

Despite the College’s best efforts, and some success in reducing the funding shortfall (with extremely generous donations from John Stanley (1956), the Clothworkers’ and Wolfson Foundations), there remains £1.33 million pounds to raise before the Building Programme can be fully funded. As the first two phases of the Programme approach completion, the need for support The crane at sunset, photographed by Yin Wu for the Project grows ever more urgent.

We have come a long way from our initial target of £12.20 million – with only £1.33 million to go, we are almost there. The College needs and values your support

more than ever, in helping us to finish our task of Completing Fitzwilliam.

If you are considering giving to the New Buildings Fund, please turn to the giving section at the centre of Optima. More than ever before, your gifts would be greatly appreciated.

Total Cost of Building Programme 12.20

College

Donations

Balance

Plan of the Theatre / Auditorium Music Room Music Room Music Room

Stage

Theatre Seats

Gallery Seats

Foyer Gallery

Students from Fitz performing Gypsy this year

… Your Name Can Last Forever The primary function of the new Theatre/ Auditorium will be to provide a forum for students involved in music, drama, fine art, and other types of performance to develop, and demonstrate their talent. If you would like to support students of Fitzwilliam in these areas, donating to the Fitzwilliam Building Fund is a College band Richie Rich and the highly effective way of ensuring that students at Moneymakers in full flow Fitz involved in the arts get the support and facilities they need.

What’s more, Fitzwilliam is proud to be able to give its Members the opportunity to have their name permanently connected to the Building.

A show stopping moment in Gypsy

1 Wording is subject to the limitations associated with engraving.

All gifts of £1,000 or more can be made in instalments

Sponsor a Seat Support a Row of Seats Gallery Seating Sunken Garden Music Room Benefactor Patron of the Foyer Gallery

£100 £1,000 £10,000 £25,000 £50,000 £100,000

By giving £100 to the Fitzwilliam Theatre/ Auditorium for example, you will be entitled to the naming of a seat of your choice in the auditorium, with a plaque commemorating your donation, worded according to your wishes1.

You can request naming privileges in the Theatre/ Auditorium, by going to the centre pages, and filling out the giving form.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

Bursar’s Report on Progress and Topping Out GREAT AND GOOD FACTS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT GATEHOUSE COURT The crane is forty metres high (131ft), and has a jib (reach) sixty metres long (196ft) The ensuite bathrooms have been delivered as complete ‘pods’ Each pod comprises a toilet, shower and basin and include tiling and all accessories such as towel rails etc. There are 42 pods in Gatehouse Court Approximately 65,000 bricks will be used to construct Gatehouse Court The window shutters will be made of Oregan pine In any one day around sixty people will be working on-site Gatehouse Court will add three new Staircases to Fitzwilliam: W (Woflson), X, and Y

Since Easter, life has been exciting. The student body has been divided between those wanting silence in the run-up to finals and those wanting to ensure that their rooms for October are ready on time. Builders like to get going early; students do not. Somehow, now that May Week has arrived, everyone is happy. Builders, as well has students, have enjoyed A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the lawn of The Grove. It remains exciting as the race continues to finish in time for next Term – and hopefully just before that, so that those attending the Reunion at the end of September can be the first occupants. I promised those who attended the last reunion a new entrance if they came back this year, so most of my days now include at least one visit to urge the builders on.

Gatehouse Court was topped out by the Master on 21 May, an event on the roof, followed by celebrations in the basement and a tour of the new rooms, including one brought forward as a sample of the finished product. Students were delighted (and Fellows mildly surprised) by new levels of luxury and the French en-suite showers.

Some idea of the scale of the College’s new main entrance can now be seen and the beauty of the relationship of the buildings with the copper beeches they enclose is now evident, too.

The Bursar gives a tour of the newly Topped-Out Gatehouse

The Theatre is up to roof level and brickwork to match its neighbour, The Grove, has begun. Plans are already afoot for events designed to show the range of activities for which it can cater, when it is complete in early spring 2004. As well as drama and music, there will be lectures, badminton and a disco (Entz in modern student parlance), with art and other exhibitions in the foyer.

Soon the tower crane and the scaffolding will come down. They will then begin to merge with the college and its re-orientation to face Storey’s Way will at last be restored.

We are holding rigidly to our budget of £8.2million for these two buildings – just as well, since we still have to raise the last £1.33million!

The 1st room to be completed will be a student room on the east wing The average size of a student room is three metres by five metres (9ft x 16ft) The top floor of Gatehouse Court will have a view over Storey’s Way to the Master’s Lodge … and vice versa!

Student rooms in the making, with two pods already in place (bottom right)

Patrons of Gatehouse Court

The Master is presented with a silver trowel from Marriot Construction

40 bedrooms, 6 Gyp rooms, and 2 staircases are available for naming. They can be named in honour of yourself, family and friends, or in memory of someone. Costs associated with these naming opportunities vary, but they are intended to cover the actual cost of construction of the particular element (for example, a student bedroom requires funding of £50,000 to build). If you would like further information please turn to the centre pages, or contact Rossie Ogilvie in the Development Office at development@fitz.cam.ac.uk.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

Artist’s rendering of the finished Gatehouse Court

topping it out! • 5

Topping it out!

Dermot Gleeson (1968) and Fitzwilliam

dermot gleeson • 6

The story of Dermot’s connection with Fitzwilliam College begins with a romantic vision of ancient buildings and traditional customs dating back centuries.

Expectations perhaps slightly at variance with reality.

Growing up in an Irish family, the name ‘Fitzwilliam’ had long been associated with the historic and wealthy Anglo-Irish family of the Earl of Fitzwilliam. So, when offered an Open Scholarship to Fitzwilliam, he immediately accepted, assuming the College itself would be equally ancient. Upon arriving at Huntingdon Road and discovering that the College had been in existence for less than eight years, he could but describe his reaction as “genuine shock”!

The College, however – in terms of both its architecture and those living within it – rapidly became increasingly satisfying. With its approach Dermot Gleeson to the functional needs of College buildings balanced with the careful, elegant lines and angles of brown brick, it had a rare and quiet simplicity in its look. However the University in the late 60s and early 70s – like most other Universities in the Passionate, if sometimes country – was undergoing a period of rather confused discussions considerable student radicalism and neither nor Fitzwilliam College were untouched. echoed throughout the halls Dermot, At Fitzwilliam, those heavily committed to of N staircase radical change often found themselves at odds with other less politicised students. “The divisions within the College often encouraged those who would not ordinarily have been motivated to be vocal within the College, to be so. The College was dynamic and full of energy – there was an abundance of colourful and controversial characters, who made it a very exciting place to be – they added much, as Dr Johnson said about Garrick, to ‘the gaiety of nations’”!

Quintessentially passionate, if sometimes rather confused discussions echoed throughout the halls of N staircase, where Dermot spent his three years in College. He enjoyed the stability of a room on-site throughout his undergraduate Tripos and found Fitz “a lively, very enjoyable place to live and work.”

After graduating, he commenced a PhD focusing on the Tory party during the 1830s-40s and, as part of his early work, he contacted the Conservative Research Department. He soon returned to the Department for a job, and found that the ‘Research’ they did was something rather different to his more academic expectations.

Rather than the Tories of the 19th Century: Title page of Wayper’s Political Thought “… within two months I found myself undertaking policy research for the Shadow Cabinet of the day. Shortly afterwards, I was given the task of briefing Ted Heath, and subsequently If you would like to help the Margaret Thatcher, for Prime Minister’s College make the most of its Questions. The excitement caused me to re-think potential by making a gift to the my ambition to become an academic”.

Building Fund, please turn to He did not however, forget what he had learned the centre pages for at College: “Invaluable to me was the teaching of more information.

C L Wayper, who had supervised my History studies

and had published a little known but invaluable gem of a book, Teach Yourself Political Thought. It proved hugely helpful when preparing my contributions to the intense debates that took place within the party in that period about the philosophical stance it should adopt.” Dermot went on to become Head of the Home Affairs section of the Conservative Research Department until 1977, when he joined the European Commission as a speechwriter for one of the British Commissioners, Christopher Tugendhat.

He returned to the UK in 1982 and joined the M J Gleeson Group plc (founded by his great uncle in 1903). The Group is involved in all aspects of the construction and property industries. From 1988 he was the Chief Executive and in 1994, he became

Fellows’ Lawn in the early 1960s

Chairman. It is in fact this role which has given Dermot the opportunity to put into practice one of his most cherished political convictions, namely that commercial success and social responsibility can be mutually reinforcing rather than mutually exclusive: “The Gleeson Group sees itself as, above all else, a special kind of community. And our fundamental objective is to protect and strengthen that community by continuously improving our skills and deploying them ever more effectively for the benefit of our customers, our shareholders and society more widely. For us shareholder value is a means to an end, not an end in itself to which all other considerations, including the well-being of our employees should be sacrificed.”

The record suggests that these are not just idle words. In 2002, the Sunday Times declared Gleeson, whose employees own about 15% of its shares, one of the best 100 Companies in the country to work for.

In 2003, the Company has been included in the FTSE4 Index of socially responsible quoted firms, and Dermot himself holds a number of challenging outside posts, including a governorship of the BBC. But despite the hectic pace, Dermot has also made time to revisit Fitzwilliam and notes both the continuities and the changes: “While still eager to embrace diversity, the College now seems more at ease with itself and the students and academic staff appear to have a much greater sense of confidence with respect to their place within the broader university community. It is impossible not to be hugely impressed.”

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

Ray joined Fitzwilliam House in 1952, having arrived in Cambridge in 1950 after three years in Paris. He obtained a Cambridge MA and began his career at Trinity Hall.

Shortly afterward, he made the move to Fitzwilliam House, and this is where our story begins…

I visited Fitzwilliam House to be interviewed by the Censor, WS Thatcher, for the post of Director of Studies in Modern Languages. The building itself on Trumpington Street was clearly in need of refurbishing – there were still coal fires in Dr Ray Kelly, Life Fellow the JCR and some of the offices! One of the early jobs WW Williams (then acting Censor) gave me after I became ‘fulltime’ in ’55 was the redecoration of the Hall. In place of dingy cream and Bursar’s Brown, I went for lime green and mushroom, which probably confirmed WW Williams’ oft professed opinion as to the effeteness and irretrievable decadence of anyone who had lived in France!

My first impressions of the inhabitants of Fitzwilliam were that they were overcrowded, and warmly welcoming (though students did sometimes ask me what year I was in or what I was reading).

At around that time the future of Fitzwilliam Interior of Fitzwilliam House House was coming under serious discussion. I became aware of, and got involved in the debate about the future of Fitzwilliam House, probably in 1953-54. The options were: to terminate the noncollegiate provision and Fitzwilliam House, transform to a Graduate College, or grant autonomy as a College of the University.

In 1955 there were three Officers of the House and more than ten Directors of Studies catering for some four-hundred men (all of whom were in lodgings scattered all over Cambridge). I’d not been long in Cambridge or Fitzwilliam House, but it was apparent that despite severe limitations Exterior of Fitzwilliam House created by an acute shortage of space, no residential accommodation, no endowment, no Fellows (tho’ fellowship in abundance), the place enjoyed a ‘College Spirit’ second to none. Various factors were obvious – the affection and regard of Old Fitzwilliam Men for the House, the hopes and ambitions of WS Thatcher and WW Williams and the support for progress towards collegiate status that existed in University circles. It was a combination of all of these that prompted me to add my name to the list of ‘Memorialists’, who entered the debate on the future of Fitzwilliam House. We presented a Memorial to the University’s Vice-Cancellor (Sir Henry Willink), stating our collective views on the merits and importance of collegiate status for Fitzwilliam.

Several years later, WW Williams and I were in the process of visiting various possible new sites for Fitzwilliam College, when we ventured up Huntingdon Road, and saw an expanse of land filled with giant hogweed, brambles, trees and space. This land – like Fitzwilliam itself – would soon leave the

semi-wilderness, and become the newest College of the University. By 1957, Fitzwilliam obtained full Collegiate status, and in 1963 had moved students ‘up the hill’ for the new academic year.

The day-to-day routine of students and supervisions was a pleasant one. My first teaching supervision is something that passed as more of a blur, than a memory – but is probably best forgotten anyway. The first series of teaching I did, however, was to Selwyn students. At the time (1950-51), we were living in a top floor flat (5 guineas a week) opposite the then all-female Homerton (which could have been mistaken for a men’s college judging by the traffic through the gate). The Selwyn men cycled out to our flat and we made a habit of serving coffee and biscuits by way of compensation. Once we’d got to know each other, one of the men confessed to my wife that the refreshment she offered was in fact his breakfast, so the following week, she brought him a bowl of cornflakes.

Teaching for me was very much a joint enterprise; for my part, worthwhileness and enjoyment did not depend exclusively on the intellectual ability of my victims students.

As for the non-academic activities I encountered amongst Fitzwilliam students (as Supervisor, Tutor, Bursar, et al) – I’m afraid discretion forbids disclosure! Perhaps though I could mention the ‘Red Letter Day’ in 1967-68 when Fitzwilliam windows were decorated in red paint with the message ‘what we have here is a failure to communicate’ (a quote from Cool Hand Luke) plus an arrow pointing to High Table. Then there was the first day of the 1962 Lents when a Supervision was thrice interrupted by news that the Third boat had gone up 10 places; academic concerns lapsed whilst we tried to work out how this had been achieved.

Above all however, the remarkable thing about Fitzwilliam is the ‘gelling’ – the togetherness, social cohesion – call it what you will; by year, subject group, Club, Society, staircase and landing.

No doubt all colleges seek to achieve it, but Fitzwilliam has done so outstandingly, despite physical dispersion in lodgings. I hope very much that circumstances, government policy, or any other pressures do not jeopardise this. It’s the reason why I entered the debate surrounding Fitzwilliam House in 1953. Thinking about its history, its students and its Fellows, I think ‘collegiality’, truly is the right word to describe Fitzwilliam.

Ray has spent over 50 years with Fitzwilliam, and was one of the five Fellows who, earlier this year, launched the Modern and Medieval Languages Fund. For half a century he has dedicated his time to giving opportunities to students reading Languages which they would not have otherwise had. If you would like to give to the MML Fund, please turn to the centre pages.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

puis et maintenant • 7

Puis et Maintenant

fitzwilliam string quartet • 8

Take a Bow!

The Fitzwilliam String Quartet.

Photo: Carpenter Turner – London

The Fitzwilliam String Quartet is now a Fitzwilliam institution. They tour all over the world and return regularly to the College to give Masterclasses and concerts in the College Chapel. Alan George is a founder member of the Quartet, and kindly took the time to share some of his thoughts and memories on his work, and the College.

How did the Fitzwilliam Quartet first come together?

When I went up to Cambridge in 1968, I quickly met String Quartet programmes up with two old friends from the National Youth have become so stereotyped, Orchestra – Nicholas Dowding and John Phillips.

Playing quartets was one of the things you did in we try to break away from Cambridge, and they were both Fitz men. When we the conventional formulae found a cellist (Ioan Davies, from St John’s), we had our first get-together in the Gaskoin Room sometime during Michaelmas Term that year. One of the quartets we bashed through was Tchaikovsky No.1 – which subsequently became the first piece we ever played in public the following term. Our next concert was in the Reddaway Room, when miraculously we appeared on the programme as The Quartet during a Masterclass “The Fitzwilliam Quartet”….! in the Fitzwilliam Chapel Unlike most other Cambridge quartets, we found that as time passed we were still together.

The Quartet generated its own momentum – we would meet for a week or so during every vacation at one or other of our homes, and we worked for up to nine hours a day. That set us up for good, really. When we were invited up to York to play, with a view to filling the vacant Quartet Residency, the chance was there for the taking, and we took it!

The Fitzwilliam String Quartet’s visits to the College When you played in York, you performed in front of are made possible by the genDmitri Shostakovich. Since then, the Quartet has long erosity of Hewitson Becke & been famous for its close personal association with the Shaw Solicitors, and Professor famous composer/performer – what are your personal Norman Pounds, who sponsor memories of him? the Masterclasses three times In a nutshell, he was the greatest human being I a year. Mrs Sparey, the mother ever met – not just the greatest composer. What we of one of the Quartet, has also learnt from him is that you don’t need a massive very kindly donated £2,000 to ego in order to be a great artist: if you are that great, the Quartet from the sale of you really don’t need to be! He was humble, caring, her husband’s cello bow. sincere and compassionate. And a lot else, too.

Unfortunately costs of providThat’s not to say that he wasn’t ambitious, or keen ing this benefit to the College to have his music played. Why else would he have have risen, and Fitzwilliam is bothered to come and hear such a young group as urgently in need of a new us?! Shostakovich the man, as I knew him, is sponsor for the Quartet. If you enshrined forever in the music he left for us to play. are interested in helping to continue bringing world-class When performing, what sort of variations do you make music back to the College, according to the different venues you perform in? please contact Rossie in the We’ve performed at the widest variety of venues I Development Office at think it’s possible to get. You inevitably have to make development@fitz.cam.ac.uk, adjustments, but we do so in order to make the or turn to the centre pages for music sound at its most effective in the space. We further information. don’t actually change the performance, we just try to

make it work wherever we are. The best halls however, are invariably in Russia. They just seem to know over there how to create the best aural environment. There are wonderful churches we play in too (including Fitzwilliam Chapel), but acoustics aren’t everything – you would be amazed at some of the conditions musicians have to play in: bad lighting, heating (or lack of it!), nowhere comfortable to change or warm up, nothing to eat or drink, nowhere to wash or ablute! When someone has taken the trouble to see to all these things, one always feels the most tremendous gratitude.

What sort of period instruments do you use? Why do you use them?

This would take an extensive article of its own!

The period instruments we use are all from the late eighteenth century – or copies of such instruments. They are set up as they would have been at that time: different neck, bridge, bass bar, sound post, gut strings, lighter bow, etc. Since we play music from five centuries we cannot claim to be specialists, but we do aim to come as close as we can to the language and sound world of every composer we play, whether it be Purcell, Mozart, Shostakovich, or Jeremy Thurlow (who wrote us a short piece to play for the Vice Chancellor’s retirement concert on May 12). Sound is as much an inherent part of music as pitch and rhythm, and we ignore the composer’s requirements at our peril…

How do you decide your repertoire – is it just simply a matter of who you like?

Repertoire planning is a crucial part of our work – the potential scope is enormous and rich, and it takes some careful thought. We each have our passions – and some of us have our blind spots too (not so many of those!). We have always sought to be imaginative – not to avoid the standard fare, or to look for oddities for the sake of it, but to indulge in a few of those enthusiasms which might be unjustly off the beaten track. We have a passion for earlier music (especially Purcell), and we have once again found our voice in 20th (now 21st) century works: working with composers is one of the joys of being a re-creative artist – bringing to life the work that someone has so lovingly created for us to play.

String Quartet programmes have become so stereotyped, and we try to break away from the conventional formulae (although it is only fair to say that it is me who feels the most strongly about this!). In listening to one of our performances, you will invariably find shorter pieces, music from farflung eras and places, amongst the standard classics. Purcell theatre music coupled with a familiar Haydn quartet, with a new piece by a jazz composer somewhere along the line… We work carefully and hard to make all of our performances equally accessible to our audiences. New music is not so difficult really – so long as the performers

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

For many years now the Quartet has come back to Fitzwilliam three times a year to conduct a Masterclass, and subsequently give a performance in the College Chapel, open to the public. What are the most rewarding things for you about these visits?

To start with, the College itself simply looks so much more beautiful! The gardens are a treasure, and the landscaping is a joy to walk through.

The new buildings add such distinction to what in my day seemed (to us arrogant Kingsmen!) a less than The Fitzwilliam Quartet, as painted by Gillian Roberts worthy environment for a Cambridge college. The atmosphere of friendliness and welcome amongst students, Porters and other staff is unrecognisable from the austerity of 1968, and it confirms to me that Fitzwilliam is a College that has come into its own.

In terms of music and performance, the process of passing on all that we have acquired over the

years is immensely rewarding. One learns and ‘acquires’ from so many different sources, so many different experiences. It’s a duty to hand it all on to those eager to learn. In Cambridge there is a great appetite for learning, and excelling. The danger is that there is also a climate for arrogance. We’re pretty good at bursting those bubbles!

Fitzwilliam’s music itself has changed dramatically. There is simply much more music.

It’s well organised, and central to college life. The Master himself is involved, supportive and enthusiastic (as was his predecessor), but we have to take care of standards, to be rigorous and professional, if we are to attract the Cambridge majority ‘up the hill’. That does not yet always happen, but we feel we have a rôle to play in projecting a strong image of Fitzwilliam, and making it an environment in which musicians will want to learn.

Details of the next Masterclass and performance date can be found on page 12. For tickets, please contact the Fitzwilliam Porters’ Lodge on 01223 332 000.

IN BRIEF

RICHARD HOOLEY, DIRECTOR OF STUDIES IN LAw

The College was full of Comic Relief fervour this March, and more than got into the hairy spirit of the event. Graham “the hair” Wrightson volunteered to have his head shaved, and the College’s IT Manager, Rob Adamson, sacrificed his beard, to raise over £35 from staff for Comic Relief.

At the end of the academic year 2003, Richard Hooley will vacate his post at Fitzwilliam to take up a Chair at King’s College, London. For over thirteen years, Richard has done a superb job as Director of Studies (DoS) at Fitzwilliam and he carries with him some vivid memories – right from the very start of his time here: ‘My first impressions of Law at Fitz was its very strong reputation within the University. The students too, were ‘on the ball’’.

Since starting at Fitz, Richard has experienced just about all the ups and downs that can come the way of a DoS. It has been ‘a comprehensive mix of arranging supervisors for students, exam entries, helping students with subject choices, problems with work, and (sometimes) problems with supervisors. But the job is also about careers advice. I have tried to use my links with practice to give students up-to-date information on careers in law. Finally, the importance of having a DoS who teaches within both College and the University cannot be underestimated. It is only by reciprocal teaching arrangements that you can secure the best supervisors for Fitz students.’

Clearly these efforts have paid off. Richard has helped Fitzwilliam to secure a consistently high place on the Baxter Tables in law, always in the top 10 Colleges. The range of subject choice has expanded, and Richard himself has edited and published several books on Banking and Commercial Law. There have been changes on the non-academic front too. Throughout the years there has been a strengthening of links between current students and Fitzwilliam Members: ‘I am delighted that the Triannual Members Law Society Dinner has been so popular, and am grateful to all Members for their support. Having a Patron of the Law Society

Thank-you to that Member who so kindly mentioned to us the importance of dating, as well as Volumising our editions of Optima – as you can see on the front cover, his good advice has been well heeded!

To find out what current students are up to around College, there are now two websites that can fill you in. The student section of the College website has been recently updated, and a new website at www.fitzbilly.co.uk is certainly worth a look too!

One of the Fitzwilliam Snowmen after the ‘big snow’ on January 31st!

Mr Richard Hooley, Fellow

has been an immense bonus too. Lord Justice Jonathon Parker and Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley have been excellent’.

What’s more, despite the adversities facing Law students at Fitzwilliam ‘We continue to attract students of high calibre. Resources are always an issue – we could do with another Law Fellow. We could also do with building up our funds to purchase textbooks, which could be borrowed by our students for a year and then handed on to the next year. This would really make a big difference.

But I’m confident that in the hands of Nicky Padfield, taking over as DoS, Fitz law will go from strength to strength’. We are sure that the same could be said for Richard, too.

What Richard said was right – we do need another Law Fellow, and we are desperately in need of more Law textbooks that can be passed down from one year to another. If you would like to contribute to the Law Fund, which is intended for both those purposes, please turn to the centre pages.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

richard hooley • 9

get inside it, identify with it, and make it come alive for the listener.

The Full Picture – Michael Frantzis (1995)

michael frantzis • 10

Since I was twelve I have been interested in photography, and I spent much of my time at secondary school getting to grips with the basics – focus, aperture, developing and so on. Strangely though, once I’d got to Fitz, my photography largely came to a halt.

Exterior of The Kerti House, Sao Paulo, in the new Brazilian Architectural Style, photographed by Michael

Interior of the Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida – designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the state-sponsored ‘Brazilian Style’ and photographed by Michael

I came up in 1995 to study Modern Languages (French and Greek) and for the next few years photography was on the backburner.

Memories of my time at Fitz were primarily of familiarity. Having come from a boarding school, the routine of College and close sense of community was something I then took for granted.

What was new however, was the sheer breadth of activities at my disposal. The quantity and quality of sporting opportunities the College offered, and the chance to spend a year abroad in Paris as part of my MML degree were both rare, and remarkable. It helped me develop a new way of looking at foreign places and culture, and opened up my perspective on the world no end.

It was only two years after leaving College and undertaking a few photography courses that I made a serious stab at taking photographs for a living. Over time, I have gravitated towards photography of urban environments around the world and most particularly, architectural photography in major cities. My time at Fitz prompted this interest in cultural difference, and is something that I regard in hindsight as no mean feat (especially given the amount of time I seem to remember spending on the football pitch!).

Prompt me, Fitz did however, and most recently, this interest extended to Brazil.

I had been to Brazil before but a chance encounter with a British architect and author, Thomas Deckker, was to develop my interest further. Uniquely, he had been commissioned to build a house in Brasília and he invited me to go out and photograph it. He also introduced me to Joaquim Guedes – one of the most prominent and influential architects of the city and professor at the University of São Paulo.

Deckker and I shared a common interest in Brazil and also a common conviction that there is much more to the country’s architecture than the internationally renowned ‘Brazilian Style’ of Oscar Niemeyer & Lucio Costa, which was closely associated with the Brazilian Government and emphasises technology and sharp, precise forms.

Much going on in Brazil has not received similar acclaim, despite its obvious merit. With the help and advice of Deckker in London and Professor Guedes I returned to Brazil in 2002 with the specific aim of seeking out an alternative image of more Brazilian architecture and recording it on film. In particular, my brief was to concentrate on cities like São Paulo where, rather than following the trends set in the fifties, the architecture of the city has been more in tune with the radical, postinternational work of the European New Brutalists.

The work of Guedes himself is motivated by a great sensitivity to place, light and form, and offered some perfect examples of this different São Paulo vision. In The Kerti House (pictured left) – now the residence of the São Paulo Mayor – swirls and caves of space and forests of structure, contrast with the regular rectangular forms of private areas. This formed part of a series in which Guedes experimented with free-form buildings. A blurring of the space between indoors and outside is achieved by informal use of wall-high glass panels and the slightly different line of the stalactite brise-soleils.

The result of the trip was a set of photographs that featured in a show in the Brazilian Embassy in March this year. Some of the material has appeared in the January/February edition of Wallpaper* magazine, and plans are in progress for the show to tour in Paris and São Paulo. It is an immensely exciting time, and one which has reminded me of my connection to Fitz. The indepth study of another culture during my year abroad in Paris gave me a sense of perspective and confidence in all parts of the world. I developed an ability to tune into other cultures and pick up on the notion of difference, without a sense of apprehension, or suspicion.

With the passage of time, my initial memories of Fitzwilliam are now merged with my professional sensibility. As a student, I recall feeling that there were elements of unused potential amongst the buildings at Huntingdon Road (the enlargement of the College bar for example, seemed an imperative!). But gradually, I have come to feel increasingly defensive of it. Its user-friendly design and the complementary garden-scheme were, and still are equal to any other College to be found in Cambridge. I now look with even greater admiration to the colours, shapes and angles of the buildings and how they remain interesting and innovative, even though several of them are approaching their fortieth year. It is with considerable interest that I await the new College building programme to be completed. How in fact, the new buildings will accord with existing structures, while at the same time evidencing a sense of progression and modernity, will be an interesting thing to see – with either the naked eye, or the lens.

A new version of the Brazil show has been scheduled to appear at the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) this October.

For further information on Michael’s work, visit www.michaelfrantzis.co.uk.

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

The Nepali national flag in the sunset outside school

Looking Back

Swayambunatli Stupa – a Buddhist temple overlooking Kathmandu

I’ve always found it odd that, when travelling, the first impression of a country is usually gained after about twenty-four hours of sleep deprivation occupied equally by frantic preparation and enforced inactivity. So I found myself arriving in Kathmandu, emerging in a bewildered state into the city which would be my home for the next two months. Fortunately my travelling companion (Fiona MacKay) was a bit of an expert in the ways of Nepal as she had been born, and lived there for the first nine years of her life. This allowed her to become my Nepali ‘guru’ for the next few weeks as she carefully instructed me in Nepali customs and language (as well as some other less Nepal specific customs – such as not picking my nose in public…).

Fiona and I had gone out to Nepal having received a grant from the Isaac Newton Trust whereby a group of students travels to Nepal to teach in a number of schools in the Kathmandu area. On our arrival at the Janapremee School where we were to teach we were greeted by our new Nepali family, headed by the school’s principal, Rabi, and his wife, Rama. It is a testimony to their friendliness, and the openness of the Nepali people in general that we enjoyed our time in Nepal so much. The morning after our arrival saw our first lessons, which were something of a baptism of fire, as neither Fiona nor myself had ever taught before; I like to think that I managed to maintain some scrap of dignity

The Development Officers recently visited the archives and had occasion to look through past editions (and incantations!) of the Fitzwilliam College Journal. What was found was quite a different publication from the editions of recent years. In particular, the Fitzwilliam Hall Magazine, contained some unusual surprises! Two examples are below, and date back to 1921, and 1923.

despite the fact the eleven-year-old children I was teaching obviously knew much more English grammar than I did. The teaching was fun however, and immensely rewarding. The children were incredible; despite their situation they had the endless patience to teach us their language and the time to ask a continuous stream of questions.

Living with a Nepali family meant that we could appreciate the culture of Nepal all the more and in contrast to my state upon arrival, I left Nepal with some idea of the country and its people. There is an incredible richness of culture which is observable everywhere, all based upon 800 years of turbulent history which is still showing its influence today.

This is to say nothing of the spectacular scenery and wildlife found throughout Nepal. What left the most lasting impression on me, however, was the warmth and generosity of the people that I met, whether on buses, in shops or especially in and around the school.

Steve Farndon

Steve and Fiona’s trip to Nepal was made possible because they each received a grant, to help cover the cost of travelling to Nepal. If you are interested in contributing funds to an existing prize, or establishing a prize or award of your own – for whatever purpose – please contact Rossie at development@fitz.cam.ac.uk, or telephone on 01223 332 075 for further information.

Purple Parodies – “Keeping a Ten” I sprung to the pedal, and Jobbins, and Bill; I pedalled, Bill pedalled, we’re pedalling still, The clock in St. Mary’s began on her chime But we dashed pass her breathless…

God! Is there time? … At five strokes the Peterhouse Chapel looms near; At seven the Don staggers home from his beer; While pale to the paler moon rises the Billy, (Museum, of course. Did you think….?

Oh, how silly!)

And now my steed falters’ but there on the path, A gold band of light gleams, my home and my hearth; One burst and I’m in! How we snort and we strain!

Then the burst comes! We’ve won, but she’ll ne’er run again.

So I pick up my cycle and carry her in, To embalm her in whisky and oil her in gin; And I point her out still as I tell all the men, How she died for me nobly in ‘keeping a Ten’.

Originally printed in the Fitzwilliam Hall Magazine, Vol VIII, No.23, March 1923.

Courtesy of an unknown artist

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt and Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

H.M.B. Vol II, No.19, Nov. 1921

teaching in nepal / looking back • 11

Teaching in Nepal

Rossie Ogilvie BA, LLB Carol Lamb The Editors Optima Development Office Fitzwilliam College Cambridge cb3 0dg

tel: + 44 (0) 1223 332034/ + 44 (0) 1223 332015 email: development@fitz.cam.ac.uk

Cover illustration, photograph of the award winning Chapel interior, by Michael Anderson

Calling all Medics & Engineers In the early part of 2004, there will be a chance for those of you who studied Medicine and Engineering, to be treated to a Fitz Reunion. The dates have not been set yet, but the two events are likely to take place during February or March. Look out for your invite at the end of this year!

list. We believe it is the earliest this has ever happened.

Thank you for your support! If you would like to take part in any of the sporting events – rugby, men’s and women’s football, mixed hockey, men’s and women’s rowing – I would be very happy to hear from you.

Women’s 25th Anniversary Next year, we aim to mark the 25th anniversary of admission of Women to Fitz, with style. If you have any ideas of how you would like to celebrate, please let us know. Preliminary ideas so far include a garden party and family day. Any photographs or stories you may have for use in a small display would be appreciated. All photographs will be returned.

Dates for your Diary 26th-28th September Alumni Reunion Weekend 18th October Orchestral Concert in Fitzwilliam Dining Hall 7th November Alkan Piano Competition 8th November Piano Recital by Ronald Smith 30th November Fitz Barbershop and Sirens Concert 2nd December Fitzwilliam String Quartet in Concert

The Best Reunion in Town!

Last year’s reunion was a resounding success and I am pleased to report that this year’s event is proving even more popular. At the time of writing, all new bookings for the Saturday dinner are being placed on a standby

For any musical performance, please telephone the Porters’ Lodge on 01223 332 000

Memorabillya We have been working hard in the Development Office to update the existing range of memorabilia and to bring in some interesting new items.

New in this year are Parker Pen sets consisting of a black ink Insignia ball pen plus pencil, both smartly engraved with the Fitz crest. They are beautifully presented in a sturdy case.

The recommended retail price for the set is £60, you can buy your special Fitz set for just £35! We are also now selling black, leather Conference Folders with the Fitz crest blind embossed in the bottom right hand corner. Fitz price just £30.

For a limited time, we are offering 1 Parker Pen set plus 1 leather Conference Folder for a combined price of only £60.

Stylish new keyrings are proving popular – they are silver with a matt finish and engraved with our crest.

To order, just send your request to Emma and add £1 for postage for the initial item (50p per additional item), your credit card details or a cheque made out to ‘Fitzwilliam College’.

Drinks at the House of Lords?

The Fitzwilliam Society is keen to hold a Drinks Party in London for our more recent Graduates. Preliminary thoughts are for it to be held later this year and ideas for locations received so far include the National Portrait Gallery and the Houses of Parliament! If you have any suggestions at all, please drop me a line.

Please take a moment to look at our Lost Sheep page on the Fitz website (http://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/members/alumni/ lost/). Alternatively, we can provide you with a list of Members from your matriculation year that we have lost contact with.

We are currently searching for the whereabouts of around 4,000 members so your help would be greatly appreciated.

Regional Reunions We’ve received expressions of interest for regional reunions, particularly from members who find it difficult to get back to Cambridge for events. If you would be interested in helping to co-ordinate such an event in your area, we’d love to hear from you with your ideas.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write to us over the last few months. Whether it be ‘thank you’ letters or ideas for future events, they’re always appreciated.

Emma Camps

Designed and printed by Cambridge Printing, the printing business of Cambridge University Press. www.cambridge.org/promotional

Emma Camps, Development Officer events@fitz.cam.ac.uk

During the first half of 2003 over 300 friends have been reunited at four Member events.

The first of the year was the MML Reunion Dinner. The event is held once every 10 years, and so it was very well attended with many guests expressing a wish to return to Fitz more often. The Law Society Dinner at the end of April was a chance for current law students to mingle with those who either studied law at Fitz, and/or who have a career in the field of law. The annual Fitzwilliam Society London Dinner was a tremendous success. Once again it has proved an extremely popular occasion with many guests attending for the first time. We hope to see them all again next year. The “Old Boys” were victorious in the annual Past v Present Cricket Match. On a glorious day, it was a chance to top up the tan, meet with old friends and show the present team just how the game should be played!

Lost Sheep

news and events at fitzwilliam • 12

News and Events at Fitzwilliam