The Pembrokian The Newsletter of Pembroke College Development Office, April 1996
Music by Candlelight On 17th February the Rockefeller Room of the Sir Geoffrey Arthur Building was transformed to host a candlelight concert to celebrate the restoration of Pembroke's Model 10 Steinway, made possible by the kind generosity of Peter Farthing (1968). The piano, considered 'the finest in Oxford', was donated to the College in 1976 by His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa, the Amir of Bahrain. Following eighteen years of almost constant use, the piano urgently required re-facing and a major 'service'. The evening was hosted by Dr Ray Rook and among the sixty-five Fellows and Old Members present were Baroness Flather and Mr Gary Flather, Sir Robert and Lady Clarke, Sir Leonard and Lady Peach, Sir Keith and Lady Sykes, Foundation Fellow Frank Buckley and his wife Alice (pictured below) and Mr John Walker-Haworth. Members of the Pembroke Music Society, an interCollege string quartet, and Emeritus Fellow Dr Savile Bradbury entertained the gathering to a programme which featured Mozart's Flute Quartet in D Major and Godard's Suite de Trois Morceaux. Undergraduates Dan Wilson and Catherine David provided readings from Shakespeare, Hardy, Walter de la Mare and the poet Anne Ridler (who is also Dan's grandmother!) DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 96 April 16 (Tues) April 22 (Mon) May 25 (Sat)
June 8 (Sat)
University Challenge. A team from Pembroke reached the quarter fmals of the BBC's quiz show University Challenge. Ambrose Henderson (captain), Richard Brown, and graduates Stuart Hunn and Chris Morgan met Warwick in the first round and suffered a narrow defeat. As one of the highest scoring losers, Pembroke went through to the second round beating Swansea by a handsome margin. The Pembroke team were knocked out of the competition in 'a hard fought battle' with the LSE. `Love's Madness...' Dr Helen Small has been elected to a College Fellowship in English. Helen, a New Zealander, comes to Pembroke from the University of Bristol where she has been Lecturer in English since 1993. Of Scottish origin, Helen's main interests are nineteenth fiction and poetry. She has recently completed editing Little Dorrit for Penguin (due out in '97) and in March 1996 Love's Madness: Medicine, the Novel, and Female Insanity, 1800-1865 was published by the Clarendon Press. Helen is also an accomplished runner and singer.
June 21 (Fri) June 27 to July 1 September 26 (Thurs) September 30
Smithsonian visit to Pembroke
A presentation by the Smithsonian Board. City Group reception
Hosted by John Govett at Schroders. (6 - 8 pm) Eights Week Garden Party
Champagne and strawberries in the garden of the Master's Lodgings and an exhibition of PCBC memorabilia in Broadgates Hall. (3 - 4 pm). Meet representatives of the PCBC first boats. BBQ and drinks at the Boat house. Children welcome. Art Exhibition
All day in the Rockefeller Room. A rare opportunity to see the best of the JCR Art Collection and selected items of College silver. College Gaudy
Years - '59, '60, '76, '77, '80, '81, '82. North American Reunion
Including dedication of the Roger Bannister Centre. London Reception at the Reform Club
For Pembrokians not involved in finance. (7.30 pm) Birmingham Reception
(Mon) October 1 (Tues) October 4 (Fri) October 22 (Tues) November 2 (Sat)
Venue to be arranged.
Other events
In '96 - Medics dinner; the Thomas Browne lecture. In '97 - College Ball (June)
Leeds Reception
Venue to be arranged. Pembroke Society Dinner
7.30 pm in the Hall. Law Dinner at the Reform Club
7.30 pm. Blackstone Society Lunch.
11.30 am in the Sir Geoffrey Arthur Building. Hosted by Sir John Mummery.
Art and Silver On Saturday 8th of June the Master and Fellows will be hosting a 'Best of Pembroke' exhibition in the Rockefeller Room. The exhibition will feature works from the JCR Art Collection and pieces of College silver - many of which have never been on general display before. Represented in the JCR Art collection, which was begun in the 1940s, are major works by Alexander Calder, John Piper, Tom Philips, Elisabeth Frink, Percy Wyndham Lewis, and Lynn Chadwick. Kenneth Clark was appointed the first picture buyer, securing works by Francis Bacon, John Minton and Duncan Grant. Today the collection contains some of the finest examples of 'Last Romantic' art. Following an extensive programme of restoration the collection will be on display for the first time in many years for one day only. This is an opportunity not to be missed. The 'Best of Pembroke' exhibition will be open to all. Children are very welcome, and light refreshments and parking spaces will be available.
Torpids Report. Once again PCBC, under the Presidency of Al Pask, has enjoyed a most successful Torpids with both the College First Boats moving up the river. The men, captained by Tim Jarratt, started the week fourth on the river, bumping Univ. by Donnington Bridge on the first day, and BNC in the gut on the second. The crew rowed over on the third and fourth days to complete the week second behind Oriel. The women, captained by Charlotte Wheeldon, started seventh and bumped Christ Church in the gut on the first day. The crew rowed over the remaining three days. Head of the River! (22 - 25 May) Starting Order: Men's First Boat - Head of the River; Women's First Boat - 4th, chasing Somerville. Both the men's and women's first boats continue to exhibit the strength and confidence seen in '95. Their current form means that PCBC will be in great shape for Eights Week. The men, of course, are currently Head of the River and their preparations thus far indicate that they fully intend to stay there. The strength of the boat will be boosted by the return of last years cox Leila Hudson, currently President of the Men's Lightweights, with Steve Wooton and Jonathan Watkinson from the same University squad. Tim Jarratt, Men's Captain for '96 commented that, `PCBC is in better shape than ever, with both the men's and women's crews working hard on and off the river. The Head of the River Trophy will be staying in Pembroke hands and we'd like to see as many old members as possible down at the boat house'. Why not come for the day on Saturday, attend the garden party and join the Master and his family, and members of PCBC past and present down at the river to cheer our crews on? Pimms, lager and a range of light refreshments will be on sale down at the recently refurbished boat house.
Pembroke College Ball. Pembroke proposes to hold a traditional College Ball in June 1997. If you are interested in being on the committee or have any suggestions to make then we'd like to hear from you.
Introducing...
The Pembroke Advisory Committee, chaired by Sir Robert Clarke (1949) chairman of Thames Water plc has been extended to twenty members. The new members include the first non-Pembrokian Michael Crystal Q.C., a former Law tutor at Pembroke, Jonathan Aisbitt (1975) of Goldman Sachs, and Peter Farthing (1968) of Clyde & Co. Graham McCallum CBE (1944) former chairman of John Swire & Sons Ltd and nephew of R.B. McCallum has kindly agreed to chair the Century 5 Endowment Campaign which aims to raise £5m in three years. The members of the committee are the Rt. Hon. Sir Frank Cooper (1946), Sir Robert Clarke, the Master, Dr Ray Rook, Rev. John Platt, Mr Ken Mayhew, Dr Stephen Whitefield, Dr Martin Bridson and Mary-Jane Hilton. Lord Jenkins of Hillhead and Sir Roger Bannister have kindly agreed to be Patrons of the Fund-Raising Campaign. Missing
We are trying to trace Anthony Emery who came up to Pembroke to read Modern History after the Second World War. His last known address was in Canada (in 1978). If you think you can help, or have any information about his connection with the establishment of the JCR Art Fund, please contact the Development Office. Pembroke Mugs
Pottery - £6.00 China - £8.50 Also available: College silk ties @ £19.50, College Port and Sherry (by the case, ask for details). All prices include p&p. Orders can be placed through the Development Office and cheques are to be made payable to 'Pembroke College, Oxford'. For details of any of the above events, contact the Development Office on 01865 276478. (Fax 01865 276418)
The next issue of the Pembrokian is due out in September 1996.