Cambridge Letter

Rise by four wickets in a close and tense struggle, in which only 125 runs were scored altogether. Other members of the House are to be congratulated on playing for School teams: K. W. Kerr (1st XI), J. N. W. Hare and H. R. B. Pease (Senior Colts), and D. M. Noyes (Junior). J. N. W. Hare was appointed Captain of the Junior House cricket team.

The House Boat Club members provide a formidable line-up of enthusiastic oarsmen, many of whom have represented School crews: the most notable members being C. G. A. Morcom, T. C. Moore, C. A. F. Brown, I. A. Nichols and J. P. Morcom—all having rowed for top School crews. Judging from the abundance of good oarsmen, we anticipated some success in the Inter-House competition.

Disappointingly, little success was gained by the Tennis team, who were surpisingly defeated by the Grove in the first round. In Water Polo and Shooting congratulations are in order. K. W. Kerr is a regular and valuable member of the first team in Water Polo, and C. J. Hirst, A. M. Prowde, P. D. Widdicombe, S. W. Humphreys and P. W. H. Chilman are House Shooters, who also represent the School.

Academically, the House has asserted its influence on the term in no uncertain way. We learned that D. M. Noyes had gained a Scholarship, which is a very commendable feat; C. J. Hirst won the Wilcox Prize for Physics, P. A. Newdick the Senior Geography Prize, P. W. S. De Silva the Dean of York's Junior Latin Prize, P. S. Lancaster the Whytehead Senior Divinity Prize, A. F. Heavens shared the Dronfield Prize for Mathematics, G. C. Pattie a prize for Science, P. D. Jowsey the Handicraft Prize, and J. A. Johnson the Music Prize for Woodwind.

R.F.P.

May Week, 1976

In the wake of an entertainment held in Trinity College and attended by Peter Croft, David DuCroz and various past and present members of the School, parents and friends, a quorum of Cambridge Old Peterites decided to produce a Cambridge letter sketching the varied activities of the "1st XVI".

Eldest surviving is Angus Bowie (Temple, 1962-1967), whose long experience has well equipped him for dealing with the local Abbot. Now a Research Fellow of Emmanuel, his time between supervising, parties and High Table banquets is spent writing a thesis on ancient Lesbian poetry.

Several rungs below on the academic ladder comes the large group of third year undergraduates. Famous in the sports pages of The Times and Daily Telegraph is Steve Coverdale (Queen's, 1967-72), Cricket Blue, multiple sportsman for Emmanuel and occasional lawyer. Also in the Law faculty is John Mitchell (Temple, 1967-1972), whose occupations in Corpus Christi are many and varied. From the Governing Body of the College to part-time barman, footballer, jazz musician and sometime Yeoman of the Guard, he is pledged to appear in the Lents next year. These two report occasional sightings of Robert Gray (Dronfield, 19671970) in the Old Schools. He is known to row for Selwyn. 97

Medievalist Andrew George (Temple, 1967-72) has condescended to leave Trinity College cricket ground to assist in the invention of this letter, which he now claims to be a forgery. Also in Trinity is Richard Sharpe (Temple, 1967-72) hero (?) of University Challenge and doyen of the publishing world. He reads (and writes) Anglo-Saxon and Celtic and has recently achieved the distinction of being bumped three times in Trinity's tenth boat.

Derek Dempsey (Grove, 1967-72) reads Philosophy and is often to be found in the buttery on the Sidgwick Site. Otherwise he lives in Christ's. Equally elusive is Dick Harland (Manor, 1968-73) in his second year in Clare.

Ex-Head of St. Olave's, ex-Tongan policeman, David Beck (Alcuin, 1964-67) is now in Pembroke and has played rugger for the University this year. Also in Pembroke is second-year Simon Atkinson (Temple, 1968-73), whose reputation has only just survived the time when several less than ebriate OPs invaded his lodgings. High-up in University fencing circles, Simon is leaving Classics this year for areas more contemporary.

No relation is Russian-speaker Chris Atkinson (School House, 196772), whose linguistic studies have led him over most of the known and parts of the unknown world, though during term he can still be found in Caius, wearing the characteristic East German Pioneer uniform.

Hard-working secretary of Trinity Hall Boat Club this year was Philip Challis (School House, 1968-73), who specialises in Biology and Bump Suppers. Phil's unfortunate accident at this term's Supper presented the staff at Addenbroke's Hospital with an interesting problem in the reaction of anaesthetics with CHSCH2OH. Spectacularly undistinguished in recent events has been the Trinity 1st Boat, with Paul Withers (Rise, 1969-74) at No. 4. Audible at 800 metres, Paul's vocal repertoire is not in the common run of Trinity mathematicians and he has also posed for a Homerton Art Class. Also to be seen at Homerton, but in the more respectable capacity of lecturer, is Andrew Riley, a former master at St. Peter's. During the Michaelmas Term he descended briefly from the skies around Cambridge to attend an OP gathering in Trinity.

The blame must fall on Paul and his fellow freshmen Chris Smith (Queen's, 1969-74) and James Harrison (Queen's, 1969-74) for getting together a flexible sub-set of the Cambridge contingent for distinctly informal OP dinners two or three times a term. James, reading Classics in Corpus Christi, has shown great talents as LX Club front-row forward and Bacchant, involving him in sporadic conflict with the college porters. Chris, a St. John's oarsman (failed 12th boat) reads medicine, together with a flock of women, as does Tim Stephenson (Dronfield, 1970-75) in Caius. Their conversation is best steered away from the more emetic aspects of the Dissecting Room.

Academic work is more interesting to do than to report, but it does occupy a considerable proportion of the spare time of all Cambridge OPs, as hopefully exam results will show. Some were almost as exhausted by Tripos as by the May Balls.

It is perhaps surprising that only two of those mentioned above, Derek Dempsey and Andrew George, are leaving this year, but even more surprising that only one or two Peterites are coming up as freshmen in October. Past or present members of the School are always welcome in Cambridge, especially at the irregular dinners, though it must be appreciated that these occasions are anything but nostalgic. The Cambridge Old Peterites. 98