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www.aidans-alumni.org.uk Alumni Magazine & NewsletterNo. 3 · December 2011

1News from College

King

of the Hill

A banner understatedly w

elcomes prospective students to an A

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we operate and elect some additional positions for 2011-12, but once concrete proposals are available, discussion can take place with the current SCR Exec. As I write, I can report that the current academic year’s PG Welcome and Induction programme has been much more comprehensive and run much more smoothly, not just because this year we had access to College social VSDFH�DQG�RXU�XVXDO�RI¿FHV��but also thanks to the efforts of the current SCR Exec, their liaison with the JCR and the centralising of some of key administrative processes on the Howlands site, run by Ustinov College and the Colleges 3RVWJUDGXDWH�2I¿FH��

The growing collaboration between JCR and SCR and the commitment of individual members of the PG community who have contributed extraordinary amounts of their time and energy is impressive, but we feel very keenly the lack of an adequate dedicated PG/

The academic year opened with another bumper intake of both undergraduates and postgraduates, with larger numbers of Aidan’s graduates staying on for further study helping the pleasingly diverse group of new starters to settle in. Those dreaming of a white Christmas found the reality was not always so romantic, as Michaelmas term ended, and Easter term opened, with heavy snow, which brought much of the region (and the country) to a standstill. The College staff displayed a spirit worthy of the Arctic expeditions to keep the community going, some trekking in over long distances, others sampling the variable décor and comfort of guest rooms, and our gratitude is deeply felt. Aidan’s was also the host College for students across the Division (other than Ustinov), who needed to stay during the Christmas closure. Numerous students and College Principals have written to express how impressed they were with not just the HI¿FLHQF\�EXW�WKH�ZDUPWK�DQG�helpfulness of our staff.

Sadly we once again said farewell to longstanding staff members who moved to new posts. Special thanks go to Michelle Harrison from Van Mildert, who, on top of her existing workload, helped us survive the departure of Sharon Turnbull through the interim period while the University’s QHZ�VWUXFWXUH�IRU�¿QDQFH�VWDII�in Colleges was put in place. In April we bade farewell to Beverley Smith, Sharon’s right hand woman who also rose to the occasion after Sharon’s departure. The loss of so many valued colleagues in recent

WLPHV�LV�GLI¿FXOW�IRU�WKH�ZKROH�community and we hope that next year will be a period of consolidation and review.

The JCR President, Exec and wider body of active students provided exemplary cooperation and support during these upheavals and we enjoyed another well run and highly successful round of post-Application Days in March, in which warm enthusiasm combined with impeccable organisation and staff-student liaison.

Our postgraduate (PG) representatives in the SCR and on College bodies have worked hard to develop the postgraduate experience and the Senior Common Room (SCR) website is now vastly superior to the College one, which is still to be re-vamped. Issues of PG representation within the University under the new governance structures need to be addressed by our uniquely inclusive SCR/MCR, so we may need to review how

Hello, and welcome to the third edition of the St Aidan’s Alumni magazine.

In previous newsletters we brought the unfortunate news that urgent repair works in College had forced us to cancel our planned 2010 Reunion. I’m delighted to say that the 2011 Reunion went on in September to a superb reception from a large number of alumnae and their partners. Our plans for Reunions roll onwards: if you came up to College in 1962 or earlier, or between 1980 and 1985, check the details of our Reunion events for you and your contemporaries in 2012 and 2013 on p. 29 and 30.

As ever it is my pleasure to thank all those who have contributed articles and photographs for the magazine. In this issue I am particularly pleased to include numerous contributions from alumni on matters both historical and current. Any alumni who wish WR�FRQWULEXWH�DUWLFOHV�ZLOO�¿QG�a most receptive ear from me: just get in touch via email to the address below or by post at the address on the back cover.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Dr Susan Frenk to her now permanent appointment as Principal, and to record our hope that we continue to read her stimulating contributions to this magazine for many years to come.

I hope you enjoy reading the news from College and your fellow members, and wish you all the best for 2012.

Nicholas Boalch Editor editor@aidans-alumni.org.uk

News from College

St Aidan’s College in 2010-11 1The Principal’s review of the year in College

From the JCR President 5The JCR President’s review of the year in College

Features

From Home Students to Greek Goddesses 9Lindsey Usher on the founding of St Aidan’s Society

Faith in the Future 10Helen Hunt on World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid

Band on the Run 13David Dyson on a musical trip to Frankfurt

A Future for Nepal 14Peter Kellaway on a challenging trek across Nepal

A Job to Do... Flying to Cambodia 16Ben Conti on a charity expedition to Cambodia

News from Members

News in Brief 20News and updates from St Aidan’s Alumni members

News from St Aidan’s Alumni

St Aidan’s Alumni Reunion 2011 22Julia Clibxy, Kathy Chetwynd, Elizabeth Ibbotson and others on ourReunion event for matriculates of 1963-1970

Events Diary 28

St Aidan’s Alumni Reunion 2012 29News of next year’s Reunion event, targeted at matriculates of 1945-1962

Future Reunions 30

From the St Aidan’s Archive 31

Results & Prizes

Exam Results 34

College Awards & Prizes 36

WelcomeIssue 3, December 2011

St Aidan’s College in 2010-11Susan Frenk, our new Principal, on the year in College

2 News from College

bursary money that we already hold, so that we can offer at least one Bursary annually. We intend to keep this as our fundraising focus.

PG bursaries offered by the University have also increased, but the need far outweighs their number, especially in the Arts and Humanities, so this is another issue we need to consider for fundraising. Each year, I am approached by Aidan’s graduates with excellent academic records, who simply cannot afford to go on to postgraduate study, due to a combination of debt accrued as undergraduates and the scarcity of funding support.

On a happier note, we are developing a link with the Institute for Hazard, Risk and Resilience which promises to be very fruitful for our community, both in terms of the intellectual life of the College and our relations with the wider local and international FRPPXQLWLHV��2XU�¿UVW�/($'�Workshop was a great success and we are planning more of them for next summer. Four members of the regional refugee community were able to take up free places on it and our Fellow for Entrepreneurship, Dr Dinah Bennett, has worked with two of them in follow up activity. A recent government delegation from Bangladesh which is interested in developing opportunities for women in small business and leadership voted their visit to Aidan’s, for a seminar and lunch, by far the best on their tour of the UK.

Our Charity partner, Bridge & Tunnel, who are offering two internships to our students next \HDU��KDYH�FRPSOHWHG�D�QHZ�¿OP�(I am Nasrine, www.iamnasrine.com) which premiered in July. The Intercultural Educational Charity with whom we have been building links, Dialogue (www.educationdialogue.org.uk), hosted WKH�¿UVW�LQ�D�VHULHV�RI�URXQGWDEOH�discussions and other events in the Lindisfarne Conference Centre on July 1st, and we have agreed a plan of further activities with them. The

Happily, our cultural forums and Language Evenings are now HPEHGGHG�DQG�D�¿UVW�\HDU�OLQJXLVW�has founded a network which has expanded this activity. Never Say No to Badger, the in-house magazine, is thriving and an online magazine has been established by graduates of our Creative Writing Programme, mentored by our Writing Fellow, Dr Fadia Faqir. Check it out online at www.inkapturemagazine.co.uk and let us know what you think.

The Hill Orchestra still rehearse here weekly and perform termly concerts, and the Ballroom Dancing Society has transformed the Dining Hall on several occasions this year. The Jewish Society continue to hold a range of events outside the weekly Shabbat meals and the booking system for Muslim staff and students to use the Interfaith Room for prayers adjusts smoothly around the year. Finally, both Disabilities Week and Q Week (run by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Association) deserve special mentions for the quality and diversity of their events and some really innovative and visually striking elements. We hope to build on that energy next year and continue the creative and explorative approach.

The wider University scene has been equally energised by a series of working groups focused on student experience, governance structures and staff-student relationships. Higher Education policy and IXQGLQJ�LV�VWLOO�LQ�ÀX[�DV�,�ZULWH��but the University plans to increase its own spending on widening participation. This is very welcome news, although the question of how best to target it needs careful consideration.

We launched our own Bursary Appeal in June and I am delighted to report that to date we have raised £20,000. This has come mostly in the form of one-off donations, but there are also numbers of monthly direct debits which we will add to the small amounts of endowed

SCR space. This has made some progress in the Planning Round and Colleges Division is seeking funds for feasibility studies for projects of this nature, but there is still no concrete timeline as I write.

The other very urgent accommodation issue - the condition of D & E Houses, owing to their delayed refurbishment, and the remaining light refurbishment of F & G Houses – was partially redressed over the summer, but due WR�WKH�¿QDO�FRVWV�WKDW�HPHUJHG��WKH�kitchens and bathrooms were not tackled. This will now be submitted as an urgent priority in the new planning round. However, we are pleased to report that bed boxes have been installed across most of College now, enhancing the use of personal space and easing the task of cleaning staff as they navigate around the study bedrooms!

Sadly, there is no sense from the planning meetings that a Performing Arts Centre (even a shared one with our neighbouring Hill Colleges) is under serious consideration. This project would have been a fundraising priority for us over the next two years. Experience Durham, the University department which addresses the student experience, is putting in a bid for a central, pan-University facility, for which they would IXQGUDLVH�D�VLJQL¿FDQW�HOHPHQW�RI�WKH�FRVW��6R�ZH�ZLOO�QHHG�WR�¿QG�other ways of supporting and enthusing our musicians, theatre fans and budding comedians to develop activities in College, rather than losing many of them immediately to activity in other parts of the University. We will therefore pursue the conversion of existing space, such as the laundry currently used for conference activity, into a supplementary practice space for our very small Music Room and encourage theatre groups to consider smaller productions in College, such as one-act plays and improvisational theatre, using the Shincliffe Room for small audiences.

Dreaming of a White ChristmasStudents sledge on tea-trays on Aidan’s hill in winter 2010

(St Aidan’s Archive, courtesy of Jan Collinge)

4 5News from College News from College

Risy Sunset

The sun sets over St Aidan’s.

(St Aidan’s C

ollege JCR

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activity, both spontaneous and meticulously prepared and always successful. Outdoor activities ranged from large games of quidditch in November to regular rounders games in the summer. There was a successful Film Club, born of one George Thomas’s dream to watch Disney on a projector. These were beautifully countered by regular Language Evenings, organised by Niall Peach aimed at Aidan’s polyglots. Aidan’s Barbershop Badgers DQG�$LGDQ¶V�9RLFHV�¿OOHG�WKH�corridors with music. Regular salsa and creative writing classes gave students a creative outlet, and Issy Boltt as our DUCK Rep came up with some brilliant fundraising ideas including leading from the front in Movember, a month in Autumn where people are encouraged to grow moustaches for the month to raise awareness of prostate cancer: no mean feat for a female! I can’t think of a year where there has been so much going on with so many different sections of the community involved.

The JCR, supported as ever by the backbone of committees giving up their time and energy, put on a host of special events. Social Committee’s Halloween Megaformal, themed around ‘Your Worst Nightmare’, was a terrifying prospect, followed up by the classy Jingle Ball at the Ramside Hotel. An innovation to Aidan’s Day made the day free for everyone. Based around ‘Space Invaidan’s’, the GD\�LQFOXGHG�WKH�XVXDO�ÀXUU\�of activity, the highlight of which was a 100-person game

My second offering for the Alumni Magazine comes IURP�P\�QHZLVK��WK�ÀRRU�ÀDW�LQ�6ZLQGRQ��DQG�ORRNLQJ�back highlights a slightly surreal contrast to the halcyon days I was enjoying last summer waiting for the year to kick off in earnest. As ever at Aidan’s, 2010-11 was a year of spontaneity and creativity, where the talents of our increasingly diverse community thrived in a melting pot of social and intellectual interaction. Despite all of this some people still found time to go to lectures and let their degree get in the way of their education.

Some of the responses on the questionnaire we used to allocate rooms to our new students may go some way to conveying the eclectic range of personalities, interests, and appetite for engagement from this year’s cohort. When asked WR�µEULHÀ\�GHVFULEH�\RXUVHOI¶��responses included:��³4XLHW´���³,�DP�D�3RNpPRQ�IDQDWLF´���³$ERXW��¶��´��EURZQ�KDLU��IDLUO\�WKLQ´���³,�DP�D�)UHQFK�FULFNHW�H[SHUW´���³3HRSOH�DUH�KDUG�WR�GHVFULEH�EULHÀ\´���³,¶P�D�ELW�RI�DQ�HFFHQWULF���TXLWH�GUDPDWLF��&RQVWDQWO\´�When asked about their interests, responses included:��³YHU\�FRQVFLHQWLRXV�DQG�DFDGHPLFDOO\�FXULRXV´����³UHVSRQVLEOH��FRPPLWWHG�DQG�UHOLDEOH�RUJDQLVHU´����³RUJDQLVLQJ�&ROOHJH�VRFLDO�HYHQWV´���³ORYLQJ�D�JRRG�GHEDWH´���³JHW�VWXFN�LQWR�D�ORDG�RI�GLIIHUHQW�DFWLYLWLHV´�It was fascinating to see how

may of these descriptions turned out to be predictions!

The year really started at the end of July 2010. The Freshers’ Handbook, meticulously crafted by Gin Lowles, JCR Secretary, was readied to give the new cohort D�ÀDYRXU�IRU�WKHLU�QHZ�KRPH��Ben Richardson, the Senior Freshers’ Rep, and I were busy putting together what we hoped would be the best Freshers’ Week yet, themed around decades of the 20th &HQWXU\��IURP�WKH�³)OLUW\�7KLUWLHV´�IRUPDO�WR�WKH�<HDU�2000 Space Rave. As tradition dictates, there was a lot of fancy dress. The Bar also underwent a complete overhaul under the stewardship of Callum Rowlinson. A £10,000 makeover was completed with stylish new paint job, carpet and furniture to boot UHDI¿UPLQJ�LWV�SRVLWLRQ�DV�Aidan’s premier social space.

The big social events are, of course what most people remember when they have left Durham and I will get on to those shortly, but I will remember a lot of this year for the range of lower-key

Five Principals

Miss Irene H

indmrash, Prof. John A

shworth and D

r Susan Frenk with paintings of

Dam

e Enid R

ussell-Smith and M

iss Ethleen Scott. (Jan C

ollinge)

Hindmarsh gave a dazzling speech which wittily recalled her College history and reminisced personally, too, with her former students. We also had a cohort from Dame Enid Russell-Smith’s era as Principal, who led a toast to her memory and privately shared a plethora of anecdotes.

Former Principals have clearly had an extraordinary impact and are regarded with great warmth and respect, while College is fortunate to have such a talented, thoughtful and motivated alumnae/i community, with an enviable richness of experience that offers a diverse range of role models for our new students.

I wish you all a very happy year, despite the troubled times, and look forward to working with you.

Dr Susan Frenk Principal

up the role of Principal after a period of some instability and dedicated himself to the task of rebuilding it on a VRXQGHU�¿QDQFLDO�IRRWLQJ�DQG�addressing some very pressing challenges. He obtained 8QLYHUVLW\�IXQGLQJ�IRU�WKH�¿UVW�major refurbishment (Curves and Straights) and with the unstinting support of his wife Rowena, set about reinforcing the SCR community. He has been a wonderful colleague and we are all delighted that he and Rowena have accepted Honorary Life Membership of the SCR and will join us in many more happy events.

The Alumni Association honoured John and Rowena at the very well attended Reunion in September, closing our year in style. They joined us for dinner and John was very moved by his gift, which had been arranged in clandestine conversations between the SAA exec and Rowena. Irene

Institute for Hazard, Risk and Resilience, held a truly exciting ‘Tipping Points’ conference on the global Financial system, in the Lindisfarne Centre, also in July. We have enjoyed a number of very interesting HYHQWV��LQFOXGLQJ�¿OP�OHG�discussions in the Politics Café, a Beliefs, Values and Cultures Forum based on the textuality of different faiths and a very stimulating seminar with Ari Ne’man, founder and President of a self-advocacy NGO in the USA and a member of President Barack Obama’s Special Advisory Council on Disability Rights.

Sadly, the summer saw us once again bidding farewell to a number of people. Bernhard Nausner had been with us for three years, convening the Beliefs, Values, Cultures Forum and we would like to thank him for his efforts and wish him well in the future. Dennis Sharp, our long-serving Facilities Manager, needs no introduction and there will be a period of prolonged mourning amongst generations of students and staff following his forthcoming retirement. His expertise is always imparted tactfully and he is the epitome of grace under pressure. Under his leadership, WKH�3RUWHU�WHDPV��¿UVW�DW�Aidan’s and more recently in his joint role at Van Mildert have scaled great heights of professionalism and wry humour that make us the envy of other Colleges.

Finally, John Ashworth recently completed four years as Dean of Colleges (following one as Deputy Dean) and decided that following a richly deserved year of Research Leave, rather than return to St Aidan’s - despite his continuing affection for the College - he wishes to take a new direction. John took

From the JCR PresidentTom Filipinski reviews the JCR’s year

6 7News from College News from CollegeC

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mer B

all ‘survivors’ toast the sunrise.(St A

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Aidan’s also took part in the inaugural Palatialps University Ski Trip to Val D’Isere. With over 150 people signed up, Aidan’s had by far the largest College contingent. A week in the Alps was the perfect way to prepare for the hard work ahead after Christmas.

This year also saw another ¿UVW�IRU�$LGDQ¶V��7KH�SRVW�application Open Days were, as ever, over Easter with students arriving in October being given a taster of College life. Ably organised by Carla Glass these days were as ever a huge success. These were IROORZHG�IRU�WKH�¿UVW�WLPH�E\�pre-application Open Days in June/July. I think it is a great testament to the spirit of the College that when I emailed to ask for twelve volunteers to give up a week of their summer to help out, I received over forty responses, all of whom felt strongly enough about their experience at Aidan’s that they were moved to share it with hundreds of visitors!

In terms of the JCR itself, after a somewhat turbulent year I am please to say it has been steered towards calmer waters. A strong Executive Committee, backed up by their respective committees, held the JCR structure together. A restructuring of a number of committees and positions has led to a more effective body. Arts Committee in particular has been overhauled and replaced with Music, Art and Drama Coordinators who have a far looser remit around encouraging and organising any and all artistic activities.

The JCR now has a much more stable legal position after negotiations with the University’s Governance Support Unit were successfully concluded. The JCR is also LQ�D�IDU�PRUH�VWDEOH�¿QDQFLDO�position than this time last

themed around childhood. The last event before the Easter holidays, it gave people a chance to unwind and get nostalgic before the looming dissertation deadlines and exams took hold.

Welfare Committee had an ever increasing presence within college and ran a number of interactive evenings to raise awareness of mental health, LGBT issues and a ‘Pamper Night’ to help people unwind during exams. Helen Jones was a hugely hard working Welfare 2I¿FHU��KHU�HYHQWV�FRPELQHG�with her approachability and helpfulness were a model for RI¿FHUV�DW�DOO�&ROOHJHV�DQG�OHG�to her winning Best College :HOIDUH�2I¿FHU�DW�WKH�'68�Awards Dinner.

As far as sport goes, I think LW�VXI¿FHV�WR�VD\�WKDW�LW�ZDVQ¶W�a great year in terms of results. However, that has never been what Aidan’s sport is about. The attitude of getting involved and having fun was beautifully embraced by the Women’s Basketball Team who lost every match of the season, but were one of the closest knit teams I have seen in four years.

of Space Invaders that loosely resembled dodgeball.

As ever Social Committee stole the show with the Summer Ball. Bigger and better than ever, Aidan’s was taken back to the ‘Roaring Twenties’ with casino decorations and dancers, performers, a late night Silent Disco and a champagne breakfast with the sunrise, WKH�%DOO�ZDV�PDJQL¿FHQW�DQG�congratulations go to Becky Smethurst and her team for putting on such a show.

Other committees also organised some superb events. Services Committee continued Aidan’s tradition of gloriously informal formals with themes including ‘Heroes and Villains’, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ and a very elegant Valentine’s Formal complete with string quartet. Costume of the year was a cardboard and foil Transformer robot that actually transformed. Doug/Scott /RQJ�GLG�PDJQL¿FHQW�MRE�DV�6HUYLFHV�2I¿FHU�DORQJ�ZLWK�KLV�committee, publicising formals LQ�ZKDW�ZDV�D�GLI¿FXOW�\HDU�DV�prices were doubled due to increased costs passed on by the University. The continued high level of attendance is a testament to standard of event organised by Doug.

Other committees also had a strong year. Shop Committee lead the way with a number of innovations, including changes in product range. They also took a substantial risk by moving away from Aidan’s well established night of relaxed music, Jazz, Rock and Cocktails, and hosting instead a DUCK fundraising event consisting of an inter-collegiate battle of the bands. The event was a great success and I know the new Shop Chair has plenty of further innovations in mind.

Vice President’s Committee hosted the Informal Ball,

JCR Executive2010-11 2011-12

President Vice-PresidentTom Filipinski Jack Caswell

JCR Treasurer JCR SecretaryBen Conti Gin Lowles

6RFLDO�&KDLU� � 6HUYLFHV�2I¿FHUBecky Smethurst Doug/Scott Long

Bar Steward Senior DSU RepCallum Rowlinson David Morris

:HOIDUH�2I¿FHU� 6KRS�&KDLUHelen Jones Chris Waddell

Sports Captain JCR ChairMike Crawforth Greg Chambers

President Vice-PresidentDavid Morris Ben Richardson

JCR Treasurer JCR SecretaryBen Conti Becky Smethurst

6RFLDO�&KDLU� � 6HUYLFHV�2I¿FHULotty Ellicott Nabila Dos Santos

Bar Steward Senior DSU RepMatthew Turkington Andrew Dwyer

:HOIDUH�2I¿FHU� 6KRS�&KDLUZoe Round Jonathan Johnson

Sports Captain JCR ChairWill Rudd Alexander Cartwright

Beer FestivalE

ager tasters at the College B

eer Festival.(St A

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whole time at Aidan’s, and really appreciate what a unique and wonderful experience it was. The chances at Durham in general, and Aidan’s in particular, to grow as a person, to meet new people, to try things you never knew you could do are second to none.

I would like to close by thanking my Executive Committee, whose support throughout the year is something I will treasure, and the Freshers for being a great bunch who didn’t cause me too much trouble. I would also like to thank Dr Susan Frenk who has been a great source of inspiration and advice throughout the year, and I wish KHU�DOO�WKH�EHVW�DV�VKH�¿QDOO\�drops the ‘Acting’ from her title and becomes Principal outright. The college couldn’t wish for a more committed and caring individual in the driving seat and I look forward to reading about futures successes in this magazine.

Tom Filipinski JCR President 2010-11

year thanks to JCR Treasurer, %HQ�&RQWL��+LV�EUXWDOO\�HI¿FLHQW�handling of the accounts has left the JCR in a very sustainable situation and after rerunning for the position the JCR is in safe hands for another year.

This year Honourary Life Memberships of the JCR were awarded to Jack Caswell, David Howe, Gin Lowles, Doug Long, David Morris, Helen Jones and Chris Waddell for going above and beyond what is expected in supporting JCR. Particular thanks go to Doug Long and Chris Waddell for two years on the Executive Committee.

Honorable mentions go to Ian Wenkenbach and Richard Hall for applying their technical genius to managing staging equipment at nearly every Aidan’s event, Karina Dar Juan for having a hand in anything that required a paintbrush and designing most event marketing material, Issy Boltt and James Miller for their commitment to fundraising by any means necessary, and Mike Crawforth for organising and supporting 20 sports teams throughout the year.

Writing this report as an alumnus has given me an RSSRUWXQLW\�WR�UHÀHFW�RQ�P\�

9Features

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when Gray’s, the University robe maker in Saddler Street, had a small delivery of the new material enough for six blazers, RU�VXI¿FLHQW�VKRUW�VFDUYHV�IRU�all of St Aidan’s to have the scarves. We became known as ‘Aidan’s Maidens’, or ‘the Holly and the Ivy’ from our colours.

Miss Scott went on to found the new College on Windmill Hill. She wrote to me in the 1960s, when I was living in Coventry, telling me that the architect had been been found for the new College but she couldn’t reveal his name before LW�ZDV�RI¿FLDOO\�DQQRXQFHG��6KH�went on to ask after the new Coventry Cathedral, which had been opened in 1962. It was some months before I realised that this was a gigantic hint as Sir Basil Spence, the architect for St Aidan’s, had also designed the new cathedral.

Lindsey Usher (McNeil) 1946-51

Æbbe (who could imagine anyone called Abba?). After much discussion, it was unanimously decided that we should like to be St Aidan’s Society.

Some time later, Miss Scott came to a JCR meeting in Chancery Court and told us that Senate had said we could not be St Aidan’s as he was a male saint and we ZHUH�ZRPHQ��³:KDW�DERXW�6W�&DWKHULQH¶V�LQ�&DPEULGJH"´�ZH�DVNHG��³7KH\¶UH�PHQ�´�6HQVH�was seen and in spring 1947 we became St Aidan’s Society.

The Home Students’ colours were blue and yellow but no badges or scarves were available because of the shortage of material during the war. Most us us had worn blue at school and we wanted a change. It was decided that the colours of the new St Aidan’s Society should be dark green with thin red and white stripes. Great glee was felt

In October 1946, the year after the First World War ended, there were 31 Home Students at the University of Durham: 28 freshers and 3 second years. We lived in digs in the city found by the Censor of Home Students, Miss Ethleen Scott. There had been Home Students at the University since the 1890s.

The following January or February, Miss Scott told us that we were to become a Society, and we could choose the name. We met in 0LVV�6FRWW¶V�ÀDW�RQ�6DGGOHU�Street, where she used to play the piano to us. There were several suggestions for a name. Someone urged *UHHN�JRGGHVVHV��³7KHUH¶V�RQH�EHJLQQLQJ�ZLWK�$�´�,�VDLG��struggling after ‘Artemis’. ³$SKURGLWH�´�VXJJHVWHG�RQH�bright spark: much mirth!

Eventually it was agreed that we should like a northern saint. We did not care for St

From Home Students to Greek GodessesLindsey Usher recalls the founding of St Aidan’s Society in 1947

Did you come up to Durham before 1963?

Turn to p. 29 for full details

St Aidan’s Alumni ReunionMatriculates of 1945-1963

21st - 23rd September 2012

11Features

represented. Young people came to Madrid from every continent in the world: I personally met Europeans, Puerto Ricans, Americans, Filipinos, Canadians, Brazilians and Koreans. A World Youth Day tradition is to trade something with the people you meet to keep as a souvenir. People WUDGH�ÀDJV��ZULVWEDQGV��EDGJHV��shirts, bandanas, crosses and any other national objects. It was an amazing experience to speak to so many people from so many different parts of the world.

A particularly moving moment ZDV�WR�VHH�D�JURXS�DW�WKH�DLU¿HOG�DW�the end of the week: as they passed other groups were applauding WKHP�EHFDXVH�WKH�ÀDJSROHV�WKH\�ZHUH�FDUU\LQJ�GLVSOD\HG�WZR�ÀDJV��the Israeli and the Palestinian. The crowds who saw them were giving spontaneous applause and in response the group were cheering and clapping. It was incredible to realise that despite war and political unrest in their countries, a group of young people could come together from Israel and Palestine to such an event as World Youth Day. They were free to be together and to celebrate their faith with each other and with the rest of the world. And the world was appreciating that by applauding them.

My lasting image of the World Youth Day experience is both the diversity of those who were there, WKH�EULJKW�FRORXUV�RI�WKH�ÀDJV�DQG�the sounds of different voices singing national songs, but also of the overarching unity that was apparent between all of us. The Church was being ‘catholic’ in its truest sense: universal. The unity of the Church and of the young people gathered together was not uniformity but a celebration of a shared faith and appreciation of WKH�EHDXW\�RI�OLIH�UHÀHFWHG�LQ�VXFK�cultural diversities.

On the 21st of August this year I joined 2.2 million young people LQ�DQ�DLU¿HOG�LQ�0DGULG�ZLWK�3RSH�Benedict XVI, head of the Catholic Church. The event was World <RXWK�'D\��¿UVW�HVWDEOLVKHG�E\�Pope Benedict’s predecessor Pope John Paul II in 1985. This was the 12th international World Youth Day, the third to be held by Pope Benedict. Previously World Youth Days have been held in Europe, South America, North America, Canada, Asia and Australia. I spent two weeks in Spain for this event and experienced the Church, my faith and other cultures in new and dynamic ways.

My trip began with a week of ‘Days in the Diocese’ in Santiago de Compostela in the North of Spain. Santiago has been a popular pilgrimage destination since the ninth century, and every year thousands of people walk ‘the Camino’ and come to the city to visit the relics of St James in Santiago Cathedral. For this reason the historic city of Santiago is constantly buzzing with tourists and pilgrims from all over Europe and beyond. Thousands of pilgrims were also in Santiago intending to make their way to Madrid the following week. The Catholics from the local diocese hosted an international festival for those going to Madrid. This consisted of music and songs from different countries and a talk from the local Bishop. We then joined the SLOJULPV�ZDONLQJ�WKH�¿QDO��NP�RI�the Camino to the Cathedral.

After a 10-hour coach journey my trip continued in Madrid. The atmosphere here was indescribable. The city was alive and buzzing with groups of young people from every corner of the world, the streets were ¿OOHG�ZLWK�FRORXU�DQG�VRXQG��*URXSV�FDUULHG�WKHLU�QDWLRQDO�ÀDJV�DQG�VDQJ�and chanted in their own languages.

Public transport was packed with young people singing and dancing. Each pilgrim was adorned with a World Youth Day t-shirt and bag and brightly coloured sun hat. Even traditionally dressed nuns and monks were donning World Youth Day logos and hats over their habits.

Across the city there were events, exhibitions, programmes and festivals to be attended. Cardinals and Archbishops gave catechetical talks each morning in halls and arenas, speaking about the Catholic Church and the Christian faith. Each evening parks and stadiums hosted bands, singers and speakers. Prayer services and Masses were held almost constantly throughout the week, in every language and tradition.

The main event of the week was an overnight prayer vigil culminating in Mass the following morning. This was held at Cuatro 9LHQWRV�$LU¿HOG�DQG�ZDV�WKH�WLPH�when all the young people came together in one place. The crowds were huge, there were people in every direction as far as the eye could see. Screens and speakers projected the event to those to whom the stage was a speck in the distance. The Pope spoke and encouraged us all in our faith and our lives, he asked us to be witnesses to our Christian faith by living out the good news in our lives. +H�DI¿UPHG�XV�DV�&DWKROLFV�DQG�assured us that true happiness is to be found following Christ.

As well as having a deep impact on my faith and spiritual life this trip was also an experience of cultural diversity and of the positive message young people can share with the world.

One of the most impressive sights in Madrid this August was to see the number of countries, nationalities and cultures

Celebrating World Youth Day in Madrid’s Vía Crucis (Luis Magán)

Faith in the FutureHelen Hunt was supported by a Duerden Award to attend World Youth Day in Madrid in August 2011

The city was alive and buzzing with groups of young people from every corner of the world, and the streets were filled with colour ... it was an amazing experience ,,

,,

12 13Features Features

Old

and N

ewA

rchitecture mixes in Frankfurt.

(ND

Strupler)

and we I have organized for him to do a two-day workshop in February with the Band.

Without the support from the Russell-Smith Award I simply wouldn’t have been able to afford this trip. As I am an aspiring musician hoping to play in orchestras and West End Shows, all such experiences are invaluable. I have since applied to study for a postgraduate degree at Music College. The competition for these courses is immense, but such study would have been almost impossible without my active involvement in the Big Band over the past three years.

David Dyson Music

Durham University Big %DQG�LV�DQ�HQVHPEOH�RI�¿IWHHQ�handpicked musicians and was crowned Great North Big Band of the Year last March. I have held the Drum Chair for the past two years, and it is improved my musicianship immensely.

The bursary enabled me to go on tour to Frankfurt with the band, where we played in the prestigious Mampf Jazz Club. We were also lucky enough to get a gig in our Youth Hostel in exchange for some complimentary drinks, which of course went down very well! We played from about 9:30pm-1am and had a rolling crowd throughout. $V�ZH�FRXOGQ¶W�¿W�WKH�ZKROH�band into the bar area we compromised and rotated performers, providing small band entertainment.

To give an essence of the city itself, it is divided into old and new. The reason for this is because it was heavily bombed in the Second World War and many buildings were severely damaged. The Old Town was what I had expected the majority of the city to be like. However, Frankfurth is now WKH�¿QDQFLDO�FDSLWDO�RI�(XURSH�and the hub of cosmopolitan life. In fact, I visitited the European Central Bank, only a short walk from our hostel.

Frankfurt is apparently the home of techno music: I had high hopes to go to the originating club. However, after conversing with a local he said that it closed 10 years ago for various reasons. On the whole, the Germans’ ethos towards socialising is

admirable; they especially make the effort to see live music, whereas in Britain it seems to be easier to switch on a CD player. I was also able to taste ‘proper’ lager and sausages!

2Q�RXU�¿QDO�GD\��ZH�ZHQW�to a jazz festival in which we met and spoke to the highly acclaimed tenor saxophonist Julian Argüelles with his sextet. It turns out that he is the musical director of the Frankfurt Radio Big Band. He offered us a support slot at another gig he had that weekend, but it was that evening we had to leave and get back to Calais for the ferry crossing. However, I have still maintained contact with him

World

Youth Day

7KH�&HOHEUDWLRQV�DW�&

XDWUR�9LHQWRV�$

LU¿HOG�(H

elen Hunt)

hearts we desire the good of others and of the world.

It was a privilege to be part of this event. I met people who have changed my life, some who will be lifelong friends and some whom I may never meet again. I have been deeply affected by the passionate joy and love for life that each young person at World Youth Day radiated. This experience KDV�LQÀXHQFHG�QRW�RQO\�P\�faith but my appreciation of life and given me a strong commitment to continue celebrating such rich diversity.

Helen Hunt Theology

6SDQLVK�¿UHPHQ�ZHUH�VWDQGLQJ�RQ�WRS�RI�WKHLU�¿UH�HQJLQHV�ZLWK�water cannons spraying the cheering crowds to keep them cool. In recent years the media has barely had a good word to say about youth, and the UHFHQW�ULRWV�KDV�UHDI¿UPHG�WKLV�negativity. But my experience of being one of the 2.2 million young people in Madrid with the Pope this summer tells a very different story: young people have an incredible amount of joy and enthusiasm for life to bring to the world, we have an exuberance which does not need to be retrained but encouraged. We are capable of immense good and in our

Another amazing aspect of World Youth Day was the attitude and the joy of the young people gathered. This was perhaps highlighted by the situation in the UK when I left to go to Spain: David Cameron had just come home early from his summer holiday to deal with the London riots.

The two scenarios could not have been more different. Young people from all over the world sang and danced through the streets of Madrid putting smiles on everyone’s faces. David Cameron threatened the use of water cannons to contain the rioters in the UK and less than two weeks later the

Band on the RunDavid Dyson travelled to Frankfurt with the University Big Band, supported by the Russell-Smith Award

14 15Features Features

local school. I went to a community called Lamataar, near Lubhu. This community mainly relied on rice farming, and most families grow everything they ate. I stayed with the Chang family with a Nepalese brother (15) and sister (13).

I, along with my friend Chris, taught in Shree Lubu School, where ages ranged from 5 to 16. In order to get to school we had to walk an KRXU�WKURXJK�ULFH�¿HOGV��DV�GLG�PDQ\�RI�WKH�SXSLOV��:H�WDXJKW�¿YH�classes a day. Shree Lubu was one WKH�PRVW�GLI¿FXOW�VFKRROV�DYDLODEOH�to our group because of the poverty from which the children came, the lack of resources available and the fact that it was a government school. The problem with state schools in Nepal is that there is a law where no teacher can be sacked, which has led to many teachers becoming lazy.

On the bright side, we met a few young volunteer teachers who were very enthusiastic and interested in the differences between England and Nepal. For me the main difference was that they were very textbook orientated, and the children found it very hard to use their imagination as they were so used to just copying from the blackboard. Therefore we tried hard in our classes to make them as interactive and different to normal lessons as possible. This was very successful and we found that the children always looked forward to our lessons.

We taught mostly maths and conversational English, but also geography and music. The language barrier was quite stark, especially with the younger classes (and some of the teachers!). We managed to overcome this by using simple English and language games.

The school was also very plain with no posters or paintings, so

Having successfully completed my trip to Nepal I can easily say that the six week project has been the most eye-opening experience of my life. Luckily the whole group PDQDJHG�WR�¿QLVK�WKH�WUHNNLQJ�part of the project with no major illnesses or injuries, and this experience gave me the chance to meet some very interesting people.

We started our trek just outside the city of Pokhara. We were trekking in monsoon season, so for most of the days we walked through torrential rain, however morale was kept high which made it all very enjoyable. We also got hit by leeches, which would get everywhere from your boots to your trousers. I found the trek to be manageable though other members of the team did struggle. It was also quite tiring as we would set off early, around VHYHQ�LQ�WKH�PRUQLQJ��DQG�QRW�¿QLVK�until around six at night.

Along the trek we had to walk along landslides, which were very common due to the monsoon and occasionally meant that we had to take a different path because the path had been completely blocked. We also often had to cross very strong rivers on very rocky hand-made bridges. Owing to monsoon season, for most of the trek we only saw fog. However, we were very lucky as only two days in a month are clear and we had one at our highest point, 4200m. We experienced some amazing views of snow-peaked mountains, some of which were the tallest in the world. However, at this altitude I could GH¿DQWO\�IHHO�WKH�WKLQQHU�DLU�DQG�MXVW�even a short quick movement would leave you out of breath.

After the trek we split up into small groups of around four to go into remote communities to live with a host family and to teach in a

we decided to leave a mural to brighten things up. For this we got the children to make a rainbow with handprints. This was very much appreciated by the teachers and we left the excess paint for the school hopefully to use in the future.

The most shocking experiences on the trip was the days where we went to see where the majority of our charity donation went. The ¿UVW�RI�ZKLFK�ZDV�0DLWL�1HSDO��DQ�RUJDQLVDWLRQ�ZKLFK�¿JKWV�DJDLQVW�WKH�WUDI¿FNLQJ�RI�ZRPHQ�DQG�FKLOGUHQ�to nearby India. Here we saw the centre which tries to rehabilitate the victims back into society. The organisation deals with sexually abused girls, abandoned children, SRWHQWLDO�YLFWLPV�RI�WUDI¿FNLQJ��destitute women, prisoner’s children, returnees from Indian brothels, girls and children infected with HIV and Hepatitis B. We were also able to see the numerous actions which Maiti Nepal takes to SUHYHQW�WKLV�WUDI¿FNLQJ��

The next place we saw was a Future for Nepal drop-in centre in Kathmandu. This centre was for homeless children, some as young as 8, who live on the streets alone. This centre provides somewhere for them to sleep and a meal. Without WKLV�WKH\�ZRXOG�KDYH�WR�¿QG�IRRG�on the streets, or beg. This centre used workers who had had similar experiences as a child in the hope that the children would listen to them more and understand the dangers of using solvents.

$IWHU�VHHLQJ�¿UVW�KDQG�WKH�poverty in Nepal and meeting the people to whom the donations have JRQH��,�FDQ�FRQ¿GHQWO\�VD\�WKDW�LW�has been greatly appreciated and is much needed.

Peter KellawayMathematics

6WHSSHG�ULFH�¿HOGV�LQ�1HSDO (Luis Magán)

A Future for NepalSupported by the St Aidan’s Alumni Award, Peter Kellaway made a challenging trek to teach in a remote Nepalese village

We were trekking in monsoon season, so most of our days we walked through torrential rain ... we also got hit by leeches. However morale was kept high which made it all very enjoyable ,,

,,

17Features

arrived at Siem Reap, in the north of Cambodia, on the following Tuesday. We had taken a six-hour bus up to Siem Reap to spend some time exploring the ancient capital at Angkor Wat. These awe-inspiring temples were built around 900 AD and are in a remarkable state of preservation. For the moment, at least, you can wander around anywhere you wish and explore some of the quieter temples in solitude. However, with the number of tourists visiting Cambodia only set to increase, it won’t be long before essential conservation will need to take place and access to these secluded monuments restricted in order to preserve them for future generations.

The following Saturday morning, almost a week after we left London, four cars arrived at the hotel to transport us further north to the town of Samraong, where we would be based for the next three weeks. The only problem was that they already had a few passengers in them, plus some supplies to support us whilst we were there! Nevertheless we all managed to squeeze in for the two-hour drive through the remote Cambodian countryside, past countless temples, SDGG\�¿HOGV�DQG�URDGVLGH�YLOODJHV��The journey went smoothly and, no thanks to the condition of the roads, we arrived safely at the hotel. We all stayed the night here before some members of the group transferred to a traditional Cambodian home to stay the next day. That night the JURXS�ZDV�WUHDWHG�WR�WKHLU�¿UVW�WDVWH�of traditional Khmer home cooking when we visited the homestay for dinner. The homestay was in the family home of our coordinator, Mr Ya. He lives there with his wife, son, newborn daughter and in-laws. It was a very welcoming house, and we instantly felt at home.

Anyone who has visited Cambodia will know how friendly and welcoming the Khmer people are. This is why I chose to return to the country last summer as leader of the DUCK (Durham University Charities Kommittee) expedition. The country is still recovering from the reckless rule of the Khmer Rouge, which was responsible for the deaths of nearly two million Khmers during their period of government in the late 1970s.

The planning began last October with the frighteningly near deadline of the DUCK Expeditions Fair looming over me. Trying to scrape together a budget for a group of 16 people is no easy task. Luckily it was all ready for the Fair, which was a big success. The following month was spent whittling down the 50 applicants to 15 participants who would accompany me on the six-week expedition the following summer. During the interviews I met a variety of characters from across the University, including someone who spent the whole interview shivering away as it had taken him three hours to get from Stockton in the snow!

The intervening months were ¿OOHG�ZLWK�JURXS�PHHWLQJV��5DJ�Raids (street collections), and yet more planning. The trip this year supported two charities; the Burma Education Partnership (www.burmaeducationpartnership.org) and Futuresense Foundation (www.futuresense.co.uk). Between them the participants raised £16,000 for the two charities. It felt like no time had passed at all when it was time to head to the airport.

*HWWLQJ�WR�RXU�¿UVW�GHVWLQDWLRQ�in Cambodia was no easy task; it WRRN�WZR�ÀLJKWV��WKUHH�WD[L�ULGHV��two nights in hotels and one bus journey! After leaving Heathrow RQ�6DWXUGD\��UG�-XO\�ZH�¿QDOO\�

The next morning we met with the four translators who would accompany us to school each day. They turned out to be younger than us, but their grasp of English was astonishing given the amount of formal education they had received. Mr Ya gave us a short introduction to the Khmer language and culture, as well as a little history of the country and province, during which it transpired that one of the schools we would be teaching in had been used by the Khmer Rouge as base and prison for the surrounding region. The translators then took us on a tour of the main market in the town. Perhaps this is the time to explain the size of Samraong: it is known as a town by virtue of being the capital of Oddar Meanchey province, but it is no bigger than the average English village. The market was right in the centre of the town and upon entering you had to step RYHU�VWUHDPV�RI�EODFN�ZDWHU�ÀRZLQJ�in between the various stalls. The stalls themselves sold anything and everything; skin whitening lotion, police badges and ‘Italian’ designed shirts to name but a few of the items. The sweltering heat LQ�WKH�¿UVW�SDUW�RI�WKH�PDUNHW�ZDV�nothing compared to the smell lingering around the food section. It truly was a sight to behold with ¿VK�VZLPPLQJ�LQ�EXFNHWV��FUDEV�scuttling away from their pots, and meat lying on wooden blocks in WKH�VXQ�VZDUPLQJ�ZLWK�ÀLHV��$OO�WKH�food sellers were women, who were busy either waving a stick with a SODVWLF�EDJ�RQ�LW�WR�ZDUG�RII�ÀLHV�RU�GHVFDOLQJ�¿VK�ZLWK�D�VWRQH�

On Monday morning, after an early rise with breakfast at 7am, it was straight into teaching. Mr Ya had placed us into three schools: Samraong Primary, Kuok Kor Primary and Donken Pheant Primary. Samraong was double the

Angkor Wat (Trey Ratcliff)

A job to do... flying to CambodiaSupported by the McGowan Award, Ben Conti travelled to Cambodia as leader of a charity expedition

The market stalls sold anything & everything: police badges, skin whitening lotion and ‘Italian’ designed shirts to name but a few of the items on display ,,

,,

18 19Features Features

Dressing

upThe team

found games to be a great w

ay of teaching.(B

en Conti)

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was particularly poignant, as the Khmer Rouge had taken over a school in the heart of the city, very similar to the schools that we had taught in.

All in all, the time I spent in Cambodia was a truly EHQH¿FLDO�DQG�UHZDUGLQJ�experience for me, my team, and the community in which we worked. I would highly recommend that everyone visits this country, learns about the turbulent history the people have endured, and, most importantly, immerses themselves in the culture.

Ben Conti Mathematics

LPSURYH�WKHLU�FRQ¿GHQFH�DV�English speakers over the two weeks. It wasn’t long before we were whisked away from Samraong in taxis down to Siem Reap. From there we would take the night bus down to the beach, to spend a few days snorkeling, scuba diving and visiting the national park.

After visiting the coast we headed back up north to the capital city, Phnom Penh. Here we spent time learning about some of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. We visited the S21 Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. We found that the Museum

VWXFN�LQ�¿HOGV��1HYHUWKHOHVV��ZKHQ�WKH�ZHDWKHU�¿QDOO\�relented enough for the trucks to deliver the soil, we set to work one Saturday to recover the playground. It was an enjoyable day of hard labour in 35 degree heat that brought the team together. It was pleasing for me to revisit the school in which I had spent most of my time the year before, to see how our previous work had EHQH¿WWHG�WKH�FRPPXQLW\�DQG�to see some familiar faces of both students and staff.

The penultimate afternoon in Samraong was spent preparing for our activity morning the next day. All the students we had taught over the past three weeks would descend upon Samraong Primary School for inter-school competitions. There were going to be three events: a mini sports day, a singing competition and an English quiz to test how much the children had learnt from us. Throughout the competitions the students were rewarded for their participation with exercise books and pens, which we hoped would encourage them to work harder at school. During the singing competition the students showed incredible support for their classmates as they sang Cambodian karaoke! The Principals of the three schools acted as judges and awarded the girl who sang the latest Khmer hit the top prize. The day was a great success and the English-style sports GD\�ZDV�D�GH¿QLWH�KLW�ZLWK�WKH�children and teachers!

The afternoon following the competitions was full of sad goodbyes as we said farewell to the children, teachers and translators. The translators were sad to see us go as they had befriended us right from the start. I got the impression that we had helped them

many items of clothing they could put on in 30 seconds was a constant favourite.

There was always a plan for the whole group to visit Kuok Kor School to do some construction work. The school had requested some soil to level out their playground so that it wouldn’t get as ÀRRGHG�LQ�WKH�UDLQ\�VHDVRQ��As we were already in rainy season, however, this task was delayed numerous times due to all the soil trucks getting

helped them get over their initial nerves!

Throughout the next three weeks we had a great time teaching the children. Most of the lessons focused on spoken English, particularly phrases and words that they would ¿QG�XVHIXO�LQ�WKHLU�IXWXUH�OLYHV��The games we played with them were much loved by the students and any opportunities to make their fellow classmates embarrass themselves were especially enjoyed; seeing how

size of the others and had a massive playground for the children; this was where I was based. The day was slightly daunting as we had no idea how much English they knew already. The quality varied amongst the six classes we taught that day, two from each of grades 4, 5 and 6. All of the classes were just as nervous DV�XV�DW�¿UVW��EXW�SDVVLQJ�D�ball around the class to make the students speak proved an effective teaching tool and

20 21News from Members News from Members

1946

/LQGVH\�8VKHU��0F1HLO�Howard, my husband, died in

February 2009 from pneumonia. He was 82. We had been married 49½ years.

'RUHHQ�3RROHU��3HQVZLFN�I am still in touch with Barbara

Wallington (née Appleby) and Chris Kelly (Adderley).Happy memories of the last time I attended a Durham Reunion, for the 175th Anniversary in 2007, when there were four of us from my year.

1947

-RDQ�$UPVWURQJ��%LGJRRG�Looking forward to the

Reunion in 2012 and seeing my contemporaries again!

1949

$XGUH\�:HVW��)XQQHOO�I am looking forward to the 2012

Reunion and welcome a letter or call from any of my peers who wish to get in touch regarding it.

1956

$QQ�(XVWDFH��:LOFR[�Peter and I are delighted to

announce the arrival of Mabel Pearl, our fourth grandchild. We all enjoyed an adventure on Limone on Lake Garda (including baby Mabel in a safe place!) to celebrate James’s 40th birthday. My plant work is now at a serious study point which will see me being a hermit next year!

1960

)LRQD�&REE��0DWKLVRQ�I’m still living in London and

enjoying my work as a Suzuki piano teacher, in addition to attending many operas and concerts. Occasional lunch meetings mean that I keep in touch with friends from St Aidan’s. I am looking forward to returning to Durham for the 2012 Reunion, especially as this time there may well be many of our friends from other Colleges.

1964

$O\QQH�'XQW��:RRG�I attended the Reunion at the

College in September 2011. We had a wonderful time and there were 17 from our year. I can recommend these reunions to you all and if anyone who was at St Aidans 1964-67 gets in touch I have some photos of the event.

5RVDOLQG�3HUU\��7D\RU�It is great to have retired! I spent

WKH�ODVW�¿IWHHQ�\HDUV�LQ�WKH�SXEOLF�sector, working on regeneration issues and latterly contracting to improve literacy and numeracy levels. Since I have retired I have had time to spend with my family, especially my daughters in Singapore and also to meet up with old friends.

A group of us decided to attend the Reunion in September and really enjoyed ourselves. It was an added bonus to meet many of our contemporaries and catch up on over 40 years.

-R\FH�0RVV��+RROH\�I very much enjoyed the

Reunion. It was very nice meeting people again after so many years. ,�PDGH�D�KROLGD\�RXW�RI�LW��¿UVW�in North Lancashire and then in Co. Durham, visiting the places associated with my medieval

Washington ancestors. I also saw the Bowes Museum, Jarrow, Alnwick Castle and Gardens.

At the moment, I am involved with Friends of the Boar, to try and save the species from excessive culling in the Forest of Dean. They have returned after centuries to the Forest and deserve our protection. This is rather a change from my local history research, though ¿QGLQJ�RXW�ZKDW�LV�JRLQJ�RQ�RIWHQ�requires the same methods!

1965

Evelyn ShireI was glad to meet up with

friends - especially Ann & husband Bill, Barbara, Veronica (‘Ronnie’), Tess, and Sue & John - at the enjoyable College Reunion in September 2011, and visit old haunts in Durham with my husband Ken. Sorry Alison (‘Ali’) and Lorna couldn’t make it but good to hear from you both.

Have just completed an MA in Peace Studies at Bradford university, part time over two years since retirement. Very much enjoyed it.

9HURQLFD�%XOO��%HOO�‘Retirement’ very hectic. Try

to balance home life in Chester (golf, Church, WI, husband, etc.), with demands of elderly parents in Hampshire and children and grandchildren in Newcastle and Bradford.

1966

Jay Melrose-Woodman �+HHUD�

I’ve been living in Japan for the last 25 years but am considering retiring in 2012 and returning to

News in BriefSnippets and updates from fellow members of St Aidan’s Alumni: send us your news via news@aidans-alumni.org.uk

and we’re celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary this year. Bev (Williams) and our families still holiday together and I feel very fortunate to have made such a great friend at Durham.

1987

Jacqueline CheltenhamGot married to Brian in 2007

and have since had two sons – Joseph aged 2½ and Abraham aged 4 months. Am currently on maternity leave.

2003

Riannon PughNow Trainee Solicitor at

Slaughter and May.

William MaddocksHappily married since 2009!

2006

Maxim Zaraisky Working in central London, like

99% of all other Durham graduates I know!

Deaths

Professor Jenny BritnellProfessor Britnell (Department

of French) died in July 2011, of complications arising from leukaemia. She was a member of the resident academic staff of the College in the late 1960s, and a popular tutor.

Honours

Prof. Sally Macintyre (1967)Appointed Dame Commander of

the Order of the British Empire, for services to Science.

Let us know any items of news you wish to share with other St Aidan’s alumni!

You can send any ‘News in Brief’ for the magazine to us by post at the address on the back cover, via email or through our website.

RQ�WR�JHW�D�MRE�DV�DQ�(G�3V\FK�¿UVW�with Social Services and then the School Psychological Service in the same area.

Meanwhile my husband was ¿QLVKLQJ�KLV�3K�'�DQG�¿QGLQJ�ZRUN��Four children later and then aged 40 years my husband’s company moved us to Cape Town and later Paris, where we still live.

I stopped work for 10 years whilst we were travelling and settling the kids into a bilingual education and then was fortunate WR�¿QG�D�MRE�LQ�D�ORFDO�LQWHUQDWLRQDO�school where I head the Department of Learning Support.

1969

0DUJDUHW�1LPPR�6PLWK��0DOOLQVRQ�

I am enjoying the privilege of my year as Mayoress of Cambridge, as my husband Ian (Van Mildert, 1966-9) is Mayor until May 2012. Ian has been keeping a blog which may be found at www.mayor.cambridge.gov.uk.

1976

'LDQH�2WWR��)OHWFKHU�Returned to UK from an

international teaching career in Africa and the Middle East at the end of 2006. Married to Peter, a South African. Living near Lancaster to support my widowed Mum. Teaching a bit part time and retraining for the healing ministry.

1978

9DO�'DZVRQ��-RQHV�Family and work take most

of my time but I’ve decided to SXW�PRUH�HIIRUW�LQWR�JHWWLQJ�¿W�now I’m 50! Still enjoying work in communications for General Electric. James, our eldest son, hopes to study Engineering at university. Robert is going to the International Scout Jamboree in Sweden, 2011. Adam has a QHZ�MRE�DV�&(2�IRU�WKH�2I¿FH�of Carbon Capture and Storage,

Cumbria.I got drawn back to Durham

through the quite active group of alumni in Tokyo: so many Japanese also seem to have done courses there, and the Head of the British Council in Tokyo at one point was an alumnus. Another Durham alumnus here introduced me to kyudo (Japanese archery) - now a passion.

However, I never seem to read any news from my generation! Is anyone out there? (I lived in Aidan’s P\�¿UVW�\HDU��WKH�QHZ�7UHYHO\DQ�my second year - so had many 7UHYHO\DQ�IULHQGV���DQG�D�ÀDW�P\�third year.)

1968

$OLVRQ�$OOHQ��&DXWKHU\�I wasn’t sure that the Reunion

weekend would work out for me but actually it was lovely to see St Aidan’s and Durham again, and very good to see my friends again. Full marks to Jan Collinge for organising the event, which enabled us to make contact again with Pamela from the USA after 39 years: a very happy occasion. I was sorry not to make the most of the activities arranged, which all sounded interesting, but found that my time was fully occupied catching up with my friends - we enjoyed ourselves looking round Durham and seeing where things had changed, and also where they were happily the same.

It was also very good to meet some of the other very interesting women of the years around our generation who helped make St Aidan’s into what it is. I hope it will EH�DOORZHG�WR�FRQWLQXH�WR�ÀRXULVK�for today’s women and men.

+HOHQ�-DPHV��.DLP�&DXGOH�After St Aidan’s I went to

Cambridge to take a PGCE, on to ILEA to teach primary in Camden and then to the Tavistock Clinic to train as an educational psychologist. That was quite a shake up! I then worked at an Adolescent Psychiatric Day Unit in Hounslow before going

22 23News from St Aidan’s Alumni News from St Aidan’s Alumni

September 2011 saw a group of over 100 St Aidan’s alumnae from the 1960s and their partners welcomed to College for our annual Reunion Weekend. Here we are pleased to include some of their photographs and reactions to the weekend’s events: more are on our website.

I was persuaded to sign up for the reunion at the last minute. Arrived feeling very apprehensive and came away from it with a huge smile! Everyone was incredibly friendly and I can’t be the only one who went home feeling very hoarse from all the talking. Forty years seemed like no time at all: College felt remarkably familiar (thought bathrooms have shrunk!) and beyond the College, the City and Cathedral are as timeless and magical as ever.

Veronica Bull (Bell, 1965-8)

The decision to attend the 2011 Reunion wasn’t an easy one since I live in the USA, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It was delightful to be back in Durham again and the event was marvelous (many thanks to Jan) but connecting with my friends from St Aidan’s was a joy that I’m so grateful not to have missed! We hope to stay in touch between reunions but the next one can’t come soon enough. I highly recommend this event to anyone who is considering attending.

Pamela Kenyon (Aznavoorian, 1968-71)

Before: Never done this before; will it be embarrassing, lonely, boring, stiff and formal, will I know a soul? will anyone recognise me? a ceilidh! worth the money? a mistake?

After: So glad I made the effort; good organisation and choices (thank you Jan), though some last minute changes meant I missed one event by arriving late; comfortable accommodation with my favourite college garden view; good food; everyone so friendly, whether previously acquainted or no; our shared Durham experience was bonding; did recognise and enjoy catching up with some contemporaries; grey hairs not a disadvantage; brilliant state-of-the art/science presentation by cosmology professor; have St $LGDQ¶V�VWHSV�PXOWLSOLHG"�KRRUD\�IRU�ÀDWWLHV��WD[LHV�YHU\�KHOSIXO�WRR��the ceilidh?- no problem, great band, company and caller, fun.

Ann Finlay (Sissons, 1966-9)

,�ZDV�DSSUHKHQVLYH�DW�¿UVW��EXW�DP�YHU\�JODG�LQGHHG�WKDW�,�ZHQW���It was so good to be in the beautiful city of Durham again, and to get reacquainted with old friends, with whom I had lost contact. Lesley Nisbet had found me on the internet. The activities you had laid on were diverse and most enjoyable.

Beth Hendley (Hetherington, 1964-7)

The Aidan’s Reunion this September was great fun. After 45 years of not having visited the college, would I recognise the faces? Remember anyone at all? Well, of course I did, and it was immediately like being with old friends, very comfortable and just like old times. The weekend was action-packed with visits to exhibitions and a boat trip on the river, with a highlight being a ¿OP�RQ�WKH�EHJLQQLQJV�RI�WKH�XQLYHUVH�UHFHQWO\�PDGH�E\�'XUKDP�

Clockwise from top left: The Reunion Dinner; Dancers at the Ceilidh; Tour of the Institute for Computational Cosmology; Ceilidh; Architectural Tour of Durham; Principals Irene Hindmarsh, John Ashworth and Susan Frenk. Thanks to Jan Collinge and Julia Clixby.

University astronomers. An eye opener to an old linguist! I recommend a reunion - all of us who went really enjoyed it.

Ruth McNeil (Humphreys, 1964-8)

Having never attended a reunion before, and both having vowed never to have anything to do with such occasions, both my husband (a Johnsman) and I were very apprehensive beforehand, but we both enjoyed every minute of the weekend. It was so well organised and every person we met said how much she had enjoyed it. Jan had thought of every little detail and looked after us all so well. The weekend reawakened our interest in Aidan’s and Durham, and we have made contact with three alumni with whom ZH�KDYH�KDG�QR�FRQWDFW�IRU�IRUW\�¿YH�\HDUV���,I�DQ\RQH�RXW�WKHUH�LV�wondering whether to attend such an event in future, then don’t hesitate any longer: we can heartily recommend it.

Kathleen Heald (Sleath, 1963-6)

'HVSLWH�LQLWLDO�WUHSLGDWLRQ�¿YH�RI�XV�ZHQW�WR�WKH�UHFHQW�6W�Aidan’s Reunion, which gave us the impetus to reestablish contact after so long. We had a really great time: picking up where we left off 40 years ago! It was so nice to be back in Durham the city again too, and reminded us all how lucky we were to have been to university there. Patricia Herbert (Sykes, 1967-70)

,�FDPH�WR�WKH�5HXQLRQ��P\�¿UVW�VLQFH�OHDYLQJ�&ROOHJH�LQ�������bolstered by the knowledge that my friend was going too - but it really wouldn’t have mattered if she hadn’t, as it was an amazing weekend! A marvellous programme of events, the chance to chat WR�DOO�VRUWV�RI�SHRSOH��DQG�WR�¿QG�VRPH�XQH[SHFWHG�FRQQHFWLRQV���plentiful food and drink: what was not to like? The steps were a bit more of a challenge to the somewhat older legs, but the view as tremendous as ever. I can certainly recommend a revisit to anyone!

Jo Barton (Mount, 1966-70)

Some gentle arm-twisting was required to get me to the reunion weekend – but I’m so glad I did. To meet again with so many of our fellow students was a recipe for great joy, and to do so in Aidans made it very special. Thank you to everyone who made it happen.

Valerie Dutton (Borkett, 1964-7)

,W�ZDV�WKRURXJKO\�HQMR\DEOH�IURP�VWDUW�WR�¿QLVK��,QLWLDOO\�,�ZDV�very reluctant to sign but now so glad that I did. Not only did I meet my close friends by arrangement but several others I knew less well, and I relished renewing acquaintances with others and ¿QGLQJ�FRPPRQ�OLQNV�RQFH�PRUH�

+D]HO�&OLIIH��%D\¿HOG����������

We all had a wonderful time and really enjoyed staying at the College and all the activities laid on; the program was very carefully thought out and well planned. We were also looked after very well by the college catering staff. We are now in touch with many fellow students we have not seen for 44 years, and will look forward to another Reunion at some stage. Alynne Dunt (Wood, 1964-7)

If anyone out there is wondering whether to attend such an event in future, don’t hesitate any longer: we can heartily recommend it.,,

,,St Aidan’s Reunion Weekend 2011Matriculates of 1963-70

24 25News from St Aidan’s Alumni News from St Aidan’s Alumni

A N

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Julia

and

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com

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waterway and remembered the time we punted all the way up to Shincliffe for a drink.

After a quick look around the covered market, a fascinating treasure trove, and the shock of seeing that the horseman’s statue had been relocated to a more agreeable position (yes, really), we headed back up to College for lunch. I was glad that both my friends had cars, something lacking in our day, so we didn’t have to negotiate Aidan’s famous steps, at least not on that occasion. Lunch allowed another chance for new contacts to be made, and everyone was ready to discuss life, the state of Britain, their

travelled from Switzerland to be here but I noted that others had come from as far as Hong Kong and Australia! Not so many names were familiar, even allowing for the fact that many of us had changed ours, and it was rather disappointing that none of our other cronies were here. However, with a full program of events to keep us RFFXSLHG��WKH�ZHHNHQG�ÀHZ�E\��

The Prince Bishop River Cruise never existed in our day, and the river seemed to have shrunk, owing to the huge growth of the overhanging trees since our student days. Norman Wade’s prints would look a bit different now, and we couldn’t help but notice

The view of the cathedral from the northbound train brought a lump to the throat just as it did on the day I attended my interview at the College early in 1967. The anticipation was also nerve-tingling, although this time I wasn’t being academically tested: rather that after forty years of life’s ups and downs, one still feels apprehensive at meeting a roomful of contemporaries. Would they all be youthful and glamorous? Would they all have had brilliant careers? Or would they all be the same as me: a few years older and quite a bit fatter, but still with a zest for life and curiosity for the weekend program ahead.

I need not have worried. My friend Carole Keeley (née Chalmers) met me at the station to drive up to the College together. The roads around the city have certainly changed, but the College building was very familiar – even the view was the same. My guest room had an en-suite bathroom and everything was provided for my comfort. :H�KXUULHG�WR�¿QG�WKH�EDU��D�novelty since our day, and met up with several friendly women NHHQ�WR�¿QG�RXW�RXU�QDPHV�and years of study. The buffet dinner was substantial and delicious, and together with our other fellow Aidan’s girl, Penny Andrews (née Davison), we chatted about the weekend.

Jan Collinge, the lovely lady responsible for coordinating this memorable event, invited us all to the bar, a typical studenty room in the corner of the dining room, where she called out all the names and handed out badges. I had

Happy MemoriesAlumna Julia Clixby reports on the 2011 Reunion

travels and career choices. It was also reassuring to note that there were no scarily glamorous career-women, apart from one very chic and charming lady who it later emerged was the new Principal, Dr Susan Frenk.

The afternoon was earmarked for a tour of the Cosmology Centre on the Science Site, where my two friends and I studied or whiled away the time between lectures in the café. We declined the

the change to the bridges: Prebends was covered in scaffolding, Elvet Bridge is now pedestrianised and Kingsgate Bridge was closed for building work. As a member of St Aidan’s rowing crew in 1968-9, I noted that the Elvet Bridge arches were as tricky as ever to navigate, and there are sadly no longer any punts at Brown’s Boathouse. However the guide gave us an amusing commentary as we explored the extent of navigable

River C

ruiseA

lumni enjoy the sights from

the Prince Bishop R

iver Cruiser.

(Jan Collinge)

was an expert and came prepared with handouts to help us identify the structure of the medieval town and IRUWL¿FDWLRQV�RQ�WKH�SHQLQVXOD��Sadly the Castle was being repaired so we had to visualise its interior, but we were VXUSULVHG�WR�¿QG�D�VHFUHW�GRRU�leading to the bastion which led to an escape route for inmates. We saw the traces of the original North Gate in Saddler Street, and were intrigued by the different ages visible in the cathedral walls. After scooting through the building during a service, we emerged into the area known as the College where 12 canons shared the wealth after the Reformation in 1539. Then we were just in time to get to 24 North Bailey for a sherry party before lunch.

Thanks to Jan and the team of volunteer coordinators, who I felt should receive a medal and even a stipend for the amount of work they put in, the whole weekend was a ELJ�VXFFHVV��0HPRULHV�ÀRRGHG�back, acquaintances were renewed, new friends were made, history took its place side by side with the very latest VFLHQWL¿F�H[SHUWLVH��DQG�RQH�felt that the city of Durham had grown considerably in the past 40 years. The new Principal had already made changes to the rather jaded college buildings but her heart was fully engaged with the challenges of the new student intake and their wellbeing. So best wishes to Aidan’s, and DOO�ZKR�¿QG�D�KRPH�WKHUH��IRU�the next exciting phase in its history.

Julia Newton (Clixby) 1967-70

contemporaries along with one of the guest Principals, Irene Hindmarsh, John Ashworth and Susan Frenk. Food, as ever at Aidan’s, was delicious but there were no second helpings: we enjoyed carrot and coriander soup, lamb with rosemary potatoes and redcurrant sauce, and some rather gooey chocolate cake. Wine was enjoyed at one’s own discretion and pocket. After the meal, we enjoyed hearing speeches from the three principal guests before clearing the room for the ceilidh, which was as amusing to watch as it was to take part in.

Next day, those with the strength to rise early were able to take the footpath via Prebends Bridge to Palace Green to meet for a 9.30 architectural tour of the city. Our guide, Martin Roberts,

opportunity to take a tour of Palace Green library, as it did not feature on the radar of us science students. Instead, we met Professor Carlos Frenk, renowned physicist and husband of the new Principal, outside his glass tower. He remarked that UK universities were not as well resourced as elsewhere in the world, but he mentioned a contact with architect Daniel Liebeskind that he hoped would lead to a new, bold design for a future building. First, though, we followed him and his colleague to another building to see a 3D movie of the creation of the universe, to be viewed through 3D glasses. The professor joked that he had conceived of the idea ten years before Avatar was released. It was certainly an eye-opening experience.

Then there was a bit of a rush back to college, noting en route the tasteful extension of St Mary’s College, in time to dress for the Reunion Dinner and Ceilidh. Jan had stipulated ‘suits for the chaps, smart frocks for the ladies’. Yes, a few brave husbands had accepted the invitation too. Marks and Spencer ‘Per Una’ was notable by its presence in the ladies’ attire that weekend – whoever created that brand was a genius in my book. In our day it was all miniskirts and PVC macs. After a refreshing glass of Buck’s Fizz or two, and a chance to eye the competition in smart attire, we took our seats in the Dining Hall, a room which hadn’t changed much in 40 years, apart from the addition of some eye-catching artwork. Alumnae from the different years present, from 1963 to 1970, were seated with their

Memories flooded back, acquaintances were renewed, new friends were made ... the whole weekend was a big success ,,,,

27News from St Aidan’s Alumni

Models of the UniverseA tour of Durham’s Institute for Computational Cosmology was a high-point of the Reunion weekend (Department of Physics, Durham)

An action-packed weekendAlumna Kathy Chetwynd gives her verdict on the 2011 Reunion

Susan Frenk. It was most interesting hearing them speak. The good food and wine were followed by a splendid opportunity to work them off with an energetic Ceilidh.

Then on Sunday we attended the Architectural Tour of Durham, which was also outstanding: a wonderful stroll with a real expert, Martin Roberts, who had worked for English Heritage for 11 years. The tour revealed so many things I had had no clue about 45 years previously, like the remains of the old North Gate to the city. The tour was followed by a sherry party in 24 2OG�%DLOH\��RI�JUHDW�VLJQL¿FDQFH�IRU�many of us as the former home of St Aidan’s. Irene Hindmarsh, whom many of us remembered well, was the principal guest.

I felt extremely grateful to the organisers - all volunteers - who put in so much work to make this reunion a success; and great success it was. I look forward to the next one - and would encourage anyone hesitating, to sign up and go!

Kathy Chetwynd (Villiers) Geography and Anthropology 1963-6

The programme of events was superbly well thought out and organised, and allowed for an action-packed weekend, punctuated with delightful conversations and reminiscences with fellow ‘old gals’. Saturday morning started with a ERDW�WULS�RQ�WKH�PDJQL¿FHQW�:HDU��and was followed by a tour of the Wolfson Library at Palace Green. Later in the afternoon, there was something mysteriously called a ‘Cosmology Tour’, which turned out to be a privileged encounter with a WRS�VFLHQWLVW�LQ�KLV�¿HOG��3URIHVVRU�Carlos Frenk, who impressed with his infectious enthusiasm and willingess to convey the latest in VFLHQWL¿F�XQGHUVWDQGLQJ�HYHQ�WR�WKH�VFLHQWL¿FDOO\�LOOLWHUDWH�OLNH�PH���0\�husband by now was very pleased he had signed up for what to him had initially seemed the prospect of a daunting weekend with large numbers of intimidating ladies: he was thrilled to bits!

On Saturday evening the Reunion dinner was a great success. The guests were three St Aidan’s Principals representing past, present and future: Irene Hindmarsh, John Ashworth and Dr

Attending reunions is not something I do regularly, and I’ve never previously been to any Durham reunion. So why this time? :HOO��6W�$LGDQ¶V�VSHFL¿FDOO\��DQG�my year group, sounded promising. What clinched it was receiving a phonecall, followed by an email, from the hardworking organiser Jan Collinge, which showed me the efforts being made to trace as many of us as possible who had matriculated between 1963 and 1970, and to encourage us to attend. It all sounded so promising, I even persuaded my husband to accompany me.

We all have our hang-ups and trepidations before this sort of event. Will I know anyone? Will everyone have had a more (or less) glamorous career than me? Is everyone much better (or worse) preserved than me? All of that was instantly forgotten on arrival. How lovely to be back in the familiar College buildings again, surrounded by so many interesting people to talk to! What a powerful pull the PDJQL¿FHQW�&DWKHGUDO�DQG�FLW\�of Durham have. Long dormant memories stirred!

delightful to meet other St Aidan’s former ‘girls’ which, of course, we all were in those distant days!

So for anyone wondering if they should take the plunge and revisit St Aidan’s, I would say ‘go for it’. 7KH�ZHHNHQG�ZDV�PDJQL¿FHQWO\�organised and I put on a couple of pounds, which goes to prove that St Aidan’s food is a good (and generous) as it always was!

Elizabeth Ibbotson (McCluskie)German1968-72

However, fortunately this was far from the case at the alumni reunion. True, the college has changed and there are many new facilities and buildings, but for me the changes VHHPHG�TXLWH�VXSHU¿FLDO�DQG�,�immediately felt at home, both at St Aidan’s and in Durham generally. 7KHUH�KDYH�EHHQ�VRPH�PDJQL¿FHQW�developments, with our visit to the Institute of Computational Cosmology showing that Durham still leads the way in some LPSRUWDQW�VFLHQWL¿F�DUHDV��%XW�DOO�LQ�all I felt very comfortable and it was

When the invitation to the St Aidan’s Alumni Reunion arrived it was the easiest thing in the world to make the commitment, send off the cheque, and tentatively look forward in the knowledge that it was still some months distant. However, as the time grew closer I must admit to a growing apprehension. They say you should never go back, especially to a place where you were particularly happy in your youth, as it will appear smaller and your memories will somehow become diminished.

Elizabeth Ibbotson encourages other alumni to ‘take the plunge’

28 29News from St Aidan’s Alumni News from St Aidan’s AlumniThe fam

ous car, suspend

ed from

King

sgate Brid

ge in a 1960s R

ag W

eek stuntA

n exhibition on the Bridge’s architecture is being held in D

unelm H

ouse.(M

ike Hall)

SURYLGHG�E\�0ŅRUL�VFKRODUV��VKRZFDVLQJ�DVSHFWV�RI�0ŅRUL�identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The exhibition tells a 0ŅRUL�VWRU\�RI�WULEDO�OHDGHUVKLS�from 3000 years ago to the present day.

Workshop: Inkapturing Creative Writing Wednesdays until 7th Mar. 2.30pm-4.30pm St Aidan’s College

A creative writing course taught by Durham-based author Fadia Faqir.

Have you ever wanted to write? Come and have a go in a friendly and supportive envionment. The workshops are intended for people who have an active interest in contemporary writing and are keen on developing their writing skills.

Durham Drama Festival22nd - 25th Feb. Assembly Rooms Theatre

For 36 years the Durham Drama Festival has brought together students from across the UK to celebrate some of the best new student writing that the country has to offer. It comprises four days of workshops, performances and social events, making the festival one of the highlights of the student theatre calendar.

If you are planning any eventseither in Durham or further D¿HOG�WR�ZKLFK�DOXPQL�RI�6W�Aidan’s are welcome, please let us know so that we can include them in this Events Diary. You can write to the Editor c/o the College, email editor@aidans-alumni.org.uk or complete the ‘Members’ News’ form at www.aidans-alumni.org.uk.

Van Mildert features some of Michael’s most recent work, notably landscapes, which mirror his search for the undiscovered and the breaking of many boundaries.

Exhibition: ‘Kingsgate Bridge & Dunelm House’Until 20th Dec.Dunelm House

This exhibition centres on the famous works of Ove Arup and Architects’ Co-Partnership; Kingsgate Bridge and Dunelm House, both landmarks that are often overlooked as pieces of local 20th Century architecture.

([KLELWLRQ��µ7H�$UD��0ŅRUL�Pathways of Leadership’ Until 15th Jan. Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill

An exhibition by renowned photographer Krzysztof Pfeiffer, with narratives

Exhibition: ‘Historic Views of Durham City’ Until 24th Dec. Wolfson Gallery, Palace Green

Celebrate a quarter of a century of Durham’s World Heritage Site in this exhibition of historic paintings, prints and photographs of the city.

Exhibition: ‘Exchange’ Until 4th Dec. Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill

An exhibition of contemporary art from South Korea organised by the East Durham Artists’ Network.

Lecture Series: ‘The Best of Durham’ Thursdays from 20th Oct. 7.30pm Fonteyn Ballroom, DSU

DSU has put together a series of lectures giving the local community a chance to sample some of the great teaching and thoughts of lecturers within the University of Durham. Forthcoming lectures include:

��3URI��-RQDWKDQ�5LJJ��'HSW�of Georgraphy, ‘Pathways to Poverty and Progress in South East Asia’ (24th Nov.);

��'U�6KDPXV�6PLWK��6FKRRO�of Engineering and Computing Sciences, ‘Human-Computer Interaction’ (1st Dec.);

��3URI��-R�3KRHQL[��&HQWUH�for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, ‘Rioting Youth: Youth Justice and Consumer Society’ (8th Dec.).

Exhibition: Michael Steele Until 17th Dec. Van Mildert College

An exhibition of oils and acrylics by local artist Michael Steele. This exciting and exhilirating exhibition at

Events DiaryWhat’s on at Aidan’s and in Durham. Alumni are always welcome!

Reunion Weekend 2012Fri 21st - Sun 23rd SeptemberMatriculates of 1962 and earlier

We invite matriculates of 1962 and earlier to join us for the 2011 St Aidan’s Reunion Weekend. Events will be held from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September, but you are most welcome to arrive earlier and/or stay longer, if you prefer (subject to the availability of accommodation).The Reunion, which includes a full programme of events, is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate DPRQJVW�\RXU�ROG�8QLYHUVLW\�IULHQGV�DQG�¿QG�RXW�ZKDW�KDSSHQHG�WR�WKRVH�\RX�KDYH�ORVW�WRXFK�ZLWK�

Friday 21st September:�������$IWHUQRRQ�WHD�LQ�&ROOHJH�������,QIRUPDO�VXSSHU

Saturday 22nd September:�������*XLGHG�DUFKLWHFWXUDO�WRXU�RI�'XUKDP�������%XIIHW�OXQFK�������7DON�E\�6LU�$UQROG�:ROIHQGDOH�)56�� Emeritus Professor of Physics at Durham and Astronomer Royal, 1991-5�������*XLGHG�WRXU�RI�WKH�,QVWLWXWH�IRU Computational Cosmology�������'ULQNV�UHFHSWLRQ�ZLWK�WKH�3ULQFLSDO�������5HXQLRQ�'LQQHU�DQG�&HLOLGK

Sunday 25th September:�������3ULQFH�%LVKRS�ULYHU�FUXLVH�������6KHUU\�SDUW\�DW�����1RUWK�%DLOH\�������&DUYHU\�OXQFK

Programme of Events

Photos and Memorabilia Exhibition

We plan an exhibition of St Aidan’s photos and memorabilia during the Reunion weekend, including items from the St Aidan’s Archive. We would like to encourage everyone attending the Reunion to bring photos or mementos with you so that we can display them as part of the exhibition.

Missing your invitation?

If you didn’t receive an invitation and booking form, just get in touch with College to request one, or download from our website at http://www.dur.ac.uk/st-aidans.college/alumni/reunions/.

Pricing

All events are optional, and you are welcome to stay in College for as many nights as you wish (subject to the availability of accommodation).

AccommodationPer person, per night

Single standard room £29.50Single en-suite room £41.00Twin standard room £26.00

EventsPer person

Events are free with the exception of:

Afternoon tea, Friday £3.00Buffet dinner, Friday £10.50Buffet lunch, Saturday £10.50Carvery lunch, Sunday £12.00Reunion Dinner & Ceilidh £27.50Prince Bishop river cruise £6.00

30 31News from St Aidan’s Alumni News from St Aidan’s Alumni

If anyone has any particular requests for activities, please do let me know as the format is not set in stone.

I have happily volunteered to act as the co-ordinator for Aidan’s graduates who matriculated in 1980. Angus Rhodes (angusj.rhodes@googlemail.com) has a similar band of 1982 matriculates and Susanna Emsley (née Girling, semsley@brightwell.org.uk) has volunteered to be the 1983 contact. It would be really very helpful to have a co-ordinator for each of the other year groups (1981, 1984 and 1985). If you feel you could assist, do please get in touch with Jan Collinge at reunions@aidans-alumni.org.uk.

I very much look forward to meeting up with you in 2013!

Aggie Slater (Muirhead)theslaters@mac.com

My name is Aggie Slater (formerly Muirhead) and I represent an increasing band of 1983 Aidan’s graduates who are very keen to organise a reunion in 2013 to celebrate 30 years since our graduation. This would be a wonderful opportunity to meet up with old friends and revisit our much-loved Durham haunts.

In cooperation with Jan Collinge, we have put together a reunion for September 2013 and all matriculates from 1980 - 1985 are invited (we use year of matriculation rather than graduation so all you 4-yearers know where you belong).

The more people who attend, the merrier, so it’s up to all of us to encourage as many people as possible to come along to what, I am sure, will be a tremendous weekend. Jan Collinge is working with the other college

Alumni Associations to help their matriculates from the same years meet on the same weekend. To help her make this case, if you have friends from other colleges, ask them to contact their alumni association to support the case for a parallel reunion. Some colleges are already onboard, some need some encouragement!

So far we have scheduled the following programme:

��)ULGD\�HYHQLQJ���$UULYDO�followed by welcome drinks party and dinner.

��6DWXUGD\�PRUQLQJ��*XLGHG�tour of Durham’s old centre and boat trip on the Wear.

��6DWXUGD\�DIWHUQRRQ��7DONV�by University staff or at leisure.

��6DWXUGD\�HYHQLQJ��*DOD�Dinner followed by ‘80s disco (just to take us all back!).

���6XQGD\��%UHDNIDVW��departure.

Do you recog

nise your younger self?

If you were one of the 1980 freshers, this R

eunion is for you!(Thanks to Sue G

allacher)

Future ReunionsDid you come up to Durham between 1980 and 1985? Read on for news of our 2013 Alumni Reunion, 20th-22nd September 2013

From the St Aidan’s ArchiveOur Archive of the history of life at St Aidan’s continues to grow

Mud and SandThe gardens at Windmill Hill, still very much incomplete in 1965(St Aidan’s Archive, courtesy of Alynne Dunt)

Relaxing with the Clem Millard Dance OrchestraProgramme for a Formal at St Aidan’s in Feburary 1966

(St Aidan’s Archive, courtesy of Diana Hill

Readers of our magazine and newsletter will already be familiar with the St Aidan’s College Archive, our project to build a collection documenting the history of student life at St Aidan’s.

Thanks to the generosity of our contributors we have been able to collect photographs, documents, posters, College clothing, events programmes and other such records of student life through the years.

We are working on a digital catalogue of the Archive that will allow search and browsing of all our holdings. The system should go online within the next few months, but for now I hope you enjoy this ‘teaser’ of some of the new items we collected at the recent Reunion for 1960s matriculates.

As ever, we are very keen to continue adding to our collection to produce a full, well-rounded picture of life at St Aidan’s, and any contributions from across the years will be most gratefully received. Donations of original materials to the Archive are treated with the utmost care; alternatively, if you would like to contribute to the Archive but wish to retain your originals, we will be pleased to copy items and return originals by registered post to ensure their safe return.

If you have any questions about the Archive or would like to discuss contributing to our holdings, please don’t hesitate to write to me c/o the College, email at archivist@aidans-alumni.org.uk, or call on 07884 345566.

Nicholas Boalch Archivist

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même choseStudents march in protest against fees increases on North Road in summer 1968 (St Aidan’s Archive, courtesy of Evelyn Shire)

34 35Results and Prizes Results and Prizes

Alice Louise KilpatrickEva Marie Mayer

Combined Honours in Social Sciences

Simon HartGuy HarveyAmandine KingFiona Slater

Computer ScienceDaniel CrookAndrew RichardsKarl Webster

CriminologyJack CaswellThomas JarvisSiobhan Norman

Earth SciencesSze Ki Ng

EcologyPaul ArnoldGemma Bowcock

EconomicsDeepalaxmi AnikhindiChristopher FrenchDavid HoweJacob McLellandAlex MooreBenjamin O’ConnellThomas Taylor

Economics with FrenchRahul AdwalpalkarChloe Sharp

History of EducationHolly Dumble

Mechanical EngineeringTom Sedgewick

English LiteratureCharlotte AllenKayleigh BrandonJennifer BrownEsther DolmanAlice GwynneHelen JonesGenevieve LowlesLucinda Rouse

English Literature & HistoryHannah Gilham

Environmental GeoscienceGregory BrownBeth Emberton

GeographyJames Coy

Dominic NorthFrancesa Petrucci

Physics & AstronomyEmma GardnerSam HollingsPeter Mitchell

Theoretical PhysicsSamuel Hall

Class II.i

Aeronautical EngineeringMichel Hughes

Ancient HistoryStephanie JohnsonChristine Stevenson

Ancient History & ArchaeologyDominic CoyneLap Chung Leung

Ancient, Medieval & Modern History

Eleanor BrownEmily Louise Janes

AnthropologyKatherine Sara ReillyRobbie Spencer Ashworth

ArchaeologyChristian Charmley

Archaeology & AnthropologyIsabel Finch

BiologyAlice DowellJosh ElliottJack Lee

Cell BiologyCatherine Garrod

ChemistryJennifer CrossRebecca AllisonBenjamin GoozeeSam LearAlison Woodward

Civil EngineeringDavid Budden

ClassicsBenjamin Neville

Combined Honours in ArtsHenry John DuffyThomas LewisAnna Pearson-FreelandAlyssa Lai Han Finney

Class I

Ancient HistoryTristan Herzogenrath-AmelungCivil EngineeringBenjamin DoddsLaurence Knoop

ClassicsJohannes BrandisThomas Welch

Combined Honours in Social Sciences

Joanne NewburyEconomics

Stephen CoulsonEnglish LiteratureClaire Davison

Geophysics with GeologyEmma Jenkins

GeographyWilliam Dickens

GeologyAlexander Peace

HistoryNeal SarwalChristopher Smith

LawTsun Yue LoJussi OllikainenAdam Reda

MathematicsEmma WilliamsJames FrancisDale KingHelena SanjanaJennifer AveryAndrew Chater-LeaStephen MilburnVincent SharpSam Wong

Modern LanguagesSarah HellewellRebekah PalmerLauren Somers

1DWXUDO�6FLHQFHVSarah KaneJennifer NorcliffeJeremy PikeDavid Tapp

PhysicsMatthew Davis

Degree ResultsGraduating Class of 2010

Victoria WillarsTheoretical Physics

Simon JonesPhilip Mannering

ZoologyHenry Häkkinen

Class II.ii

AnthropologySimon Irvine-FortescueBarnaby Sellers

ChemistryMichael WalfordLuke Morson

Computer SciencePrathna Singh

CriminologyAaron Dixson

EconomicsIhsoo KimWenyan LeDouglas LongRichard ParkerDavid Rudolf

Mechanical EngineeringFaye HunterChristopher Waddell

GeographyNicholas MooreAmy Lomas

GeologyAlex DeltenreJason Rudd

LawChristina MaAlexander Tweddell

Modern LanguagesKatherine JenningsAntony Paul

MusicSarah AdlingtonJames Hartley

1DWXUDO�6FLHQFHVAnna HendryMark ThomCharles Wilce

Philosophy & PoliticsHannah Tsoi

PhysicsOliver BoneMichael Crawforth

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

James King1DWXUDO�6FLHQFHV

Catherine BoisImogen BoxChristian DunnettAlexandra EmertonReuben KirkhamRachel-Amy ParlettDominic WoodmanNicholas Davis

PhilosophyHabibah AlaoIsabel BarkerAnna Howard

Philosophy & TheologyAdam Hearn

PhysicsBernard StrickerJames CogginJames HillJack LeonardAnnabel Yip

Physics & AstronomyPhoebe YeomansJack Tedcastle

PoliticsAidan GrantJoshua SwiftJoseph Tanner

Politics, Philosophy & Economics

Dongsheng LuMina Radev

Politics & SociologyAmy Oram

PsychologyLaura CLohessySamantha CoxWilliam EneverHannah Harvey

SociologyOlivia Tunbridge

Sociology with LawKieran Pun

Software EngineeringMatthew Eglin

SportHarriet Bridges

TheologyAlice Bacon

Nicola FarleyAlexander WalsheMatthew BennettJohn Burn-MurdochConstance ClaydonKatherine JillingsCharles SmithVictoria Van Rijn

GeologyDaniel Craven

GeoscienceWilliam HeadHolly-Marie Owen

HistoryHayley-Jane DoyleCharlotte FerardJames LeadillKatherine MayDavid MorrisHuw Silk

LawChristine AbbottsJacque CalfJoshua CunningtonAndrew HalliwellBethany JenkinsLewis KettNikeeta MahayJames MillerMatthe O’DonnellSophie PorterLydia RoseSelina Yunyuan TohMatthew VincentSamuel Dalling

MathematicsEmily Adams-CairnsRichard LawrenceMarc North

Modern LanguagesRemy CarpenterGeorgia CraggSusannah DavisRebecca JonesThomas LasseyHannah LongmanJames MacAulayHollieann MooreKim ParkJacob PerryJames RandRebecca Venn

36 Results and Prizes

SecretaryJoanne Rowley (Hulse, 1989-92)secretary@aidans-alumni.org.uk

Reunions CoordinatorJan Collinge (1977-81)reunions@aidans-alumni.org.uk

TreasurerRos Marshall-Smith (Durden)treasurer@aidans-alumni.org.uk

1HZVOHWWHU�(GLWRUNicholas Boalch (1999-2003)editor@aidans-alumni.org.uk

Dame Enid Russell-Smith AwardJames KingRosie JacotDavid DysonChantelle Kerr

Bruce & Pat McGowan AwardBen Conti

St Aidan’s Alumni AwardPeter Kellaway

Senior Common Room AwardNot awarded in 2010-11.

Duerden AwardNot awarded in 2010-11.

Leslie Clark AwardNot awarded in 2010-11.

Small BursariesNot awarded in 2010-11.

Irene Hindmarsh AwardNot awarded in 2010-11.

Fergus Dalzell Prize in LawNot awarded in 2010-11.

Derek Wilson Prize in MathematicsFiona Reid

Beatrice Hollingworth AwardNot awarded in 2010-11.

Ethleen Scott AwardNot awarded in 2010-11.

St Aidan’s College Graduate StudentshipNot awarded in 2010-11.

Jonathan DickinsonPhysics & Astronomy

Adam GrayDavid Hodgkinson

PsychologyAmelia Chapman

ZoologyLiam Blacklock

Class III

ChemistryMatthew Turkington

MathematicsJonathan Gough

1DWXUDO�6FLHQFHVSarah McBride

PhysicsSamuel Jepson

Ordinary Degree

AnthropologyHarriet Sadler

ArchaeologyAnn Daly

EconomicsZengru Zhong

GeographyJoseph Steffan Hansen

Diploma

ChemistryPhilip Dickens

St Aidan’s Alumni extend warmest congratulations to all these new graduates. We wish you success and happiness in your lives away from College.

Don’t forget to keep in touch and let us know your news!

College Awards & PrizesAcademic Year 2010-11

PresidentProfessor John AshworthPrincipal, St Aidan’s College

Acting PresidentDr Susan FrenkActing Principal, St Aidan’s College

Officers of St Aidan’s AlumniAcademic Year 2010-11

PresidentProfessor John S. Ashworth, BA (Econ), MA (Econ) (on secondment as Deputy Warden)

Acting Principal and Senior TutorDr Susan F. Frenk, BA, MPhil, PhD

Bursar and Operations ManagerPaula Dawson

ChaplainBernhard Nausner

College LibrarianAnn Caddel, BA

Officers of St Aidan’s CollegeAcademic Year 2010-11

([�RI¿FLRThe PrincipalThe Deputy WardenThe Vice-Principal and Senior TutorThe BursarThe ChaplainThe President of the Senior Common RoomThe President of the Junior Common RoomThe College Librarian

Representatives of the Council of the UniversityJohn A. Cuthbert, BSc, MBA, ACA, DL (2012) (Chair)Paul J. Leake, BA (2011)Martin J. Ward, BSc, MA, MSc, DPhil (2012)

College CouncilAcademic Year 2010-11

Tutor membersDouglas P. Halliday, BSc, PhD (2011)Kathryn Larkin-Bramley, BA, FCA (2011)Carole Scott, BA (2011)

Representing the St Aidan’s AssociationNicholas Boalch, BA, MA, MA

Co-opted memberJohn R. Ritchie, MPhil