Category Archives: University

Commemoration of Benefactors

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I was invited, with guest (so thought I should take Rosemary), to the Gonville and Caius Commemoration of Benefactors. This took place on Sunday 14th November. Because of the likelihood of flowing wine we decided to stay the night. Our first choice of the Camping and Caravan club was stymied cos they were closed. We also thought of the Caravan and Camping club which was open, but the location was not good for public transport.

So we opted for an hotel, choosing Graduate Cambridge because of its free parking and the easy walk into Caius. It used to be the Double Tree by Hilton. On the site of the Double Tree, there used to be the Garden House Hotel which was destroyed by a fire on 23 April 1972 in which two guests died and before that it was The Garden House where a riot took place in 1970. Protesters against the Greek Junta, the “Colonels’ regime”, gathered outside the hotels for several days, culminating with a crowd of several hundred – mostly Cambridge University students organised by socialist groups – demonstrating against a Greek dinner for 120 guests being held in the River Suite at the Hotel from 7:30 pm on 13 February.

The company behind the Graduate operates hotels in university cities, mainly in America. The Graduate Cambridge and the Randolph in Oxford are the only two hotels they operate in the UK. The Cambridge hotel has been completely revamped, with excellent WIFI speeds far excelling mine at home. The reception area is themed with bookcases, books & college crests. The hotel has one downside – long meandering corridors which go on and on forever.

We arrived in the afternoon, got dressed in our glad rags and walked over to Gonville and Caius for four o’clock. The events of the celebration were:

  • 4.00 pm  Tea in the Fellows’ Combination Rooms
  • 4.45 pm  Lecture from Dr Arif Ahmed in the Bateman Auditorium
  • 6.00 pm  Commemoration of Benefactors Service in the Chapel
  • 7.00 pm  Reception in the Fellows’ Combination Rooms
  • 7.30 pm  Commemoration Feast in Hall

We had a lovely time starting with tea, and an excellent, thought provoking lecture on “Freedom & Free Speech”, mainly in universities. The Caius Choir performed well. The historic (1631) sermon, “Death’s Duel” by John Donne, seemed a tad sombre & bizarre, but fascinating at the same time. The reception flowed with drink and noise in the Senior Combination rooms, where the Feast provided excellent, beautifully presented food (from the newly refurbished kitchens) matched with equally splendid wines.

We ate breakfast at the hotel the next morning, after a quick walk around town, but were rather underwhelmed with the experience. Rosemary’s egg benedict had a hard yolk, soggy toast was served & luke-warm coffee! (No idea why we didn’t say anything.) You can get a better full English at any Joe’s Café.

Cambridge Benefactors Day

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The COVID pandemic had put paid to many events, last year and this year. One of the annual events was the Gonville and Caius Benefactors Day. We had missed a few, not just through COVID, but also because it clashes with the Download Music Festival. This year Caius held the Day, not in June, but in September.

We decided to attend, and to stay in Cambridge for the week. We pitched up at the Cambridge Camping and Caravan site pitch in Trumpington, on Friday 10th September, leaving again on Friday 17th. Cambridge was full of graduates attending their degree ceremonies. These had been held over from 2020. There were crowds of people standing in the street outside the Senate House. Privacy seems important these days, the railings had been covered to stop people gawking at the graduates and their families on the lawn.

The Caius Benefactors Day was on a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon. We walked in early but did not have to queue, quickly finding the waiters and the wine supplies. Lunch was good. We conversed with several different people, none from my year. There was a talk from the Master, an exhibition in the library & an organ recital. A few days later we entered Caius again. Not very welcome, the porter was not keen and told us to be quick, and not to enter any buildings other than the Chapel.

During the rest of the week, we visited the Botanic Gardens on a beautiful sunny day, eating lunch at the café. Another day was spent at the Sedgewick Museum of Earth Sciences, and the Whipple Museum of the History of Science. Of course we had coffee at St Michael’s Cafe and some wine outside the Cambridge Wine Merchants (they sell Ricard!).

Nearer the campsite we walked over to Hobson’s Park Bird Reserve, a nature reserve surrounded by the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Addenbrookes Road and new housing in Trumpington. The bird reserve is made purposefully difficult to get near with ditches and earth works. There was a useless hide; willow trees in front were blocking any view of the birds. I think the lake was full of geese, we could hear them from the campsite, leaving and arriving at dusk and dawn.

The weather was mainly good, except for the day we travelled to Saffron Walden. That Tuesday it rained most of the day. We were soaked through waiting for the bus. Saffron Waldron had a rather deserted market, which packed up while we were there. A good Turkish lunch time meal at Meze By Night. At one stage, R thought her legs might fall off cos they were so wet & heavy. I queried whether she meant her trousers, but she said she wasn’t sure. We did manage to visit the Fry Gallery, but it was in a temporary location, so few Ravilious paintings on show. Only one, I think.

Snowy Farr at Cambridge

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Food at Caius College garden party

Food at Caius College garden party

This Saturday we went to Gonville and Caius college for our annual lunch.  This is given to the alumni who contribute some unknown minimum contribution to the college endowment.  This endowment funds the fees of current students attending the university.  At these events those who have given significant sums are mentioned, for instance the  Caian who has placed bestowed his London house, now worth £3.5 million, or the Chinese parents of a student donating a half million to the boat club house funds.  What is known is the menu of  higher donations will get you, a meal with Stephen Hawking (£50,000 better get on this list soon, he must be nearing his use by date), your name engraved into the Benefactors’ Wall in the Great Gate (£1,000,000), portrait hung on the staircase to the College Library (£2,500,000)  Full details of Caius donations are listed here.  There is so much temptation to piss off your heirs and leave all to your  alma mater  (Selina, I am only joking, she raises money from the opposition alumni)

Anyway, we had a great lunch with the usual  lovely grub prepared by the Caius team headed up by the chef who obviously enjoys his own food and we have nick named Ratatouille, the large chef, Gusteau, from the film Ratatouille.  The crab was excellent.  As usual we met up with Andrea and Richard and Chris.  There though does seem to be a noticeable dearth of people from ’72 who try and assuage their guilt of free tuition and student grants

Snowy Farr sculpture

Snowy Farr sculpture

Snowy Farr Cambridge Market Place 1975

Snowy Farr Cambridge Market Place 1975

Now the point of this post, Snowy Farr (Yes he has a wikipedia entry, so famous). While walking around the market place, I saw this rather naff sculpture which had been placed there.  There was no plaque, nothing nearby to describe what the sculpture was for.  For those who had met Snowy Farr is was obvious what the sculpture was about.  Why the secrecy, what was the council hiding, they paid £50,000 for the sculpture, are they embarrassed by it.  Many feel they should be.  There was much criticism that the sculpture was a waste of money, that Snowy would be rolling in his grave, the money could have gone to the causes he collected for.  A lone few said he would appreciate the humor of the sculpture.  Then there was the build quality.  The sculpture was supposed to be maintenance free, but within months it was stained with rust and grime, though those issues had been corrected when i set eyes on it.  Ah well, he was a Cambridge character, who was there when I was at university and I remember him fondly.  I am glad the Cambridge Council honored his name with this sculpture.  To some extent it needs only to exist for the time those who remember him visit the marketplace.

 

Snowy Farr Cambridge Market Place 1975

Snowy Farr Cambridge Market Place 1975

Snowy Farr raised money for charity.  He was a vegetarian, grew all the food he needed on an allotment,  walked into Cambridge to raise money for charity with his menagerie of animals.  He was a regular eccentric always to be seen in market square.  There is an excellent video recording of an interview with Dave Allen.

Snowy Farr Cambridge Market Place 1975

Snowy Farr Cambridge Market Place 1975

Gonville and Caius 1972 Ruby reunion.

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This weekend Rosemary and I attended the Ruby reunion of the 1972 Matriculation year of Gonville and Caius.  We decided to make a weekend of the event, and arrived on Saturday.  Went for a punt on the River Cam, heading towards Granchester.  Stopped for lunch at Granchester Meadows, checked the GPS and decided we were only half way to the pubs, so headed back.  Examining my hand, I see I have a blister now.  There was one dastardly man who was challenged by a group on the bank.

You are punting from the wrong end of the punt, Sir.

Ah, I come from the other place he replied.

Supper was in a Thai restaurant near to Harvey Court / Stephen Hawkins building where we were staying for the night.  Afraid is was OK, not excellent.

The Sunday was spent meeting those Ruby alumni, first for coffee in the Stephen Hawking building, then at lunch in the old buildings.  We had a tour of the library where there appeared to be some embarrassing  memorabilia.  The Junior Common Room comment book, and the college directory for our year.

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Back to Stephen Hawking building to get changed into Black Tie, then church service in the chapel, Champagne reception and evening meal.  We sat with the Old Gits, Richard, Andrea, Norman and Valerie.  Ravi who was coming was unfortunately unable to make  the event.  Good food, lots of wine and fun time.

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I am sitting writing this waiting for my plane to Boston, I have 4 days work in Glastonbury CI.  I have caught a latish flight, so don’t expect to be tucked up in bed until midnight, (5am UK time).  Better go and drop my bags at the bah drop and get through security.

Caius alumni drinks party

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On Saturday we went to the annual Caius alumni garden party.  This is a thank you party for those who contribute to the Caius fund.  This fund is to maintain the outstanding college, provide much needed funds to maintain the unrivalled standards of education, and to keep the university open to disadvantaged students. The party is open to those who maintain a minimum benefaction to the college.

In total Cambridge University has raised one billion pounds in recent fund raising.  This was achieved two years ahead of target.

Back to the day, I met up with two other Caius alumni from my year, one was Chris who used to run the late night bar and organised the May Ball.  I was able to tell him that Sonja Christina from Curved Air was still touring with a version of that band.  Curved Air performed at the Caius May Ball in 1975.  I think Chris had made some comment in the past about showing her up  to her room in Tree Court, and short skirts.  Rosemary and I had been to see Curved Air, The Strawbs, Focus and other bands in Aylesbury last year.  I spoke with Sonja (from Curved Air) after the Aylesbury gig, but alas she did not remember playing Caius college.  I see they are playing at the Croissant Neuf stage in The Green Fields, Glastonbury.

We also met up with Richard and Andrea, friends we meet with regularly now.  I was asked to remove my shoes from her blanket while we were watching the Bumps!  Somehow I always disgrace myself with my shoes in front of Andrea.

Food at the garden party was as usual very good, and masses of it.  The sun shone as well, a wonderful event in the historic courtyards of Caius College.

Next we went down to the river, and watched the final day of the May Bumps.  Caius 1st were second behind 1st & 3rd Trinity.  The final day was a row over, despite the promise from the Master that we would bump Trinity at Caius Meadows.  Oh well, there is next year.

Another Sadgits Reunion 7-9 August 2009

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The weekend of 7th-9th August saw us meeting up in Essex with friends from Steve’s university days.

This year from our base in a quiet country village courtesy of our hosts, Richard & Andrea, we visited Frinton-on-Sea and honed our sandcastle building techniques before a visit to Beth Chatto’s Gardens.  Richard & Andrea had done their usual brilliant organization, including a Community mini-bus, and had topped it all with wonderful sunny weather.

Rather a lot of talking, drinking & eating was done, but it made a splendid weekend and photos can be found at https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/blasdale-picture-gallery-2009/sadgits/ The leading lady is Andrea and the house, in Frinton, is where Richard’s grandparents had lived and hence his knowledge of that quintessentially English seaside town.

Sad Gits reunion

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Sunday 8th saw me head into London on a train from Bicester.  Normally my mode of transport is through Aylesbury.  Bicester is nearer and has a more frequent service, just that it’s a tad more expensive.  I have to admit the non stop service was nice, though the Victor Meldrew in me took exception to all the loud iPods playing around me in what was meant to be the quiet carriage.

Arrived and headed over to the British Film Institute to meet the other Sad Gits.  A special reunion in honour of Jon Lewis who was passing through from South Africa.

Sad Gits

Sad Gits

A quick drink, and then there was the call for lunch.  One pub ignored because it was totally crowded.  A good call was made not to eat on  the terrace.  Minutes later it started to rain.

Instead we went to the Tate Modern and ate in the downstairs cafe.  Decision making is not a feature of Cambridge graduates, trying to get a decision on the number of bottles of wine was rather painful, Andrea came to the rescue, the only non Cambridge graduate amongst us.

Massive spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois

Massive spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois

A quick tour of the gallery, and a walk across the millenium bridge and then it was goodbye as we wended our way home.

The walk across the bridge is always a spectacular walk, especially with the dramatic skyscapes we had on that Sunday.

I had another appointment in the evening, and went to a GMB union fund raising event at the Poetry Society in Covent Garden.  Here I was entertained to some poetry readings.  Decided to cut this short as Rosemary was due to pick me up from the Station, and I had a 5.00 early morning rise the next day.

The Crack, this is what happened to it.

The Crack, this is what happened to it.

On a final note, I have added an image of The Tate Modern’s crack.  This was a Tate Modern Turbine hall exhibition where a huge crack was created in the floor.  I always wondered what happened to it.

Liverpool

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Drove up to Liverpool in the morning. Rather a pain of a drive, a small section of the M6 was coned downed to two lanes. Of course there was not work being done, or any evidence of any work ever being done.

Picked Selina up, no idea how we fitted back into the car with all her stuff. Quick lunch in a pub on the Penny Lane and then back home. Quick relation visit on the way back