21st June 2025
On a very hot, dry Saturday, we drove to Cambridge for the Gonville and Caius May Week lunch. We parked on the sports field, which was a very brown colour, not the normal verdant green grass. We walked to Caius, arriving a little early for the lunch time garden party. On entry, and suitably labelled we grabbed a glass of fizz. My year (1972) was very badly represented, only one other was on the list. We grabbed a table in the shade and chatted with people from other years. Always interesting to hear the gossip and life history of fellow Caians.
The food was good, though not quite up to the standard of the previous chef from around 10 years ago. During this day’s conversations, we heard that the previous chef used to drive to Cromer to purchase a large supply of Cromer crabs for the garden party. Yes, I do remember there used to be piles of crab meat at these dos. This chef provided a lighter style of lunch, rather than the heavier style of the previous chef.
After lunch, there were the usual speeches, The bursar thanking us for our donations, and explaining where the money we gave was spent, and how it was vital for the education of the students. It seemed the money students paid to attend university for the year covered a little over one term. The rest coming from donations, and the commercial rental of student accommodation during the vacations.
We were also introduced to the new Master, Professor Richard Gilbertson, who will be replacing Pippa Rogerson, the first female Master of Caius, Richard comes from John’s and is head of the department on Oncology. He was very trendily dress with dark glasses and slacks.
After the speeches and desert, we went to listen to a Cello (Butterfly Paterson (2022)) and Violin (Hannah Brookes-Hughs (2022) recital. A quick visit to the library where they always have an exhibition. This was very much geared towards exploration of the south pole and so featured many images and artefacts of our own Caius Explorer, Edward Adrian Wilson, who was part of the ill-fated Scott of the Antarctic exploration. We have written about this last year, after we had visited the library and met the Caius Archivist.
After this, R and I visited the crime book shop, Bodies in the Bookshop. They had collected several crime novels based in Cambridge, for Rosemary and a few others that she’d requested, plus a suggestion of theirs. Departing somewhat heavier with the books, and lighter in the pocket, we made our way back to the car, and then on to home.
