Tag Archives: Commemoration of Benefactors Service

The Commemoration of Benefactors 2023

Blasdale Home Posted on by

18th November 2023

Rosemary and I attended the Gonville and Caius Commemoration of Benefactors Chapel Service and Dinner. The event is held annually to commemorate the benefactors of the college, naming the major benefactors since the foundation of the college on the 28th January 1384 by Edmund Gonville. (John Caius, the third founder, appeared in 1557.) The Commemoration of Benefactors service took place in the college chapel at 6.00pm. The service was followed by a feast in the hall, which was arranged in accordance with the memorandum of the second founder, William Bateman, dated 6 November 1352.

The celebrations began with tea in the Fellows Combination Room, where we met up with friends Richard & Andrea.

We then heard a lecture by Ms Merryn Somerset Webb, a Bloomberg Columnist. Apparently, she is an award-winning commentator on economics, financial markets, and personal finance, as well as a popular speaker and broadcaster. Her new book, Share Power, looks at how ordinary people can use the power they already have to make capitalism work for everyone. Ms Somerset Webb studied Economics at Caius in 1989, but later changed her degree course to History, as she wanted a first-class honours degree and was not going to achieve that in Economics (her thoughts not mine). Her lecture was very contentious, and in some cases, especially about renewable electricity, extremely contentious and to my mind plain wrong. She was baiting the audience and expected some comment on her renewable stance. She then launched into monetary policy, declining birthrates, immigration, and ownership of business. Some of this I did agree with, though her contentious thoughts on renewable energy will only have us fry.

After the lecture, we attended the Chapel Service. After the service, we made our way to the Senior Combination Room for drinks, and then to the hall for supper. The feast is a several-course meal with grace, matching wines and an address from the Master. Towards the end, the Caius Choir entertained us with various songs including ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’.

Following the meal, we retired to the Fellows Combination Room where we drank AnCnoc, a highland malt, cognac, and mingled with other guests, fellows, and choir members. It was interesting talking to the choir members, undergraduates, who seemed so earnest in their studies, a far cry from my days.

Well after midnight, we enjoyed a stroll across Jesus Green, disturbing a fox who was scavenging for food. He darted away in front of us and through a fence into a garden. We made it back to the hotel after 1.00am.

The Gallery

The Commemoration Feast - Gonville and Caius
The Commemoration Feast - Gonville and Caius

The Choir

The Menu

Ferat Prestige

Port poached chicory & goats cheese mousse: Quince purée, Romano pepper, avocado & lime emulsion.

Bodegas Rafael Palacios ‘As Sortes Val do Bibei’ Godello, 2016

Leek & Halibut torchon: Suffolk chicken crumble, preserved lemon, tarragon split oil sauce, and shiso.

Leek & Aubergine “cannelloni”: Delica pumpkin ketchup, samphire bhaji, spiced radish, and pepper XO. (V)

Agnes et Dider Dauvissat Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy, 2020

Loin of Norfolk Venison: Orange poached carrots, broccoli & watercress purée, fondant potato, and blackberry.

Jerusalem artichoke & wild mushroom pithivier: Orange-poached carrots, cauliflower pomme purée, and broccoli & onion jus. (V)

Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Les Vaucrains, Domaine Jean Chauvenet, 2014

Dark chocolate ganache: Cornish clotted cream diplomat, orange compote, whiskey crispy oats, and milk sorbet.

Ridge Vinyards, Lytton Springs, 2013

Dessert, Coffee and chocolates

Ch. Leoville Barton, Saint Julien, 2eme Cru Classe, 2005
Ch. Doisy Daene, Barsac, 2009
Graham 1970

Post prandials

AnCnoc 12yrs Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Maxime Trijol Grande Champagne VSOP Cognac


Commemoration of Benefactors

Blasdale Home Posted on by

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.