The Newsletter of Trinity College Oxford | Summer 2008

5134:S4300 18/7/08 09:40 Page 1 The Newsletter of Trinity College Oxford | Summer 2008 | Peter Carey | Fellows' news | Sports success | Old Members' news | Tortoises | 5134:S4300 18/7/08 09:40 Page 2 THE PRESIDENT ith the sound of the headline act at Trinity’s splendid Commem Ball still ringing in my ears – I know you don’t Wneed me to tell you that the Sugababes are the most successful all -female act of the twenty first century in the UK – I pick up my pen to reflect on some of the other rich parts of the kaleidoscope that n have made up life here in Trinity over the last few months. But the o t s p Commem Ball itself deserves special mention. It was an outstanding r a h S feat of organisation with 1,700 guests and a budget of nearly l e a h £250,000, clearly thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended. I c i confidently expect my hearing to have recovered in time for the next M © Commem Ball in three years’ time. The President addressing the ‘Oxford in DC’ meeting in Washington in April To begin with the University, undoubtedly the major event of this period has been the launch of the important Campaign for Oxford, Finalists’ results are not yet available, but I am continually impressed Oxford Thinking, with its eye-catching fund-raising target of a by how hard the current generation of students works. The students minimum of £1.25 billion. I am sure you have received literature nonetheless manage to find outlets for their energies in many of the from the University spelling out the purposes of the campaign traditional areas. Rowing had mixed fortunes at summer Eights, but although perhaps not emphasising sufficiently that this is very much the Boat Club had a very large and enthusiastic group of oarsmen and a collaborative effort and the target figure itself an aggregate of what women throughout the year. The tennis team, which did not exist a the University hopes to raise and what each of the Colleges is few years ago, has managed four promotions in the last six seasons aiming to raise over the next few years. So every benefaction made to complete this year by winning the First Division. The women’s to either the University or Trinity will count towards the target. football team (part of a joint Trinity/LMH side) won cuppers for the Already more than 20,000 donors have helped the campaign reach a first time in its history, and our men’s cricket team has just been figure of nearly £600 million since the beginning of the pre-launch promoted. Moreover, our croquet team was runner-up in cuppers. I phase in August 2004. The campaign was launched in a whirlwind watched the first hour of a five-hour epic which reminded me what a of publicity on 28 May and will be re-launched in the Far East and vicious sport it can be. On a less competitive level, our musicians Australia in the autumn and again in North America next spring. have continued to provide an extraordinarily high level of music at Trinity’s priorities within the overall figure are to endow bursaries concerts and in the choir, and the Lawns Play, Hay Fever , after a for needy students, to secure fellowships which University funds are damp start, went on to play to full houses. The Fellowship has now often inadequate to provide and to improve the fabric of the remained relatively unchanged, but in the next few weeks we shall buildings of Trinity and, if possible, to add to them. We are sorely in mark the departure of Peter Carey, one of our two History Fellows, need of more teaching space and our student accommodation is who is leaving after twenty nine years’ teaching at Trinity to work for often considered below par when it comes to attracting necessary a charity in Indonesia, a life-changing mission for all concerned. We conference trade. It would also be beneficial to house more are saddened by his departure, but inspired by his example. graduates on the main site. A new building would help us address all As you can read elsewhere, I paid an extensive visit to North these issues. America in the spring and have also managed to meet Old Members Two other recent events on the University front are the nomination in South Africa and Spain. I am planning a visit to my own of the Provost of Yale, Professor Andrew Hamilton, to succeed John birthplace, Liverpool, in the autumn to meet Old Members in and Hood, who retires in September next year. It speaks volumes for around this year’s European Capital of Culture. While it is doubtful Oxford’s pulling power that we are able to persuade someone that my visit will be regarded as part of the city’s cultural running one of the best and richest universities in the world to join programme – though I see they interpret culture in the broadest us. At a micro-level, the Colleges have finally agreed with the sense – I do look forward to meeting a substantial number of Old University and among themselves on a formula to divide up the Members from the North-West. The Liverpool Daily Post in an HEFCE cheque that the Government pays to Oxford every year for article on me last year posed the question ‘So, beneath all the teaching and research. This has been an agonising and sometimes international glamour and diplomatic corps savoir-faire, is he really acrimonious process which has taken the best part of two years and just another subversive Scouser?’ Always hard to brush off these been an energy-sapping experience for all concerned. terms of endearment. Front cover photo: The 2008 Commem Ball - balloon rides were just part of the spectacular evening which included an exclusive appearance by the 'Sugababes' as well as University a cappella group 'Out of the Blue', a casino, dodgems and an all night champagne bar. The grandest night Oxford has ever seen was organised by Ball President Adam Ben-Yousef (2006) and the Ball Committee. The evening was enjoyed by Fellows, staff, current students and Old Members, many of whom made it through to the survivors' photo despite the early morning drizzle. (Photo: Elizabeth Bradburn) 2 | Trinity College Oxford | Summer 2008 5134:S4300 18/7/08 09:40 Page 3 I continue to plan further visits around the UK to meet Old Members I started at one end of the gamut, I end at the other. A couple of and have a few more international visits in mind. It is encouraging weeks ago I unveiled, along with the Lord Lieutenant of in this context to see the number of Old Members taking up the Oxfordshire, our very own Sir Hugo Brunner, and the Principal of invitation to dine on High Table with a guest. Just to remind you, Jesus, Lord Krebs, a blue plaque to Sir Hans Krebs, a Trinity Fellow any Trinity graduate can sign in once a term, with or without a guest, and Nobel Laureate in Biochemistry, whose house in Iffley village on non-guest nights during term. It’s very good value, and of course now bears one of these attractive marks of distinction. Let nobody our chef is the best in Oxford. It can make an original and very say that my job lacks diversity! special way of entertaining visitors and friends. PETER CAREY develops with the right academic rigour in line with the very exacting ISPO (International Society of eter Carey, Fellow and Tutor in History, Prosthetists and Orthotists) standards. is leaving Trinity after forty two years Provided this is successful, the graduates (who will (first as an undergraduate, 1966-69, then as P have four years' P&O training and two years' a graduate, 1971-74, and finally as a Fellow, teacher training) will return to their own provinces 1979-2008), which is not, he admits, an to staff the planned six provincial P&O schools, easy decision to have made. He will take up which over ten to fifteen years will turn out the the post of Project Director for the requisite 1,450 disability health professionals (six Indonesian School of Prosthetics & for every million of the population) which Orthotics, Jakarta. Indonesia needs as a minimum to serve its estimated He will be acting as Director and Project 2.4 million physically disabled, helping to get them Peter Carey and Bryan Ward-Perkins at Facilitator for the new Nippon Foundation- walking and mobile again with prosthetic and the History Dinner funded and Cambodia Trust-facilitated orthotic aids. At present the country has only a programme for the establishment of a prosthetic-orthotic (P&O) handful of foreign trained health professionals in the disability field. profession in Indonesia (there is none at the moment, in a country It is not surprising that this opportunity has appealed to Peter, who with a population of nearly 240 million). This will involve in the has made a lifetime commitment both to Indonesia and, more first instance the establishment of a graduate school for the training recently, to the Cambodia Trust (which he co-founded in 1989) and of P&O professionals and lecturers in Jakarta. Peter will be directly the care of the disabled in south east Asia. involved in making sure it gets launched in January 2009 and SIR THOMAS POPE ADRIAN GILL AWARD FELLOWS rofessor Peter Read, Fellow and Tutor in Physics, has been honoured by the ince the last Newsletter, Caryll Birkett (1944) Royal Meteorological Society, which presented him with its Adrian Gill and Tom Winser (1949) have been appointed PAward for 2008, in recognition of his interdisciplinary research contributions Sir Thomas Pope Fellows in recognition of and over several years.

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