News and Notes 2021
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NEWS AND NOTES Updates from Balliol alumni around the world A supplement to Floreat Domus 2021 Stuart Bebb NEWS AND NOTES NEWS AND NOTES News and Notes We are delighted to share news from the Balliol community Thomas Huxley (1949) provided limited scope for activities of 1940s No news. Just keeping my head down note. In fact, the most significant event in our wee Perthshire village and impacting my life was the closure of Edward Gelles considering myself to be exceedingly our indoor ice arenas, which resulted (1944) lucky still to be walking the dog, have in the likely end of my 80-year ice My study of an amazingly kind wife and be able to hockey career with both ‘a bang and European Jewry keep on with various projects. We have a whimper’. This had been the one began 20 years our Covid jabs tomorrow. Best wishes consistent chapter in my life story ago with a search to Balliol and all who sail in that ship. – through membership on school for my family teams, in competitive organisations, antecedents. It at the University of Toronto for four has developed years, with the OUIHC for three years into the much wider tracing of Jewish 1950s (including the legendary 29–0 win migrations in the context of our over Cambridge in 1955), and with continent’s history. I embarked on Roger Corman (1950) Oldtimer teams over the past 65 years, this interdisciplinary study of history, On 14 November 2009 Roger Corman culminating in my induction into the genealogy, genetics, and onomastics, was given an Oscar by the Academy Canadian Oldtimer Hockey Hall of drawing on birth, marriage, death, and of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Fame. Of my many memories, nothing other community records, marriage for his ‘rich engendering of films and can match being invited to perform contracts and property transactions, filmmakers’. On 13 July 2017 Roger was the ceremonial face-off at the 100th tombstone inscriptions, and all manner given the Commandeur des Arts et des Oxford–Cambridge Match on 24 March of ephemera, supported at times by Lettres, the highest honour the French 2018 in St Moritz, Switzerland, and to DNA tests, linguistic considerations, government bestows in the arts. be the Honorary Coach of the Oxford and much else. My first published team. As for the future, I have now book on the subject, An Ancient Lineage John Mallet (1950) resolved to write and publish more. (Vallentine Mitchell, 2006), presented My news is that some kind friends in a large amount of research material the London-based French Porcelain Colin Simpson (1952) on my ancestral descent from many Society put on a Zoom symposium My first great-grandson, Alwyn Charles of the leading European rabbis and on the evenings of 7 and 8 November Simpson, was born on 10 September their families over the past five 2020, in recognition of my 90th 2020. centuries. The study expanded to take birthday. My own contribution to the in the inter-marriages of more than a occasion was a talk on ‘Collecting for Alan Spencer (1952) hundred families. My sixth book, The the Victoria and Albert Museum’. After such a year with many sad losses Jewish Journey (Bloomsbury Publishing, of friends along the way, it feels almost 2016), outlined some of the religious, Professor Hugh Burkhardt (1952) embarrassing to report that one is still social, economic and other changes My main project currently is working here and feeling just the same as ever. leading to periods of tolerance or to convince the government, There was a Jerome K. Jerome reference persecution, with voluntary or enforced mainly through the Royal Society, to someone whose only achievement religious conversions in the course of that improving education needs an was displayed in his (presumably millennial movements across Europe. ‘engineering’ approach, like that smallpox) vaccination certificate hung My continuing work on this history in medicine, which uses research on the bedroom wall. That about sums has included the study of genetic methods to develop effective tools for up my lockdown year, although I was admixtures and is recorded on the practitioners to use – see e.g. Burkhardt, warned by a friend not to boast about Balliol College Archives & Manuscripts H. (2019), ‘Improving Policy and it since it only shows how ancient and website – Papers of Edward Gelles. Practice. Educational Designer, 3(12)’. decrepit you are. Hoping fervently to In the past year I have put together Retrieved from: educationaldesigner. stay much the same until the next issue. a book of Photographs Relating to My org/ed/volume3/issue12/article46. Family and Ancestral Background (CEWE, Derek Clements (1953) 2020) and I am preparing my eighth Professor Ian Macdonald (1952) I have now reached the stage where book, Facets of My Family History, As with most people my age, lockdown my bodily integrity has been severely which can be read on the website. at home since mid-March of 2020 compromised by the insertion of an Front cover photo: Julian Mylchreest (1987) at the South Pole NEWS AND NOTES 2 assemblage of spare parts. As a result I lately been limited to ‘Thought for Day’ Brian Doman (1955) am now a fine example of the miracle on BBC Radio Scotland. But at least I I don’t remember whether I reported of modern medical engineering no got well past 500 pieces there, plus a the death of my second daughter less. However, writer’s osteocramps handful on BBC Radio 4’s version. Juliette on 12 March 2019 from a have not yet overtaken me and I sudden brain haemorrhage. She was a NEWS AND NOTES have used the lull in my proposed Donald Rickerd (1953) fervent campaigner for human rights excursions into foreign territory I’m presently a Senior Fellow of Massey and animal welfare. She had spent five (mainly Cornwall and Australia) to College, the University of Toronto’s years administering a small Spanish start writing my life history. Mostly graduate college, and a Senior Research language school up in the mountains for my grandchildren, I admit, but Associate at the University’s Trinity of Guatemala. She attended the trial of they are the ones more likely to be College. After practising law and two generals accused of human rights interested in stories of rushing out then teaching at York University, I violations during the Guatemalan civil to shovel up horse droppings for the became the President of the Donner war. With the help of an interpreter garden after the delivery of various Canadian and Max Bell Foundations she interviewed Guatemalan women household comestibles. Apart from of Toronto, and the William H. who had suffered gross human rights that, I have been self-isolating for Donner Foundation of New York. abuses. On her return to England she what seems like an eternity, thereby I also sat on the boards of German, was documenting all of this in a PhD making a mockery of a large painted Swiss and Jamaican Foundations. I thesis entitled ‘Transitional Justice’. sign in my home town that for many was volunteer chair of the boards of Her supervisors and contemporaries years graced the wall of a building Central Hospital and the Ontario were so impressed with the material with the words ‘Where will you spend College of Art, now the Ontario College that they determined to complete the eternity?’ I have also spent some of my of Art and Design University, both writing up. A Google search on ‘Juliette time wondering how I came to miss of Toronto. I served four difficult but Doman’ gives more detail of the work Covid Nos. 1 to 18. Perhaps I was just very stimulating years in Ottawa on she was doing. too young to remember them. Finally, the Royal Commission on Certain as my world has been turned upside Activities of the Royal Canadian Alexander Hopkinson-Woolley (1955) down this year due to the wretched Mounted Police, acting as one of three My book is now awaiting the virus, I have decided to do the same Commissioners. Its reports, based on preliminary print version which with my age and have determined to investigations and hearings across should be sent to me in early January. be only 68 next year (work it out). Canada, led to a major reorganisation I am very keen that the book should of Canada’s security and intelligence appear and be paid for before I die! The Barry Day (1953) operations and the establishment of first photograph, of a painting by my For some years a separate Security and Intelligence mother of Ezekiel’s vision in the first I have been Service, better known to Canadians chapter, is to be the front cover of the literary advisor as CSIS. In addition to having taught book, while the second photograph is to the Noël for a time in Chengdu, PRC, I am now of Margaret, my wife, and me. Coward Estate. pursuing my interests in Asia. I have I am also chair developed a special interest in the of the Coward Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Archive Trust. I which I have visited on a number of have written and occasions, beginning in 1996. For the performed in last several years, I have organised several cabaret revues based on Coward one-week visits to Toronto for groups material in the US and UK and written of North Korean professors studying or edited books such as Complete Lyrics, at the University of British Columbia. Theatrical Companion, Letters, Complete Verse, Coward Reader, Coward Screenplays, Vivian Rivlin (1953) Coward on Film, Star Quality: The Treasures We have been back in our Somerset of Noël Coward, Coward in his Own Words.