Hild Bede Alumni Association Magazine Hild Bede Alumni Association Hild Bede Alumnirunning Association Head
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Including: From Hild Bede to High Sheriff - A Cumbrian story Page 10 Eadem mutata resurgo - I rise again, changed, but the same Page 14 Even the Bad Times are Good Page 24 Michael Bruce Award Page 44 Hild Bede Alumni Association Magazine Hild Bede Alumni Association Hild Bede AlumniRunning Association Head Highlights 04. Principal’s Letter 18. 06. Chair’s Letter Living a Nomadic Life 08. President of the SRC Letter 10. From Hild Bede to High Sheriff - A Cumbrian story 14. Eadem mutata resurgo - I rise again, changed, but the same 28. 18. Living a Nomadic Life College Rags 24. Even the Bad Times are Good 28. College Rags 32. Jennifer Charles MBE 34. The ‘Prin’ 42. Alumni News 44. Michael Bruce Award 32. 34. 46. Student Awards Jennifer Charles The ‘Prin’ 48. In Memoriam 02 Contents RunningHild Bede Head Alumni Association Hild Bede Alumni Association As for the brilliance of Hild Bede event. Throughout the summer, about what we have but what we do students – it burns extraordinarily the legendary ‘Vern Quiz’ night ran with these things. bright. I have enjoyed conversations almost without a break. Your support in these ‘100 about theoretical chemistry, ancient Beyond that I am delighted days’ has been very important to history and Extinction Rebellion, I that we have been driving a new me and College. Thank you for had the pleasure of collaborating programme to support students in that which you already given - with our splendid SRC Exec as they leadership, and I have set myself our newest gifts being a snooker make it a place of becoming and objectives which align to a 10 year table, a lego model of Hild and One hundred belonging. I have been thrown in vision – assuming you’ll allow me new scholarships, as well as the air, frozen beside the football that long! very kind legacy. I am ensuring remarkable days pitch and been inspired by ingenuity, At the centre of this, I hope that the various funds, support intelligence and service. You can read very much to bring you closely inside for fellowships, scholarships we It has been said that the ‘first 100 much more about that in my review the conversation and to elicit your hold, which are supported by days’ are critical for anyone coming of some of their successes later in support. We have achieved control your generosity, are visible and into a leadership role. The time when the magazine. of the plans for (re)developmental accessible to students so that we one makes one’s mark. As a new The first ‘covid lockdown’ of our College estate. This is now can maximise our presence and College Principal, I would suggest robbed us of College Day, our firmly focused on Hild Bede. We purchase and support to students. that it not so much the mark that formals, Summer Ball and a proper are aiming to ‘get Bede back’ and I am boldly happy to make this I have made on our College, Hild graduation. It has stolen from me fully refurbish the two old buildings money work for them, because that Bede, that is striking but the mark the pleasure of your company at and turn them into high quality is what it is there for. that it has made on me. reunions and events. It also forced student accommodation. We Even some of darker days I want to share with you a to some of our formal dining events and housekeeping team, all my some of our student colleagues to also want to renew and enhance have been important in my learning number of ways in this has been the and joined in with our programme of colleagues in student support put down roots that they did not ‘Caedmon’ whether as a new build to be your Principal. They have case, and consequently, that I have activities as well giving seminars in and development and College anticipate and some have been with or refurbishment. Not two Colleges, revealed the indomitable spirit in enjoyed the most wonderful 100 College. Our Ball Committee threw administration, the porters and us now since October 2019, unable not another College alongside us, our community, and where it has days of my professional life. It’s been a fabulous Winter ‘Nutcracker’ Ball receptionists as well as our students to leave for wherever is home. We but a mightier Hild Bede. It will been tested and frayed, the love about variety, breadth and depth of and our community of around have been managing, alongside means work on bricks and mortar, and support in others for those who the things that go on in our College. 17,000 alumni. It is truly a place them, and now find ourselves trying but I want the buildings to go up or have needed it. It’s not a thing easily It’s been about the intense collegial where people look out for one to forge a path through the start of be refurbished around what we are, captured by any one event but many spirit, pride and pleasure we have another. The catering staff and the new academic year in which we around what we want to achieve of the qualities were present on what taken in each other’s company, care porters who notice if someone cannot bring all of College together and to be. I would like us to have was to be almost the last day we and ‘family’. And, it’s been about seems a bit down, and those loyal and they have to live in ‘households’. 500 beds, to be able to have more dined in College before the March the brilliance of my new student There have been clues alumni and College friends who I assure you that your College is Postgraduate and ‘returners’ living lockdown. Many of the remaining colleagues and the extraordinary to life as your College steward and support the many working nevertheless, ‘freshers’ and in, to have the best possible facilities students came in evening wear for things that they do to make the has already found ways trusts and funds that in turn support induction were superb, the FREPS for a theatre and Filmsoc but also dinner despite been forced to cancel ‘mighty Hild Bede’ beat brightly on and beaten new paths in our students. Our College, by virtue were amazing and we pulled off a other activities, clubs and societies, the formal that night. I had eaten, our hillside by the river. in part of venerability, has managed College matriculation in Chapel and a and indeed to make our environment alone and informally on High Table. In the three terms that I have the present. There was sadness and loss as well as success petting zoo, as it has become speak ever more loudly and usefully When I went to clear my things, a served now as Principal, I have had the splendid online ‘final and celebration with grace and care a tradition. to our ambitions around engaging voice rose asking College to stand for the privilege of experiencing all the formal’ this summer as befits a good family. We bade I am trying hard to look beyond and supporting the local community. High Table. It was touching, graceful following: the weekly screenings at which, I think 198 farewell to one of our previous covid19. There have been clues to life They need us like never before and and funny, like a little farewell but of major cinema releases by Bede Principals, Dr Vernon Armitage, as your College has already found that is not going away anytime soon. only for a short time. I gave a terrible FilmSoc – the oldest cinema in people joined us via with a gathering of current and ways and beaten new paths in the In addition, our ambition to reach speech, left and had a little cry. Durham; two plays put on by the ‘zoom’ for an evening of past students that filled both the present. There was the splendid more people of talent and potential, It has been a remarkable award-winning Hild Bede Theatre; dining and speeches and Chapel and the “Vern” our aptly online ‘final formal’ this summer at who may have not always seen year. You will find in this magazine weekly bar quizzes (in which we eponymous bar. You can read some which, I think 198 people joined us themselves as ‘Durham’, warrants a stories and accounts that show how are proud to usually have the celebration. of the touching and inspiring stories via ‘zoom’ for an evening of dining place, which can be their home. This to survive it and grow beyond it. University’s University Challenge of “Prin’s” influence further into this and speeches and celebration. We will take investment from us such You are an inspiration, our alumni. team captain as a competitor); magazine. We also mourned and managed to build, supported by the that we can harness – in expertise Because of that and a brilliant ‘100 regular ‘Open Mic’ nights; the with ‘ABBA’ as headliners and our celebrated the too early-ended life SRC and Tim Ferguson our Chaplin, a and advice and likely financial – but days’ I still feel as I did when I sought spectacularly talented Bede Chapel LGBT and FemSocs have hosted of one of our student colleagues, new web presence for the ‘Sounding the reward will be a College with this role. I told my interviewers that I choir; competitive sports ranging events. Our Senior Common Room George Somerset. The rallying of of the Retreat’. This has elicited greater authority and autonomy wanted a College to love, and I have from football to extreme frisbee has hosted talks for members almost students around his friends and contacts with friends previously as part of the University, and it will found one.