The Hertford College Magazine 2017-18
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The Hertford College Magazine 2017-18 Magazine College The Hertford The Hertford College Magazine 2017-18 No. 98 No. 98 Hertford College Magazine No. 98 2017-18 Contents 3 Contents EDITOR’S NOTE 4 PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME 6 HERTFORD HIGHLIGHTS 13 The 2018 John Donne Lecture: Keep Calm but Don’t Carry On – Sir Nick Clegg 14 Britain After Brexit: The Political and Economic Choices Ahead – Sir Martin Donnelly 28 Professor Alison Young – Alan Bogg 34 A Tribute to Dr Roger Pensom 36 A Tribute to Dr Paul Coones, 1955-2018 – Peter Bull 38 Kenny Lewis: An Appreciation – Christopher Tyerman 40 Preston Travel Report: Stefan Zweig in Vienna – Robert Ham (2015) 42 Tri-Innovate 2018: Undried Ink – James Caplan (2017) 44 HERTFORD YEAR 47 Fellows and Lecturers 48 Honorary Fellows 52 Hertford Society – Robert Seymour (1985) 54 The College Office –ynn L Featherstone, Registrar & Director of Admissions 56 Editor: Kevin Hilliard The Bursary – Jamie Clark, Bursar 58 Sub-editors: Jonathan White The Library – Alice Roques (Librarian) & Emma Smith (Fellow Librarian) 60 Design: www.dougdawson.co.uk The Archive – Dr Lucy Rutherford (Archivist) & Professor Christopher Tyerman (Fellow Archivist) 62 Produced by: The Chapel – Mia Smith, Chaplain 64 Development Office Development – Julia Thaxton, Director of Development 66 Hertford College Subjects and Research 70 Oxford OX1 3BW Student Life 88 JCR Annual Report – Jude Lewis, JCR President 88 01865 279428 MCR Annual Report – Liisa Parts , MCR President 92 [email protected] HARTFest – Sophie Street 94 www.hertford.ox.ac.uk Music – Charlotte Corderoy & Hannah Towndrow 95 Hertford Politics And Economics Society – Annie Simm 96 Sport – David Melvin, JCR Sports Officer 97 Rowing – Philippa Thornton 104 JCR Charity – Rosa Curson Smith 106 AFTER HERTFORD 107 Interview with Marion Osieyo (2013) – Olga Batty, Deputy Development Director 108 Russia, a London ‘Bobby’ and the Beautiful Game – Joseph Stokoe (1987) 112 Life in Music – Holly Redford-Jones (2013) 116 The Hertford College Magazine is published for members and friends of the college. Reminiscences of a Hertford Physicist: The opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily the official views George Lawson Pickard, MBW (1913-2007) 120 of Hertford College. Reunions, Marriages & Obituaries 124 Alumni News 134 Hertford College is a registered charity in England and Wales, number 1137527. 2017-18 Hertford College magazine 4 Editor’s Note Editor’s Note 5 Editor’s note The Editor thanks all those who have contributed to and advised on this year’s issue, especially Julia Thaxton and the team in the Development Office. Hertford College magazine 2017-18 2017-18 Hertford College magazine 6 Principal’s Welcome Principal’s Welcome 7 t has been a bumpy year for the white, southern privilege,” he tweeted. Principal’s I world’s number one university. More concerning was the reaction of the We are charged with not pulling our new Director of the Office for Students weight in the struggle to promote social (OfS), Chris Millward, bluntly warning Welcome mobility, falling short in the efforts to “we expect higher levels of ambition increase the ethnic and racial mix of and progress than currently” and looked our students. Our research funding is to Oxford to deliver “a step change in under potential threat from Brexit – as equality of opportunity.” There is little will student numbers be from EU. To cap doubt the OfS in the Spring of 2019 it all, our academics went on strike over will set more demanding targets for the their pensions, triggering dark muttering period ahead, give Oxford three rather over the Vice-Chancellor’s certainty of than five years to deliver them and touch in her handling of everything from impose tough fines if they are not met. the pension issue to her own expenses. Hertford may have come second in All true – and all worrying. But there is the league table for the proportion of a plus side that more than compensates. our intake that comes from state schools Oxford was ranked the world’s number (averaging 69 per cent over the last one university for the third year running three years), and we scored creditably, if on a composite mix of the quality not as well as we would like, on the other of its research, number of research indicators such as proportions from citations, the learning experience, ethnic backgrounds. But we will still be and internationality. It remains globally in the firing line as part of the collegiate academically pre-eminent. It is also university. Of course our achievement modest that the University is on its mettle faring well on other dimensions. In reflects our long record of taking access to make a bold step. After all: is the gene the academic year 2017/18 more than seriously since Neil Tanner launched pool of intellect really so poor to justify twenty-five start-ups were founded by the Tanner scheme in the mid 1960s, 12 independent schools sending more university academics – the highest in the readiness of our fellowship to offer students to Oxford than over 900 state Europe – while Oxford pulled in £585M state school candidates places and the comprehensives? It seems improbable, of research funding, more than any other dynamic efforts of our access team, even allowing for the inevitable gap British university – £100 million more than supported energetically by our fabulous in school quality that money buys. Cambridge. Oxford now has the largest students (74 student “Ambassadors” Radical options being floated include university aligned innovation fund on – a stunning fifth of the student body), launching a pan-university foundation the planet, some £600M furnished by in outreach efforts – and also by the year in which 300 or 400 able students Oxford Science Innovation. There is many alumni who contribute to our from disadvantaged backgrounds live plenty of which to be proud. student welfare and bursary funds. We and are taught in Oxford colleges as It was, however, the publication engaged with over 50 schools and they prepare for A-levels. There is of each college’s access record in some 2000 students including Taster the upgrading of the contextual data May in a composite, comprehensive Days, tours, talks and provision of accompanying applications so that the report that unleashed the political and residential accommodation – and in the context in which a student achieves, say, media demons. Overall the university summer of 2019 we have committed to 2 As and a B from a failing comprehensive had progressed at a snail’s pace in quadrupling the number of places we in a poor neighbourhood is fairly ranked meeting its modest targets to increase will accommodate in the UNIQ summer against a student achieving 3 As from an the number of students coming from school to 200, aimed at giving students independent school charging £40k fees disadvantaged post-codes, and there from ordinary homes a taste of the a year. Another idea, which has some was even more modest progress in Oxford experience. logistical hurdles, is that Oxford enters promoting diversity. Tottenham MP, However, other colleges, in the words the University and Colleges Admission and former higher education minister of a Senior Tutor from a college with Service (UCAS) with a limited number David Lammy, bluntly summed up his a dismal record, “play it safe” when it of places on offer every August, so that view of the tables: “Oxford is a bastion comes to actual admissions. The result is students achieving unexpectedly good of entrenched, wealthy, upper-class, that Oxford’s average performance is so results get an Oxford offer that would Hertford College magazine 2017-18 2017-18 Hertford College magazine 8 Principal’s Welcome Principal’s Welcome 9 have been impossible to make in January Sir David Williams Professor of Public reputation as one of Oxford’s computer Amidst all this welcome news, there given the predicted grades. Watch this Law at Cambridge and Alan to assume science hot-spots – not a bad reputation was one notable sadness; the early space. Some may prove impractical but a senior Professorship in Bristol. They to have given the department’s standing retirement of the legendary Kenny Lewis one way or another the University has were a legendary duo cherished by (led by our own Professor Michael who has served the college for forty to break out of the drip drip of invidious students and colleagues alike – and we Wooldridge) as the best in Europe. And years, latterly as the college butler. We and sometimes exaggerated criticism. miss them even while we wish them the some of you may already have come gave him a much merited send off. The Within our own terms Hertford had very best. across the efforts of Nathan Stazicker Works of Art Committee commissioned a another lively year. Professor Siddharth Both David Hopkin and Alan Lauder as our newly appointed outreach and pen and ink drawing which captures him Parameswaren joined us as our new were awarded much deserved communications officer: his video clips superbly (now hanging on the stair-case Physics fellow and Professor Elizabeth professorships in the annual recognition on social media are Oxford stand-outs. up to the Senior Common Room), and Baldwin as our Economics fellow; of distinction exercise. Professor Emma The college was delighted to name there was a great event in a packed Hall both settled in so well that it is hard to Smith could be heard frequently on BBC seven new honorary fellows – all of where staff past and present, fellows and imagine that they were never here – with Radio 3 and 4 offering her judicious them closely associated with Hertford his family gathered to pay tribute to his Elizabeth earning herself a reputation reflections on Shakespeare.