ISSUE 6 MICHAELMAS 2007 GONVILLE & CAIUS COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE The Royal Opening of the Stephen Hawking Building The Zebras of Trinity Street The Milton Grundy Gift Six in a Row for Caius Boat Club George’s Secret Key to the Universe From the Director of Development The main aim of Once a Caian…, when we introduced this magazine three years ago, was to increase and enhance links between Caians of all generations living and working all around the world. We are all part of the same community and share the privilege of belonging to this remarkable institution, a living continuum of scholarship and fellowship stretching back to the Middle Ages. All of us have benefited from our association with the College and as a result many have been fortunate to find themselves in a position to make a generous contribution to the wellbeing of future generations of Caians. In this, the sixth issue of Once a Caian… brought to you under the inspired editorship of Mick Le Moignan (2004), the mutual benefit to Caians and their College is celebrated. The Stephen Hawking Building, our award-winning new student accommodation in West Road, is only there because of the generosity of two thousand Caians and friends of the College. Many of these benefactors took great pride and pleasure in coming back to Cambridge to admire the results, both on the occasion of the Royal Opening by the Chancellor, HRH Prince Philip, and at our May Week Party for benefactors. In this issue we celebrate links between the College and the Caian community in many different ways, by commemorating our Catholic martyrs, through hearing about the relationship of the Cobbold family to the College and by enjoying another student escapade – the ‘Zebra Crossing’ prank. We congratulate both the Caius Boat Club on its sixth Mays Headship in a row and Andy Baddeley (2000), a world-class Caian athlete, who hopes for success in the Beijing Olympics. We also thank Milton Grundy (1944) for giving us an incomparable collection of modern paintings to hang in the Stephen Hawking Building and other parts of the College. We acknowledge, as illustrated in the article which introduces some new privileges for our benefactors, the great debt the College owes to Caians in all walks of life who are doing everything they can to support all aspects of a Caius education. Looking forward, Professor Paul Binski (1975) explains how essential that support is going to be to maintain the fabric of our historic buildings. Caians are increasingly aware of the vital role they play in ensuring that Caius is able to meet the many challenges of the future and for this the College is enormously grateful. Dr Anne Lyon (2001) Fellow “A gift to Gonville & Caius College counts towards the Cambridge 800th Anniversary Campaign” ...Always a Caian 1 Contents Nigel Luckhurst Liang Yao Yao Liang Yao 2 8 10 Yao Liang Yao Liang Yao John Giles/PA John 12 18 36 2 The Royal Opening of the Stephen Hawking Building 6 The Copley Medal – Martin Rees & Stephen Hawking (1965) At the 2007 May Week Party, Ralph Owen 8 Care and Restoration for our Heritage – Professor Paul Binski (1975) (1999) of the Development Office does his best to keep the champagne dry! 10 Commemoration of the Caius Martyrs – Dr John Casey (1964) 12 The Zebras of Trinity Street 14 George’s Secret Key to the Universe – the new book by Stephen and Lucy Hawking 16 “Each Man in his Time…” – an interview with Milton Grundy (1944) 18 The Milton Grundy Gift (1957) Eric Dickens 20 Publish and be Damned! 22 Cobbolds at Caius 24 The Bursary Team 26 The Annual Gathering – Dr Mike Cannon (1955) 28 Privileges for Benefactors 30 Return to Sender – Address Unknown 32 CaiMemories 34 Six in a Row for CBC & Launching the Simon Suess 36 A Golden Opportunity – Andy Baddeley (2000) Cover Photographs by Dan White and Nigel Luckhurst 2 Once a Caian... Dan White The Royal Opening of The Stephen Hawking is Royal Highness Prince were assembled in the Cavonius Centre by In a pre-recorded presentation on the big Philip came to Cambridge the time Prince Philip arrived and went on a screen, Professor Hawking explained that he on Tuesday 17 April 2007, tour of the building. He was shown around by had lived at the old Victorian villa on the site to celebrate the thirtieth the Master, Sir Christopher Hum (2005), the for fifteen years; he had brought up his anniversary of his becoming President, Professor Wei-Yao Liang (1963) and children and written his popular book A Brief HChancellor of the University and to perform the Director of Development, Dr Anne Lyon History of Time there and at first he was sad the official opening ceremony of the Stephen (2001), before meeting some students and to see it go. However, now that he had seen Hawking Building in the company of many Fellows as well as some of the key some of the 75 student rooms, eight Fellow’s Caius Fellows and Benefactors. Benefactors. sets, three supervision rooms and the Earlier, a hundred or so Caians and friends In the Cavonius Centre, the Master paid Cavonius Centre, he said “I’m very honoured of the College, whose exceptional generosity tribute to his predecessor as Master, Neil that this beautiful building will bear my made this building possible, enjoyed McKendrick (1958), and to around 2,000 name… It is, in my opinion, the best recent champagne in the Master’s Lodge before a Caian benefactors who gave more than building in Cambridge and I’m proud to be delicious lunch in Hall, where Fellows, £10million to fund this splendid new student associated with it.” Benefactors and those involved in the accommodation. Without their generous Prince Philip delighted the audience by construction process were able to discuss the support, he said, the building would not be announcing: “You’re about to see the world’s finer points of the new building. here today. Professor Stephen Hawking most experienced plaque-unveiler at work!” Everyone made their way over to West (1965) was unable to attend the event in and immediately demonstrated his prowess Road to see for themselves the distinctive person: the Master said it was “characteristic by revealing the plaque commemorating the serpentine shape of the building, the of his indomitable spirit of adventure that he occasion. He stayed in the Cavonius Centre inspiration for which was the welfare of the is in Texas, preparing for a flight into near- for some time to speak with Benefactors and magnificent Wellingtonia (Sequoia), Scots space, which will allow him to experience Fellows and congratulated everyone involved Pine and Copper Beech in the gardens. All weightlessness!” on a magnificent achievement. ...Always a Caian 3 Nigel Luckhurst Dan White The Stephen Hawking Building. Building Dan White Fellows and Benefactors enjoy a celebratory lunch together in Caius Hall. 4 Once a Caian... Nigel Luckhurst Nigel Luckhurst Lady Hum, the former Master, Neil McKendrick (1958), the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education), Professor The President and the Master with the Chancellor Melveena McKendrick, the Catering Manager, Ed Davey (obscured) and Rita Cavonius (2004) share a joke on the balcony of the Fellow’s set occupied by with the Chancellor. Professor Simon Maddrell (1964). Nigel Luckhurst John Haines (1949), Annie Haines, David Heap (1954) and Margot Heap meet the Chancellor. Nigel Luckhurst Jonathan Horsfall Turner (1964), Bill Packer (1949), David Malcolm (1950), Dr Philip Marriott (1965) and James Arnold (1993) are presented to the Chancellor by Dr Anne Lyon (2001). ...Always a Caian 5 Dan White The Master presents Dr Jimmy Altham (1965), Professor Sir Alan Fersht (1962) and Professor John Mollon (1996) to the Chancellor. Nigel Luckhurst Dan White Nigel Luckhurst Dr Dino Giussani (1996), Mick Le Moignan (2004), Derek Ingram (1974) and The Chancellor with Rita Cavonius (2004). Professor James Fitzsimons (1946) with the Chancellor. The Chancellor chats with first-year students, Emma Brady, Sam Bishop and Dervla Lynchehaun (all 2006), the President, Professor Wei-Yao Liang (1963), the Director of Development, Dr Anne Lyon (2001), the Project Manager, Nick Pettit and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard. 6 Once a Caian... special dinner was held in Caius Hall on Tuesday 6 February 2007 to celebrate the latest success of the College’s much loved and most celebrated living Fellow, Professor Stephen Hawking (1965) – not his extraordinary journey into near-space, but the award of the Copley Medal for 2006. The Copley Medal is the oldest and most prestigious award of the Royal Society. First given in 1731, it is presented annually for outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science. Professor Hawking is the ninth in a list of distinguished Caian Professor Lord Rees, President of the scientists to receive the award, which Royal Society, In my first week as a graduate student at marked his outstanding contribution to Astronomer Royal Cambridge University, I met a fellow student, theoretical physics and cosmology. and Master of Trinity College, two years ahead of me in his studies; he was Members of Stephen’s family including presents Stephen ‘‘unsteady on his feet and spoke with great his mother, Isobel, and three children, Hawking with the difficulty. Robert, Lucy and Tim accompanied him to 2006 Copley Medal. This was Stephen Hawking. I learnt that the dinner. The guest of honour was he had a degenerative disease, and might not Professor Lord (Martin) Rees, live long enough to finish his PhD. But this President of the Royal year, he celebrated his 65th birthday. Mere Society, Astronomer survival would have been a medical marvel, Royal, Master of Trinity but of course he hasn’t merely survived.