11 May 2012

Philip Pullman (1965, English) has been awarded the Kingdom of Redonda Literary Prize for 2012.

The prize is one of the more unusual literary prizes, and one might say prestigious, coming as it does from the imaginary Caribbean island of Redonda. In recognition of his literary achievements Mr Pullman has been made a Duke by HRH King Xavier I, and has taken the title Duke of Cittàgazze after the thief-riddled citadel in the second volume of the His Dark Materials trilogy.

On receiving the prize Mr Pullman said, "I'm delighted to be 'enduked'. The prize was a rare and wonderful surprise, and I intend to live up to the proper splendour and dignity of a Duke of the imaginary kingdom of Redonda.

"I have always felt that I was one of nature's aristocrats, and now I have the title to prove it. Coronet, regalia, robes, etc, will soon find a place in my wardrobe."

Mr Pullman added that he chose the title of Duke of Cittàgazze principally for reasons of euphony, but also "in acknowledgement of the thefts that all writers commit every day, we being creatures of the jackdaw or magpie class."

10 May 2012

The new series of ITV's popular crime detective series Lewis starts on 16 May with an episode that was partly shot at Exeter College.

'The Soul Of Genius' is the story of a botanist who accidentally unearths the body of a professor who had been fixated upon solving a seemingly impossible riddle. Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox) investigate.

Filming took place at Exeter College between 18 and 20 August 2011 and was helped by glorious sunshine. Should you wish to catch Exeter looking its finest the episode will be aired at 8pm on ITV1.

1 May 2012

Congratulations to Glen Goodman (2004, Latin American Studies) who has been awarded a prestigious German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) fellowship to research in Berlin next academic year.

The fellowship will form the second half of Mr Goodman's dissertation research for his PhD in Latin American History, the first half being funded by a Fulbright Grant in Brazil.

1 May 2012

Cat Williams (2005, Engineering) will be performing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics in London. Miss Williams will be playing the drums and is looking forward to the excitement of the occasions.

1 May 2012

Congratulations to Exonian Tansy Castledine (1997, Music) who has led St George's College Chamber Choir to be crowned the BBC Songs of Praise Senior School Choir of the Year 2012.

Ms Castledine is Director of Music at St George's College, Weybridge. In front of distinguished judges Russell Watson, David Grant and Suzi Digby, Ms Castledine conducted St George's College Chamber Choir as they performed their chosen inspirational song, 'Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?'

Singer and vocal coach David Grant praised the Choir for 'a remarkable arrangement and remarkable execution.'

Afterwards Ms Castledine beamed as she told her choir that they deserved to celebrate 'really hard!'

St George's College Chamber Choir also won the senior section of the prestigious Barnardo's National Choir Competition earlier this year.

The episode of Songs of Praise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer until Sunday, 6 May.

30 April 2012

Congratulations to Charles de Bourcy (2008, Physics) who has won a Fulbright Science and Technology Award.

The Fulbright Science and Technology Award provides exceptional students from outside the USA with an opportunity to pursue PhD study at top US universities. It is one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world for science and technology students.

Mr de Bourcy will use the scholarship to take a PhD in Applied Physics at Stanford University.

"I am interested in the surprising phenomena that emerge in quantum many-body systems such as topological insulators and superconductors on the one hand, and interested in how quantum effects could be exploited for next-generation technology such as quantum information processing applications on the other hand," Mr de Bourcy said. "I am looking forward to studying these areas and their interconnections at Stanford, as well as to exploring the Bay Area and getting involved in Stanford's musical life."

4 April 2012

Sir Ronald Cohen (1964, PPE) launched Big Society Capital (BSC) this morning. The aim of BSC, which Sir Ronald chairs, is to enable organisations tackling social issues to grow by encouraging investments made for social as well as financial return.

You can find out more about BSC at www.bigsocietycapital.com/.

4 April 2012

Spencer Crawley (2006, History) is embarking on a cricket tour of Pakistan to raise money for the Afghan Appeal Fund.

Mr Crawley will play cricket for five consecutive days, twice against the Pakistan under-19s, and once against the Pakistan Army, the British High Commission and the famous Aitchison College, renowned for having produced six captains of the Pakistan national side.

The tour is sponsored by Sir General David Richards, British Chief of Defence Staff, as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board, while the British High Commission will be hosting a fund-raising event. The aim is to raise money for the Afghan Appeal Fund, which was set up by family members of British servicemen to build schools in the region.

To sponsor Mr Crawley and his teammates, please visit www.justgiving.com/crickettour2012.

28 March 2012

Psychiatrist David Goldbloom (1975, Physiological Sciences) has been named the new chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

You can read more about his appointment here.

28 March 2012

Congratulations to Rukmini Callimachi (née Sichitiu) (1997, General Linguistics & Comparative Philology) who has been awarded the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Ms Callimachi was awarded the medal for being willing to sacrifice frequently her safety for her stories, operating on the principle that tragedies and disasters are important because of the people they affect.

The McGill Medal is named after the late Ralph McGill, who is known for his editorials challenging racial segregation in the 1950s and 1960s.

13 March 2012

The Bennett Boskey Fellow in Politics and International Relations, Christine Cheng, recently gave the keynote speech for the National Women's Liberal Commission at Canada's Liberal Party's biennial convention. Dr Cheng presented the findings of a study on how female political candidates are selected, revealing the importance of informal factors and how the gender of party gatekeepers matters for the candidate selection process.

The Liberal Party is traditionally one of Canada's two major political parties.

13 March 2012

Donor Weber (1978, English) has published an intimate and touching family memoir, Immortal Bird. The memoir focuses particularly on the fight for life of Mr Weber's eldest son, Damon, who was born with a congenital heart defect and later developed protein-losing enteropathy (PLE).

Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir was listed as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month and made the Entertainment Weekly Must List recently. It also received major reviews in the New York Times and the Washington Post.

12 March 2012

Chris Carter (1983, PPE) has published Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics. The book explores the history of parapsychology since the scientific revolution of the 17th century and provides evidence from scientific research that telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis are real. Mr Carter argues that scepticism of psi phenomena is based more on a religion of materialism than on hard science.

Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics has been very well received by readers and is available to buy online.

8 March 2012

Matthew Tye (2009, Sociology) delivered the keynote speech at a recent British Academy conference which focussed on contemporary challenges in transitional Vietnam.

The event, hosted by the UK's national academy for the humanities and social sciences, brought together academics from across the social sciences to consider the social, economic and political challenges facing Vietnam, and provided an opportunity to support and publicise the research being conducted in the United Kingdom on one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies.

Mr Tye's speech was entitled Population Ageing in Vietnam - An Irreversible Truth? The speech was filmed and will be available to view on the British Academy's website shortly.

22 February 2012

Exonian Michael Frankl (1972, Modern Languages) will be appearing in the semi-finals of BBC Radio 4's Brain of Britain programme this weekend. The programme will be broadcast at 11 pm on Saturday, 25 February. You can also download the programme on BBC iPlayer until 3 March.

Brain of Britain is a long-running general knowledge quiz show. For over 30 years it was hosted by the late Robert Robinson (1948, English).

7 February 2012

Congratulations to Mark Chatterton (1981, Modern History) who has completed the feat of watching a competitive match at all 92 league football grounds in the country.

Mr Chatterton watched his first football league match in Chester in the 1960s. In the 1980s he started to follow Southend United, including in their away fixtures.

The father-of-three said: 'Like a lot of football fans who achieve this, I realised that I'd reached my 50th ground and decided I wanted to finish off visiting the rest - for me, that was about five years ago.'

Mr Chatterton has now watched competitive matches at over 100 different football grounds, including some non-league. You can read more about his footballing journey at www.doingthe92plus.co.uk.

6 February 2012

Fine Art student Max Mulvany (2009) created a life-sized sculpture of the Rector yesterday, but sadly it has long since melted. The 'Snow Rector' was well positioned in the Front Quad to welcome - and surprise - visitors to the College.

31 January 2012

Dr Faramerz Dabhoiwala's debut book, The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution, was named Book of the Week in the Saturday Times last weekend.

The Origins of Sex also featured in the Sunday Times, being described as 'gloriously enjoyable'.

Dr Dabhoiwala was recently hailed as one of The Observer's new authors to look out for in 2012.

If you subscribe to The Times website you can read Saturday's review here and Sunday's review here. The Oberver's feature is available to read for free here.

The Origins of Sex will be published by Penguin Press in February. You can read more about the book at www.dabhoiwala.com.

26 January 2012

Exeter College is now on Twitter, the popular social networking and microblogging website. You can follow the College's newsfeed at @exetercollegeox.

As well as receiving Exeter's news and events updates via Twitter, you may want to join the College's Facebook group, where you can socialise with other Exeter Old Members and Friends of the College.

In 2011 the co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone, gave a speech at Exeter College. You can read about his speech or watch a video of the speech in full.

24 January 2012

Congratulations to Daniel Cashman (2008, Jurisprudence) who has helped Oxford to beat Cambridge in a recent mooting competition held at The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, one of the four Inns of Court.

Mr Cashman was one of two contestants representing Oxford University. A combination of hard work and gifted performances saw the Oxford duo win, as judged by barristers and judges of Gray's Inn.

23 January 2012

Exeter College Chapel was featured in Channel 4's Restoration Man last week as presenter George Clarke explored the architecture of gothic revival churches.

In the programme Mr Clarke enthuses about George Gilbert Scott's design, saying that it helped to assert the Anglican Church's authority at a time when it was under threat from other churches such as Methodism and Catholicism.

Mr Clarke was shown around the Chapel by Oxford University's Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, an expert on ecclesiastical architecture. Professor MacCulloch praised the Chapel for its "magnificent Victorian self-confidence" and said that the Chapel was "the Church of England at its most triumphal".

The episode is available to watch on the Channel 4 website.

23 January 2012

In his latest book, All Business is Local: Why Place Matters More than Ever in a Global, Virtual World, John Quelch (1969, Modern History) argues that all companies - large and small - have to be local as well as global in order to succeed.

Professor Quelch and co-author Katherine Jocz argue that as society becomes increasingly globalised and familiar with a virtual world, businesses must remember that a sense of 'place' remains important to the way we organise our lives.

All Business is Local will be released in February.

10 January 2012

Dr Katharina Ulmschneider (1991, Modern History) of the University's Institute of Archaeology has been interviewed about a new exhibition, Persecution and Survival: a wartime refugee story, which opens at the Oxford Town Hall Gallery on 15 January.

The exhibition is inspired by the Paul Jacobsthal archive at the Institute of Archaeology. Jacobsthal was an eminent archaeologist who settled in Oxford after being forced to flee Nazi Germany because of his Jewish origins. The exhibition uses his experience to illustrate what life was like in Oxford for Jewish refugees.

The interview can be read in last week's edition of Oxfordshire Limited Edition, published in the Oxford Times.

4 January 2012

Dr Faramerz Dabhoiwala, Fellow in History, has been named one of the Observer's new authors to look out for in 2012. His debut book, The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution will be published by Penguin Press in February, and it has already received critical acclaim.

Dr Dabhoiwala is one of three debut authors given special attention by the Observer. You can read more about his book at www.dabhoiwala.com.

21 December 2011

Voices from Oxford have helped Exeter College to prepare a short video message from the Rector to wish all of the College's Old Members, Parents and Friends a happy Christmas.

12 December 2011

Dr Christopher Storr (1959, Modern History) has published the first book devoted to Catholic school governing bodies. Serving Two Masters? Catholic school governors at work identifies issues where the expectations of the Catholic Church might be in conflict with those of the state, and examines how the governors seek to resolve them.

12 December 2011

Christopher Martin (2002, Mathematics) has published a collection of mathematics ideas for teachers of learners aged 11-12. Big Ideas is a set of ideas, resources and questions to challenge and encourage young learners to understand some of the most important concepts in mathematics.

12 December 2011

Exeter College needs your help! To mark 700 years since its foundation, Exeter College is working with Third Millennium, specialist publishers of books about great institutions, to produce Exeter: A Portrait of a College in autumn 2013. To do this the College needs its Old Members to send in their memories and memorabilia of College.

Written material on the College in the 20th century is sparse. Please send us whatever you can in the way of reminiscences, letters, menu cards, ball tickets, photographs or other ephemera to give a picture of life in the College in the middle years of the 20th century. If you have material (family letters, say) that go back further, then all the better.

If sending items by post, you are advised to use a recorded delivery service when mailing any items that you would not wish to lose. The College will return all items once we have had a chance to make copies.

Please send items to the Development Office, Exeter College, Oxford, OX1 3DP, UK or email development@exeter.ox.ac.uk.

You can find out more about Exeter: A Portrait of a College or subscribe to receive your copy on the Third Millennium website. By subscribing now you will help to make the publication possible. You will also receive a £10 discount on the published price of £45 and have your name (or the name of your nominee) printed in a special List of Subscribers within the book itself.

6 December 2011

Exonian Michael Frankl (1972, Modern Languages) will be appearing on BBC Radio 4's Brain of Britain programme next week. The programme will be broadcast at 3 pm on Monday, 12 December and repeated at 11 pm on Saturday, 17 December. You can also download the programme on BBC iPlayer between 12 December and 24 December.

Brain of Britain is a long-running general knowledge quiz show. For over 30 years it was hosted by the late Robert Robinson (1948, English).

6 December 2011

Dr Stephen Harris (1988, Chemistry) has just published the first complete Dickens novel to be translated into the Cornish language. Karol Nadelik (A Christmas Carol) has been published by Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek (The Cornish Language Fellowship) and includes the illustrations from the first edition of 1843.

The Cornish language (called Kernewek in Cornish) has been undergoing an accelerating revival, and there is an increasing demand for publications. Dr Harris has been learning and then teaching Cornish for more than a decade, and was made a bard of the Cornish Gorsedd for language studies.

6 December 2011

Chisanga Puta-Chekwe (1977, PPE) published Getting Zambia to Work with Adonis and Abbey Publishers in September. The book examines some critical issues in Zambia's recent history and suggests practical and simple ways in which Zambia could lift itself out of its current underdevelopment trap.

5 December 2011

John Leighfield (1958, Lit Hum) has been honoured by the University of Warwick by having a road on the University's campus named after him. Mr Leighfield was a lay-member of the University of Warwick Council from 1990-96 and 1997-2000 and was Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council from 2002-2011. The commemoration particularly reflects Mr Leighfield's love of cartography.

5 December 2011

Dr Mark Currie (1974, Theology) has published a collection of papers which examines the rise in violence by Dissident Irish Republicans and its impact on the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Dissident Irish Republicanism sets out a definition of dissident republicanism, looks at how it is evolving, and examines its possible future.

5 December 2011

George Peretz (1985, PPE) has recently published the fourth edition of Blackstone's Guide to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The book is co-authored by John Wadham and Kelly Harris.

28 November 2011

The 'wreckage' of a helicopter could be seen in the Front Quad of Exeter College earlier this month, thanks to the talents of third year Fine Art student Max Mulvany.

The life-size copy of a wrecked helicopter was an art project inspired by a helicopter that is alleged to have been brought down by gunfire during the US Navy SEALs' attack on Osama Bin Laden's mansion compound earlier this year. At the time of Bin Laden's assassination there was considerable speculation about the existence and nature of this helicopter, with some commentators suggesting it might have been a secret 'stealth' helicopter that the SEALs deliberately destroyed before leaving the compound.

Max Mulvany said "[the sculpture] explores the rise and fall of this beguiling piece of wreckage from media sensation to anonymous 'sculptural object'. For a brief period the helicopter was all over the television, but now nobody recognises it. The sculpture could purely be visually intriguing, possibly abstract - unless of course you know the controversial backstory.

"Exhibiting on the Exeter College Front Quad allowed me to play with this dual dynamic - some students knew what it was but the tourists were at a complete loss!"

The sculpture was exhibited in the Front Quad for several days, with an after-dark private viewing arranged which featured controlled fires and atmospheric smoke.

Images: The helicopter by day and at night, photos courtesy of Max Mulvany

28 November 2011

The Rector of Exeter College, Frances Cairncross, has interviewed Colin Mayer, the Peter Moores Dean of the Saïd Business School, Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies and Director of the Oxford Financial Research Centre, for the Voices from Oxford series of online videos.

Colin Mayer has built an international reputation within the field of finance and published widely on corporate finance, taxation and governance, and on the regulation of financial markets. He was instrumental in creating the largest and most prestigious networks of economics, law and finance academics in Europe at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI).

The Rector and Professor Mayer discussed a wide range of economic and financial issues, including a mobile phone banking revolution that is taking place in Kenya, the role of microfinance in developing countries, the current banking crisis and the challenges being faced in the Eurozone, and controversies over salary scales and bonus structures in the finance sector.

You can view the video online by clicking here.

24 November 2011

To mark 700 years since its foundation, Exeter College is working with Third Millennium, specialist publishers of books about great institutions, to publish Exeter: A Portrait of a College in autumn 2013.

Bringing to life the College's evolution and foundation, from political and religious upheavals to world wars and the arrival of female students, this beautifully illustrated book will most of all reflect the College that its students, current and past hold dear.

You can find out more about Exeter: A Portrait of a College or subscribe to receive your copy on the Third Millennium website. By subscribing now you will help to make the publication possible. You will also receive a £10 discount on the published price of £45 and have your name (or the name of your nominee) printed in a special List of Subscribers within the book itself.

Click here to find out more.

24 November 2011

Congratulations to Philip Sibson (2008, Engineering Science) who has been awarded a Belling Engineering Scholarship by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

The prestigious scholarship was awarded to Philip based on academic performance during university and school years, as well as a supporting reference from his tutor, Professor Ian Reid. Commitment to engineering and technology, demonstrable through past experience and responsibilities, was also assessed.

In 2010 Philip was one of two Engineering Science undergraduates at the University of Oxford awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering Engineering Leadership Advanced Awards.

24 November 2011

Dr Christine Cheng, Boskey Fellow in Politics at Exeter College, has written an article about the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, for the independent broadcaster Al Jazeera. You can read the article on the Al Jazeera website.

24 November 2011

As an active member of a Buddhist Centre in Hong Kong and ex-District Officer, I am helping with the project management of an ambitious scheme in Bhutan. The Ven. Lama Kelzang, a Bhutanese lama based in Hong Kong, plans to build the very first Milarepa Tower (or Sekargutok) in Bhutan.

Milarepa (b.1052) is a famous Tibetan saint and yogi who was asked by his master, Marpa the Translator, to build a nine-storey tower. Marpa treated Mila very harshly, asking him to move the tower a number of times to purify Mila's bad karma, caused by an early career in black magic. Despite this frustration and hardship, Mila never lost faith in his guru. The original tower, which still stands in Tibet, is a symbol of the absolute faith of a disciple in his master and a reminder of how one should sacrifice comfort and safety in this life for the dharma.

The tower and accompanying monastery will be a religious, cultural and tourist landmark in the area. Situated close to the Indian border in South Bhutan, it is expected to attract many tourists and visitors, both Indian and foreign. The project will be funded by donations and we have now started a fund-raising programme. The tower is dedicated to the benefit of all sentient beings.

On 2 November 2011, His Holiness the Je Khenpo (who is like the Dalai Lama of Bhutan and second only to the king) officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony, watched by a crowd of thousands. The grand ceremony lasted all day and included various rituals, sacred dances and a vegetarian lunch.

My job is to co-ordinate the project and liaise with the architect, engineer and the Royal Bhutan Government. This was my second visit to Bhutan this year (as a guest rather than a tourist, which is expensive). Some say going from India to Bhutan is like entering heaven. Bhutan has a small population (700,000), is clean and unspoilt, has a spectacular landscape and pristine environment. Its rich cultural heritage is due to its relative isolation.

Its people wear national dress with long skirts for women (kira) and shorter ones for men (gho). They are polite, friendly and intensely Buddhist. The national sport is archery and the favourite dish is a spicy stew made from dried vegetables, cheese and chillies. In many ways, Bhutan is like a medieval kingdom. Every district has an ancient dzong, which is a fortress containing the administrative and religious headquarters of the area. Their architecture is distinctive, with intricate woodwork around the doors and windows, and unlike anything else you might see in the Himalayas.

Anyone interested in the above project may visit www.sangyemigyurling.org.

Peter Mann (1971, English)

Images (from top): His Holiness the Je Khenpo at the ground-breaking ceremony; Bhutan's stunning landscape

23 November 2011

Exeter College Christmas cards are available to purchase online now! They are available from the Oxford University Shop.

Profits from the sale of the cards will be divided equally between Exeter College and the University of Oxford.

11 November 2011

Exeter College is delighted to announce that Alison Brooks Architects (ABA) has won the contest to design the College's new premises on Walton Street, Oxford, following a competitive selection process involving five architectural practices from the UK and US.

ABA is recognised as a dynamic and forward-thinking practice and is the first to have won the UK's three most prestigious awards for architecture: the Stirling Prize, the Manser Medal and the Stephen Lawrence Prize. Among its award-winning projects are the Accordia development in Cambridge, the Quarterhouse Performing Arts Centre in Folkestone and Wrap House, London. Exeter College is excited to be collaborating with such a creative design team. This is an opportunity to create a strong and lasting contribution to Oxford's built environment.

The Walton Street site, on the corner of Walton Street and Worcester Place, will form Exeter College's Third Quadrangle in the heart of Oxford - less than 10 minutes' walk from the College's Turl Street site. The new site will combine student accommodation with teaching rooms, social spaces and study facilities.

ABA shares the College's vision of 21st century collegiate life and is recognised for having a passion for quality and craftsmanship, a delight in place making and a unique architectural approach.

The Walton Street site is intended to provide accommodation for 100 students, many of whom are currently renting in the private market. This addition to the College's campus will alleviate some of the strain on the local rental market and also reduce the financial burden on students who will benefit from the College's 30-week lets at affordable prices.

The Rector of Exeter College, Frances Cairncross, said: "As we move towards celebrating Exeter College's 700th anniversary in 2014, so too can we look forward to creating a new and exciting space on Walton Street. This Third Quadrangle will provide outstanding living, teaching and study facilities in the heart of Oxford, continuing the ancient college tradition of living and studying around peaceful communal outdoor spaces. Each of our new rooms will be a mini-bursary for a student, cutting the costs of living in central Oxford and helping Exeter College to continue to attract the brightest and most talented students."

The competition was arranged by Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC), a specialist architectural consultancy. The College asked for evidence of genuine fresh thinking from competitors, not just the models of the recent past. An initial long list of 26 international firms was reduced to five through a process of building visits, speaking to past clients, office visits and advice from specialists in the field and the College's alumni.

MRC carried out a thorough study and site analysis to establish a brief, mindful of the heritage of the site, the quality of urban setting and the importance of promoting world-class design in Oxford.

A former student of Exeter College and local resident, Hugh Palmer, said "I'm very glad that future students of my old college will have the chance to enjoy the extra space and improved facilities made possible by this ambitious project. The site is a significant one, right at the entrance to Jericho, and there is an opportunity not only to meet the practical needs of the College, but also to create a beautiful new building to enhance this fascinating part of Oxford."

Alison Brooks, Director of Alison Brooks Architects, said "We are delighted to have this opportunity to work in the heart of Oxford with Exeter College and to contribute to the evolution of its architecture. The Quad's combination of residential, academic, social and cultural spaces within a scholarly and urban context is every architect's 'ideal brief'. ABA very much look forward to working with Exeter College to deliver a 21st century quad at Walton Street to complement the extraordinary quality of their Turl Street campus."

The new site is being financed by a fundraising campaign in the period leading up to Exeter College's 700th anniversary in 2014.

The College, advised by MRC and others, will now work with the ABA team to develop the initial design, emphasising the need to respect the qualities of the site and surroundings.

9 November 2011

Dr Matthias Fripp, Fellow of Exeter College, is taking part in a ten-day online debate on The Economist website. The motion of the debate, which Dr Fripp is defending, is 'This house believes that subsidising renewable energy is a good way to wean the world off fossil fuels.' The moderator of the debate is an Exonian, James Astill (1992, English).

The online debate is based on the Oxford style of debating, revolving around an assertion that is defended on one side (the "proposer") and assailed on another (the "opposition") in a contest hosted and overseen by a moderator. Each side has three chances to persuade readers: opening, rebuttal and closing.

James Astill introduced the debate yesterday, and Dr Fripp and Robert L. Bradley Jnr (Founder and CEO of the Institute for Energy Research, acting as the opposition for the debate) provided their opening statements.

Readers of the website can contribute their views to the debate and vote in favour of or against the motion. On 11 November Dr Fripp and Mr Bradley will make their rebuttals, and on 16 November they will make their closing remarks. Readers can continue to debate the motion and cast their votes until 18 November, at which point a decision will be announced.

To read the debate so far or to cast your vote, visit The Economist website.

24 October 2011

Congratulations to John Gapper (1978, PPE), who has just been named Best Business Commentator at the 2011 Comment Awards.

Mr Gapper is Chief Business Commentator and an Associate Editor of the Financial Times. He writes a weekly column on business and finance and is one of the most senior and experienced FT writers.

It was the third annual Comment Awards. Other winners in 2011 included Robert Peston and Michael Atherton.

21 October 2011

A plaque has been unveiled to mark the Oxford residence of Salvador de Madariaga (1886-1978), who became an honorary fellow of Exeter College in 1942.

Salvador de Madariaga was a Spanish writer, diplomat and pacifist. He was made the King Alfonso XIII Chair of Spanish Studies at Oxford in 1928 and was one of the principal authors of the Oxford Manifesto, a document which describes the basic political principles of the Liberal International.

The plaque was unveiled earlier this month, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Oxford and members of Salvador de Madariaga's family. It is situated at Box Tree House, 3 St Andrew's Road, Old Headington, Oxford and commemorates the 35 years that Salvador de Madariaga lived there.

11 October 2011

Alan Russett (1949, History) has written a book celebrating the work of John Thomas Serres, an English artist who was for a time Maritime Painter to King George III.

John Thomas Serres: The Tireless Enterprise of a Marine Artist contains 178 illustrations of the artist's work, and describes how Serres achieved considerable success in his life time, in spite of an unfortunate marriage.

The book is available to purchase here.

11 October 2011

Edinburgh University Press will publish Veering: A Theory of Literature by Nicholas Royle (1976, English) later this month.

The book has received very positive reviews and has been credited with providing a new approach to literary theory. It will be available from 31 October 2011.

5 October 2011

The family and friends of Clare Pettit (née Martin) (2000, Physics and Philosophy) would like to invite Exonians and Friends of the College to support a bursary for an Exeter student in memory of Clare, who died on 6 April 2011, aged 30.

Clare came to Exeter College in October 2000 to study physics and philosophy. In her time there she was heavily involved in all aspects of College life, from rowing in a novice VIII to being elected as Women's Officer - her enthusiasm always shone through. Clare met her future husband, Richard Pettit (2000, Jurisprudence) at Exeter and they were married in the College Chapel on 25 July 2009. After graduating Clare won a place on TeachFirst and taught maths in Merton. Having completed TeachFirst, and attaining Ambassador Status with a distinction, Clare went on to work at an investment bank in the City.

Open-hearted and generous, Clare lived life to the full but always found time and energy to help and motivate her numerous mentees. She is greatly missed and touched the lives of many in Exeter and beyond.

To donate online please click here or to submit a donation form by post please click here.

For more information please contact Lisa Pugh or Katrina Hancock.

4 October 2011

Last month saw the publication of Masters of Nothing: The Crash and how it will happen again unless we understand human nature by Matthew Hancock (1996, PPE) and Nadhim Zahawi. The book looks at the reasons for recent economic crises in an engaging and accessible manner with the benefit of the authors' experiences as MPs.

You can read more about the book and order a copy here.

4 October 2011

Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos (1963, Modern Languages) hit the bookshops last month.

Mr Bellos looks at the whole of human experience, from foreign films to philosophy, to show why translation is at the heart of what we do and who we are, and asks such questions as how do you translate a joke, what's the difference between a native tongue and a learned one, and can you translate between any pair of languages, or only between some.

You can read more about the book here and it can be purchased here.

20 September 2011

On Saturday, 17 September the College celebrated its biennial Association Dinner which was especially a chance to celebrate the anniversaries of those from 1960 and 1961 who had matriculated 50 years ago, 1980 and 1981 who had matriculated 30 years ago, and 2000 and 2001 who had matriculated 10 years ago. 65 Old Members and their guests attended the day's events including afternoon tea in the Lodgings, a chance to hear about the College's plans for the development of the Walton Street site and review the submitted drawings, a splendid choral evensong, and dinner in Hall. As the Rector had just that morning flown back from a week's trip to Asia and had commitments in Scotland that weekend, the Sub Rector and Fellow in Biochemistry, Maureen Taylor, gave the welcome at the dinner and introduced the speaker Richard Du Parcq (1961, Chemistry) who talked about his memories of College 50 years ago.

2 September 2011

The distinguished surgeon and Old Member of Exeter College Leslie Le Quesne (1937, Medicine) has died aged 91.

Leslie Le Quesne was one of four brothers to study at Exeter College. You can read his obituary in the Guardian by clicking here.

19 August 2011

John Kufuor (1961, PPE) has been awarded the 2011 World Food Prize jointly with Luiz da Silva. They were awarded the prize for their leadership and commitment to alleviating hunger and poverty in their countries while serving as the presidents of Ghana and Brazil respectively.

The World Food Prize is the foremost international award for individual achievements in improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.

During his two terms in office, Mr Kufuor implemented major economic and educational policies that increased the quality and quantity of food to Ghanaians, enhanced farmers' incomes, and improved school attendance and child nutrition through a nationwide feeding programme. Under his leadership, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to cut in half the proportion of its people who suffer from hunger, and the proportion of people living on less than a dollar per day. He prioritised agricultural policies, with Ghana seeing a reduction in its poverty rate from 51.7% in 1991 to 26.5% in 2008, and hunger being reduced from 34% in 1990 down to 9% in 2004.

The Ghana School Feeding Programme, launched by Mr Kufuor, provided one nutritious locally produced meal a day for school children in kindergarten through to junior high school (ages four to 14). This programme dramatically reduced the level of chronic hunger and malnutrition while improving attendance. By the end of 2010, over a million primary school children were benefitting from this programme.

Ghana's political stability, economic reforms, agricultural development, and significant reduction of hunger and poverty led to an award of $547 million from the US Millennium Challenge Corporation in 2006. The Kufuor government put the entire grant to use modernising agriculture for rural development, increasing the production and productivity of high-value cash and food staple crops, and raising farmer incomes.

15 August 2011

Robert Robinson (1948, English) passed away in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington on 12 August 2011, aged 83, after a long period of ill health. Family and colleagues have paid tribute to the veteran journalist and quiz show host.

Robinson hosted much loved TV shows such as Ask the Family and Call My Bluff, BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Brain of Britain, and Stop the Week, and wrote for several newspapers including the Sunday Times and the Sunday Telegraph as a radio and film critic respectively.

Caroline Raphael, a commissioning editor for Radio 4, described her former colleague as a "radio legend", who had "one of the most recognisable and pleasurable voices on radio".

Robinson's children, Nicholas, Lucy, and Susie, said "He had a very long, productive and successful life and we'll all miss him terribly".

10 August 2011

Fr Nicholas Schofield (1994, Modern History) has published a book about another Old Member, William Lockhart (1838). Lockhart was one of the disciples of John Henry Newman and his conversion to Catholicism in 1842, a year after leaving Exeter, caused a great stir and led to Newman's resignation from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

The book, William Lockhart: First Fruits of the Oxford Movement is published by Gracewing. It was published in July and Fr Schofield was delighted that his former tutor, Dr John Maddicott, was able to attend the book launch.

You can read more about Lockhart and First Fruits of the Oxford Movement here.

23 June 2011

Oxford's leading chess and quiz players, including two Exeter students, were recognised recently at the University's second annual Mindsports Blues awards evening.

Mindsports Blues were established in 2010 to recognise outstanding Varsity Match performances in sports which involve mental rather than physical exertion. Six quizzers and eight chess players received their awards from C.J. de Mooi, who is president of the English Chess Federation and a panellist on BBC2's Eggheads.

Alex Bubb (2008, English) was awarded for his quiz knowledge. Alex was part of a four-man team that defeated Cambridge 330-185 in the Varsity Quiz Match earlier this month. Previously Alex helped Christ Church win the BBC's University Challenge in 2008.

Steffen Schaper (2005, Physics) was one of eight students to receive awards for their chess skills. Steffen helped Oxford beat Cambridge 4.5 points to 3.5 points in the 129th Varsity Chess Match.

The criteria for membership of the Mindsports Committee are virtually identical to those laid down by the Men's and Women's Blues Committees, except that there is no requirement that the sport should involve specifically athletic endeavour. These criteria are:

• There should be an annually contested Varsity Match against the University of Cambridge.


• The Mindsport should be a major one within the University of Oxford.


• The Mindsport should be played at a standard which compares favourably with that of other amateur clubs in the United Kingdom.


• There should be an inveterate organisation and tradition of participation in the Mindsport within the United Kingdom and the University of Oxford, including the existence of an inter-collegiate tournament.

21 June 2011

Two new and original literary works have just been published by Andrew Thornton-Norris, the author of the acclaimed The Spiritual History of English, published by the Social Affairs Unit.

The first is a novel, The Ghost of Identity, which explores the chasm between today's materialist culture and the realities of the inner life of man. The second is a collection of poems, The Walled Garden, in which he marries the classic English poetic form of blank verse with a re-discovery of the depths of the central European tradition of Catholic and Classical culture.

In The Spiritual History of English Thornton-Norris argues that today's social and cultural decay comes from the death of Protestantism in the 1960s and that only the Roman Catholic Church is able to provide once protestant countries such as Britain and America with the underlying sense of values that they have lost.

Andrew studied PPE at Exeter, matriculating in 1987.

Read more about Andrew Thornton-Norris's work here.

13 June 2011

Ms Sim Ann (PPE, 1994) has been elected to the Parliament of Singapore. She has been made Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Law and Education.

Ms Ann is currently expecting her third child, and she is the first Member of Parliament in Singapore to be pregnant while in office. We wish her and the baby all the best.

10 June 2011

Former Exeter Fellow, Professor Andrew Blake, was presented with the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award last week for work on the Microsoft Xbox 360's Kinect.

Professor Blake, who was Fellow in Engineering at Exeter College from 1987 to 1999, led a team of five as they took the Kinect from concept to shop shelves in just over two years. The award of 50,000 pounds was presented to the team at London's Guildhall on Monday, 6 June.

The Kinect allows controller-free computer gaming and has opened up new possibilities for computer console enthusiasts and novices alike. However the possibilities aren't limited to gaming. To take just one potential use, it is anticipated that 'Kinect' technology will allow surgeons to operate hands-free computers in the operating theatre.

"For our work on machine learning for Kinect, and indeed the field of computer science, to be recognised by the top engineering award in the UK, makes us very proud," Professor Blake said on receiving the Award.

In the first two months after its launch in 2010, the Kinect sold eight million devices, making it the fastest selling consumer electronics device ever.

10 June 2011

David Merlin-Jones (History, 2007) recently published his first book, Chain Reactions: How the Chemical Industry Can Shrink Our Carbon Footprint.

In the book he argues that current 'green' economic policies are too punitive and expect too large a carbon reduction in too little time. He suggests that energy levies and taxing energy intensive industries too heavily could force emigration and bring about the collapse of the UK's largest exporting industry, with a loss of over 600,000 jobs.

Mr Merlin-Jones, who is a Research Fellow at Civitas, an independent think tank, goes on to argue that chemical firms should be recognised as part of the solution, rather than the problem; that within the chemicals industry lie the foundations of the low-carbon economy and this requires nurturing, not punishing.

Chain Reactions: How the Chemical Industry Can Shrink Our Carbon Footprint is on sale now.

2 June 2011

Exeter College gives its thanks to Mr M K Mukharji (PPE, 1946), who has kindly donated a copy of his memoirs, Ruminations of a Bureaucrat of Yesteryear, to the College library.

Mr Mukharji spent what he describes as the 'best three years' of his life at Exeter, during which time he captained the Exeter College tennis club, served as the President of the Majlis Club, and lived directly above another prominent Exeter alumnus, Sir Roger Bannister. His memories of that time are so fresh that he still recalls the exact number of steps to his bedroom.

After leaving Exeter, Mr Mukharji served as a Civil Servant in India, rising to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. He witnessed extraordinary changes to his country, as well as the obstacles to progress, from a unique standpoint.

Ruminations of a Bureaucrat of Yesteryear was presented to the College by Mr Mukharji's grandson, Aroop Mukharji, who attended Exeter as a Williams student between 2007 and 2008 and is now a post-graduate Marshall Scholar at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

2 June 2011

HRH The Prince of Wales highlighted the musical achievements of Sir Hubert Parry in a BBC television programme screened recently.

Parry, who read Law and Modern History at Exeter College, was a major influence on Elgar and Vaughan Williams, and it is perhaps for this that he is most recognised in music chronicles. But Prince Charles has set his sights on invigorating appreciation for this somewhat overlooked English composer's own work.

Recently several of Parry's pieces of music featured in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding, including the well-known Jerusalem and I Was Glad. In The Prince and the Composer, a broad range of Parry's work is showcased, including many songs and symphonies that are not widely known but that contain 'a kind of domestic grandeur,' as Prince Charles puts it.

The Prince and the Composer is available to watch on BBC iPlayer until 4 June 2011.

20 May 2011

Congratulations to David Thomas, who was recently awarded the inaugural Kaneda Award at the Tenth Annual Carroll Round Conference in Georgetown, USA.

The PPE undergraduate, who is in his final year at Exeter, won the prize for his paper, "A Robust Approach to Price Stickiness". He faced competition from 25 of the world's top undergraduates in the field of economics, and was awarded the prize for demonstrating 'the highest level of excellence in both paper quality and participation'.

David based the journal-length article on his thesis, which he is carrying out under the direction of Michael Cohen Fellow and Tutor in Economics, Professor Martin Ellison. He travelled to America over the Easter Vacation for the prestigious conference, a unique economics forum for discussion and presentation of research.

In addition to his outstanding personal achievement, David was able to take part in scholarly discussion and had the privilege of seeing leading economist keynote speakers Professor Joseph Stiglitz and Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati.

He said of the experience, 'it's an incredibly rare opportunity to go and meet with people who care about the same things as you, and who worry about the same problems as you, but who have come from a different background to you. As our knowledge and experience combined and collided we learned a huge amount we never could have learned alone.'

David plans to enter the world of education through the Teach First scheme after graduating, but hopes that the international recognition he has achieved through the Kaneda Award will help him to secure funding for postgraduate research in the future.

15 April 2011

Exeter College is delighted to announce the appointment of Rev Stephen Hearn as Chaplain and Fellow of the College in succession to Rev Dr Helen Orchard. Stephen Hearn, who has a degree in English from Lincoln College, is currently curate at St Guthlac's Church in Market Deeping. He will take up his appointment at the beginning of Michaelmas Term, and we look forward to welcoming him into our community.

During Trinity Term the Reverend Lister Tonge will be Acting Chaplain of the College.

8 April 2011

Christine Cheng, Bennett Boskey Fellow in Politics and IR at Exeter, has had an op-ed placed in the Wall Street Journal on the subject of "Justice and Gadhafi's Fight to the Death". In it she argues that everyone wants to see wrongdoers punished when war crimes are committed, but safe exile can be the least bad option for handling figures like Ivory Coast's Gbagbo and Libya's Gadhafi.

The WSJ has a pay-wall, but for those not subscribed, Ms Cheng gave permission to Real Clear World to re-post the piece.

7 April 2011

The 2011 Telephone Campaign was a fantastic success, raising almost £190,000 in pledges. 11 dedicated student callers spoke to 659 alumni between 13th and 27th March, and over one in two decided to make a gift to Exeter. The students loved hearing anecdotes about College life from Old Members around the globe, and finding out how the College has changed over the last fifty years - and yet how it manages to stay very much the same! Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to speak to one of our students, and to all those who made a gift to the College - your donations will help Exeter continue to thrive and excel!

6 April 2011

This year's Marett Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Professor Terence S Turner, Professor of Anthropology, Cornell University. The lecture, held by Exeter in association with the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, is entitled "Beauty and the beast: Humanity, animality and animism in the thought of an Amazonian people". It will address ideas about relations between humans and animals, cultural values and the loss of culture.

The lecture will take place on Friday 6 May 2011 at 5pm in the Saskatchewan Room, and will be followed by drinks at 6pm.

28 March 2011

Congratulations to Ben Myers (2008, Physics) and all the Oxford rowers in this year's Boat Race on their resounding victory this weekend!

Cambridge had been thought to be the favourites ahead of the race but on the day itself Oxford led from the start. They were already a length ahead by Hammersmith Bridge, and Cambridge failed to produce a much-needed surge in order to overtake them. In the end, Oxford won by four clear lengths.

Exeter's Ben Myers, President of OUBC and a veteran of last year's race, was clearly delighted as he spoke to reporters afterwards.

Exeter was also represented in Isis, the Oxford second boat, where Ben Snodin (2007, Physics) was part of the crew who beat Cambridge in the Isis v Goldie race earlier in the day.

Congratulations to both our rowers!

Image: Ben Myers, copyright Getty

24 March 2011

Dr Shahzad Rizvi (Friend of the College) has published a new book. The Last Resident: The Love Story of a British Official and an Indian Princess tells the story of a British diplomat in India who falls for the married daughter of the ruling nawab in the state where he serves, causing a disastrous international incident. The book is available in paperback or as an e-book.

Dr Rizvi is employed in the U.S. Defense Department, and is also a novelist and storyteller, basing many of his stories in his native India.

8 March 2011

Congratulations to Stanley Johnson (1959, English), who has successfully climbed Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Gorilla Organization!

Mr Johnson has sent us an article he wrote about his climb, which was published in the Sunday Times on 27 February. Click on the link above to read more about his experiences on the mountain, and his plans for the future.

21 February 2011

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) announced this month that Professor Carol Robinson, Fellow in Chemistry at Exeter, is to receive the 2011 FEBS/EMBO Women in Science Award.

The Award rewards the exceptional achievements of a female researcher in molecular biology over the previous five years, and acknowledges those who are considered role models, inspiring future generations of women in science. Professor Robinson has been recognised for her pioneering work in the development of mass spectrometry as a tool used for investigating the structure and dynamics of protein complexes.

Her research has opened up a new area of mass spectrometry; nominating her for the award, one of her collaborators stated: "she had the courage to do what experts regarded as not feasible and has succeeded in the face of strong scepticism."

Professor Robinson's career has been marked by distinction. She became the first female professor of chemistry at Cambridge University in 2001; three years later, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and was awarded the Royal Society's Rosalind Franklin Award.

The 2011 FEBS/EMBO Women in Science Award of 10,000 Euros will be presented to her on 28 June at the 36th FEBS Congress in Italy, where she will present a special lecture.

15 February 2011

The College was delighted to host Mr Kofi Annan, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Sunday 13 February, when he delivered a lecture as part of the lead-up to the College's 700th Anniversary in 2014. The lecture also coincided with the launch of the publication Pilgrims of the Night, edited by Ivor Agyeman-Duah with contributions by the Rector and former Ghanaian President, John Kufuor (1961, PPE). (For more information about Pilgrims of the Night, please visit the publisher's website)

Mr Annan was guided around the Ghost Forest exhibition by its creator Angela Palmer (2002, Fine Art) before giving the lecture in the Sheldonian Theatre. Over 700 people crowded into the theatre to hear the lecture, entitled "The Future of Africa", including the Vice-Chancellor, His Excellency John Kufuor (1961, PPE), former President of Ghana, the Rector, and students, staff and Fellows from across the University. Mr Annan argued that the quality of the continent's governance and leadership is the one area that will, above all else, determine Africa's future.

The lecture was followed by a tea party for 90 Exeter alumni and other invited guests in the Divinity Schools, before Mr Annan returned to Exeter for a black-tie dinner in Hall with the Rector and prestigious guests including former President Kufuor and the Director of the African Studies Centre. Following the meal, he answered questions from the crowds of Exeter students who had packed the Hall to capacity.

During his visit he also formally opened Oxford's African Studies Centre in refurbished offices.

Mr Annan rose through the ranks of the United Nations to become its seventh Secretary-General, serving two terms 1997 to 2006. In 2001 he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace with the citation praising his leadership for bringing new life to the organisation. He is currently the Chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, which aims to promote better global governance and a fairer, more secure world.

15 February 2011

Two Old Members at the Kofi Annan lunch at Exeter College found a common interest. Angela Palmer (2002, Fine Arts), now a distinguished artist, brought a ceremonial Ashanti stool that she had bought at a local auction, and presented it to former President of Ghana HE John Kufuor (1961, PPE), with a request that he return it to its land of origin. The stool is the most potent sacred symbol to Ghanaians and this particular one was stolen from the Queen's palace by the British in August 1900. John Kufuor, and Kofi Annan, who was there when she presented it, were very excited about the stool's return to Ghana after 110 years in British possession.

Angela Palmer had earlier welcomed Mr Annan to her exhibition, The Ghost Forest, which has installed the stumps of vast Ghanaian trees on plinths outside Oxford's Museum of Natural History, as a potent reminder of the perils of deforestation and the urgent need for countries to follow Ghana's example, in striving to protect from uncontrolled logging the forest that remains.

04 February 2011

It was announced in the New Zealand New Year Honours List for 2011 that Her Majesty the Queen was pleased to appoint Keith Maslan (1950, English) as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for 'services to literature and bibliography'. Dr Maslen reports that he began his scholarly life of publication while still at Exeter with an article published in The Library called 'The Printers of Robinson Crusoe'.

This New Zealand honour at Officer rank (ONZM) is equivalent to the OBE. Congratulations to Dr Maslen on this honour.

04 February 2011

One of Exeter's former Law students, Dr Jacob Rowbottom (1993, Jurisprudence), has been awarded the Law Fellowship at University College, after several years working at Cambridge.

Remarkably, he is the fourth former student taught by Professor Sandra Fredman to attain a Fellowship at Oxford, following in the steps of Dr Alan Bogg (Hertford), Mr Nick Barber (Trinity) and Dr Ariel Ezrachi (Pembroke).

Congratulations to Dr Rowbottom - and to Professor Fredman too!

02 February 2011

Geoffrey Greatrex (1986, Lit. Hum.) has published a new book, The Chronicle of Pseudo-Zachariah Rhetor, in collaboration with C. Horn and R. Phenix (Liverpool University Press, 2011).

The Chronicle, attributed to Zachariah of Mytilene, is a source of plentiful information on 5th and 6th century Christianity, including letters and anecdotes that shed light on some bitter theological disputes. This is the first translation into a modern language in over 100 years of this important document in the history of the Church, and it is sure to be a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the development of Christianity.

02 February 2011

Dr Kerstin Luhn, Monsanto Research Fellow, has become the latest Exeter Fellow to welcome a new arrival to her family! Her daughter Uma was born last month. Congratulations to Dr Luhn and her family.

27 January 2011

The College was delighted to be informed that Old Member Stephen Green (1966, PPE) has been raised to the peerage, and is now Baron Green of Hurstpierpoint.

Lord Green has stepped down as Group Chairman of HSBC at the end of 2010, and took up a post in the coalition government in January this year as Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

27 January 2011

The husband of former Rector, Marilyn Butler, received a knighthood in the 2011 New Year's Honours List for services to political science. Sir David Butler was a prominent expert on the BBC's election night coverage for many years, and was a co-inventor of the "swingometer". He has appeared as an electoral analyst on a range of television and radio programmes, and his Political Change in Britain: Forces Shaping Electoral Choice (written with US political scientist Donald Stokes) is regarded as a pioneering work of analysis. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Nuffield College.

25 January 2011

Professor John Quelch (1969, Modern History) is to become dean of the prestigious China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, viewed by many as the best business school in mainland China.

As he prepared to take up his new position, which he will do at the end of this month, he was interviewed by the Economist. In this fascinating piece, he reveals how the origins of his career lie in his student days at Oxford, and looks ahead to the vibrant cultural differences he will encounter in his new role. Professor Quelch has spent much of his career at Harvard, and in many ways these two universities could not be much more different, but as he moves to a nation where "business education is still in its infancy", he is clearly relishing the challenges and rewards which lie ahead.

25 January 2011

Congratulations to Exeter's hockey team who finished top of Division 1 in Michaelmas term. They will now face St Catherine's College, Cambridge, in the annual Varsity match on Tuesday 8 March.

We wish them all the very best of luck for victory!

21 January 2011

Congratulations to two of the College's Fellows who welcomed new arrivals recently!

Dr Christina de Bellaigue's baby daughter Elise was born on 10 December 2010, and on 11 January 2011 Dr Matthias Fripp and his wife welcomed their baby son Jehan. Old Members acquainted with Dr de Bellaigue and Dr Fripp will be pleased to know that all are doing well.

11 January 2011

Exeter made news in India over Christmas, when an article was published in the New Delhi Education Mail outlining Exeter's plans to expand its scholarships for Indian students. The article reported on the Rector's flying visit to India in December, when she aimed to gather support for new scholarships which would bring "clever young people from modest homes" from India to Exeter. The Rector talked about the position of Indian students at Exeter, as well as about life in Exeter in general. To read the full article, click here

11 January 2011

Stanley Johnson (1959, English) will be celebrating both his 70th birthday and his election to the Chairmanship of The Gorilla Organization by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro this February.

The mountain is almost 20,000 feet (or 6000 metres) high and has defeated many climbers. However, Mr Johnson is determined to make it to the top. He is undertaking the climb to raise money for The Gorilla Organization, a small charity which has been working for over 20 years in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to try to save the remaining gorilla populations. GO also hopes to expand its work to other parts of Africa where gorillas are under threat.

Small amounts of money can make a huge difference, so if any Old Members would like to support a fellow Exonian in this fundraising feat, they can do so by clicking here.

We wish Mr Johnson the best of luck in his climb!

11 January 2011

After nearly five years as Chaplain to Exeter College, Rev Dr Helen Orchard will be leaving us at the end of Hilary Term to become Team Vicar of St Matthew's Wimbledon in the Southwark Diocese. The College will begin work this month to recruit a new Chaplain.

Rev Dr Orchard has been a wonderful support to the College in many ways, playing a full and important role in College life. Not only has the Chapel flourished under her care, with memorable services and marvellous music, she has also played a key role in the College's welfare and pastoral support to students and staff alike, who will miss her greatly.

17 December 2010

This year's service of Nine Lessons and Carols in the College chapel was busier than ever before. Almost 300 people attended, with many sitting on the floor in the sanctuary or standing in the antechapel.

Fellows and students joined in singing traditional carols and listening to a selection of anthems from the choir, expertly directed by Organ Scholar Joshua Hales (2009, Music). One special guest at the service was the contemporary composer Cecilia McDowall, recently signed by Oxford University Press. The choir sang her beautiful and festive setting of the 15th century English carol Now may we singen. Despite the pressure of singing before the composer, they sang extremely well and Cecilia McDowall was most complimentary about their rendition.

Another highlight of the service was the dimming of lights and lighting of candles for the reading of the Christmas Gospel. The chapel looked truly magical lit by 300 candles and the choir's finale, Taverner's God is with us, was all the more dramatic and awe-inspiring in such a stunning and atmospheric context.

Old members are welcome to attend the carol service but should arrive early unless they are happy to sit on the floor with the students!

16 December 2010

Old Members Michael Coombes (2005, PPE), and Stephen Carolin (2007, PPE) have been working at the core of a research team writing a book on Gordon Brown's Premiership. Brown at 10: the Downing Street Story, by Anthony Seldon and Guy Lodge, offers a behind-the-scenes account of British politics between 2007-2010, meticulously sourced through some 200 interviews with figures at the heart of Brown's premiership. It looks at how history will judge Brown's time as Prime Minister as well as at contemporary assessments of his performance.

Working throughout the summer on interviews with politicians, special advisers, civil servants, political strategists, army generals, and journalists, Stephen and Mike gained an incomparable insight into the Brown premiership and the machinations of politics, in addition to better understanding the process of researching and writing a book of contemporary history from start to finish.

"This book digs deeper into the psychology of Brown's premiership - reconstructing and exploring the behind-the-scenes arguments first, and leaving a primary source for future historians of the period," said Mike. "This approach to contemporary history does not seek to let Brown off the hook, but rather to offer a penetrating account of analytical utility... the book offers the fullest behind-the-scenes account of the extraordinary British response to global financial meltdown."

Stephen added, "It has been so exciting to work with two people of the standing of Anthony Seldon and Guy Lodge, to discuss Brown's three years in Number 10 with those who were there with him."

Brown at 10: the Downing Street Story was published in November.

14 December 2010

The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps announced this autumn that Lieutenant General Sir Richard Shirreff KCB, CBE (1974, Modern History), Commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, has been appointed to be Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR). General Shirreff has commanded the ARRC since January 2007; he will take up his new appointment in March 2011.

General Shirreff's service was spent in Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, the Gulf and, while attached to 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles for a year, Hong Kong and Brunei. He commanded The King's Royal Hussars 1994-96. Staff posts have included: Chief of Staff, Headquarters 33 Armoured Brigade; Military Assistant to the last Commander in Chief, British Army of the Rhine and Commander Northern Army Group; Colonel Army Plans in the MOD; Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Staff HQ LAND Command. He has commanded on operations at every level from platoon to division. This has included combat in the Gulf War of 1991 as a tank squadron leader, counter-insurgency operations in the infantry role in Northern Ireland, together with Iraq and Kosovo.

Headquarters ARRC is a NATO High Readiness Force (Land) HQ.

3 December 2010

Exeter College, having never before won a hockey trophy, won the league at the end of this term. The team led Division 1 heading into the last round of matches, where they were due to face New, and when the match was forced to cancel, Exeter (having won 4 and drawn 1 of their previous matches) were declared winners of the league. They will now face the best college from Cambridge in the varsity match next term. Congratulations to all the team.

2 December 2010

Amy Sackville (2002, English Studies 1880-1960) was hailed as "a writer of seemingly limitless promise" on 23 November as her debut novel The Still Point took the John Llewellyn Rhys prize. The £5,000 prize is awarded for the best work of literature by a UK or Commonwealth writer aged 35 or under. Previous winners who have gone on to great things in the literary world have included V S Naipaul, Margaret Drabble and David Hare.

The chair of the judges, Claire Allfree, told guests at the award ceremony in Piccadilly that Sackville "took our breath away" with her use of language - and she praised the "ambitious, beautifully constructed" book, saying: "It has a huge imaginative scope. It tells its story in unexpected, subtle ways... She is a writer of seemingly limitless promise and, amid some tough competition, a thoroughly deserving winner."

The Still Point tells of a young woman, Emily Mackley, whose husband disappears attempting to reach the north pole at the turn of the 20th century. For 60 years Emily stoically awaits Edward's return, sacrificing her own dreams in the process - only to face the eventual discovery of his frozen corpse in the Arctic. The story is interwoven with that of Emily's great grand-niece Julia, who inherits Emily's home and is forced to reassess her own life as she explores the diary Edward wrote during his journey.

26 November

Exeter put up a brave struggle in this year's Christ Church regatta. The first day held promise, seeing victories for Exeter's Men's Novice A crew against St Cats, and the Women's Novice As against Christ Church - no mean feat against these top rowing colleges.

Although the final results were not as strong as had been hoped, with New College Women and Worcester College Men taking the final victories, all the novice crews put in some fantastic performances and the Boat Club is hopeful for great success in Torpids next year!

18 November 2010

As part of one of the College's four annual Subject Family Dinners on 11 November, Julian de Hoog, a DPhil candidate in Computer Science, gave a talk on his work on rescue robotics. He described to an attentive audience of students the difficulties of designing a robot that could rescue people trapped in the College's lecture theatre by a falling asteroid. This image gives his impression of what the College might look like if the asteroid hit!

Other presentations by graduate students at the pre-dinner seminar included Earth Scientist Laura Gregory on studying the development of faults in the Mongolian Altay mountains; Physicist Steffen Schaper on using theoretical physics to understand the principles of biological evolution; Computer Science student Alex Flint on computer vision; and undergraduate Chemist Tim Hele on ring polymers.

At dinner, Tom Standage, Digital Editor of The Economist, asked students to consider what things that are obscure today will be ubiquitous in 2020. Smartphones, social networks and music players all existed but were obscure a decade ago, and are now ubiquitous. A lively but inconclusive discussion ensued.

16 November 2010

We are pleased to report that Dr Carolyn Evans (1995, Law) has been appointed Dean of the Melbourne Law School - the first female Dean in the law school's history.

Dr Evans is an internationally recognised expert on religious freedom and the relationship between law and religion. She has spoken on the subject around the world, and her publications include: Religious Freedom under the European Court of Human Rights (OUP 2001) and Australian Bills of Rights: The Law of the Victorian Charter and the ACT Human Rights Act (LexisNexis 2008) (co-author).

Dr Evans was a graduate student at Exeter, having come to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and she held a stipendiary lectureship at Exeter for two years before returning to Melbourne. In 2010, she was awarded a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to allow her to travel as a Visiting Fellow at American and Emory Universities to examine questions of comparative religious freedom.

Congratulations to Dr Evans on her historic appointment.

09 November 2010

Exeter's front quad was filled with the lights and sounds of fireworks on 3rd November, as the College celebrated the Indian festival of Diwali.

Exeter's Diwali festivities have become a highlight of the College's year, as both undergraduate and graduate students come together to enjoy fireworks and a delicious Indian meal in Hall.

This year's event began with a talk by Faisal Devji, University Reader in Modern South Asian History, on Gandhi in the Rector's Lodgings, before everyone headed out into the front quad for fireworks and traditional Indian sweets.

Once the fireworks had all been extinguished the guests went into Hall and enjoyed a meal of samosas and bhajis, chicken makhani (or paneer butter masala for vegetarians) with rice and naan bread, and rice kheer, all accompanied by mango juice and tea.

02 November 2010

A three day Maths conference is to be held in Exeter this month.

The conference, organised by Professor Cornelia Drutu, Fellow in Maths at Exeter, will be discussing "Geometry and Analysis on Graphs and Groups", and will take place between 11-13 November. Speakers will include academics from the Universities of Rennes, Marseilles, Caen and Lyon, as well as Oxford and other British universities. For more information on the conference, the papers on offer and the research specialities of the speakers, please visit the conference website.

29 October 2010

Oxford University's fundraising campaign, Oxford Thinking, has reached the milestone of £1 billion in record time, in spite of the global financial crisis. Oxford's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, described the generosity of donors as "fundamental to Oxford's future".

The campaign is the largest in European university history, with a goal of a minimum of £1.25 billion to support world-class teaching, research and facilities. Professor Hamilton, the Vice-Chancellor, said: "For almost half of the six years that Oxford has been raising funds for the Campaign, the world has been in an economic downturn - yet our alumni and supporters have continued to give. In the last year alone we have raised more than £230m. Their generosity, which is a huge vote of confidence in Oxford, is fundamental to Oxford's future at a time when government funding is so stretched... Though we are well on the way to achieving our initial goal of £1.25 billion, it is very clear that the extraordinary generosity of our donors will become even more important in future. Given the major recent cuts in government funding for teaching, they have a particular role to play in the preservation of the tutorial system."

The University website has reported a few of the many ways that funds raised by Oxford Thinking are already transforming Oxford life:

• This month, the first ever Indigenous Australian students started studying at Oxford thanks to scholarships from the Charlie Perkins Trust, supported by the Australian and British governments, Rio Tinto and Quantas. They join numerous other students supported by new scholarships raised through the Campaign.


• The only research in the UK into a very rare, incurable condition that turns muscle into bone (fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva) is continuing at Oxford thanks to a donation from Richard Simcox.


• Oxford's study of China has received a major boost with a £10m donation from Dickson Poon towards a dedicated building for the new Oxford University China Centre at St Hugh's College.

15 October 2010

The College was delighted to formally open its redeveloped Exeter House site on Iffley Road last week, and to welcome special guests Mark Houghton-Berry (1976, Literae Humaniores) and his wife Meganne, whose generosity helped make the redevelopment work possible.

To honour their philanthropy, the Pavilion through which people will enter the new Exeter House site has been named the Mark Houghton-Berry Pavilion.

The redeveloped and expanded Exeter House site will provide accommodation for 106 graduate students (more than double the number who could be accommodated on the old site), mostly in en-suite rooms grouped into small apartments. Not only will this create a more "collegiate" home for our graduate students, but the site's green credentials also mean it will be leading the way in environmentally-friendly University accommodation.

The Rector was pleased to welcome Mr and Mrs Houghton-Berry, their sons and Mr Houghton-Berry's parents to the opening ceremony on 8 October, which was also attended by Fellows, staff and graduate students. Professor Gregory Hutchinson, Fellow in Classics, delivered an Encomium in Latin in tribute to Mark, and Barbara Havelkova (2008, Law), Warden of Exeter House, gave a speech.

Mr Houghton-Berry unveiled the foundation stone placed on the outside of the Pavilion, which commemorates his generosity, and was presented with the letter-box from one of the old Iffley-Road buildings as a memento of the occasion. A drinks reception followed the ceremony, before Mr Houghton-Berry and his guests returned to Exeter with the Rector for a private dinner in the Benefactors' Gallery (which was also refurbished due to the generosity of Mr and Mrs Houghton-Berry).

Mr Houghton-Berry's philanthropy was also recognised recently by the University, which appointed him to the Chancellor's Court of Benefactors - the highest level of recognition for a benefactor.

Photo by Rob Judges

15 October 2010

A barbeque was held in College at the start of term to welcome both Exeter and Williams College students to the start of the new academic year.

Dr Nancy Rosen, Director of the Williams-Exeter Programme, and the Rector's husband, Hamish McRae, acted as chefs, serving up a delicious array of barbequed food for vegetarians and carnivores alike!

5 October 2010

Nicholas Royle (1976, English) has published his first novel, Quilt. Following his father's death, a man sets about the process of sorting through the remnants of his life - unearthing forgotten memories and the haunted realms of everyday life. At the same time, he embarks on an eccentric side-project. And as he grows increasingly obsessed with this new project, his grip on reality seems to slip. Experimenting with literary form, this tender, absorbing and even funny novel is both a mystery and a love story.

The Guardian described the book as "an intense study of grief and mental disintegration, a lexical celebration and a psychological conundrum... Royle explores loss and alienation perceptively and inventively."

Professor Royle has previously written works on literature and critical theory, including Telepathy and Literature, The Uncanny, E.M. Forster and the influential textbook, An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (with Andrew Bennett).

5 October 2010

Gary Best (1970, Modern History) is the author of a new crime novel called Oliver Twist Investigates.

An innovative reimagining of Dickens' classic tale, the novel begins with Oliver (now an adult) receiving unsettling information written years earlier by Fagin while he awaited his execution.

Oliver comes to believe Dickens' version of the events of his childhood is untrue, and he begins a complex investigation that takes him into the slums of London, searching out figures from his past - including Betsy, Noah Claypole, Mr Bumble, Charlie Bates, and, of course, the Artful Dodger. Gradually Oliver's investigation uncovers not just what really happened to Nancy but the astonishing truth about his own identity.

Gary Best is the author of a biography of Charles Wesley, and Transforming Lives, a book on education. Oliver Twist Investigates will be published on 30 November 2010.

BBC2 will be marking National Poetry Day on 7 October with a dramatisation of the poem The Song of Lunch by Christopher Reid (1968, English).

The poem tells the story of two former lovers who meet again, 15 years after their relationship ended. Over a nostalgic lunch in the restaurant they used to frequent together, their bittersweet reunion gradually turns to recrimination.

Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson play the two leads, and the BBC has described the project as "a unique fusion of poetry and drama".

Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two, said: "We hope that audiences will enjoy this dramatisation of Christopher Reid's touching and witty poem and maybe feel inspired to indulge in a little more poetry themselves."

Reid won the Costa Book of the Year prize for his anthology The Scattering at the start of this year.

Dr Joanna Dunkley, a lecturer in Astrophysics and Senior Research Fellow at Exeter, has been awarded a prestigious ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant. The grants are awarded to promising researchers who have proven potential to become independent research leaders.

The grants are awarded to individuals at an early career stage to create and strengthen new research teams. Dr Dunkley will receive € 1.5m over the next five years to fund her group's research in cosmology. She will be using observations of relic microwave light that has been travelling for almost 14 billion years, carrying a picture of the universe in its infancy. These will come from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope in Chile, and ESA's Planck satellite, and will allow her group to investigate the first moments of the universe's expansion after the Big Bang, and to better determine the nature of the 'dark' 95% of the universe.

Professor Peter Sleight, Emeritus Fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine, has been awarded a European Society of Cardiology Gold Medal at the ESC Congress 2010 in Stockholm.

The Gold Medal recognises exceptional doctors for their contribution to medicine, holding them up as an inspiration to fellow doctors and scientists. The Congress is the biggest Cardiology meeting in the world, and was attended this year by over 30,000 professionals.

Professor Sleight is one of the founders of multicentre trials in cardiology and was appointed to the first ever British Heart Foundation chair at Oxford. He told the ESC that the Gold Medal has given him enormous personal satisfaction, adding: "The thing that really matters in science is the recognition of your peers."

Professor Sleight is currently collaborating with Luciano Bernardi from the University of Pavia, exploring the effect of music on the circulation. Their work, which has shown that music with faster tempos uniformly results in increased breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, while slower music causes declines in heart rates, may open the door for using music therapeutically.

Oxford University Boat Club has elected Ben Myers (2008, Physics) as its President, after Alec Dent resigned following a back injury that could keep him out of the Xchanging Boat Race next March. Ben rowed in the Oxford boat in the 2010 Boat Race, and talked about his experiences in this year's Exon. We look forward to hearing great things from him in the future!

Congratulations to Exeter graduate student Alonso Patron (2006, Engineering Science), who has won Best Industrial Paper at the recent British Machine Vision Conference. The BMVC is the main UK conference on machine vision and the related areas and took place this year in Aberystwyth.

His paper addressed the problem of recognising interactions between two people in realistic scenarios for video retrieval purposes.

Alonso was first author, and his co-authors were Dr Marcin Marszalek, Professor Andrew Zisserman and Dr Ian Reid, Fellow in Engineering Science.

Exeter kitchen staff recently undertook the Monster Munchies challenge! Monster Munchies, a TV programme due to air in the autumn, challenges organisations across the country to make monster-sized dishes of food. Previous challenges have included a giant scone, and a huge bakewell tart. Entries are judged on size, presentation and taste.

Exeter's challenge was to compete against a local Jericho pub to see who could construct the largest trifle. Sadly, victory went to the opposition - but the challenge was great fun for all involved, and it looks like there were plenty of tasty left-overs once the judging was done!

Look out for James Steel's new thriller Legacy in your local bookshops soon. This is the second novel in the Alex Devereux series, following the success of December last year, which saw him hailed as 'the new contender to the crown of spy thriller supremo' by the Manchester Evening News.

In this second adventure, due out this month, Alex Devereux, former cavalry Major and hardened mercenary takes on a mission to raise a private army and attack a diamond mine in Africa. Past and present collide in this gripping thriller but can Alex redeem himself and prevent a terrible prophecy from coming true?

Exeter College has celebrated the formal opening of SKP House, a new accommodation block for graduate students funded by the generosity of long-standing benefactor and Friend of the College, Mr Shri Krishna Pathak - founder and Chairman of the Al Basti and Mukhta group, one of the major construction groups of the United Arab Emirates.

SKP House is part of the College's redeveloped Exeter House site on Iffley Road, and will provide a home to 25 Exeter graduate students from all over the world. The acclaimed new complex will contain three new quadrangles and 106 student rooms, most of which are en-suite and grouped into small apartments, creating a more collegiate community for graduates based around a single site. Its quality and its green credentials look set to place Exeter at the top of the league for graduate accommodation.

SKP House was officially opened by Mr Pathak on Friday 27 August 2010 in the presence of his family and friends. Guests included Ashok Advani, founder publisher of the Business India Group of Publications; Farrokh Kavarana, a director of Tata Sons and Tata Industries, and a director of several other Tata Group companies; Paul Schoenle, the foremost Traumatic Brain Injury specialist in Germany; Hussain Sultan, former Chairman of the Emirates National Oil Co. in Dubai; Vijay Israni and Shyam Bhatia, as well as the Rector, Fellows of the College, current Pathak scholars and graduate students. The ceremony was followed by a tour of the site, a drinks reception and lunch in the Rector's Lodgings.

A photo gallery is available, showing some of the highlights of the day.

Photo: Mr Pathak unveiling the foundation stone, by Rob Judges

Next week, pupils across the country will be receiving their A-Level results - including, for some, the coveted new A* grade, brought in to distinguish students who score 90% or more. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some have questioned whether this is more evidence of "grade inflation" - so how hard is it to get an A* at A-Level?

Actress and Exeter alumna Imogen Stubbs (1979, English) has recorded a Radio 4 documentary to find out - a process which involved getting her husband, the renowned theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn, to complete a question on Hamlet's revenge from a recent English paper.

Her interest began as she tried to help her daughter with A-Level revision, and as she began to look further into how exams have evolved since her own school-years, she discovered how very different the exam system has become.

"You absolutely cannot sit an A-level now without understanding the marking system," she concluded. "That's the fundamental difference with my education. I didn't have a clue how examiners marked. I thought they were nice old people who smoked pipes and chuckled at my use of the semicolon. Now kids are just ticking boxes."

You can read more about Imogen's look into the A-Level system in the Daily Telegraph.

As for how Sir Trevor Nunn did with his thoughts on Hamlet - you will have to tune in on Monday to find out!

How to Get an A-Star will be broadcast on Monday 16 August on Radio 4 at 11.00am.

Congratulations to Chetan Gupta (2007, Law), who has made news in India after securing a landmark ruling in a legal case relating to the application of the Indian Right to Information Act to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Central government organisations, such as the Indian Army, which are based in the state had previously been covered by an immunity clause which meant they did not have to disclose information applied for under the RTI Act.

Now the Delhi High Court has ruled that such establishments are not exempted from the transparency law and are obligated to disclose information to the family of those posted in the state.

Mr Gupta was appearing on behalf of a widowed mother who had sought information about how her son, an officer serving with the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, died. He was alleged to have committed suicide, but suspicions arose that he may have been murdered after uncovering corruption.

Mr Gupta appeared pro bono - not only because of the facts of the case, but also, he said, "because I feel very strongly about transparency and the free dissemination of information as key bulwarks in a democratic society." As he explained: were the government's argument to be taken to its logical conclusion, any ministry could refuse requests by relocating all their records to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Hundreds of applications which were denied on this basis will now have to be allowed.

Chetan Gupta came to Exeter as a Pathak Scholar. He has worked with Mr. Harish N. Salve, former Solicitor General of India, who is widely considered to be India's leading silk. He has been in purely private practice since April 2009.

This case is Mr Gupta's first reported judgement, and it has been reported in The Indian Express, a leading national daily.

El Paso Electric, a regional electricity provider serving a 10,000 square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico, has promoted Mary Kipp (1987, Williams) to serve as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Previously, Ms Kipp served as the company's Vice President of Legal and Chief Compliance Officer. In her new position, she will continue to have responsibility for oversight of El Paso Electric's legal affairs and compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.

Ms Kipp has spent most of her career practicing energy law. Before joining EPE, she worked for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Enforcement in Washington, D.C., where she investigated and prosecuted violations of federal energy laws.

Congratulations to Ms Kipp on her appointment.

Professor Helen Watanabe-O'Kelly, Exeter's Fellow in German, appeared on Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 this morning. Professor Watanabe-O'Kelly talked to presenter Jenni Murray about her new book, Beauty or Beast, which examines the figure of the woman-warrior in German literature from the Renaissance to the present.

She discussed the evolution of the woman-warrior figure through German history, its links to the development of Germany itself, and the influence this figure had on the theories of Freud.

You can listen to the programme on BBC iPlayer.

Congratulations to our Earth Sciences students, who have truly excelled this year. Amy Gilligan was awarded a First in her Finals, and came second in the entire class. She is also the recipient of the Schlumberger prize for the Best Fourth Year performance in Geophysics. Amy is now going to do a PhD in Seismology at Cambridge, and we send her our best wishes.

Cai Durbin was jointly awarded the Pergammon Press prize for the best Science essay. Richard Walters, who received a First in 2008 and is now working on his DPhil here, was awarded the Guralp prize for Outstanding Progress in Graduate Research. And congratulations also to Robert Allen for his Distinction in Prelims, and his exceptional performance.

Professor Helen Watanabe-O'Kelly, Exeter's Fellow in German, and Dr John Maddicott, Emeritus Fellow in History, are between them currently dominating the window display of OUP's prestigious book shop on the High.

One of the shop's two large windows is entirely filled with imposing displays of Dr Maddicott's Origins of the English Parliament 924-1327 and Professor Watanabe-O'Kelly's Beauty or Beast? The Woman Warrior in the German Imagination from the Renaissance to the Present. An enterprising member of staff has even created a little woman warrior figure to sit in the middle of Professor Watanabe-O'Kelly's books with a helmet, long Brunnhilde-plaits and a sword!

This eye-catching display is a wonderful testimony to the contributions Exeter and its Fellows are making to academia today.

Exonians James Waterfield (2001, English) and Timothy Burke (2001, Music) will be staging a music theatre double bill as part of the Grimeborn Festival 2010 at the Arcola Theatre in Dalston this August. As well as Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, the pair will be staging Spilt Milk, their own new 30-minute work of music theatre.

Spilt Milk is an original story of a suburban couple, Sue (soprano) and Steve (bass), set in the early 1980s. Sue's materialistic approach to the world, and idyllic memories of their honeymoon, jar against her dissatisfaction with their lifestyle and relationship in the present. As the piece unfolds the audience learns of a terrible deed that Steve has been driven to by Sue's neurotic and demanding behaviour. The music draws on late 1970s disco and electro, and borrows elements of flamenco.

An accessible and memorable double bill, both pieces promise to appeal to a wide audience with their fusion of classical and popular styles, and encourage the audience to look under the skin of humanity with an impressive dramatic intensity.

Renard Productions is a newly-launched not-for-profit music theatre company set up by James and Timothy to mount performances of 20th and 21st century music theatre in venues in London and the North of England. Anyone who might be interested in supporting them, or finding out anything else about their activities, should e-mail James or Timothy.

The performances will be on the evenings of Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th August.

Photo by Michael Wharley

Dr John Maddicott, Emeritus Fellow in History, has recently published a new book, The Origins of the English Parliament, 924-1327. The book, an expanded version of the Ford Lectures which Dr Maddicott gave in 2004, is dedicated "To the undergraduate historians of Exeter College, Oxford, 1969-2006, who made me take the long view".

The book is "a magisterial account of the evolution of parliament". Starting with the national assemblies which began to meet in the reign of King Æthelstan, it carries the reader through to the fully fledged parliament of lords and commons of the early fourteenth century, which came to be seen as representative of the whole nation and which eventually sanctioned the deposition of the king himself in 1327.

Dr Maddicott emphasises this evolution as a continuous process, and identifies common themes which run throughout its development, as well as the unforeseen events which helped to shape it. The Origins of the English Parliament spans a remarkable period of time, taking readers right to the roots of this pivotal institution, and questioning assumptions which have long been made about its origins.

The College is likely to host a launch party in London, so please email the Development Office if you would be interested in receiving an invitation.

Congratulations to Professor Carol Robinson, Professorial Fellow in Chemistry at Exeter, who has been awarded the Royal Society's Davy Medal for her ground-breaking and novel use of mass spectrometry for the characterisation of large protein complexes.

The Royal Society's Medals were created to recognise excellence in science across the disciplines and to reward those who have made outstanding achievements. The Davy Medal is awarded annually for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry.

Professor Robinson said: "I am absolutely delighted to have been awarded the Davy medal. When I look back over the history of this award, first presented in 1877, I can't help but feel extremely humble. Previous awardees include the initial recipients Bunsen and Kirchhoff, Emil Fischer, van't Hoff, the Curies, Le Chatelier, and Pauling to name but a few. I feel privileged to join such famous chemists."

Marshall Corwin (1972, Mathematics) is co-author of a new book, Undercover. Written with award-winning ITN journalist, Chris Rogers, the book tells the heart-breaking story of the children abandoned in terrible conditions in Romanian orphanages. In many cases, the conditions which shocked the world after the fall of Ceausescu had not improved and children were even being sold by poverty-stricken families to wealthy foreigners. The campaign to uncover the truth about these orphanages gathered support from aid workers, doctors, politicians and even a Duchess.

Chris Rogers is an award-winning television journalist and producer, and his film on the treatment of Palestinian children by both the Israelis and the Palestinians won the Royal Television Society Award for Programme of the Year. Marshall Corwin is an Emmy award-winning BBC TV series producer, with twenty years experience of filming documentaries across the world. Specialising in children's issues, science, conservation and adventure, he has won 15 major awards, and is the creator of the Serious Adventure series, in which teams of teenagers take on environmental projects in some of the world's toughest places. He is also the author of Serious Survival and co-wrote The Newsround Book of Space, both of which were short-listed for the Royal Society Junior Science Books Prize.

Prominent writer Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth, chose Jeri Johnson, Exeter's Fellow in English, as her hero in the Guardian this weekend.

"My hero" is a regular series of columns run in the Guardian, in which notable figures nominate a person who has had a profound effect on their lives. Mosse described how Jeri Johnson "transformed my experience of university" - teaching her new ways to think, as well as the importance of standing her ground.

Past contributors have also included Exonians Will Self (1979, PPE), who nominated JG Ballard, and Christopher Reid (1968, English), who nominated the little-known heroes commemorated in Postman's Park in London.

The Rector will be presenting the Analysis programme on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 13th June - ahead of the programme, she has written an accompanying article on the BBC website, examining how the new Office for Budget Responsibility will work. The programme will consider the implications that the deficit crisis and the creation of the Office for Budget Responsibility may have for politicians' power over spending and taxing. Interviewees include Rachel Lomax, former top civil servant and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. Further information about the programme can be found on the BBC's website.

If you miss the broadcast on Radio 4, you can download the podcast .

The programme will air on Sunday 13 June at 21.30pm on Radio 4.

Students of Exeter College and the Williams-Exeter programme joined yesterday in mourning for the loss of Henry Lo, a Williams College student who was killed by an avalanche while on a hiking trip in the Swiss Alps. Another Williams student, Amy Nolan, was injured but is being cared for in a Swiss hospital. Henry's parents have been informed, and Amy's parents are flying to her bedside.

Five other Williams students and two Oxford students were on the trip, none of them injured.

The Rector, Frances Cairncross, said: "Henry was a popular student, who played on the Exeter College football team. He had many friends both on the Williams Programme and among Exeter College students. We will miss him greatly. Our thoughts are with his parents and with Amy and her family."

The 25-year-old Williams-Exeter programme brings 26 Junior Year students from American's top liberal arts college to Oxford for a year as Visiting Students. The programme and its students are closely integrated into the life of Exeter College, with many students taught by Exeter College Fellows, and with many activites run jointly.

Friend of the College, Mr Sathi Alur, has been named a Distinguished Friend of Oxford, in recognition of his generous friendship and the help he has given the College.

The Distinguished Friend of Oxford Award recognises volunteer service, honouring those who give Oxford "what money can't buy" - whether this is representing the University in the wider world, leading a long-term fundraising effort, or undertaking a major project on behalf of the University.

Mr Alur is an Economic & Social Policy consultant who works with the World Bank as well as with companies in the UK and Sweden. He introduced Exeter to Krishna Pathak, the benefactor responsible for the Pathak Scholarships. Mr Alur helped to design and publicise the scholarships, and has helped guide the College's relations with India.

The Award was presented at Convocation House on Friday 28 May, and was followed by a reception in Divinity School and a dinner for Distinguished Friends of Oxford and their guests held in the Lodgings at Exeter.

Other recent recipients of the Award include Thelma Holt, who persuaded Cameron Mackintosh to establish the Professorship named after him, and Michael Howarth, for 50 years the Director of the Canadian Rhodes Trust Scholarship Foundation.

Well done to all the Exeter rowers who competed in this year's Summer Eights. As ever, the week was one of the highlights of Trinity Term in Oxford, with plenty of sunshine, and plenty of friends and supporters on the banks cheering on crews from every college.

The week got off to a good start for Exeter, with M3 securing the much coveted "Summer VIII's First Blood" Award by bumping Balliol 4 on Wednesday. As the week went on, W2 bumped St Anne's 2, M3 bumped Merton 3 and Christ Church 4, and M2 bumped Oriel 2, Teddy Hall 2, and Corpus Christi 1. M3 was involved in a highly controversial bump on Corpus 2, which resulted in a lengthy appeal process - the most recent report was that it was still ongoing.

At the end of the week, the Oxford University Rowing Clubs' website announced that Balliol W8 and Christ Church M8 were "Head of the River". The site also has full details of the final results

Since Exeter's famous Gormley sculpture was installed on the roof overlooking Broad Street, he has been spotted wearing a kilt and tartan hat in honour of Burns' Night, as well as an evening dress - and last week he expanded his wardrobe still further.

On May 18th Oxford United football team mounted a victory parade which took them from the Kassam Stadium, on the outskirts of Oxford, through the city centre to finish on Broad Street. As the city celebrated the team's promotion to the Football League in the streets below, it wasn't just at ground level that you could see bright splashes of OU blue and yellow: the Gormley too had its own Oxford United shirt and cap, courtesy of one of the College's porters!

Exonians from across the College community took part in the annual Oxford Town and Gown run this month, raising money for Muscular Dystrophy. The Exeter team was made up of both students and staff, including Fellows, scouts, the Conference Manager, Assistant Bursar, and one of the College chefs.

Students Aamir Saifuddin (2005, Physiological Sciences) and Daniel Cashman (2008, Jurisprudence) were Exeter's fastest runners, completing the 10km run through central Oxford in 41 and 42 minutes respectively. They were closely followed by Conference Manager Philip Munday, who finished in 46 minutes.

There is a trophy for the College which raises the most sponsorship money. Exeter lost it to rivals Jesus College recently, and we have been keen to retrieve it ever since. We hope that, when the totals are revealed during the summer, the trophy will be returning to the right side of Turl Street!

Richard Hall (1995, Modern Languages) has translated a novel by Swiss author Monica Camuglia, and the result is now available on Amazon.

Fallacy 2012 begins when, while trying to pick up the pieces of her life on a tiny Italian island northeast of Sicily, Sophia meets a scientist on a mission to publicise ancient Mayan prophecies to the public. Subtly weaving the destinies of her two protagonists into the broad sweep of international affairs, Camuglia shines a light on the emotions of a deeply traumatized woman.

This is the author's first published work and Mr Hall's first translation of a full-length German novel into English. However, they are already discussing options for her next work - a love story set in Afghanistan that explores enduring love, real war and virtual identity.

Following the General Election on 6th May, Exeter is proud to have three Old Members serving as MPs.

Matthew Hancock (1996, PPE) is Member of Parliament for West Suffolk. After Exeter, he first worked for his family's computer software company, and then for the Bank of England as an economist. In 2005 George Osborne approached him to advise on economic policy. He rose to become Osborne's Chief of Staff, managing the Party's Treasury Team, and advising on policy, before stepping down in February 2010 to concentrate on West Suffolk. On being elected, he said on his website: "I am delighted to be elected as MP for West Suffolk. Those of us who are elected must never forget that it is an honour to be in Parliament."

Patrick Mercer (1977, Modern History) is Member of Parliament for Newark. After Oxford he joined the Army, where most of his service was in Northern Ireland though he also served in Germany, Canada, Uganda, Brunei and the Balkans. He was made MBE in 1992 and elevated to OBE in 1996 for service in Bosnia. After leaving the Army in 1999, he became defence correspondent for BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and became prospective parliamentary candidate for Newark in 2000. In 2001, he took the Labour-held seat and converted a Labour majority of 3000 to a Conservative majority of just over 4000. Following the events of September 11th 2001, he served on the House of Commons Defence Select Committee and then moved into the Tory Defence Team where he acted as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Defence Secretary during the second Gulf War.

Nick Hurd (1981, Literae Humaniores) is MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. He is also Minister for Civil Society, responsible for charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations in the Cabinet Office. Before entering politics, he had a career in business. He has been a private sector adviser to the British Government on export advice for British companies, and set up the Small Business Network to advise the Shadow DTI team on the priorities of the Small Business Sector. Outside politics, he is interested in sport, music and working to help young people realise their potential.

All three are Conservatives.

Tariq Ali (1963, PPE) has recently published a new work Night of the Golden Butterfly, which concludes his much-praised Islam Quintet series.

Completing an epic panorama that began in fifteenth-century Moorish Spain, the latest novel moves between the cities of the 21st century. The reader is taken from Lahore to London, from Paris to Beijing, and introduced to characters from New York music critics to Islamabad housewives - as well as Theres Jindie, the Golden Butterfly of the title, and the narrator's first love.

The Islam Quintet has already been translated into more than a dozen languages, and Night of the Golden Butterfly looks set to continue this success, with the New Statesman calling Ali "[Pakistan's] finest historian and critic" and the Daily Mail praising this "humdinger of a book, full of energy, intelligence and bite".

Anyone interested in finding out more about the author may like to read the recent article published in the Guardian , in which he discusses his life and work, including his politics, early life (including his time at Exeter) and the experiences which have influenced his writing.

Zoologists and those fascinated by the natural world, may like to know that Stanley Johnson (1959, English) has a new book coming out, Survival: Saving endangered migratory species.

Migratory species are some of the most vulnerable on the planet - their international journeys expose them to threats including habitat degradation and climate change. This new book, co-authored by Stanley Johnson and Robert Vagg, looks at ways in which we can help to protect "nature's true explorers".

In connection with the book's publication, The Zoological Society of London and the UN Environment Programme's Convention on Migratory Species will present an evening of talks entitled "Saving endangered migratory species" on June 24th. In addition to the two authors, speakers will also include Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, UNEP/CMS Secretariat and Paul Pearce-Kelly, Senior Curator at ZSL. The talk will be followed by a book-signing. There will also be a launch party at Waterstone's in Notting Hill on Wednesday 30th June.

The authors are donating all their royalties to the United Nations Environment Programme's convention on migratory species.

Congratulations to Lizzi Porter (2006, Fine Art). As one of the seven winners of the Red Mansion Art Prize 2009, her work is being exhibited in London this month, as part of the Red Mansion Foundation's "Winners' Work Exhibition".

The Red Mansion Art Prize was established to promote artistic exchange between China and the UK, and the 2009 panel of Judges was composed of Iwona Blaswick (Director of Whitechapel Gallery), Patricia Bickers (Editor of Art Monthly magazine), Katie Patterson (Artist and recent graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art) and Nicolette Kwok (Director of The Red Mansion Foundation).

Becoming one of the 2009 winners is a fantastic achievement and we look forward to hearing more about Lizzi's successes in the future. And in the meantime, Exonians in or visiting London can view her work at the A Foundation, Club Row, London E2 7ES until 23rd May.

Alumna and BBC political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti (1984, English and French) recently returned to College. During her visit, Dr Sung Hee Kim (2001, English) took the opportunity to ask her about her work, and what advice she would give to aspiring young journalists and broadcasters eager to follow in her footsteps.

To hear Reeta's thoughts on returning to Oxford for a celebration of 30 years of women students at the College, and her advice for young would-be journalists, click here to listen to the interview on YouTube.

Every year, Exeter marks Ascension Day with a service at the top of the tower, with hardy members of College rising early to climb the tower and welcome the day with readings by the Rector and students, and singing by the College's acclaimed choir. This year the service proved as popular as ever, and one of the students who attended wrote this report for us.

"Climbing the winding stairs above the lodge, to emerge under a pristine blue sky, we gathered to celebrate Christ's ascension into heaven.

With the sun newly risen above distant hills and the spire pointing up to a cloudless sky, we listened as the choir sang the quietly potent psalm, 'Dixit Dominus'.

Nearly a hundred members of the college huddled above the lodge between the railings and sandstone crenellations, a dazzling yellow in the early morning light. Despite the vertiginous climb, the spectacular views across Oxford left many students wishing they had brought a camera.

Following the readings, and as the rest of college stirred beneath our feet, our thoughts were drawn upwards as the choir sang Charles Stanford's antiphonal and literally uplifting, 'Coelos ascendit hodie' - 'Today has gone up into heaven Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, Alleluia!'

After the calm of the prayers came the rousing hymn, 'Hail the day that sees him rise', and snatching one last glimpse of the town from above, we returned to start the rest of the day, a day observed by millions worldwide, with a cooked breakfast in hall."

Mark Gilbert (2008, Mathematics)

Photo by Akshat Rathi (2008, Organic Chemistry)

Congratulations to Exeter's Fellow in Inorganic Chemistry, Simon Clarke, who has been awarded the first Royal Society of Chemistry Gibson-Fawcett Award. The Award was established in 2008 to honour the contributions of two great chemists, Reginald Gibson and Eric Fawcett, and it recognises original and independent contributions to materials chemistry.

Dr Clarke has been a Fellow of Exeter College since 2000. His research in solid state chemistry focuses on the synthesis of a range of new solids and correlation of their electronic and magnetic properties with their structures.

Exeter's MCR football team was narrowly denied Cuppers triumph at the Iffley Road stadium recently. The team (a mixture of MCR and JCR members) had beaten Green-Templeton College 9-1 in the semi-final last term, and this was reportedly the first football final Exeter had reached for approximately 10 years. After a hugely successful season, in which the team had remained unbeaten and promotion to the premier division next year, hopes were high for victory.

Unfortunately these hopes were dashed on Saturday 1st May, when Exeter lost 2-1 to Wolfson College. It was 0-0 at half-time in a very close, evenly-matched contest, but Wolfson scored from a free-kick about 10 minutes into the second half. The match remained quite balanced, with Austin Platt (2008, Mathematics) scoring a header from a corner shortly afterwards for Exeter, bringing the score to 1-1. Then in the fifth and final minute of injury time, the Wolfson striker managed to score a goal from over 20 yards out with the last kick of the game, securing triumph for the Wolfson team.

Aamir Saifuddin, (2005, Physiological Sciences) said: "It was a very disappointing end to an excellent, well-fought match and the team can be proud of putting up a strong fight and giving a good account of ourselves against Wolfson, who were the favourites, in front of a large crowd."

Professor Christopher Peacocke (1968, PPE) has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Peacocke, who is Professor of Philosophy at UCL, said on the university's website that he was "delighted and humbled" by his election.

The Academy is a centre for independent policy research and undertakes studies of complex and emerging problems. Its members include scholars and practitioners from many disciplines and professions, enabling it to conduct a wide range of interdisciplinary, long-term policy research. It was established in 1780 by John Adams and other US founding fathers.

Other new Foreign Honorary Members include Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and filmmaker and playwright Mike Leigh.

Congratulations to Exeter student Philip Sibson (2008, Engineering Science), who has received one of the Royal Academy of Engineering's "Engineering Leadership Advanced Awards".

This national award scheme recognises and supports some of the most exceptional engineering undergraduates in UK universities. The Academy gives no more than 30 in any one year, and the awards are extremely prestigious.

The awards aim to help those who want to become role models for the next generation of engineers. They provide mentoring, support in planning for the future after university, and financial support which will enable each recipient to gain industrial and research experience during the holidays and to learn a new language. Receiving the award will enable Philip to fulfil his potential at university, and will help him and move into an engineering leadership position in UK industry soon after graduation.

Philip told the Engineering Department website: "It is an honour to receive this Award and an excellent opportunity".

Congratulations to Gechun Liang (2007, Mathematics). Gechun, a third-year DPhil mathematics student at Exeter, has been offered a position as Research Fellow at the Oxford-Man Institute of Quantitative Finance, starting this autumn.

The Oxford-Man Institute of Quantitative Finance is an interdisciplinary research institute of the University of Oxford. Founded in June 2007, it brings together faculty, post-docs and students throughout the University who are interested in quantitative analysis of finance problems.

This is a great achievement, and a very exciting development in Gechun's academic career.

Philip Pullman (1965, English), author of the hugely successful His Dark Materials trilogy, has released a controversial new book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

The story is a re-imagining of the life of Jesus with some crucial alterations made to the familiar tale. Here, the Virgin Mary gives birth to twins, and while Jesus grows up to be a popular preacher, his less gifted brother Christ becomes manipulative and deceitful. Taking on the task of writing up Jesus' life and teachings, Christ embellishes as he writes, inventing miracles and supernatural flourishes solely for good effect. Eventually the myth he has created gathers such power that Christ betrays Jesus to the Romans to create the dramatic martyrdom he needs to ensure a great "organisation" will live on based on his brother's teachings.

Pullman is known for his strong views on God and religion: His Dark Materials had a strong anti-religion theme which provoked both praise and opposition, and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ looks likely to ignite debate once again.

The book has received a lot of press coverage, including an examination in the Guardian by Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh, and a "Lunch with the Financial Times" interview in the Financial Times, published at the weekend, where Pullman explained some of his inspirations for the book.

Nick Campsie (1993, PPE) will be running the London Marathon this year, in support of Chickenshed - a theatre group which provides opportunities to perform for children and teenagers who would otherwise not have the chance.

The charity has an all-welcome ethos, fostering an environment in which people whose usual experience of life is to be treated differently and excluded are instead embraced. Explaining why he chose this cause to support, Nick said "Chickenshed has an immediate, tangible and positive impact on the lives of people who most deserve a boost... Chickenshed receives no statutory funding and is dependent on donations."

If you would like to support Nick and Chickenshed you can do so via his site. To find out more about the cause that has inspired him to run 26.2 miles, visit the Chickenshed website.

Oxford University Drama Society turns 125 this year, and Old Members from across the University are invited to join the celebrations. A Gala evening, hosted by Diana Quick, will be held at the Oxford Playhouse on June 13th 2010, showcasing the best of Oxford University drama past and present.

The two-hour show will include a Student 24 Hour Play performed by the current Oxford Revue, a revival of a scene from a 1980 production of Three Sisters with Exeter's own Imogen Stubbs (1979, English), a reduced Act V from the Comedy of Errors 2005 tour to Japan, an ensemble dance from last year's sell out student production of West Side Story, and more.

All Old Members are invited to attend but please bear in mind that it is one-night performance and tickets will be sold on a first-come first-served basis.

To find out more and book tickets, visit the OUDS 125th anniversary website or call the Oxford Playhouse on 01865 305305.

The Christopher Little Literary Agency (CLLA) - famous for representing JK Rowling, amongst others - is offering an annual prize, through Exeter College, for student novelists at Oxford University.

The prize, worth £1,500 cash, is to be awarded annually for the best synopsis and opening three chapters of a novel by an Oxford student. It is open to graduates and undergraduates on any full time course of the collegiate University, provided they are not already represented by an agent.

In addition to the prize on offer, both the winner and the runners-up - to be chosen by the Agency - may be offered the possibility of representation by CLLA. The Agency deals with over 175 publishers in over 100 countries world-wide, so this is a wonderful opportunity for budding novelists in the University, and a very exciting collaboration for Exeter.

Professor Raymond Dwek, Emeritus Fellow of Exeter, will receive the Honoris causa award from the Romanian Academy of Science on 23rd March 2010. This award is reserved for Academy Presidents and other outstanding cultural and scientific personalities.

The distinction recognises Professor Dwek's contribution to the development of Romanian science in the field of Biochemistry and Glycobiology. Throughout the political transition in Romania there was collaboration between the Institute of Biochemistry, Bucharest and the Oxford Glycobiology Institute, so that many of the Romanian students were trained at Oxford. On their return to Romania, these highly qualified scientists have provided expertise which has improved the level of science in Romania.

Those wishing to read more about Professor Dwek's work may like to read an interview he gave in the most recent edition of Exon.

Congratulations to Amy Sackville (2002, English Studies 1880-1960), whose debut novel The Still Point has been long-listed for the Orange Prize. The 20-strong long-list was selected from 129 candidates, and nominees who made it onto the list include high-profile authors Hilary Mantel (for Wolf Hall) and Sarah Waters (The Little Stranger). The list also includes six other debut novels.

The Still Point was described as a "beautiful and unearthly novel" (Francis Spufford, author of The Child That Books Built). The Guardian review said: "The two worlds of ice and heat, a century apart, are carefully balanced by the exquisitely restrained prose", and Marie Claire recently joined the chorus of praise, impressed by "two shimmering narratives, both dealing with emotional distance, [which] reflect and refract the feelings of abandonment, hope and fear that are so much a part of love and longing".

The shortlist for the Orange Prize will be revealed on 20 April.

Today, 17 March, Exeter signed a contract for the purchase of the site of Ruskin College, on Walton Street, on which the College plans to create its Third Quad.

Ruskin College, an independent college based in Oxford that specialises in providing educational opportunities for adults with few or no qualifications, is consolidating its activities at its Headington campus, and will complete this process by the end of September 2012. Exeter will then undertake a substantial programme of refurbishment on the site to create high-quality teaching and research space, and student rooms - as well as facilities for extracurricular activities and social life for the students who will live there. The College expects to hold a competition to select an architect for the work over the summer, and will keep the Exeter community informed as we progress.

As part of the deal, both colleges will develop a programme of joint academic, cultural and social activities to engage their student and academic bodies and to strengthen Ruskin's links with the University. And, in order to ensure that Ruskin's outreach and educational work continues in central Oxford, Exeter will give Ruskin a lease of space in the Walton Street building.

The Rector said, "We are immensely excited to acquire this historic site... Not only does the acquisition of the Walton Street site give Exeter College a third quadrangle, helping us to break free of the space constraints of our historic home on Turl Street and allowing us to develop new accommodation and study opportunities for our students. It will also be an inspiration for our continuing work to encourage applications from promising students from all educational backgrounds."

One Thing Have I Desired , the newly released album by the Exeter College choir, has been receiving glowing reviews.

We have recently been forward two reviews from the International Record Review and the USA-based Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, which praise the "youthful but polished tone" and "very fine balance and intonation" of the choir. The International Record Review highlights in particular the choir's performances of Ecce beatam lucem (which it calls "beautifully controlled") and Coventry Antiphon, where "this young choir is fully in control of the melismatic vocal lines and the chromatic harmonies".

If you would like to order a copy of the album, please contact the Development Office.

This April, Oxford and Cambridge will take to the river Thames in the 156th Boat Race. For the first time since 1914, Exeter will have a student rowing in the dark blue boat. Ben Myers is also one of the youngest members of the team. We asked him about the challenges of preparing for the race - and his plans for the future...

Name

Ben Myers

Subject

Physics

Matriculation Year

2008

Position in the boat

Bow

What first got you interested in rowing?

I wasn't especially gifted at other sports, having tried quite a few! So when the opportunity arose to try rowing out at school, I leaped at it!

Had you rowed much before coming to Exeter?

I started rowing at Kingston Grammar School at age 13. Initially I didn't take it particularly seriously, but by the time we started racing other schools the training gradually became more challenging. I definitely owe a lot to my coaches at school for providing encouragement and inspiration throughout my rowing career. However, I have undoubtedly progressed significantly during my time at Oxford. Even at the start of this year, a seat in the Blue Boat was only a very distant possibility.

What are you most looking forward to about the race?

The race will be the pinnacle of seven months' training. Cambridge will be very strong, so I am eager to experience our crew's peak performance in the coming weeks.

And what is the greatest challenge in preparing for it?

Of course, the main difficulty has been managing my time to fulfill all my rowing and academic commitments. The constant pressure to be at my best in two completely separate areas has been incredibly taxing.

What will you go on to do next?

In the immediate future, my focus will certainly shift towards academia, in preparation for finals in Trinity term. However, I still wish to row for Exeter in summer eights - college rowing definitely plays an important role in the continuing success of the university boat club.

A researcher from Exeter College has found what is believed to be the oldest evidence for animal locomotion in the fossil record. Alex Liu (2007, Palaeontology) and his collaborators report in the journal Geology on a series of fossilised trackways from Newfoundland, Canada, which are 565 million years old. The structure of these impressions, recording the movement of an early organism across the deep sea floor, suggests that they were likely to have been created by a creature with muscular tissue - a feature which is only known today in animals. The beast would probably have moved in a manner similar to that of modern sea anemones.

If this interpretation is correct, it has important consequences for the study of animal evolution, suggesting that rather than a rapid "explosion" of animal diversity around 540 million years ago, as previously suggested by the fossil record, animals have a much more gradual evolutionary history stretching back at least 20 million years earlier. Alex now intends to search for further evidence of animals in rocks of that age, both in Canada and the U.K., in order to further constrain the early evolution of life on Earth.

Useful links:

• Nature
• Science
• New Scientist
• Geology
• Economist

Readers may have seen the news that three Exeter students would be earning Blues in the Varsity Fencing match last month. There was victory and defeat in store for the Oxford teams, as both the second teams, and the Women's Blues, lost to the Cambridge side.

However, Oxford clinched triumph in the Men's Blues, thanks to a thrilling final, in which Matt Baker (2005, Life Sciences Interface) battled to victory for the Oxford team. A video of the final tense five minutes of the match is available here - battling from 15 hits down, Matt needed to win by at least 15, and the atmosphere in the Exam Schools was at fever-pitch on both sides.

Matt is a 4th year DPhil student, and this was his last eligible Varsity Match. Congratulations to him on finishing on such a high note.

There was wonderful news for Exeter this week, as it was officially announced that Exeter student Ben Myers (2008, Physics) will be rowing in the Oxford boat in this year's Boat Race, and Ben Snodin (2007, Physics) will row in Isis.

Ben Myers is the youngest member of the squad and the two Bens are two of only three undergraduates in the squad. Ben Myers' chance at a place in the Blue Boat came while substituting for under-23 international Ed Newman, when he impressed the coach so much he clinched a late selection.

Ben Myers is the first Exeter student to row in the Oxford boat since James B. Kindersley in 1914. He will be the 36th Exonian in all to secure a place rowing in the Oxford boat since the race began in 1829.

There is little to choose between the two crews this year: Cambridge are half a kilo heavier, a margin too narrow to be significant. Perhaps more worryingly they have three returning Blues to Oxford's one, but Oxford make up for that by having all three of the Olympians in the race. Cambridge currently lead the series (begun in 1829) by 79 wins to 75. Oxford won last year's race.

The 156th Boat Race takes place on Saturday, 3 April 2010 at 16:30

Congratulations to Satish Pandey (2004, Archaeological Science), who has been awarded a 3 year postdoctoral Fellowship from AHRC under the Science and Heritage Programme. The fellowship is based at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. His project involves two sites: St Botolph Church, Hardham, West Sussex and Nagaur Palace, Rajasthan, India, where he will be studying the influence of varying climatic conditions on activation and damage in wall paintings.

He selected these two sites because they have very different geographical locations and environmental conditions, and used very different materials - and yet they exhibit very similar patterns of deterioration.

The wall paintings at St Botolph Church are amongst the oldest in the UK (dating from the 11th century) whereas the wall paintings of Nagaur date from the early to mid 18th century. Both sites have been affected by previous conservation attempts, aggravating the rate of deterioration. This fascinating contrast between English church and Indian palace will certainly be an interesting and challenging project.

On 4 March, the Bodleian took part in World Book Day 2010 by exhibiting a selection of J.R.R. Tolkien's original artwork used to illustrate The Hobbit, as well as a unique set of Hobbit doodles and a rare first edition of the book.

The Hobbit was first published in 1937 and has gone on to be translated into nearly 40 languages, and become one of the world's best-selling works of fiction. Dr Chris Fletcher, Head of Western Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library said: "Tolkien's abilities as an artist are perhaps less well known than his great talent as a writer. However, as our display shows, his splendid watercolours and drawings - generously given to the Bodleian by the Tolkien trustees in 1979 - formed an essential part of his creative conception of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We are delighted to celebrate this artist and writer in the Library he regularly used as a scholar."

One of Exeter's most recent graduates, Quentin Macfarlane (2006, PPE), is about to embark on an epic quest. Along with two other young Oxonians, he aims to drive from England to South Africa, all in aid of landmine disposal charity, The Halo Trust.

The three men will depart from the UK on 15 March, driving through Europe to Genoa, where they will pick up a ferry to take them across the Mediterranean to Tunisia. From there, they will drive south through Africa, arriving into Cape Town (if all goes to schedule!) just over 100 days later.

Their journey will offer them amazing opportunities, from visiting Roman ruins in Libya, to witnessing the first elections in Sudan since the end of the civil war - as well as taking them through some of the world's most magnificent natural scenery. One of the highlights, however, is sure to be their stop in Mozambique, where they will have the chance to see how the money they raise will be used to help The Halo Trust's mine clearance programmes.

These three intrepid Oxonians are aiming to raise £1 for each of the 9761 kilometers they will travel. If you would like to make a donation, they have an online giving page set up at justgiving.com. They also have more details on other ways to give on their website, where you can also follow their blog of their travels, and see photos as they go along. And if you would like to find out more about the charity they are supporting, visit The Halo Trust's website.

In December Tim Hele, Philip James and Charles Rowe (all 3rd year chemists at Exeter) entered the BP fieldtrip, a competition to design a method of carbon sequestration from gas-fired power stations. The prize is a paid internship to see BP's operations in Scotland, the North Sea, and Norway.

In January they were informed that their initial submission was one of 15 (out of 52) successful in progressing to the semi-final, which was held in London last Friday. This week they heard that they have been one of five teams successful in progressing to the final, to be held in April in the Natural History Museum in London.

Congratulations to them, and we wish them the best of luck in the final!

The Ken Colyer Legacy New Orleans Jazz Band came to Exeter College at the start of the Turl Street Arts Festival, on February 13th. The Arts Festival is jointly run by Jesus, Lincoln and Exeter. The day began with a parade around the quads of the three colleges, (pictured) with Lord Krebs, the Principal of Jesus, joining the procession and Michael Dunne, a second year mathematician and trumpet player, carrying the banner.

After lunch, the musicians held an improvisation workshop to hone the jazz skills of some of the College's fine classical musicians. In the evening, these student musicians played along with the band at a concert in Hall. You can watch a short video from the evening, featuring the band and College musicians playing When the Saints Go Marching In, on YouTube.

If you are thinking of attending Oxford University Orchestra's Hilary term concert tonight, look out for sculptures by an Exeter student on show outside.

The concert is on at the Sheldonian at 8pm on Friday 19th February, and Hannah Jones (2007, Fine Art) will be exhibiting two sculptures outside the venue which attempt to reflect the nature of the musical works - Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.

For the first time, the College celebrated Chinese New Year with a specially themed evening on Sunday February 14th. Exeter's Chinese students decorated the Hall with some traditional Chinese decorations, and traditional New Year music welcomed people into the hall.

Before dinner there was a talk in the Saskatchewan Room by Rana Mitter: Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, Institute for Chinese Studies, on "How China's wartime past is changing its present - and future", and between courses, performers entertained the guests with traditional Chinese music.

Martin Sieff (1969, Modern History) has drawn on an illustrious career in US journalism as a foreign correspondent to write Shifting Superpowers: the New and Emerging Relationship between the United States, China and India, an examination of the U.S.-China-India relationship.

"Americans must wake up to the reality that they will have to deal with China and India as equals," argues Sieff, "both need to be respected and understood on their own vast and complex terms... [but] the history of U.S. engagement with both nations is replete with examples of excessive hostility and demonizing on the one hand, and naive, uncritical romanticism on the other."

From national security, human rights, and energy resources, to military build-ups and global warming, Sieff offers a fascinating insight into this new world. Shifting Superpowers also examines the consequences of U.S. misconceptions about China and India. It analyses their historical and current dealings and conflicts, and their increasingly convergent goals. Described as "shrewd and innovative", Shifting Superpowers aims to chart a realistic trajectory for achieving "a prosperous, confident, free-trading 21st-century America, buttressed by wise and lasting strategic relationships."

Antonio Horta-Osorio, CEO of Santander UK, marked the creation of a new macroeconomics lecture series at Exeter on Wednesday 10th February by delivering the inaugural lecture. The series will run for three years, with complete funding from Santander, and the company have also generously created Santander scholarships at Exeter.

This is wonderful news for Exeter and an important extension of Oxford's relationship with Santander. Oxford University is now in its third year of collaboration with Santander, who fund scholarships, student travel awards, and academic research, and Exeter joins St Antony's as the only Oxford colleges to have signed collaboration agreements with the company. Mr Horta-Osorio described the relationship on Wednesday as "a key part of [Santander's] social responsibility programme".

Having signed the scholarship agreement, which will provide funding a year's funding for two MPhil students per year for three years, Mr Horta-Osorio delivered a lecture on The Legacy of the Banking Crisis. The Saskatchewan room was bustling as students, Fellows, and representatives of Santander's Oxford staff all gathered to hear Mr Horta-Osorio examine the wide-range of factors at the roots of the banking crisis, and its market consequences. He outlined Santander's own position, and how it had acted to weather the storm, highlighting factors which, in his opinion, were vital for banks to survive a situation such as this one. He concluded his lecture by taking a look ahead to the future for the banking industry in the wake of this crisis. The key message which he gave to his listeners was that "it is easy to be wrong together, and tough to be right on your own."

After the lecture, Mr Horta-Osorio took questions from the audience. He then stayed for a drinks reception and dinner in the College.

The College is extremely pleased to be able to promote the study of macroeconomics in Oxford, and is delighted to have this relationship with Santander. We look forward to working with the new scholars when they arrive at Exeter in October.

A report by David Merlin-Jones, a third-year historian, has attracted attention in the national press.

David worked over the summer for Civitas, a leading think tank, and his work was published in January's Civitas Review. He argued in the report - "Time for Turning: Why the Conservatives need to rethink their industrial policy (if they have one)" - that the next Government "would do well to follow in the footsteps of their Thatcherite predecessors and get involved in industry". He concluded that "contrary to popular belief Thatcher and her ministers were not very laissez-faire in their industrial policy" - in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher had "demonstrated a stimulating balance between intervention and non-intervention that could act as a template for today".

His report attracted the attention of the Daily Telegraph, and can be read in full here.

The Varsity Fencing match against Cambridge will be held in the Oxford Exam Schools this Saturday, 13th February. Amongst the Oxford Blues will be 3 members of the Exeter MCR: Matt Baker, Mike Coombes, and Caterina Franchi in the Womens' 2nds team.

They will fence between through the afternoon, starting with Sabre, then Foil, then Epee for the Mens' 1sts. It is a spectacular venue, and a lot of fun for competitors and spectators alike.

It is wonderful to see so many Exeter students competing at Blues level, and representing the University - and we wish them the best of luck as they take on Cambridge!

At an open primary held last month in Mildenhall, Matthew Hancock (1996, PPE) was selected as the Conservative Party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for West Suffolk.

After leaving Exeter, he first worked for the Bank of England, but in 2005 was recruited by George Osborne to advise him on economic policy, and has since risen to become Osborne's Chief of Staff. He manages the Party's Treasury Team, and advises on policy. Whilst he will now focus on his constituency, he will continue to work with George Osborne to shape the Conservatives' plans for government.

Away from the world of politics, (according to the West Suffolk Conservatives' website) in the same year he started working with George Osborne, Mr Hancock also set out on foot to play the northernmost game of cricket on record at the North Pole - he didn't make it to the pole, hindered by developing frostbite en route, but he did succeed in playing the most northerly recorded game of cricket!

Controversial author, Martin Amis (1968, English) published his 12th novel this month. The Pregnant Widow is a comedy of manners which begins in a steamy summer in 1970:

"In a castle in Italy, half a dozen young lives are afloat on the sea of change, trapped inside the history of the sexual revolution. The girls are acting like boys, and the boys are going on acting like boys, and Keith Nearing - twenty years old, a literature student all clogged up with the English novel - is struggling to twist feminism and the rise of women towards his own ends. The sexual revolution may have been a velvet revolution but it wasn't bloodless - and now, in the 21st century, the year 1970 finally catches up with Keith Nearing." - Random House

Amis has called the book "blindingly autobiographical" and Amazon described it as "Martin Amis at his fearless best."

Congratulations to Dr Jane Hiddleston, Exeter's Fellow in French. She gave birth to a daughter, Natasha Grace Davis, on Thursday 28th January.

Andrew Farmer, one of our Fellows in Physiological Sciences, has been awarded a personal professorial chair, and now becomes Professor of General Practice. This honour is particularly impressive, because Professor Farmer came to academic life later than most of his colleagues, after a career as a practising GP. His special interest is the management of patients with diabetes.

In his time at Exeter, he has helped the College with everything from responding to swine flu to promoting our scholarships in India.

A moving series of poems written as a tribute to his late wife this week won Christopher Reid (1968, English) one of Britain's most important literary prizes, the Costa Book of the Year Award.

Reid is only the fourth poet to win the overall Book of the Year Award, following Douglas Dunn, Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney. Reid's A Scattering beat Colm Toibin, author of Brooklyn; Raphael Selbourne, winner of the prize for best first novel for Beauty, the tale of a young Bangladeshi woman escaping an abusive arranged marriage; Patrick Ness, winner of the children's category for The Ask and the Answer; and Graham Farmelo for his biography of physicist Paul Dirac.

Quoted in the Guardian, Jonathan Ruppin, of Foyles, said "this collection seems to have struck a chord: his dignity and eloquence puts into words the feelings of anyone who has lost someone dear to them."

Exeter celebrated Burns Night in traditional dramatic style this week. A piper piped over guests for Burns Night Dinner from the Rector's Lodgings to Hall, and then piped in the haggis accompanied by the College chef. The haggis was duly toasted before a dagger was plunged into it, and the meal began.

Guests at the dinner were served a thoroughly Scottish menu of haggis, neeps and tatties, followed by slow cooked brisket of beef, and sticky toffee pudding with whisky and praline ice cream. As is traditional, the College choir sang Flower of Scotland - and of course no Burns Night would be complete without the toast to the lassies and a reply.

Even Exeter's renowned Gormley sculpture entered into the spirit of the night, sporting a tartan hat and improvised kilt for the occasion. No one is quite sure who ventured out onto the roof to dress the sculpture, but perhaps this new addition to the festivities will in time become as traditional as the piper and haggis!

The College is holding a memorial service for Professor John Brown, Emeritus Fellow of the College, on Saturday 13 March 2010 at 3pm in the College Chapel, with tea in the Hall afterwards. Professor Brown was Fellow and Lecturer in Chemistry from 1983-2008, and Old Members who knew him are welcome to attend the service.

Professor Brown's family plan to create an arboretum in his memory. Planting will take place in the same week as the memorial service: 15-21 March 2010. If any Old Members are interested in choosing and donating a tree, or in making a donation towards the memorial wood, they can do so at www.johnsmemorialwood.com .

In 1947 Muhammad Zahir (1959, Rhodes Scholar) witnessed the turmoil and drama of Indian Independence. Caught on the wrong side of the division between India and Pakistan, Zahir's family tried to leave by train to Pakistan. The train was ambushed and almost all the Muslims killed on the spot - Zahir himself (then a 10-year-old boy) and most of his family were saved by a young Hindu, who risked his own life to save theirs.

The violence surrounding India's independence from the British Raj, and the division of India from Pakistan, caused what has been described as "the greatest loss of civilian life in human history, in the absence of war or famine". Now, 60 years later, Dr Zahir describes the events leading up to Independence, and his new life in the fledgling country of Pakistan. 1947 is an opportunity to explore these events through the memoirs of one who was there.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to one of our student callers in this year's Telethon.

The final total raised was £101,394, which in these challenging economic times was a truly impressive result, and we are very grateful for the generosity of all those who donated. 42% of the Old Members and Parents who spoke to a student pledged their support, with a further 12% considering making a gift. Just as importantly, all our students had some great conversations with Old Members.

Half of this year's student callers were in fact returning for their second Telethon, and their enthusiasm is testimony to how much our students enjoy the chance to exchange experiences of College with Old Members - and perhaps pick up a little guidance on life after Exeter at the same time! We hope that all the Old Members who spoke to a student enjoyed the conversations just as much.

As the Telethon was again run in conjunction with the University of Oxford Development Office, Old Members and Parents were given the opportunity to donate to other areas of the Collegiate University including departments, museums and libraries.

Around 25 Junior Members (mostly graduates and some undergraduates from the Williams Exchange Programme) gathered around the fireplace in the Lodgings on Christmas Eve. The Rector, for the second successive year, had very kindly invited all those students in Oxford during Christmas to spend the evening with her and her family, and to a Christmas supper cooked by her husband. Edwardian party games before and after the supper provided much of the hilarity for the evening - mostly involving mime and guess-work (e.g. gift-wrapping a horse) - they were enjoyed by everyone!

The Christmas supper itself was splendid - congratulations to Mr McRae, the cook for the evening, for producing the feast for all of us by himself. The fabulous meal ended with pudding made by the Rector according to her mother-in-law's special Christmas recipe! The evening wound up with an enthusiastic singing of some carols - even the musically challenged amongst us were not too shy to join in, such was the camaraderie and warmth shared that evening.

Sahana Ghosh (2008, Migration Studies)

The College regrets to announce that Harry James (1941, Literae Humaniores and Oriental Studies) died on 16th December 2009, aged 86. Mr James, who had worked as chief Egyptologist at the British Museum, was an Honorary Fellow of the College.

We were notified that he had requested donations to Exeter in lieu of flowers at the funeral service. We were very grateful for this generous gesture.

The five winners of the Costa Book Awards, once known as the Whitbread Awards, have been announced this month.

Christopher Reid (1968, English) won the poetry award for A Scattering, a tribute to his wife following her death in 2005. A Scattering consists of four poetic sequences, the first written during her final illness, and the other three at intervals after her death.

The judges, chaired by novelist Josephine Hart, described the collection of poems as "intensely moving, compelling and honest".

The five winners were selected from 592 entries, and will now fight for the title 2009 Costa Book of the Year.

Christopher Reid's first collection, Arcadia, received the Somerset Maugham Award and the Hawthornden Prize, and he was presented with the 2000 Signal Poetry Award for his collection written for children. He has twice been nominated for the Whitbread Awards.

Earlier this year, Oxfordshire County Council decided to appoint Honorary Aldermen for the first time, and Dermot Roaf, Emeritus Fellow in Maths at Exeter, was one of the three selected.

The post of Honorary Alderman was created to recognise former Councillors who have made a significant contribution to the Council, and to public service in general. The Aldermen will assist the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council in civic ceremonies and in hosting groups of visitors to the County Council.

Dr Roaf was a Lib Dem Councillor, serving as a County Councillor in north Oxford for 28 years before retiring in June this year.

Congratulations to Kate Clanchy (1984, English), who has won this year's BBC National Short Story Award. She beat a shortlist which included past Orange Prize winners Lionel Shriver and Naomi Alderman and Bafta-nominated writer Jane Rogers. Clanchy's winning story revolved around parental love and sacrifice in a hospital ward.

The judges praised Clancy's story for its "rich lyricism" and "deeply affecting style". The chairman of the judging panel declared Clanchy's story to be the unanimous choice of the panel: "An account of a deeply painful experience that we felt had become richer on every re-reading. We were all impressed by its acute control of emotional tone and by the vividness and generosity of the writing."

"If Virginia Woolf had had a younger sister with a passionate interest in icebergs, she might have written something like this beautiful, unearthly novel, in which the secrets of a house and of a marriage continually open out onto a wild glare of Arctic light" - this is the verdict of Francis Spufford, author of The Child That Books Built, on The Still Point.

Sharply observed and deeply engaging, The Still Point is a remarkable literary debut by Amy Sackville (2002, English Studies 1880-1960), examining the distances - geographical and emotional - that can exist between two people.

At the start of the twentieth century, Arctic explorer Edward Mackley sets out for the North Pole, only to vanish without trace into the icy landscape. His young wife, Emily, awaits his return for decades, while her dreams and devotion gradually freeze into rigid widowhood.

A hundred years later, on a sweltering mid-summer's day, Edward's great-grand-niece Julia moves through the old family house, attempting to impose some order on the clutter of inherited belongings and memories from that ill-fated expedition, and trying to ignore the deepening cracks within her own marriage. But as afternoon turns into evening, Julia makes a discovery that splinters her long-held image of Edward and Emily's romance, and her husband Simon faces a choice that will decide the future of their relationship.

The Still Point will be published by Portobello Books in February, and is scheduled to be Radio 4's Book at Bedtime for the fortnight beginning 25 January.

James Steel has signed a three-book deal with Harper Collins to launch a new British action hero, Alex Devereux, a former British Army cavalry officer turned embittered mercenary.

In his first novel, December, a severe winter and a blockade on gas supplies by a new dictator ruling Russia have thrown Britain into crisis. Alex is used by the British government in a secret plot with a Russian oligarch to try to overthrow the dictator who has taken control of Russia. With the fate of Europe in his hands, Alex races against the clock towards a violent showdown in Moscow - with the highest imaginable stakes.

The book is a fast-paced, action thriller which also explores Russian history, culture, and the concept of Russkaya dusha, the idea of Russian soul - the essence of the nation.

December has gone straight into the leading book promotions in the UK: Waterstones Paperbacks of the Year and Tesco, an almost unheard of event for a debut novel by an unknown author. The Manchester Evening News commented: "Once in a while a new contender to the crown of spy thriller supremo comes along and with December James Steel places himself in pole position."

You can find out more about James Steel, and about the Alex Devereux novels, on his website .

December is available now. The second Alex Devereux novel, Dark Heart, will be released next year followed by the third, The Mandate of Heaven.

"One Thing Have I Desired", the new CD by Exeter's renowned College Choir, was launched this week. The album is due for commercial release in February, but Old Members can purchase copies directly from Exeter already.

"One Thing Have I Desired" is being released to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the magnificent George Gilbert Scott chapel at Exeter. The recording features the College Chapel Choir in a wide range of 20th and 21st-century sacred choral works, including three first recordings and a new commission from Jonathan Dove. The collection celebrates the good gift of the Chapel and the distinguished musical history which it has housed over the last 150 years, as well as exploring the theme of the 'House of God'.

All proceeds are going into the choir tour fund. If you would like to help support them, and to have the chance to listen to some wonderful music at the same time, do purchase a CD.

The cds are priced at £10 each, plus £1 for postage and packaging. Please order your CDs from the Development Office - payment can be made by credit card over the phone (01865 279620), or by cheque (payable to "The Bursar, Exeter College" and sent to The Development Office, Exeter College, Oxford, OX1 3DP).

The Chaplain and Choir wish to thank Mr Peter Thompson, Friend of the College, for funding the production of this CD.

Artist Angela Palmer's sensational project, bringing gigantic tree stumps from rainforests in Ghana to build a 'ghost forest' in Trafalgar Square (November 16-22), is the most recent, and arguably the most imaginative, bid at drawing attention to issues of climate change.

Spurred on to take action about deforestation and its disastrous consequences for the ecological balance of the earth by an old friend and Oxford environmental scientist, Andrew Mitchell, Palmer's creative response has been to 'bring a real rainforest tree into the centre of London and show what mighty beasts we are destroying every second'. She made numerous field trips to a commercially logged primary rainforest, Suhuma, in western Ghana, from where she was able to selectively log the tree stumps required for her project.

In the past 50 years Ghana has lost 90% of its virgin rainforests but is now determined to create a viable and sustainable timber industry - her choice of source for the tree stumps thus tells a story of destruction, but also of optimism in the present. As the symbolic centre of Western industrialisation, Trafalgar Square was an appropriate setting with Nelson's Column towering over the stumps - 50 metres tall, the Column is the approximate height many of these trees would have stood and this juxtaposition poses a powerful call to imagine the threat to the rainforests.

Palmer will ship the Ghost Forest from London to Copenhagen where it will be exhibited in Thorvaldsens Plads, a magnificent city centre square, to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference from 7-18 December where the future of rainforests will lead the agenda. Passionately believing that art can make a difference, Palmer battles ahead with her tremendous vision and life-long motto 'What can be imagined, can be achieved'.

Find out more about the project on the Ghost Forest website .

We regret to announce that The Right Revd Eric W Kemp, Emeritus Fellow of the College, Fellow and Chaplain 1946-69 and subsequently Bishop of Chichester died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday 28th November.

Christmas may be drawing ever closer, but there is another festive occasion to be marked first in Exeter at this time of year. Due in large part to the Williams at Exeter Programme, the College is lucky enough to have a large contingent of American students - and at this time of year, tries to give them a taste of home with a Thanksgiving Service in Chapel, and of course a Thanksgiving Dinner.

The kitchens do the College proud each year, producing a wonderful array of American dishes, and meal is hugely popular, with students from all parts of the world filling the Hall.

A panel of distinguished guests joined Melvyn Bragg last week to discuss James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" on Radio 4 - among them was Exeter's senior Fellow in English, Jeri Johnson.

The novel, which follows Stephen Dedalus (Joyce's alter ego) from infancy to the end of adolescence, aroused shock on its publication with its graphic honesty. Joyce's novel was also daringly experimental, delving deep into the psyche of his central character. The panellists examine the novel itself, as well as tracing the background against which this ground-breaking work was written, the author's own personal history, and how these influences affected his work.

This latest edition of "In Our Time" will be available for a limited time on BBC iPlayer .

The perilous pilgrimages of a 15th century Fellow of Exeter are recounted for the first time in full in a new book, The Itineraries of William Wey. Between 1456 and 1462, Wey made three pilgrimages - to Compostella, Rome and the Holy Land - and now, for the first time, his narrative has been translated into modern English.

Wey himself emerges as an adventurous and resourceful narrator. Giving practical and homely advice on kit, conduct and currency, as well as vivid descriptions of the countries he journeyed through, Wey's account offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of medieval pilgrims, and into the vibrant scenery of 15th century Europe itself.

Alex Watson (1997, Modern History) is the author of a new comparative history of how German and British soldiers endured the horror of the First World War. "Enduring the Great War" has been described as "superbly researched" and "a must read for all students of World War I... [it] belongs on the shelf of any scholar who aspires to be current on the literature of 20th century Europe".

Drawing on contemporary letters and diaries from soldiers on both sides, as well as psychiatric reports and official documents, the book offers new insights into the internal ordeals of the men who fought in the War, their fears and their motivations to carry on. It concludes with a new interpretation of the conclusion of the War, challenging the consensus amongst historians about the reasons for German collapse in 1918.

It has been published as a paperback this month, and has already won the Institute of Contemporary History and Wiener Library's Fraenkel Prize.

Old Members in the Oxford area may be interested to hear that Alison Wilson (1979, Mathematics) will be playing the harp in a concert at All Saints Church, Lime Walk in Headington on 4th December. In addition to Schubert's short and upbeat Mass in C, the programme will include two pieces by Ralph Vaughn Williams. The First Nowell, a cycle of traditional carols for solo voices, choir and orchestra, showcases Vaughan Williams' life-long interest in English folk songs and carols, while Dives and Lazarus, a set of variations on an ancient and haunting tune, comes with "a guaranteed tingle factor."

Alison started on the harp aged eight in primary school in Yorkshire, bringing a celtic harp with her to College. She resumed playing in her 30s and has played with Henley Symphony Orchestra and the Rehearsal Orchestra (London and Edinburgh) and played twice in Exeter College Old Members' musical evenings, including a piece for Oboe and Harp with Neil Black (a renowned oboist and Old Member too).

The performance starts at 7.30, and more information can be found on the Headington Singers' website .

During National Pro Bono Week (9th - 13th November), the Oxford Law Faculty is launching Oxford Legal Assistance (OLA). Professor Sandra Fredman, Fellow of Exeter College, and Daniel Cashman (2008, Jurisprudence) both sit on the executive committee of OLA and have been heavily involved in the development of the programme.

OLA is the first pro bono programme at Oxford open to both undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as the University's first programme involving practical legal work for the benefit of clients in Oxford. Students will be trained to take the first draft of instructions for fixed-fee legal aid cases, allowing solicitors to spend more time on aspects of the case which require expertise in the area of law concerned. OLA provides an exciting and rewarding opportunity for all involved and practically demonstrates the University's commitment to helping the local community.

Dan told the Oxford Mail: "The programme is pioneering and I'm very proud to be a part of it. "I see every lawyer as having an obligation to give something back to the community in which they work."

There have been many exciting events in the last year, leading up to the 150th anniversary of the consecration of our Chapel. The service for former organ and choral scholars sticks out in the memory as one where the unique atmosphere and spirit of the building was celebrated, and singing Evensong in Westminster Abbey (another building with the patented George Gilbert Scott brand on it!) was wonderful.

But obviously, the service sung on the 150th anniversary of the consecration itself, 18th October 2009, was what all this attention and excitement was aimed at. The choir received the newly commissioned setting of Psalm 121 at the beginning of term and learnt it quickly, ready to premiere at the service and record for the upcoming CD shortly afterwards. Singing the College Psalm to music specifically written with our choir, and our chapel, in mind was very special for us and was a great way to start the term. We heard a thought-provoking sermon from the Bishop of Exeter about what this building, this temple of God, really means and the place it has within the college. Especially exciting on this anniversary was seeing so many old members back to celebrate this milestone with us. It was great to chat with former students and people connected with the Chapel on this occasion and hear about some of the stories that connect us all through the fabric of such an artistic and beautiful building.

And, now that we have sung Evensong at St Alban's Abbey just last week (yet another building worked on by George Gilbert Scott!) the anniversary celebrations are truly over. It has been a great privilege to be involved in the life of the Chapel during this time. Of course, there is still plenty going on - one could say life begins at 151! Do come to our concert on Saturday 14th November, or join us for one of the many services that continue throughout this term leading up to Christmas - a chapel as beautiful as Exeter's deserves to be as full as possible!

Becca Rees (2008, English)

On Wednesday October 14th Exeter College joined in with Diwali celebrations by hosting its own Diwali Dinner, attended by over 50 guests. The evening started with a talk from Yasmin Alibhai-Brown on Racial Minorities in Britain, as part of a series of seminars by the Rector. Afterwards, fireworks and light sparklers were lit in the main quad and traditional Indian sweets and savouries were shared out among the spectators.

The dinner itself started with a reading from the Bhagavad Gita, replacing the usual Latin grace. The meal was fantastic and even included an item that had been cooked using a recipe taken from Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's own book: 'The Settler's Cookbook'. Before dessert, Nakul Krishna, a former Exeter student, read out a passage from a translated version of Ramayana, an Indian epic. This told of Rama's spectacular return to Ayodhya on an aerial chariot, with the city lit with lights to celebrate his return. This story is the meaning behind Diwali, and gives it its name which can be translated as 'The Festival of Lights'. The story is highly significant and was applauded by all.

The evening was an enormous success and guests got to enjoy a real feel for Indian culture.

We were pleased to hear recently of the success of Marshall Corwin's (1972, Mathematics) Serious Adventure television series. The programme, which the Sunday Times called "brilliant, irresistibly enjoyable", sees groups of young people travel through some of the world's most inhospitable places, including, in previous series, the jungles of Borneo and the Arctic. Mr Corwin produces and directs the series for Children's BBC, and also wrote the companion book to the series – Serious Survival: How to Poo In the Arctic and Other Essential Tips for Explorers, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Junior Science Books Prize.

Series 5 of the series, Serious Andes - in which eight 12-15 year olds attempted to conquer the 6000m Equadorian peak Cotopaxi - won both a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society (RTS) award, completing the hat-trick of each award for the series.

Our Fellows have been busier than ever over the past academic year. We are pleased to report a selection of their honours and achievements here. If you are interested in finding out more about one of our Fellows' work, please visit their page on the College website .

Professor Raymond Dwek becomes an Emeritus Fellow at the beginning of the academic year, but has been re-appointed by the University as Head and Director of the Glycobiology Institute for another 5 years. His programme at the Institute will mainly concentrate on Antiviral and Vaccines for HIV. You can read more about his work, and his plans for the future, in the latest edition of Exon ...

Helen Watanabe took a sabbatical in 2009, during which she completed a book called 'Beauty or Beast? The Woman Warrior in the German Imagination from the Renaissance to the Present' for OUP, which will be published in May 2010. Professor Watanabe also edited another volume with Professor Sarah Colvin (1986, Modern Languages) of Edinburgh University: 'Warlike Women in the German Literary and Cultural Imagination since 1500'. This is one of the outcomes of the AHRC Major Research Project they co-directed called 'Representations of Women and Death in German Literature, Art and Media since 1500'.

Dr Jane Hiddleston has also brought out a new book. Her new volume is entitled 'Understanding Postcolonialism' (published March 2009).

Professor Cornelia Drutu has been awarded the Whitehead Prize of the London Mathematical Society; and organised a conference at IHES (Institute of High Scientific Studies) in Paris, attended by many leading mathematicians, including the last winner of the Abel Prize (the equivalent in mathematics of the Nobel prize) Michael Gromov. You can read more about the conference by clicking here .

Jonathan Herring (Exeter's Fellow in Law) has brought out an impressive array of publications this year:

• The woman who tickled too much (Pearson, 2009)
• 'Law and Older People' (OUP, 2009)
• 'Gender, Rights and Family Law' (Routledge 2009) (with Shazia Choudhry and Julie Wallbank)
• 'Family Law' (4th ed) (Pearson, 2009)
• Medical Law: Law Express
• 'Criminal Law: The Basics' (Routledge, 2009)
• 'Great Debates: Criminal Law' (Palgrave, 2009)
• 'Parental Responsibility and Responsible Parenting' (Hart, 2009)

Frank Close has written Antimatter, published by OUP, which is a popular science book debunking Dan Brown.

Martin Ellison writes: "I still like the fact that I am following in the footsteps of Keynes as an editor of the Economic Journal, which I suggested last year."

This year Ian Reid's paper "Guiding Visual Surveillance by Tracking Human Attention", (with Ben Benfold) won Best Poster at the 20th British Machine Vision Conference.

Maureen Taylor's undergraduate textbook is currently being translated into Korean, following Chinese and Japanese translations. OUP have just commissioned the 3rd Edition of the English version.

Andrew Farmer is co-presenting a clinical trial involving 800 patients comparing three different insulin treatments for people with diabetes this month, at the International Diabetes Federation Meeting in Montreal. The research is being simultaneously published in a high profile general medical journal.

Last December Joanna Weinberg gave, together with Anthony Grafton of Princeton, the Carl Newell Jackson Lectures at Harvard University. These lectures will be published by Harvard University Press next year.

Holger Wendland became an associated editor for the journal "Numerical Algorithms", which is published by Springer, and brought out three major publications:

• (with Ian H. Sloan) Inf-sup conditions for spherical polynomials and radial basis functions on spheres, Math. Comp.78 (2009), 1319-1331.
• Divergence-free kernel methods for approximating the Stokes problem, SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis 47 (2009), 3158-3179.
• (with Peter Giesl) Approximating the basin of attraction of time- periodic ODEs by meshless collocation, Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems, Series A, 25 (2009), 1249 - 1274.

After her publication in Cell last year, Monika Gullerova was awarded by The Scientist of the Year of the Slovak Republic award.

Christine Cheng has an article forthcoming in Political Research Quarterly entitled Informal Influences in Selecting Female Political Candidates, co-authored with Margit Tavits. She also presented her work eight times this year at a variety of international conferences, workshops, and university seminars, as well as the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. She was awarded a fellowship by the Security and Defence Forum (run by Canada's Department of National Defence).

The College announces with sadness the death, in his sleep, of David Underdown (1943, Modern History), Professor at Yale University for many years and Honorary Fellow of this College. Professor Underdown was an extraordinarily distinguished historian and a kind and inspiring mentor to dozens of younger historians.

His funeral will be on Wednesday 30th September in the US, and the thoughts of the Exeter community are with his family at this time.

Following the success of their Paris tour, and Evensong in Westminster Abbey, the Choir travelled to the USA. Their 10-day tour took them from New York to Boston, Harvard and Williamstown, singing in secular and sacred venues - and with plenty of chances to experience some American culture as they went. One of our sopranos shared her experiences with us...

'New York New York' - Exeter Choir tours the States by Becca Rees (2008, English)

Just as sleepy school children returned to classrooms and offices finally returned to a full complement of staff after the summer holidays, Exeter College Chapel Choir left Blake/Parry's green and pleasant land and hopped across the pond for a choir tour to the East Coast of America.

Our first stop was Manhattan, where we stayed for 6 days and during which we sang Evensong at Trinity Church Wall Street, Eucharist at St John the Divine, a concert at the University Club to coincide with the 700th Campaign Launch for alumni in the U.S and a concert in the Theological Seminary Chapel. Singing at Trinity was a sobering experience – we were there on the eve of the 9th anniversary of 9/11. The mood in the financial district, and specifically in the church where so many firemen came in between shifts during that time, was very reflective. Our music for Evensong, Purcell's canticles in g minor and an anthem taken from Tippett's Child of our Time, fitted this sombre mood well, and it was a privilege to sing in that church. By contrast, we could not have been too loud in St John's, which has the space of over two football pitches to fill! There we sang Mozart's Spatzenmesse, Howells' O Salutaris Hostia and Bruckner's Os Justi. Our incoming Junior Organ Scholar, Josh Hales, was able to play the big bad organ in St John's - by no means an instrument of insignificance! With those two services and our concerts at the Seminary and the University Club done, we had a couple of days to enjoy New York, hiring bikes to cycle round Central Park, wandering around 5th Avenue, seeing the Met, the Guggenheim, the Frick, and sampling all sorts of wonderful food from the different districts.

From this hub of busyness and activity, reaching Williamstown was a shock to the system! Williamstown is situated in a particularly quiet part of Massachusetts, where cows are seen as frequently as people (which finally made sense of the Williams College cow mascot!). It was a beautiful place, and the students at Williams were very generous to us while we stayed with them. During our stay there we were shown the local Art Gallery, which had a Prendergast exhibition showing, as well as some impressive permanent pieces by Hopper and Warhol. Our concert that evening went very well, and the highlight was our new choral scholar, Alexei Kalveks, strutting out from the back row and taking the stage to sing a very dramatic solo part of 'New York, New York', much to many a soprano's surprise and delight!

We left Williamstown early the next day, and arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts ready for our concert in the Harvard Memorial Chapel. Following this, Paul, one of our tenors who did his undergraduate degree at Harvard, showed us round the university, which satisfied any Oxford-homesickness! We then travelled into Boston and spent the rest of the day looking around, ending up at a Middle Eastern restaurant for dinner to celebrate the end of the tour. We had a brilliant evening, and it was lovely to be joined by Exeter's Development Director, Katrina Hancock, and the Finance Bursar, William Jensen, both of whom travelled to the States for the Campaign Launch and were a great support to the choir. We finished our tour the following lunchtime with a final concert in Trinity Church, Boston, which was brilliant. Trinity Church is home to stained glass windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones, an Exonian, who also designed the tapestry that hangs in Exeter College Chapel. We sang particularly well in this final concert (none of us yet bored of the magnificent Five Negro Spirituals from Tippett's Child of our Time) and we filled the church, which was a great affirmation and a real encouragement.

Having just spent such a wonderful time together in America, the choir are well set up for an exciting term ahead, which promises a performance of Faure's Requiem and the premier of our commissioned setting of Psalm 121 by Jonathan Dove.

The Choir is grateful to those who have supported this tour, in particular: Exeter College, Mr Peter Thompson, Dr & Mrs Cochrane, Ms Fiammetta Rocco, Mr Mike Mason, Mr Patrick Handley, Mr Peter Job, Mr Andrew Knight, Mr Peter Duffy, Fr Hugh Wybrew, Mr Dennis Stevenson, Mr William Jensen, Mr Eric Bennett and Darby's Solicitors.

Graduate student Richard Walters (2004, Earth Sciences) has just had a paper published on the earthquake that struck the medieval city of L'Aquila in Italy earlier this year. Stories of the destruction wreaked by the earthquake gripped the media in April, and Richard's paper has generated a lot of interest.

'The 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake (Central Italy): an InSAR source mechanism and implications for seismic hazard' is the first published analysis of the quake, which killed 307 people, and made thousands more homeless. Richard and his colleagues analysed radar images from the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite, taken before and after the earthquake. They used differences between the phases of radar waves reaching the Earth's surface in the two sets of data to spot changes in the area's topography, and concluded that the origins of the quake lay in the Paganica fault, an undistinguished fracture in comparatively flat ground. "It shows it is dangerous to work on the assumption that the faults associated with the largest topographic features are going to produce the largest events," Richard said in an interview.

You can read more about Richard's research on his website .

Graduate student Naomi Walker (2001, European Literature) this month became the second Exonian to take a spot on Trafalgar Square's empty fourth plinth, as part of Antony Gormley's One and Other project. Naomi explained to us what made her apply for a spot on the plinth - and what she did with her time above central London...

Being a "Plinther" by Naomi Walker (2001, European Literature)

When I applied to be a "plinther", I had no real expectation that my application would be successful. I have always admired Antony Gormley's work and seeing the Angel of the North some years ago made a great impression on me, so I was keen to apply to take part in his "Fourth Plinth" project.

I loved this latest idea of letting members of the public become "art" without imposing any pressure or element of competition. Participants were allowed to do absolutely anything they wanted to on the plinth (providing it was legal!) and there wasn't any kind of assessment process for the activities that would take place. This, I felt, was the most refreshing element of the project in today's audition-obsessed world.

Upon receiving the news that I would have a place on the plinth from 3-4pm on Thursday 17th September, my feelings were a mixture of disbelief, delight and some disquiet as I pondered what I could possibly spend my time doing.

I hit upon and discarded various ideas before settling on my final plan. The notion of doing something striking or educational was obviously a temptation, but I realized that these ideas were filling me with more anxiety than anticipation. I resolved to resist the pressure to try to be anything but myself on the plinth, and therefore settled on the idea of spending time with "My Favourite Things".

This involved taking up a suitcase of various materials, some of which actually were my favourite things, and some which represented them. Thus, I had a flask of coffee, the Bible, a favourite book (Don Quixote) and a vase of flowers in my suitcase. Once on the plinth I read my books, drank some coffee, waved to people, threw out sweets (and ate some myself), put on my favourite pair of red sparkly shoes, painted my nails and spoke to loved ones on the phone. I also set out some photo boards of friends and family which I had put together in advance; I had contacted the people in the photos to let them know that they would be on the plinth with me, as it were, in photographic form! Pictures of some of my favourite places featured among the photos too (Exeter College one of them, of course!)

My time on the plinth was extremely enjoyable, and in that sense it turned out exactly how I had hoped. I truly did have a lovely time! Some of my friends came to Trafalgar Square to watch me for the hour, and it was extra-special to know that friends and family scattered in various places around the world were also watching online. The hour seemed to pass incredibly quickly, proving the adage that "time flies when you're having fun"!

The whole experience was made even more special given the Exeter connection with Antony Gormley, as he had visited College to unveil one of his sculptures on 15th February 2009. I had the chance to meet him and hear him explain his artwork, so it was even more of a privilege to be a part of his latest project. I am so pleased to have been a "plinther"; it was a truly wonderful experience and one which I shall remember very fondly for many years to come.

Mr A. Bart Holaday has been selected as the winner of the United States Air Force Academy's 2009 Distinguished Service Award. The Academy established the Award ten years ago as a way to recognize those who contribute from personal generosity and dedication, beyond official duty.

Mr Holaday, who was class president of the Air Force Academy Class of 1965, retired in 2001 as managing director of the Private Markets Group of UBS Asset Management in Chicago. He has been an active philanthropist, and in 2003, he and his wife, Lynn, established the Alberta Bart Holaday Scholarship which each year sends a top Academy graduate to Exeter for two years of graduate study.

The Class of 2009 scholarship recipient is 2nd Lt. Roni Yadlin. Speaking to the Colorado Springs Military Newspaper, she said "I am truly indebted to Mr Holaday, and his wife, for their generosity and willingness to invest in Air Force Academy alumni. His scholarship provides a wonderful opportunity that I never dreamed I would be given."

Mr Holaday has the distinction of being the first Academy graduate to win the Distinguished Service Award.

On 1st September, Exeter's Choir met in Westminster Abbey to sing Evensong. Here, a member of the choir shares her experiences of the performance, and of the wonderful opportunity to explore hidden parts of the Abbey.

Exeter sings Evensong at Westminster Abbey by Becca Rees (2008, English)

After a morning of rehearsals (and a sartorial near-disaster on the part of our incoming Organ scholar, who managed to come to London with neither suit or gown!) we had an opportunity to look around the innermost parts of this wonderful Cathedral. Our Chaplain, Helen Orchard, is also a visiting priest at the Abbey, and was thus able to show us the tomb of Edward the Confessor, not normally open to the public. We also spent time exploring Poets' Corner and paying due respect to certain Choir-favourites, such as Herbert Howells and Charles Villiers Stanford, who are memorialised in the Abbey.

Evensong was attended by the High Commissioner of Malaysia as well as members from College and supporting parents and friends, so it was an exciting occasion. As well as singing Purcell's g minor Canticles and Ayleward preces and responses, we sang one of Tippett's Five Negro Spirituals, Deep River. The acoustic carried the rousing sound of this motet with gravitas, and it was a pleasure to sing together for the first time after the summer in this setting. It truly whetted our appetite for our tour to the East Coast of America.

After the service, we laid a wreath at the memorial of George Gilbert Scott, who redesigned part of the Abbey (as well as designing Exeter College Chapel!). It was a touching part of this year of anniversary celebrations of our Chapel's consecration, and a wonderful way to see one of England's most important sacred landmarks.

With great sadness, we announce that Professor John Brown, our Fellow in Chemistry until only last year, died on Thursday 10th September after a brave struggle with illness. Professor Brown was Fellow and Lecturer in Chemistry from 1983-2008. He will be much missed, and the College's sympathies go out to his widow Monica and his family for their loss.

Exeter's former Head Porter, Glen Foxwell, will be taking part in an amazing charity fundraising event this Sunday, 20th September. He is one of a group of volunteers being sponsored to abseil 100ft from the top of the Women's Centre of the John Radcliffe Hospital to raise money for the Oxford Children's Hospital.

The hospital does great work treating children (from newborns to adolescents) for anything from simple injuries to complex conditions. If you would like to help Glen support the Oxford Children's Hospital, visit his online donations page

Katy Barrett (2004, History) is one of the most recent members of the public to stand for an hour on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, as part of Antony Gormley's One and Other project. Here she tells us about the experience, and what motivated her to turn herself into a human light installation.

You can watch Katy on the plinth at the One and Other website .

On the Plinth, by Katy Barrett

I first saw Antony Gormley's idea for the plinth when I went to the exhibition of bids at the National Gallery. His wasn't the one that I voted for, but I knew it would win and that I would be at the front of the queue to take part. Since then, I have had trouble when asked why I wanted to, as I cannot imagine why you wouldn't!

In the event, getting a place was both exciting and daunting. 3am is not a time I would normally choose to visit Trafalgar Square, but this was an opportunity I wouldn't miss. Then began the process of working out what to 'do'. I recently heard someone describe the plinth project, very aptly, as 'art for the Facebook generation,' and I think it is sad that the plinth has become a stage where participants are expected to perform for the crowd. It is, I think, about self-expression in a more visual and bodily sense. This performance aspect was what daunted me but, after various suggestions from friends of dressing up as a giant meerkat or pigeon, I realised that I could make a virtue of my night time slot to achieve what I think 'plinth self-expression' should be. It proved surprisingly easy to buy 100 glow bracelets on the internet, which I could wrap around myself to become a light installation.

The actual taking part reminded me slightly of exams. Oddly severe nerves set in the day before, but on arriving in Trafalgar Square, I was suddenly calm and excited. Standing on the plinth was an awe-inspiring and surreal experience that I still suspect may have been all a dream. The view was extraordinary and passers-by were encouragingly positive and engaged. Throwing glow bracelets out to people helped to get conversations going and to spread the experience beyond my own perspective. Two marriage proposals in one hour from over-enthusiastic watchers were also, I think, not bad going!

In decking myself in light, I did something which, I hope, expressed me, related to others, and could only have made sense on the plinth. In this sense, I hope that I fulfilled the aims of the project for my 1/2400th part of it as well as having that elusive 'once in a lifetime' experience. As someone who works in museums, I can now even claim that I know how it feels to be an exhibit!

Congratulations to Niki Palmer (1998, Modern Languages) who has recently received two awards for her first major Show Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

'Enchanting Escape' was awarded a Silver-Gilt medal and was also revealed as the winner of the People's Choice Award for the public's favourite Show Garden. Niki created a modern fairytale setting using materials such as avant-garde etched paving, which created an impression of a carpet for her outdoor room, and also formed a bespoke wall feature behind the garden's magical four poster bed. Speaking of her concept, Niki said it was 'designed for both private relaxation and stylish socialising, it was elegant and inviting, contemporary with a touch of eccentricity and blurred the lines as a traditional interior style nestled in with abundant planting.'

After studying Modern languages at Exeter, Niki pursued a career in garden design, passing the FdSc Garden & Landscape Design at Warwickshire College with distinction, and in 2006 opened Niki Palmer Garden Designs in Leamington Spa. In 2007 Niki was awarded an RHS Silver-Gilt medal for her first small show garden, 'A Courtyard Retreat,' at Gardeners' World Live.

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show takes place every year in July and is run by the Royal Horticultural Society, the UK's leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening.

To see a virtual tour of Niki's award winning Enchanting Escape visit Niki's website, www.nikipalmergardendesigns.co.uk

This month the OVADA gallery, Oxford, exhibited the work of Emma Cousin (2004, Fine Art) alongside Olivia Franklin, Adam J Maynard, Gideon Pain and Peter Monkman: this year's winner of the BP National Portrait Award.

Entitled Uncanny Likeness, the exhibition explored new perspectives on contemporary portraiture and addressed what it means today through different mediums: in paint and also in animation.

Emma Cousin's paintings focus on the internal frictions of self, family life and relationships and are drawn from found images, often old photographs, which she believes hold a deceptive truth and document not what people are like, but how they happen to be. Painted in oil paint, and with particularly pronounced brush strokes, Cousin's work challenges our ways of seeing by creating portraits that dissemble and become abstract stokes of colour, as we try to look closer.

For more information, visit the OVADA website, www.ovada.org.uk

The two American colleges with which Exeter has the closest relationship have both appeared in the top ten listed in Forbes Magazine. Williams College, which sends 26 junior year students to Exeter each year, comes fourth after the US Military Academy, Princeton and the California Institute of Technology. And the US Air Force Academy, which annually sends to Exeter the cadet awarded the Alberta Bart Holaday Scholarship, appears in seventh place, after Harvard University and Wellesley College. Congratulations to both!

This summer sculptor Antony Gormley is asking the people of the UK to occupy the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, a space normally reserved for statues of kings and generals, creating an image of themselves, and a representation of the whole of humanity. Katy Barrett, who has been both an undergraduate and a graduate student at Exeter College, has won a slot on the plinth. Do go along to cheer her on. She'll need encouragement: her appearance will be between 3am and 4am on Friday August 21st.

Exeter College has elected three new Honorary Fellows. Two are alumni of the College. Stephen Green is Chairman of HSBC, the world's largest banking group (and the world's 6th largest company). He is also author of a new book, "Good Value: Reflections on money, morality and an uncertain world". Thomas Cromwell is a distinguished Canadian lawyer and member of Canada's Supreme Court.

The third, Morton Schapiro, has been the 16th president of Williams College since 2000 and will become the president of Northwestern University in September. His publications on the economics in higher education include five books and many articles. He is a widely admired figure in American higher education.

We are delighted to honour all three.

We are sorry to announce the recent deaths of two of our Old Members.

Andrew Rollo (1976, Physics), who was 51, was killed in a road accident whilst cycling home at the end of July.

Samuel Best-Shaw (1989, Mathematics) died recently of a brain tumour at the age of just 38. A memorial service will be held at St Barnabas Church, Emmer Green, Reading, on August 13th.

The thoughts and sympathy of the Exeter community are with both families at this sad time.

Dr Cornelia Druţu, Exeter College's Fellow in Topology, has been awarded the Whitehead Prize for her work in geometric group theory.

The Whitehead Prize is awarded yearly by the London Mathematical Society to a mathematician working in the United Kingdom who is at an early stage of his or her career. The prize is named in memory of homotopy theory pioneer J. H. C. Whitehead.

The College is thrilled by the news.

This year's Exeter Travel Scholars will soon be embarking on their journeys. If you would be interested in offering hospitality to Jack or Amy - perhaps a meal or a bed for the night - please email us.

East Asia Travel Scholar

Jack Marley-Payne is a third-year undergraduate studying Mathematics and Philosophy. Curious about different political and religious beliefs, Jack is looking forward to travelling around Asia and Australia and exploring their rich histories.

Jack's Itinerary

1-11 August: India
11-17 August: Singapore
18 August - 1 September: Australia
2-9 September: Bangkok
10-22 September: Hong Kong
23-29 September: Beijing

North America Travel Scholar

Amy Gilligan is a third-year Earth Sciences undergraduate. Amy will be travelling across the USA and Canada, as she visits geological landmarks including the Grand Canyon and San Andreas fault.

Amy's Itinerary

3-6 August: Washington
7-9 August: Chicago
10-12 August: Denver
14-17 August: Arizona
18-20 August: LA
21-25 August: Yosemite
26-28 August: San Francisco
29-30 August: Seattle
31 August - 1 September: Vancouver
5 September: Toronto
6 September: Niagara Falls
7-10 September: Niagara Falls
11-13 September: New Hampshire

Jennifer Green (2005, Jurisprudence) has been appointed to a stipendiary lectureship in Law at Hertford, teaching Administrative, Constitutional and EU law. Jennifer is currently completing the BCL (Bachelor of Civil Law) at New College, and will take up her new post in October 2009. She completed her undergraduate degree at Exeter just last year, so this is a wonderful achievement.

Congratulations to her, and we wish her all the best in her new position.

Dan Cashman (2008, Jurisprudence) made it to the final of the Freshers' Mooting Programme at the start of June. He performed exceptionally well - Professor James Edelman, Faculty member responsible for mooting and the judge of the final, remarked that the sophistication of his argument and his advocacy was as good as, if not better than, the best mooters (Finalists) in the cuppers competition last term.

Congratulations to Dan, and we look forward to hearing of further success from him in the future!

Well done to all the crews who rowed in this year's Eights week. The men's second VIII boat bumped their way into the third division, and the first boat also bumped (Keble).

The women's first boat went down one, but the second boat had better luck and - following on from their success in Torpids this year - once again went on to win blades!

Beautiful weather in Oxford during the week made Eights a highlight for everyone concerned, whether they were out on the river or cheering from the boathouses.

The Rector has recorded an interview with Professor Denis Noble as part of the Voices from Oxford podcast series. She talks about the College today; her work as Rector; and about the transformative effects of the internet, and modern communications technology, on society and on universities (a subject she addressed in her book "The Company of the Future", and in "The Death of Distance", a study of the economic and social effects of the global communications revolution).

Her interview this fascinating exchange of views on the transformation of modern society and see some footage of Exeter today (while musical alumni might like to stay tuned until the final credits to catch a glimpse of the Exeter College marching jazz band in action).

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Kenneth Blades Parker, Q.C. (Lit Hum, 1964) to be a Justice of the High Court with effect from 2 October 2009 on the retirement of Mr. Justice McKinnon.

Mr Parker, former Head of Monckton Chambers, will be assigned to the Queen's Bench Division. He was called to the Bar in 1975 and took silk in 1992. He was appointed a recorder in 2000, a law commissioner in 2006 and is approved to sit as a deputy High Court judge.

Congratulations to Mr Parker on his appointment.

Professor Frank Close, author of Antimatter, has just done an interview with WICN radio in the USA. It's a chance to listen to an entertaining and accessible introduction to the science of antimatter - what it is, and how it has captured the imagination of people across the world. Find out how you might contain a substance that destroys everything it touches, how scientists at CERN have been using antimatter to investigate the conditions in the universe a billionth of a second after the Big Bang, and more...

Simon Lewis (1998, PPE) will be at the forefront of a new international effort to raise awareness of food crises and hunger across the world. He is a key member of hike4hunger.org, a group which plans to commemorate UN-sponsored World Food Day on 16th October with a series of coordinated hikes across the world. On that day a group of Australian walkers will make their final ascent to the summit of Mt Kosciusko, Australia's highest mountain - it will be the conclusion of a 600km hike from the suburbs of Sydney. On the same day, a group of hikers in the UK will cross the Greenwich Meridian after a 300km journey along the Thames, and a group in Zimbabwe will complete their own march.

The walkers aim to demonstrate solidarity across the world, and to inspire support and donations from family, friends and businesses. Donations received will be invested in grass-roots organisations who are working to make long-term improvements in their communities' food security.

The focus of their 2009 campaign is Zimbabwe - a country ravaged by hunger and cholera. Once considered the bread-basket of its region, the UN now estimates 50% of Zimbabweans will face starvation this year, 85% of them children. Hike4hunger.org hopes to help.

To find out more about hike4hunger.org and the hikes this year, visit their website.

Adrian Brown (1949, English) is currently directing a production of Moliere's School for Wives, a riotous C17th comedy about an older man who keeps his beautiful young ward, Agnes, imprisoned in a remote country house, overseen by a pair of foolish servants. When Agnes falls for the charms of the young Horace, mayhem ensues! Brown is an Emmy Award winner and BAFTA nominee for his previous work, and this is sure to be a great night's entertainment.

The play opened this week to a great reception, and runs until June 6th at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate Village (London N6 4BD) with shows at 8pm Monday-Saturday, and 4pm on Sundays. Tickets cost £15/£12/£10. More information is available from the theatre's box office www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com (020 8340 3488)

Peter Mieville (1971, English) continues his successful Burnchester mystery series with a third novel, Tyro's Journey, to be published this summer.

Mr Mieville - who writes as Dominic Mieville - began writing with a wish to create an adventure story that combined real places with history and myths, particularly those surrounding the Holy Grail. Out of this grew the mysterious Burnchester Hall, a school which was once used by the MoD, and which still harbours many secrets. Tyro, the young heroine of the series, and her friends have to confront a shadowy secret society if they are to discover the truth - and evade the dark forces which are watching them.

Tyro's Journey will be launched at Heffers in Cambridge at 6.30 on Tuesday 9^th June. Old Members and their guests are welcome - if you would like to attend, please contact Heffers on 01223 568 568.

The date for the election of the new Professor of Poetry has been set for May 16th. If you would like to vote, please come to Examination Schools on the High St between 10am and 4pm and bring some form of identification (preferably one including a photograph) such as a passport, drivers' licence, or Bodleian card.

Recent revisions to the rules of Convocation mean all former students who have taken an Oxford degree are eligible to vote (your degree must have been conferred, either in person or in absentia).

For more details on the candidates and the election, please visit the University's Professor of Poetry page.

Herman Salton, an Exeter MPhil student (2007, International Relations), has had his first book published. "Veiled Threats? Islam, Headscarves and Religious Freedom in America and France" compares the French and American attitudes towards the Islamic veil, and towards religious symbolism in general: an issue which has become increasingly controversial in Europe in recent years.

Mr Salton examines the legal systems of "secular" France and "religious" America before the passage of the 2004 French headscarf ban, and finds more similarities in their approaches to religious insignia than perhaps many readers might expect. He also challenges the view that the 2004 ban was the result of a "veil emergency" which rendered the passing of the new statute all but inevitable.

The book is available on Amazon, and will be officially launched at the European Studies Centre, St Antony's College, on 6 May 2009 at 5pm. Any Old Members and guests who would like to attend are welcome to come along.

Angels and Demons, the latest Dan Brown film, is about to be released in cinemas. In it, Brown has conjured up the alarming vision of a secret weapon poised to wreak mass destruction: antimatter. Of course, Brown's portrayal of science is light-hearted - but, perhaps surprisingly, antimatter does actually exist.

Exeter's Professor Frank Close, Fellow in Physics, has recently released a book debunking the antimatter myths beloved by science fiction writers, and telling the real story of these "looking-glass particles", exploring questions that go right back to the first moments after the Big Bang.

Professor Close talked to the New Scientist this month about the five greatest mysteries of antimatter. His book "Antimatter" is available from Amazon.

We are sorry to report that Professor Peter Rickard (Modern Languages, 1941) has died. Emmanuel College Cambridge, where Professor Rickard was Emeritus Drapers' Professor of French and Life Fellow, will hold a memorial service for him which is scheduled for 2.30pm on Saturday 6th June. Any Exonians interested in attending should please contact the Emmanuel College Development Office for more details.

The UN Human Rights Council has appointed Professor Surya P. Subedi (1989, International Law) as the next UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia.

One of only eight UN country-specific Special Rapporteurs in the world, Professor Subedi will be expected to identify human rights problems in the country and give constructive recommendations to help tackle them. He said: "The job will be a huge challenge because it will involve speaking on behalf of marginalised and oppressed groups - the people who can't speak up for themselves. But I feel confident I can do a good job. My approach will be not to criticise people, but to offer constructive advice."

The main issues he plans to address in Cambodia are the independence of the judiciary, press freedom, the treatment of human rights activists, the plight of residents who have been asked to leave their land to make way for development projects, and the treatment of prisoners.

"The main task will be to cast an impartial, expert eye on the overall human rights situation in Cambodia and offer constructive advice to the Government to address the problems that exist." he said. "The aim would be to help the Government make democracy stronger and have greater respect for the rule of law... That way we can nurture prosperity, long-lasting peace and the rule of law throughout the country."

Professor Subedi is Professor of International Law at the University of Leeds and a practising barrister. His areas of expertise include public international law, international human rights law, and international arbitration. He has published six books and a large number of articles in leading law journals around the globe, as well as articles on human rights, the rule of law and democracy in national and international newspapers.

He was awarded an honorary OBE in 2004 for his services to international law and Britain-Nepal relations.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Guilford (2000, Earth Sciences), who has won an award for her work on the Tsunami Recovery Programme in Aceh, Indonesia. Ms Guilford has been named Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) Young Member of the Year 2009, and will be presented with her award in May.

Ms Guilford works as a hydrogeologist with Mott MacDonald Indonesia, who were appointed as engineering consultants to the American Red Cross after the tsunami hit. Her work involved the detailed design of permanent water supplies for about 46 rural communities that are still being rebuilt. Aceh is a challenging place to work, as it is both a post-conflict and post-disaster area, and now imposes strict sharia law. There are also additional obstacles such as not being able to get to water sources because of tigers living in the jungle, and the constant threat of earthquakes: "It was a really challenging time," she said, "but had many enjoyable moments."

CIWEM is the leading professional body for those committed to the sustainable management and development of water and the environment. The award recognises the outstanding contribution to environmental understanding made by a young member of CIWEM, and this year will be split between the two shortlisted candidates. Mott MacDonald nominated Ms Guilford not only for her work designing water supplies, but also because she taught herself Indonesian (and some of the local language), taught her colleagues basic hydrogeology so that they could understand her work and also tried to promote more sustainable options for supplying power to water supplies."

Ian Duncan (1962, Modern Languages) has confirmed that his son, Flt Lt Alexander "Frenchie" Duncan, an RAF pilot, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroic conduct in Afghanistan. He was one of 150 servicemen honoured at the start of March this year for their valour in the UK and overseas during 2008.

In May 2008 Flt Lt Duncan was piloting a Chinook helicopter which was carrying the governor of Helmand Province, Gulab Mangal, when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Through continued fire, he managed to fly the bullet-riddled craft six miles to safety despite having lost one hydraulic system and a large portion of a main rotor blade. His actions, and those of his co-pilot, saved the lives of the governor and the 16 civilian passengers and four crew members aboard the helicopter.

When asked about the incident, Flt Lt Duncan said: "Afterwards most of the passengers were in a mild state of shock but the governor thanked us - he was the coolest of all of them. But then I think he's been there a few times before. When someone asked him later why he'd been smiling, he just said that he knew everything would be OK, because they were with the RAF."

He added: "The medal is not just for me but for the crew and the whole squadron."

He receives the medal for his "consummate professionalism" during the incident. The honour also recognises that, just six days later, he flew twice more into intense fire in Afghanistan to drop troops conducting an operation against the Taliban. Flt Lt Duncan, who has dual French and British nationality, is the first Frenchman to win the award since World War II fighter ace Pierre Clostermann in 1944.

In his address at the announcement of the Gallantry Awards, Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb said of all the service personnel being honoured: "Look no further for your 21st Century role models; these are your real heroes: they live amongst you, they defend you and your right to freedom... There are none better."

Lynn Yu (2007, Jurisprudence) was part of the winning team at the prestigious White & Case United Kingdom Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition recently. The Oxford team beat 19 other teams from universities and Inns of Court across the country, triumphing over University College London in the Grand Final, and winning all six of their competition moots. They will go on to represent the UK in the international championship in Washington DC, alongside the second- and third-placed teams in the UK competition (University College London and the London School of Economics).

This is the second consecutive year that an Oxford team has, as UK Champions, won the Rebecca M M Wallace Trophy, and the third consecutive year that Oxford will represent the United Kingdom in Washington.

Jessup is the largest mooting competition in the world and involves an enormous amount of work for the students - their written work alone requires preparation of two 12,000-word memorials. In 2009, the 50th year of the contest, there are over 500 teams from almost 90 countries vying for the world title. This year's hypothetical problem set before the International Court of Justice, 'The Case Concerning Operation Provide Shelter', raises a variety of topical issues of public international law, including the use of force by way of humanitarian intervention, state responsibility for the conduct of troops of occupying powers, the grant of asylum and the power and authority of the Court itself.

The College choir had a wonderful time on their Paris tour this week. They performed in Notre Dame Cathedral, and at La Sainte Chapelle (the Gothic chapel built by Louis IX to house his collection of relics), as well as at L'eglise de la Madeleine, and L'eglise anglicane Saint-Michael.

The programme of music included Songs of Farewell by Hubert Parry, Nunc Dimittis by Gustav Holst, Mass for Five Voices and Civitas Sancti Tui by William Byrd and much more.

Each performance had its own character - from the moving participation in Sunday Mass at Notre Dame (10 years on from Exeter Choir's last performance there on Sunday of 10th week, Hilary 1999) to the ethereal and beautiful concert in Sainte Chapelle, attended by over 150 people. For the performance in St Michael's church some secular favourites were also added to the programme, from the Beatles (Here, There and Everywhere) to Gershwin (Summertime) and Porter (Let's Do It).

The performance in Sainte Chapelle was a particularly significant moment of the tour, as this Chapel with its soaring ceiling and high stained glass windows was the design upon which Exeter Chapel was based.

The tour follows similar successful trips in recent years to Switzerland and Austria, and the Choir's next tour will be to the USA in the autumn. Old Members based in the States are encouraged to keep an eye out for dates and details: if you have a chance to come along and listen to one of the choir's wonderful performances, please do!

In the meantime, the choir has loaded a selection of videos of their Paris performances onto YouTube.

An Exeter student is hoping to be part of a ground-breaking expedition to Baffin Island, in the Arctic Ocean of Northern Canada. Louise Biddle (2008, Earth Sciences) will be part of a team of just three who hope to head to the island this August to film the Inuit people and the effects of climate change on their communities, in order to educate UK school children.

In addition to this, very little geological observation has been done in the area, so any observations Louise is able to make while she is there could potentially be significant.

In order to undertake the project, Louise needs to raise £3,000 to cover her flights, accommodation and other costs. Any Old Members who would be interested in helping her with these costs, should email her.

"Stanley, I presume", a memoir by Stanley Johnson (1959, English), is being published by Fourth Estate/HarperCollins this month, and is currently being serialised in the Sunday Times. Mr Johnson, the father of Boris Johnson, current Mayor of London, commented that the book includes a lot of light-hearted tales about his time at Exeter - but he carried on to say that he had refrained from including the full text of 'Julie', the song the Exeter Rugby XV sang in the bar after a successful game, out of deference to those of delicate sensibilities!

Mr Johnson's memoir covers his life as an explorer, author, occasional politician and also one of the world's first environmentalists. On leaving school in 1958 he travelled alone through South America - hitching rides across the jungle on Brazilian Air Force planes. Whilst at Exeter, he won the University's poetry prize with a love poem - written following a hilltop tryst in the West Country - and after graduating went on to work for billionaire John D Rockefeller 3rd, the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union, as well as being hailed by Greenpeace for his environmental work.

The book also explores the Johnson family's roots: from Turkey (where Mr Johnson's politician grandfather, Ali Kemal, was torn to pieces by an angry mob) to the British monarchy - he and Boris are direct descendants of George II.

The book was described by Esther Rantzen as "irresistibly funny" and by Anne Robinson as "a wonderful jaw-dropping account of a rollercoaster life". It is available on Amazon and through bookshops.

Matthew Wall (1985, Lit Hum) has published an anthology of poems, together with two other authors, Robert Cole and Sean Coughlan (collectively known as the Ashburnham Group, after the pub in which they meet).

The title of the anthology is taken from T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland", and the collections explore themes of love and loss, family, memory and nature.

Copies can be bought through Matthew's website or from Amazon.

Judith Tonning (2001, Theology) will be producing Donald Swann's opera Perelandra to be performed in concert at Keble College Chapel on 25 June 2009, and at the Sheldonian Theatre on 26 June 2009.

The opera is based on a novel by C.S. Lewis of the same name, and was four years in the writing, with the approval and support of Lewis himself. In 1962, he wrote: 'I think [the libretto] just stunningly good. It brought tears to my eyes in places'. The opera was also very dear to Swann's heart, and contains some of his most evocative music. The sale of production rights after Lewis' death temporarily blocked any further stagings, and this will be its first performance in 40 years.

Tickets are available online, by phone or in person via Tickets Oxford (01865 305305) or via the project website.

Congratulations to Exeter's women's first boat, who performed fantastically at this year's Torpids. W1 stormed into Division I, bumping five times times on their way, the first time an Exeter women's crew has been in the first division, and deservedly winning blades.

W2 also shone, bumping five times and also getting blades. The men's crews also battled hard, and M1 finished the tournament in 7th place in Division I.

2009 marks the 150th Anniversary of Exeter's Chapel, and the first event to mark this milestone was held on Sunday 25th January. The Reverend Graham Shaw, Chaplain from 1978 to 1985, returned to preach at Evensong. Old Members and guests were invited to join us for the 6.00pm service, and we were delighted that more than 125 attended. Read Reverend Shaw's sermon here.

The second of the special Chapel services being held to mark the anniversary took place on Sunday 15 February. The Evensong celebrated former organ scholars and choir members, and Reverend Megan Daffern (1998, Literae Humaniores) returned to preach. All Old Members, former choristers and guests were welcome to join us for the 6pm service, and it was wonderful to see so many take the up the invitation - the Chapel was filled to bursting with over 200 guests. Read Reverend Daffern's sermon on celebrating the musical legacy of the Chapel here. Click here to see the programme for the service.

A sculpture by Antony Gormley, titled "Another Time", now stands on the roof of Exeter's Thomas Wood Building, overlooking the junction of Broad Street and Turl Street.

Dubbed "The Iron Man" by the local press, the sculpture was unveiled by Oxford's Lord Mayor, Susanna Pressel, on February 15th in the presence of Antony Gormley. It looks towards the site in Broad Street where Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer were burned at the stake for their beliefs in the 16th century.

Around 50 guests, including the Rector, Antony Gormley and the Mayor, were on the roof for the unveiling, with approximately a further 150 watching from ground level. After the unveiling, Mr Gormley gave a talk to Exeter's students in a packed Saskatchewan Room, and stayed for High Table dinner in the College.

The sculpture is the gift of an anonymous benefactor. It was erected by Kingerlee and the location designed by Berman Geddes. Both companies donated their services to the College.

Old Members with an interest in poetry may like to know that poet Ruth Padel, a nominee for the post of Professor of Poetry, will be reading from her new book "Darwin: a Life in Poems" at St Edmund Hall at 8pm on 26th February. If you are a member of Oxford Poetry Society, admission is free, but non-members are also very welcome (tickets £3 on the door). The reading will be preceded by a wine reception at 7.15, and followed by wine and book signing at 9pm.

The new Professor will elected by Convocation, whose membership rules have recently changed to admit all the former student members of the University who have been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree) of the University. The consequence of this is that any Oxford MA, BA, D.Phil. etc can nominate and vote for this post, including all current graduate students who have BAs from Oxford. Full details of the voting procedure can be found on the University website.

Following on from last year's highly successful performance of Handel's Messiah as part of the Turl Street Arts' Festival, this year the College Chapel will play host to Mozart's valedictory Requiem. It will be performed by musicians from throughout the College, alongside those from our Turl Street neighbours. It promises to be a great event, with professional soloists and a full orchestra accompanying the singers, all conducted by the Organ Scholar of Exeter College, Alistair Reid. The first half will showcase 2009's anniversary composers, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Purcell, with the Mozart forming the second half.

Professor John Hedley Brooke, the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology at Oxford, came to Exeter on Monday 26th January to talk on the subject of 'Darwin and His Influence on Belief'. Speaking at a black-tie dinner organised by the The Oxonian Review in honour of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, Professor Brooke covered a variety of themes - among them Darwin's conflicted relationship with his Christianity amid hostile contemporary reactions to his work - in a talk that conveyed something of the excitement of scientific debate in the 19th century. Exeter's Hall was filled to capacity, and the discussion that ensued covered wide ground, with participants asking many perceptive questions about Darwin's legacy and its significance in the modern era.

Exeter celebrated Burns Night on January 21st with much enthusiasm, few kilts, and very good haggis. Once the haggis had been ceremoniously paraded, applauded and duly appreciated, the business of dinner was enjoyed by all. Iain Lumsden (1964, Mathematics) delivered the 'Immortal Memory' reading and he regaled everyone with juicy details of Burns's women, children and adventures in his speech. The choir entertained the gathering with performances of his most famous ballads between the courses, and finally the Toast to the Lassies, by the JCR President, was fittingly (and wittily) met by a Toast to the Laddies by the JCR Secretary. A hearty Scottish meal, rounded up with Scottish tablet and washed down with good ol' whisky, ended with a hearty singing of 'Auld Lang Syne'.

Watch out for Exeter appearing on your television screens again this spring! The Morse spin-off "Lewis" has once again been filming in College in the past months, and the new series is due to air on ITV towards the end of February or start of March. If you enjoy Exeter-spotting along with a good murder mystery, watch out for the episode "The Quality of Mercy" in particular...

This Michaelmas set out to be a term of great expectations. It had been three years since Christ Church Regatta had been held, and so three years since Exeter had last won it. Though there were patches of heavy rain that threatened everyone's parades, regatta week was cloudy, dry and all about the rowing.

The Saturday before Christ Church, four of Exeter's five novice crews raced in Nephthys Regatta, which is a smaller event run by OULRC over the Christ Church course. All crews enjoyed their introduction to racing; and the Men's A crew won, beating St. Johns with clear water over a - shortened - 400m course in the final.

On the first day of Christ Church, three men's crews and two women's crews began racing. The Men's C crew had some difficulty, but all the others proceeded to swipe some impressive scalps as the week went on: both B crews made it to Friday, with the Men's Bs beating Pembroke A in the first round.

The Women's A crew were beaten in the first round by the eventual winners, Wadham. From their repechage onward, they picked their way neatly through the competition, and into the last 16 where they lost by less than a canvas to New. The Men's A crew dispensed with six crews on their way to the final - the closest margin being of three lengths of clear water - where they met St. Peter's. Exeter led for all but the last 100m, but were left a few feet from what would have been a well deserved win.

Anyone who has ever been involved with ECBC will know how much pride we take in training our novices well. There is no more inclusive or dedicated programme in Oxford. Without the efforts of all the novices' coaches - and these words so poorly describe the hundreds of training hours, and the degree of emotional investment given by them freely, and matched by the rowers - there would be no Boat Club.

Both the Men's and Women's senior squads have continued to train at Wallingford this term. Lynch Mason returns as Exeter's Head Coach and Richard joins us as the Men's coach. Both Philip Pullman and Lady Galadriel are racked at Wallingford Boat House, and an Exeter coxed four currently at OUBC in Wallingford has meant both the men's and women's squads have had a variety of outings this term. At the end of 7th Week the women entered an eight made up of some senior rowers and some of the novice A team into Wallingford Head and recorded a fantastic time, coming 6th out of nine in the Novice category. This gave them great race experience for both Bedford Head and the Women's Head of the river next term. The women have twelve experienced rowers in the senior squad at the moment which together with some strong novices gives us the potential to do very well in Torpids and some external events next term. We also have five Exonians trialling for University Squads this year. Best of luck to Mike Turner, OULRC, Katherine La France and Matthew Smith, OUWLRC, and Meredith Riedel and Ruth Barber, OUWBC.

The Olly and Deep memorial fund raised a total of £60,947. Some went towards the purchase of two benches in memorial of the boys which are now in the Fellow's Garden. The rest will be used to refurbish the boat house next year. Both boys were members of last years Men's Novice A boat.

Towards the end of Trinity term, ECBC won £500 in sponsorship from Ernst & Young by entering an activity day. This money was put towards the purchase of three second-hand ergos, bringing the boat club total to eight. Also, Matthew Smith, ECBC President, worked hard at the end of the vacation together with the Development Director and Old Member, DJ Betts (2006, PPE) to secure new sponsorship from Parthenon.

We are also pleased to announce that we have acquired a silver medal won by Exeter in 1880 from Sanda Lipton of Antique Silver. We hope that Sanda will join us at the ECBCA Dinner where the Medal will be presented as an award.

Our new website is up and expanding. Thanks to Ben Cox for all his hard work in putting it together. The Women would also like to thank Jesse Simon (2006, DPhil in Late Roman History) for designing the new Women's 1st VIII silver brooches. Any Old Members who competed for the Women's 1st VIII in Torpids or Eights are welcome to order one. For more details, please contact me.

Overall we have had a fantastic start to 2008-2009. A large number of returning rowers together with some fantastic potential displayed by the novices means that this year could be very exciting indeed for the Boat Club.

Exeter was pleased to welcome back alumnus Philip Pullman (1965, English) to talk to our current students this month. Having been asked by a young student to talk about 'Writing as a Career', Philip Pullman began by confessing that he didn't believe in a career. He pondered the impossibility of teaching creative writing since he couldn't imagine how it was something that could be taught or learnt, writing being for him an intuitive and personal process and "having to show my writing to anyone before I knew it was ready would completely put me off it". He went on to describe his formative influences - the hearing and reciting of rhymes and poetry as a child (with Paradise Lost and 'Hiawatha' emerging as enduring favourites) - and the discovery of his strengths and weaknesses as a story-teller through years of teaching in middle-school. Although he repeatedly claimed his lack of humour as a shortcoming, the fact that he had most of the audience in chuckles for most of the evening tells another story.

On November 4th Exeter College was proud to host Mr. Edi Rama, chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania and Mayor of Tirana. Mr. Rama was the recipient of the World Mayor Award in 2004 and named one of Time Magazine's European Heroes in 2005.

At Exeter, Mr. Rama addressed an audience of students, Balkanists, and local dignitaries including the Lord Mayor of Oxford. He spoke on the unorthodox, but ultimately successful means that he has used to revitalise Tirana, one of Europe's poorest cities, and help its citizens reclaim their sense of ownership over the capital.

Mr. Rama is tipped to be a major force in Balkan politics well into the future, and Exeter was honoured to give our students a chance to meet this fascinating and intriguing politician.

This November saw the first anniversary of the deaths of first-year students Sundeep ("Deep") Watts and Harcourt ("Olly") Tucker in Michaelmas 2007.

In the same weekend last year both students were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, one with suspected meningitis and the other having collapsed during a hockey match. The College spent an agonising two days hoping that both would pull through, but tragically, on the evening of Monday November 12th, within five hours of each other, both Deep and Olly died. The Rector described them both as popular, lively and intelligent young men who had each made an astonishing number of friends in their five weeks at Exeter College - and the other students were devastated by their loss.

The anniversary itself was marked by a special candlelit service of Compline at 10pm, which was attended by friends and family. The service began with the dedication of two benches, which were inscribed with the words 'In Memory of Olly' and 'In Memory of Deep'. Later in the week they were placed in the Fellows' Garden and they now stand in one of the most beautiful spots in the whole of Oxford, up on the mound overlooking Radcliffe Square, providing a peaceful space where friends can come to remember them, or simply enjoy the views of the College and city which both young men loved.

A major restoration project has been completed on the outside of the College Chapel. The Chapel's stonework was cleaned and repaired, and at the beginning of Michaelmas term the scaffolding was removed to reveal the amazing work that had been done. The building is now decorated with a number of marvellous new gargoyles as well as restored statues and saints. This work follows the intensive cleaning of the Chapel's internal stonework, and the introduction of a new lighting system for the spire, all of which means the Chapel can enter its anniversary year of 2009 revealed in its full glory.

Bernard Oppetit, father of a former student and benefactor of the College, delivered a talk on 3rd November at the Said Business School as part of the "Exeter at the Said" series of seminars. Mr Oppetit, co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Centaurus Capital, spoke on the economy and the hedge fund industry. The "Exeter at the Said" series represents a unique relationship between the Said and an Oxford College, and regularly attracts senior business figures such as Stephen Green, chairman of HSBC, and Bill Emmott, former editor of the Economist, to lecture to students.

We are pleased to announce that our Development Director, Katrina Hancock (1998, Earth Sciences) has been elected a Fellow of the College. The Rector said: "Governing Body decided to elect Katrina as a recognition of the hard work that she and the Development Office have been doing, and also of the central importance of the 2014 Campaign, which will be formally launched in September next year. It also gives me personal pleasure that she is the first former female undergraduate to become a Fellow of her College."

Students returned to College this term to find the bar a very different place than it had before the summer. The facilities have been comprehensively updated, and the old fittings and furnishings replaced - the bar is now an airy and modern-looking place to meet for a drink!

Alan Bennett (History, 1954) has presented his papers as a gift to the Bodleian Library. The archive includes original manuscripts, typescripts, handwritten notes and drafts for all Bennett's stage and television plays, plus the manuscripts of his novellas and short-stories, including his latest bookg The Uncommon Reader (2007). In due course, the Bodleian will also receive Bennett's annotated editions of his published writings, together with letters and other materials arising from his own marginal notes and afterthoughts. There are also diaries in an unbroken series from 1974 onwards, only a small selection of which have so far been published.

Alan Bennett said of his gift: "I think its appropriate too that my stuff should be here in Oxford. My writing is nothing if not English and however universal and unboundaried scholarship may be these days I wouldn't want to be lodged in some mid-western university. At the Bodleian I shall be rubbing shoulders with Thomas Hardy and Philip Larkin. They might not be all that pleased but I am."

Dr Sarah Thomas, Bodley's Librarian, commented: 'Alan Bennett has shown extraordinary generosity in presenting his archive to the Bodleian. He is one of the world's greatest living writers, and the Bodleian is honoured to become the home of the Bennett Papers and preserve them for generations of scholars to come. The archive is one of the most important acquisitions for the Library in recent times, and will be a major resource for researchers.'

A special reception was held at the Bodleian to celebrate the gift, and Alan Bennett was presented with the Bodleian medal. These medals are a limited edition of replicas of an original medal engraved in 1646 to honour Sir Thomas Bodley, and are cast from copper from the original roof of the Duke Humfrey library (renovated at the millennium).

The Rector's portrait was unveiled in Hall on 15th October. The painting was done by prestigious artist Mark Roscoe, and shows the Rector at her home in Scotland. A dinner was held in Hall to celebrate the unveiling, and was attended by Fellows, staff and students, as well as alumnus Philip Pullman and former Rector Marilyn Butler.

Roscoe's previous subjects have included Heads of House, public figures, and even on occasion royalty (Prince Tunku Abdullah of Malaysia and his family)

If you are visiting College, do take the opportunity to drop into the Hall and view the portrait.

The College has won an award from the Oxford Preservation Trust for the lighting of our spire. The new lighting arrangements are part of the "Cross of Light" initiative, funded by Mr & Mrs Ian Laing, which provides lighting for key buildings in Oxford city centre. The initiative aims to reinforce the beauty of the vista between Exeter's spire and the tower of Wesley Memorial Church on New Inn Hall Street, and the spire is now lit at night with a cool grey light on the spire itself, contrasted with a warm light within. The Trust described the project as "making a very special contribution to the character of Oxford at night".

We now have a group for Old Members and Friends of Exeter College on LinkedIn, the networking site that lets you 'share knowledge and in tap into personal relationships'. Follow this link to find the group on the Alumni Relations Officer's profile (as the group directory is not yet functional). From there you can join the group.

We were saddened to hear of the death on 28 July of Honorary Fellow Sir David Serpell (1930, Modern History). Please find below links to obituaries in several publications: The Independent, The Times and The Telegraph.

On 23rd June, The Times published an obituary for the former rector.

Exeter College is delighted to announce that the Governing Executive of Ruskin College has agreed to sell us its Walton Street site. This is terrific news and an outstanding opportunity. It effectively creates a Third Quad, expanding our space in central Oxford for teaching, research and student accommodation by roughly half. It will bring much of our student body closer to our main site. Together with our plans to build new accommodation for our graduates at Exeter House on the Iffley Road, it will give us some of the finest student facilities in Oxford.

As part of this historic arrangement, Exeter and Ruskin will develop a programme of joint academic, cultural and social activities. We hope that this new relationship will, in time, expand the range of academic interests of our College, create opportunities for our graduates to undertake teaching, including teaching students from non-typical backgrounds, and widen the social and ethnic diversity of our student body.

There is still a long road between here and a move into the Ruskin site. Ruskin will relocate most of its activities to a large site in Headington, for which it does not yet have full planning permission. We may not be able to get on to the Walton Street site till 2011, or to inhabit it fully till 2014. But we can begin at once to discuss how we use this fantastic opportunity for the benefit of future generations of scholars.

There is a nice historical twist to this arrangement. William Morris was an undergraduate at Exeter College, and had close links with John Ruskin. Ruskin College in turn was founded to educate those who were otherwise excluded from education - on principles established through the collaboration of these two social and educational pioneers.

We will be coming to the whole Exeter College community for advice and support in order realise the full potential of this exceptional opportunity; please be part of that discussion. This acquisition will form a central part of the major fund-raising campaign that the College will launch next year to celebrate our 700th anniversary in 2014. We will enter our eighth century with a truly exceptional range of possibilities - academic, cultural and social - to reinvigorate and develop the collegiate ideal.

The Rector and Fellows of Exeter College regret to announce the death, on Wednesday 23rd April, of Emeritus Rector W Greig Barr. Rector Barr had a long and distinguished career in both the College and the University. Appointed an Official Fellow and Lecturer in Modern History in 1945, he held that post until his election as Rector in 1972.

During his time at Exeter, Rector Barr served as Sub-Rector (1947-54), Finance and Estates Bursar (1954-55), and Senior Tutor (1960-66). He also held prominent positions outside the College, including Junior Proctor (1951-52), Rhodes Trustee (1975-87), and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1982-82).

All of this was after having had a spectacular war record during which he rose to Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Devon Yeomanry. From 1974 until his death, Rector Barr was a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the County of Oxfordshire.

The sympathy of the College goes to Rector Barr's widow, Valerie, and to all his children, grandchildren and family.

The funeral was on Wednesday 7th May in the College chapel, followed by tea in Hall.

Exeter College has just received a substantial gift to support graduate students, its biggest ever single gift.

Krishna Pathak, an Indian Entrepreneur from Dubai and a valued Friend of the College, made an outstanding gift to the College on 21st April 2008 following a previous generous gift last year. Both gifts were in support of graduate students and this recent gift is to be split equally between scholarships for outstanding Indian students and new graduate accommodation.

The Scholarships are for outstanding Indian students who wish to undertake graduate studies at Exeter College in subjects that are linked to the economic development of India.

The gift will fund the creation of a permanent endowment- the SKP Family Education Foundation Fund - for these graduate scholarships, and the building of new graduate accommodation - to be known as 'SKP House' - at the College's east Oxford site on Iffley Road.

As a result of Mr Pathak's previous gift, the College currently has four Pathak Scholars and is looking forward to welcoming a further four in October. The new scholarship programme will commence in 2009.

Exeter College currently has 221 graduate students studying for a range of subjects at post graduate level. The College is committed to attracting and supporting the best graduate students from all over the world. Over the last few years the Rector and Director of Development have been identifying individuals, such as Mr Pathak, who care passionately about the education of young graduates and wish to offer them the opportunity of studying at Oxford.

Thanking Mr Pathak, the Rector, Frances Cairncross, said: 'this generosity is an outstanding example of how Friends of Oxford can make an extraordinary difference to the lives of those who would not otherwise be able to take up their place at this wonderful institution. We are deeply grateful for Mr Pathak's vision and support'.

Alumni, students, and supporters filled the banks of the Thames on Saturday 29th March to enjoy the 154th Boat Race. Cheers from Oxford supporters added to the crew's calm strength, which saw the dark Blues power past the Cambridge boat for a decisive victory.

The Rector and Fellows of Exeter College were sorry to announce the death on Monday 17 March of Emeritus Fellow Professor Denys Dyer, MA, JP. Dr Dyer was a Tutor and Lecturer in German and Fellow of the College from 1964-1988.

As part of a continuing series of seminars held termly on Sundays and Wednesdays, the Rector hosted Anthony Pettorino, the Exeter House architect at on Sunday 24th February. He spoke on how the project for Exeter's Iffley Road property was developed and, once we had secured permission, where we went from there.

Saturday 16th February saw a day of New Orleans Jazz! This was coordinated in conjunction with a week-long series of arts events collectively planned by the Turl Street Colleges. A Parade from the Lodgings at noon was followed by an afternoon Workshop and capped off with a Jazz Concert at night.

The fourth run of our annual drinks and networking event for Exonians working in Law, Finance or Business in the UK and those living in and around the city of London took place on Tuesday 4th December 2007. It was a huge success thanks to Ray Berg and his colleagues at Osborne Clarke - and to all of our Old Members who came! More than 150 people came to mix with other Exonians and to enjoy the views over One London Wall while munching on delicious canapes.

This year's London City Drinks, held at Lawrence Graham LLP on The Strand, was well attended Old Members working in Finance, Law or Business (the financiers definitely outnumbered their counterparts this year!) The Rector spoke to the gathering about the recent votes in Congregation on governance reforms as well as Exeter's plans for the coming year. It was a highly enjoyable evening all round, so if you weren't able to attend this year, do look out for your invitation to next year's event.

Frances Cairncross, Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, said: 'Exeter College is devastated by the deaths yesterday of two of its first-year students, Sundeep Watts and Harcourt ("Olly") Tucker. Our hearts go out to their families and friends.

'The deaths are entirely unconnected. Sundeep Watts was diagnosed on Saturday with meningitis. Olly Tucker died of a heart attack while playing hockey on Sunday morning. All the specialists dealing with him have assured us that there is no connection whatsoever between the two cases.

'The college has taken advice at every stage from public-health authorities. Their view is that our other students are not at any increased risk. However, we have reinforced from Saturday onwards knowledge of the warning symptoms of meningitis. Our staff have worked non-stop to answer questions from the student body, and will continue to do so. We have arranged an extensive network of counselling for anyone who requires it.

'The information we have been given is that it is preferable that the students remain in Oxford than that they return home early. The college doctor and the medical authorities are extremely alert to signs of meningitis, and the John Radcliffe Hospital has an outstanding capacity in tackling it.

'The College is closed to the general public for the time being, in order to ensure that our students have peace at this difficult time.'

The annual MedSoc Dinner was held on Friday 23rd November and provided an excellent opportunity to reacquaint with old friends over drinks, hear the esteemed guest speaker, and meet the current Exeter students. The guest speaker was Professor Parveen Kumar CBE, who is the immediate past-president of the BMA and was Non-Executive Director of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). Furthermore, Professor Kumar is the co-author, with Michael Clarke, of the world-renowned textbook, Clinical Medicine.

The biennial Physics Alumni Dinner took place on Friday 9th November. Professor Frank Close gave a popular talk titled "Human Space Exploration: Fact of Fiction?", followed by drinks and a formal dinner in Hall. This year's Physics Dinner enjoyed one of the largest Old Member turnouts in the history of the event and served to both strengthen links with Old Members and also encourage the present students.

For the first time, Exeter College held a special Graduation Day on 20th October that included dinner in Hall. The graduation ceremony took place in the Sheldonian Theatre, where Exeter College had 100 spaces reserved. As part of the Graduation Day, the Development Office held a special champagne reception and dinner at Exeter College for graduands and their guests.

The Rector and Fellows of Exeter College invited Old Members and their partners to attend the Association Dinner in College on Saturday 15th September 2007. Special invitations were sent to those who matriculated in 1956, 1957, 1976 and 1977.

This year proved another testament to the strength of the Exeter community, which not only resides within the walls of College but is carried by Old Members across country borders and decades.

David Vaisey (History, 1956) reminisced on a golden decade in Exeter's past, the Rector spoke of friendship as the great thing the College enables, and Nicholas Ulanov (Theology, 1979) gave a presentation earlier in the day that looked at where Exeter is heading with some help from people who know where it has been.

The Association Dinner is held biannually for all Old Members of the College, providing the opportunity to catch up with old College friends, and to meet with the Rector and Fellows. We were delighted by the turnout and hope to have even more Old Members join us in 2009.

If you have any questions or feedback about our events please contact the Development Office.

Attendees, with matriculation year:

Ken Jones, 1947
Keith Holloway, 1952
Nicholas Coleman, 1953
Sam Eadie, 1953
David Garrood, 1953
Ian Hollands, 1953
Brian Park, 1953
John Roper, 1953
James Appleyard, 1954
John Boulter, 1954
Michael Heap, 1954
David Sabin, 1954
David Davies, 1955
Roger Forshaw, 1955
Roger Horrell, 1955
Brian Roden, 1955
JE Andrews, 1956
John Barraclough, 1956
Anton Buckoke, 1956
Peter Carroll, 1956
Michael Crowe, 1956
David Culver, 1956
Ted Gordon-Smith, 1956
Gordon Halliday, 1956
Michael Imison, 1956
Richard Latham, 1956
Ian Philip, 1956
John Speirs, 1956
David Vaisey, 1956
John Beeching, 1957
John Gold, 1957
Keith Hester, 1957
David Rodway, 1957
Jeffery Wear, 1957
Nigel Jenney, 1958
Alan Broomhead, 1960
Ian Potts, 1962
Talbot Penner, 1966
Christopher Drake, 1975
Giles Emerson, 1975
Andrew Clarke, 1976
Richard Stubbs, 1976
Andy Huggett, 1977
Russell Davidson, 1978
Neil Monnery, 1980
Sheung Kai Yung, 1983
Joyce Lee, 1986
Tracy Coghill, 1990
Ben Stone, 2004
Marilyn Butler, Fellow
Frances Cairncross, Rector
Martin Grosvenor, Development Intern
Katrina Hancock, Director of Development
William Jensen, F&E Bursar
Helen Orchard, Chaplain
Ari Romney, Alumni Relations Officer
Laurelle Vingoe, Development Officer

Old Member James Astill (English, 1992) recently won the twentieth annual Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2006.

Astill received the award at a National Press Club luncheon on 11th June in recognition of his high standards for accuracy and substance, which have helped to foster a better public understanding of National Defense.

Now based in Delhi as The Economist's South Asia bureau chief, Astill previously served as the defense and terrorism correspondent, based in London, and before that as the Afghanistan correspondent, based in Islamabad. Prior to joining The Economist, he spent four years writing for the Guardian from Pakistan and from east and central Africa.

The judges who selected James Astill for this award issued a statement that included the following:

"The judging panel felt that Mr. Astill brings an exceptional level of literary journalism to his craft. His insightful analyses combine brevity and accessibility. The judges agreed that Mr. Astill brings to life compelling stories that illuminate larger pictures. He connects details to broad themes in ways that help explain events as complex and diverse as drug trade in Afghanistan and the counter-insurgency movement in Iraq. Bolstered by anecdote and underpinned by analysis, his work synthesizes ideas and issues to communicate complex national security conundrums to a wide audience."

The last few months have seen restoration work being undertaken in the College. As well as the renovation to the Chapel, the Hall and Rector's Lodgings have also been refurbished bringing our beautiful buildings back to their full and former glory.

Following the receipt of several gifts, including a major benefaction from Stephen Green (1966, PPE), the College has been able to undertake major cleaning and vital restoration work to the Chapel. Over the last year four windows have been cleaned and re-leaded, and in Hilary term six storeys of scaffolding were erected inside the Chapel whilst a team of workers cleaned the stonework to reveal astonishingly bright creams and golds.

A special service of Choral Evensong was held on 29th April 2007, followed by a black tie dinner in Hall. The Chapel and Hall were filled to almost full capacity with Old Members, Fellows, staff and current students all there to celebrate the completion of the refurbishment work.

Restoration work is still in progress in the Rector's Lodgings, they are due to be complete this summer. Next time you are in Oxford please do drop by and see the newly restored buildings for yourself.

Exeter College is extremely grateful to Mr Krishna Pathak, a Friend of Exeter, who has just made a very generous gift to create four Scholarships for graduate students from India in 2007 and a further four in 2008. These scholarships are extremely welcome news for the College as we are committed to providing increased support for Graduate students. In addition these prestigious scholarships will enable us to attract some of the brightest and best Indian students, and we look forward to welcoming the first of these scholars in October.

We are delighted to announce that Cadet Erin Finger of the United States Air Force Academy has been awarded the Alberta Bart Holaday Scholarship. Cadet Finger has been made a conditional offer to Oxford and will be joining us in October to undertake graduate studies in International Relations.

A tree planting ceremony took place in the Fellows' Garden in February. Remember the large chestnut on the Mound at the end of the garden? It succumbed to honey fungus some years ago. The College decided to replace it with a walnut tree, and Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Kenyan environmental activist, came to plant it, to the accompaniment of a New Orleans jazz band.

"The band played a concert in Hall, accompanied by some of the students, for whom the jazz musicians of the Ken Colyer Trust had run a workshop earlier in the day. I reflected that my predecessor, Dr Farnell, must be spinning in his grave. One of the musicians sent me a report from Melody Maker in the mid 1920s, headed: 'Dr Farnell Fulminates about Jazz'. He informed a Summer School for Music Teachers in Oxford that, 'Vulgar music may not be as criminal as murder, but it is far more degrading...Our civilisation was threatened by our own inventions, by dreadful noises, our horrible motor traffic, Americanisms and Jazz music...Don't take your music from America', he said, 'take it from God, the source of all good music'. "

Francis Cairncross, Rector

The annual dinner for those who read or are now working in the field of Law was held on 23rd February. 32 Old Members attended.

Our Home Bursar, Eric Bennett, was in the news talking about an extraordinary gas bill for £4.7m, covering the period of December 2006. Given that this amount is about the same as our annual turn-over, we were pleased report that this bill was an error on the part of our energy supplier and that the true amount owed was a somewhat smaller figure!

Alison Kelly (1983, English) has been awarded a PhD in English Literature by the University of Reading (2006).

The Oxford University Society's email forwarding service has now been made available to all alumni. The service is free, includes anti-virus checking and spam scoring, and is easy to use. You can sign up for an Oxford-based email address, which will be yours for life. Addresses will take the form firstname.lastname@college.oxon.org Any messages sent to the alumni email address can be automatically forwarded to any address of your choice.

For more information and to sign up go to:

Sign-up page: www.oxon.org/alumnus/signup
Frequently asked questions: www.oxon.org/alumnus/faq

The Inaugural New York City Drinks, held in The Friars Club on Thursday 30th November, were attended by 11 Old Members and the Director of Development. Most of those attending prolonged the occasion by going for dinner together to catch up.

This year's London City Drinks, held at Lawrence Graham LLP on The Strand, was well attended Old Members working in Finance, Law or Business (the financiers definitely outnumbered their counterparts this year!) The Rector spoke to the gathering about the recent votes in Congregation on governance reforms as well as Exeter's plans for the coming year. It was a highly enjoyable evening all round, so if you weren't able to attend this year, do look out for your invitation to next year's event.

The College recently appointed Katrina Hancock (1998, Earth Sciences) to the position of Director of Development. Katrina has worked in the Development Office for the last 2 years and is looking forward to leading the Office into the 700th Anniversary Campaign.

November sees Richard's new libretto, adapted from his own translation from the German, for Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel performed by the Los Angeles Opera company. The production is running from 19th November - 17th December in Los Angeles

When current Provost, Margaret MacMillan's, 5-year term ends in June 2007, Andrew Orchard will become the 14th Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College in the University of Toronto. Andrew is currently the Director of the Centre for Medieval Studies.

Invitations have now been sent out for this year's Exeter College City Drinks on Tuesday 5th December. The venue this year will be the offices of Lawrence Graham LLP (kindly provided by Robert Field, 1973, Modern Languages) at 190 The Strand. The popularity of this event has prompted us to run a similar one on the other side of the Atlantic. The inaugural New York City Drinks will be held on Thursday 30th November at the Friar's Club in New York.

Filming has begun on the adaptation of the first of Philip Pullman's (1965, English) His Dark Materials trilogy. The film crew and some of the stars, including James Bond actor Daniel Craig, took up residence in College for a week to shoot some of the scenes in the fictitious Jordan College. Watch out for familiar scenery when the film hits cinemas next year!

Frances Cairncross has given an address at the Festival of Science in her role as this year's President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The Rector spoke on the topic of climate change, emphasising the importance of solving some of the unanswered questions of global warming and the need to develop strategies for dealing with extreme weather. She finished with a call to the government and to schools to improve the quality of science education in Britain. You can read the full address here.

Two students at St Hilda's and Pembroke have dreamed up Our Oxford: The Real Student Life featuring 150 photographs taken by students at Oxford University that mark particular 'moments' in their time at Oxford. These moments include matriculation, the Colleges, dons, student parties, rowing, rugby, and cramming. The book is priced at £9.99 and the profits will go to 5 Oxford charities: Jacari, Emilie's Charities, Oxford Adaptive Rowing Club, The Gatehouse and the Exeter College Vacation Project. For more information on the book go to www.oxfordmoment.com.

16 Exeter College students received a first class honours degree in 2006 in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Economics & Management, Engineering Science (2), Engineering, Economics & Management, English, Jurisprudence (2), Mathematics, Modern History (2), Modern Languages, PPE, Medical Sciences and Physiological Sciences. Congratulations to all the 2006 Leavers for a wonderful set of results and welcome to the community of Old Members!

Two new European branches of the Oxford University Society have been opened, in the Netherlands and in Berlin. Go to www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/branches for more details.

Ian Hall has been appointed to the post of Lecturer, School of History and Politics, University of Adelaide from June 2006. Ian's new book 'The International Thought of Martin Wight' (New York: Palgrave) will be out in September.

The Captain of the Exeter College Rugby Football Club this year extended an invitation to Old Members to join the student players at their annual Dinner, held on the 3rd March. Exonians from the '80s, '90s and '00s attended, but it was the players from the 1963-66 teams who were here in force to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1965-6 team becoming League Champions - many travelled from as far afield as Australia, Canada and South Africa for the occasion.

The event, held in the Residence of the British Ambassador in Washington D.C., celebrated the success of the Williams-Exeter Programme and recognised a generous donation by Mr Bennett Boskey (Williams College).

Hannah Matthews (Classics) and Octave Oppetit (Engineering and Computer Science) were awarded Exeter College Association Travel Scholarships to North America and to Australasia and Asia respectively. For more information please contact the Development Office.

John Walter has been awarded the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting and Sculpture to the British School in Rome for 2006-2007. The Scholarship covers room and board plus a generous monthly stipend and travel budget to make work in Rome.

Reverend Atwell was installed as Dean of Winchester Cathedral on 25th March 2006.

Nancy Kenny, the Oxford University Society Secretary, paid a visit down-under in February, taking in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

The annual dinner for those who read or are now working in the field of Law was held on 24th February. 28 Old Members attended.

The Gaudy for 1985-87 matriculands on the 7th January 2006 was a great success with almost 80 Old Members from across the year groups attending. The speaker for the evening was Jonathan Gittos (1986, English) who, among other things, reminisced about his time as Captain of Boats when he sent a crew into the weir at Iffley! Photographs from the event are available to purchase from www.studio-8.co.uk.

Following the success of the alumni card with recent graduates, the Oxford University Society is now in the process of rolling out alumni cards to all its members. The card offers a host of benefits to alumni of the University including discounts on:

• Accommodation in and around Oxford
• Access to University and College buildings, including the University Museums
• Dining out
• Theatre and cinema tickets
• Car hire

For more information on the cards, please visit the website at www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/services/alumnicard/index.shtml. If you are a member of the OUS (ie if you receive Oxford Today) then a card should reach you before the end of the year. If you are not a member of OUS you can register online.

Mark Allen

Mark Allen (1968, Oriental Studies) was knighted in the New Year Honours list.

Professor Andrew Blake

Former Engineering Science Fellow Andrew Blake has been elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society.

Matt Hancock & Matt Coates

Matt Hancock (1996, PPE) and Matt Coates (1999, MSc Engineering) are planning a trip to the Magnetic North Pole. The expedition will last for 8 weeks and is due to begin in mid-March 2005.

A series of talks at Exeter College

• Robert Fox, Defence Correspondent of the London Evening Standard and veteran of the Falklands, Kosovo and Iraq will be talking on how to survive as a defence corr - in the Lodgings on Wednesday January 19th at 5.45.
• Monday January 24th - John Micklethwait, American Editor of The Economist and co-author of The Right Nation on Why America is so Right (5.45 in the Lodgings)
• Wednesday January 26th - Richard Sandbrook, co-founder of Friends of the Earth UK and Julia Marton LeFevre of LEAD International on Are NGOs Bad for the Environment? (5.45 in the Lodgings)
• Monday January 31st - Masterclass by Deloittes on how to write a cv and how to be interviewed. (5.45 in the Lodgings).
• Wednesday February 2nd - Linda Christmas, Director, Newspaper Journalism course, City University (the best journalism course in Europe) on How to be a Journalist - see here. (5.45 in the Lodgings)
• Monday February 7th - Matt Coates and Matt Hancock, Exeter College Old Members, on their coming expedition to the North Pole (see here)
• Tuesday February 15th - A conversation with A S Byatt - part of the Turl Street Arts Festival - 5.45 the Saskatchewan Room
• Wednesday February 16th - Gareth Davies, Governor, Pentonville Prison. Gareth Davies ran the prison service in the British-controlled sector of Iraq at the time of the Abu Ghraib abuses.
• Wednesday February 23td - Helena Kennedy - The Lodgings, 5.45.
• Sunday 27 February - Chris Patten, Chancellor, University of Oxford - 9pm, Saskatchewan Room
• Wednesday March 2nd - Lord Butler, Master of University College and chairman of the Butler Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction, 9pm. Saskatchewan Room
• Friday March 4th - Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, time tba.

Careers evening

Exeter College held a series of career talks on February 7th. The following Old Members gave presentations on their profession:

• Roger Alton, editor of The Observer
• George Bowen, starting a business
• Nick Kendall-Carpenter, National Trust charities
• Colin Fox, Intuitive Systems, IT
• Jenny Sweet, advertising
• Tracy Northey, Morgan Stanley finance and banking
• Jeremy Pocklington, HM Treasury, civil service
• Danny Robins, script-writing for the BBC
• Paul Doherty, Head Teacher, Redbridge, school teaching.

Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman has been named 'Greatest Briton in the Arts 2004' in an awards ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Film Award

A short film, entitled 'Le Cauchemar de l'Homme: Noir et Blanc', and made by Matthew Green (2001, Modern History) and Duncan Brown (2002, English), won the University Film Cuppers competition which took place during 7th week of Hilary term.

Battle of the Bands

Exeter College band Hammer vs the Snake won the Oxford University Battle of the Bands in week 7 of Hilary Term. The band consists of:

• Stephen Wood (2003, Organ Scholar - Music) - Keyboards and vocals
• Christopher Martin (2002, Mathematics) - Drums
• Gregory Jenkins (2003, Mathematics) - Guitar
• Phillip Nash (2003, Mathematics and Computing) - Bass guitar

John Fasman

John Fasman (1998, MPhil) published 'The Geographer's Library', his debut novel, on 3 February 2005.

Jeremy Cresswell

Jeremy Cresswell (PPE, 1968) has been appointed British High Commissioner to Jamaica.

Joseph Nye

Professor Joseph Nye (1958, PPE) recently published a novel, entitled The Power Game: A Washington Novel

Jazz event

As part of the Turl Street Arts Festival, February 19th 2005 saw the first ever Exeter College Jazz Event. The event lasted all day, and included a jazz workshop, a jazz parade around the Turl, and a concert in Hall.

Chris Vigar

Chris Vigar (1973, Modern History) was awarded an MBE for Services to British Business Interests in Luxembourg

Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman (1965, English) has been awarded a CBE for services to Literature in the New Year Honours List.

Surya Subedi

Surya Subedi (1989, International Law) has been awarded an honorary OBE for his services to UK-Nepalese relations

Peter Truscott

Peter Truscott (1978, Modern History) has been elevated to the House of Lords

Frances Cairncross

Rector elect Frances Cairncross has been awarded a CBE for services to Social Sciences in the New Year Honours List.

Tim Binyon

Tim Binyon (1956, Modern Languages) has been awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction. See article in Times

Shom Bhattacharya

(1971, Modern History) has been appointed Chief Risk Officer at AIB. Mr Bhattacharya will report to chief executive Michael Buckley and be on the AIB executive committee.

David Carey

(1938, PPE) has been selected to be inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame on January 31, 2004 in Pinehurt, North Carolina. He was inducted on May 4 into the Western North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. He has been ranked number one in his age group in tennis singles and doubles.

Bruce Carnegie-Brown

(1978, English) has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Marsh, the risk and insurances services firm - a unit of Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC). Marsh Press Release

Edgar Codd

(1941, Mathematics) passed away on 18 April. He was the inventor of the relational database. Obituaries:The Independent 1 May, The Times 1 May (Search for Codd), USA Today 23 April, IBM Research News (includes landmark paper)

Paul Doherty

(1973, History D.Phil.) headmaster, prolific and well-known author has recently published the book of his thesis entitled Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II. 'That this was a genuine affair of the heart is well displayed by Doherty.' Times Literary Supplement, March 14, 2003. 'Doherty skilfully illuminates the life of the enigmatic Isabella' Independent on Sunday, March 23, 2003. Available at Amazon.co.uk

Stephen Green

(1966, PPE) has been named as the next Chief Executive of HSBC, the world's second largest bank. Currently Executive Director, Corporate, Investment Banking and Markets, he will succeed Sir Keith Whitson after the AGM on 30 May 2003. In addition to retaining his existing responsibilities, Mr Green will oversee all other HSBC businesses, including personal financial services, commercial banking and insurance. Mr Green joined HSBC in 1982.

Richard Hills

(1999, Music and Organ Scholar) is the new Organ Scholar at Westminster Abbey

Peter Mieville

(1971, English) will be at Heffers, Cambridge for the launch of The Mysterious Burnchester Hall by (Peter) Dominic Mieville at 6.30pm on Friday 10th October 2003. Tickets are free and can be reserved from Clair Goodhead, Manager on 01223-568525, 01223-568568. All are welcome. The book is a mystery and adventure and aimed at children of 9/10 upwards. It is hoped that adults will enjoy th novel. If there any Old Members in the Woodbridge area Peter will be signing copies on 11th October at 10.30. Purchase online from Amazon

Yves-Marie Morissette

(1973, Law) has been appointed a judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal.

Howard Rosen

(1974, Jurisprudence) has been made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his services as President of the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce: see www.bscc.co.uk For further information on Howard Rosen, please visit: www.legalease.ch

Murray Tobias

(1961, Law) has been appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a Judge of Appeal of that Court.

Tom Wright

(1968, Lit. Hum.) was consecrated Bishop on 3 July 2003. He will be enthroned as Bishop of Durham in the autumn. Dr Wright is the second old member to hold this office. The late Maurice Harland (1919, Lit. Hum.) became Bishop of Durham in 1956.

Chris Zook

(1973, Economics M.Phil.) has recently published his latest book, "Beyond the Core". Available in the U.K. on 1 January 2004 at Amazon.co.uk

Sydney Brenner

(1952), along with two other scientists, has won the Nobel Prize for Medicine. The prize was awarded for his pioneering work on cell division. He is also known for the discovery of messenger RNA. For more details: BBC report.

Matt Coates

(1998, Materials Science) has recently travelled to the magnetic pole. He has written a wonderfully evocative account of the expedition: A journey to the magnetic pole.

Sarah Colvin

(1986, Modern Languages) has recently written a new play. 'Balance' has its first reading at the Arches' festival of new Scottish theatre on 6 March. The Scotsman.

Charles Cotton

(1965, Physics) has been elected Executive Chairman of GlobespanVirata.

Elizabeth Crowther-Hunt

(daughter of former Rector Lord Crowther-Hunt) formerly executive director of the Prince's Trust has been made an LVO (Royal Victorian Order) in the New Year Honours List.

David Hartnett

(1971, English) is currently working on a screenplay of his first novel, Black Milk, set in an imaginary Jewish Ghetto during the Second World War.

Melissa Jones

(1984, English) is now adapting her first novel, Cold in Earth, for the BBC. Her second novel is entitled Sick at Heart. More details.

Ben Moxham

(1998, PPE) has won a Fulbright Scholarship.

Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman (1965, English) won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize on 22 January. Mr Pullman is represented by Caradoc King (1965, English) of the literary agency A P Watt. They met on their first day in College in October 1965 and have remained friends ever since. Author's Website, press reports: Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times & BBC Report.

Caleb Watts

(1997, Mathematics & Philosophy) has won a Fulbright Scholarship to Harvard.

Alexander Wedderburn

(1955, PPP) is president-elect of the British Psychological Society. He will be President from April 2003. Heriot-Watt University has elected him Professor Emeritus.

Christopher Albiston

(1972, Modern History) has been appointed Police Chief of Kosovo by the UN

Pierre Audi

(1975, Oriental Studies) was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands in the order of the Dutch Lion for his services to Dutch cultural life (2000). He has been named Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the French President. He has been awarded the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Theaterprijs for his work as director and artistic director of De Nederlandse Opera.

Miranda Carter

(1983, Modern History) has written Anthony Blunt: His Lives (Macmillan).

Ronald Cohen

(1964, Lit. Hum) was knighted in the New Year Honours List.

Peter Job

(1958, Modern Languages) was knighted in the Birthday Honours List.

John Agyekum Kufour

(1961, PPE) has been elected President of Ghana.

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski

(1956, PPE) will be Minister of Finances in the new Alejandro Toledohis administration in Peru.

Iain Lumsden

(1964, Mathematics) currently Group Finance Director will become Group Chief Executive of the Standard Life Assurance Company on 16 March 2002.

James K McConica

Saskatchewan Rhodes Scholar (1951, Modern History), has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Arun Midha

(1987, Social Studies), appointments - General Medical Council (November 2000); non-executive director Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (August 2000); member of the Welsh Language Board (April 2000).

Joseph S Nye

(1958, PPE) Dean of the Kennedy School Harvard University, will be Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford in Trinity Term 2001.

Arthur Peacocke

(1942, Chemistry) has been awarded the 2001 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion for his scholarly work and activities in the field of science and religion.

Philip Pullman

(1965, English) winner of The Carnegie Medal (the most prestigious award given for children's literature) is being profiled on BBC Knowledge on Christmas Day 2001.

Stansfield Turner

(1947, PPE) Director of the CIA from 1977 to 1981 contributed to a Panorama programme on the CIA called Deep Down and Dirty. It was transmitted on Sunday 1 December 2001. A transcript is available online.