On Saturday 24th March, ODs deviated from the well-trodden path to Oxford to visit the arguably more beautiful Cambridge. The Bishops-Oxford relationship is cemented through the Bishops Rhodes Scholarships and because of this, there has been at least one OD there every year since 1902.
But Cambridge is almost an ODU Branch of its own. Whether it be law, engineering, medicine or any number of other disciplines, ODs have distinguished themselves at Cambridge for over a century.
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ODs in the Magdalene Quad
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Philip Hazel (F, 1961) is one of those ODs. A Theron Scholar at Bishops, he completed his degrees at UCT, after which he went up to Cambridge where he earned his PhD in maths and then joined the university's fledgling computer services department where he stayed until his retirement ten years ago.
Chris Molteno (G, 2010) who won one of the Gates Cambridge Scholarships last year and is now reading for an MPhil in Sustainable Engineering is another. Both Chris (whose idea the visit was) and Philip were responsible for arranging the visit and for recruiting Doug Dennis to lead us around the historic and iconic landscape of Cambridge. Doug is a certified Cambridge guide and his encyclopaedic knowledge, enthusiasm and sympathy (in the true sense of the word) toward his subject were inspiring.
We were delighted also that
Tessa Fairbairn, former Headmistress of St Cyprians, was able to be with us for the tour.
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The Mitre:
the home of ODs wherever they are |
We - ODs, families and friends - gathered at The Eagle at lunchtime to consume an adequate energy intake to sustain us through the afternoon walking. And walk we did.
From there, we visited King's College including the world-famous chapel, Trinity College (where we were to have dinner later) St John's (Philip's old college) and Magdalene (Chris's) - and many other sites inbetween.
Our enthusiasm to punt on the River Cam was dampened by the inclement weather, but vicariously, we enjoyed the activities on a different river by curling up in front of a TV with a glass of wine in Magdalene's Middle Common Room to watch, satisfyingly, Cambridge thrash Oxford in the annual boat race.
Dinner in the Allhusen Room in Trinity was an elegant affair. OD ties abounded. Appropriately we drank South African wines (a lot) and the College Port (also a lot).
Choppy Bands (K, 1990) made a very amusing and well-crafted speech at the end of which he thanked and presented small gifts to Chris and Philip.
We all thank Philip and Chris for their organisation and resilience! Much appreciated.
The tour party is listed at the end of this post.
Please click on the photos if you'd like to enlarge them.
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| Andy Jackson and Peter and Cecilia Boycott at The Eagle (Choppy Bands and Doug Dennis reflecting) |
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| Choppy Bands and Greg Baldwin |
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| David Jordan admiring the Corpus Clock and the Chronophage, the time-eating monster. |
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| Sarah, Cecilia and Peter Boycott, Choppy Bands, David Jordan and Doug Dennis |
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| Clockwise from left: Judith Hazel, David Jordan, Greg Baldwin, Philip Hazel, Cecilia and Peter Boycott, Chris Molteno and Sarah Boycott |
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Front: Philip Hazel, Zoe Walker, Greg Baldwin, Choppy Bands, David Jordan, Judith Hazel, Andy Jackson
Back: Cecilia Boycott, Tessa Fairbairn, Peter Boycott and Chris Molteno |
Chelsie Riche (to us, known as SW3 - work it out), Josh Miller (M, 2009) a welcome and temporary member of the party, Zoe walker and Andy Jackson
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| Tessa Fairbairn, Judith Hazel, Choppy Bands, Greg Baldwin, Philip Hazel, David Jordan, Sarah and Philip Boycott and Chelsie Riche |
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| Andy Jackson, Zoe Walker, Peter and Cecilia Boycott, Greg Baldwin, Tessa Fairbairn, Choppy Bands, David Jordan, Nicky Bicket and Chris Molteno |
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| In the Cambridge MCR: Andy Jackson, Greg Baldwin, David Jordan and Sarah Boycott |
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| Choppy Bands and Greg Baldwin |
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| Chris Molteno, Philip Hazel, Greg Baldwin and David Jordan |
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| The Douglas Adams Exhibition in the Old Library of St John's College: Andy Jackson, Judith Hazel and Chris Molteno |
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| Douglas Adams's handwritten texts |
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| Philip Hazel, Chris Molteno, Choppy Bands and Andy Jackson |
And then, tubbed and scrubbed, to dinner in Trinity, drinks first:
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| Cecilia and Peter Boycott and Greg Baldwin |
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| Tessa Fairbairn and David Jordan |
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| Andy Jackson, Zoe Walker, Greg Baldwin, Chris Molteno and Chelsie Riche |
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| Peter Boycott and Andy Jackson |
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| Judith and Philip Hazel and Zoe Walker |
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| Philip Hazel, Andy Jackson and Sarah Boycott |
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| Cecilia Boycott, Greg Baldwin, Judith Hazel and Chris Molteno |
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| Choppy Bands and David Jordan |
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| Nicky Bicket, David Jordan, Sarah and Cecilia Boycott and Greg Baldwin |
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| Zoe Walker and Chris Molteno |
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| Speechmaker par excellence, Choppy Bands listened to in awe by Sarah Boycott and Zoe Walker |
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| Philip Hazel, Choppy Bands, Andy Jackson, Judith Hazel and Chelsie Riche |
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| The Menu and the Port |
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| Battered but not beaten - our warriors wend their weary way to their lodgings: Choppy Bands, Chris Molteno and Greg Baldwin |
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Some of what we saw:
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| The bunches of flowers in the centre picture are outside the gates to Gonville and Caius College laid by well-wishers to mark the passing last week of Stephen Hawking, alumnus of G&C. |
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| The Chapel of King's College |
