Dear Members and Friends,
I am delighted to introduce the latest edition of e-Matters, another bumper edition of news, events and offers.
It comes to you in the week that Christ Church reopens its doors to visitors after 16 months, and after almost all students have left for the summer. It is good to see visitors to Oxford once again being able to enjoy the beauty and splendour of the House. Information about booking a visit, and about opportunities to stay in college over the summer, can be found in this edition.
We are looking forward to welcoming back many of you at the numerous autumn events. As well as the Women’s 40th Anniversary weekend in September, we are holding gaudies for the years 1971-1975 and 1976-1980 on 8th September and 1st October respectively. Invitations have now gone out to those eligible to attend. If you are within these year groups and have not received your invitation, please do get in touch with the team by emailing development.office@chch.ox.ac.uk
The Board of Benefactors Gaudy will be held on 11th September and the lunch for members of the 1546 Society will take place on 12th September. We look forward to seeing and thanking the College’s donors and supporters in person. For more information on forthcoming events, please see: https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/events/all/alumni-and-development
In the meantime, we look forward to hearing from you.
With best wishes from us all,
Philippa Roberts
Interim Development Director
News from the House
Women's 40th Celebrations
Sneak preview into the Women’s 40th Weekend schedule
We are delighted to announce that on Saturday 18th September, as part of the 40 Years of Women at the House weekend celebrations, we will be joined by Professor Emmanuela Tandello, Jacqueline Thalmann, Professor Joanna Woodall, Professor Catherine Whistler and Lucy Whitaker for a panel discussion entitled ‘Women of the Picture Gallery: Curators Past and Present.’
The discussion will be chaired by Professor Emmanuela Tandello, Tutor in Italian, Official Student of Christ Church and the first - and so far only - female Student curator, the so-called Curator of Pictures from 2006-2016.
Jacqueline is our current curator, and has been in post for 18 years. Jacqueline knows the gallery like the back of her hand, and never fails to amaze with her fascinating insights into its contents.
Joanna was Assistant Curator of the gallery from 1982-85, so was in good company with the first years of women undergraduates at the House. Since then, she has gone on to become Professor in History of Art at the Courtauld, focusing on Netherlandish Art.
Catherine led the Gallery as Curator from 1985-88, and is currently Keeper of Western Art at the Ashmolean. Catherine works on wide-ranging projects of an interdisciplinary nature, particularly on Italian art, and most recently, on themes of anonymity, identity, collaboration and multiple authorship.
Lucy took on the role at Christ Church from 1989-1996. Later, she became Senior Curator of Paintings and Head of Research at the Royal Collection, London. She has published on Venetian Art, the works of Italian artists in the Royal Collection and on the ‘Northern Renaissance’.
We are honoured to invite these women to re-join us in the Picture Gallery, in celebration of 40 Years of Women at the House. It will be excellent to hear of their experiences at Christ Church. In a piece about her early days at Christ Church, Joanna recalls: ‘At interview, I remember, I spent a considerable time persuading the gentlemen comprising the Pictures Committee of my ability to handle not just a screwdriver but an electric drill, and of my physical capacity to lift and shift paintings’…!
This exciting panel discussion is just one of the many events we will hold throughout the weekend, so keep an eye out for future sneak previews into the schedule. The events on Friday and Saturday are open to our alumnae, whilst Sunday will be a family day for partners/spouses and children.
Sign up to join us for the weekend here.
Please email development.office@chch.ox.ac.uk with any questions.
Christ Church ✕ PSiCHArt Virtual Art Event
Thank you to all those who joined us for the PSiCHart X Christ Church event on Wednesday 30th June! It was great to see such a mix of current junior members, staff and alumni coming together to chat and collaborate on a piece of art.
Christ Church alumnus Niccolo Pescetelli (2013), and his team at SURU, organised a thought-provoking session, with plenty of discussion around the topic '40 Years of Women at the House’. After hearing experiences from women across the 40 years, Valeria Szucs, a watercolour artist based in South Wales, brought to life the most popular ideas in her painting. The blank sheet was soon transformed into a painting depicting life at Christ Church, how it was changed when women first studied as undergraduates, and what it might look like in the future.
Valeria will make the finishing touches to the painting, which will be ready in a few weeks’ time. We will then have the chance to share the image, and put it on display at our anniversary weekend in September. Commemorative postcards will be available, too. It was wonderful to reflect on some of the important themes of this anniversary, and we look forward to more celebrations soon.
If you are feeling creative or nostalgic, please do send in some pictures representing your time at Christ Church, to add to our collage. Please ensure that anyone featuring in the image has given permission for it to be shared. The collage will be on display alongside our PSiCHart piece in September. Get in touch at development.office@chch.ox.ac.uk to submit your photos, or if you have any questions about 40 Years of Women at the House.
Women's 40th Anniversary Photo in Tom Quad
On Friday 25th June, many current women of the House gathered in Tom Quad for an historic photograph to mark the anniversary of 40 Years of Women undergraduates at Christ Church. Over 150 women turned up to celebrate the occasion together, quite a wonderful contrast to the 1980 matriculation photo in which there were a sparse 24 women in a sea of men.
It was amazing to see members from all parts of Christ Church, with Senior and Junior Members, academic and non-academic staff. Afterwards there was the chance for all those attending to enjoy refreshments in Tom Quad.
In spite of the difficult logistics of gathering in a COVID secure way, it was excellent to take this commemorative photograph, which will be produced shortly and will be on display in the September weekend.
Women at the House Film Series
The sixth in our series of films on Christ Church alumnae features Professor Clare Grey, FRS.
Professor Clare Grey, FRS, is a multi-award-winning Professor of Chemistry, whose research specialises in applications of nuclear magnetic resonance and its use to study lithium ion batteries.
Clare came up to Christ Church as a chemistry undergraduate in 1983, and left with a DPhil in 1991. In conversation for ‘40 Years of Women at the House’, Clare discussed how her fourth year at Christ Church, and her inspiring tutor Tony Cheetham, sparked an interest in research, which would go on to shape the rest of her career.
Clare was the first woman to hold the post of Head of Inorganic Chemistry at Cambridge, and is currently the Geoffrey Moorhouse Gibson Professor and a Royal Society Professor in the Department of Chemistry and a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Clare is also to be awarded The Körber European Science Prize on 10 September 2021. The Körber Prize, worth one million euros, is awarded for excellent and innovative research approaches with high application potential.
Clare was recently elected to an Honorary Studentship at Christ Church, along with alumni Dame Emma Walmsley, Professor Homi Bhabha, and (as announced below) poet Vahni Capildeo.
Watch our interview with Clare below, to hear about her time at Christ Church, her passion for her science and her ongoing desire to make a positive impact on the world.
Covid-19 Student Support Fund
A huge thank you to all Members and Friends who have contributed to the Covid-19 Student Support Fund and have extended help for our students in the pandemic.
The funds have been allocated to student welfare and support, which includes: additional teaching for students affected by the pandemic, support for the College Library, marquee hire so students have a covered and heated outdoor space in which to socialise, an outdoor cinema for students, student barbecues, a non-academic staff party, and support for 2020 finalists to attend a dinner in 2021.
Our thanks to all donors who have supported our Covid Student Support Appeal.
Poet Vahni Capildeo elected to an Honorary Studentship
Christ Church's Governing Body has elected Vahni Capildeo to an Honorary Studentship. Vahni Capildeo is a distinguished Trinidadian-British poet whose work has repeatedly attracted the attention of poetry prize committees. They were elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2019.
Vahni Capildeo read English at Christ Church and went on to study for an MPhil and DPhil in Oxford. Their most recent work includes Measures of Expatriation (2016), which won the 2016 Forward Prize, and Venus as a Bear (2018). There is more information about their work on the Poetry Foundation's website.
Vahni Capildeo joins three other extraordinary individuals who were likewise elected this term to Honorary Studentships. For more information about their election and the history of Honorary Studentships at Christ Church, see this earlier news story.
From the Library...
The Library is pleased to announce that a new selection of rare or unique items from the Lewis Carroll collection at Christ Church is now available in digital form. Most of these items are part of a donation by Robert Vernon Harcourt in 1984. All are available on the Digital Bodleian platform and directly on Christ Church Digital Library / The Lewis Carroll Collection. For further details, please see https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/library-and-archives/more-works-lewis-carroll-digitised
Dr Cristina Neagu
Keeper of Special Collections
College Life Blog: Reflections on College life during the pandemic
Dr Lucy Taylor, Junior Research Fellow in Biology, reflects on living in Christ Church for more than a year under pandemic conditions.
"I have been fortunate to live at Christ Church throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. On the first day of the UK national lockdown on the 23rd of March 2020, I walked out onto St. Aldate’s (the main street outside Christ Church) and was met with almost complete silence. It was both amazing and strange to see Oxford go from a bustling metropolis full of buses, cars, students, shoppers, and tourists to silence in a matter of days. The doors of Christ Church were closed, which normally only happens at night. The number of staff on site was cut down to the absolute minimum with just the porters, security, and a few essential buildings and maintenance staff, along with the lucky few of us who live here, and a small number of students who were unable to go home. It was incredible to walk into The Great Quadrangle (Tom Quad) and hear nothing but the birds singing and the gentle splash of water from Mercury fountain. It was so peaceful and calming, which was especially welcome during a time of such turmoil and worry. "
Click here to continue reading Lucy's blog.
Christ Church Boat Club Report
Due to safety concerns that come with the current lack of experience on the river across the University’s boat clubs, OURCS decided that this summer, bumps would compete under the slightly more safety conscious Torpids rules. Summer Eights 2021, was therefore replaced with Summer Torpids 2021.
Rowing on was on Saturday 5th June and the House had the largest college entry for some time - eight crews – and four men’s and three women’s boats secured a place. The Head Coach, James Bracey, his assistant coaches, and the crews, had worked hard to prepare for the racing and there was a definite sense of expectation as the first day approached
Summer Torpids was moved from 5th week to 7th week, and spectators were discouraged. However, thanks to two ChCh alumni we were able to livestream the racing for the first time, and the Boat Club paid for a large screen to be erected by the Thatched Barn complex in the Meadows. Footage of the four days and other Torpids racing may be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ourcs
The first three days were exciting, action packed, and full of bumps for the House crews. The week came to a bizarre end on the Friday evening, with the W1 boat involved in a controversial final race. The President, Eoin Simpkins, writes:
“We can look back on the week with some pride and start preparing for 2022. There are some sour grapes in some of these reports; you’re going to have to trust me that I am grateful to the Race Committee for making this week happen, but my goodness they did make some strange decisions!
M1 chased St Catherine’s for the third day in a row and pushed them all the way. We got an overlap by the end of Boathouse island, but they put in an unbelievably gutsy push, and their cox executed a textbook runaway across the river and we missed out on the bump by a couple of inches. It was a phenomenal 1300m sprint from our boys, who put absolutely everything on the line."
"W1 were victims of an enormous injustice at the hands of what can only be described as the worst decision I have ever seen made by a race committee. Wolfson, who weren’t quite as quick as our W1, but just about quick enough to hold them off and bump Hertford to gain Headship, blocked the racing line, causing the race to be stopped, robbing our girls of an unbelievable fourth overbump for blades. If this wasn’t unbelievable enough, the race committee placed the fault of the incident with Hertford and Christ Church, docking Hertford four places and Christ Church two places. The entire Oxford Rowing community is both bewildered and furious. We are still deciding on the best course of action, with an appeal at the captains' meeting on the cards. A really sad end to the week for W1, who were in my opinion, the best purely college crew on the river. No one from the open weight Blue boat, no one from Osiris, just a really, really, good college crew."
"M2 were also robbed of blades by some staggering incompetence, when the crew ahead of them conceded after they had already bumped out. They were therefore not a racing crew, and blocked M2’s path to catch Pembroke M2 ahead to claim 2nd VIII headship. However, since the boys bumped 4 crews this week anyway, discretionary blades are being considered."
"W2 finished their week on a high with another overbump, their third in a row. After the disappointment of, yes, you guessed it, some shocking decisions by the race desk on Tuesday, which saw them drop to the bottom of their division, they bounced back brilliantly."
"M3 bumped well before the boathouse on Friday to secure their blades. I’m told they rowed well, but they bumped so early every day that I didn’t even get the chance to see them row! W3 finished their week with a bump too, making it 3 out of 4 on the week. M4 became the first Christ Church 4th Eight since 1969 to win Torpids blades (and the first in even longer to win them in June!!) with an emphatic bump on Antony’s M2.*
Thank you for all of your support over the last week. The club picked up a total of 25 bumps this week, more than any other college.”
*Eoin’s initial report to the Boat Club has been corrected by Christopher Kinch: “I hope Eoin won't mind if I correct one point, even as I congratulate M4 on their blades. The record needs to reflect that the fourth boat in 1972 Summer Eights bumped every day with an extra bump on Saturday as the sandwich boat. I warn you that at the first sight of a pint in the Buttery I might regale you with a blow by blow of each day's racing.... I know it is not much closer to the present day than 1969 but for some of us it is still vivid. Please see the attached evidence and ignore the apparently vainglorious title of RFC 1st VIII but the rugby club did provide two crews that summer much to boatman George Harris's delight and consternation.
Thanks to all concerned and congrats to all at Ch Ch BC for a whole-hearted week's racing.”
The latest news is the Women’s VIII has qualified for Women’s Henley, beating Wolfson en-route! We are hoping the Men will produce an VIII for HRR which has been postponed until August.
Women's Henley
Last week, the women of Christ Church Boat Club attended Henley Women's Regatta. The preceding days saw a multitude of complications as a result of Covid cases and close contact alerts, causing a number of last-minute crew changes. Nevertheless, the Club was able to field a very strong VIII, which qualified 12th, and first out of the Oxford colleges that entered. We believe this is the first Christ Church women's boat to qualify for Henley Women's Regatta, a fitting landmark in a season during which we celebrated 40 years of women at the House.
The boat represented a mix of first and second boat rowers from Summer Eights, and its success in qualifying and competing in Round 1 is testament to the depth of the squad that has been built over the course of the year. I have every faith that this upward trajectory will continue for the women's squad, and indeed the whole club, in the years to come. Huge thanks must be extended to our alumni and friends who have continued to support us through the challenges of Covid and as we come out of it.
Anna Betteridge, President of Christ Church Boat Club
Rugby Varsity Match 2021
The Rugby Varsity matches were held at Welford Road, Leicester on Sunday July 4th.
Oxford’s Women were strongly fancied to win but ended up going down 5-10 to the Light Blues. Christ Church’s Laurel Chor (2020, Biodiversity, Conservation & Management) came on as a substitute.
It was a different story in the Men’s match however, as the Dark Blues triumphed 34-7 in the 139th Varsity match. Christ Church’s Henry Hackett, (2018, Biochemistry - Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry) who came on as a substitute winger, scored twice and was Varsity’s Man of the Match.
Of course, there are other links between the House and the Varsity Rugby matches. Reg Clark (1976) who won rugby Blues in 1978 and 1979 and was the last person to captain Christ Church to victory in Rugby Cuppers in the latter year, is CEO of Rhino, who sponsored the game for the fourth year. He attended the captains’ photoshoot at Welford Road on June 16th together with his business partner England rugby legend Martin Johnson, see photo below.
Christ Church reopened on 5th July
After the departure of almost all students for the Summer, we are delighted to have reopened Christ Church for visits from Monday 5 July. In order to keep everyone safe and maintain social distancing on site, tickets (max 6) will need to be booked online in advance. Old Members have a dedicated booking site with free entry. Tickets are currently available for visits in July. Add a multimedia guide to your booking and enjoy watching interviews with staff and students, exclusive behind the scenes videos and much more! Please contact us on development.office@chch.ox.ac.uk to if you have any questions, and click here to make your booking.
Areas such as the Hall and Cathedral may close at short notice. Please email tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk the week of your visit to check if there are any known closures. If you are coming by car, please note that parking on site is not available. Visitors are encouraged to use the Park & Ride in Oxford.
Oxford Summer Getaway: Special Summer Offer for Christ Church Alumni
Christ Church are offering an excellent Dinner, Bed and Breakfast package for overnight stays during the Summer Vacation, with a special VIP rate for our Alumni.
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast (Single)
£140.00 per room, per night £105.00 for Alumni
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast (Twin/Double)
£235.00 per room, per night £190.00 for Alumni
To book your stay, please contact the Conference and Events Team directly on 01865 286877, or email conferenceoffice@chch.ox.ac.uk;
the team will be delighted to discuss the options for your special getaway with you.
Bed and Breakfast only stays can be booked directly on the Christ Church website www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/accommodation. Please use the promotion code ALUMNI to get our special Alumni rates!
Christ Church's English Sparkling Wine
Christ Church is pleased to announce that it will be launching its new English Sparkling Wine at the Women’s 40th Anniversary Event, 17 – 19 September.
Alumni and friends are invited to pre-order special presentation cases of this wine in advance of the event.
Christ Church has commissioned an English sparkling wine from the Hundred Hills vineyard in Oxfordshire. Hundred Hills is a very exciting newcomer to the English wine scene: their first vintage was 2016 and we shall be using wines from their 2018 vintage, a spectacular harvest for English wine.
More than a decade has gone into getting the wine perfect for release. Owners Steven and Fiona Duckett recall that when they first sent off samples from their Stonor Valley sites, the Montpellier lab asked from which part of the Côte des Blancs they were taken. Their winemaking has taken its cue from Frank Mazy, who is also advising Taittinger’s Domaine Evremond in Kent, Dr Michel Salgues of Champagne Roederer and Prof Pierre-Marie Guillaume of University of Montpellier.
Every care has been made to make the vineyard and the winery environmentally sustainable and geared towards fantastic wines, and the results speak for themselves. The tasting team found the wines to match the quality of our favourite sparkling wines. The whites were seductive and aromatic and the rosé was hardly like a rosé Champagne at all and more like a very fine Provençal rosé with a delicate mousse.
To find out more, visit https://hundredhills.wine/ or see this article from the drinks business “Is this England’s most select wine estate?”
The House has had an input into the blending and dosage process from Hundred Hills’ top wines, alongside their experts. Therefore, when we say it’s our wine, it really is bespoke, unique, and from the best ingredients we could find in this Country.
Due to the long ageing the wine will have undergone, the earliest it will be available is September of this year, just in time to celebrate Christ Church’s ‘40 Years of Women’. However, we will also lay down a quantity of the cuvée in order to mark the Quincentenary that we will be celebrating in 2025, in order to serve the wine at festivities throughout that year.
We would like to share this splendid wine with you. In order for us to gauge how much to buy, we are asking you to commit to an order in advance. The bottles you buy will be ready for drinking on arrival, but will also develop well over the next four years.
The Alumni and Friends’ Offer:
Presented in a special wooden case, which will also have the Cardinal’s Crest on it, alumni and friends may buy cases of six Christ Church white, six Christ Church rosé, or a mixture of 3 white and 3 rosé for £300 per case of six. This price includes VAT and carriage to a mainland UK address.
As quantities are limited pre-release orders are limited to a maximum of 12 white, and 12 rose per person. Payment is at the time of order, and delivery should be expected during the month of September.
Please order online here: https://chchwinecellar.creventa.app/menu
This special opening offer ends on the 31st August 2021, or when stocks run out.
For further details and questions, email: Emily.robotham@chch.ox.ac.uk
40th Anniversary Silk Scarves
A reminder that our limited-edition 40th Anniversary silk scarf (photo below) can be ordered through the new online shop. To visit the shop please click here.
News from Alumni
Birthday Honours 2021
Congratulations to Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert (Senior Associate Research Fellow), The Revd Canon Professor Nigel Biggar, The Hon. Dame Catherine Bingham (1983, Biochemistry), The Rt Hon. Earl Howe (1969, Classics) and Professor John Rowland Ryle (1970, English) on their awards in the recent Queens Birthday Honours.
Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Senior Associate Research Fellow at Christ Church, was awarded a DBE for services to Science and Public Health in Covid Vaccine Development. She is Saïd Professorship of Vaccinology at the Jenner Institute and Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and the co-creator of the Oxford Astra-Zeneca Covid vaccine.
The Revd Canon Professor Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Christ Church, was awarded CBE for services in higher education.
Dame Catherine Bingham, Former Chair of Vaccine Taskforce, was awarded DBE for services to the procurement, manufacture and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
Earl Howe, Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, was awarded GBE for his political and parliamentary service.
Professor John Ryle, Co-Founder of Rift Valley Institute, was awarded OBE for services to research and education in Sudan, South Sudan and The Horn of Africa.
Andrew Chamblin Concert 2021
We are pleased and grateful to be able to publish this edited version of an article by Nicola Lisle for www.oxinabox.co.uk about the organist, James O’Donnell's music choices for the Andrew Chamblin Organ concert which took place on the 24th June.
The hour-long concert included music by Bach, Handel, de Grigny, Gibbons and Byrd, representing different traditions.
“There’s quite a lot of English music,” James says. “I include Handel in that, even though of course he was German, but he’s kind of an adopted Englishman, and we rather possessively consider him to be an Englishman!
“So there’s the famous Arrival of the Queen of Sheba to begin with, from his oratorio Solomon.”
Born in Scotland but brought up in England, James studied at the Royal College of Music and later at Jesus College, Cambridge, as an organ scholar. He is currently Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, a position he has held since 2000.
Click here to read the full interview with James O'Donnell about his choice of programme for the concert. (Credit: Nicola Lisle for www.oxinabox.co.uk)
Andrew Chamblin, an old member of Christ Church (1991), died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2006 at the very early age of 36. A brilliant theoretical physicist, Andrew was additionally distinguished as an organist and harpsichordist with a passion for Bach. Given Andrew's own accomplishments as an organist and great appreciation of organ music, friends and relatives of Andrew have joined together to commemorate his memory by forming the Andrew Chamblin Memorial Concert Fund. The intention is to fund an annual organ concert to be given in Christ Church Cathedral. The Memorial Concert series that takes his name is now in its 15th year.
Click here to learn more about Andrew Chamblin Fund and make a gift.
Riz Ahmed: 'Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion'
Riz Ahmed (2001) has launched a fund to help combat "toxic portrayals" of Muslims in films.
Riz, in partnership with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the Ford Foundation and Pillars Fund, has launched a multi-layered initiative for Muslim representation in media. USC Annenberg’s new study on Muslim representation in media, titled Missing and Maligned, found that less than 10% of top grossing films from 2017-2019 had a Muslim character on screen. The coalition has created the Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion, as well as the Pillars Artist Fellowship, offering selected grantees an unrestricted award of $25,000.
The new Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion will include funding and mentoring for up-and-coming Muslim storytellers, while the $25,000 fellowships for young Muslim artists will be awarded by an advisory committee that will include such actors and comedians as Mahershala Ali, Ramy Youssef and Hasan Minhaj.
Click here to read the full article on BBC News.
Dr Anne Cotton (1997)
Dr Anne Cotton has been recently appointed the Head of King’s College School. She will be the first permanent female Head of King’s and takes up her position in September 2022.
Awarded a double first in Classics at Christ Church, Dr Cotton later completed her MSt in Classical Languages and Literature and her DPhil at the college.
Dr Cotton said: “It is an honour to have been invited to be the next Head of King’s. King’s has an incredible tradition in scholarship and intellectual energy, in kindness and care, and in the strength of its community and its partnerships. I am excited to have the opportunity to strengthen the school while stewarding its special character. I very much look forward to getting to know the King’s community, to working with pupils, staff, parents and Governors, and to leading the school in the next phase of its development.”
Click here to read full article.
Ed Linz (1974): They Never Threw Anything Away
They Never Threw Anything Away, Memories of the Great Depression by Americans Who Lived It, by Commander Ed Linz states that the parallels to our present time from 100 years ago are ominous: 1919-29….an international pandemic killing millions world-wide….a booming stock market….political turmoil….an all-too-familiar scenario for everyone now living during this current pandemic.
They Never Threw Anything Away provides an entertaining, all-too-plausible comparison of the eras, with stories told in their own words by Americans who lived through the social and economic chaos preceding, during, and after the Great Depression. During the late 1990’s, Linz interviewed a wide array of Americans from varying geographic regions and differing social strata. Among the stories are ones told by a Black man in southern Georgia who worked in a turpentine forest; a socialite (and friend of Ginger Rogers) whose famous engineer grandfather, John Stevens, took her on a steamship to visit his masterpiece, the Panama Canal; a teenage big band leader who played in the speakeasies on Long Island; the daughter of recent Greek immigrants who found herself in an L.A. tuberculosis sanitarium at age nine; a Seattle barnstorming aviator; Mennonite farm families in northern Indiana; teachers, who as very young women, worked in one-room schoolhouses in the Dust Bowl of the Midwest; a group of nursing students from the coal mining regions of Kentucky – and many other captivating memories of life during the Great Depression. Each story is interspersed with anecdotal facts about the events and circumstances mentioned during the interviews.
Order 'They Never Threw Anything Away' at edlinz.com or on Amazon.
Stephen DeLay (2013): In the Spirit
Steven DeLay (2013) published his latest book In the Spirit.
See below for the synopsis of the book:
"In a series of analyses dealing with issues of basic human concern such as love, hope, joy, beauty, desire, suffering, evil, and death, Steven DeLay articulates an existence of faith in Christ. With attention to the Bible and works of art (Caravaggio, Doré, Pissarro, Poussin, Rembrandt, and Rodin), DeLay explores the depths of the human experience, offering a descriptive account of our personal encounter with God. A contribution to the longstanding tradition of edifying Christian works, In the Spirit extols the glory of being human in light of God’s word."
Click here to order In the Spirit.
Other News
Jim Godfrey: A Road through the Meadow
2021 sees the 80th anniversary of one of the most fiercely contested and notorious town-planning proposals of the last century: The building of a road through Christ Church Meadow. It was the brainchild of the English architect T. Lawrence Dale, who, in September 1941, published a six-page pamphlet entitled ‘Christ Church Mall: a Diversion’. In it he proposed the building of a relief road across the southern edge of Christ Church Meadow, beside the River Thames, which would link the Iffley Road and the Abingdon Road, thereby bypassing the High Street.
Dale was responding to an issue that would concern town-planners throughout the country in the post-war years of the 1940s and 1950s; namely, how to re-design towns and cities in order to make them more suited to the needs of modern life. In particular, how to ease traffic congestion from ancient city centres unsuited to the motorcar. As a result, urban motorways and inner relief roads became something of an obsession as traffic management took centre stage.
At Oxford the issue was particularly grave, as the city suffered from another problem. By the mid-20th century Oxford had developed two quite distinct centres. The railway station, town hall and main shopping areas were all situated around or to the west of Carfax, the city’s historic centre. Meanwhile, out to the east, vast housing developments were being built to accommodate a new industrial workforce.
Click here to read full article from Jim Godfrey, the Cathedral Verger.
We are hoping to produce some interesting comments for use around the time of the actual anniversary in September. If any Members remember the events of the 1950s and 60s, and have personal reminiscences about the Meadow Road scheme, please get in touch with the Development Office by emailing development.office@chch.ox.ac.uk.
Alumni Poetry
Hardingfele
By Tuppy Morrissey (2016)
She writes,
Muted ego,
Fingers stained with ink.
The labour of her day
Is a device of the heart,
Geared towards his counsel.
She leaves
No woman’s land,
Proudly bearing upturned scar
Towards the cry of mercy,
Where soldiers used to clatter swords,
In search of trepidation.
She laughs,
Norwegian fiddle,
Four strings untouched
Yet resounding. An echo of
The bride and groom,
Who taught this one to sing.
Alumni Photography
We encourage all alumni and friends to submit photographs to us inspired by the poems featured on our Alumni Poetry Page. Poems and photographs will be collected together in the coming months and will eventually form an online exhibition celebrating alumni creative work.
To submit your photograph please:
- Have a look at our Alumni Poetry Page.
- Take a photograph inspired by one of the poems on the page.
- Email development.office@chch.ox.ac.uk with the photograph attached. Please specify which poem the photograph was inspired by.
