UNDER INVESTIGATION
WHAT’S ON…
MIKE HUGHES, HEAD GARDENER, BOTANIC GARDEN
…AT THE UNIVERSITY
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD? I wanted to join the police when I left school, but Durham weren’t doing cadetships that year, so the career advice folks found me a year on a youth training scheme at the Botanic Garden as I had an allotment at home. Been here since!
HAVE YOU GOT ANY PETS? Black lab, 38 sheep and half a dozen hens. WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT? Started reading the autobiography of Sir Ranulph Fiennes on holiday this summer, never seem to get the time at home to read. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR EPITAPH TO BE? I’m with Spike Milligan on this one, something to raise a smile, “I told you I was ill…….” WHICH HISTORICAL FIGURE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO BE? Any of the great plant hunters would be great, I’ll go for Joseph Banks who was Captain Cook’s Botanist.
WHERE WILL YOU BE GOING FOR YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY? Finland in February, never been there in the winter, can‘t wait to experience -25°c and jump in a frozen lake! WHAT SKILL OR TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO ACQUIRE? The ability to speak half a dozen different languages or more. GIVE ME A PICTURE OF YOUR IDEAL DAY? Run with the dog at first light, family breakfast (full English), potter on in the back garden for a bit, then out for a long bike ride, a sauna and then a nice steak and a bottle of good red wine. ON A SCALE OF 1–10, HOW MUCH DO YOU CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU? 1 for people who don’t know me, 10 for people who know me. WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST VICE? Work! I’m always thinking about new ideas, my family have finally realised that we always seem to go on holiday and funnily enough there is a garden nearby.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT? Credence Clearwater revival. WHAT ACHIEVEMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Being happily married and having a brilliant daughter.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD? Sitting on a hill overlooking Achmelvich bay in Scotland as the sun goes down.
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST SUBJECT? Geometrical and Technical drawing. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AND WHY? At my daughter, Sally, she’s 13. She was learning about the suffragettes at school and was telling me about it, she thought they were some sort of special jet aeroplanes. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FILM? Planet of the Apes, the original 1968 version.
WHAT LUXURY ITEM WOULD YOU TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND? A pair of swimming goggles. WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST INDULGENCE? A brooks B17 standard. Google it! PASS THE BUCK: FINALLY, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE HOT-SEAT? Dr Phil Gates, Biological Sciences.
Editor: Jayne Pavitt, Acting Corporate Communications Officer Contributions: Karen Barrie, HR Policy Support Officer; Sharon Battersby, Communications Officer, ITS; Julie Biddlecombe-Brown, Exhibitions Officer; Tim Blackman, Director of Wolfson Research Institute; Andy Cattermole, Experience Durham; Callum Cheatle, St John’s College; Janet Dixon-Dawson, Senior Tutor, Snow College; Tara Duncan, University Environment Co-ordinator, Greenspace; Jill Flowers, Regional Blueprint Co-ordinator; Mike Hughes, Head Gardener, Botanic Garden; Stina Maynard, Deputy Event Durham Manager; Simon Mills, Musicon; Sam Roseveare, DSU President; Quentin Sloper, Assistant Director of Student Sport; Martin Ward, Head of Department, Physics Department. Design: crombie, www.crombiecreative.com Printing: Statex Colour Print, www.statex.co.uk
Statex to insert their FSC logo
JANUARY Treasures of Durham University Palace Green Library Visit the newly opened exhibition hall in Palace Green Library to see this stunning exhibition of treasures from the University’s outstanding collections, including the famous Shakespeare First Folio. Team Durham Super Wednesdays Every Wednesday during term time Maiden Castle & Queen’s Campus Sport Centres Come along to support our students as they battle it out against the best in the country as each week selected key fixtures are promoted. Watch the teams compete and be entertained by our student cheerleaders, dancers, musicians and DJs for the full match day experience. FEBRUARY Orlando Consort 2nd February, 7.30pm Music School, Palace Green Musicon welcomes back the charismatic vocal ensemble Orlando Consort, celebrating their appointment as Ensemble in Residence at Durham University. Chinese New Year 12th & 13th February, 2pm– 4pm Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill, Durham Join the celebrations with traditional Chinese shadow puppet shows by Noisy Oyster Theatre Company. IAS Public Lecture – ‘The World in 2050’ Tuesday 22nd February 6.15pm Elvet Riverside ER140 Lord Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society will deliver this lecture looking to the future and at the growing gap between what science will allow us to do and what it’s prudent or ethical actually to do. MARCH Musicon Jazz Festival 4th– 6th March Various venues across Durham City Musicon hosts Durham City’s first jazz festival with an exciting weekend of live performances FOR MORE INFORMATION on these and other events happening at the University, go to www.durham.ac.uk/whatson