Cuthbert's Chronicle Issue 2

Issue 2, June 2015

Cuthbert’s Chronicle The biannual publication of St Cuthbert’s Society

Photograph: St Cuthbert’s Society Students holding their handmade banner for the first Durham Pride

Inside…

A Refounder’s Story

Cooking for Cuthbert’s

Alumus Revd Colin Colclough describes life at Cuth’s after World War II, pp.6-7

Cuth’s Head Chef shares his secrets, pp.10-11

St Cuthbert’s Society

Cuth’s Careers Plus news from Angels the term and Two alumni tell us information on more about their how to get more careers and share the secrets of their involved at success, pp. 8-9 Cuth’s…

2 I am coming to the end of my third year in Cuth’s (how time flies when you are having fun!), so most of the students graduating this year arrived when I did. It’s been a delight to watch them grow and flourish here, and to admire their creativity and enterprise and dedication.

Recently the JCR awarded Colours to over 80 students nominated by their peers for their contributions to sports, societies and the JCR; some were nominated for three or four different activities.

Sadly we have recently lost two key figures from Cuth’s past: Sam Stoker and Eileen Sparham. If you have not been back to Cuth’s lately, do make a trip to Durham and look up staff from your student days. Alumni are welcome to come as guests to our legendary Friday fish and chip lunches (during termtime – book in with Reception).

You will find reassuringly familiar figures in the College Office, Ann Peart and Joyce Elliott. It is always a pleasure to meet you and hear your stories. I hope that many will be able to come to the Alumni Weekend in early September, where we will be celebrating the arrival of women at Cuth’s in 1969. It’s hard for us today to imagine Cuth’s without women, not least because currently the Principal, Deputy Principal, JCR President, JCR Vice-President, and Facilities Manager are all female, as well as half the student body!

Best wishes, Elizabeth Professor Elizabeth Archibald Principal

In the last edition of Cuthbert’s Chronicle, I told you how proud I was of various aspects of St Cuthbert’s Society. It seems that was pre-emptive, as the choice of cover photo for this edition would have made it more appropriate now!

It’s been a memorable year for the JCR. As well as holding three major social events and a number of smaller ones, maintaining over thirty sports teams and societies and welcoming 350 new students into a lifelong community of Cuthspeople, we have had small but notable successes in other areas. I was delighted to see four candidates running for the position of LGBT+ rep in the JCR, an unprecedented level of interest in the role. I’m really proud of our brand new newsletter, entirely the work of our Vice-President Harriet Rawet, which has a better readership and engagement than ever before. I’m glad to see our societies running inclusive and exciting events, such as the recent Country Festival.

And – I’ll say it – I’m incredibly proud of Cuth’s turnout at

Editorials One of my favourite events of the year in Durham is St Cuthbert’s Day, which falls on th 20 March each year. It is the anniversary of St Cuthbert’s th death (20 March 687) and is a day to celebrate his life.

Unfortunately for Cuth’s students, it usually falls during the first week of the Easter holidays, when most have already retuned home for the break, leaving many of our students (I imagine) oblivious to its occurrence.

This year, however, we wanted to make a special attempt to mark the occasion. We held an afternoon tea in the dining hall of 12 South Bailey, and issued an invitation to alumni, staff and students still in Durham. I was pleased to be joined by a varied group of Cuthspeople, from freshers to finalists, and alumni who had studied at Durham from across the decades, all of whom had a different story of life at Cuth’s, but were united by their wish to celebrate St Cuthbert.

After the tea we walked over to the Cathedral together for the special service in honour of the occasion: Evensong and Procession on the Feast of St Cuthbert. We had kindly been saved seats at the front of the nave, and members of the Society were asked to take part in the service by giving readings from the life of St Cuthbert. The combination of incense and singing by candlelight is enchanting, whether you have faith or not.

For our alumni unable to join us we sent out an e-card, and it was wonderful to receive so many responses from past students thinking of St Cuthbert’s Society and sharing their experiences of their time here. If you didn’t receive the card, then it’s likely that we don’t have your details, so please update them with me by emailing the address of the back of the magazine!

Cressida Peever Development Officer last week’s Durham Pride event.

As my time at Cuth’s sadly comes to an end, I am excited to see where my successor, the ever-capable Rich Root, will take the JCR. But I know wherever I end up, Cuth’s will always be here to welcome me home – and I’ll always be loving Cuthbert’s instead. Enjoy the magazine!

Millie Tanner JCR President

Get regular updates from St Cuthbert’s Society at:

www.durham.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society including details of how to see your name on the wall of the Bailey Bar through out Renovation Campaign, how to join our 5X5 Club if you’re a recent graduate, or become part of our 1888 Society as one of our most valued supporters.

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News

The Feast of St Cuthbert The Feast of St Cuthbert, the JCR’s major event of Epiphay Term, took th place this year on Friday 20 February.

The theme was ‘Narnia’, and attendees were invited through the wardrobe into snow-capped forests and across raging seas (all contained within 12 South Bailey).

The Social Committee transformed the rooms and the atmosphere with handmade decorations and some clever blue uplighting.

Dinner guests were treated to a sumptuous four course meal, courtesy of the fantastic catering team at Cuth’s, the highlight of which was undoubtedly the champagne sorbet.

This was followed by an evening of entertainment from local and student bands, a soundclash silent disco, and banana boats in the garden.

The Shakespeare Formal 2015 rd

April 23 was Shakespeare’s st 551 birthday, and so for the first formal of Easter Term we celebrated with our annual Shakespeare Formal. The dress code was Shakespearean in the broadest possible sense, leading to the dining hall hosting a range of characters, from Puck to Caesar, Bottom to Titus Andronicus (including the human pie, pictured), as well as costumes of a more abstract nature, such as outfits representative of a quill and ink!

We were joined on High Table by a number of staff from the English Department; Professor Tom Ward, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education at Durham; and special guest, Emeritus Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Helen Cooper, a specialist on Shakespeare at Cambridge. The excellent menu was supplemented with appropriate quotations from the work of Shakespeare, and there was also a quiz on the tables entitled ‘Shake or Fake’, which offered ten quotations and asked the reader to discern whether they were from the brain of the Bard, or from another source. This was tricky for even the most qualified amongst us!

Following the meal Professor Cooper spoke on Shakespeare and food, highlighting the frequently repulsive way in which

it is brought into the plays, often with belching and vomiting and a great deal of gore! This was followed by a performance from the choir of two Shakespearean songs set to music, and a dramatic performance of extracts of The Jedi Doth Return (Star Wars re-written in Shakespearean language) from members of Cuth’s Drama Society and the SCR.

Cuth’s Women’s cricketer scores double century Durham University Women's Cricket Team won their match against Leeds University on 27th May to make it through to the semi-finals of British University cricket. This was in no small part thanks to Charlotte Pape (pictured) of St Cuthbert’s Society who scored 202 not out; the first time a member of Durham's women’s cricket team has ever scored a double century.

News

4 Cuth’s Writer in Residence presents ‘A Writer’s Life’ On Wednesday 6th May our Writer in Residence, Stephen Wakelam, gave a talk on his life as a writer to a very full SCR. He divided his presentation into two sections: becoming a writer; and being a writer.

In the first section Stephen talked about the fiction he had enjoyed as a child, giving particular weight to the work of Enid Blyton, whose books he read almost exclusively for a period of years. He told the audience of the often conflicting advice he had been given by friends or those in the business, and reflected on how he eventually decided to take the risk and give up his position of head of department at a school and follow his instinct to become a writer.

Stephen went on to talk about the great success he had enjoyed during the 80s, having realised that writing dialogue was a particular strength of his. He explained how it was only whilst giving a lecture about his work to a group at the end of the decade that he realised that most of his works had 'been the same': all of them had included a character who was an outsider, an idea which he came to realise was born from a subconscious feeling of his own.

Stephen played two short extracts from his radio plays to supplement his talk. If you would like to hear some of his work, there are several extracts on his website, www.stephenwakelam.net.

Lord Dannatt, Professor Elizabeth Archibald and Tom Wilde

Military Scholarships Fundraiser held at London Cavalry and Guards Club th

On Tuesday 28 April Durham University alumni and friends gathered in The Field Marshal’s Room at the Cavalry and Guards Club for a fundraiser event in honour of our Military Scholarships Campaign.

In 2011 two St Cuthbert’s alumni generously established two military scholarships. The purpose of the evening was to promote the University’s campaign to build up a large endowment in order to support at least two undergraduate military scholars per year.

The Scholarships are designed to support a veteran (or immediate family member or dependent), who has been injured as a direct result of military service, and honourably discharged. Recipients will become members of St Cuthbert’s Society because of our extensive military history. Many staff and students fought in both the First and Second World Wars and in 1946 the Society was re-founded by veterans of World War II (more about this on page 6).

One of the inaugural Military Scholars, Tom Wilde, was present at the event, and gave a speech outlining the importance of the scholarship for his personal development after he had been badley wounded in Afghanistan. He emphasized how it had enabled him to pursue new opportunities that he had never considered before, and helped him to return to civilian life. General the Lord Dannatt was also present, and urged those assembled to spread the word to other potential donors.

Millie Tanner elected Union President 2015/16

Get more news from St Cuthbert’s Society at: www.durham.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society

Congratulations are in order for Cuth's current JCR President, Millie Tanner, who has been elected Students' Union President for next year. After two weeks of fierce campaigning in Durham City and Queen's Campus, Millie beat her opponent by over 1,000 votes, with an overall majority in all colleges bar one.

News

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Cuth’s Rugby players lead Bailey Women to victory at annual Hill vs Bailey match rd

Sunday 3 May saw the return of the annual Hill vs Bailey Charity Rugby Match. There was great involvement from St Cuthbert’s Society sportsmen and sportswomen, as players, coaches, volunteers and spectators.

The Bailey Men’s Team was captained by Cuthsman Campbell MacLeod, and included nine players from St Cuthbert’s Society.

Unfortunately they were beaten by their Hill rivals.

The Bailey Women, however, were victorious despite a very close match, which eventually ended 15-14. The Bailey team made a strong start, scoring the first try of the game, with the score 10-7 to the Bailey as they finished the first half. The second half was an intense display, which began with the Hill team scoring and converting another try to put them in the lead.

The Bailey Women responded by raising the pressure to pin them against their try line for the last fifteen minutes of the match, eventually scoring another try with just two minutes to spare!

All money raised went to Sport in Action Zambia, a non-government funded project based around the development of sport.

Members of St Cuthbert’s Society involved in the matches.

On Friday 27th February 2015 Cuth's graduates of all ages descended upon The Sterling Bar at the iconic Gherkin in London. We were delighted to be joined by around 80 alumni living in or around London, who stopped by for a drink to catch up with friends, meet new Cuthspeople, and marvel at the spectacular architecture of the venue.

We were joined by ex-Presidents, ex-Bar Stewards, alumni of the Boat Club, recent graduates, and a few famous alumni too! It was clear, as always, how diverse and exciting the Cuth's Community is, and it was wonderful to see alumni of all ages sharing experiences and finding common ground.

We very much hope to repeat the event in the future!

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A Refounder’s Story Written by Colin C. Colclough, President of St. Cuthbert’s Society JCR 1949-50

Features St Cuthbert’s Society was founded in 1888 as a student community for those not wishing to belong to a college, many of whom were often local or mature students. As such, the Society had no premises, and so ceased to exist during the Second World War whilst its students were away in battle. Following the end of the war, the Society was ‘refounded’ by students returning to study.

Members of St Cuthbert’s Society 1950-51, during Colin’s third year in Durham.

After two years in the RAF stationed in Germany I was demobbed in March ’48. In those years I had seen what War had done to that country – it was defeated and demoralised.

We, the occupying force, were well-fed, well-housed and well-clothed, in complete contrast to the German people.

They were despairing and without hope. I had come from a good home, a good education, and a very supporting church, but I had seen very little of the world. What I did see in Germany challenged me to live out that Gospel which had been preached to me. This meant meeting German people; for me this was through the church.

So I joined the Fellowship group which the Padre (Chaplain) ran, meeting weekly (this was now Feb 46.) The non-fraternising ‘ban’ had been lifted two months previously so a meeting with one of the town’s Lutheran Pastors and his family was arranged. That evening we learned that their l0 year old son had been killed by an RAF lorry, driven by a drunken driver, a few months earlier. They had good reason to hate us – but there was only an atmosphere of forgiveness and reconciliation, we were Christians together.

Another Pastor had been with us that evening, who invited me to visit himself and his mother. Their home was a two-roomed apartment in the city (Hildesheim, very badly bombed), his mother a widow, he a bachelor. I usually took a box of cakes from our Malcolm Club, which to them seemed like a banquet!

In August 46 the Unit was moved north to Celle. This very old town, once closely linked with England in the House of Hannover, had escaped bombing. Here I discovered some friendly, generous and genuine people, and an AngloGerman Christian Fellowship, including young Germans who became good friends. Every Sunday in the Stadt-Kirche (Parish church), morning worship was in German, but in the

evening in English - one could go to either or both.

Afterwards in the NAAFI we met with the Padre, and some young Germans, so we grew in understanding each other, talking about our futures and about our faith. One of my older German friends was the Convenor of a Group called ‘Die Brücke’ (The Bridge) which was organising cultural and social activities to bring German and British people together in Celle. It was in the Chapel of Group headquarters that I preached my first sermon on the text.

‘We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God’ (2 Corinthians, 5 vv 20).

In November ’47 the Unit was disbanded and I was posted to RAF Bückeburg, near to Air HQ BAFO, where I found a well-established Anglo-German fellowship, and another helpful Padre and his wife, who offered warm hospitality in their home. One German family, whose daughter was in the Fellowship, invited me to their home for a simple meal, and I realised their Christian faith was very real. It made a lasting impression on me. I was near to my demobilisation. What was ahead for me? The idea of becoming a Methodist Minister had kept recurring during my service in the RAF. I resolved to prepare myself to offer as a Candidate to have that Call from God tested. First, I wanted to go to University, and Durham came into view.

In April 1948 I came up to be interviewed by the Censor, as he was then titled, Clifford Leech. My academic qualifications were not impressive, but my face must have fitted, because he gave me a place in Cuth’s. That it was a non-collegiate Society didn’t bother me. In fact having lived for 2½ years under King’s Regulations, I was glad to be free to please myself. Oh yes, there were one or two

Features

Owengate

Albert Hodgson, Revd. Colin Colclough and Brigadier Charles Herbert at the Refounders and Military Formal 2015 Colin first told his story as an address to attendees at our annual th Refounders and Military Formal, which fell this year on 25 Feburuary.

We also heard speeches from Albert Hodgson, a student here in the early 1950s, who declared that all Cuthspeople would become leaders in one way or another due to their experience at the Society, and encouraged the students to go for their goals; and Brigadier Charlie Herbert, Commanding Officer at Catterick, who unashamedly attempted to recruit all of the attendees into the service of the country, speaking on the importance of devotion to the country and the brave men and women protecting us all every day.

We were then treated to a performance from Cuth’s choir, who ended the evening with two songs: 'The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie', about a soldier who falls in love; and 'The Golden Vanity' about a sailor who swims alongside the enemy's boat to drill holes in the bottom and sinks it!

7 obligations we had as students, like wearing gowns to lectures and formal dinners, no matter what condition they were in. None of us had much money, but the ex-Servicemen were relatively well-off with a Gov’t grant and tuition fees paid.

We found our own ‘digs’ but a few lived at home.

There were 88 in Cuth’s that year, and we had the use of one room in No. 6 Owengate for hats, st coats etc. on the 1 floor. At the foot of the stairs nd to the 2 floor a small board had chalked on it ‘Very Properly the Musick Department is Aloft’.

Prof. Arthur Hutchings was a distinctive character – when there was a Concert on P.G. there would be a board at the Door of the Music Dept.

“ADMISSION: One Shilling or Ten Cigarettes” – these were still rationed!

There was an increase in students coming to Cuth’s in ’49 so we were allocated a larger room for our bags, coats etc. which was in New Elvet. It also contained a Table Tennis table and a radiogram; the Union Coffee Bar on Palace Green, however, continued to be where most of us met for endless discussions, so it was an important part of College life. Here also was the Debating Chamber where speakers from the different Colleges proposed or opposed serious and not so serious Motions. Another activity which brought the Colleges together was Rag Week, with a Procession of floats through the city streets; also the June Regatta in which all Colleges took part.

How did belonging to Cuth’s impact me?

It helped me to widen and deepen my understanding of the world, to think through afresh the relevance of the Bible to contemporary society, to appreciate my native language better, and to meet people from many different backgrounds. Because I was hoping to go on to train for the Methodist Ministry, I joined the Student Christian Movement and the Methodist Society. The former gave me a wider knowledge of the Church and introduced me to some of the outstanding Christian Leaders of the time and the latter gave me a bigger image of the denomination which was to provide my life’s work.

I am proud and privileged to be one of the Re-Founders of St. Cuthbert’s Society. Let me remind you Members that it is named after a great Man of God who lived 1400 years ago – Cuthbert - who loved the whole created Order, and who cared especially for the poor and ignorant. This Northumbrian shepherd boy was to found a community on Lindisfarne, later to become its Bishop. After his death, his brother monks carried his body round Northern England for a hundred years to protect it from invading Danes and Vikings until it finally came to rest here, where the Dun Cow had been. In 1104 the body of the Saint was transferred from its temporary resting-place, in the Cloisters of the New Church which had begun to be built in 1093, to the shrine behind the high altar. There it stays, still in the Cathedral “which …in its austerity and simplicity, is the symbol and shrine of one of the humble pioneers of Christianity in the North” (‘St Cuthbert of Durham’ by Hilda Colgrave, Northumberland Press, May 1955, page 61).

Features

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Greg Kyle-Langley read Philosophy at St. Cuthbert’s Society between 2003 and 2006. He spent a decidedly domestic gap year in the former Department of Trade & Industry, contributing a portion of the weekly briefing for the PM in Prime Minister’s Questions.

He joined the Coutts grad scheme in 2007, based between the Canary Wharf & City offices. Having survived two rounds of redundancies throughout the financial crisis, he qualified as a private banker in 2010, spending the next 4 years advising clients working in the financial markets.

In 2011 Greg was chosen to represent the bank at the One Young World summit, a kind of young Davos for outstanding young social entrepreneurs and NGO workers (and a few corporate grad schemers) from 194 countries around the world.

This experience was transformative, and led Greg to establish the Young Leaders’ Forum at Coutts - a group of now more than 200 intrapreneurial young staff creating opportunities for people from across the business to hone skills they don’t use in their day-to-day jobs.

In 2014 Greg was asked to head a desk looking after entrepreneurial clients, and those from the Sports and Entertainment fields. With 18 staff, he is enjoying developing his leadership and people management skills.

Current job title: Director, Private Banker What appealed to you about wealth management?

I wanted to work for a firm I could be proud of, and in an environment where breadth of knowledge and intellect are critical. As a newly-qualified grad you could be advising some of the world’s wealthiest individuals. You need to know what you’re talking about, across global economics, geopolitics and general business.

Can you describe a typical day at work?

Today started at 6.15, reading this week’s Economist in the bath, followed by the FT app on the train to work, whilst listening to the Today programme on Radio 4. Arriving in the office on the Strand at 8am, I catch up on emails from my clients, and speak with my assistant about how the day looks. At 9am I join one of my bankers in a meeting with his client so I can see how he handles it; I later work on a piece of advice I’m writing for one of my clients.

At 12.30 I’m due at the Gherkin to host a lunch for one of my clients to mark his 100th birthday, and discuss finances. Proceedings are enjoyable, but understandably a little slower than some lunches, so I’m not back to the office until 3pm. At 4 there’s a senior management team meeting that runs ’til 6.15. We need to deliver a piece of follow-up work within 24 hours so discuss it for a while back at the desks, arranging time in the diary tomorrow to finalise. I leave the office around 7pm, remembering I need to get round to writing that thing for Cuths…

You studied Philosophy – has that helped in your work life?

Philosophy has probably been of its greatest use at the career-stage I am currently at: I am now part of the senior

management team for my division of the bank, which involves shaping strategy. That degree in thoughtfulness, considering things other than what is taken for granted, and forming strong arguments is incredibly pertinent to my daily work now.

It was useful earlier in my career too, however.

Philosophy students spend huge amounts of time thinking of counter-examples to arguments. Youth is a significant disadvantage in the wealth management industry. Almost all your clients will be significantly your senior in age and experience. You need to establish swiftly that you have the intellect to be a useful adviser to them. So when they state their reasoning for something, being trained in the ability to swiftly offer a counter-example, elucidating your own recommendation, can be immensely helpful.

What advice would you give to current students wanting to be in your shoes?

I’m now heavily involved in our intern and grad recruitment.

The people I see at our assessment centres (and this is the first time someone from the front office gets to see a candidate) are an order of magnitude better than my cohort of grads from ’07. Multiple impressive internships are standard; many have started businesses or charities.

However, those may be the aspects that get the applicants through to the assessment centre stage, but what I look for in people we should employ is confidence (but absolutely tempered to avoid arrogance), strong social skills and sharp intelligence.

All our advisers have to take professional qualifications in order to do their jobs: knowledge of bond pricing or Basel III capital requirements can be taught. How to chair an hour-long meeting with a titan of industry, at the age of 23, cannot.

Features

9 Two Cuth’s alumni talk about their career experiences.

Danni Collingridge Moore read Geography between 2005 and 2008, and completed an MSc in Health Research Methods in 2009, both at St Cuthbert’s Society. She joined an NHS based research team in 2010 specialising in child and adolescent mental health. During this role she collaborated on three successful grant applications, which won £1.1 million in research funding.

In 2013 she joined the University of York as a Research Fellow, focusing on health inequalities in care home residents. Outputs included a publication in the journal Age and Ageing exploring the availability of data on care home residents in epidemiological studies; and a presentation of findings on the association between loneliness and care home admission at the British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference (Oxford University).

In 2015 she took up a post at the International Observatory on End of Life Care at Lancaster University, coordinating the UK arm of a six country EU Commission funded study exploring the provision of palliative care in care homes. She serves on a National Research Ethics Committee and is completing a doctorate exploring predictors of palliative care in care homes across Europe.

Current job title: Research Fellow What appealed to you about a career in research?

I wanted to pursue a career I felt passionate about and that I enjoyed, rather than a job that just brought in the money. It is an amazing feeling to know that the outputs of my research will potentially be used to inform wider health policy in the UK and internationally. Good quality research that highlights the unmet needs of potentially vulnerable groups, such as care home residents, is one of the best pathways to advocate change.

Can you describe a typical day at work?

I cycle to the office at 8:30am and catch up on e-mails and twitter (work related, honestly). At 10am I have a teleconference with my EU counterparts working on a study exploring palliative care in long-term care facilities. At midday I spend an hour at the gym catching up with a colleague before heading back to the office to continue drafting a review paper. I spend the rest of the afternoon in a National Research Ethics Committee meeting, reviewing the ethical implications of studies applying for approval to be conducted within the NHS. I’m home for 6pm, in time to pick up a bottle of wine for a night in with the significant other.

What do you wish you’d known before you started?

When I started my first research post in the NHS I was too emotionally invested in my career: I couldn’t see where I ended and my job began. Luckily, I had a brilliant mentor who showed me that to get your best work you need to step back and take

your ego out of the equation.

Over the past four years I have learned that academia, whether it’s writing a grant application or giving a conference presentation, is half science, half art. I think that when you start a new job there is a tendency to stay within the status quo until you have ‘proved’ yourself. Some of the best ideas I have had occurred relatively early in my roles but I did not vocalise them until long after. In hindsight, my advice would be to not be afraid to punch above your weight, even if you are starting on the bottom rung of the ladder.

What advice would you give to current students wanting to be in your shoes?

Academia is a competitive environment to work in; it is a long, hard journey to be a professor and the pressure to attract funding is relentless. On the flipside, you have the freedom to pursue your own research interests and the flexibility to enjoy a good quality of life, which is gold dust if you’re considering starting a family.

Contrary to popular belief you do not need a 1st class undergraduate degree to pursue a career in research, but you do need a real passion for your subject and for the research process. Establishing yourself in the ivory tower will depend on the number and quality of research papers you publish and how much funding you can attract. Its hard work, but in fifty years’ time the next generation will be building on the findings from today’s research.

My last bit of advice: if someone ever tells you not to enter a career because it is too male or female dominated, reply with two simple words: challenge accepted.

St Cuthbert’s Society needs more Angels willing to give careers advice to our students. As well as the warm glow of knowing that you’re helping current students, Angels receive honorary membership to the SCR. To become an Angel, or get help from one, visit: www.dur.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society/alumni

Features

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Cooking for Cuthbert’s Head Chef Marc Reavley is 34 years old and has lived just outside of Durham all of his life. He began his career as a chef at the age of 17, and worked in pubs and restaurants in and around the Durham area before taking up a role at Durham University. He has been at Cuthbert’s for four years.

Each year St Cuthbert’s Society SCR holds a gourmet lunch for its members, giving Marc a chance to show off his skills and experiment with the food.

“I enjoy putting together the gourmet lunch,” Marc explained, “because the recipes are more adhoc and I can make changes as I go.”

Nevertheless, Marc has tried to put the recipes for three of the courses down on paper so that you can try them out at home.

White Onion Bhaji Soup Ingredients: 3kg white onions 2ltr vegetable stock 1 clove of garlic (crushed) 50g butter 250ml double cream 250g onion bhaji (cooked & crumbled) Truffle oil

Method:  Peel & slice the onions, then sweat down with the garlic and butter. Add the stock, then cover with a lid. 

When the onions are soft stir in the cream.

Blend to a smooth consistency and add seasoning to taste.



Cook the bhajis, then allow to cool and crumble them into small pieces.



Serve the soup into a bowl, then add a sprinkle of bhaji on top and drizzle with a small amount of truffle oil to finish. Note that truffle is a very strong flavour so you won’t need too much!

Features

11 Strawberry Sable Biscuits with an Orange & Lemon Syllabub

Sweet Potato, Black Olive & Sun Blushed Tomato Bonbons Ingredients: 1k sweet potatoes 500g Maris Piper potatoes 75g sun dried tomatoes 50g black olives

4 red peppers 100ml vegetable stock A dusting of flour 1 egg Breadcrumbs to cover

Method:  Peel & chop both lots of potato into chunks, then steam or boil until soft.

Note: the sweet potatoes will cook more quickly! 

Once soft, mash the two together and add in chopped sun dried tomatoes and chopped black olives. Season to taste and leave to chill in the fridge until cold.



Once cold take a spoonful of the potato mixture and roll into a walnut sized ball.



Pass the balls through seasoned flour then egg (beaten slightly), before covering in breadcrumbs.

 



For the sable biscuits: 100g plain flour 75g unsalted butter 100g golden caster sugar Grated zest of 1 lemon 2 egg yolks For the strawberry coulis: 350g strawberries 50g icing sugar 3tbsp Grand Marnier

For the syllabub: 50g caster sugar Grated zest and juice of 1 orange Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 300ml double cream To decorate: Icing sugar, for sprinkling Mint leaves

Method:  Preheat the oven to 200C. To make the biscuits, mix the flour, butter, sugar, lemon zest, and egg yolks together in a food processor until a soft ball of dough is formed. Rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. 

Roll out thinly and cut out eight biscuits with a 7-8cm pastry cutter. Bake in the oven on a greased baking tray for six to eight minutes or until golden.



To make the coulis, hull 200g of the strawberries. Purée with the icing sugar and Grand Marnier in a food processor. Check for sweetness and adjust if necessary. Pass through a fine sieve and chill the mixture until required.

Shallow fry in oil for colour then bake in the oven until hot.



To make the red pepper sauce, rough chop the peppers and sweat down in a pan with a little oil. Then add the veg stock to the pan and leave to simmer until peppers are soft.

For the syllabub, combine the sugar and zest and juice from the orange and lemon. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the citrus mixture and whisk to firm peaks. Chill until required.



To serve, put a swirl of the coulis on each plate. Set a biscuit alongside it. Put a few spoonfuls of syllabub in the centre of the biscuit and surround with the remaining strawberries, halved lengthways to make pillars. Top with another biscuit. Sprinkle with icing sugar and add some mint leaves to finish.

Blitz and add seasoning, before serving with the sweet potato bonbons.

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St Cuthbert’s Society and St Cuthbert’s Association warmly invite you to attend our annual Alumni Weekend, taking place from 4th to 6th September 2015.

As many of you will already know, St Cuthbert’s Society became the first student community to accept women alongside men in 1969, and we will be celebrating this over the course of the weekend. All alumni are very welcome at the weekend, and we would especially like to encourage those who were in Durham between 1969 and 1974 with our first cohort of women, and also 1989 to 1994, twenty years on from this.

This year, as well as our traditional Cathedral Evensong, drinks reception, buffet lunch and formal dinner, we will be remembering the Society’s history with an open exhibition: Celebrating the Arrival of Women at Cuth’s.

Alumni

We invite you to submit photographs, artwork and literature that you feel tells a story about your experiences on this theme, whether or not you are able to attend. This will be twinned with a panel discussion on the theme. To submit a piece, email cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk or share it with our Facebook group.

As well as this, SCR member Pat Mussett will give a talk on Magna Carta, and St Cuthbert’s Association will be holding its Annual General Meeting. Matters for the agenda include the election of a new Chairman of the Association. If you would like to stand for the position or find out more about it, please email cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk.

We also able to offer accommodation on the Bailey for ticket holders. More information is available online.

Staying in touch

www.facebook.com/CuthbertsAlumni @CuthsAlumni www.durham.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society/alumni Development Officer: cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk

Current Students

www.facebook.com/cuthsjcr @CuthsJCR www.cuths.com JCR President: cuthberts.jcr-president@durham.ac.uk Vice-President and Secretary: cuthberts.jcr-vicepresident@durham.ac.uk

Whether you’re a past or present student, we love to hear of your achievements and experiences.

Get in touch to tell us about where life has Contact us to find out more about how you taken you since St Cuthbert’s, or share can get involved with sports, societies, stories about your time here. Stay up to events or volunteering in the local date with Cuth’s news and events by community. You can also get in touch with updating your contact details with us, or comments about how we can help to suggesting an event closer to you. improve your student experience, and help you get the most out of life in Durham.