Cuthbert's Chronicle Issue 1

Issue 1, January 2015

The biannual publication of St Cuthbert’s Society

Inside…

The Henry Tudor Awards Recipients tell us how the money helped them make a difference, pp.6-7

Photograph: Lizzy Elton as Aladdin and Adam Lyttle as Widow Twankey in Cuth’s Pantomime

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

Interview with Christopher Somerville The famous travel writer and alumnus tells a tale or two of his time at Cuth’s, pp. 8-9

Plus news from the term and information on how to get more involved at Cuth’s…

St Cuthbert’s Society

1 2

2

Editorials

It is a privilege to work in the energetic, enthusiastic and enterprising community that is St Cuthbert’s Society. The maverick spirit that inspired the Society’s foundation is still present, but our student numbers now equal the total Durham student body in 1960 – nearly 1300! Increasingly undergraduates and postgraduates come from all over the world, as do SCR members, and the alumni community too is global. Modern technology makes it much easier to keep in touch with alumni after graduation, and we are very keen to do that. It is a Great Leap Forward that this year we have appointed our first Alumni Relations and Development Officer, Cressida Peever, to help us improve our networks and communications. Thanks to Cressida, our website is much livelier, more informative and more attractive, and the alumni section has been expanded; if you haven’t looked at it for some time, you will have a very pleasant surprise. This Chronicle, produced by Cressida, showcases some of the many activities of Cuth’s students and alumni. We hope you enjoy reading it, and we look forward to your contributions to future editions. We also hope that many of you will sign up to be an Angel and help current students in planning their careers. Do come and see us if you are in the North-East; if your visit coincides with a Friday in termtime, you can sign in through Reception for fish and chips on High Table with staff and SCR members. You would be most welcome!

Professor Elizabeth Archibald Principal

Recently I was lucky enough to be asked to sit on a panel at the plenary session of the Collegiate Way conference, hosted in Durham. The session asked us to really consider and critique the value of a collegiate system and its place in a changing Higher Education system. In times of economic uncertainty, questions are inevitably asked about the viability of colleges (one even described them as ‘expensive, unnecessary luxuries’) but I was gratified to hear the indignant and passionate choruses of staff and students insisting that the colleges add immeasurable value to a student’s experience at university. This is why we’re so proud to be part of one – and why I’m

Welcome to the first edition of Cuthbert’s Chronicle, a biannual magazine for past and present students designed to keep you up to date with all that is Cuthbert’s!

This year I’ve taken on the role as the first Sabbatical Development Officer, a position dedicated to alumni relations, fundraising and improving the Cuth’s community for former and current students alike. Despite only having taken up the post in September I’ve been able to make a lot of changes already: I’ve spent a lot of time updating the website (www.dur.ac.uk/stcuthberts.society) to make it more accessible for all; we’ve launched the Cuth’s Careers Angels (see page 12), a scheme asking alumni to help current students with careers advice; and we held a very successful alumni event in York, entitled ‘Bonfire Night Drinks with Vikings and Witches’, at which two members of our SCR gave short talks about their research in relation to fire and light.

This was a wonderful opportunity for Cuth’s alumni to catch up with old friends or meet other Cuthspeople, and I hope to be able to do more regional events such as this as a way of getting to know more alumni and putting alumni in touch with others in the same area.

Please get in touch if you’d like to see an event near you, or if you have any questions or ideas about alumni relations at Cuth’s. Whether it’s been one year or fifty since you were last at 12 South Bailey, you remain part of the Cuth’s community for life. I hope to hear from you soon!

Cressida Peever Sabbatical Development Officer

incredibly proud to be involved in running the Junior Common Room at Cuth’s.

At St Cuthbert’s Society we’re proud to put more money into our students’ sports clubs and societies than any other college, and to consistently rank highly in the college sports league. We’re proud to foster a community of diversity and closeness in a college of nearly 1300 students, and we’re proud that there is something to offer any student who wishes to take part. We’re proud that when guests attend formals, they comment that the students are the friendliest and most welcoming of any they’ve met. And I’m proud that this ingrained Cuth’s pride remains with our students long after they’ve graduated. I hope you enjoy reading about the news and achievements of our students, past and present, and come and see us soon!

Millie Tanner JCR President

1 2

News

3 The Novice Cup

Cuth’s student performers entertain attendees at the Ball

Michaelmas Ball at Hallgarth Hotel The 14th November saw St Cuthbert’s Society hold its annual Michaelmas Ball at Hallgarth Manor Hotel. Dinner guest arrived at the hotel for a Champagne reception before being whisked off to the main dining hall for a delicious three course meal.

As the meal finished more guests arrived to enjoy the after-dinner entertainments which included live music from St Cuthbert’s own The Monroes, Bassment Jazz and one of DJ Soc's fresh new faces. Other entertainments included the fairground ride Twister, a photo booth, popcorn machine, chocolate fountain and a roaming photographer. The festivities ended in the usual resounding chorus of Angels. Praise must be heaped upon the JCR Social Committee for their hard work in arranging the event, and in particular, Rich Root, the Social Chair and Jenny Ferris, the Michaelmas Ball Manager.

Prof Sir Arnold Wolfendale FRS gives Fellows Lecture on ‘Art and Science’ Sir Arnold gave a memorable masterclass on interdisciplinarity in his richly illustrated lecture, delighting the audience with his engaging mixture of erudition, wit and charm.

His theme was the important and productive influence of art on science, and of science on art.

His illustrations included antique clocks, cartoons, scientific diagrams, and works of art, including some from his own collection.

Several artist friends of Sir Arnold’s were in the audience, and one discussed a

piece of his own work on a scientific theme.

Philip Tattersall provided musical interludes, including Tom Lehrer’s immortal ‘Element Song’. This wonderful lecture fitted very well into our ongoing research theme of ‘Art and Science’, demonstrating beyond doubt the mutual dependence of the two.

The annual Novice Cup returned in Michaelmas term, a competition for novice rowing squads across all Durham colleges.

We had seven men’s crews and four women’s crews racing – significantly more than last year! It was Cuth’s best performance in recent memory, with an excellent standard of rowing across the squads, who were impressive not only in their pieces on the water, but also in their approach to the event on the bank.

Despite bad river conditions, the crews got off to a good start, with men and women’s teams making it through to the third round of racing for the Cup. Congratulations must go to Kaj Rasul, Alex Cooper, Rob Sinclair and Jess Wood, who were responsible for coaching and organising this year’s novice crews.

In January 2015 we will be welcoming playwright Stephen Wakelam to the post of artist in residence at St Cuthbert’s Society for the following six months.

He has had over forty plays performed, at first on television, and now mainly on the radio.

He was Young Writers' Tutor at the Royal Court Theatre from 1981-1984, and in the 1990s tutored a dozen young playwrights at the National Theatre Studio.

Stephen was The Royal Literary Society Writer in Residence at Universities in Leeds and Kent.

He will be living in 12 South Bailey, and will be engaged in improving arts and culture at Cuth’s, by working both wish student groups, such as the Drama Society and the Creative Writing Group, and also with individuals at the Society.

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

News

4 Durham’s Collegiate Way Conference From Tuesday 18th - Friday 21st November, Durham University hosted the first ever Collegiate Way Conference, an international conference on the collegiate model of university life and community. We welcomed delegates from all over the world who spent the week with us in order to get a taste of what college life is like at Durham, as well as to share their experiences of the collegiate systems from their own institutions.

Cuth’s was fortunate enough to welcome four delegates into the Cuth’s community who were attached to the Society throughout their stay: Dr Kyle Farley joined us from Yale/National University of Singapore; Mrs Barbara Green, from St Hilda’s College, Melbourne; Dr Carla Tromans from International House at the University of Queensland; and Mrs Kate Dodd from the University of York.

In one of the conference highlights, Cuth’s JCR President Millie Tanner was part of a panel chaired by BBC presenter Jeremy Vine, a Hatfield alumnus, which discussed the importance of the college structure, as well as the pitfalls. Held in the debating chamber in the Palace Green's Pemberton Building, the discussion touched upon the pros and cons of single-sex colleges, whether social media could ever replace a college community, and whether college values are fundamentally physical or virtual. When a panel member's speech was met with particular approval from the audience, that person was elevated to the thronelike central chair, and we were very pleased that Millie finished the night on the throne for her insightful and passionate argument that colleges are able to equip students with the tools for change, and to become a positive force on the world around them once they graduate.

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

In Michaelmas term 2014 Cuth’s became home to IAS Fellow Dr Val Jones, who gave a fascinating public lecture in November on her work on telemedicine and smart health. She explained how Body Area Networks (BANs) could help emergency services by transmitting vital information not only from the injured, but also from the paramedics at the scene, so that emergency departments could be fully prepared for arriving patients.

Val also speculated about the future of wearable technology, which could include digestible batteries and contact lenses that measure blood sugar through tears. She also said that as technology progresses there is scope for nanoBANs acting like cells inside the body. Her work links computing and engineering with public healthcare, and raises some important and challenging ethical issues, as she pointed out in her lecture: if you are wearing BAN technology, do you own the information it produces? Who can have access to it? Audience members asked about the availability of this technology in the Third World, as it depends on the use of smartphones and good internet reception. As with all developing technologies, there are many challenges and implications, and consequences both known and unknown.

Val had the opportunity to visit the local Fire Station (pictured) courtesy of SCR member Gary Bankhead.

Photograph taken

by County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.

1 2 3

5

News The final installment of the Cuth's 125 Anniversary lectures welcomed journalist, critic and Author, Sarah Dunant, who spoke on her inspiration and research for her novels on women in Renaissance Italy: The Birth of Venus; In the Company of the Courtesan; and Sacred Hearts.

Finding herself in Florence, and wanting to instil in her daughters the beauty, culture and significance of Renaissance Italy, Sarah was struck by how little such history had been attributed to women.

Thus, she began the search for a women's renaissance, hidden in the background of paintings

In a Formal dinner last October we celebrated Barbara Harrison’s work at Cuth’s, following her retirement in August after twelve years of service to the Society.

Chaplain Barney Huish read an ingenious acrostic poem he had composed about her; Tom Wakelam (JCR President 201213) spoke movingly about her tireless commitment to helping students; and Millie Tanner gave a charming speech incorporating some choice messages from Barbara’s fan club.

These included heartfelt tributes to her wise counsel and encouragement, admiring admission of her power to see through fibs and flannelling, and more random comments such as ‘She lent me some jump leads last week’!

Student Megan Croll sang Barbara’s favourite song, Van Morrison’s ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’, with backing from members of the Choir and SCR, and at the end of the meal there was a rousing rendition of the Beachboys’ immortal ‘Barbara Ann’ (arranged

by Elliott Park), followed of course by ‘Angels’ as Barbara left the dining hall.

The delicious meal was augmented by table decorations featuring Bs and bees. Barbara was presented with a handmade card filled with good wishes from past and present staff and students, and a beautiful painting on vellum (calf skin) commissioned from Judy Hurst, a previous artist-in-residence who produced the 125 painting now on the stairs in 12

or in forgotten manuscripts, until she was able to piece together what it was really like for the other half of the population at that time.

Sarah's lecture demonstrated the interdisciplinary approach that we encourage at Cuth's, appealing to those studying history, literature, creative writing, languages, art history (and undoubtedly more!), as well as being relevant to those interested in human rights, civil rights, feminism and storytelling.

We hope that Sarah will be able to return to Durham in the near future to work with us further.

South Bailey. Judy and her husband and collaborator John were on High Table, which also included previous Principals (John Norton and Graham Towl), a previous Assistant Senior Tutor (Gini Bedford), Student Funding Officer Liz Lovett, mentors, members of Council and the SCR, and past and current students.

Also present of course was Ian Harrison, who has generously allowed Cuth’s to take up so much of his time in his roles as SCR President and as a mentor and gardener, and also, crucially, in supporting Barbara while she supported everyone else. Barbara and Ian have just become grandparents for the first time and they are moving to York to be near their family.

Barbara’s memorable advice to the finalists at the Leavers’ Formal last summer included ‘Come back, but not too often’ – we hope she won’t apply this dictum too strictly to her own future visits to Cuth’s, where she is always very welcome.

1 2 3

Features

6

Every year, students at Cuth’s are eligible to apply for a Henry Tudor Award, which they can use to help support them in undertaking volunteer work or a charitable activity. This year, the award helped to support students in a wide range of activities, from running marathons to overseas teaching. The awards are funded by the Society and enable individuals or groups to undertake work that would not have been possible without financial support.

Henry Tudor Awards

Hitchhiking from Dover to Tangier

By Tom Johnson & Jenny Ferris The St Cuthbert's Society Student Development award gave us the chance to have one of the best experiences of our lives, whilst simultaneously raising funds for an amazing charity in Link Community Development.

The money fundraised allowed us to complete a hitchhike from Dover, UK, to Tangier, Morocco, in just under a week, raising money for developing schools in Africa and underprivileged areas of the UK. We set off from Dover on Monday 24th March and had a busy ferry crossing asking everyone if they were heading to the south of France, our first target. We were fortunate enough to be offered a lift by a pharmaceutical distributor who was heading for Gibraltar – meaning that we could make it all the way through France and Spain on one lift! We made great progress once we got off the ferry and camped out the first night a little south of

Tours, at which point it was raining heavily and pitch black, making putting up a tent very challenging experience!

We packed away our soaked tent in the morning, and set off over the Pyrenees. Unfortunately the rain got worse and worse the further south we went and not only were there no suitable stops for the night, but our tent was still wet from the night before! We opted to stay for one night at a motel near San Sebastian, where we managed to dry out our camping gear.

The next morning we woke up to snow, but the weather got better as we went further south, getting our first real bit of sun in Madrid. We made it to La Linea, the Spanish town just outside of Gibraltar, by the end of the day and we cooked Mark (our wonderful driver) dinner on the beach next to our tent.

On Thursday we wandered into Gibraltar and enjoyed a morning looking around and deciding the best way to cross the Mediterranean to Morocco.

In the end we found a day trip the following day out of Tarifa, and we took a bus there. The next day we made the early ferry crossing to Morocco.

We had made it! In

Morocco, we were shown around the new and old parts of the city and saw the King of Morocco’s palace with his personal guards outside. We also went on a short camel ride, ate in a Moroccan restaurant and haggled with shop owners for our souvenirs. Afterwards we hitched a ride to the airport and had our last camp out in the airport café. We travelled back to the UK the following day.

After our trip we received feedback from Link Community Development, saying that the money we had raised was used to aid the construction of a new classroom in an Algerian primary school. We are incredibly proud of our contribution in creating that environment. The journey made us more confident, more trusting in people, and it allowed us to experience some amazing places, as well as meet some incredible people, from Mark who drove us from Calais to Gibraltar, to David, a security guard at Gibraltar airport who went out of his way to let us sleep on the sofas in the airport café when the airport closed for the night.

We could never show how grateful we are to have received the Henry Tudor Award.

1 2 3

Features

7

Summer Camp Volunteering

By Rich Root This summer I journeyed to Sherwood Forest Camp, Lesterville, as a volunteer at the US summer camp. The camp aims to provide opportunities for inner city children from nearby St Louis and the surrounding rural area to take part in activities they may not have previously been able to try.

Many of the children come from poor backgrounds; on average 80% of the children come from families whose income equates to 1.85 times the poverty line.

The camp charges just $50 for a child to attend for a one-month session.

This year I volunteered in the Aquatics department, teaching campers how to swim or canoe, as well as lifeguarding. I volunteered with the eldest group of campers (15-16 years old), also supervising their planning of a

10 day trip to another state, an opportunity offered by the camp.

The two groups decided to visit Washington D.C. and Dayton, Ohio and I drove the minibus and assisted the group with their plans. On the trips, the campers organised trips to universities, other camps and volunteered to help the local community. I also took part in these activities and was very interested to get an insight into the American higher education system and also how other camps in America function.

I thoroughly enjoyed my summer and it has furthered my interest in working with children following graduation. This year I am taking a teaching module and am very seriously considering a career in teaching, or a

Learning to teach swimming

By Ella Holloway At the end of June 2014 I used the Henry Tudor Award to undergo training for a qualification in level 2 Aquatics Teaching.

I needed the qualification to partake in volunteering as a swimming teacher, and also to be sufficiently qualified to run sessions for the newly formed Cuth’s Swimming Society.

Despite being a fairly qualified and competent coach in other sports, teaching swimming poses different challenges.

Children are participating in a ‘scary’, unknown, and potentially life threatening activity, and have to concentrate continuously for up to an hour, which can be a real challenge!

The most rewarding aspect of the process was volunteering to teach Local U11

children. I participated in a ‘water safety’ programme educating children (including non-swimmers) about water safety and how best to cope with and survive an emergency.

Swimming teaching is much harder than I initially expected, as many things I take for granted as a swimmer myself, such as aquatic breathing can be very difficult for children and beginner swimmers to co-ordinate. I recognised that through the use of games (encouraged in my new qualification) the

similar career working with children. The Henry Tudor Award has given me the chance to work in different surroundings with a different age group, which was fantastic. I now feel more confident interacting with teenage children as well as being able to take a leadership role whilst allowing them to make their own decisions. I am very grateful for the summer that The Henry Tudor Award allowed me to experience.

swimmers in my group really progressed with their water confidence, managing to ‘get their heads under’ for the first time in a less pressured, more relaxed environment.

I will use my experience by continuing to help develop Cuth’s Swimming with our newly formed Swimming Society. I hope to pursue a career in teaching, meaning that the swimming qualification I have gained has enormously helped my professional development and qualifications, leading me closer to continuing my career in education. The Henry Tudor Award has been hugely beneficial for me, both personally and professionally. It has challenged me, giving me new skills to enable me to give back to St Cuthbert’s Society and the wider Durham community.

1 2

8

Features

A walk down memory lane

Christopher Somerville graduated from Durham University in 1971, and has spent his life writing and broadcasting about country walks and hikes, wildlife, making music in Irish pubs, rural communities, and festivals, as well as publishing poetry on his adventures.

Why did you choose St Cuthbert’s?

I'd say Cuth's chose me. I had actually been turned down by the English Dept., but after chatting with me for half an hour on science fiction (a subject I knew nothing about), Prof Brooks lifted the phone to 'English' and persuaded them to let me sneak in, for reasons I never quite fathomed.

Can you give us some examples of your best memories from your time here?

Oh Lord, so many!

Punting on the Wear. Singing at the Chaplaincy Folk Club. Pie and peas at the Court pub, in celebration of a friend's sentence for 'urinating in a public place, to whit, High Street, Langley Moor, while intoxicated, M'Lud'. The Moody Blues at Dunelm House. Snowy walks. Launching the inedible sausage patties from Sweaty Betty's emporium over the gunwales of Dunelm Bridge, some of them without having passed across the tonsils (there must be a reef of sausage meat and batter in the Wear just downstream of the bridge, to be excavated with wonder by some future Time Team). Making good friends and laughing myself sick. Sitting on Steve Jones's bed and hearing 'The 5,000 Spirits, Or The Layers Of The Onion' by the Incredible String Band for the first time. Meeting boys and girls from northern climes. Reading doggerel at St Cuthbert's Feast amid a hailstorm of flying food and drink. Learning to savour pitmatic, those salty phrases. Cuth's groundsman Tom Bickerton's pride in his gigantic hollyhocks, and his tiny terrier Rex ('C'm here, Rrrrex, y'booger!').

When you visited us last year did you get an impression of how Cuth’s has changed, or remains the same?

Everyone seemed so much more polite and pleasant to me than I think I

would have been, in my day, to a whitehaired old josser invading the JCR in a refreshed condition.

After the bar closed, when I as a student would have been heading to bed, everyone was about to set out on more nocturnal adventures but that's probably more to do with changes to the UK's nightlife than to Cuth's.

In architecture, atmosphere, fixtures and fittings, general ambience, even the smell amazingly unchanged.

What is the most important thing you have taken from your time at Cuth’s?

Treasure those friendships, and nurture them after you leave; make the effort, because it'll be worth it. And don't worry if you seem to have messed up (I emerged with a rather inglorious 3rd Class general degree), because there's no knowing how your life is going to pan out.

How did your experiences at Cuthbert’s prepare you for your future?

I think that's still an unfolding story. Academically – not at all. Creatively – all that songwriting I did, and doggerel scribbling, led me eventually to poetry, a tremendous ongoing pleasure and thrill. Socially – I didn't appreciate, until I visited last year and was entertained in the SCR, just what the 'officers' of Cuth's do for the students in hidden ways. It threw the spotlight back on how kind and encouraging Prof.

Brooks and his wife, and the tutors, had been to me when I was struggling. So in that way the Cuth's experience influenced what happened later to me.

What advice would you give to current students at Cuth’s?

Have a great time, and stay away from bathtub liquor!

1 2

Features Success to St Cuthbert’s – 125!

You ask me if I’ll kindly tell Just why I wish St Cuthbert’s well, And what my recollections are Before I’m called to Heaven’s Bar …

Well, ’sixty-eight to ’seventy-one Were years when there was so much fun That, if you’ve memories to share, It’s probable you were not there.

I can’t remember much of it …

Nurse, turn my bath-chair round a bit, And switch my hearing-aid up high …

Thank ’ee, my dear … now, where was I? Ah yes, St Cuthbert’s! I recall Some frightful scrimmage in the Hall With slurring speeches wild and rude, The air all thick with flying food, A tutor lying at full length O’ercome by ale of super-strength, A cleric dancing down the tables, A floor like the Augean stables Six inches deep in mire and mess, A lady starting to undress In front of several hundred chaps Who’d never seen such sights, perhaps.

A grievous slough of lust and drink They called it ‘Cuthbert’s Feast’, I think …

What’s that? Some story on my tongue More edifying to the young?

Well, let me see if I can give it …

Nurse, fill my glass – yes, the Glenlivet!

I see before me, as in dreams, Renowned, illustrious sporting teams, Bearing athwart their noble brows The bays that victory allows.

I see the fair and furry hood Reserved unto the great and good!

I hear again the loud acclaim, Uplifted in pure Learning’s name To those whose academic thirsts,

9 Are justly slaked by Double Firsts!

Come, let me touch that golden hem: The robe that lauds a BSc. Chem, The gown adorned with costly ermine Awarded for degrees in German.

Nose, savour odours of success Achieved without fatigue or stress!

Tongue, lap the milk of education – Balm to the soul of this sweet nation, And to every other college …

Except St Cuthbert’s, to my knowledge.

We, I much regret to say, Preferred to sing the night away, To roll the barrels down the gutter, Smear our naked friends with butter, Play guitar instead of rugger, Joke and drink with any bugger, Smoke a fat ’un by the Wear, Chase it with a quart of beer, Trade our laurels for a kiss, Aim deliberately to miss, Cause a rumpus, light a spark, And jump off Prebends in the dark.

Fun and farce and frolics made The whole damned three-year escapade.

We lazed, we laughed, we drank, we dallied; We scraped a Third, and forth we sallied. … Nurse, another glass of liquor; That’ll bolster my old ticker; That’ll cheat the old psalm-seller!

What’s that you’re asking now, young feller? …

What’s the moral of my tale?

Hmmm …

Make good friends, and drink good ale.

By Christopher Somerville

Features

10

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, initially as a trainee in a continental café on Saddler Street (which is no longer there). He then went on to work in pubs and restaurants in and around the Durham area, including The Duke of Wellington, The Bridge Hotel, The Stonebridge Inn, and The Red Lion, just to mention a few.! But over the years Marc found himself bored and wanted a new challenge. He decided leave the pub and restaurant trade and decided to apply for a job at Durham University.

“I have never looked back since, and that was nine years ago.” Marc told us. “I have helped out or worked in most of the college kitchens over my time with Durham University, and I have been here at St Cuthbert’s now for nearly four years and still love working here. I work all year round so when the students have summer vacation and St Cuthbert’s closes down for a while I will work at another college that needs the help for the summer period. By the end of the summer every year I am always pleased to be coming back to St Cuthbert’s!

Crab Cakes & Caper Mayo 500g Maris piper potatoes 300g white crab meat (picked & checked for shell) Chopped parsley (small amount) 100g flour 4 eggs (beaten) 200g breadcrumbs 200g mayo 50g Capers Lemon juice (to taste) Oil for frying

850g Butternut Squash 560 g Large sweet potato 300g Carrots 300g Onions 1.6 litres Vegetable stock 4g Ginger 4g Curry powder 100ml Coconut milk 6g Garlic puree Seasoning to taste Oil for frying •

•

•

•

•

Warm the oil in a thick bottom pan, over a medium heat. Roughly chop the vegetables.

Sauté the onions and carrot in the pan for three to five minutes.

Next add the butternut squash and sweet potato to the pan with the vegetable stock.

Add the spices and salt and bring to the boil. Once it’s come to the boil reduce the heat and let it simmer. Cover with a lid and carry on cooking until the vegetables are tender.

Using a food blender, puree the vegetables until a thick smooth consistency is reached. Pour in the coconut milk & continue to blend & mix thoroughly.

Serve.

•

• • •

• Preheat the oven to 170c.

• Peel, chop and boil the potatoes until soft. Mash well until free from lumps and you have a smooth texture.

• Mix in the picked crab meat, add the chopped parsley and check the seasoning (to taste).

Mould the mixture into cake shapes (as big or small as required) then refrigerate until cold (this makes the mixture easier to work with!)

Pass each crab cake through the flour/beaten eggs/breadcrumbs Fry in oil until golden colour and crisp then finish in the oven until hot in the middle.

Finely chop the capers and mix through the mayo and add a little lemon juice and seasoning.

1 2

Features

11

Cuth’s Head Chef, Marc Reavley, shares his recipe for a three-course meal fit for a Formal full of hungry students!

Lemon Tart Pastry 500 g plain flour 175 g icing sugar 250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature grated zest of 1 lemon 1 vanilla pod, split open 11/2 eggs, beaten Lemon filling 9 eggs 400 g caster sugar grated zest of 2 lemons juice of 5 lemons 250 ml double cream Decoration 50 g icing sugar sprigs of mint •

•

•

Sift the flour and icing sugar on to a work surface and work in the butter.

Make a well in the centre and add the lemon zest and seeds scraped from the vanilla pod. Add the eggs. Knead the mixture with your fingers, working as quickly as you can, until everything is combined to a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a flan tin with a removable base that is 20 cm in diameter and 3.75 cm deep.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a disc large enough to line the tin and allowing an overhang of not less than 1 cm. Lay the pastry gently into the tin.

Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with enough dry baking beans or lentils (or indeed any dry pulses) to insure the sides as well as the bottom are weighted. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and greaseproof paper and trim off the overhanging pastry, then return the flan case to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.

•

Meanwhile, make the lemon filling.

Whisk the eggs with the caster sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, then add the cream. Continue to whisk until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Skim any froth from the top.

•

Reduce the oven temperature 120°C. Pour the cold filling into the hot pastry case (this will insure that the case is sealed). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and set for about an hour.

•

When ready to serve, preheat the grill to very hot. Sift the icing sugar over the top of the tart and place it under the grill to caramelize the sugar to a light golden brown. Alternatively, you can just sprinkle the tart with icing sugar without caramelizing it. Cut the tart into slices and decorate each with a sprig of mint.

• Tip: The secret of a really good lemon tart is that the filling should be firm and clear and the pastry light and crisp. It should never be cut immediately after it is cooked as it needs time to cool and set for at least an hour, or the filling will be too runny.

12

Cuth’s Careers Angels is a scheme in which alumni are asked to give current students help and advice about the world of work. You can help the next generation of St Cuthbert’s Society graduates get ahead in their careers by sharing your experience!

Please consider becoming an Angel and passing on your knowledge to students desperately in need of advice they can trust. As well as the warm glow of knowing that you're helping current students, you'll also receive free membership of Cuth's SCR and receive invitations to Cuth's events in Durham and UK-wide. To become an Angel, or to find out more visit https://www.dur.ac.uk/stcuthberts.society/alumni or email cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk

Alumni

Are you curious about a particular career? Do you want advice about what employers are looking for?

Do you need ideas from others with the same degree about what sector would suit you?

Cuth's Careers Angles could give you the opportunity to get ahead in the world of work by avoiding the mistakes of others and approaching your career from a more informed perspective. You can gain access to a wealth of alumni knowledge and expertise about the areas that interest you. Register your details by emailing cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk

Staying in touch

www.facebook.com/CuthbertsAlumni @CuthsAlumni www.dur.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 improve your student experience, and help suggesting an event closer to you. you get the most out of life in Durham.