OP News

Alex Petter (2016) recently won the 2020 BUCS Dan Porter Award for his eff ort in developing the Cambridge University Cycling Club (CUCC) whilst undergoing treatment for cancer. Despite travelling to Manchester Monday to Friday for radiotherapy, Alex was running the club as enthusiastically as ever; organising training camp, ensuring rides always took place, and running the committee. Alex also won the Sports Club Personality of the Year Award at the inaugural 2020 University of Cambridge Sports Awards for his transformational impact on CUCC.

Tom Harwood (2015) has been appointed as political correspondent for Andrew Neil’s new television channel GB News. In his previous role as Senior Reporter for Guido Fawkes, he regularly appeared on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, Sky News, BBC Newsnight, and was the youngest ever panellist on BBC Question Time. He also writes a weekly column for The Telegraph.

Laura Barraclough (2020) is currently playing the role of Loren in Nickelodeon’s latest sitcom Goldies Oldies. Laura said “I had a taste for acting during Perse Players’ productions Our House and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Filming Goldies Oldies has been the most incredible experience (including 5 am wake-ups and 12-hour shoot days) but thoroughly rewarding and fun – activities involving liquid nitrogen, slime and special eff ects became standard!”

George Lawton (2016) is co-hosting Primark’s brand-new podcast – All Round Mine. Covering topics ranging from music collections, cooking skills, décor, pets and sentimental items, every week George and Arielle Free will be diving into a celebrity guests’ home, providing a bit of escapism at a time that we all need it!

Covid-19 restrictions did not stop seven OPs teaming up to take part in the virtual Thames Hare and Hounds 68th Alumni Race. Congratulations to Alexander Hunt (2005) who placed 9th out of 282 competitors, and Simon Sampson (2005) for organising the OP team.

Bobby Goulder (2012) was on tour playing festivals in Australia and New Zealand when the pandemic hit. Watching all his gigs evaporate for the rest of the year, Bobby kept himself busy by raising money for charity through personalised musical gifts which he called GiftASong. One request which super-imposed several images of himself to look like a chamber choir reached BBC News headlines. Harrison Pardoe (2012) has been awarded a grant by The Prince’s Trust to help establish his new business. Motivated by the negative impact of Covid-19 on education, Harrison designed Cambridge Online Tutors, a new learning platform covering all key stages from early learning through to A Levels. After submitting a detailed business plan, Harrison received a grant from the charity’s Enterprise Relief Fund.

Book Publications

James Simpson (1969) has recently been appointed Emeritus Professor of Economic History at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and has published (with Juan Carmona) the book, Why Democracy Failed: The Agrarian Origins of the Spanish Civil War.

James Salzman (1981) is a Professor of Environmental Law at UCLA School of Law and the Bren School of the Environment at UC Santa Barbara. He has published (with Michael Heller) Mine! which documents fun, surprising, and often infuriating real-life stories that reveal the ownership rules of the 21st century. Award-winning journalist Simon Akam (2003) spent a year in the army when he was 18 and returned a decade later to see how the institution had changed. His book, The Changing of the Guard: The British Army Since 9/11 examines the social, political and cultural role of the armed forces today.

Ed Walker (1994) founded Hope into Action in 2010, a charity with a vision of the church at the forefront of the fi ght against homelessness. A House Built on Love tells the story of Hope into Action’s mission and how it has worked in partnership with churches to supply homes, support, friendship and love for the homeless and marginalised.