Principal's Blog: Late May

Arts Week:
Under the expert guidance of Tesni Jones (2^nd year English), Brasenose Arts Week ran throughout Week 3 in a marquee on New Quad. Unfortunately, I was only able to go along to a few events but each one I attended was great and well attended. I saw Jazz on the Lawn, a series of Vocals, Questions and Answers with Mark Haddon, and Oxford Imps (an Improvisations group). This gives a hint of the enormous range of activities in this great event.

We had a wonderful Platnaeur concert as part of Arts Week; the David Rees Williams Trio travelled from Canterbury to provide a sensational set of jazz variations on classical themes, especially Bach. Do listen to their latest CD Classics Re-imagined.

Fellow of the Royal Society:
I mentioned in my last blog the great achievement of Professor Graham Richards in gaining the distinction of Fellow of the Royal Society. Since then we have discovered that on the same list are two alumni, Professor Polly Arnold and Professor Richard Dixon. We have sent them our congratulations and will be asking them to dine at High Table to celebrate in Michaelmas Term. For more coverage see here.

Professor Daniela Bortoletto:
We also congratulate our Kurti Senior Fellow Prof Daniella Bortoletto in two different respects. Firstly, she is to be the new Head of Particle Physics from September. Secondly, she was shortlisted in the Vice Chancellors’ Diversity Awards for her work in setting up the Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics in 2015. It is striking that even now only 21% of UK physics undergraduates are women and this group aims to support them.

Beating of the Bounds:
The Annual Beating of the Bounds took place on Ascension Day, 10 May. There were some forty people taking part in going around the parish boundaries. The long established custom involves demarcation of parish boundaries by striking boundary stones with sticks and marking them with chalk. At noon there was the much anticipated opening of the college door to Lincoln, which remains steadfastly shut the rest of the year. A special Ivy beer is served in Lincoln College.

Miscellany:
Rev. Shemil Mathew the founder of the Anglican Minority Ethnic Network (AMEN) and Christian Chaplain to Oxford Brookes University preached in chapel on 14 May. In a wide ranging sermon, he emphasised the power of stories and myths and told of his background in Kerala State in India.

The Town and Gown Race Day on 13 May saw a large Brasenose contingent start at 10am on South Parks Road. There was the traditional pre-race team photo in Old Quad. Read more here.

Lady Jan Royall, Principal of Somerville College, spoke to the PPE Society on 10 May and gave a wide ranging address concentrating on Brexit and developments in the House of Lords.

We congratulate our alumnus Christopher Bellamy QC who has been elected as Master of one of the City Livery Companies – the Broderers.