InTouch Autumn 2012
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Transcript of InTouch Autumn 2012
A cautious sense of optimism is spreading across Myanmar, better known as Burma. There have
been peaceful, open elections in recent months, and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has travelled abroad to meet with world leaders.
Thanks in part to Dr Phillip Ambler, several thousand Burmese are seeing this quiet revolution with their own eyes.
For more than two decades, Dr Ambler has travelled to Burma at least twice annually to perform sight-restoring surgery for impoverished
glaucoma. A GP for most of his career
job was in St Thomas’ Eye Department and he has remained active in ophthalmology.
Dr Ambler saw a Christian Medical Fellowship advert seeking physicians to provide medical care for Burmese refugees. He signed up with Consultant Eye Surgeon Frank
Green, and the two of them have been
in a portion of Burma held by pro-democracy forces, but the ruling military junta took control of that
operated in clinics along the Burmese-Thai border, usually for two weeks at a time.
Small incision cataract surgery – inserting a plastic lens into the eye – is the most common procedure. While Dr Ambler is trained to lead on several types of eye operations, this is not one of them, so he assists Dr Green. They
In the service of society
perform the operation quickly and with minimal equipment, up to
‘Eye surgery lends itself to this type of work. You can go in for two weeks and accomplish quite a lot,’ he says.
The Burmese government has been aware of the clinics for many years but hasn’t hassled Dr Ambler and his colleagues. ‘They probably respect that we’re not a political organisation.’ In fact, he and Dr Green aren’t really part of any organisation. Although they
formed a small charity called Karenaid – named in honour of Burma’s Karen ethnic minority – they prefer to link up with on-the-ground organisations such as the International Rescue Committee, Malteser International and Médicins sans Frontières.
Expressions of gratitude come in the form of modest, heartfelt gifts, such as a jar of honey or a woven shirt.
‘The people themselves are so inspiring. They possess a remarkable gentleness and fortitude. We’re lifted up by them.’
The people themselves are so inspiring
ContentsPage 4
Vision and hope in Burma
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PhD law student Katherine Grainger, left, already Great Britain’s most successful female rower, brought home gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Having won silver medals at Sydney, Athens and Beijing, Grainger and her rowing partner Anna Watkins captured gold in the women’s double sculls at Eton Dorney. The pair won in dominating fashion before
a thunderous home crowd, pulling away from the competition
seconds ahead of the Australian runners-up. Grainger and Watkins are undefeated in their 23 races together.
What about Rio in 2016? Will
Grainger isn’t saying yet.
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Much has been written in the past year about changes to how the
higher education. Government funding for teaching in English
cent, and beginning this autumn undergraduate students from the UK and other EU countries are
Less has been written about how universities are helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Because we are committed to equal access, universities such as ours clearly must develop a suite of programmes that will help talented young adults who come from families with
performing schools.The principle of equal access to higher education
has always been a central part of King’s mission.
a degree through evening study, dating back
many of our peers. In recent years, we have launched innovative
initiatives such as our successful Extended Medical
disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to
Students in the programme must pass all
assessments at the same level as other students,
follow the same course and must reach the same pass standard in degree examinations.
The Extended Medical Degree Programme
several hundred highly talented doctors. It has been praised by Universities Minister David Willetts and also by former Labour Minister Alan Milburn.
Our Dental Institute is now introducing a similar scheme: King’s Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme. The course is similar to the standard
provides additional help to the student. Entrants to this programme will come from widening participation schools linked to King’s, or schools
with low achievements in
At the same time, our
aid programme means that by
undergraduate students will
towards tuition fees or living costs, and some students will not pay any tuition fees at all.
The generosity of alumni and friends is an important part of
bursaries established by alumni
you to consider how you can invest in the future of our students.
Together we can ensure that no student with
will be denied entry because of his or her
Professor Sir Richard Trainor
Equal access is a central part of King’s mission
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King’s is committed to welcoming every student with the ability to succeed
From the Principal
King’s students help London youths learn how to save lives
In a warm, humid secondary school gymnasium in Southwark, three King’s students slowly and precisely explain each step in performing CPR.
The two dozen girls gathered in the St Saviour’s & St Olave’s School gym watch intently. A few nervous laughs erupt as they pair up and take turns pumping the manikins’ clicking chests
lips – with a King’s student guiding each girl through the procedure. There are many questions and a genuine interest in getting it right. Maybe one of these girls will one day save somebody’s life.
In fact, one student from this very school did exactly that a few years ago, treating someone who had collapsed at a bus stop.
organisation called Saving Londoners’ Lives. It’s a society that brings medical and nursing students from King’s and
primary schools across London. Pupils
CPR, recovery position and DR ABC (danger, response, airway, breathing
student Natali Vigneswaran is the organisation’s President.
‘We are trained personally by the London Ambulance, who are volunteers of St John Ambulance, twice a year at King’s, to ensure all members have the same level of teaching,’ says Vigneswaran. Since
as lead instructors; the university students provide assistance and often connect with the pupils in a way teachers can’t. ‘When we explain it, we explain it in their language,’ she says.
Androulla Kouppas, Assistant Head at St Saviour’s & St Olave’s, says the girls sit up and take notice when
someone from outside teaches a class. ‘They respond well to having other people coming in,’ she says, ‘rather than it being taught by the same faces they see day in and day out.’ As an
get to see poised young adults, often women, who are pursuing careers in medicine and nursing.
‘My favourite memory is from my
Vigneswaran. ‘I remember being really anxious about whether I would be a good enough trainer for the pupils, but I had a really receptive group that listened to every word and perfected
when some of students asked if I was coming back next week, and I couldn’t believe how much of an impact I seemed to have made.’
are now part of Saving Londoners’ Lives. Vigneswaran says the group
+44 (0)20 7848 4701
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King’s Policy Institute is building a bridge between academics and policymakers in the UK and beyond
From theory to practice
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Silence is golden If The Artist
As Chair of King’s Policy Institute, Nick Butler, a former economic and business policy adviser to Gordon Brown, explains, one of the Institute’s major challenges is to cut through the myriad urgent issues to focus on areas where King’s can have most impact
everything,’ he says. ‘So we prioritise areas where there’s a good match between unresolved policy issues and King’s expertise.’
The Policy Institute was set up to provide a swift response to pressing political, economic and social issues, bringing King’s unbiased expertise to leading policymakers in the UK and beyond. With the eurozone in crisis, it’s no surprise that Europe is currently at the top of the agenda. Two current
defence and security, are providing unique opportunities for academics,
politicians and policymakers to share ideas. New French president Francois Hollande came to the Institute in February while still a candidate. Dominique Moisi, founder of the French Institute of International Relations, and Sir Nigel Sheinwald, former British ambassador to Brussels, are visiting professors.
The Institute’s agenda includes three other priority areas. Professor Alison Wolf of the Management Department is looking at the future of universities, while Bill Park of the Defence Studies Department is focusing on how Turkey manages the tensions between Muslim traditions and growing Western
the Institute’s Director, is leading work on the future of defence policy in times of austerity.
Another important aspect of the Institute’s work involves raising the
Coming soon: a revamped website and digital In Touch
a new website for alumni, providing you with a fuller picture of what’s taking place across our campuses and within the alumni community.
As part of this overhaul, we are going In Touch in an electronic
version – an important change for alumni living overseas, as it can sometimes take two or more weeks for the magazine to reach your home.
Of course, even if you live in the UK, you might prefer to read the magazine on your iPad (or other tablet), computer or handheld.
The electronic version of In Touch
hidden gems’. These include groups such as the International Centre for Security Analysis, led by Dr Joanna Kidd, which specialises in open source data gathering. ‘They’re doing great work, including on Iran and nuclear proliferation,’ Butler says. ‘Now we
knowledge and skills beyond the academic arena.’
The Institute is keen to attract support for future projects. ‘The key criterion is a close match between our academic work and the interests of any external sponsors,’ says Butler. ‘Take Europe. So many jobs depend on what happens in the eurozone and there are
from a proper analysis of what’s happening there. That’s the kind of partnership we’re interested in.’
Butler is also looking to build links within King’s. ‘A big part of our remit is to reach out and work with people right across the College. Health, law – there are so many areas that overlap
taught me the value of embracing new ideas and knowledge. That’s exactly what we’re doing at King’s – drawing on our collective expertise to shape the agenda and directly tackle some of the biggest issues facing us today.’To learn more about the Institute, email Butler at [email protected] or Professor Uttley at [email protected]
It will conserve resources; by printing fewer magazines we’ll save vast amounts of paper annually
You’ll have the magazine in your hands much sooner
It will save the College thousands of pounds, meaning we can redirect that money to other priorities
happen? Please email us at InTouch@
to let us know that you want to receive In Touch electronically. The digital version of In Touch will have all of the articles, news and class notes of the printed magazine, plus added bonuses, such as links to videos.
Hugo
Dracula
montage
Most people have seen The Cabinet of Dr Caligari or Battleship Potemkin, usually in an educational setting. Great
give the impression that silent cinema is a rather intellectual, avant garde art form. In fact, as the dominant mass entertainment of its day, silent cinema can be as dumb, as thrilling, as funny
or action blockbuster.Thanks to The Artist, there are more
big screen than there used to be, and – crucially – accompanied by live music. In London, BFI Southbank and the Cinema Museum have regular screenings, and you can learn about events at other venues by visiting www.silentlondon.co.uk. If you can’t get to the cinema, here are some suggestions for your DVD wish list.
So many areas overlap with policy-making
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Michael Luck Immersed in a science that touches us every day
We’re trying to address the societal challenges
The particle predicted by Professor Peter
now what does it do?
The start of a new chapter
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We’rto adthe schall
research is limitless. The easy answer is that it’s evolving continuously, dramatically and very, very rapidly.
In ways that we don’t even think about: mobile phones, TV, internet, Facebook, apps, electronic payments, etc. But the changes are only seen when things go wrong, like the recent problems with computer failures at NatWest.
Well, we’re recruiting, and we hope
to address societal challenges, working on interdisciplinary projects with
security, for example. It’s here that
It’s easy to forget to unwind, but I try to ensure that I watch my football team, Chelsea, on TV when they are playing. I inherited this allegiance from my father, and this year we’re both delighted that they are European champions. Apart from that, we have a really good atmosphere in the department, and I often hang out with our PhD students for a few drinks on a Friday evening.
Informatics is concerned with the study of the representation, storage, processing and communication of
aspects, including computer science,
bioinformatics. In the Department of Informatics at King’s, we’re working on fundamental challenges and problems in all of these areas, as well as their application to biological sciences,
We believe we’re strong in all of our areas, but we’ve just recruited the
group in the country, giving us a unique
expertise in the area of intelligent systems and robots. We’re also developing some of the most advanced algorithms for bioinformatics.
computing is everywhere. Even our credit cards have chips these days, and the potential for exploitation of our
discoveries typically lead to more questions. So while physicists cheered in early July when they learned of the
boson, the inevitable question followed: what next?
predicted the existence of a property that binds all matter, scientists at the CERN laboratory announced that
certain they had found the particle in July of this year. The historic announcement in Geneva came in a progress report from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator.
‘It’s the end of one chapter in particle physics and the start of another,’ says Dr Malcolm Fairbairn, who works in the College’s Theoretical Particle Physics & Cosmology Group. ‘We don’t know what comes next.’
Dr Fairbairn said the discovery could well help physicists understand knotty questions such as why there is more
study particle interactions involving the Higgs boson at the LHC, we are probing the conditions which existed
The next stage is to study this particle
predicted it should do, or something else, which of course would be even more interesting.’ Professor Higgs predicted that there must be a property – some have termed it ‘cosmic treacle’
particles with mass, or else all particles would remain massless and race
through space at the speed of light.The hunt for the Higgs boson – a
boson is a type of subatomic particle –
challenges of the past half century. Scientists announced to the world
certain they have found a new particle.
which describes all of the particles and forces in the universe.
community have heaped praise on Professor Higgs, with some calling for him to receive a knighthood or other recognition. Following the announcement at CERN, Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking told the BBC that he believes Professor Higgs deserves the Nobel Prize, but also conceded that discovery of the particle
physicist that it wouldn’t be found.Despite losing this bet, Professor
Hawking acknowledged the Higgs
opening of the Paralympic Games. As the centre of the Olympic Stadium morphed into the LHC, he said, ‘The recent discovery of what looks like the Higgs particle is a triumph of human endeavour and international collaboration. It will change our perception of the world.’
Dr Fairbairn hopes the Higgs boson
of many great Large Hadron Collider discoveries. ‘This is just the beginning of the LHC. They’re still tuning the thing.’
We don’t know what comes next
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thousands of laughs, the three members of Instant Sunshine continue to poke gentle fun at all that is English.
Instant Sunshine comprises three doctors who graduated from St
of a certain age’, they are Peter Christie (guitar, trumpet and ukulele), David Barlow (guitar, mouth organ and
(bells, whistles and assorted bird noises). Happily orbiting on the fringes of the show business universe, they’ve
squeezing performances into evenings and weekends.
stage, singing at a Mayfair restaurant
pounds a night and a free meal,’ he recalls. They premiered at St Thomas’
an act which had cancelled due to the
Bring You Sunshine’, led to their name.
as ‘quintessentially English – slightly
We go down rather well with British
More precisely, we remind them
‘We never intended this to be anything but a hobby,’ says Christie.
became a quartet with the addition of double bass player and humourist Miles Kington and found themselves voted ‘Hit of the Fringe’ at the
Stop the Week
with Robert Robinson. The programme posed a rigorous weekly challenge: to prepare a song relevant to the discussion without being told the topic until a day or two before recording. As songwriter, Christie often had less
lyrics, all the while still seeing patients.The constant time pressures on
writing and rehearsing have given their performances a ‘slightly impromptu’ style, Christie says. ‘But this is part of our act. We’re not – ’
‘Luckily, most people think we put the mistakes in deliberately,’ says Christie.
Instant Sunshine recorded several albums at Abbey Road and travelled to New York to perform at a small theatre in Greenwich Village, receiving rave reviews. This led to an invitation to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, America’s
Due to their day jobs, they declined, becoming quite possibly the only band ever to turn down an opportunity
to perform on Carson’s show.‘That’s NHS loyalty for you,’
But they did perform for the Royals. Booked to sing at Badminton House, they were surprised to learn at the last minute that Her Majesty The Queen and several members of the royal family were in the small audience. The Duke of Beaufort introduced them as ‘Immediate Sunshine’.
the original three are now supported
on double bass. Instant Sunshine are celebrating
Greenwood Theatre, Guy’s Campus. To book tickets for their November concert, visit www.ticketweb.co.uk or
Let the sun shine
For most of the past half century, the Quadrangle tucked between the King’s Building and Somerset House East Wing has sported a coat of macadam and served as a car and bicycle park. Not surprisingly, it hasn’t been the most popular place to mix and mingle.
And on stormy days, students and
have endured steady streams of rainwater leaking through the ceilings.
As In Touch went to press, the College was about to select an
renovation of the Quad, turning the heart of the campus into an
The Guardian
Interview with the Vampire
The Observer
The Quad will soon be a place to meet and greet
Car park to showcase
aesthetically pleasing ‘learning commons’ for members of the King’s community and the general public. Designed correctly, the Quad will
without feeling crowded, says Oluchi Uduku, Senior Project Manager for the College. ‘If you think of South Bank on a sunny day, there’s so much happening and yet people can still move around easily,’ she says.
consultation, to learn how students
design competition through the Royal Institute of British Architects. The
concepts were on display for viewing through the latter half of August.
In addition to transforming the Quad into a handsome space where
project will provide an additional
and student facilities.
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The period immediately before, during and after birth is a critical window for future health. What happens to babies at this time can have a profound impact on the rest of their lives. For example, lack of oxygen around the time of birth – or birth asphyxia – accounts for about
developed world. Heart disease and meningitis in the newborn period can cause brain damage, and autism and ADHD can also develop at this time.
Foundation has an impressive track record of supporting research in this crucial area and recently agreed to fund important research at King’s new Centre for the Developing Brain. The Centre is led by Professor David Edwards, who came to King’s in
Weston Neonatal Research Group at Imperial College. Professor Edwards’
successful treatment for birth asphyxia, which is now in use throughout the
NHS and around the world. Now that Professor Edwards and
King’s, they will be able to draw on the College’s expertise in neuroscience and paediatrics and build links – for example, with colleagues in the Institute of Psychiatry – to expand their work in areas such as autism. New projects are planned, including
treated as newborns and extending MRI capabilities to improve the diagnosis and care of autism and ADHD.
will support one of the Centre’s key priorities – to engage with parents and children, and help them play an active role in the research.
Research Programme, we can make sure that we are addressing the problems that really matter to families,’ says Guy Weston, chairman of the
Professor Edwards and his team can gain a better understanding of how treatments work, so the
interventions and help more children to lead healthier lives.’
King’s is at the forefront of dental education in the UK and beyond.
The GuardianInstitute trains one in four dentists in the UK and provides professional training for practitioners in nearly
its innovative online learning.
The Maurice Wohl General Dental Practice Centre, which opened in
the success of the Institute with its commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, supporting research that
students the opportunity to train in
Wohl, a successful property developer turned philanthropist, supported a wide range of causes during his lifetime
but always took a particular interest in dentistry at King’s.
‘Maurice Wohl was always very aware of the excellent work of the Centre and the high regard in which it was held by its patients,’ says Nairn Wilson, former Dean of the Dental Institute. ‘Occasionally, patients would inadvertently telephone his business
or extol the Centre’s virtues. Maurice Wohl would always listen patiently and with amusement before putting them
Now, the foundation’s trustees are building on that legacy by providing further generous support. The Maurice Wohl Chair in Primary Dental Care and Advanced Dental Practice will be named in perpetuity, while students
supported by the new Vivienne Wohl PhD Studentship will help to train general dental practitioners in research skills, as well as pursuing their own research. The Centre’s aim is to
based clinical research and building a robust evidence base, enhancing both patient experience and outcomes.
Strengthening the link between academics and practitioners is an essential part of the Dental Institute’s
practice research network that brings together researchers from across the UK and internationally. Working alongside practitioners will also create opportunities for research to take place
the materials and techniques being developed will eventually be used.
As a young woman Sheila Doak (née Charter) hoped to become a doctor. Immediately after the Second World War, however, with thousands
universities, few medical schools were accepting women.
As an option, Doak came to King’s and studied natural sciences. With her degree in hand, she accepted a job at the Chester Beatty Institute for Cancer Research. Her major project was based on the need to understand how the lives of heavily irradiated individuals could be prolonged, brought home by the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From those early days, research progressed rapidly and now bone marrow and organ transplants are everyday occurrences.
She says King’s gave her the
that has lasted a lifetime. Today,
of cytogenetics, analysing cell cultures for chromosome abnormalities. ‘I have my microscope and although my mobility is now limited, my eyesight still allows me to make the most of my skills and knowledge.’
Doak says her King’s education shaped her interests, skills and professional life, and therefore helped her overcome inevitable bumps on the long road of life. In gratitude to her College, Doak has been supporting King’s for many years. Moreover, she has pledged a gift to the College in her will.
‘My means are very modest, but King’s has always been important to me and I would like to help in whatever
way I can,’ she says. ‘There are thousands of us alumni, and our gifts add up. So I feel that my bequest to my alma mater is the best way to give future generations of young people the same start in life that I had all these years ago and the same satisfying career that I still have.’
One of the misconceptions surrounding legacies is that it’s a means for only the wealthy to give – which simply is not true. Through the generosity and foresight of people like Sheila Doak, the cumulative impact
Legacies can support scholarships, medical and other research, student societies and a nearly endless range of projects that enrich students’ learning, research, cultural and career opportunities. Relatively small amounts of money make a tremendous
MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology were able to explore
anatomy teaching. Finally, legacy gifts to the College
themselves. Under UK inheritance tax
into consideration the value of their home, car, savings, pensions and personal belongings, many people have an estate that exceeds this amount. By leaving a portion of their estate
King’s, UK residents can reduce their inheritance tax burden. Financial planning is a personal matter. However, if you have questions about where to turn for planning help, please contact Legacy Manager Elena
committed to future generations of students
Legacies:
the wealthy
From theory to practice
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opera and more to King’sacademic programmes and student activities possible
Alumni support continues to provide a rich mix of academic programmes and student activities.
The Annual Fund, made possible through the generosity of alumni and friends, touches the lives of students on every campus, every year, making innovative academic programmes and popular student activities possible.
Over the years, donors to the Annual Fund have brought music to the
teaching techniques, helped students
clubs – in short, some of the most enriching and memorable experiences for students.
Annual Fund grants, distributing more
and academic programmes to improve curricular and extracurricular activities,
From women’s rugby to medical
manikins to a trilogy of Shakespearean parodies, the Annual Fund provided
of projects. Three examples:
establish a Moot Library, comprising reference materials that will help law students prepare for mooting competitions. These competitions – highly contested and realistically simulated court proceedings – provide excellent experience for students. The Dickson Poon School of Law has recorded several successes in moot competitions over the years; students staged a brief moot for Her Majesty The Queen during her February visit.
Department to establish a series of readings that will bring six prominent
helping to further establish the College as a hub for modern writing and performance. ‘Novelists at King’s will act as a creative resource for current students and academics at King’s, provide a focus for alumni engagement within the life of the College, and will reach out to the wider community,’ says Professor Andrew O’Hagan. ‘None of the London colleges has found a way to celebrate the art of writing as we can do here at King’s with this initiative, and I
platform.’Students will be involved in
designing the programme, liaising with novelists and organising the events.
allow the student opera company
academic year. The grant will help the company lease a venue, purchase costumes and props and develop publicity and programmes, complementing the College’s emphasis on bringing a wider range of cultural activities to the campuses.
‘King’s Opera provides a rare opportunity for young instrumentalists to play in an opera,’ said Imogen Rose Burgess, President of the King’s Opera Committee. ‘There are a number of chamber ensembles as well as the university symphony orchestra for King’s students, but no other means by which a classical orchestra can get experience in being the backbone of an operatic production, a skill they can take into their future careers not only as instrumentalists, but essential to any career where teamwork and coordination are paramount to success.’
created a series of successful businesses
questions|King’s
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£1 million and counting
Members of the College’s giving circles have invested in the future of King’s
donations.
of students, in every school and on each campus. Circle donors have funded scholarships, grants for students
needed kit for sporting clubs. Such gifts
opportunities that do not occur elsewhere, and, in turn, the students learn valuable skills that enable them to
Given the seismic changes in how the government funds higher education, the circles are now an especially important way for alumni to give back in recognition of their time as a student.
austerity, I’m proud to help keep King’s a global centre of excellence and return the enormous contribution the College has played in my life for the generations of students to come,’ says Robin Taher
Starting with eight individuals in
College through the circles during the past six years.
Three of the circles – the Principal’s, Medical and Dental Circles – honour
or more in a single year to the College. Twenty per cent of circle members
‘The growth of the circles in south east
the issues King’s is tackling. The circles are becoming a truly global community,’ says Dr Yee Cheau
To learn more about the circles, please
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Douglas HoweGuy’s, Dentistry, 1937
After qualifying, Douglas Howe went directly into the Royal Navy. He had several assignments during the war, sailing with a battleship and a submarine depot ship. He received a permanent commission after the war and retired as a surgeon-captain.
I was appointed to a battleship in Barham. I joined her
in Portsmouth and we went straight out to the Mediterranean. Going into action I teamed up with the medicos. I was in charge of stretcher parties around the ship.
home from the Mediterranean and
a German raider got out.
I was in my cabin at the time when we were hit. The cabin I was
the bowels of the ship. It was a
happened. I rushed out of my cabin because I wanted to see daylight. A vertical ladder goes up the four
with an increasing number of chaps trying to get on it. After a while we were all sitting on each other’s shoulders going up this ladder. The chap who was in front suddenly yelled out when his head
he ended up still sitting on the shoulders of the chap below him while the chap was walking on
Unfortunately we lost four men. They were down in the
was it for them. It took four days to get back
dock that could take us at that time. I was relieved from the Barham then – I’d done my two years. I went to the Royal Marine
of the Battle of Britain. I came out
went belting along a corridor to get to underground air raid shelters. I came up against a beam. They had reinforced the ceilings. I didn’t know this. I had only joined them in the afternoon. I hit my head
I wouldn’t be here. Little things like that would cheer you up.
London wasn’t in London;
to Bristol. Guy’s Hospital was treating patients at its home by London
had been relocated to Tunbridge Wells.
had sent its students to Surrey.
shared memories of life during the Second World War with In Touch in recent months.
generation ignored the destruction around them as best they could. Most of them
sport and theatre and lost countless hours
The stories here are not intended to paint
we asked alumni to share their most potent memories from those years.
stories collected during the past few months on these pages – there were simply too
longer versions of the recollections on these
We invite you to share your wartime
university student or adult during the war.
recollections to the website. Please email them to [email protected] or post them to In Touch,
we thank all of these alumni for sharing
to share yours. James Bressor, EditorPhotography by Michael Donald
REMEMBERING THE
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Shyam SarwalKing’s, Engineering, 1944
Shyam Sarwal left India on
the UK and France declared war on Germany. As a King's student in Bristol, he founded a youth organisation that participated
and destruction of air raids.
I booked my passage for England on a merchant ship coming from Australia. It was on the second
I had made all my preparations.
the centre of India. I travelled all the way south to Bombay to catch this ship.
a telegram from the maharajah of the kingdom of Bikaner – where we lived and who had given me a scholarship to come to England
do not go against the wishes of the
how long the war would last. He decided to ignore the telegram and the day after I had sailed he sent a message back to the
too late. Son already sailed.’
On the ship right up to Aden we had no problem. Through
Then through the Mediterranean we also had little or no problem and made for Gibraltar to join a naval convoy. We had been waiting four days in Gibraltar for the naval escort when our captain got the devastating message
alone. Make as fast as you can for Liverpool.’ The captain’s face was drawn. He was really in a panic
the easiest way for a lone ship to be sunk.
as you can because if you’re sunk the food is of no use. It’ll all go down to the bottom of the sea.’
you that? Orange juice three times a day. Food to our hearts’ content. Ice cream as much as we could eat.
made it to Liverpool!
King’s, Civil Engineering, 1943
King’s, Geography, 1944
Navy after graduating and served
She later became a lecturer at Southampton University College, and he was a bridge engineer for Hampshire.
Joyce: when in Bristol. It was a useful bit of pocket money. I was watching atop the mortuary. We had to go through the bodies under cloths with a torch. We never had any
We had hops on Saturday mornings occasionally at the
was to go out and have beans on toast or something very simple to eat because we were not given to eating very much.
There wasn’t much cash about the place. The whole country was in a tough way.Joyce: I remember that some of the
little relationship to meat proper.
The food was horrible.Joyce:
and sang and kissed each other. A
north Africa – and he’d been down the mines – would come home.
and me because we had our brother in the war camp. It was more immediate. We kissed strangers.
The British aren’t famous for kissing strangers. Joyce:
with an old school friend when we heard the news. I knew that
would come back.
Dr Roy WebbGuy’s, Medicine, 1943
Dr Roy Webb served as a surgeon-lieutenant on HMS
D-Day, at Sword Beach, and
Minister Churchill an opportunity
then were many miles inland.
The Kelvin guns and they were jolly good
accurately at about four miles.We had a bombardment
who was great fun. He would be given a target and it was
a role until we got a signal to go back to Portsmouth – fast.
I’m not supposed to tell you
people aboard I can tell who aren’t
AUTUMN 2012 19 18 AUTUMN 2012
aboard. We’re going to take him so he can have lunch with Montgomery.’
In due season we came alongside
way. We got him aboard. He had a nap while we were going back
like hell. The sailors were picking up his cigarette butts as souvenirs. The ship’s motorboat took him ashore to meet Montgomery.
aircraft ammunition and paraded
up and down in case any German aircraft appeared.
I suppose we did this for
then we were meant to pick
what we did. We were ready to rush him back to Portsmouth.
He was supposed to have
of course he didn’t. He went
was at his station above the guns
enemy there.
Germans. Get on with it!’ And
It was only after it had all gone
King’s College School of Medicine & Dentistry, Dentistry, 1940
and four months at the University of Edinburgh, Donald Leggett (see
serving with Coastal Forces before
an escort aircraft carrier.
witnessed the Japanese surrendering ending
the Second World War.My nearest attempt to getting killed
the guns that normally point forward sometimes point straight
was checking circuits in the thing
came straight through the steel
and straight through two more steel decks underneath before they came to rest. If I had been in my bunk I would’ve been dead.
ship with a wooden deck. If we had to do the job that we were sent there
have lasted an hour. But of course the nuclear bomb saved our lives. It brought the war to a very abrupt end. It was obvious even to me that the big battleships had been
Only the carriers and the escort vessels would continue to have a role.
We heard that this bomb had
later they’d dropped another one. Then there was a silence. We just
were making up their minds whether they had to surrender or not. They decided it would be futile to go on.
We all went into Tokyo Bay. It was the most unbelievable sight. I realised that we were seeing something nobody would ever see again. There were scores and scores of warships. We had an enormous
the American ships as well. There were just warships at anchor as far as you could see. It was intensely emotional.
AUTUMN 2012 21 20 AUTUMN 2012
King’s, Mathematics, 1941 and 1947
King’s, Mathematics, 1947
two years, when the College was in Bristol, and returned for one more
an MSc. Monica Robinson arrived
return to London. She remembers going to VE Day celebrations with her two roommates.
Our maths faculty was tucked in a building called the Royal Fort. That’s where I spent
walking there in the morning. And I was out of touch with everybody else in the university
were doing maths degrees.
up afterward. Because we were mathematicians and potentially
We enrolled on the same day in September. We were immediately
I spent about three months there. They didn’t know what to do with
we embarked on the same boat.I had a most magical night
in Port Said. All the troops had
the few who were left to look after the ship overnight. It was a
in the sky. And all night was spent embarking – but you couldn’t get
by ferry – Italian prisoners of war.
It was the most magical night I can remember in my life.
ferry coming across with Italian prisoners. The happiest lot of prisoners you could ever imagine. And they were all singing – singing arias from Italian opera. I had never been to an opera at that time.
went out together. Now Brompton
from Buckingham Palace. So we walked down to Buckingham Palace and we were in the crowd
I could have rubbed shoulders
it’s alleged she went out into the crowd outside Buckingham Palace that night. We cheered until
on the balcony. Then we walked on to Whitehall and stood there
to come out. He came out on
and he spoke to us. My memory of that was that he had certainly been drinking. But he had earned it. We just joined up with the huge crowd of people that went into the centre of London to celebrate.
Chelsea, Geology, 1942
Chelsea, Mathematics, 1943
Peter Sabine attended Chelsea for one year before moving on to Imperial. Peggy Sabine started at Chelsea in
Peggy:
the war. They were most peculiar
right behind them and the privates and others would be in the back. And they never spoke to each other.
The only time I had trouble was
teach them fractions?’ I went down
were supposed to learn fractions. But I couldn’t teach them. For one
Peter: I was in the volunteer
stretcher party. It involved being on duty one night a week or two
a mile away.
up to a school which had been bombed. A lot of kids had been killed. By the time we were there
casualties had already been taken away. But there were still piles of
it by hand.One aspect of the war was that
both young teenagers. Peggy is
second childhoods.
one dressed as Hitler and one as
which led the procession slowly down the Strand. This held the
nonsense. The rest of us all walked behind them to the end of the Strand and then turned around and came back all the way back
making fun of Hitler and Mussolini.
took a really dim view of Hitler being mocked and complained to
Emel RochatKing’s, French, 1949
Emel Rochat was living in south
I arrived in September or
digs. There were no hostels in those days. What did we have for our supper? A packet of crisps between
There was even more rationing
to be no rationing. I remember
St Thomas’, Medicine, 1942
in the opening days of the Blitz and
Called into the army after the end of the war, he served in the occupational
spiral staircase behind where the head porter used to sit just inside
a high desk and he ruled the roost. Behind him there was a little door and a spiral staircase down in to
very convenient for students and
I got down there at about half past seven in the evening. We were
I was down there and I heard something coming down – a noise
a cluster of bombs coming down
followed. This spiral staircase was just showered in glass. It was enclosed in glass as it was outside
I collected my thoughts and
We agreed it must have been in the road outside. We walked through
connected right through all of the blocks. We could see there was
walked up there and realised that
completely useless.The whole dispensary had gone
leaders on the mat and gave them
was a very poor show.
troops there. We went up to a place
British troop to enter Rome. We were told by our commanding
with my batman and corporal I went into Rome and I had my
Please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/WW2stories to read the complete reminiscences of the 15 alumni featured in the magazine and the wartime memories of the alumni listed below. The website also
photographs.
David Baker, Guy’s, Dentistry, 1945Dr John Barham, King’s, Medicine, 1944Dr Thomas Calverley, King’s, Electrical Engineering, 1940 Commander Clement Cambrook, King’s, Physics & Mathematics, 1944
St Thomas’, Medicine, 1947Alwyn Carruthers AKC, King’s, Mathematics, 1945Margaret Audrey (Dodds) Chadwick AKC, King’s, English, 1942Joan Ellison, KCHSS, Household & Social Sciences, 1948
Dr Jack Fine, Guy’s, Medicine, 1948Harold Fletcher, King’s, Mechanical Engineering, 1945Hedley Grabaskey, Guy’s, Dentistry, 1944Reg Grant, Dr Leslie Hale, Dr Bill Jeanes, Guy’s, Medicine and Dentistry, 1943James Kirkwood, Guy’s, Dentistry, 1945Alec Leggatt, King’s, Civil Engineering, 1948Denis Mace, Guy’s,
Dr Betty Mather, KCSMD, Medicine, 1950Dr Oliver Musgrave, King’s, Chemistry, 1949The Revd John Ouless, AKC, Theology, 1949Denis Reid, Guy’s, Dentistry, 1945Dr Thomas Richards, KCSMD, Medicine, 1945
Dr Tony Sampson, KCSMD, Dentistry, 1940Margaret Thresh, Normanby College School of Physiotherapy, Physiotherapy, 1948Anthony Titford, King’s, Civil Engineering, 1939Dr Walter Walker AKC, King’s, Theology, 1942Professor Robert Walton, Guy’s, Medicine, 1945Dr Robert Welch, St Thomas’, Medicine, 1945
Lest we forget,
King’s, Theology, 1948
Stephen Davis was a POW for
years in Stalag XXA, a complex with
He studied theology after the war and became a priest in the Church
A lot of people were brought
I missed the boat. So the Germans caught me. I was made to march
Then we packed into a cattle
the cattle trucks on the outside
and everybody had to defecate and urinate in their boots and then tip it out the window. The place stank to hell. It was hideous. And it was one of the hottest
It was absolute hell.
have to go out and work with everybody else. The prisoners had
Terrible jobs. Being in the Royal
in this hospital.We had a commandant
called Scarface. He had been a prisoner of war in England in the First World War. He was very friendly. The Gestapo came to
He would come around before
or cigarettes we’d give them
in his pockets and then bring it all back to us afterward.
King’s College School of Medicine & Dentistry, Medicine, 1942
King’s College School of Medicine & Dentistry, Medicine, 1946
Brandon Lush remembers a pre-war parade that insulted the German ambassador. After qualifying,
forces that swept across north Africa, invaded Sicily and successfully landed in Italy, where he was nearly
Lush remembers doing her pre-
temporary home for KCSMD. Margaret: At one occasion at
so I didn’t go back to the digs where
coping with the air raid casualties. The landlady wouldn’t let me in because she must’ve felt I was no better than I should be turning
wouldn’t believe that I could have been in the theatre all night.
Street getting up toward the palace.
took a really dim view of Hitler and Mussolini and – it couldn’t happen
student body got a procession going in the Strand and Fleet Street.
landlady when we were in London.
was rationing into well after the war.
What was outstanding was
It was very moving.
We had veterans coming to
been in war. They had served.
their lives. But they never talked
through into the basement. It just went sshhp,was a lot of surgical spirit amongst
so we didn’t know what was going on beyond that.
We discovered that the bomb had
alongside where they had built these
This bomb had come down and
theatre. A couple of house surgeons
The patients in the theatre survived. But the house surgeons – one was Sir Bernard Spilway’s son.
We tried to make ourselves useful.
all the electrics were gone. Heating pipes and water pipes were all pouring water. We went into theatre
clear those cupboards and take them down to somewhere safe. We can’t
somewhere else.’ She was so cool.
our hospital function as it should in our clinical years.
AUTUMN 2012 23 22 AUTUMN 2012
Whether exploring how the brain functions or pioneering treatments
A NEW ERA OF CLINICAL RESEARCH
All of us
fromworking
Professor Alan McGregor
The days of the lone researcher beavering away unsupported in an underground lab are long gone. It’s now recognised that the best research results come from collaboration between institutions, plus a critical mass of researchers.
That’s the thinking behind the brand new Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility (CRF), a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to moving experimental medicine from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside in areas as diverse as preventing heart disease and treating phobias.
The CRF is based at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on the Denmark Hill Campus of King’s College London. Within King’s Health Partners, it’s the result of co-operation between the College, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital, culminating in a successful bid to the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health via the
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Maudsley Hospital and the Institute of Psychiatry will lead studies in neurosciences and mental health.
The academic drivers include specialists in cardiovascular disease, haematology, haemato-oncology, liver disease and diabetes, along with psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience experts. Consequently, the CRF will serve a wide range of clinical and academic interests.
‘The ethos of King’s Health Partners is that the best patient care will come from clinical care which is integrated with academe,’ says Alan McGregor, Professor of Medicine at King’s College London, Campus Dean for Denmark Hill and the Director of the Wellcome Trust CRF. ‘All of
can enhance the academic performance of the two NHS
clinical expertise and skill and will ensure that issues such as governance are managed appropriately.’
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Being diagnosed with hepatitis C two summers ago was a big shock to Joan Thomas, 51. She’d been experiencing hot sweats, dry skin and a fuzzy brain but thought this was due to the menopause.
After diagnosis, Joan was referred to the liver clinic at King’s College Hospital in September 2010. It was then that she
to participate in clinical trials of two new drugs. ‘Of course, I had concerns,’ she says. ‘I was going to be testing out drugs that hadn’t yet been tested fully. Also, I was worried which group I’d be put in. I wanted to go for it, so I didn’t want to go in a low-dosage group, or the control group that had a placebo!
‘But it was very well organised and I was regularly monitored. For example, when my white blood count dropped, it was picked up straight away.’
Being on the trial was hard work and
physical and emotional
says, it was worth it. The new drugs worked and her viral load has gone from almost nine million to negligible. She is now cured.
Joan adds: ‘What would have made the experience even better would have been an automatic referral to a specialist community organisation such as the Hepatitis C Trust,
holistic, practical non-medical support. But overall, I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity of being part of the trial. I’d like to say a big thank you to King’s and especially to my wonderful liver nurse, Gin.’
The CRF will consist of three main areas. The Experimental Medicine Facility (EMF) will have an intensive care unit for brain-injured patients. It will be equipped with the very latest neuro-imaging and EEG technology, enabling researchers to study brain function as well as brain structure, and will have a virtual reality suite for investigating patients with behavioural disorders.
The Cell Therapy Unit (CTU) will be the largest single purpose-built cell- and gene-based therapy unit in Europe.
potential, says Professor McGregor. ‘But to date they have under-delivered. There’s been a lot of hype and not a lot of end output – partly because the biology is very complex but also because you need the capacity to do the studies. The CTU will provide capacity for such therapies, as well as routine but complex clinical treatments such as bone marrow transplantation. But we will also be developing novel stem cell and gene-based therapies. Currently, those programmes have either been in a test tube with human cells or in animal models. We are now getting to the stage where people are utilising gene and stem cell treatments in humans.’
And thirdly, commercially sponsored trials will also
UK at the moment in attracting and sustaining clinical commercial trial activity,’ says Professor McGregor.
in the UK but also the capacity. That’s why we’ve created a purpose-built, high-quality facility that meets the expectations and criteria of the pharmaceutical industry.’
However complex the science and technology, the aim of the CRF is simple – to help develop better treatments for patients. The virtual reality suite, for example, may sound like a Star Trek-style fantasy, but it’s actually a hugely practical tool.
‘For example, you could study people who are frightened of animals,’ explains Professor McGregor. ‘You could expose them to animals in the suite and see how they react and then you could modify their behaviour and, hopefully, help them.’
The College is already a major centre for neurosciences, and it’s hoped that the quality of the research will match the quality of the new building, resulting in even better outcomes for patients. ‘In King’s College Hospital, we have one of the best performing acute stroke units in the country,’ says Professor McGregor. ‘We can carry out novel, interventional assessments and treatments in the
facility, when it opens, will actually be in stroke medicine, using the neuro-imaging facilities of the EMF.’
The CRF is already partially open and the partners are aiming to have the entire building fully operational by April
time to be a clinical researcher in King’s Health Partners.‘I want to advertise widely to the very active academic
and clinical community to ensure that they realise what a fantastic facility we have, what huge potential there is to work in it and that much of this work will be subsidised by
art equipment and facilities to allow investigators to carry out studies that they previously only dreamed of being
themselves. It is a fantastic opportunity.’ Joan Thomas
group
RESEARCH IN THE REAL WORLD: HOW DRUG TRIALS CURED JOAN’S HEPATITIS C
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Thanks to a remarkably generous gift, The Dickson Poon School of Law is set to become a pioneering force in transnational law
With half of the funding coming from Hong Kong philanthropist Dickson Poon CBE, King’s
its law school, transforming it into a world leader in the
study and analysis of legal issues that extend beyond national boundaries.
the College’s history, and the largest ever to a British
uniquely amongst law schools, of being able to look to
resources we need to overcome the challenges that the
Europe, King’s law school is in the midst of a remarkable
renovated landmark.
due to the globalisation of business and legal practice. Part of the outstanding balance will be raised from alumni and friends of the school in the coming years.
King’s will use Mr Poon’s gift to drive a worldwide recruitment campaign for eight new distinguished
is being a member of an academic community of the very
the school, in the eyes of the world, as an unrivalled centre for legal research.’
through a scholarship programme targeting the best and
students resident in Hong Kong or mainland China.
scholarships as both ‘an incentive for students to constantly seek to improve themselves’ and ‘much-needed assistance to students, especially in this current economic climate’.
diversity within the student body and King’s global standing. ‘As an Asian myself, I think that this will put
law faculties and will bring in a lot more students from Asia in the future.’
Dickson Group of Companies and is well-known for his philanthropic support of education and healthcare.
in legal education and research,’ Mr Poon said at the
on transnational law will groom the future leaders needed to guide an increasingly connected world.’
Also speaking at the announcement, the Principal,
project has only been made possible thanks to the
a regular Davos-like transnational law conference, a major legal meeting for all the top contributors to create a global
and a distinguished visitor series.
‘We will have to show ourselves to be worthy of the investment that has been made in us, worthy of the fabulous physical setting in which we now work, worthy of the lofty ambitions that the Dickson Poon project has set
eye is capable of this.’
This will put King’s
light
MORE INFORMATIONHelp make King's the leader in transnational law. Call +44 (0)20 7848 4701 or email [email protected]
LAW FOR AN INCREASINGLY CONNECTED WORLD
Left, Dickson Poon in Somerset House East Wing
29 28
30 IN TOUCH SPRING 2012 AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 31
learning about the history of tea-making and how varieties such as oolong and
session included a slurping competition, as attendees learned the correct way to
Speaking at Saturday’s lunch, the Principal, Professor Sir Richard Trainor, thanked everyone for the many
highlighted the Annual Fund, which in
‘I hope that coming back here today has brought back memories of encouragement and inspiration,’
always welcome to visit the campus
You can see more photos from this year’s Alumni Weekend at Alumni Online, alumni.kcl.ac.uk. Hold the date for next year’s Alumni Weekend – King’s: your global passport –
Community
Catching up with friends
JIM
WIN
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Organise a reunion in 2013!
30 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
2012 Alumni Awards
Start the countdown to Alumni Weekend 2013 – King’s: your global passport. Download your global Reggie and take a picture with him wherever you are in the world! For details, please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/reggie
Tea, Dickens and a stunning addition to the Strand Campus highlighted this year’s Alumni Weekend, a three-day
attended, making it the College’s most
Friday’s events were especially popular and included a tour
of the Imperial War Museum and an after-hours visit to the Museum of London, where alumni learned about Charles
Dickens’s relationship with the city that served as his home
The much-discussed stunning addition was Somerset House East Wing,
now renovated to its
The Georgian landmark houses The
Dickson Poon School of
Law, which made the East Wing tours particularly appealing to law alumni, who recalled decades of students toiling
a student, the building was, well,
it was dilapidated – that’s the wrong
but in a rather nice way,’ said David
is a tremendous improvement, and I hope it has enhanced the students’
His law classmate Rochelle Gelman
having a twisting staircase leading to the
so narrow you couldn’t pass each other,’
at Somerset House and thought,
The Twinings tea-tasting workshop drew a large crowd, with alumni
Alumna of the Year Award, for
Anne Dudley
Reggie Award, for contributions to Alumni Weekend and the King’s alumni community
Reunion Award, for contributions in bringing together the alumni communityMalcolm Forsythe
to alumni and supportersProfessor Alan Read Professor of Theatre and Director of the Performance Foundation
This year’s Alumni Weekend provided the perfect setting for groups of alumni who wished to reunite with their classmates back on the
A wide range of subject groups,
From law to medicine, French to physics, geography to the AKC Group, many alumni celebrated milestone anniversaries of their
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the
After enjoying a complimentary drinks reception, reunion alumni attended the Principal’s Lunch and Alumni Awards, where they were acknowledged by the Principal,
alumni celebrating a reunion received a commemorative engraved glass to
Celebrating LondonFrom brewing the perfect cup of oolong to exploring the Bank of England, our amazing city and its traditions headlined this year’s Alumni Weekend
Helen Hudson Award, for exemplary contributions to the College or to the alumni bodyInternational alumnus: Trevor Moniz
UK alumnus:
Annual Giving Award, for commitment through philanthropy and promotion of the annual giving programme
mark the special occasion and were able to see archive photographs from their student days, a source of
was also on hand to capture the special day and reunion alumni received a
Now is the time to start thinking about leading a reunion group for next
or the Dental Alumni Weekend,
be delighted to help you organise your
at this year’s Alumni Weekend,
From left, above, gathering at the Museum of London, mingling on the Strand Campus and sharing smiles and tea
Want to get involved?
or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053
Get involved!
Tell us your favourite
Reggie tale
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 3332 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
university, King’s recently opened
the College opened a base in Delhi
the College’s activities in their regions, facilitating research collaboration,
College to step up its overseas alumni
King’s opens bases in India and the US
We met at King’sProving that grey clouds really do have a silver lining, a burglary in one of the world’s most romantic cities sparked love between Emma and Brad Sandford (both French with English, 2006). They were married in September of this year.
Brad: Although we often chose similar classes, we didn’t really speak until
Emma:
coming down from my skylight –
when the police came – my knight in shining armour! This was the turning point and after returning to London,
Brad: After a while we started to speak more and more on the phone and many a time those calls would run into the
we were together watching the movie Home Alone. Emma couldn’t believe it
The Incredible Adventures of ReggieElephants may never forget, but Reggie probably wishes he could forget this unfortunate day more than 80 years ago.
Reggie has ruled the Strand for many
Dr AJ Sampson (King’s College
the shoulders of several well-meaning
That year’s procession included four Indian elephants, and Reggie’s sudden
‘My mother was a volunteer St John
member of a contingent from Surrey who were on duty at the Lord Mayor’s
the Strand as the procession came past headed by the elephants, when students from King’s paraded Reggie in front
fright and stampeded into the crowd lining the route, causing several
News of stampeding elephants on one of London’s most famous streets
appeared on the front page of newspapers from Miami to Montreal
the information in a straightforward fashion: a student rag spooked four elephants, causing them to run through
Some news articles, however, scolded the King’s students for an
stated that it was fortunate that no
Noir, a restaurant where you eat in
Emma:and joked and all the awkwardness of eating in front of someone you
Brad: The South Bank and Waterloo
We used to go for long walks and eat
Emma: The gardens at the Maughan
would have picnics there in breaks from
Brad: I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat
wrong as I love my food! At the proposal I cried – a lot!Emma: Brad suddenly got down on one knee, told me how much I meant to him
remotely glamorous, but I felt like
Brad: We call ourselves ‘Team Bremma’, so I guess our hope for the future is to have lots of team members!
Community
If they can mistake a rag lion for a live lion they might easily have scattered fragments of an undergraduate over the Thames Embankment before
King’s: now in Delhi
Events
National Theatre Live
Alumni are invited to take advantage of this exclusive discount to attend the National Theatre Live screening of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, with
alumni ticket price includes the choice
KCLA Annual Dinner and AGM
King’s College London Association
details and to book, please contact the
Law Alumni Autumn Lecture
For more information, please contact
KCSMD Dentistry Class of 1979 Reunion
The Old Bell Hotel at Malmesbury is reputed to be the oldest purpose-built hotel in England and provides the
Rooms are limited and will be available
Advent Carols at King’s
The candlelit Advent Carol service includes readings and a classical music performance by the Chapel Choir, followed by a reception with mince pies
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Community Carols
Join a traditional carol service in St Thomas’ Hospital Chapel to bring together the community of Guy’s and
Denmark Hill Community Carols
Enjoy a carol service in King’s College Hospital chapel to bring together the communities of King’s College Hospital
For more information, contact
KCLA Address
Lord Carlile, right, will give the
‘Terrorism and Human Rights: Law or Politics?’ To learn more, please contact
Greek Play
King’s Greek Play will be Sophocles’s directed by Ian
The Principal’s South-East Asia Tour
The Principal, Professor Sir Richard Trainor, will host a series of events in
For more information, please contact the
Dental Alumni Weekend
Dental Alumni Weekend brings together
professional development and social
opportunities for alumni and friends
programme will include specialist section meetings and the annual Dental Dinner on Friday, followed by Clinical
posted on Alumni Online in early
Fundraising events in aid of King’s Health Partners hospitals
For information on any of the following
Brighton Marathon
A beautiful coastline marathon
London Marathon
One of the world’s most popular fundraising events
BUPA 10,000
London’s most famous sights
Nightrider
at night
Team Bremma
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For more information on alumni groups call +44 (0)20 7848 3053 or see alumni.kcl.ac.uk
Can’t see your country on the list below? Would you like to volunteer as a country contact? For details on getting in touch with a country contact, please visit UK ALUMNI SUBJECT GROUPS
AKC Alumni Group Peter King (Law, 1970) Bar Society Bahar Ala-Eddini (Law, 2007) Chemistry and Physics Rob Edwards (Chemistry, 1970)Dental Alumni Association Warren Birnbaum (KCSMD, Dentistry, 1971)Geography Joint School Society Jo Crocker (Geography, 1956)King’s College Construction Law Association (KCCLA) Joe Bellhouse (Construction Law, 1996) King’s College London Engineering Association (KCLEA) Graham Raven (Civil Engineering, 1963) Law Alumni Group Robin Healey (Law, 1968) Theology & Religious Studies Giles Legood (Theology & Religious Studies, 1988)
OTHER UK GROUPS
Barrie Morgan (former
King’s Alumni Theatre Society (KATS) Kos Mantzakos (German & Modern Greek, 2001)Queen Elizabeth College Association Dr Sally Henderson (QEC, Biochemistry PhD, 1980) Southampton & Hampshire Tope Omitola (Mathematics, 1994)Student and Alumni Boat Club Rachel Fellows (current student)
THE NUMBER OF ALUMNI IN EACH AREA THAT WE HAVE A COUNTRY CONTACT LISTED
01: Angola Alumni in Region: 102: Argentina 5603: Australia NSW 33304: Australia QLD 10805: Bahamas 3106: Bangladesh 7607: Belgium 64408: Brazil 24309: Brunei 10910: Canada 101411: Chile 7212: China Beijing 25613: China Shanghai 11514: Croatia 2615: Cyprus 63616: Denmark 15917: Egypt 10518: France 166319: Germany Berlin 31020: Germany Bonn 17821: Germany Munich 20822: Grand Cayman 1423: Greece 182424: Hong Kong 147025: Hungary 5426: India Delhi 18327: India Mumbai 10828: Indonesia 7429: Iran 11530: Ireland 81531: Israel 14132: Italy Milan 13733: Italy Rome 13634: Japan 54935: Kenya 14136: Kuwait 6437: Malaysia 97838: Mauritius 8739: Mexico 10640: Netherlands 33941: New Zealand 25442: Nigeria 32343: Norway 22044: Pakistan 46245: Portugal 30546: Qatar 3847: Saudi Arabia 22448: Singapore 100049: Slovakia 3750: South Korea 32251: Spain 79652: Switzerland 41753: Syria 2754: Taiwan 31355: Turkey 22656: UAE 21057: USA Boston Area 55158: USA Chicago 5959: USA New York Tri-State 116060: USA Philadelphia 6161: USA San Francisco 9862: USA Southern California 18363: USA Southern Tri-State 24764: USA Washington DC Area 60965: Vietnam 22
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 3534 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
If you don’t see your country
listed here, please contact us at
Community
speed-dating in Hong Kong Alumni-led gatherings in the
Netherlands, Italy and Germany Duel Day celebrations in Belgium,
US and Singapore Even more is planned for the
coming year – don’t miss out! Invitations are often sent via email,
event details on our social media pages:
and King’s College London
Too good to miss!I thoroughly enjoyed my time at King’s and would be very proud to recommend it to any prospective
contact with King’s reminds me of my wonderful experiences, and I am delighted to be the contact for alumni
Tel Aviv is a bustling metropolis, with students, cafes, shops, arts and
However, there is one particular spot
Israel’s new country contactJasmine Mann
Milan’s new contactElodie Denieul Rescaldani
There are so many things to consider
a good academic record, a varied selection of courses taught by leading
and also – fun!
For me, that was King’s College
I was lucky enough to take part in the University of London Intercollegiate LLM programme, which meant
touch with many friends from all four institutions, who are now spread
Having moved to Milan recently, I came to wonder how I could meet
and learned there wasn’t a King’s contact
opportunity to meet people and to give
If any alumni happen to have an hour or two to spend in Milan, I would recommend visiting L’ultima Cena da Leonardo da Vinci at Santa Maria delle Grazie, Sant Ambroggio Church, the top of the Duomo, the parco Sempione, the department store La Rinascente, the Brera Academy Museum and the
When I had to select between the schools I chose to study at, I was told by British lawyers and law professors that King’s
Indeed, the location of King’s at the heart of London was key, as I wanted
international mix at the Strand Campus was one of the aspects I enjoyed most
in France, it was really interesting to discover the Anglo-Saxon approach,
I made lots of friends during my year
been lucky enough to be invited to the weddings of some of those I met in
Here’s a taste of international alumni events during the past year:
Receptions hosted by the Principal in Amsterdam and Chicago and by Vice-Principals in Delhi, Melbourne, Mumbai and Seoul
Drinks gatherings with visiting
Francisco and Sydney Lectures by distinguished alumni in
Boston, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur,
Joint events with other UK alumni, including a sunset cruise down the
friendly, stopping for a chat, looking after parcels and luggage, making
sure you got upstairs without falling over when you came back
the warden when it came to keeping the male and female
on the bottle, so everyone linked to the college had to
We all had to provide an
Nottingham even went and
For the latest information about all of our alumni groups go to alumni.kcl.ac.uk
Hall of residence memory: Lightfoot Hall mysteryIt sounds like an Agatha Christie plot: a bungled break-in, an arsenic-laced teapot, the unexplained death of an innocent man. Nearly 50 years on, Chelsea College’s ‘murder in a teacup’ case remains a mystery. Alumnus Keith Shaw (Chelsea, Chemistry, 1968) shares his memories of those dark days.
degree, and living in Lightfoot Hall in
when it came on the news: ‘Chelsea hall
have a phone, so I couldn’t talk to anyone about what had happened
By then the preliminary investigations had taken place and
Eve and one of the watchmen had been
hospital, he’d had a cup of tea with the caretaker and the porter, William
Barnett collapsed in a corridor and
been forced open, and a bottle of
Other than that, there was
warden had his pet theories, but we students were totally
Even if the murder was somehow linked to the break-in, why choose arsenic?
Of course, it was a shock,
In June, King’s celebrated the
international alumni mentoring programme, with a series of events
ConnectUS mentoring pairs met
The ConnectUS programme is designed to facilitate connections between recent graduates and those
ConnectUS: providing mentors on the US East Coast
interviewed my parents to check that I’d really been with them! Scotland
were no leads and I think they pretty
Personally, I still don’t have a clue
poison got in without being challenged,
someone from within the college – but
Better minds than mine have pondered
murder? Send your memories to us at
more established in their careers, and to help alumni who might
As well as one-on-one meetings, the programme also includes opportunities for all participants to get together, creating an ideal forum for networking and enabling recent graduates to gain a valuable insight into the
is free, and you can borrow books
Download an application form from
Online library journals
announce it has secured free alumni subscription to JSTOR, providing alumni with access to hundreds of
Learn a languageThe Modern Language Centre
Courses start in October, January and
Short courses: King’s Professional and Executive Development
with many available to alumni at
Special discounted rates are available for alumni if you would like to join KCLSU Kinetic gym in Stamford
Stay at King’s
King’s College London Credit CardThe King’s College London Credit
For more details,
please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk
InTouch magazine
If you or somebody you know would like to receive In Touch and currently do
E-newsletter
receive regular electronic newsletters
Alumni Online Another way of staying in touch
and you can update your personal
Alumni emailJoin Alumni Online to register for
King’s ConnectionsA careers advice directory which lists alumni willing to give their advice to
Use the librariesThe College’s Information Service Centre and libraries are available to
If you studied at King’s, or at one of the colleges with which we have merged, you are automatically a member of the Alumni Association and
discounts. Please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053 for more details.
Onlinealumni.kcl.ac.ukFacebookfacebook.com/KCLalumniTwittertwitter.com/KCL alumniKing’s Alumni is also on LinkedIn
King’s College London Association
at
ailable oin ord
redit
Elected members
Professor Patricia Reynolds
(Mathematics
President
Vice-President
Past Chairman Steven Rhodes
Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Alison Taylor
KCLA is the alumni association
of King’s and the colleges with which
encouraged to participate in KCLA’s work by attending events
will hold its next Annual General Meeting and elections on
Patron
Past President
Card has been carefully designed to provide great value while supporting
present a range of exclusive discounts
Discounts include: Avis
Cottages4you
Glasses Direct
Grange Hotels special rates
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 3736 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
If you are based on the East Coast of the US and would like to be involved in the next round of the US mentoring
more information and application
Watch this space for news of mentoring programmes in other parts of the world!
Community
ConnectUS links alumni with current students
The KCLA Chairman
thrilled by a memorable Olympics, in which King’s played an important and medal-winning part, inside and
Ninth Alumni Weekend this past summer, with record numbers attending
alumni involvement in the life of King’s
The range of subject-based alumni groups has continued to grow and the new Chemistry and Physics Group held a well-attended reception in June,
members from the successfully
I have invited alumnus Professor Peter
We have also launched a branch for alumni of Greek origin, of which
next year marks the diamond jubilee
cast – will be performing to celebrate this momentous anniversary, probably
Sophia Murday is organising this as
I gratefully acknowledge the substantially increased grant which the College provides annually to
range of programmes, often geared to subsidising student attendance at events like the Duel Day Dinner, to encourage
We now look forward to our Annual Dinner at the House of Lords on
Remembering a tragic New Year’s Day
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 3938 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
Malcolm Crundwell
My daughter Ellie has kept the family tradition and is now studying Spanish
King’s College London
NHE Ahlers
Glad to hear from Sybil Blackwell,
Emel Rochat
of the French Honours students plus
Also Bill Wittnall, who has written in In Touch.
Muriel Dover (now Curtis)
I am very pleased to be in touch with two friends from the Honours Maths class in spite of having to transfer to a BA General –
Mary Austin
Am still pottering around in
John Rose
Appeared earlier this year in the The Iron Lady with Meryl
of my contribution ended up on
Ronald Friar
Could I use the pages of In Touch to pass greetings to the many other
I recall the History Department, the Rugby Club, the Athletics
of these days have sadly passed on, but there may be others who
Jeremy Joel
I have virtually retired, consultancy-
very sadly, the Civil Engineering
Rose Heaword
A background in historical studies
currently engaged on archaeological
been encouraged by working as a volunteer on-site by the Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society, I successfully completed a week-long module for this subject at Birkbeck College, London
I organised an art conservation programme for Frome Museum, including fundraising and engaging superb conservators to rescue three badly damaged Georgian
and anxiety!
Wayne Thomas
Awarded an MBE in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to
John Cloudsley-Thompson
I was a lecturer in zoology under
Bob (Robert) Russell
I have been retired from insurance and associated consultancy business
Am still very much in contact with
I’m still loving my rugby and am a board member of my local club,
Alan Thomas
Norman Vaughton
Following a career as a geologist in Jamaica, an educationist in England and Papua New Guinea and then as a therapist and property developer, I am now enjoying my
an expedition through the North East Passage from Murmansk to
Richard (John) Lewis
Recently published Sampans and based on my
grandfather’s diaries from his years in Cornwall and China,
I completed a PhD at the University of
of pupils’ reading strategies in GCSE
Roger Paige
Recently published and Other Stories, my fourth collection
William Reed
Stephen Carter
I retired as a Norfolk secondary
having spent three years as a consultant on the Department for Education’s
Class notes You can view lots of fabulous old class photographs at alumni.kcl.ac.uk
accuracy. If you have concerns over any
personal records at Alumni Online.
Chelsea CollegeLorna Speid
My company, Speid & Associates, is working in the area of biosimilars and contributing to the development of regulatory systems for developing
Guy’sThomas Madden
Co-investigator in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation,
John Lloyd-Jones
Chairman of the Council of the British
Brian Pound
Family physician, psychotherapist and
at the University of Victoria School of
Michael Lavelle
even more music, both classical and
Susan Gaunt (now Overal)
It would be great to catch up with
Keith Ritchie
Jonathan Lovett
consultant child psychiatrist in the
adolescent love – painting!
Lisetta Flower-Hill (now Lovett)
masters degree in same at Keele
Recently contributed a chapter in a
Veronica Ambrose (now Ferguson)
Full-time ophthalmologist at Imperial
Anusha Arasu
Moved from consultant post at Luton and Dunstable Hospital to neonatal consultant post at King’s College
Zaki Kanaan
Have just been awarded ‘UK
KCSMDE Farley
Would like to get in touch with anyone who studied dentistry
Malcolm Gerroll
also a part-time lecturer in minor oral
Harry Oxer
I was at Cambridge, then at King’s College Hospital Medical School from
appointed as a Member of the Order of
consulting and teaching, and still indulging in my hobby of piloting my
this April, to my amazement!
Hannah Troop Bowen
Enjoying retirement from several
Ian Dunn
Retired from general practice in May to
Puppets and paediatrics
Royal Society fellowship awarded
Dr Ranj Singh
Get Well Soon, a new television series presented by paediatrician Dr Ranj Singh (Medicine and Pharmacology,
young audience about health and
music, games and puppet characters, it will help children to understand their bodies and see the medical world as an
‘I have been involved in the media for a few years now,’ says Dr Ranj, ‘mainly in an advisory or “couch
I came up with the original concept for Get Well Soon and co-developed
given me the chance to use my medical experience in a fun and entertaining way and the perfect opportunity to marry my passion for health promotion
Dr Ranj has worked at both King’s College Hospital and Evelina
‘The best thing about working with
Professor Ian MacLennan
Professor Ian MacLennan (Guy’s,
the distinguished Fellowship of the
society’s commendation, Professor MacLennan ‘has made several landmark contributions to immunology and especially to our
‘I am glad to be associated with the Royal Society,’ says Professor
research and the understanding of science both nationally and
receive this recognition from my
Much of Professor MacLennan’s research has focused on how an antibody that protects against infection is produced, and the way cells that produce antibodies that bind to the body’s own tissues – autoantibodies –
‘Almost nothing was known of the cellular, let alone the molecular, basis of antibody production, when
evidence that lymphocytes might be involved, but they way in which they led to antibody production was totally
kids in the healthcare setting is that they have a remarkable ability to deal with
best in people and it’s not uncommon for people to go that extra mile for their
sad and serious side to it and you can’t
That’s part of being human and is what
Get Well Soon is all about making learning about health interesting and
with puppets has been the best part – I’ve never had so much fun at work!’
common diseases that we associate now with autoimmunity – like
With increasing understanding of the mechanisms that regulate recognition between self and non-self, there is
An emeritus professor at the University of Birmingham MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Professor MacLennan has no intention
fascinating and I continue to get my
so long as I have time to walk in the high hills, where I can mull over my thoughts?’ And what has been most inspirational to him over the course of his career? ‘The appreciation that there is much more to be found out while respecting,
‘Never underestimate the power of play’
Professor MacLennan
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 4140 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
And remember you can registerat alumni.kcl.ac.uk to update your personal details
Value for Money programme,
my voluntary work as a reader in the Church of England in the Diocese
Still running the Travelling Theatre,
with English Department
Trevor Stubbs
the regeneration of Bishop Gwynne Theological College in Juba, South
administrator, we appointed a new
to hear from anyone interested in Sudan
Peter Barnett
I have retired – along with my wife Mary – to our former holiday home
and founded the Pilsdon at
Lister Tonge
I became Dean of Monmouth
following a phone call from the
do to catch up with this energetic diocese and to become of some
Jane Wallbank (Dowie) (now Reynolds)
After several years as a single parent,
Stephen, and two stepsons, Mark
I teach religious studies at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls and I enjoy hill-walking, gardening, skiing
I would love to hear from anyone
Himmet Umunc
Following my retirement from Hacettepe University in Turkey
Baskent University, which is a young and vibrant centre of learning and
Andrew Skinner
After graduating, I worked as a science technician at Portsmouth
to Roehampton Institute (now
then as academic secretary, now as
to hear from King’s contemporaries in
Michael Steeden
Now working part-time for the Ministry of Defence science and technology laboratory, and grappling with the
more than take care of any ‘spare’ time not already committed to chairmanship of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Alan Mason
Working in the nuclear sector, got
Nigel Banks
Will have worked for every bank by the
Richard Hillier
Since leaving King’s, I’ve worked for IBM in the UK, US, France and South
‘retired’ and am now pursuing more leisurely interests like travel and
Mike (Paul) Schenk
Would be good to have a reunion for the
Helen Haines (now Wells)
Still teaching! Mother to three: twin daughters and a son, who sings with
love to meet up with other King’s graduates in the Peterborough area and regain contact with those who also studied English in those bygone years
David Rogers
Now working as a transitional minister assisting struggling churches in the East
David Thomas
the post of technical director of The Heightec Group Ltd, a supplier of products and training for professional
Eugene Lambert
I have left the world of high technology and enrolled in a MA programme at Bath Spa University doing creative
Gerda Mamott
Class notes
Anil Saddi
I successfully completed my MSc in
Kirsten Singleton (now Singleton-Watson)
Still working in the City but currently enjoying some time at home with our
Joanne Fisher (now Hobbs)
Married with two wonderful boys,
Sarah Carter
I have recently had a project paper,
published online on the Foundation of Nursing
supported by the FoNS Developing and Sustaining a Practice-based Strategy for Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections Programme with
Charlie (Charles) Gray
My wife Alexis and I are very proud to announce the birth of our beautiful baby daughter, Perdita Daphne Eliza Gray,
Lucy Shrapnell (now Shrapnell-West)
Duncan and I welcomed Kitty
Scott Allan
I have recently started as the lead nurse
Toby Burns
student loan is now looking dangerously like a career! Guarding the frontiers of the UK – it’s not exactly the Khyber Pass but
Simon Coulson
Alicia Heeneman (now Heeneman Wong)
Now working as a government
Jonathan McCotter
After graduating, I went on to study veterinary medicine in Grenada,
Adrian Pereira
Now married, with three children – all
for GlaxoSmithKline R&D at Ware,
Simon Robbins
I have worked at the Imperial War
published The
First World War Letters of General Lord Horne
Dirty
Timothy Martin
Retired from the Royal Navy and now
Solicitors’ Charity, based beside Wandsworth Common in south west
Neelam Halari
Rebecca Kershaw (now Dyball)
Married David Dyball at Dartington
Alexander Jackson
I received my PhD in football history from Leeds Metropolitan University in
leisure courses in German and
guide for Cambridge, which is great fun!
Stephen Spencer
Have worked for many years in the heritage tourism and visitor
ordinating passenger service experience for the new Emirates Air Line cable car linking the Greenwich
Michael Markham
I left to work for software company
from acute myeloid leukaemia and continue to be happily married to Bev with two children, Ollie
Paul Sandor
working at Legal and General in Surrey in the actuarial department
Happy memories of my time
Jean Johnson
Kabale University in Uganda made me an honorary professor in recognition of the teacher training of secondary chemistry teachers which I do (in conjunction with the Royal
I did theology at King’s and chemistry
Sarah Bowyer
Studying for a PhD with the Centre for Rural Health, University
Graeme Ware
Living in sunny California
keeping in touch with a few
Irfan Latif
Happily married to Jocelyn and
at Bedford School and just got back from Nepal having trekked to
Sacha Ackland
Living in London with partner and
Ali Zli (now Ahmed)
Now assistant professor at the Nelson
Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia
Charles Banigo
I relish the opportunity to teach as a part-time lecturer in business management and information
Anthony Banks
Recently directed Lucinda Coxon’s new play at the Hampstead Theatre and a national tour of Dennis Kelly’s Directing a new play by Bryony Lavery called for the World Shakespeare Festival, and the
Richard Osborne
am now back in London working for
Christopher Robbins
Fully retired and now live in
Noreen Shaikh
Working with a new Birth Defect Research Centre in conjunction with
An eternal conversation expressed in many formsAndre Bagoo
is comfortable using nearly any form of the written word – journalism,
‘Ezra Pound once said, “Literature
encapsulates the relationship between
‘Both aim at bringing news to the people: presenting a snapshot of the
truth and communicating something
‘Blogging is, to some extent,
journalism that involves commentary,
Bagoo says he started writing poetry in part as a means to rebel against the cultural norm of poetry being for girls
today to assert his will and to serve as ‘a
‘Or I just do it now because I like to
feel as though it is part of one long, eternal conversation that I am trying
The vivid music of the Caribbean
of poems, Trick Vessels, published
‘In Trinidad and Tobago, we
Perhaps Trinis are obsessed with it,’
Capildeo wrote a book of poems entitled Recently, another Trinidadian poet, Mervyn Taylor, published a book of poems entitled called in which
poems are just drops in one large
Bagoo’s blog Tattoo is available
Using poetry to assert his will
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 4342 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
for advice on planning reunions and looking up old friends
Class notes
Krishan Thakker
Washington DC, specialising in
John (Ioannis) Vardakis
I am disappointed to see no new developments in the Faculty of
very much appreciate a more thoroughly engaging approach to the new developments that are being considered under the umbrella of
information is needed, as there are many wishing to take an active role in reshaping the image of past
Julia Coleman
Progressing in my new-ish career in
give a talk to PhD students and
Doing as much acting as I can this year as well!
Johan Aps
for all you’ve taught me and for who I
Adam Hughes
Switzerland to raise funds and
more details about my journey, please visit my website at
Dougie (Douglas) Mackay
Emma Potter
Working as a management consultant at a global IT and business consultancy
Jane Johnson
Continue to work as a locum physiotherapist and love doing the jobs no one else wants! Fourth book published,
Helen Murphy
Bought a house, got engaged and run
Very happy!
Matthew Scott
I am very excited to be practising in my favourite area of law, namely stamp taxes, after a few years taken in the industry to develop some common sense of the business variety, which I am now putting to very good use in developing a market-leading tax practice!
Martin Booth
a novel about Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, due to be published by Lion
Robert Fellows
Currently serving as a company second
Robert Kippin
Studying for an MA in Music at Bangor
April Lesser (now Keller)
celebrated the birth of our son Cody in
Lisette Le Hur (now Sturt)
Christopher Mahood
Recently bought a house in Croydon
Angela Fergus (now Fergus-Stallard)
Now an independent social worker freelancing in private and public law
Christopher Jenkins
Helped London Welsh RFC to become a premiership team!
Barzan Sadiq
Nothing new in this unforgivable
Hammad Ahmed
Some of the best times I had as a student
Adrian Gonzalez
Am just completing a Graduate
Training Programme in history but will be returning to King’s this September to
oil and its impact on indigenous peoples
to being back at the Strand again!
Laura Gray
Upon graduation with my LLM, I served as a consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, specliaising in protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
Abidemi Ikharia
In June, I cycled from London to Brighton for the Bristol Heart Foundation and in March I undertook the ‘step challenge’, running up the
John Wiblin
Natalia Biglou
Juliet in at the Oval
Agnieszka Szreder (now Szubert)
I have just started my career as a DNA
Samuel Tranter
I have accepted a scholarship to read for my PhD in history at the University of
Royal Dental Hospital
Alan Howe
voluntary work as a Mental Health Act
Collection’, a group of retired CDS dentists that meet every other month at
Bryan Markwell
Would welcome contact with or
St Thomas’Harold Hetherington
Kenya, Madagascar, Ethiopia and
From choristers to Capone
Reunion round-up
Andrew O’Brien
Choirmaster Andrew O’Brien
led Hertfordshire’s Heath Mount School to triumph as the BBC School
also a professional singer and recitalist, says, ‘I’ve been in lots of big concerts
I really wanted the kids to win because
O’Brien, a former principal in
I covered a friend’s piano teaching at the school and within a year
At break, lunch or after school, children can be heard practising, rehearsing, composing their next masterpiece or just jamming
‘Watching the kids grow through
be yourself – they see through you if
KCH Dental 45th
Fourteen dental graduates from King’s College Hospital, plus partners,
Having donned our Reggie badges,
we caught up with one another while
Saturday saw us travelling to Sharpham Vineyard for lunch and wine-tasting, followed by a walk along
evening, taxis conveyed us to and from the house of one of the group
morning we gathered for breakfast and
and want to learn – always ready to face
them taking solo roles at the Royal Opera House or the English National Opera, or see them singing in Britten’s War Requiem
O’Brien’s passion for music was
‘I used to sit in the congregation in awe
A successful, sometimes noisy, career
were able to enjoy the coastal path and
two years and to hold another large
Martin F S Miller
St Thomas’ Medical 50th
celebrated at a dinner in the Cotswolds, including Jennifer Ashby and Michael
Hugh Pennington gave the address, and Tim Apthorpe toasted absent
a recording of St Thomas’s Christmas
Conversations continued late into the night and next day many explored local places of interest, such as the lovely
King’s Dentistry 50th
Seventeen King’s graduates arrived at the Burford Bridge Hotel at Box
from Australia for the occasion, with
The venue proved to be excellent and a warm spring day allowed us to sit in the garden reminiscing during the
amusing to guess at a distance which were in our group, and which were
of all the years, we were able to
We met in the bar before moving into a private dining room to enjoy an
tables during the meal and enjoyed
over breakfast before leaving, all agreed
time would be optimistic, but maybe
Service University of Melbourne as
Still soldiering on, despite a minor
Donald Craig
A triad of locomotor problems, knee replacement, polymyalgia rheumatica and lumbar spinal stenosis have impaired my mobility but not my
Gilbert Thompson
Edited Medicine, published by Imperial College
David Houghton
and, after junior jobs at St Thomas’, Queen Charlotte’s and Barts, was appointed consultant obstetrician and
retirement as I could no longer stand the
management’s destruction of good
Michael Frampton
Finally retiring from the NHS in July
and daughter Sarah busy working in
Pamela Walker (now West)
Husband Jonathan and I are proud grandparents to Oliver Hades West,
David Anderson
Awarded professor of paediatric cardiac
Susan Edgley
Happily married and working as a therapist with individuals and groups in
UMDSKathreena Kurian
Started brain tumour bank for the south
performing but I love the human voice
Pears once said: “a violin is a violin,
Speaking to the his dad revealed that O’Brien’s great-grandfather was Al Capone’s favourite singer, adding: ‘I just hope Andrew’s current fans are more reputable!’
organising your reunion
Bridget Barlow (latterly Mitchell) Music,
Alison Budden Shane Donovan Dr Nirav Patel Stephen Hodge
Queen Elizabeth CollegeDr Percy Praill
St Thomas’Dr Norman Crofts
John Mumford Revd John Patrick Maria Barb (latterly Randall)
George Knapp Roy Thomas AKC Reginald Browning John Andrews AKC Kenneth Waller AKC Leslie Owen Lord St. John of Fawlsley Revd Francis Madge AKC Sister Margaret Murdock Malcolm Pine Simon Nugent Revd Alfred Tedman AKC The Very Revd Dean John Lang
Dr R Orme Maurice Parkes Revd Dr Allan Jenkins AKC Revd Russell Thomson AKC
John Crawford Dr John Brown Revd Robert Jones Raymond Whitaker John Hughes Dr Adrienne Simpson (latterly Chilton)
Christopher Esmond AKC Canon Roger Mason AKC Dr Gareth Roberts Milan Civsa Michael Batchelor AKC Paul Dyer AKC
institutions.In Touch makes every
and friends, family and former
Steven K. Chitkara
A successful investment manager and visionary entrepreneur, Steven
and elegant, he could move seamlessly
environments, from startup to
Managing Director of Focus Ironclad
After King’s, Chitkara earned an MBA from Columbia University and an MS in Finance from the London
runner and inspiring mentor, he sat on the King’s College London Friends
at-risk youth and home foreclosure
wife Jessica and their children
Neil Clarke
Neil Clarke took over as chairman
with continuing the cost-cutting and commercialisation that had been
He also had to manage the organisation
in large part to his hard work, wise advice and low-key, measured
He remained a doughty and largely
Previously, Clarke had risen through the ranks of industrial and engineering group Charter Consolidated, ultimately becoming its Chief Executive and Deputy
include serving as Director of Anglo American and Consolidated Gold Fields, and as Chairman of shipping services provider Genchem Holdings and building
Dr David Lawson Medicine,
Dr Errol Edwards Dr David Lyle Dr Charles Palmer
Dr Barrie Bayston Dr Christopher Bartley Dr James Thomas Professor David Morrell OBE Medicine,
Dr Valerie Turnbull (latterly Newman)
Dr John Davis Medicine
College not known Iris Whealton (latterly Jones)
King’s College LondonRadford Dagnall AKC Edward Eates Audrey Turner (latterly Tate) AKC
Mr John Williams Rt Revd Bishop Ambrose Weekes FKC
James Rolland Dr Antony Essex-Cater Ronald Ayerst Emeritus Professor Michael Barnett
Dr Dennis Thompson Donald Carpenter AKC Revd Edgar Hornsby Peter Care
Institute of PsychiatryProfessor Hugh Freeman
Dr David Blend
KCSMD
Dr Joyce Grant (latterly Elsom) Dr Harold Cantwell Dr James Hobbs Dr Bernard Poole Dr Christopher Goodwill Andrew Eyles Dr John Bostock Dr Christopher Wallace Dr Nigel Minett
Dr Anthony Worssam Douglas Burnapp Dr John Hooper Dr Patrick Russell Dr James Vergano Dr Edward Herst Dr Derek Wilkins CBE Ian Fraser Michael O’Brien Dr Douglas Wood Dr Robert Cox Soli Lam Peter Shaw Dr Iain Hanham Dr Philip Lang Dr John Beckerson Frederick Moorhouse Dentistry,
Chelsea CollegeValerie Baynes
John Megson John Brooks Sir David Jack CBE FKC Pharmaceutical
Kazimer Strupinski Karen Stringer
Guy’sSurgeon Captain John Hanson Norman Crane Michael Hudson
Dr Robert Doy
His turbulent style perhaps explains why he never attained the bishopric or
and confessor to a great company of
and state, who turned to him when they were in trouble and found a devout
The Very Revd John Lang
The Very Revd John Lang became
the BBC’s Religious Broadcasting Department for the best part of
A high-calibre administrator and enabler, at the BBC he had skillfully secured resources which were far beyond reach not long after his
resistance to change, he set about
appointing a new headmaster to the struggling cathedral school and raising
followed, including the annual
became one of the major arts events
Lang’s career in Holy Orders began
Later he became priest-vicar of Southwark Cathedral and chaplain of Emmanuel College, Cambridge,
religious broadcasting career at the
Jean Phillips (latterly Williams)
Jean Phillips was instrumental in organising the clean-up of King’s Strand premises and the return of the
Principal said that he had never known
the Student Union to be so well run
which its President later attributed in large part to ‘Jean’s calm and upright
a teacher and went on to become Principal of Portsmouth Teacher Training College, the youngest head of
When it merged with Portsmouth
They had two daughters, also King’s
Revd Canon Eric James FKC AKC
and one of the most familiar voices on
His was an eclectic life: he grew up in
Cambridge college chaplain, vicar in a tough inner-city borough, preacher to the barristers and judges of Gray’s Inn
Firmly on the left – he always sported a red hankie in his breast pocket – he
mover behind the Church of England’s Faith in the
(‘a Marxist document,’ said
served as director of Parish and People and Christian Action, both reformist
irreverence for authority that began young: while a student at King’s, he pinched the Bishop of London’s hat and
publicly outed himself during a robust defence of homosexual priests in a
dressed in the scarlet cassock of a royal
Westminster Abbey, one of the so-called Royal Peculiars, under the monarch’s rather than the church’s patronage, to denounce the hereditary monarchy as a lottery and suggest that it
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 4544 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
Squadron Leader Norman Crookes
An RAF legend
Obituaries
Judge John Toulmin CMG QC FKC
A distinguished judge, former President of the European Bar and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of European Law, John Toulmin was an active member of the King’s community for more than three decades, with a particular interest in the Institute of Psychiatry
commitment to the two was the recent benefaction which he and his wife Carolyn made to the College, establishing a lecture series to explore
Carolyn, who survives him, received her law degree from King’s and both have volunteered countless hours to
Judge Toulmin served as a Trustee of the IoP, becoming Chairman and a
He was nominated by the IoP as an independent member of King’s
Fellow of King’s College, appointed an Honorary Visiting Professor in The Dickson Poon School of Law and honoured with the Helen Hudson
Judge, benefactor, friendSquadron Leader Norman Crookes MBE
Crookes became an RAF legend
That remarkable night was the highlight of an exceptional
pilot Bill ‘Jamie’ Jameson, begun
When Jameson returned to
July sortie, Crookes teamed up
the American sector during the Battle of the Bulge, winning an American Distinguished Flying
Crookes also received three RAF DFCs, a remarkable feat, gaining his second Bar for ‘unfailing devotion
Ironically, Crookes was
He returned to civilian life and became a schoolteacher and headmaster, but maintained his
supporter of the Air Training Corps, for which he was appointed
Judge John Toulmin
We always love to hear from our readers, so please drop us a line. The best letter wins
We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Write to [email protected] or Letters, In Touch, King’s College London, Ground Floor, Strand Bridge House,
Last issue’s puzzle… Die Hard
This summer, a King’s undergraduate named Andrea took a part-time job as a bank cashier in her
‘I hope you can help me,’ he said as he
month with my wife and our two daughters, but I’m
daughter have taken our rental car and gone to
and wallet are in the car, and our other daughter has
immediately, but all of my cash, my credit cards and
American, and he looked like Hollywood’s
interpretation of an English professor: sporting smartly pressed trousers and a corduroy jacket with
He continued, ‘If you would be kind enough to
Andrea asked, ‘Which of your daughters is sick?’
me or do I need to speak with your manager?’‘Actually,’ Andrea said, ‘I’m going to call my
English professor or fraudster?
In the previous issue of In Touch, you read about a Die Hard-loving student
four-gallon jug, a nine-gallon jug and an
fewest number of steps you need to measure exactly six gallons?’ The answer is you can do it in eight steps, counting each discrete action as a single step:
nine-gallon jug into the four-gallon jug,
remaining water from the nine-gallon
you’re left with just one gallon of water
from the nine-gallon jug into the
the four-gallon jug already had one gallon of water in it, you can only pour
Send your solutions to: Logic Puzzle, In Touch, King’s College London, Ground Floor, Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London, WC2R 1HH or email [email protected]. The three best solutions received before 15 January 2013 will each win a £10 book token
Logic Puzzle
AUTUMN 2012 IN TOUCH 4746 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
LAST FAREWELL TO CHURCHILL
place of Sir Winston
for three days in the Palace of Westminster and a state funeral service was held at St Paul’s
I had been attending the Eucharist on a Thursday lunchtime at St Mary-le-Strand,
was the Revd Bertram Chambers, a lovely man well past retirement
procession from Westminster to
St Paul’s would pass along the Strand, and the tiny churchyard of St Mary-le-Strand would give a wonderful view of the
some tickets produced, simply because the churchyard was so
On the day itself I presented myself to the policeman on the gate at the churchyard and sought
that I was the person who had been giving out the tickets but had forgotten to
a few seconds while he stared
don’t know whether he thought I had an honest face – or whether he thought no one would be so
stupid as to invent such a story!
memories of which are still very
A LOVELY NOTE In
Touch is the best I have read over a
articles and professionally
MEMORIES OF MOLLISONI was saddened to see the death of Pat Mollison reported in your
the Royal Army Medical Corps with Alan Prior who turned up later as consultant pathologist in Warwick, where I found him when I moved to Stratford-upon-
When Pat Mollison came to St Thomas’ at the end of the war,
spent the greater part of the war as a student, which I chose to do rather than go down the mines as
point he went to America to meet Dr Wiener who, I believe, with Landsteiner of ABO blood group
On his return to St Thomas’, Pat Mollison buttonholed Alex Paton (St Thomas’, Medicine,
of our Belsen association, produced some anti-Rhesus serum (which he had brought
if we were interested in doing some routine Rhesus typing in
typing this side of the Atlantic, and carried out this work for
Professor R A Fisher, the Cambridge geneticist and
mathematician, then came on the scene and predicted the genetic nature of the Rhesus factor, resulting in the adoption by haematologists of the Fisher Cc Dd Ee nomenclature which was simpler and more direct than
interesting adversarial correspondence in The Lancet.
I remember Pat Mollison as
subject, and as someone who has given me a lifelong interest in haematology, which included a two-year stint under John Dacie at Hammersmith, before I decided to devote myself to
A YOO-HOO TO ULUThe letter from Margaret Ellis
of In Touch attracted my attention
visit to London, when all the talk was the bombing of Croydon
for a proper University of London
Circumstances being what they were at the time, for the fortunate to partake of tertiary education, the decision on my further education was gently guided
imminent call to serve in the
(The regulator, of something, seems to think that examinations
I worked on the tender documents for the construction
It will be no surprise that,
servicemen, evening students, postgraduates and those studying
examinations, ULU became a centre for their social activities
Letters
PRIZE LETTER
MIC
HA
EL
KIR
KH
AM
48 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2012
LONDON & ME
NIGHTS AT THE OPERA
Aida,
Aida
The Marriage of Figaro.
The Marriage of Figaro
The singing of Geraint Evans, above, was a special part of Jill Lister’s time at King’s