Wordsworth Exhibition
Have you ever wondered how William Wordsworth drank his tea? An exhibition on Wordsworth to celebrate 250 years since his birth was hosted this term in the Exhibition Area in the College Library, Chapel Court. Wordworth’s breakfast teacup and a cast of his face were on display alongside letters he wrote to his contemporaries and first editions of his poems.
Jonah Hauer-King to be Prince Eric
Since graduating, rising star Jonah Hauer-King (2017) has appeared in films including Once upon a time in Staten Island, Ashes in the Snow and Postcards from London, and he played one of the leading roles – the young English translator Harry Chase – in the seven-part BBC World War II drama World on Fire, which aired last September. It has now been announced that Jonah has secured the role of Prince Eric in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
45th Master of St John’s elected
Heather Hancock LVO DL (1984) has been appointed the 45th Master of St John’s and will take up her post on 1 October 2020. Heather’s career has spanned both the private and public sectors, holding a range of posts in Whitehall and serving as Managing Partner at Deloitte for 11 years, and she currently chairs the Food Standards Agency.
The first in her family to attend university and the first in her school to go to Oxbridge, Heather has maintained a strong connection with St John’s through her former presidency of the Johnian Society and her involvement in the St John’s College Campaign Board and the College’s Development Committee.
Vegan sustainability dinner
Chefs from a Michelin-starred restaurant cooked a four-course vegan menu for guests at St John’s at the College’s inaugural ‘Sustainability Dinner’. The event was the first of its kind to take place at any Cambridge College and included talks from industry leaders on changing food habits, reducing food waste and creating exciting vegan meals.
St John’s has been offering vegan food on its menus for more than a year, and the College is always keen to introduce new, sustainable dishes and initiatives to the College. Catering and Conferencing Manager Bill Brogan says: ‘We are currently selling new reusable water bottles in the College Bar, which are very popular, and we are replacing single use plastic bottles with glass bottles.’
Honoured alumni
Three Johnians were mentioned in the Queen’s New Year Honours List 2020:
Professor Timothy Minton (1977) is Professor in the English department of the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo and the Executive Director of the Japan-British Society. He was awarded an OBE for services to relations between the UK and Japan.
Susannah Storey (1992) is Director General for Digital and Media Policy in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and she was previously the Director General at the Department for Exiting the European Union. She was awarded a CB for Public service.
Arthur Tait (1954) has been Chairman of the Friends of Brompton Cemetery since 1998 and has devoted more than 25 years to improving the grade I listed site for visitors. He was awarded a BEM for his ‘hands-on’ service to the local community in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Environmental Film Festival
Colin Burrows (1978), Tom Mustill (2002) and Alexandra Abrams (2009) were involved in the first Turks and Caicos International Film Festival (TCIFF). Colin, the Director of the festival, has worked in the film industry for the past 35 years, and he was ‘bemused why Hollywood had not risen to the narrative challenges posed by the changing climate.’ This festival was the catalyst for bringing together international and local film-makers and activists for the weekend. It also created a platform for environmental discussion among some of the world’s best storytellers.
Finnissy Choir CD
The Choir’s latest CD will be released on Friday 26 June and features works written by Michael Finnissy during his three-year tenure as the College’s Composer in Residence 2016–19. Each piece takes its inspiration from works that traverse five hundred years of music, exploring the full breadth of the Choir’s repertoire.
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