ARCHES...Welcome to Issue 3of Arches,the magazine of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne ARCHES...

ARCHESThe Magazine of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Issue 3 | Autumn 2003

Spreading the Sun Safety MessageTowards a Cultural Quarter

ARCHES News 4-12

Skin DeepCancer research backs the sun

safety message.

Rock ArtPrehistoric art gets the modern touch.

Newcastle UniversitiesUnitedToon and gown coming together

in Malaysia.

Police Chief’s Rude PassionNick Fisher and the second earl

of Rochester.

NanotechnologyIt’s in the news but what is it

all about?

ARCHES Features 13-17

Towards a Cultural QuarterUnveiling plans for an exciting

cultural quarter on campus.

Digging up DirtThe history of agriculture

at the University.

ARCHES ContentsARCHES Editorial

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | Issue 3 Autumn 2003 | www.ncl.ac.uk | 3

Many of you will have shared my disappointment in June when Newcastle

Gateshead’s joint bid to become European Capital of Culture 2008

narrowly missed out to Liverpool.

It is important to acknowledge, however, the tremendously positive impact

the bid process has had in galvanizing the North East and changing national

and international perceptions of the region. The competition for the title of

European Capital of Culture 2008 has already had, and will continue to have,

a transforming effect on both the landscape and cultural activity in the

North East. Not winning the title is tough, but in a very real sense this has

been a good example of the maxim that it is not the winning but the taking

part that matters.

The exciting plans outlined on pages 13–15 to develop a Cultural Quarter on

the University campus perfectly illustrate the ongoing commitment of this

University to play a leading role in our regional cultural renaissance. These plans,

which are on top of a current programme of building and redevelopment across

the University totalling more than £80 million over seven years, will transform

the way we engage as an institution with the general public both locally and

further afield. I very much hope that our alumni will be among the first to come

back to visit us and witness the major changes taking place.

Finally, if you are interested in following progress on the Cultural Quarter and

the many other interesting stories taking place at the University then you might

like to consider taking advantage of our new NewsLink service. This service is

fully accessible on the external website at www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/newslink

and anyone wishing to receive a weekly NewsLink bulletin by e-mail can join

simply by sending a request to [email protected].

I do hope you enjoy reading this latest issue of Arches magazine.

With very best wishes

Professor Christopher Edwards

Vice-Chancellor

Welcome to Issue 3 of Arches, the magazineof the University of Newcastle upon Tyne

ARCHES Regulars 18-23

King’s College Firewatchers ReuniteA special evening for the alumni

firewatchers of World War Two.

Events/ListingsReports on past alumni activity and

notice of future events.

ClassnotesCatch up with the latest news from

old friends and acquaintances.

Alumni ProfileMatthew Nicklin on the world of

media and entertainment law.

4 | The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | Issue 3 Autumn 2003 | www.ncl.ac.uk

ARCHES News


When Newcastle United travelled to Malaysia to play in the inaugural

FA Premier League Asia Cup this summer, it provided Newcastle and

Northumbria Universities with the perfect opportunity to team up to

encourage more students from the Far East to study on Tyneside.

The Universities were one of the tournament sponsors and, as well as

providing pitch-side advertising, they also produced a two-minute

advertisement which was shown on giant TV screens in Kuala Lumpur’s

national Bukit Jalil Stadium, and in the commercial breaks during the live

TV coverage of the games.

Assistant Director of the International Office, David Forman, said: ‘There are

already a lot of students from the Far East studying in Newcastle, but we

hope to attract many more through our involvement in the Asia Cup’.

The tournament also caught the imagination of many Malaysian alumni who

attended the matches and visited a special alumni booth at the stadium.

Around 30 alumni and guests also enjoyed afternoon tea with the

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christopher Edwards, at the Palace of the Golden

Horses in Kuala Lumpur, organized by David Forman and local alumni leader

Dato’ Dr Haji Mohamed Ishak (Dip Town & Country Planning 1964,

Dip Landscape Design 1973, Hon DCL 1993).

For a team of football-loving Malaysian students,

Newcastle United’s participation in the FA Premier League

Asia Cup presented something of a dilemma: just which

team should they support?

All of them grew up in Malaysia supporting their national side,

but now the team, who regularly play in five- and six-a-side

inter-university matches, are such big fans of Newcastle United

that they have adopted the team’s famous black and white kit

as their own.

As the Asia Cup kicked off, they admitted that they hadn’t

decided whether they would like Newcastle or Malaysia to win.

Ahmad Aslam Kamarudin, an MSc Mechanical Engineering

student, said: ‘We’ll be supporting both Newcastle and Malaysia

in their first round matches. But if Newcastle meet Malaysia in

the next stage, we really won’t know which team to cheer on.

We will all be feeling divided loyalties as we watch the game.’

In the event, the Malaysian national side and Birmingham City

FC were knocked out in the early stages of the tournament,

leaving Newcastle United to face London-based Premiership

club, Chelsea, in a nail-biting final – which Chelsea eventually

won on penalties.

HONOUR FOR SIR BOBBY

Newcastle United’s manager, Sir Bobby Robson, has been

honoured by the University for his achievements during his

footballing career, spanning 53 years as a club and

international player and manager.

At a ceremony in May, Sir Bobby received an Honorary Doctor

of Civil Law degree from the Chancellor of the University, the

Right Honourable Christopher Patten CH. Also receiving

honorary degrees were Fiona Reynolds CBE, Director-General of

the National Trust; international expert in computer security,

Professor Fred Schneider, of Cornell University; and eminent

industrialist, Dr Herbert Loebl OBE.

Chancellor Joins Summer Celebrations

North East students attending a Summer School in July had a

chance to share their experiences with the Chancellor of

the University, Christopher Patten, when he dropped in on

a workshop in the students’ Union.

They were joined by Jane Taylor, Tamsin Ridden and Rhiannon

Haywood, who were among almost 3,000 students graduating

from the University this summer. Three years ago, Jane,

Tamsin and Rhiannon took part in the very first PARTNERS

Summer School.

Rhiannon, who gained a BSc Honours in Applied Biology, said:

‘It’s really great to see these students enjoying the Summer

School. Attending a similar event back in 2000 was a very

enjoyable experience, and I would encourage all of them to

believe in their own ability, and take the opportunity to study

at the University.’

Mr Patten had his own words of encouragement for the students.

He said: ‘Simply by being here, you have already made a

significant commitment to university study. I wish you all well,

and hope to see you at your own graduation in a few years’ time.’

The Assessed Summer School was part of the University’s

PARTNERS (Progression and Access Routes to Newcastle

University) programme, a scheme set up to encourage

applications from students who might otherwise not have

considered university as an option.

Since the scheme began, in 1999, applications from PARTNERS

schools have risen by 63 per cent. Newcastle alumni help to

support the programme by providing scholarships and bursaries

for students entering the University through PARTNERS.

Bright Ideas to Beat the

‘Brain Drain’

Bright ideas for businesses have won two teams of

entrepreneurial students a string of awards in the national

final of the Graduate Enterprise Programme – an annual

competition to showcase student enterprise companies from

universities across the UK.

The two companies – Magnetics, which designs and produces

promotional fridge magnets, and Ignite, a company set up to

provide an economical printing service for small companies –

notched up an unprecedented four awards between them.

Magnetics, set up by Ben Woodhead and Mark Wallace, won

the Learning by Doing category and was recognized for its

ethical and environmental principles. The company was also

named runner-up in the Company of the Year section.

Ignite, which is run by fellow students Charles Baybutt and

Jennifer Tomkinson, won the Innovative Product or Service award.

The success of Magnetics and Ignite has delighted Gareth

Trainer, who manages the University’s Enterprise Centre, which

offers expert advice to students with ideas for starting up their

own business. He believes enterprise programmes such as

Newcastle’s, which is one of only a handful in the UK, have

‘massive potential’.

He said: ‘Apart from job creation, one of the advantages of

student enterprise is that it gives the students a good reason to

stay in the region after they graduate, helping to halt the ‘brain

drain’ effect that concerns economists. This region has got a

fantastic business support culture, plus great commercial ideas.

The University is producing graduates who can make a

contribution to the regional economy, and the North East is a

very fertile place for these ideas to grow’, he added.

NEWCASTLE Universities UNITED!

United we stand! Members of the Malaysian students’ five-a-side team.

Chancellor Christopher Patten chats to PARTNERS students.

The Magnetics team: l-r Ben Woodhead, James Rossiter, Sophie Cross and

Mark Wallace.

A QUESTION OF SUPPORT...

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | Issue 3 Autumn 2003 | www.ncl.ac.uk | 76 | The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | Issue 3 Autumn 2003 | www.ncl.ac.uk

ARCHES News FeatureSKIN CANCER FACT:

Most forms are caused by excessive exposure

to the sun and can take 20 to 30 years

to develop.

SKIN CANCER FACT:

It is the most common cancer in the UK and

over 2,000 people die each year as a result.

SKIN CANCER FACT:

Everyone, regardless of skin colour, should be

careful in the sun and take sensible precautions

to protect themselves from damage.

Dr Birch-Machin is building a reputation as a

leading UK skin cancer expert, and is spreading

the sun safety message to ordinary people

through the media.

Particularly around the summer months, his

telephone is busy with calls from journalists from

all over the world – testimony to his ability to

explain complex science in a way their readers,

viewers and listeners can understand.

The charity Cancer Research UK, which funds

some of his research, has adopted him as an

official media spokesman on skin cancer.

Dr Birch-Machin’s public information role takes

on added gravity as each year in Britain over

2,000 people die from skin cancer, a disease

linked to sun exposure. Moreover, a recent UK

survey showed a worrying gap between how

much people know about the disease and how

little they do to protect themselves.

Most recently his scientific research, carried out

in laboratories at Newcastle University, was a

central feature of a special edition of the ITV

current affairs show, Tonight With Trevor

MacDonald. The programme makers sponsored

Dr Birch-Machin and his team to try out a

pioneering test they have developed that charts

the amount of permanent damage the sun’s rays

have done to the skin’s genetic material, DNA.

The programme followed six young women in

their twenties who volunteered to take the test

before and after a week’s holiday in the Spanish

island of Ibiza. The test involved analysing DNA

from samples of skin taken from the volunteers.

The results were startling – they showed that

after just one week of sunbathing all of the girls

had done serious permanent damage to their skin.

The damage represented a skin cancer ‘time

bomb’ says Dr Birch-Machin, who was

interviewed extensively in the half-hour show.

The women had also increased their chances of

looking 40 or 45 years-old by the time they

reached 30.

He explains: ‘Every time you sunbathe – and

especially when you get sunburned – you add an

extra layer of damage. This makes the skin saggy,

leathery, thick and discoloured. You are damaging

the DNA in your skin cells, which can lead to skin

cancer. It’s like a time bomb which could go off in

15 or 20 years.’

Dr Birch-Machin, a reader in molecular

dermatology with the University’s School of

Clinical and Laboratory Sciences, has been

investigating skin cancer for several years.

Laboratory tests showed that harmful ultraviolet

radiation (UV rays) in sunlight can penetrate our

skin and attack the DNA found in the cells’

powerhouse, mitochondria. This can happen as

early as childhood and causes permanent damage

to our skin cells. Some of the rays can form free

radicals, which can change our DNA, while others

have a directly harmful effect.

These findings informed the development of the

test featured in Tonight With Trevor MacDonald,

which provides a diary of sun-damaged DNA in

skin cells. In future years doctors could potentially

use it to provide tailor-made sun safety advice for

patients. It may also be a useful tool for the

cosmetics industry, as it could measure how well

sunscreens work.

Dr Birch-Machin’s media work began two years

ago when the University Press Office issued a

news release offering seasonal advice to summer

holiday makers. Media training followed, which

improved his interview technique.

He says: ‘Sharing our expertise with the public is

just as important as doing the science, as ultimately,

it could help save lives. If we can convince people of

the importance of looking after their skin in the sun,

then it’s a job well done.’

More information about skin cancer can be

found on Cancer Research UK’s website:

www.cancerresearchuk.org/sunsmart/

SKIN DEEPSPREADING THE SUN SAFETY MESSAGE

One person you won’t see returning from his summer holidayssporting a suntan is Dr Mark Birch-Machin.

‘Every time you sunbathe – and especiallywhen you get sunburned – you add an extralayer of damage. This makes the skin saggy,leathery, thick and discoloured.’

‘You are damaging the DNA in your skin cells,which can lead to skin cancer. It’s like a timebomb which could go off in 15 or 20 years.’Dr Mark Birch-Machin

ARCHES Alumni NewsTELL US YOUR STORIES If you have interesting memories and

stories about student expeditions in past

years then we would like to hear them

with a view to developing a feature for

our alumni website at

www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/news/rememberwhen


ALUMNI ASSIST STUDENT EXPEDITIONS

Newcastle University alumni in some of the

remotest and least accessible parts of the world

are helping current students taking part in the

Student Expeditions Programme.

Newcastle has a long tradition of sending student

expeditions overseas dating back to at least the

1960s. However, it is only recently that the

student teams have been encouraged to link up

with former students from the countries being

visited, sometimes with very positive benefits. In

the past two years, expedition teams have been

assisted to varying degrees on expeditions to the

Bahamas, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea

and Tanzania.

Student expeditions provide a marvellous

opportunity for students to develop their academic

and personal skills, conduct some first-rate research

and at the same time experience new and

interesting cultures. Our student expedition

members tend to be motivated and resourceful

individuals who are required to organize and raise

funds for their expeditions in the midst of their

normal studies. They carry the excellent

reputation of the University around the world, and

in many cases the research they undertake on

their expeditions aims to offer positive benefits to

communities and the environment in the

countries that are visited.

Last year three students taking part in the

Newcastle University Lulanda 2002 expedition to

Tanzania benefited from contact with a number

of alumni including Dr Rhodes Makundi (MSc

1984, PhD 1996) of the Sokoine University of

Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania. Team members

Rebecca Haylow, Britt Larsen and Lisette Coiffait, all

zoology undergraduates, collected data to make an

assessment of the forest corridor programme

implemented in the Udzungwa Mountains of

Tanzania in order to combat native species loss

caused by habitat destruction and forest

fragmentation. Britt Larsen said: ‘Dr Makundi

helped us to recruit local students to the project

by posting our advertisement in his University

whilst we were still in the UK. In this way we

chose five brilliant students who worked with us

in the field for five weeks. Dr Makundi also

arranged for a trapping session to be held for us

when we arrived in Morogoro, so that we could

familiarize ourselves with types of traps and

trapping methods as well as handling animals. We

spent three lovely days in the University, feeling

very welcome.’

Each year a couple of expedition teams report

back on their experiences in the ‘Tales from the

Bush’ lecture within the Insights Public Lectures

series. This year’s lecture will be held at 5.30 pm

on Tuesday 25 November in the Curtis

Auditorium of the Herschel Building.

www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/lectures

STILL SPRIGHTLY AT 90

Armstrong College graduate Constance Ayre, née Atherton

(BSc Geography 1935, DThPT 1936) received a ninetieth

birthday surprise in the form of a birthday card from the

University on 21 April 2003.

Connie Ayre is one of the last surviving graduates of Armstrong

College (then part of Durham University), which became King’s

College in 1937 and finally the independent University of

Newcastle upon Tyne in 1963. Although classified as a ‘lost

alumna’ for the past 67 years, Connie’s son-in-law, David Budgen,

alerted the University to his mother-in-law’s whereabouts and

forthcoming birthday.

Much to everyone’s surprise, the School of Geography, Politics

and Sociology still had Connie’s undergraduate dissertation on file

on the subject ‘A Dissertation on Upper Weardale (with special

reference to development during the nineteenth and twentieth

centuries)’. There was also recorded a very favourable reference

from Professor G H J Daysh in support of Connie’s application

for teaching, which was to be her chosen profession on

graduating from the College.

Connie continues to lead a very active life and said: ‘I was

delighted to get a letter from the University for my ninetieth

birthday, which in some ways was even better than a letter

from the Queen! It was a real surprise, which was passed around

at my birthday party at home in Stanhope. I enjoyed my time

at Armstrong College, especially the time in the Geography

Department under Professor Daysh.’

Newcastle University alumnus Nick Fisher

(BA English Language and Literature 1971,

MLitt 1987) has an unusual interest away from

his day job as a police chief superintendent in

the Greater Manchester Police.

Nick works for HMIC (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate

of Constabulary – irreverently nicknamed

OFPLOD). He is part of the process by which the

Home Office judges whether a particular police

force is ‘efficient and effective’ and so justifies its

central funding. Away from police work, however,

Nick has pursued a long passion for the poetry of

John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester, a

famously libertine seventeenth-century poet and

wit who wrote some of the filthiest verses in the

English poetical canon.

‘The English Department I graduated from in

1971 had a reputation for being a lively and

stimulating place’, Nick explained. ‘I happily

returned for a second helping, obtaining my MLitt

after part-time study in 1987. I was fortunate in

having in my second undergraduate year a

brilliant and inspirational tutor, Ken Robinson. He

introduced me to Rochester – the combination of

passionate love lyrics, biting satires and rude

poems made an unforgettable impact – and

supervised my Master’s research.’

Nick’s interest in Rochester has kept him busy.

He recalled: ‘To mark the 350th anniversary of his

birth in 1997, I organized a colloquium at

Wadham College, Oxford, and a music festival in

venues in and around Oxford associated with the

poet. I edited the conference papers,

commissioned a CD from the Consort of Musicke

and co-edited a performing edition of

Rochester’s songs.’

In 2002 Nick undertook his most unusual project to

date. ‘I discovered that an eminent Dutch composer,

Hans Kox, shared an interest in ‘the Wicked Earl’, and

he challenged me to write the libretto for a chamber

opera based on the last weeks of Rochester’s life. It

seemed a good idea at the time! The experience of

seeing the finished opera performed this year was

both moving and a little strange’, he remembered.

Nick is now busy submitting his doctoral thesis

on Rochester for a PhD from the University of

Leeds. Despite the Earl’s racy reputation, Nick

remains adamant that there is no contradiction

between his own professional life and his interest

in the controversial poet. ‘Rochester was actually

very much part of the Establishment – and there

is a surprising professional link as he coined the

word “shoplifting”.’

Police Chief’s Rude Passion

Connie’s dissertation.

Connie Ayre’s graduation photograph.

10 | The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | Issue 3 Autumn 2003 | www.ncl.ac.uk

ARCHES Research News


As the sale of one of its ‘spin-out’ companies

helps position the University among the best

universities in the country for technology

transfer, another prepares to expand its

business into the United States.

Newcastle University has been named as one of

the UK’s top universities for technology transfer

– using its world-class research facilities to

benefit businesses and the economy.

A survey revealed that the University’s £5 million

sale, last year, of its shares in its spin-out

company, Novocastra Laboratories, represented

the most profitable equity sell-off by any

university in the country.

The research, by Nottingham University Business

School, identified four UK universities that are

excelling at technology transfer. Although the

interim report, which was published in June and

detailed UK university technology-transfer

activities in 2002, did not name individual

universities, an article in the Times Higher

Education Supplement subsequently named

Newcastle, along with Edinburgh, Loughborough

and Strathclyde, as the universities which served

as case studies.

Novocastra Laboratories, which was taken over

last July by Vision BioSystems, was set up by

former Professor of Pathology, Wilson Horne, and

his colleagues. It quickly became a world-leading

manufacturer of antibodies, probes and kits used

primarily in cancer detection and characterization.

Last year five Newcastle spin-out companies were

formed; now, the University has set itself the

target of increasing the number to between seven

and 10 per year.

Director of Business Development, Dr Douglas

Robertson, said: ‘Spinning out companies from our

powerful research base is helping to create

sustainable jobs and wealth. We also work with

existing companies to help them improve their

products and processes. We pride ourselves on

being open for business, quite literally.’

www.ncl.ac.uk/ris/busdev

Worm Firm Wrigglesinto US Market

People will be able to ponder the mystery that

shrouds Northumberland’s collection of

prehistoric stone carvings by logging on to a

website that goes live next year.

Northumberland is widely regarded as having the

country’s richest collection of rock art. About 900

panels exist and are typically a series of cups and

circles of various sizes carved into a slab of rock.

Most of the carved rocks are located in the

countryside, but many have been removed to

museums or private houses and some have been

lost. Examples include England’s largest such site at

Roughting Linn near the Scottish border.

Retired head teacher, Stan Beckensall, who has

spent a lifetime charting the ancient

phenomenon, has donated his extensive records,

including photographs, drawings and books, to the

University. In a project sponsored by the Arts and

Humanities Research Board, the aim is to make

the Beckensall Archive available on the World

Wide Web to researchers, schoolchildren and

anyone else who may be interested in finding out

more about these fascinating marks our ancestors

made on the landscape.

New information, such as global positioning system

readings – highly accurate positions of the artwork

compiled using satellites – and up-to-date

photographs, will also be included on the Internet

site. The site is due to go live in 2004 and is believed

to be the most detailed of its kind in the world.

Project leader, Dr Aron Mazel, an archaeologist and

research associate with the School of Historical

Studies, said: ‘Stan’s collection is one of the finest

that exists.We’re extremely privileged to have

benefited from his many years of hard work.We

hope the website will encourage further research as

well as a general public interest in this fascinating

element of our heritage.’

Theories about the origins of the rock carvings

vary. One says they are symbolic expressions of

the changing relationship Neolithic people had

with the landscape. Another says the carvings

fulfilled a human need to mark the local

environment. Ultimately, nobody knows for sure

why they exist, or who created them.

www.historical-studies.ncl.ac.uk

Breakfast TV viewers took a lesson in teeth

cleaning from University dental scientists who

led an early morning demonstration for the

benefit of watching cameras.

The live broadcast from the Dental Hospital –

shown on BBC One’s Breakfast News programme

– focused on two volunteers who demonstrated

the right and the wrong way to brush your teeth,

with commentary from University expert

Professor Peter Heasman.

The BBC was one of many media outlets from

Australia to America that covered the results of

Professor Heasman’s study, which found that

brushing for two minutes, at a pressure of 150

grams, was the right combination for the average

person’s cleaning routine. People who exceed this

are unlikely to make their teeth and gums

cleaner, and are likely to cause permanent

damage, the study showed.

Professor Heasman said: ‘Despite our findings,

anecdotal evidence within the dental profession

suggests that the majority of the population still

believes that the longer and the harder you brush,

the better for your teeth it is’.

People who are unsure about the right technique

to use should visit their dentist or dental hygienist.

‘They will be able to train you and will show you

approximately how much pressure you should be

applying’, said Professor Heasman.

www.ncl.ac.uk/dental

Rock art found at Roughting Linn, near the Scottish border.

Graham Rutherford, Managing Director of Seabait Ltd, with ragworms.Professor Peter Heasman uses a model to demonstrate the

correct way to brush teeth.

Experts Bristle at Toothbrush Misuse

PRAISE FOR NEWCASTLE’S TECHNOLOGY-TRANSFER RECORD

Worm-breeding technology developed by University scientists could

let American anglers off the hook. They are facing a shortage of bait

as the booming fish farm industry consumes huge quantities of

home-grown worms.

Seabait Ltd, an award-winning ‘spin-out’ company that uses advanced

technology to breed ragworms in North East England, has launched a

subsidiary at Franklin, Maine. Stocks of 'wild' worms are running low in

Maine as the traditional industry of digging them from the sand struggles to

keep pace with demand from fish and shrimp farms. Seabait (Maine) LLC will

be the first commercial worm farm of its type in the USA.

Professor Peter Olive, one of Seabait’s founding scientists, of the School of

Marine Science and Technology, said: ‘Seabait Ltd, through its American

subsidiary, will make good the supply of live worms for marine angling in the

USA as well as providing additional material for supply in frozen form to the

South Americas’ hatchery feed market’.

Earlier this year, Seabait won two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in the

international trade and sustainable development categories, having previously

won an award in the environmental achievement category in 1994.

High-tech worm-breeding techniques include cryogenics to freeze worm

embryos for storage and using ‘waste’ hot water from a nearby power station

to keep sand beds at the perfect breeding temperature.

Seabait Ltd has set up the subsidiary with the help of a development loan of

up to $485,000 from the Maine Technology Institute and is now seeking

further venture capital for a large-scale expansion programme.

www.seabait.com/index.html

PREHISTORIC ART GETS THE MODERN TOUCH


ARCHES In the News

What is nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is a technology defined in terms

of scale. It describes materials, systems and

devices with characteristic dimensions in the

range 1-100 nanometer (nm). One nm is

1/1,000,000 of a millimetre, or roughly the distance

spanned by four atoms, so nanotechnology is all

about controlled component design and fabrication

on atomic and molecular scales. It unites findings

and processes from biotechnology and genetic

engineering with chemistry, physics, electronics and

materials science with the aim of manufacturing

cost-effective innovative products.

Commonplace examples of nanotechnology

products include some magnetic memory devices,

optical, protective and decorative coatings, some

sunscreens and many cosmetics.

Why is there such excitement about this area

of technology?

Nanotechnology has been recognized by leading

industrialized countries to be of potential key

economic significance in the twenty-first century.

The trend in manufacturing industry towards

increasing miniaturization, improving dimensional

precision and controlling surface finish is

well recognized.

Miniaturization technology underpins innovation

in most high-technology sectors, including the

biotechnology, defence, communications,

electronics and medical sectors. Government and

industry advisers worldwide view micro- and

nano-technologies as keystones for economic and

technological competitiveness. It is widely

predicted that the nanotechnology era will lead

to the next technological revolution. Genetic

diagnostics, drug discovery and chemical and

environmental monitoring are powerful science

and technology drivers and excellent candidate

applications for micro-, nano- and molecular-

scale fabrication and manipulation technologies.

In addition, miniaturization technologies have the

potential to revolutionize drug delivery and the

treatment of disease, and enable the

development of affordable sensors for real-time

recording of neurological activity and other

biological functions.

At Newcastle, for example, scientists are working

on developing a tiny biosensor device that will

warn of an impending heart attack, affording a

person with heart problems sufficient time to

seek medical assistance before the heart attack

occurs. We are also looking at a new medical

diagnostic device that will significantly speed up

the process of sample diagnosis in hospitals, thus

increasing the throughput of patients, whilst also

leading to earlier detection and diagnosis of

certain forms of cancer.

Are there risks as well as benefits?

As with any emerging technology, unknowns

exist. This is why industry has strict regulatory

frameworks for introducing new products into the

public domain. Any dangers that may be posed by

nanotechnology are already being proactively

investigated, with notable studies being carried

out by the Centre for Environmental

Nanotechnology at Rice University in the USA,

and by the Royal Society/Royal Academy of

Engineering. Nanotechnology has a high profile at

the present time coupled with some confusion as

to what it really is. The Institute’s remit is to

educate the public and industry about

nanotechnology – what it is and what it isn’t. In

September, for example, we ran a competition for

local schools to raise awareness of the subject and

to encourage sixth formers to take up a career in

the field.

What are we doing at Newcastle?

The Institute for Nanoscale Science and

Technology (INSAT) is the University’s research

institute for nanotechnology established in 1999.

We have 15 research groups associated with the

Institute providing depth in certain fields of

microsystems and nanotechnology and we focus

on particular application areas, for example,

artificial prostheses and joints. Impressive central

facilities, funded by the Department of Trade and

Industry and the regional development agency

One NorthEast, have made Newcastle a major

player in the UK. Additionally, the University has

established INEX as the business arm of INSAT,

where we focus on working closely with internal

and external clients to commercialize their

research and develop new products.

At Newcastle we aim to bring industry into the

heart of the University, encouraging a more

entrepreneurial culture and providing a more

efficient route for spin-out companies.

www.inex.org.uk

ARCHES Feature

TOWARDS A CULTURAL QUARTERNanotechnology

The rapid rate of scientific advance brings enormous

benefits to society, but some feel that risks associated with

new areas of technology are too great. Recently concerns

were voiced by the Prince of Wales over perceived risks

associated with nanotechnology, so we asked Professor Ken

Snowdon, Director of the Institute for Nanoscale Science

and Technology (INSAT) at the University to provide a

lowdown on this emerging technology.

Claire Hardy, Project Manager of the Cultural Quarter Project, unveils

the exciting ideas that are coming together at the University for the

development of an integrated Cultural Quarter and a new Combined

Museum complex within Terry Farrell & Partners’ campus Masterplan

(described in Issue 1 of Arches).

For many years the University has fostered a

range of cultural activities, located on the

campus and representing a key interface with

the city and the wider region. But these

separate activities have never realized their

full individual potentials, let alone the wider

synergies possible between them. A bold new

vision has now been developed by a

wide-ranging partnership of local bodies, led

by the University and including BALTIC The

Centre for Contemporary Art, the Natural

History Society of Northumbria, the Society of

Antiquaries, Newcastle City Council, New

Writing North, Northern Stage, Tyne and Wear

Museums, to establish a Cultural Quarter.

This will transform the space where city and

University meet into an exciting and vibrant

area of cultural and social activity: a major

contribution to the region's cultural strategy.

The initial catalyst for the creation of the

Newcastle Cultural Quarter was a major initiative

by the management of the University to assign a

much higher priority than before to its cultural

and social interface with the people of the city

and the region. A key objective is to open out the

University to the wider world as reflected in our

recently revised mission ‘to be a world-class

research-intensive university, to deliver teaching

of the highest quality and to play a leading role in

the economic, social and cultural development of

the North East of England’.

2003WHERE ARE WE NOW?

The cultural assets that will comprise the heart of

the Newcastle Cultural Quarter consist of three

museums, an art gallery and a theatre. They are

currently managed separately and sit within a

poorly developed part of the University's

city-centre campus. They are unrelated to each

other in terms of marketing and operation and do

not, therefore, take advantage of the opportunities

to explore relationships between them.

Although these assets are sited very close to

Newcastle's main shopping street (with excellent

public transport links) they are not seen by the

majority of people of Newcastle and the wider

region as natural places to visit: they tend to be

marginal to people's thinking and daily patterns

of activity. This is not to say that our cultural

assets languish unvisited; school parties are a key

element of the visitors to the three museums, the

art gallery and the theatre and each has a core of

regular visitors, with strong loyalties. The problem

is that these visitor numbers reflect, in marketing

terms, a low penetration of the available local,

regional and national marketplaces. This is

unfortunate given the importance of the collections

housed and the activities undertaken.

The infrastructure of these cultural assets, and their

immediate surroundings, are a major part of the

problem. The Hancock Natural History Museum is

a splendid Victorian listed building housing a

nationally designated collection; however, because

of inadequate investment in its infrastructure,

it does not achieve its potential as a visitor

experience. The Museum of Antiquities and the

Shefton Museum are housed separately in

accommodation that is not purpose-built for

museum purposes and, like the Hatton Gallery,

not easy to find within the campus. It is these

four elements which comprise the Combined

Museum project, which is the subject of a major

bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund and other

sources of funding.

Linked to the Combined Museum project, the

adjacent Playhouse Theatre has its own urgent

need for major refurbishment and is the focus of

separate grants from the Arts Council for England

and Newcastle City Council.

Although these cultural assets are within close

proximity of each other, the lack of physical

relationship between them is compounded by

unattractive immediate surroundings and the

separation of the Hancock from the other

buildings by a busy road. Besides the lively

Playhouse café, there is little in today’s

surroundings to induce visitors to linger and

explore when visiting the campus.


ARCHES Feature

2008 WHERE COULD WE BE?

Alongside the main Combined Museum project, a

range of intersecting interdisciplinary projects are

emerging which will also form part of the Cultural

Quarter. The Playhouse Theatre will have been

upgraded with a new lobby and improvements

made to its auditorium. Meanwhile the Culture Lab

project will be running, which will bring together

researchers of international excellence from the

arts, humanities and sciences in a shared space

incorporating a multi-user digital media facility

with the aim of enabling new areas of creative and

interdisciplinary research to be developed.

Additionally, plans are being developed for a

Northern Writers’ Centre linked to Culture Lab, and

also for an exciting public access orientated

redevelopment of the University’s Botanic Gardens.

Inevitably, the final form the Cultural Quarter will

take is difficult to determine precisely at this

stage. The success of each component project is

dependent upon funding decisions, with financial

support needing to be solicited from a wide range

of sources. These include the University itself,

applications to the Arts Council and Heritage

Lottery Fund and other funding bodies and

appeals for generous support from individual

alumni and other supporters of the University.

Despite this incomplete picture, it remains

possible to look forward to 2008 and assert that

a visitor to campus will be confronted with a

completely reinvigorated scene on arrival. The

transformation between the down-at-heel

appearances of our cultural buildings in 2003 and

their bright, inviting aspect in 2008 will be a

source of constant positive comment – not least

because they form the northern gateway to the

city. Let us take an imaginary tour:

■ The Hancock has now been restored to its

former glory, in an innovative and exciting way

that opens up its collection to the visitor and that

not only utilizes state-of-the-art exhibition

methods but also successfully breaks down the

barriers between visitor and display on the one

hand and storage and curatorial activity on the

other. The visitor is engaged not only by the

displays but also by what the museum staff do in

their daily work of caring for the items in the

collection.

■ The Quarter incorporates shops and a variety

of lively places to eat, inviting visitors to prolong

their stay and sample what the other attractions

have to offer.

■ A (carefully sign-posted) exhibition at the

Hatton Gallery nearby is clearly linked to one of

the special exhibitions in the Combined Museum,

an exhibition that it is now able to attract visitors

because it has the custom-designed facilities that

such attractions require.

■ At the Theatre, Northern Stage are presenting

two productions, one their own exciting work

that is premiering in Newcastle, the other a

piece devised in collaboration with the

University’s own Culture Lab venture next to the

theatre, where academics and students in the

arts and sciences explore the cutting-edge

potential of digital technology to express artistic

aspiration and creativity. Next door, the

Northern Writers’ Centre is also producing

ground-breaking new work, supplemented by

talks as part of the public lecture series.

■ An unrivalled range of music is on offer, with

high-quality professional and student performers

contributing to the University concert series and

an impressive roster of bands and DJ acts eager

to perform in the students’ Union programme.

The strong links between the multi-ethnic

student body and the city’s varied ethnic and

cultural groupings find expression in a number of

events throughout the year.

Above all, in subtle, unobtrusive and sympathetic

ways, the visitor is made aware of a feeling of

common purpose in the Newcastle Cultural

Quarter – that, while each of its elements is

pursuing its own artistic or heritage agenda in a

vigorous and creative manner, there is a level of

co-operation and integration ensuring that, for

the visitor, the total is truly greater than the sum

of the parts.

Behind the scenes, a structure of joint

management of the Newcastle Cultural Quarter

will have been in existence since 2003. By 2008

the level of trust and experience of working

together that the partners to the Newcastle

Cultural Quarter will have accumulated, will

mean that, as a matter of course, integrated

programming, joint marketing and the sharing of

facilities will be routine direct outcomes of

managing the Newcastle Cultural Quarter together.

The major change that the Newcastle Cultural

Quarter will bring about is that, at any one time,

there will be a range of cultural, arts and heritage

offerings that engage the visitor and bring the

past, the present and the future to life in ways

that transcend traditional boundaries between

times, between disciplines and, particularly,

between arts and sciences. As a result, the

remarkable collections so inadequately housed

and displayed in 2003 will be seen to be national

assets; above all, they will have become available

to, and accessible by, vastly greater numbers of

people, whatever their background.

For further information about any aspect of

the Cultural Quarter Project please contact

the Cultural Quarter Project Office on

+44 (0) 191 222 6066.

Anyone interested in supporting the fundraising

drive for the Quarter should contact Chris Cox,

Director of Development on

+44 (0) 191 222 7250 or e-mail [email protected]

www.ncl.ac.uk/culturalquarter

Pictures: architect’s images of the Combined Museums; performance at the Playhouse Theatre.


ARCHES Feature

Digging up Dirt – Agriculture at Newcastle

Dr Robert Shiel (BSc Soil Science 1969) of the School of Agriculture, Food andRural Development traces the history of agriculture teaching at Newcastlewithin the wider context of agrarian history.

When, in 1845, a new disease blighted

local potato crops and Chartists were

campaigning for the abolition of the Corn

Laws, ‘Professor’ Johnston of Durham

University was lecturing on agricultural

chemistry to the Literary and

Philosophical Society in Newcastle.

Johnston was an enthusiast though

something of a renegade at Durham where

the smell of his guano raised ecclesiastical

noses above their already exalted position.

However, his many agricultural books were to

remain in print through several editions.

Lectures for farmers were not new; there

were already numerous farmers’ clubs and

the Board of Agriculture had been straining

throughout the American and Napoleonic

wars to stimulate food production. When the

wars were over Britain and its Empire were

triumphant. Manufacturers and their Free

Trade ethos were in the ascendant. In less

than two years the Tory Prime Minister

Sir Robert Peel was to fall on his sword by

repealing the Corn Laws and the

manufacturers were to lower Chartists’ wages

when the price of food fell. Agriculture began

a long period of decline and when in 1850

Johnston left Durham it seemed that his new

science would be consigned to a footnote in

the Durham University Review.

At Newcastle there were sporadic attempts

to introduce agriculture into the new College

of Science but these fell on the proverbial

stony ground until, as the depression

deepened, Northumberland County Council

Education Committee, concerned over the

fate of local farming, provided funds for

agricultural training at the College.

In 1892, the County Council endowed the

Chair of Agriculture and, at the pleadings of

its incumbent, Professor Somerville, a lease

was taken on the farm at Cockle Park, north

of Morpeth, in 1896. This farm demonstrated

improvements to agriculture under

subsequent professors, in particular Professor

Gilchrist, whose species-rich Cockle Park

grass seeds mixtures can still be bought!

Experiments demonstrated to farmers and

students the effect of the new management

using fertilizers, about which Johnston had

been preaching 50 years before.

A combination of advisory work, short

courses and the degrees proved very popular

and the new department grew. Its greatest

benefactor, Clement Stephenson, a local vet,

paid for the construction of a building on the

east side of the Quadrangle. However, before

this was completed the horrors of the First

World War would find it, together with the

Hatton Gallery, used as a hospital and it was

1920 before the ‘Agrics’ moved in. With the

war over the government reverted to its Free

Trade policies and agriculture slumped into a

new depression.

Research at Cockle Park Farm and training of

students and farmers on the short courses

continued. Fortunately the experiments had

all been aimed, in keeping with the wishes of

the external funder, at low-cost

improvements, and hence remained

appropriate. The Thirties were however a

period of stagnation at Newcastle, and

professors took to extramural pursuits,

though elsewhere political changes would

have a fundamental effect. The famine

throughout Europe which had resulted from

the potato blight, where we began, had

contributed to the revolutions of 1848 while

the depressed state of British agriculture had

resulted here in widespread hunger, civil

unrest and near defeat in 1917. This spectre

raised its head again though the government

was faster to act in the Second World War

with its WarAg Committees and, in the true

sense of the adjective, their draconian

powers. These and the ensuing Cold War

ensured the future of British agriculture with

a policy of food from our own resources.

The Faculty had come through the war with

a large proportion of women graduates,

many of whom now rose to high positions in

the new advisory service (NAAS) instituted

by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Northumberland County Council, finding the

government providing advisory services,

pulled the plug on Newcastle; the farm at

Cockle Park was taken over by the Faculty

and an additional farm leased at Nafferton.

With the future of farming looking brighter

than it had since the early nineteenth

century, plans were made by the dynamic

new dean ‘Mac’ Cooper for the Faculty to

move to new accommodation in the

eponymous Agriculture Building, leaving to

Architecture the original premises.

Instead of only serving local agriculture, the

Faculty now looked to the world and

welcomed overseas students and research.

However, the new building was soon too

small for the burgeoning Faculty and parts of

Herschel, Porter and Bedson were quickly

annexed. This unsatisfactory situation was

resolved by consolidation in

the King George VI Building

in 1986.

The end of the Cold War and

over-engrossment of the

Common Agricultural Policy,

together with concerns over

the impact of successive

governments’ encouragement

to intensify by using more

pesticides and fertilizers, has

led to a decline in emphasis on

food production. Agriculture

has moved from producing more food to a

strategy where food production goes hand in

hand with wildlife, countryside access and

ecology. Of the experiments begun in 1896

by Professor Somerville, one, at Palace Leas

field, continues to provide data to those

interested in the impact of climatic change

on grassland and on the effect of

management on ecology and species

diversity. It is in fact now the world’s longest

running grazed grassland experiment.

Elsewhere, Nafferton Farm is undergoing

conversion to organic management and the

Centre for Rural Economy looks beyond

agriculture to the wider uses of land outside

our cities. Professor Johnston’s books remain

available in the Robinson Library and the

recent award of an OBE to Professor Philip

Lowe for services to the rural economy and

his role in establishing the Centre for Rural

Economy at the University is a testament to

the groundbreaking work in the agricultural

area which continues at the University to

this day.

www.ncl.ac.uk/afrd

Opposite: Cockle Park Farm.

‘The Agrics’ rag float in the Armstrong Quad, 1947.

AGRICULTURE FACTSFirst-year agriculture student intake

increased by 60 per cent in 2003.

AGRICULTURE FACTSOrganic food from Nafferton Farm is

now on sale.


ARCHES Events/Listings

Embassy Reception in

Washington DC

Around 30 alumni and guests attended a reception

held at the British Embassy in Washington DC on

5 May 2003. The event was attended by the

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christopher Edwards,

who talked about the University’s developing links

with US institutions in a number of areas including

medicine and the biomedical sciences. He also

stressed the important role for alumni to play as

promoters and advocates of the University and

thanked those donors to the US Alumni Fund who

had attended the reception. Mr Antony Phillipson,

Counsellor, Trade and Transport, spoke on behalf of

the Embassy and welcomed the University’s efforts

to develop an active network of alumni in the USA.

Convocation and

Reunion Weekend

On Saturday 7 June 2003 the University

welcomed around 400 alumni and other guests to

Convocation and Reunion Weekend. Once again

there was a mixed programme of activities taking

place including interactive tours of the

University’s music facilities, a trip to BALTIC The

Centre for Contemporary Art and a lecture

offering a foretaste of the new Sage Gateshead

Music Centre under construction on the

Gateshead Quayside. The Convocation Lecture,

provided by the opera singer Sir Thomas Allen,

was a particular highlight of the weekend and was

enjoyed by a near-capacity audience.

The meeting of Convocation saw the election of

Mark Scrimshaw (BA History 1976) as the new

Chair of the Alumni Association. Mark had already

served for two years as Vice-Chair. The retiring

Chair, Dominic Pinto (BA Politics 1978), was

thanked by the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the

University for his active leadership, involvement

and support during his three years in office and

over many years before.

Mark Scrimshaw said: ‘I am honoured to have

been elected Chair at Convocation. The University

is entering a wonderful period of opportunity

alongside the city, and I hope to be able to

encourage as many alumni as possible to get

involved in the development of the campus –

architecturally, academically and socially. Alumni

can make unique contributions through our

experience and knowledge. The University is keen

to hear their views and we must ensure as many

as possible are able to express them.’

Sri Lanka Branch Launched

Two successful events in February and August

2003 have led to the launch of a formal Alumni

Association branch in Sri Lanka. A committee has

been elected with Dr Wimal Wimaladharma (BDS

1957) as the Founder President, and a branch

constitution has been ratified.

Joel Burden, Alumni Development Officer, who

attended the reunion in February, said: ‘The

establishment of the Branch is a very positive

development which will provide a focus for Sri

Lankan alumni to come together on social and

other grounds, and a mechanism through which

the University and the British Council in Sri Lanka

can work with alumni in support of our respective

strategic priorities. The formation of the Branch

is a real testament to the hard work of

Dr Wimaladharma and his team of enthusiastic

alumni colleagues.’

Information for alumni in Sri Lanka including a

registration form is available online at

www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/contact/branches/

international/srilanka.html

Still in Touch 43 Years On

In July 1960 a group of mechanical engineering

graduates wrote their names and addresses on the

back of a Union Refectory menu, little realizing that

it would provide the foundation of a fellowship that

has endured for 43 years and is now stronger than

ever. Most of the group took the Final Year Honours

Option ‘B’ (Production) course which had been

introduced by Professor Burstall in 1959 for

students with interests in manufacturing.

Alex Beevers explained: ‘The ‘Lads’ have kept in

touch through almost annual newsletters and

occasional reunions. Ex-lecturer of our time, Tony

Bartley, and a more recent Professor of

Mechanical Engineering, Len Maunder, join us for

our events and keep us informed of University

news. The reunions are usually held in the North

East, The Lord Crewe Arms at Blanchland being a

favoured venue. However we have had two week-

end events in the Cotswolds, the most recent in

July 2003. We plan to be back in the North East

for our 45th anniversary in 2005. As a result of

Len Maunder’s persuasive account of cultural

developments in Newcastle/Gateshead during our

recent gathering in Chipping Campden, we hope

to return to our earlier venue in the city. Perhaps

the occasion will provide an opportunity to revisit

the University and our old Department.’

KING’S COLLEGE FIREWATCHERS REUNITE

On Wednesday 26 March 2003 around 30former students of King’s College gathered atthe University for a special evening reunitingalumni who performed firewatching duties atthe College during World War Two.

King’s College firewatchers: Viscount Ridley,

Professor Douglas Allan and Mr Harry Earp.

Fire

wat

cher

s at

th

e re

un

ion

.

Class of 1983 alumni at Reunion Weekend.

Class of 1960 mechanical engineers.

Convocation 2004

The next meeting of Convocation takes place

on Saturday 19 June 2004. The meeting will

be asked to agree proposals completing a

two-part process aimed at restructuring the

Alumni Association and the Alumni

Consultative Group (formerly named the

Alumni Development Group), and this will

also be the occasion for the election of a

new Vice-Chair.

Please visit

www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/involve/convocation

for further information about Convocation.

Please contact the Development and Alumni

Relations Office if you would like

information about election opportunities.

Sri Lankan alumni at the British Council, Colombo.

The reunion generated considerable media interest, taking place

against a background of conflict in Iraq, and was reported on BBC

radio and television as well as in the local press. More importantly,

it generated a flood of happy memories from over 70 elderly

alumni (many unfortunately unable to attend) which have been

made available online at www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/

news/rememberwhen. They will form the basis of a valuable

archive of oral history for the future.

During World War Two the normal course of University life was

interrupted. Male students commenced their degree studies as young

as 16 years old, but in most cases went on to enlist into the services

once they reached the requisite age, often returning to complete their

studies after the War. Certain subjects, such as medicine and

agriculture, which were deemed to be important for the war effort

were afforded a ‘reserved’ status. Students studying these reserved

subjects made up a disproportionate percentage of the student body

during the war years.

Most male students performed firewatching duty while studying at

King’s College, keeping watch for fires around the campus caused by

incendiary bombs dropped during German raids. Firewatching duty

involved sleeping on wooden palliasses in various spaces around the

campus in order to be able to respond quickly to an emergency.

Proper training and equipment is remembered as being minimal, and it

is perhaps fortunate that the campus escaped bombing. As a result the

dominant memory of firewatching is of a happy, if physically

uncomfortable, experience. No doubt the much remembered trips to

various local hostelries helped develop a sense of comradeship.

As well as performing firewatching duties most male students were

also members of the Officer Training Corps (OTC). Although female

students did not undertake formal firewatching duties themselves,

they did perform a variety of important roles around the campus

including operating the telephone exchange at night.

The reunion was the brainchild of Lord Ridley, the former Chancellor

of the University, and Harry Earp, a former architecture student, who

met as firewatchers in 1942–43. The firewatchers were welcomed back

by Professor Madeleine Atkins, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, who offered a

belated thank you to all those students of the war years who had

helped protect the College campus for future generations to enjoy. A

special memorabilia stand displaying a range of original firewatching

equipment was organized for the reunion with the kind assistance of

the Military Vehicle Museum located in Exhibition Park.

www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/news/rememberwhen

www.military-museum.org.uk

Can you help? Alison Stancliffe, Education Officer in the

Ouseburn Valley, is researching the Victoria Tunnel used as an

air raid shelter during World War Two. If you have memories of

the Tunnel or relevant information please contact Alison by

phone on 0191 232 3698 or e-mail [email protected]

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | www.ncl.ac.uk | 2120 | The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Magazine | Issue 3 Autumn 2003 | www.ncl.ac.uk

ARCHES Events/Listings

1940sHerbert ELLIS (MB BS 1944; MD 1952) is

the author of two recent books.

Hippocrates, RN: Memoirs of a Naval Flying

Doctor (ISBN 1 86106 799 2) recalls his

experience working in the dynamic and

innovative environment of the RAF

Institute of Aviation Medicine in the

1950s. Meanwhile, Why Not Live a Little

Longer? (ISBN 1 86106 657 0) is a

personal meditation on death and the

ageing process. Herbert worked for

St John’s Ambulance after leaving the

services and rose to the highest position

as Chief Commander prior to retiring.

1950sJack JEFFERY (BSc Chemistry &

Bacteriology 1953; MSc Applied Science

1960), Chairman of Convocation, has

been honoured with life membership by

the Board of Trustees of the International

Water Academy, based in Oslo, Norway.

Colin TAYLOR (BA Town Planning 1950)

has been working on the fifth edition of

Australia by Rail.

Professor Henry WOOD (MA 1958) has

retired from teaching architecture in

Kenya and has moved to Tanzania. As a

former member of staff he was involved

in the design of a number of University

buildings including the Geophysics

Research Station and the changing rooms

for the Close House Golf Club.

1960sJohn BROWN (PhD 1964; DSc 1977)

lives and works in Canada where he co-

founded Quadra Logic Technologies Ltd,

Immgenics and enGene Inc.

Stuart FORSTER (BA Economic Studies

1965) has set up Holistic Holidays, a

desert island therapeutic retreat in the

Canary Islands.

1970sGeorge BELL (BA Mechanical

Engineering 1976) has been appointed a

Corporate Vice President and President of

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)

European Group. He joined CSC in 1998

as Managing Director and Chief Executive

of the company’s Australian operations

after a career with IBM.

Professor David BRADSHAW (BA

English Language & Literature 1978) of

Worcester College, Oxford, informs us that

there are now five Newcastle graduates

who are senior members of the Oxford

English Faculty – John MEE (Diploma in

Drama in Education 1973), Helen

SPENCER (BA English Language &

Literature 1975), John SLOAN (BA English

Language & Literature 1978) and finally

Debbie CAMERON (BA English Language &

Literature 1980), who was recently

appointed to the Rupert Murdoch Chair of

Language and Communication.

CHOO Chiau Beng (BSc Naval

Architecture 1970; MSc Naval

Architecture 1971) is the Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer of Keppel Offshore

and Marine Ltd, which manages a team of

shipyards across the world and is a global

leader in the provision of design and

engineering solutions, shipyard services

and products to the offshore and

marine industries.

Geoffrey CLARK (BArch 1972; MSc Arch

1977) moved to Norway in 1975 to work

on several offshore and cruise ship

projects. He later worked in Hong Kong

for four years before returning to Norway

where he is a partner in Narud Stokke

Wiig and a specialist in airport planning

and technology.

Leslie DOUTHWAITE (BSc Marine

Engineering 1971) and Lesley

DOUTHWAITE née HAND (BA 1970)

have been living in Houston, Texas since

1999. Leslie is responsible for technical

training for Lloyds Register throughout the

Americas, while Lesley is Assistant

Manager at Clayton Library Center for

Genealogical Research.

Jennifer FISHER (formerly Geoffrey

FISHER) (MB BS 1978) underwent gender

transformation in 2002. She reports ‘It has

been a very long journey over many years

and finally my soul is at peace’.

John KNIGHT (BA Geography 1971; MA

Applied Geography 1973) is an Honorary

Consul for the Federal Republic

of Germany.

Ian MASHITER (BA Combined Studies

1979) has been appointed President and

Chief Executive Officer of Quarry

Technologies, the US performance leader

in carrier-class security service routers.

Peter MOLESWORTH (BSc Agriculture

& Food Marketing 1978) is running a

2,500-acre organic estate owned by the

publisher Peter Kindersley and is putting

much theory learned at Newcastle

University into practice.

Warwick PARTINGTON (BSc

Agricultural Mechanization 1977) is the

President of Media Skills International

School in Geneva and helped launch the

Walt Disney Studio Park at

Disneyland, Paris.

ARCHES Classnotes

Calling Classmates

1950sProfessor Nicholas RANSON would like to

contact Colin CHEESMAN. They were National

Servicemen training as pilots together in

Canada during 1957–58, after which Colin was

scheduled to go to King’s College. Please

contact Professor Ranson at

[email protected].

1960sPauline CRISP née BOLTON would like to

contact Carole WILLIS (BA 1968). Please

contact Pauline via the Development and

Alumni Relations Office (DARO).

1980sSarah HASSNIP née GREENING (BSc Speech

1983) would like to contact other BSc Speech

1983 alumni with a view to organizing a

reunion. The following alumni are not

contactable via DARO so any information on

their whereabouts would be gratefully received:

Barbara BASSETT, Elizabeth BOURNE, Helen

GILL, Carol HARRIS, Nicola HARRIS, Susan

HARVEY, Elizabeth HILSDON, Carol RUSHTON,

Lesley THORNTON and Alicia YOUNG. Please

contact Sarah via DARO.

Planned Reunion to

Mark Milestone for

Student Charity

Student Community Action Newcastle (SCAN)

is celebrating a landmark year in its history.

The organization, based at Newcastle University,

which places over 500 student volunteers per

year in the local community, celebrates 30 years

as a registered charity in 2003.

SCAN became a registered charity in 1973 after

many years of tireless work by student volunteers

prior to that date. SCAN is the University’s only

charitable organization. It has a membership of

over 1,500 students, places student volunteers

with over 70 local charitable and voluntary

organizations, runs 10 of its own student-led

community projects and employs three full-time

members of staff.

SCAN’s exact age is unknown and little record of

its activities before the 1990s actually survives.

Once operating out of the Barras and Claremont

Building on the corner of Barras Bridge and

Claremont Road, and then out of 105 Percy

Street, the organization moved its operations last

year to the First Floor of the Union Society

Building at Newcastle University.

SCAN are planning a celebration event for

student volunteers past and present during the

weekend of 1 May 2004. SCAN MV Project

Worker, Ruth Mulgrew, said: ‘If you were a

member of SCAN we want to hear from you.

Have you got stories relating to the voluntary

work you did with SCAN? Do you have any

information about the past activities of SCAN?

Would you be interested in attending a SCAN

volunteers’ reunion celebration?’

Please contact Ruth by phone on

+ 44 (0) 191 232 2003

or by e-mail at [email protected]

Special Offer on

University Monopoly

For a limited period to 31 March 2004 we are

offering a 10 per cent discount on the sale of

University of Newcastle upon Tyne Monopoly

through our Memorabilia Shop.

The University’s version of Monopoly is the first

of its kind, and was the brainchild of

Mark Marriott (BSc Geography 1996), Product

Development Director at Winning Moves

International, the makers and licensees of

Monopoly in the UK. The design of the board was

worked out by a team comprising students and

staff of the University, with students taking

responsibility for writing a number of the

Community Chest and Chance cards, such as

‘Pay a £10 library fine or take a chance’. Players

progress around the board taking in a typical

student experience at the University – starting

with halls of residence and clubs, then academic

buildings associated with schools and finally

arriving at the King’s Hall where students graduate.

There are also a few local landmarks that can be

purchased at surprisingly cheap rates including the

Angel of the North and the Tyne Bridge.

University of Newcastle upon Tyne Monopoly

normally retails at £24.95 (plus postage/packing),

but can be purchased for just £22.46 (plus

postage/packing) during the offer period.

A contribution from the proceeds of each game

sold is also made to the University’s Alumni

Projects Fund, supporting student and

alumni activities.

To order the game either write to:

The Memorabilia Shop, Museum of Antiquities

Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne,

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU enclosing a

cheque for £25.21 (including postage/packing)

made payable to ‘University of Newcastle upon Tyne’

or telephone/fax

+ 44 (0) 191 222 7849/8489 if using a credit card

as payment.

To view the wide range of other University items

that can be purchased through the Memorabilia

Shop visit www.ncl.ac.uk/memorabilia where you

can also download an order form.

Can you Help?

Have you at any point in time worked on (or

conducted work related to) a dialect project

called The Tyneside Linguistic Survey (TLS)? If so,

the School of English Literature, Language and

Linguistics would like to hear from you. They have

reopened and redefined the project, titled the

Newcastle Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English

(NECTE) and established a website at

www.ncl.ac.uk/necte

Please contact Charley Rowe by phone on

+44 (0) 191 222 6182 or e-mail [email protected]

FORTHCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS

Please contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office(DARO) by phone + 44 (0) 191 222 7250,fax + 44 (0) 191 222 5905, e-mail: [email protected] further details on any of the events below.

19 November 2003North of England Branch - Lecture on ‘Recruiting UndergraduateStudents’ by Lesley Braiden, Director of the Student RecruitmentOffice. Contact: John Pearcy at [email protected]

14 December 2003North of England Branch – Christmas Luncheon at the CopthorneHotel, Newcastle. Contact: John Pearcy at [email protected]

22 January 2004North of England Branch - Lecture on ‘Women in Roman Britain’by Lindsay Allason-Jones, Director of University Museums.Contact: John Pearcy at [email protected]

12 February 2004North of England Branch - Lecture on ‘Reclamation of theDurham Coast’ by Niall Benson of Durham County Council.Contact: John Pearcy at [email protected]

6–9 March 2004Ruby Reunion of ‘64 Dental Alumni in conjunction with theFounders and Benefactors Weekend. Contact Geoff Braunton [email protected]

20 March 2004Alumni Enterprise Forum – A special one-day forum for alumnithinking about starting a technology-based business. The event isbeing organized jointly with the University of Durham.Visit thewebsite at www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/enterprise for further information orregister your early interest by contacting DARO.

1 May 2004SCAN 30th Anniversary Reunion – All former students and staffwho have participated in SCAN (Student Community ActionNewcastle) projects over the past 30 years are invited to attend.Contact details on page 20.

19 June 2004Convocation and Alumni Reunion Weekend – Reunion parties andindividuals interested in joining us should contact DARO at [email protected]. Full details of the weekend programme will be published online at www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni early in 2004.

19 June 2004MB BS 1979 Reunion – This event is organized by Dr Ian Jenkinsand Dr Malcolm Price. Contact them for details via DARO

3 July 2004MB BS 1984 Reunion – This event is organized by Dr PeterMattinson. Contact Peter Mattinson for details via DARO

2004 (date to be confirmed)BSc Speech 1983 – This event is organized by Sarah Hassnip, néeGreening. Contact Sarah at [email protected]

Forthcoming events are listed at www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/events


ARCHES Classnotes

1980sNader BARSOUM (PhD Engineering

Mathematics 1989) has worked in

universities in Australia, Malaysia and Egypt

since graduating. He is the author of two

books and numerous research papers.

David BOWSKILL (BA German 1982)

was re-elected Vice Chairperson of the

higher education section of Gewerkschaft

Erziehung und Wissenschaft Berlin (an

educational trade union) and Chairperson

of the Regional Association of Language

Teachers in Higher Education

Berlin-Brandenburg in 2002.

Mark DYTHAM (BA Architecture 1985)

was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services

to British architecture in Japan.

David FIELD (BSc Mechanical

Engineering 1985) won the Association

for Project Management ‘Project Manager

of the Year Award’ for 2000.

Paul MILLER (MB BS 1986) has taken

over as Chairman of the revamped BMA

Consultants’ Committee. He has worked

as a Consultant at Cherry Knowle

Hospital, Sunderland since 1995.

Rebatus MUSHINGE (MSc Structural

Engineering 1987) established his own

consulting firm in 1999, which has

grown tremendously.

John ROBSON (MSc Organic Petroleum

1984) has been appointed Senior

Director, Bioanalysis Europe for MDS

Pharma Services, a premier provider of

innovative drug discovery and

development solutions.

Julian ROSS (MSc Transport Engineering

& Operations 1986) is author of the

textbook Railway Stations – Planning,

Design & Management, having worked for

London Underground Ltd for many years.

In 1999 he moved to Romania with his

wife, where they manage a tourism

company specializing in horse riding and

carriage trips. www.riding-holidays.ro

Sarah THOMAS DE BENITEZ née

THOMAS (BSc Agricultural & Food

Marketing 1981) gained a Master’s in

Public Policy from Princeton University,

USA, in May 2000. In November 2001 she

was awarded an MBE for services to street

children and gained entry to a PhD

programme in Social Policy at the LSE in

October 2002.

Desmond THURLBY (BSc Politics &

Economics 1985) was appointed HR

Director of Jaguar Cars Ltd in 2002.

1990sMd Zainul ABEDIN (PhD Agricultural

Engineering 1995) obtained the

Institution of Engineers Bangladesh Award

for the Best Paper 2001.

Victoria BRYSON (LLB 1992) is living in

London, working as an actor and has set

up the Jumped Up Theatre company.

Andreas CHRYSOSTOMOU (BEng Naval

Architecture & Shipbuilding 1990; MSc

Marine Technology 1992) has been

elected Chairman of the International

Maritime Organisation (IMO) Marine

Environment Protection Committee.

Andreas has been involved with IMO since

1994 when he joined the Cyprus High

Commission in London as Counsellor

(Maritime Affairs).

Wendy DAWLEY née TAYLOR (BA

Geography 1997) and Stuart DAWLEY

(BA Geography 1998) were married in July

2003.Wendy will be familiar to many

alumni as the Assistant Alumni

Development Officer at the University.

We would like to send them our

congratulations and wish them every

happiness for the future.

Melville JAMESON (BSc Countryside

Management 1999) joined RMA Sandhurst

and was commissioned in 2000 into the

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. He has served

in the Balkans, Germany and Canada.

Hannah JONES née Ward (MEng Civil &

Environmental Engineering 1997) is

currently training the UK Construction

Industry to use internet-based Project

Collaboration Tools effectively.

Qasim Zaman KHAN (MBA 1997) joined

the United Nations in Pakistan in 1999 and

later transferred to the UN sister

organization IUCN. He now runs his own

business producing, manufacturing and

exporting fashion cloths, mostly denim.

James MASON (BA Combined Studies

1999) is a broadcast journalist freelancing

for a variety of media outlets such as the

BBC and ITV. He also runs his own spiral

staircase business called Stairs Direct and is

applying for a prize in the HSBC

Start-up Awards.

Nicola NOLAND née PATRICK (BSc

Mathematics & Psychology 1991;

PGCE 1994) went to Cape Town in 1998

to do voluntary work with the Church,

where she met her husband whom she

married the following year.

Nicholas RYAN (BSc Economics 1990)

has lived in Hungary since 1996 and has a

Hungarian wife and a son.

David SHERIDAN (MSc Water Resource

Systems Engineering 1999) married

Karen SHERIDAN née TAYLOR (MTP

2000) in January 2002 in Barbados, where

they are both living and working. David and

Karen own and manage a holiday

accommodation booking agency called

BudgetBarbados.com

Paul SIAENS (BSc Natural Resources

1999) has been working in Africa since

graduation as an Expedition Leader and

Park Ranger.

Alexia SMITH (BSc Agricultural &

Environmental Science 1994; MSc

Irrigation 1995) has won the prestigious

Lawrence G Blackmon Prize at Boston

University for her entry Seeds, Glorious

Seeds. She is studying for a doctorate at

the University.

Julian SNAPE (BSc Microbiology 1991)

formed a management consultancy

business specializing in the

pharmaceutical industry in 2001.

Clare SWINHOE née MAHER

(LLB 1997) married Craig SWINHOE

(LLB 1997) in June 2002.

Frank SYMONS (PhD Geography 1996)

is a member of the Board of Directors and

Corporate Secretary of the Rideau

Waterway Land Trust Foundation in

Canada (like UK’s National Trust only

smaller), part of the Ontario Land Trust

Alliance which owns/manages 600,000

acres. Starting in 2000, he has published

fiction with a geographical connection

and has recently edited the book Mother

Margaret and the Rhinoceros Café: 2003

Canadian Cross-cultural Short Stories

(Trafford Press).

James TOLCHARD (BA History &

Politics 1996) qualified as a British

Airways pilot in 2002.

Cesar TREVINO (MSc Structural

Engineering & Construction

Management 1994) established a

pioneering firm devoted to green building

(design to construction) and the design

and installation of renewable energy

technologies.

Lucy WILLIAMS (BA Geography 1992)

has settled on land after several years

working as a mate on Yacht Kentra, during

which time she has circumnavigated

the world.

2000sAndrew BRITTON (BSc Geography

2000) took a year out after graduation to

get environmental work experience in

Madagascar, before studying for a MRes in

Environment and Development at

Lancaster University.

Paul CARR (BSc Mathematics 2001)

won the prize for the best overall bass

student 2001–02 at the Guitar Institute

and Basstech and plays in various

London-based bands.

Rosamond CARSLAKE (BSc Agriculture

2001) trains fulltime with the British

rowing team sponsored by UK Sport. Her

ultimate goal is to compete in the Athens

Olympics 2004.

Robb CASSERLEY (MB BS 2000) was

among a team of British climbers who

successfully summitted Mount Everest in

May 2003 on the fiftieth anniversary of

the first successful ascent.

Andrew RAYBOULD (BSc Geography

2001) has completed the British

Association of Snowsport Instructors

Grade 3 Ski Instructor course.

Neil SLINGER (BA International

Business Management 2001) did a

winter snowboard season in Austria after

graduating, followed by a summer in

London working on The Financial Times

website. He has been based in Austria

since October 2002 and is responsible for

the entire English language aspect of

www.blue-tomato.com – Europe’s largest

online snowboard retailer based in

Schladming, Austria.

James SNOWDEN (BSc Agri-Business

Management & Marketing 2001) won

the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown

in 2001 on a horse called Folly Road.

He has also won the Army

Jockey Championship.

Benjamin WANG (MBA 2002) is working

in a business development role for a

London-based company retailing

traditional Chinese medicine.

Laura WHITE (BA Combined Studies

2001) has directed a student play at the

Edinburgh Festival. She has also worked on

a new ITV series produced by a Newcastle-

based film company Coastal Productions

starring Robson Green, and has worked on

the children’s TV drama Byker Grove.

ARCHES Alumni Profile

Matthew Nicklin (LLB 1992)

I work in London as a lawyer in the field of media and entertainment law, specializing in

cases concerning privacy and defamation.

My work has led me to be involved in some very high-profile cases. In fact, the first libel trial I

saw as a ‘pupil’ was Elton John's celebrated action against The Mirror in 1993; one of the great

libel cases of the early 1990s. More recently, I have been acting for Lord Ashcroft in his actions

against the government regarding information leaked about him by the Foreign Office and at

the moment I am preparing to defend The Daily Telegraph in libel proceedings brought by the

MP George Galloway.

I arrived at my career really by forcing together my twin career goals. At least until my second

year at University I could have jumped either way; media or the law. In the end, I ducked the

decision. I spent some time in my final year doing work experience in media law areas,

including a fortnight at the BBC's Legal Department. Whilst there, I went with one of the BBC

lawyers for a meeting with a barrister at the leading defamation and media Chambers in

relation to a libel case arising from a That's Life programme. I knew immediately that I wanted

that job. Looking back, all I can say is that I have been most extraordinarily lucky. I got a

pupillage at those chambers, the barrister I met on that day later became my pupil mistress

and a life-long friend, and I am now doing my dream job!

The media organizations in this country are very powerful, both individually and collectively.

Occasionally they confuse matters that are of interest to the public with matters that are in

the public interest. Personally, I believe that all people have a right to respect for their private

life, no matter who they are. Incursions into that right must be justified by a real and

countervailing public interest. The law offers the only real check against what might otherwise

be unbridled power. Politicians have no real interest in regulating the excesses of the media,

particularly the print media. The cynical might suggest that this is because politicians live in a

symbiotic relationship with the media. The law's role in holding the balance between freedom

of expression on the one hand and the rights of individuals not to be defamed or to have their

privacy invaded on the other is both important and fascinating.

I can honestly say that I cannot identify any other job that I would rather do. My career has

never been dull, and I shall be perfectly content if I can carry on getting interesting cases. I am

amazed at the variety of subject matters I am called upon to consider – sometimes in great

depth – in the course of libel proceedings. For example, as a result of various libel actions, I

consider myself to be something of an expert in areas as diverse as the composing of the

original James Bond theme, gas camping stoves and diamond mining in the Congo.

I have loads of happy memories of Newcastle, lots of them involving alcohol I'm ashamed to

admit! On a more sober note, I remember stotties at the Union; the dire Bus Stop disco on

Friday nights (slogan: ‘The place to get off at’); the Agrics misbehaving on Agric Night; and the

joy a simple bag of coal could bring on a freezing January afternoon in a draughty student

house. I was very sad to leave Newcastle after graduation. On my last day I drove round taking

photographs of my favourite places; the dramatic to the mundane, but all charged with

memories. It rained all day, but this added a certain poignancy to the pictures which I still

treasure – each one provokes strong memories for me. Some of my closest friendships were

forged at University, and I have remained in contact with many University friends.

The full text of this interview is available online at www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/news/magazine

Arches Editorial Board

Development and Alumni Relations Office

University of Newcastle upon Tyne

6 Kensington Terrace

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 7RU

Telephone: + 44 (0) 191 222 7250

Fax: + 44 (0) 191 222 5905

E-mail: [email protected]

www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni

Editorial Board members are: Joel Burden (Editor, Development & Alumni Relations Office), Chris Cox (Development & Alumni Relations Office),

Dr Eric Cross (Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences), John Dersley (Regional Development Office), Melissa Handley (Publications & Website Development Office),

Richard Kay (Alumnus, Agricultural Business Management & Marketing 2001), Jake Lee (Union Society & BA Economics 2002), Dinah Michie (Publications & Website Development Office),

Ros Normandale, (Alumna, BA Combined Studies 1993), Melanie Reed (Press & Communications Office), Mark Scrimshaw (Alumnus, BA History 1976),

Professor Clarke Slater (Faculty of Medical Sciences), Wendy Dawley (Development & Alumni Relations Office),

Mick Warwicker (Press & Communications Office), Professor Paul Younger (Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering, & Alumnus, BSc Geology 1984). © U

niv

ersi

ty o

f N

ewca

stle

upo

n T

yn

e 2

00

3.D

esig

n:i

nfi

nit

ede

sig

n0

19

1 2

61

11

60

.Pri

nte

d b

y S

tate

x C

olo

ur

Pri

nt,

New

cast

le u

po

n T

yn

e.Pic

ture

cre

dit

s w

ith

th

anks

:Sta

n B

ecke

nst

all,

Dr

Mar

k B

irch

-Mac

hin

,Co

lin C

uth

ber

t,Te

rry F

arre

ll &

Par

tner

s,N

ewca

stle

Ch

ron

icle

& J

ou

rnal

Ltd

,No

rth

New

s an

d P

ictu

res.

ARCHES...Welcome to Issue 3of Arches,the magazine of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne ARCHES...

Documents

Transcript of ARCHES...Welcome to Issue 3of Arches,the magazine of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne ARCHES...