Memories of Downing College Cambridge

 

My memories of Downing College Cambridge

Having attended various College Reunions and Garden Parties at Downing, I thought I’d write down my recollections of Downing.

I first heard about Downing when I lived in Sri Lanka. I heard about Downing from Percy Colin Thome – former Attorney General, Sri Lanka. He had been an undergraduate there.

As did many of my classmates in Royal College, Colombo, I wanted to read engineering at university.  At my classmate Ranil Senaratne’s suggestion, I decided to apply to Cambridge. So my parents spoke to ‘Uncle Percy’. He wrote to Professor Clive Parry who acquainted us with the application process.

I filled in the UCCA forms and, I seem to recall an additional set of forms for Downing / Cambridge. I then sat the Cambridge Entrance paper in the Royal College Vice Principal, Mr Dias’ office. Somewhat surprisingly in both the Physics paper and in the Physics for Engineering paper, there were questions on the Doppler effect. These were outside the Sri Lankan and London ‘A’ level syllabuses. But my Physics tuition master, Mr George Ondaatje, after he had completed the syllabuses with me had given me questions to do on a number of advanced topics – perhaps because he thought I should continue studying rather than stop. So it wasn’t difficult to answer these questions.

I was delighted to find that I had passed the exam but needed to take the Sri Lankan ‘O’ level English ‘A’ paper to satisfy the University that my knowledge of English was sufficient and also get a Credit in the Sinhalese ‘O’ level paper to ensure that I knew a foreign language.

I enrolled for the exams which were to be held in December. I then learned that I had been selected to row and also scull for the Colombo Rowing Club in the ARAE (Amateur Rowing Association of the East) Regatta in Calcutta which was taking place at the same time. I decided to row rather than take the exams.

When we returned to Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then known) after the Regatta, we found that the ‘O’ Level papers had been leaked and the exams were being held again. So I took them and passed and was admitted to Downing.

As, at the time I was unwell from time to time with an allergy, my mother accompanied me to Cambridge. My mother and I arrived in London in September 1970 and stayed in Russell Square at the Russell Hotel. Then came to Cambridge and stayed at the Gonville Hotel first and then moved in to the (cheaper) Glengarry Hotel (now Hotel Regent).  I moved in to the College – Kenny Court A12, before full term started. My mother then rented a house in Park Terrace.

Whilst walking in the Court I met James Mynors from the Christian Union – also reading engineering at Peterhouse – he later read Theology. He was from the Christian Union (CICCU) welcoming overseas students.

Robin Rudd and Colin Roer were on the same floor in Kenny A. As was Fellow John Pendry.

Having become a believing Christian earlier that year, I was privileged to join the Downing College Christian Union and meet Roger Fay, Chris Reed and Simon Huggill. The Christian Union had a weekly Bible Study in my room.

I joined the Boat Club and was fortunate to row in the light four together with Angus (Bob) Wilson, Mike Starkey and Julian Childs.

I read Engineering – but at the time was able to take papers in sociology of organisations in my final year. Also I was fortunate to learn – as part of the course – the history of trades unions.

The professor of Ancient Philosophy Keith Guthrie (William Keith Chambers Guthrie) was Master. He and his wife joined my mother and myself for lunch at her home at 6 Park Terrace. As did Professor Parry and his wife.

I was fortunate to row in the first Lent and May boats – also in the Henley Royal Regatta. Whilst trialling I got to know Alf Twinn – the University Boatman and Mark Ashton – later vicar of the Round Church.  Downing Boatmen in my time were Bob Biffen and Doug Larkin. John Gifford was the Emmanuel boatman.

After I left Downing I went to Imperial College and completed a one year MSc and then started working in London. After a time, I moved back to Cambridge and moved in with my mother.

I coached the third and then second Boats and am delighted to have two bow shields. Also, in 1982, as their coach wasn’t available, I coached, for a week, the 1982 May Boat that went Head and attended the boat burning.

I recall coaching Gavin Williams (stroke) and Clare Strowlger (cox). In the 1980s. In 2016 I met Gavin (now a master at Westminster School) at Henley. He had married Clare.

Also, I coached Fred Robinson (now a partner at Killik & Co) and Clive Anderson and several others.

As I was coaching Downing, I was given Dining rights when I was coaching. I was privileged to sit next to the master Sir John Butterfield and his mother. She told me about both her sons. When Lord Butterfield was unwell and dying – I went to see him in hospital.

My contemporary David Lloyd Jones, by now a fellow, used to travel to London as did I. I remember him bringing his wife Anne-Marie and his baby son Patrick round to Coleridge Road where my mother and I lived.

My late mother lived in Cambridge and commuted to London to work. Later she moved closer to us, but we kept the house in Coleridge Road until 2017.

From time to time my wife and I and our two sons used to stay in Coleridge Road and, if we were there on a Sunday, we attended College Chapel. During one of our many stays in Cambridge, I showed them the Engineering Department.

I attended various re-unions and dinners and, later, donor’s garden parties together with my wife and sons (when they became old enough).

My elder son, Johann, applied to Downing. He was unsuccessful in his application despite having 99, 98, 96 and 93 per cent in his ‘A’ Levels.

He took a gap year and applied to Queen’s College, Oxford from where he graduated after completing a master’s degree in materials science. He is currently researching for a PhD in materials engineering.

He has played hockey for Oxford University 1^st team for five years - two years as captain. In his first  year as captain Oxford drew against Cambridge in his second as captain year Oxford won.

My younger son, Christopher, read geography at St Catherine’s College Oxford and has just started work at British International Investments.