in touch spring 2015

IS...To see the full programme of events and to book your place,please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-weekend, emailor call .

WEEKEND

12th Annual

12 - 14 June 2015

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ROAD TRIP OFA LIFETIMEKING’S AT THEFOREFRONT OFDISCOVERY

ON THEFRONT LINEOF THEEBOLA CRISIS

SPRING 2015

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LONDON & ME EAST END MEMORIES

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Having once owned a car with the number plate KCL 871, I felt in 1963 that King’s was the right place to start studying theology. The Dean sent three of us theologs to live at Talbot

House on Tower Hill to spread a little Christian influence. I didn’t achieve much in that respect, but by being there I was introduced to London’s East End. Part of the house, headquarters of the charity Toc H, lay within the boundary of Stepney.

One day, I felt an invitation to explore Stepney and find that the Lord was there. The way into this unknown territory was provided by the Stepney Old People’s Welfare Association. Olive Wagstaff, a devoted social worker at Limehouse Town Hall and later at Toynbee Hall, gave volunteers a list of names and addresses. We were to discover if there were any needs the association could address. The main benefit was to give people someone to talk to for a few minutes.

Through the visits I met a number of Jewish people. Their community had blessed that part of London for many decades. Walking along Montague Street at Whitechapel, I absorbed the wonderful atmosphere conveyed by the businesses and the architecture. Buying clothes

at the Gardner’s Corner store was a reminder

of the skills and hardships of those in the ‘rag trade.’ My Jewish doctor was pleased to discuss the controversial book Honest to God with me.

I spent my second year at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, an oasis near Limehouse Station. From there I cycled around the Isle of Dogs before Canary Wharf had been dreamt of, joined West Ham fans at Victoria Park after the FA Cup victory, discovered pre-Olympic Park Stratford East and found a moving generosity for charity while collecting in a nearby block of flats for displaced families. One of the women at the flats remembered the days when Jack the Ripper was causing terror. Across Commercial Road from the foundation was the Methodist East End Mission. I regularly visited to volunteer at meetings organised by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

I will always treasure the warmth of the people who lived in the East End, many of whom were not churchgoers but showed so much fruit of the spirit. Without King’s sending us out to find accommodation, I may not have had those life-affirming experiences.

Our third year was spent at Vincent Square in Westminster, but that, as they say, is another story.

Local business fronts in Montague Street in 1961

Revd Jim Knights AKCTheology, 1966

By returning to King’s you’ll join one of the most exciting and highly respected research communities in the world. Identified as a world-leading research university, with a power ranking of 6th amongst UK universities (REF 2014); you’ll be part of our 10,600 strong postgraduate student body.

Invest your time in postgraduate study to adjust your career trajectory: 91% of King’s 2013 master’s graduates were in work or further study six months after graduating (DHLE, 2014).

Catching up between lecturesTrialling societies? Meeting new people? Remember life at King’s

Share your memories of your time at King’s #foreverkings

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In the service of society

The Revd Dr (Wing Commander) Giles Legood had served as chaplain

at the Royal Veterinary College for 12 years when he found himself wanting a new challenge.

‘I realised that some of the skills and experiences I had might be applicable in another sector – in a school, a prison or a hospital, or in an armed forces’ chaplaincy,’ he says. ‘That’s to say, I particularly enjoyed working with people who didn’t much go to church, or who perhaps would never meet a member of the clergy.’

Having covered at St Clement Danes, the RAF church on the Strand, he chose the RAF, becoming its first-ever reservist chaplain. Finding the work rewarding, in December 2007 he became a full-time chaplain, and eight months later he was in Basra, Iraq. In his second tour in 2013, he was hospital chaplain at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

‘I’d started my ministry in a 13th century church in leafy Hertfordshire and now I was in a canvas tent in the sand, the organ was an iPod docking station and our singing was often drowned out by the helicopters flying overhead,’ says Padre Legood. ‘Part of my job was to act as a reassuring presence for the staff, to chat with them after the patients went into the emergency department or operating theatre. Many were young and on their first deployment, and they were experiencing things you’d never see in civilian A&E.’

Day-to-day life included the constant threat of hostile engagement. ‘There were rocket attacks on both bases while I was there and I’ve been under small arms fire,’ he says. ‘One of the

A reassuring presencePadre Giles Legood AKC MBE, Theology & Religious Studies, 1988

he says the role of a chaplain in the grim reality of warfare is to listen and offer prayer. ‘There are no easy platitudes, and you’d be a fool to say you have a nice slick answer for these frankly horrific conditions, where you’ve seen the very worst of what humanity can do. When people say, “This is bloody awful, isn’t it?” you say, “Yes it is.” And when they want someone to be vulnerable with and to cry with, to be silent with, you can be there.’

most difficult things is standing alongside people who have just lost comrades. When you are standing alongside a dead soldier, you’re thinking there’s someone in another part of the world whose life is about to be turned upside down. In the next few hours they’ll be given the news that they dread most.’

Now stationed at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, and appointed MBE for service to staff, the wounded and bereaved,

Do you know alumni we should feature in future issues for their service to society? Please let us know! Email [email protected]

‘One of the most difficult things is standing alongside people who have just lost comrades’

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Peak PerformanceThe King’s women’s volleyball team before their training session at the Britannia Leisure Centre: the best picture after many attempts and almost as many bumps on heads from flying balls!

Women’s volleyball is one of the university’s ‘performance teams’, high-achieving teams that receive additional funding so they can compete at the top level of student sport within the British Universities & Colleges Championship (BUCS). The investment is paying off, with King’s consistently rated among the top 30 universities in the BUCS leagues. This is King’s best year ever, according to Head of Sport, Health and Wellbeing Andy Allford.

2 IN TOUCH SPRING 2015

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IN TOUCH

Alumni benefits and services +44 (0)20 7848 [email protected]

King’s College London, Ground Floor, Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London WC2R 1HH

© King’s College London 2015

In Touch is published by the College’s Fundraising & Supporter Development office. The opinions expressed in it are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the College.

Editorial +44 (0)20 7848 [email protected]

Editors James BressorLouise Richards

Contributors James Bressor, Julie Foreman, Louise Richards, Victoria Robinson, Jennifer Russell, Christian Smith, Lianne SmithPhotography David Levene, Gian Paul Lozza, Karen Robinson, Suki Dhanda, Stoyanov and Jones Photography

Illustrations David Biskup, Michael KirkhamDesign Esterson Associates +44 (0)20 7684 6500Repro DawkinsColourPrint Warners

In Touch has been produced using paper from sustainable sources and bleached using an elemental chlorine-free process. The paper is produced at a mill that meets the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and the EMAS environmental management standard. The magazine is fully recyclable.

I have now been at King’s for almost eight months, and every day of my tenure so far has confirmed the great strengths which initially drew me here.

King’s commanding position in international university league tables (ranked 16th in the world according to QS) has been supported by a splendid performance in the UK Research Excellence Framework, which has consolidated our position among the handful of top universities in the country.

There were particularly noteworthy achievements in the REF by Law, ranked first for quality in the UK; Education, ranked second; both Clinical Medicine and Philosophy, third, and General Engineering (Imaging Sciences), fifth. Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s was ranked second in the country for power, reflecting the fact that the IOPPN is by far the strongest psychiatry research institute in Europe, with 12 of the most highly-cited scientists in the world working here.

These and other strong performances provide a solid base for the next stage of King’s development as a truly great research university.

One of the most impressive things about King’s is the impact its work has in an immediate way on the people around us, and in the world at large. The work of the King’s Health Partners team in Sierra Leone (led by alumnus Dr Oliver Johnson), which has spearheaded the UK’s response to the terrible

Ebola outbreak with courage and dedication, is a superb example of this.

Equally inspiring to me is how donations from alumni and friends to the World questions|King’s answers campaign are transforming research and patient care in areas including neuroscience and mental health, cancer, and children’s health. For example, a new cancer centre at Guy’s Hospital, opening next year, will help patients receive ground-breaking treatments and the finest care possible in a warm and welcoming place that provides comfort at a difficult time.

This year, the opening of the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute at Denmark Hill will provide a superb home for our researchers working on illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. And our Paediatric Allergy team are leading one of the largest studies on preventing peanut allergy in children, which we hope will inform health policies worldwide.

King’s location right at the heart of London gives us an enormous advantage. The development of the Cultural Institute at King’s, led by Deborah Bull, demonstrates the university’s exciting interaction with the riches of this capital of culture: both enhancing the cultural experiences available to our students and staff, and forging and extending partnerships and collaborations across the creative and cultural sectors.

With your help, King’s is making a huge contribution in many areas of great significance to society on a global scale, and the support of alumni and friends is pivotal in allowing us to play our part in making the world a better place. It is thanks to donors that more than three hundred of the best and brightest are attending King’s this year with help from scholarships and bursaries.

Thank you for your involvement and support for our great university, and I am looking forward to meeting many of you in the coming months, beginning with the Alumni Weekend in June.

Professor Edward Byrne reflects on King’s contribution to society

From the Principal 02THE BIG PICTURESpotlight on King’s women’s volleyball team

04UPDATENew Maths School, inspiring female academics, best King’s Twitter feeds

12CAMPAIGN UPDATEKing’s student StreetDoctors, scholarship support from the Worshipful Company of Bowyers

14ON THE FRONT LINE IN FREETOWNKing’s team lead the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone

18KING’S AT THE FOREFRONT OF RESEARCHA snapshot of the groundbreaking research taking place at King’s

20ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIMEOver 50 years later, alumni remember an epic journey which changed their lives

24COMMUNITYAlumni Weekend 2015: Happiness! alumni benefits, We met at Guy’s

32CLASS NOTESCatch up with your classmates since graduation

41LONDON & MERevd Jim Knights remembers London’s East End in 1963


After being officially opened last September by Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education, King’s College London Mathematics School in Kennington is off to a flying start.

The first of its kind, the government-funded school has been built and designed for the capital’s young mathematicians aged 16-19, who are selected for their attainment in and enthusiasm for mathematics.

The school is bright and modern and completely tailored to the mathematical mind. As well as traditional blackboards in a university-style lecture theatre, classroom walls are covered in whiteboards (which themselves are covered in reams of equations written by students), and there are numerous workstations around the school for students to work remotely and collaboratively.

The school also has fully-equipped physics laboratories, a high-tech engineering laboratory and smaller ‘breakout’ spaces to encourage mathematical discussion.

‘Students often sit here until 8pm in the evening working on maths problems,’ says Dan Abramson, the school’s Head Teacher. ‘We have to kick them out to go home!’

Although the school is oversubscribed and at full capacity, Abramson explains that recruiting students was a unique challenge, as most schools are ‘borough-centric’. The process involved writing to every school in London, advertising through national and local press and running a mathematics competition. To attract interest for the next cohort, the school’s website posts a weekly maths challenge, encouraging

Making maths count

prospective students to email in solutions.

‘The first few weeks were undeniably manic – but the experience from our children from day one was that they were really happy and challenged,’ Abramson says. The school also has a good gender balance, having recruited 42 per cent female students this year. The school is leading the way in demonstrating that girls are just as capable at and enthusiastic about mathematics as boys.

King’s has lent its expertise to the school and helped to

A winning formula for the future

develop the curriculum, which combines mathematics, further mathematics, physics and computing A-levels. ‘Our vision is more than just a school for the 140 students that we teach – it’s a base for mathematical enterprise for this age group,’ explains Abramson. ‘We want to inspire mathematicians for future generations – and that means working closely with teachers.’

One way of doing this is through an outreach programme, which aims to improve and expand further maths teaching in schools. Teachers from all over London are invited to King’s Mathematics School for six days throughout the year to receive training and observe model lessons.

Students gain invaluable exposure to the inspirational people working at King’s, such as PhD students, researchers and academics. This interaction helps bridge the gap between A-level and degree level mathematics, which many students struggle with.

‘PhD students at King’s come in and work through challenging, open-ended problems with our students to give them an idea of what it is like to conduct research in mathematics.’

The school also invites a range of guest speakers such as civil engineers, electronic engineers, physicists and statisticians to talk to students about how mathematics has shaped their careers.

‘The King’s alumni network will be invaluable for us to identify individuals that can use their experiences to inspire our students,’ says Abramson. ‘I want this to be the place where young mathematicians in London come alive.’

‘It’s a base for mathematical enterprise for this age group’

Encouraging girls to excel in maths: 42 per cent of the student intake to King’s Maths School is female

Update


has made me proud remembering all the challenges I have faced and overcome,’ says Professor Guillermina Girardi, Division of Women’s Health. ‘However, I believe that getting to high academic positions should be a matter of merit – independent of your gender, race or sexual orientation.’For more information visitalumni.kcl.ac.uk/meettheprofessors

Meet the ProfessorsMeet the Professors is a compilation of images of female academics currently working at King’s. The frieze, displayed at the Guy’s and Strand Campuses, is a visual representation of their successes. Their stories are explored further in a corresponding website, with commentary from each participant about the challenges and achievements in both their careers and personal lives.

The project features 81 women and was initiated as part of the university’s Athena SWAN plan, a charter which recognises excellence in an institution’s commitment to gender equality in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) subjects. It aims to counter unconscious bias at every level of an organisation and helps inspire young women to continue a career in academia by celebrating female professors.

‘Being part of the project meant that as a relatively new professor I made connections with women across King’s in

very different subjects and fields,’ says Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, Anna Reading. ‘When I saw the frieze I felt a huge sense of validation and a sense of being part of a wider community.’

‘Sometimes, if I have had a challenging day, I deliberately take a walk past the wall to see the other professors. It makes me feel accepted and proud,’ continues Professor Reading. ‘It also makes me feel that I might be a role model for other women trying to navigate their way through what is still an unequal world.’

Professors, award winners, colleagues and students at all levels of King’s were invited to the launch event and were welcomed by Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Principal (Arts & Sciences). She thanked everyone involved for their continued efforts: ‘I’m so delighted that we have been able to put up this inspiring image of these remarkable women.’

The photographic frieze will be on display for two years.

‘Being featured in the campaign

Photographic frieze at the Strand Campus

David Willetts MP, former Minister for Universities and Science, has been appointed Visiting Professor at King’s.

Mr Willetts will be based at the Policy Institute at King’s which is led by Professor Jonathan Grant. He will have a College-wide remit, and will be engaged in a range of activities, including teaching undergraduates. He will also undertake research for his forthcoming book on higher education.

Former minister joins King’s Policy Institute

Willetts becomes Visiting Professor

Over the last few years he has commented widely on economic and social policy. In 2010 he published a book: The Pinch: How the baby boomers took their children’s future – and why they should give it back.

‘I am delighted to be joining King’s and am particularly pleased that this will be an opportunity to teach, support research and to work with Professor Ed Byrne,’ says Mr Willetts.

Professor Byrne says: ‘David Willetts brings vast experience of higher education, policy making and parliamentary process, business and innovation and a focus on the impact agenda. Our students and staff will benefit greatly from his knowledge.

‘I will personally greatly value his insights on current and future strategic opportunities and challenges and how best to position King’s in the evolving higher education environment.’

A photographic frieze aims to inspire future female academics


King’s has made it a priority to cultivate a more expansive understanding of the mechanisms that drive change in a globalised world through the work of its six Global Institutes. Since it was established in 2012, the Russia Institute has become a widely valued resource and hub for discussion and debate, connecting Russian and global audiences in education, business, the cultural sectors and government.

It has never been timelier to look closely at Russia, at its role in the world and at its prospects for the future. In the midst of geopolitical conflict and economic turmoil, Russia stands on the threshold of dramatic change. The Director of the King’s Russia Institute, Dr. Sam Greene elucidates the near-impossible mission of deconstructing the institutional framework and incentives with which Vladimir Putin is operating.

Can you describe how the economic crisis in Russia has affected public support for Putin?Support remains strong for Putin and the foreign policy course in and around Ukraine – part of that obviously is determined by the fact that there are only three key television channels, all government-controlled. Even with the internet, there’s a very dominant and powerful message. While it is true that Russians have lived through harder times, the reality is that Putin delivered 14 years of increased living standards, incomes and prosperity and for the first time since he came to power, Russians are seeing their incomes decrease and prospects diminish – and that will eventually put real pressure on him.

@KCLalumniBe first to hear about exclusive events, benefits and news from your alumni community.

@KingsCollegeLonA compendium of news, campus events and thought pieces.

@cultinstkingsThe Cultural Institute at King’s connects curious minds across academia, arts and culture.

@KingsofWarThis blog explores warfare from Alexander to Wellington and on to the present, and into the future.

@clamskclFrom the Centre for Late Antiquities & Medieval Studies – who’s up for a medieval crypt tour of the City?

@Team_KingsSportStay abreast of how King’s is doing in the weekly BUCS table and learn more about getting in shape from the regular health and fitness tips.

@LondonAirThe London Air Quality Network keeps careful tabs on the pollutants in the capital’s atmosphere.

@KCLArchivesLearn more about the university’s past and be the first to know about new events and exhibitions.

@Roar_NewsAre you missing the award-winning news and analysis provided by Roar?

@KingsSLPThe King’s Sierra Leone Partnership is our cover story, and it’s also worth following on Twitter.

10 of the best King’s Twitter feeds

Understanding the Russian CrisisKing’s experts Dr. Sam Greene analyses Putin’s future

How effective are the sanctions from the West?It is important to remember that the economic sanctions are not targeted at the Russian population but at the very top of the political hierarchy. Their goal is to try to put some distance between the Russian ruling elite and Putin’s Kremlin. Although broader problems in the Russian economy with falling oil prices and devaluing currency are made worse by the sanctions, it has not been the aim of European or American policy to create hardship for Russian people. Western governments understand that Russian citizens are as much hostages in this situation as the Ukrainian people.

Ukraine was the big flashpoint in 2014, but what has the impact been on other neighbouring countries? Putin is pursuing a specific goal in Ukraine, which he may or may not be able to achieve. As other parts of the former Soviet Union have moved closer to Europe, particularly Georgia and Moldova, there has been serious

political and economic pressure from Moscow, but I don’t see any indication that this will turn into military pressure. However, it is clear that Russia cares very much about its influence in its backyard and has demonstrated in Ukraine the lengths it is willing to go to.

What do you think Putin ultimately sees as his long-term vision?Putin’s goal at the moment is survival; he has to make sure that he can still govern the country six months down the road. He doesn’t have the luxury of long-term planning. I don’t think that he or anybody else in power sees a future that involves a return to the Soviet Union. Russia depends very much on trade and access to international capital markets, and Russian people have become avid consumers of international culture and accustomed to being able to travel, so there is really nothing to be gained from cutting that off. The question is if and how Putin can begin to change the conversation into a more positive one.

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Lord Igor Judge, former Lord Chief Justice and now a Distinguished Visitor at The Dickson Poon School of Law, has co-authored a history of Magna Carta, the document written 800 years ago that established the principle that the king is subject to the law. The book, Magna Carta Uncovered, explores the negotiations between King John and England’s unhappy barons, as well as Magna Carta’s legacy. Here Lord Judge shares some observations about the individual who, more than anyone else, made that legacy possible.

You’ve said there are heroes and villains in the story of Magna Carta. Who is the principal hero?The real hero undoubtedly is William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, who came from humble origins and served each of these difficult Plantagenet kings. He was John’s negotiator. The rebel barons trusted him because, whatever else you might say about Marshal, he stuck to his word. He was absolutely straight at all times.

What happened after Magna Carta was signed?The charter was annulled by the Pope within 10 weeks of it being sealed by the King and anybody who saw to enforce it was going to be ex-communicated. John didn’t want to abide by it anyway because he said, rightly, that it wasn’t a contract at all because he was under duress. Fortunately, he soon died, leaving a nine-year-old to become king, and Pope Innocent died. Marshal was the person everybody turned to to run the country. Marshal accepted the office of regent, and had the king crowned in Gloucester, since Westminster

Abbey was not available because the French were there. This was the French invasion that nobody remembers in English history. London opened its gate to the French. Marshal immediately reissued the charter, with slightly different terms.

How long were the French around?Louis of France split his forces and sent a significant proportion of it to attack Lincoln, which was loyal to the new boy king. Marshal went straight up north to Lincoln, won a battle at Lincoln, going into battle at the age of 70 without his helmet on – luckily his squire made him put his helmet on because it was dented after the battle. He won that victory, and then shortly after the French were defeated at sea. Marshal then immediately reissued the charter again.

So, it was reissued twice?The significance is that in 1216 it was issued in desperation: everything was going wrong and the boy king was not going to win. We were going to end up with a French king. But in 1217, Marshal reissued it when he had won. All the major barons had been captured; Marshal could have enforced all sorts of terms on them but he didn’t. He reissued the charter and then he died. Without him the charter wouldn’t have lasted. It wouldn’t have been worth the vellum it was written on. But for him our history would have been very different. So, he’s the hero.

Q&A Who was the true hero of the Magna Carta?

Lord Igor Judge


Homes births are saferGiving birth at home or in a midwife-led unit is safer than the traditional hospital labour ward for most women, according to advice from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

More than 90 per cent of babies in England and Wales are now born in obstetric wards, under the care of a consultant. Under the report’s recommendations, expectant mothers would be told that unless they are at high risk, it’s safer for them to give birth in a small midwife-led unit.

Susan Bewley, Professor of Complex Obstetrics at King’s and chair of the advisory group that wrote the report, said infections are more common on hospital wards.

‘We’re supporting a calm conversation about what is right for each individual,’ said Professor Bewley. ‘They may choose any birth setting and they should be supported in those choices as that’s their right.’

Older women drinking moreCiting figures from Public Health England, the BBC reported that the number of women over the age of 60 being treated for alcoholism is on the rise. Women in that age bracket account for nearly 10 per cent of people starting treatment for alcohol consumption in the UK, up from 6 per cent five years ago.

The broadcaster quoted Dr Sally Marlow, a researcher at King’s College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, who said this trend runs contrary to the portrayal of alcoholism in the media, which traditionally focuses on young people’s drinking habits.

Public Health England’s figures also showed that women beginning treatment for alcoholism aged between 18 and 29 fell from 18 per cent to 14 per cent during the same period of time.

King’s in the newsKing’s Music School turns 50

Over the last fifty years, the Music School at King’s has nurtured many talented musicians, with notable alumni including renowned composer Michael Nyman and conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

Since it was founded in 1964, the Music Department at King’s set itself aside from the practical focus of music teaching by aligning itself with the more historical and theoretical approach favoured by neighbouring disciplines in Arts and Humanities.

In postgraduate music studies too, King’s was at the forefront of promoting the PhD as an academic qualification in musicology and not just in composition, as traditionally

Celebrate the department’s anniversary at Alumni Weekend

the Strand Campus. Since then, the number of academic staff has increased to 16, as well as welcoming additional visiting staff and researchers.

Areas of specialist knowledge now covers music from the Middle Ages to the present day, composition, ethnomusicology, performance studies, sound studies, jazz and popular music. The school currently takes around 60 undergraduates per year, 25 Master’s students and a similar number of research students.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the school is holding a series of colloquia with alumni speakers and various special events on 13 June 2015 during Alumni Weekend.

awarded by other institutions.The school opened with just

four staff and a handful of students and was based in an old house on Surrey Street. It relocated to a converted shop on the Strand in 1969, the former premises of one of the oldest tailors in London, then later moved to its current home at

Seizing the opportunity

The King’s Student Opportunity Fund, supported by alumni, helps King’s students maximise their experience of university and enhance their personal and professional development.

This year, awards were given to support diverse projects. Law student Yee Rou Quah ran a legal outreach programme, which involved 50 student volunteers offering guidance to GCSE and A-level pupils interested in a career in law.

One of the largest awards went to an interdisciplinary group of William Nash (Physics & Philosophy), Alister MacQuarrie (History) and Aja Garrod (English) Scholars. They staged a well-received production of Michael Frayn’s famous play Copenhagen, which deals with quantum physics, the nature

of memory and the atom bomb. The grant allowed the team to offer free tickets to secondary school pupils.

Another grant went to English Law & German Law undergraduate Joshua Fisher to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher of Law by acting as an assistant teacher at the Model International Criminal Court in Krzyżowa (Poland).

Around 100 medical students benefitted from sessions organised by the student-run Gastro Society (supporting those interested in careers in Gastroenterology) on being a surgeon and medical registrar.You can support the Student Opportunity Fund by visiting alumni.kcl.ac.uk/giveonline

Right: Gastro Society President Yukiko Kubota-Sjogren

Help students think beyond their degree

Update

10 IN TOUCH SPRING 201510 IN TOUCH SPRING 2015

Lest we forgetThe granite Celtic cross in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul in the south Cambridgeshire village of Little Gransden lists the name of five men from the village who died in the First World War. The stone was intended to be a permanent memorial to these young men, just as thousands of other villages, towns and cities erected memorials to the 700,000 British soldiers and sailors who didn’t return home from the Great War.

Even granite has limits to its permanence. Wind, pollution, frost, improper maintenance and the occasional acts of vandalism all damage stone. This memorial, however, remains in good shape,

in part because of a grant from War Memorials Trust, a charity led by three King’s alumni: Chair Peter McCormick (Law, 1973); Director Frances Moreton (War Studies, 1998); and Treasurer Roger Bardell (History, 1962).

The trust’s fundamental purpose is to protect and conserve war memorials across the UK, a mission it fulfils principally by providing advice and grants to local communities. Not all war memorials are stone markers, of course. They’re also bells, church windows, plaques and even organs. The trust, working with outside experts, can provide advice for preserving just about any type of memorial. For the

estimated eight per cent of memorials considered to be in poor condition, neglect is the chief problem.

For most of Britain’s history, war memorials were rare, and the few erected before the 20th century were more likely to honour generals and admirals. It wasn’t until the Boer War that communities started recognising the sacrifice of ‘the common soldier’, says Moreton.

Then came the First World War, which was a very different sort of conflict, with soldiers conscripted and an unprecedented number of casualties. Two-thirds of the UK’s war memorials were

‘For the estimated eight per cent of memorials considered to be in poor condition, neglect is the chief problem’

(L-R) Frances Moreton, Roger Bardell and Peter McCormick at the Rifle Brigade memorial near Victoria Station in London

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Three King’s alumni are helping communities across the UK care for their war memorials


dedicated after that conflict. Since the bodies of dead soldiers were not brought home from the battlefields of France, Belgium and Germany, communities needed a place to grieve.

‘When they were erected, they were in effect graves, because at that time most people couldn’t travel easily to places such as France,’ says Moreton. Two decades later, communities added more names to their memorials, honouring a generation of neighbours who had marched off to another horrific war.

‘It’s extremely moving when you see a community memorial in a small village, and the same surname appears among those who died in the two World Wars,’ says McCormick.

Bardell says the 1990s was the next decade to experience a major increase in the number of memorials. These often recognised the service of society, not just the men and women of a specific village, he says, and they represented an opportunity for ageing veterans of the Second World War to ensure that their fallen comrades would be remembered.

Moreton says the First World War centenary has generated more enquiries. In addition to the charity’s fundraising work, the government is making up to £3 million available for memorials as one-off funding.

All three have their favourite memorials. Bardell says he’s particularly touched by the memorial at New College, Oxford, which also lists German alumni who died in the Great War. Moreton cites the memorial in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, which conveys a ‘sense of collectiveness’.

For McCormick, it’s the community memorial near his home in Burnham Deepdale. ‘It’s a beautiful memorial in a beautiful place, and it’s where I get peace.’You can learn more about the trust at www.warmemorials.org

Lianne Smith, Archives Services Manager at King’s, shares top tips for preserving your family archives.

DON’T KEEP THEM IN THE ATTICIdeally, archives should be stored somewhere with a stable temperature and relative humidity. Find somewhere relatively cool and dry, such as a bedroom or dining room, which is likely only to have a background level of heating most of the time. Attics tend to fluctuate wildly in temperature with the seasons, encouraging acidification and desiccation, and garages and basements are prone to damp, encouraging mould growth. These areas are also more likely to suffer from insects or rodents which will chew through your family heirlooms.

USE THE RIGHT PACKAGINGRegular boxes and files are acidic, which hastens the deterioration of paper, so choose acid-free (sometimes described as archival or preservation quality) alternatives. Staples and paperclips will rust and eat

King’s recommends Tips on preserving and storing important documents

How to protect your family’s history

see beautiful historic photographs, but have no idea who the people in them are, or when and where the photo was taken. Document as much as possible now – your descendants will be grateful!

DON’T FORGET YOUR DIGITAL ARCHIVESMost of what we create now is digital, which needs to be actively managed to ensure its long-term preservation. Back up anything that’s important to keep – you need at least two copies in separate places. You should really use two separate types of storage too, such portable hard drives, flash drives, or online ‘cloud’ storage, making sure you use reputable suppliers and products. CDs or DVDs aren’t recommended, as they degrade swiftly. Digital files corrupt easily, and software, hardware, and file formats become obsolete quickly due to the rapid advances in technology, so you’ll need to create new archival copies at least every five years – maybe

sooner if you buy a new computer to ensure your files remain compatible.

away at any paper they’re in contact with, so swap them for brass ones. Remove any elastic bands, and don’t use sticky tape. Avoid storing your photographs in self adhesive photo albums or PVC sleeves. These contain plasticisers and chlorine that release chemicals harmful to photographs as they degrade. Instead, opt for polyester sleeves or traditional photograph corners.

HANDLE WITH CAREMake sure you have clean hands when handling your archives. There’s no need to wear cotton gloves – in fact we actively discourage them, as they cause a loss of dexterity, making you more likely to damage your papers. Wear latex or nitrile gloves, however, when handling unsleeved photographs, as the skin’s natural oils can very easily mark the surface.

PICK EVERYONE’S BRAINS WHILE YOU CAN Gather as much information as you can from family members before it’s too late. We regularly

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King’s students offer life-saving training

Street smartA group of King’s medical students are putting their training into practice in south London to try to change young people’s attitudes towards street violence.

The students form the south London branch of StreetDoctors, which is based at King’s. With over twenty members, it’s the biggest branch in the UK. The students spend time with Youth Offending Teams (YOTs), teaching vital lifesaving first aid skills to teenagers in an accessible, practical and fun way.

Fourth year medical student Sam Evbuomwan is one of the founding members of StreetDoctors South London. He values the opportunity to use his medical knowledge to practical and positive effect.

‘The young people we work with are at risk of street violence. As well as passing on practical skills we’ve learned at university, we’re also helping young people in vulnerable situations learn valuable life skills,’ he says.

The students are entirely responsible for ensuring the branch can sustain itself financially, and is run competently. They work hard to fundraise, and have also received a grant from the King’s Community Fund, following a successful ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitch. The Community Fund is supported by donors and is allocated by KCLSU in the form of grants to student-run projects.

The grant has made a huge

difference, as third year medical student and StreetDoctors South London’s Team Leader Christiana Boules explains. ‘Without that funding we wouldn’t have been able to establish the branch as quickly as we did,’ she says. ‘It took around two years for us to find our feet; now we’re one of the branches who teach the highest number of kids and we have the biggest team in the country.’

Thanks to the extra funding, the team has now been able to provide sessions to more

youth centres in south London. ‘The grant made us more accessible,’ says Christiana. ‘More people know who we are and we can give concrete case studies for why people should actually donate to us.’

StreetDoctors South London delivers two teaching sessions: one on how to manage someone who is bleeding and the second on how to react if a person is unconscious. However, the sessions go beyond just learning first aid skills. The students ask young people about their own

‘You realise that this is real. It’s scary, but it’s encouraging to know we’re helping’

Members of the South London branch of StreetDoctors

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Master’s student Anna Triay is researching the history of science, technology and medicine education this year, thanks in part to a new scholarship established by one of London’s oldest livery companies.

‘I received the email and I just cried,’ says Triay, recalling the message announcing that she had been selected to receive the £2,000 scholarship. ‘It was so unexpected.’

The scholarship was made possible by generous funding from the Worshipful Company of Bowyers. The Master Bowyer, the Revd John Hayton, says ‘We’re thrilled to bits to have such a marvellous first recipient. We discovered that the biggest hole in funding is at the master’s level, so it’s great that we’ve found a way to make a difference.’

King’s alumnus Mark Elliott AKC (LLB, 1985) has been a liveryman with the Bowyers for six years and is the current Chairman of its Charity Committee. He is also a member of the Principal’s Circle, the community of King’s donors who each make a gift of £1,000 per year.

‘I was always very proud to

A cycle of givingThe Worshipful Company of Bowyers continue their support for students

be at King’s,’ says Elliott. ‘The law faculty was, and still is, one of the most eminent law faculties in the UK and internationally. I thought my lecturers and tutors were fantastic and inspirational; and it was a very friendly institution. So when I left, I wanted to maintain the relationship because King’s gave me most of what’s enabled me to get to where I am today. And then to join the Bowyers and find that they were supporting King’s as well, it was just a natural cycle.’

King’s relationship with the Bowyers dates back to 2008, when the company first set up an annual prize for two history students, one at the undergraduate level and one for a master’s student, who achieved academic excellence in their respective degrees.

‘From a historical perspective, we’ve always been very tuned to education, so we’re keen to maintain that,’ says Elliott. ‘We realised just how difficult it is for students in the current environment to fund master’s degrees. Hopefully there’s a big benefit for the student, plus it is part of our DNA as a company. There’s a mutual benefit.’

experiences on the streets, thereby helping them to rethink their views about street violence and its consequences.

‘When we ask if anyone has seen a stabbing or seen someone unconscious, there’ll often be someone who replies “Yes”,’ says second year medical student Catherine Ward. ‘You realise that this is real. For us it can feel like it’s not our world; but this is real life for these kids. It’s scary, but it’s encouraging to know that we’re helping the right people and we’re giving them that

chance to save a life.’‘They will already know it’s

dangerous to carry a knife without us saying to them with our wagging fingers, “Don’t carry a knife, it’s bad”,’ adds Christiana. ‘They can think for themselves: we’re just giving them the facts. Then they understand.’The King’s Community Fund is sustained by generous alumni donations. To donate and help support student programmes like StreetDoctors, please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/giveonline King’s alumnus Mark Elliott, recipient Anna Triay, Master Bowyer Revd John Hayton

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the front line in the fight against Ebola when the terrible disease struck Sierra Leone last year

IN FREETOWN

FRONT LINE

ON THE

T alking to Dr Oliver Johnson in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, via a Skype video link is an extraordinary experience.

It’s October 2014 and he’s in Connaught Hospital, the country’s main medical centre; a handsome but dilapidated building that has been at the epicentre of Sierra Leone’s battle against Ebola. Oliver calls it the ‘rock that had to stand strong’. While so many hospitals elsewhere were overwhelmed and forced to close, it remained open, shored up by Oliver and his King’s team. When so many others pulled out, they stayed put, helping to marshal and orchestrate the response to this ‘modern-day plague’, not only at Connaught, but nationwide.

Oliver has become one of the key figures in fighting this disease. Yet if you’d asked him a year ago to name potential disasters that might strike Sierra Leone, Ebola wouldn’t even have made his list. There had never been a case in West Africa; it simply wasn’t on the radar. When cases did start to appear in neighbouring Guinea and Liberia, experts advised that there wouldn’t be a major outbreak: Ebola just didn’t work that way. But this time was different and Sierra Leone, and the world, were disastrously unprepared for what was to come.


IN FREETOWN

FRONT LINE

Oliver first arrived in Freetown some two years before as Programme Director of the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership, set up by the King’s Centre for Global Health in 2011 to help the government build and strengthen the local health system. ‘Our aim was to support improved training of health workers, clinical services, government health policy and research,’ he says. King’s had plenty of experience in such global health initiatives, notably in post-conflict Somaliland, where it had been drawn some 15 years ago by links with the diaspora community in South London.

Diaspora links were strong with Sierra Leone too. ‘Of the 100,000 or so Sierra Leoneans in the UK, at least 25,000 are around the King’s Health Partners’ (KHP) catchment area,’ says Oliver. ‘So the King’s name had a lot of resonance. We’d meet people all the time with relatives who had been treated at KHP hospitals. That helped doors to open very quickly – and we found people were eager for our help.’

Sierra Leone’s health system had suffered badly in the civil war. In rural areas, hospitals had been burned to the ground. While the infrastructure in Freetown itself hadn’t been so badly affected, much else had fallen apart. The real challenge was the loss of people: many doctors had died, or had left, or simply hadn’t been able to continue their training.

‘In some areas, there was absolute shortage,’ says Oliver. ‘For example, there was only one psychiatrist in the whole country, and he was retired. So how do you teach mental health at medical school? How do you even start to rebuild? When we arrived, Connaught was pretty fragmented, with no hospital manager in post, a severe shortage of senior clinical leadership,

and no clear plan – and that was replicated across the country.’

The King’s team made good progress working in partnership with the hospital to make improvements . ‘Partnership was always the key word,’ says Oliver. ‘We asked: ‘What could we do over the next five or ten or twenty years together?’ And let’s not come at it as the west coming to teach poor old Sierra Leone what to do: it was always two-way, about learning from each other. All the time we were backed up by KHP in London, its 35,000 staff, long-term senior leads and so on: incredible breadth and depth to draw on. We were being drawn into the major meetings at a government level: we really came to be seen, not as an outsider looking in, but one of the insiders.’

And then, last March, news came in of the first case of Ebola in neighbouring Guinea. By an enormous stroke of luck, the team’s new

clinical lead arrived at just the same time: Dr Marta Lado, a Spanish infectious

disease consultant who had studied African tropical medicine. ‘Literally, the day she landed, we started to say, what can we do to prepare, just in case?’ says Oliver. ‘We put together

a guide on how to set up an isolation

unit safely and started going out to hospitals, trying to get them to implement it. At Connaught we set up a two-bed unit: we thought that would be plenty. April and May went and still no cases. Liberia and Guinea were hit a bit, but not us. People started saying quite confidently, we’ve dodged the bullet.’

But in June, horror stories started coming in from the east. ‘There was an epic night, when the first suspected case arrived at Connaught – and then a second one. And we thought, we’ve used up our beds. Then a third suspected case came in, and we knew we had to change gear. So the whole hospital – our team, the cleaners, the doctors, everyone – rolled up our sleeves and went to work. In one evening, we shut down half of A&E, completely cleaned it, removed everything and we turned it into the 16-bed isolation unit we have now.

THE TURNING POINT‘At this stage, we were still trying to be in development mode; still hands off. We started seeing more cases in Freetown, but still not enough was being done; we couldn’t get traction. Then, at the end of July, Dr Modupeh Cole, the Sierra Leonean infectious disease consultant, head of the Ebola unit and one of only three consultant physicians in the hospital, got infected and died. This came almost straight after Dr Sheik Umar Khan, the country’s leading virologist and the national Ebola lead, had also got infected and died.

‘That created a huge gap. And it absolutely spooked their colleagues, who started saying: if they aren’t safe, none of us are. The junior doctors and many of the nurses went on strike. I remember sitting with Marta and the new Sierra Leonean health minister on the bonnet of our car outside the hospital, which was full

‘I remember sitting outside the hospital, which was full, and it was like a ghost town. We thought, what on earth are we going to do now?’

Dr Oliver Johnson led the small King’s team who worked with local partners to tackle the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone


of patients, and it was like a ghost town. We thought, what on earth are we going to do?

‘It was at that moment we decided that we would keep Connaught open by running the Ebola Isolation unit ourselves. Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital donated over a tonne of equipment, including thousands of vital aprons and gloves, which we airlifted out here, to get to the wards. And we had back-to-back training for every junior doctor and nurse, to help restore their confidence and make sure they would stay safe. Everyone in the King’s team switched focus: Suzanne Thomas our education lead and Katy Lowe our mental health nurse dropped what they were doing to take over managing supply chains of protective equipment and to support our hands-on approach.’

Meanwhile, carriers started cancelling flights, media coverage was growing and NGOs started to pull out. ‘We had to ask: how are we going to handle this? What kind of organisation are we? We were exhausted and scared, but we were committed. We knew what we were doing: these were our friends and colleagues, and this was our home. We weren’t going anywhere.

AT THE HEART OF THE CRISIS‘Those were dark days. For a lot of the time, in that isolation unit it was just Marta, me and Andy Hall– who had literally just graduated from KCL Nursing School, having previously been a paramedic with the British Army in Afghanistan – often with almost no Sierra Leonean staff, mopping the floors, moving the bodies, trying always to keep the hospital open. Will Pooley – one of the very few other British health workers treating Ebola in Sierra Leone at the time – got sick. So did some close local colleagues. It was extraordinarily

stressful and distressing. I’ve carried in my arms sick children who died before I got them to a bed. I’ve put people I know into body bags. And to do this day after day…

‘It was a searing test for us: we had long conversations here and with senior people at home. In mid-August, I went to King’s to explain our position and I came back with full backing: not just to stay, but to gear up. The bravery of King’s leadership in supporting us to stay was remarkable, given that so many other organisations were leaving – and these are organisations who normally work in war zones and disaster areas. We started recruiting. That’s when the fundraising made all the difference: alumni with collection tins, online donations, spreading the word through Facebook and family and friends. While I was home I went to a wedding of two King’s alumni doctors and there was a collection in the middle of the service.

‘Those donations have been amazing. King’s alumni have trusted us with their money and that’s given us the flexibility to be smart about how we use it. It’s hard to overstate the extent to which flexible funding allows us to do so much more: because we’re on the ground and we understand the situation, we can leverage other organisations, so that our funds go a lot further than they would in any other way.’ When Oliver’s team were most in need, it was alumni that raised

the funds to fly eight doctors and two nurses to Freetown and buy essential supplies to set up four new isolation units and 50 beds with local staff to diagnose and treat patients.

‘Some of our volunteers were even taking annual leave and paying for their own flights to get out here,’ says Oliver. Dr Terry Gibson, a King’s alumnus (Guy’s Medical School) and a former consultant physician at Guy’s and St Thomas’, came out for a year and started working in the general wards, playing a critical role in holding the line in the rest of the hospital. Amar Kamboz, a King’s film studies graduate and production manager of West End musicals, volunteered too. She came out to Freetown in May as a career break, originally thinking she might work in a local school. But when Ebola struck Freetown, she stepped forward and started running an ambulance system for the capital pretty much overnight. ‘I come from a world where there are very few problems,’ says Amar. ‘This isn’t the first or last time people in Sierra Leone are going to face disaster on some scale, yet they take it in their stride. That really strengthened me.’

Another key figure was Dr Ahmed Seedat, a King’s alumnus and medical registrar who worked with the King’s team for six months before Ebola. ‘He came back and did some amazing work, demonstrating that volunteering needn’t be a one-off thing, but can be part of a career-long relationship,’ says Oliver.

At last, the team’s urgent work started to be more widely recognised and DfID donated £50,000. ‘A lot of people started turning to King’s, because we were the only ones still here: so many others had either died or left.’

By October, fundraising and DfID support had helped Oliver’s team set up and manage a command centre to manage the logistics of the fight against Ebola for the whole of the

‘I went to King’s to explain our position and I came back with full backing: not just to stay, but to gear up’

Fundraising for the King’s Ebola appeal

The Hong Kong alumni committee organised a sponsored walk which raised HK$92,380 (almost £7,800). The committee presented the Principal with a cheque on his recent tour of South East Asia.

Many alumni and supporters have raised money to support the King’s team in Sierra Leone.

KCL Pharmacy students raised funds through ticket sales for their end-of-year Pharmacy Ball, as well as RAG week, a Valentine’s Day event, a bake sale and a student vs. staff quiz.

Ruth Cecil and her friends raised £2,000 in just one day through a 12-hour bucket collection at Waterloo Station. Ruth also encouraged online donations by setting up a JustGiving page, and has raised over £7,000 in total.

The Ashmore Foundation has given over £31,000 to the appeal this year, in recognition of the commitment of so many volunteers in the King’s team and King’s commitment to implement activities that will impact healthcare in Sierra Leone beyond the crisis.

Jessica Learmond-Criqui AKC (LLB, 1984) encouraged seven local schools to fundraise for the King’s Ebola appeal, raising over £3,000.The Hong Kong alumni committee


Support from our alumni & friends

the next step. ‘When the big NGO guns come in and open up their big units and the numbers start to decrease and they can manage this outbreak, then we’ll move on and lead whatever’s next – probably dealing with the number of deaths of health workers, the abandoned hospitals, and getting the health system open again. We want to build back better: not just to restore the health system, but to make it more resilient, so that it can cope if this happens again. We’re going to need support from King’s alumni going forward for that too – fundraising and people coming out as short or long-term volunteers.’

And that’s the most extraordinary thing about talking with Oliver: not just this remarkable story, but the positive energy that radiates from him, plainly exhausted though he is and despite what he’s been through. ‘McKinsey have said that an inner city teaching hospital is the hardest organisation to improve. And they say this about London! Trying to do this in one of the poorest countries in the world, in the middle of the worst outbreak of an infectious disease in the world is huge. You need to shift your mindset and realise that this is going to take decades. Whatever we achieve now is a victory. And I think that’s one of the most important things we can bring as international partners: hope.’King’s commitment to Sierra Leone is long-term. Once the virus is isolated the King’s team, working alongside local partners, will scale up its work to build a more robust healthcare system and develop the skills of local healthcare workers, so they are better able to respond to future challengesYou can still support the King’s team. To donate please visit kslp.org.uk/fightebola or text: FightEbola to 70111 to donate £10

western area of the country. They had trained 50 national staff at Connaught working in the isolation unit and established holding units in six secondary hospitals around Freetown, working with and training local hospital staff. They had built a rolling team of more than 30 international volunteers, and trained a large number of healthcare workers and others involved in the breakout. In all, they had managed over 1,100 suspected and 650 confirmed cases.

‘We’ve also seen the whole of King’s coming together around this, which is a game changer for what can do with our global health systems work later, in Sierra Leone and eventually elsewhere too. And it’s put us on the radar globally: King’s is now a major player and can potentially define this new model and say to other academic health centres, this is

‘I would like to thank all of you working against the horrible Ebola disease. I was an auxiliary nurse back in the 1970s and once nursed psycho geriatric patients during a dysentery outbreak. I am well aware of the risks the front line staff are currently taking. You are true heroes.’

‘I applaud the King’s alumni’s generosity and fundraising

what we’re doing, how about you? It’s an interesting example of how universities may need to take on very different roles as they become global institutions in the future.’

Meanwhile, Oliver’s team still remains totally committed. ‘I can’t get them to go home at night. I can’t get them to take a day off. It’s completely exhausting, but there’s nothing else: there’s only Ebola now.’ He also stresses the work that’s being done by local health workers, mainly nurses and cleaners. ‘They have been so brave and worked so hard, despite facing huge stigma. They often went without pay. Many of their colleagues were getting infected. But they kept coming to work alongside us and we built extraordinary relationships with them – we’re really like a family now.’

And now Oliver is already thinking about

The team at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown

We received many supportive messages to the King’s team from around the world in response to the Ebola appeal.

efforts to date and what that has achieved.’

‘The work you are doing in Sierre Leone deserves as much recognition and support as possible until this terrible disease is controlled.’

‘Heartfelt thanks – and bravo for your matter-of-fact approach to the crisis.’

‘I work at King’s College Hospital and was really touched by an article detailing the efforts that King’s College Hospital, King’s College London and Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital are making in Sierra Leone following the Ebola outbreak.’

‘Great work – truly great work in Sierra Leone, Oliver.’

For more information on KIng’s work in Sierra Leone, visit: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/ebola-updateIf you’d like to donate to the Ebola appeal, visit: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/FightEbolaOr text: FightEbola to 70111 to donate £10


PROTECTING PREGNANT WOMEN Pre-eclampsia, severe haemorrhage and shock affect more than 30 million pregnant women each year. Professor Andrew Shennan, Professor of Obstetrics at King’s, has developed a new monitor that detects shock and hypertension. This simple, portable and cost-effective device can be charged via a mini USB port from solar panels, car batteries or any mobile phone charger.

The monitor is currently being rolled out in Africa and Asia. As it detects the majority of causes of maternal death (99 per cent of which occur in the developing world), it has the potential to reduce maternal mortality by an estimated 25 per cent in coming years. Find out more: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/pregnancyconditions

NO MORE FILLINGS?A new device pioneered at King’s Dental Institute, which enables decayed teeth to repair themselves, could soon be used globally. The pain-free remineralisation process is an alternative treatment to drills, injections and fillings, reducing – and potentially removing – the need for these invasive techniques.

The device has attracted worldwide media attention, and could be brought to market in the next few years. ‘We’re playing our part in a global dental world. We’re taking the bright ideas and science from King’s and translating it into products and policies which really improve health and healthcare,’ says Professor Nigel Pitts. Find out more: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/toothdecay

ADVANCING ANTENATAL SCREENINGKing’s is developing a radical new approach to screen foetuses, which will provide a consistently higher detection rate for major abnormalities. Professor of Paediatric Cardiovascular Science, Reza Razavi, and team are developing a pioneering antenatal ultrasound system, which allows sonographers to quickly acquire three-dimensional images of the whole baby in much higher resolution.

The system will reduce the substantial delay after birth before diagnosis and allow these babies to be transferred much more quickly to a specialist centre for treatment, greatly improving their prognosis. Find out more: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/birthdefects

KEEPING KING’S AT THE FOREFRONT OF DISCOVERYKing’s research is world-leading in many areas. Donations and gifts in wills from alumni and friends allow us to invest in new research that would not happen otherwise. Here’s a selection of projects currently taking place across the university, which will improve millions of lives worldwide.

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HELPING PEOPLE BREATHE MORE EASILYPeople with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could benefit from an innovative treatment being developed at King’s. Professor of Pharmacology, Clive Page, and his team are developing a drug that both relaxes and opens the airways and has anti-inflammatory abilities in a single molecule. The drug is now undergoing further clinical trials in patients with COPD and could revolutionise treatment worldwide.

The drug is unique because it provides two remedies in a single dose. Research peers are hailing the drug as potentially one of the field’s most significant advances for years.Find out more: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/asthmatreatment

ECO-FRIENDLY SUN SCREENBy observing corals to isolate their sun-screening compound, King's has formulated a unique type of sunscreen that is both completely natural and biodegradable. ‘All current commercial sunscreens are made of synthetic products that don’t biodegrade,’ explains Dr Paul Long, Reader in Pharmacognosy. ‘They can be toxic to the environment and it’s debatable what they are doing to a person when applied to the skin.’

Over the next few years, King’s will develop a product line of eco-compatible sunscreens, available worldwide, which are both safe and kind to the skin and the environment.Find out more: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/sunscreen

MICROBUBBLES TRACK BLOOD FLOWUsing ultrasound imaging to examine the minute blood vessels of a mouse’s ear, then adding microbubbles as small as red blood cells, our researchers have located the vessels more accurately than ever before. By tracking these tiny bubbles, we can map the intricate detail of blood flow through vessels far more precisely than before.

In the future, this will help doctors detect early signs of damage in the circulatory system, or establish whether a patient is responding to cancer treatment, by mapping new vessels that signal the growth of a cancerous tumour. Our work forms the basis for a powerful worldwide tool for medical diagnosis and treatment.Find out more: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/microbubbles

Your support can help us plan for the future and invest in new research projects and the next generation of students. One way to do this is to consider a gift to King’s in your will – a very special and personal way to give back to King’s, which recognises the part the University has played in your life and the role you can play in its future.

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Find out moreBy post: Legacy Manager, Fundraising & Supporter Development, King’s College London, James Clerk Maxwell Building, 578 Waterloo Road, SE1 8WABy telephone: +44 (0)20 7848 4700By email: [email protected]


Over 50 years ago, a group of King’s students drove to Jerusalem on an unforgettable adventure

ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIME

(L-R) Carolyn Adams, Robin Gill, Ernest Hepworth, Andrew Baily, Ruth Lacy, Rupert Furze (behind Ruth), John Belham, Frank Selkirk, David Jennings, Eleanor Hayward, David Hellard, Sherwood Burge (behind David), Ann Baily, Roger Fry at a campsite in Yugoslavia – prior to the Land Rover group leaving at speed for Calais


Above: (L-R) David Hellard, Andrew Baily, Helen Cooper, Eleanor Hayward, Roger Fry – shopping for food upon arrival in Istanbul. Below: Ian Zass-Ogilvie

I n the summer of 1964, 16 young adults – most of them students at King’s – undertook an epic journey. By any measurement, it was a memorable road

trip: driving three vehicles 5,000 miles from London to Jerusalem and back.

‘It was a life-changing, seven-week expedition and it was all done on a shoestring – just £80 per person, I think,’ says Dr John Belham (Zoology, 1965). Sir Roger Fry (Theology, 1966) recalls: ‘When I heard about the trip I was convinced I wanted to go, but was worried about the cost. It was a relief to learn that I could afford it at £80, but it used up most of my savings at the time!’

The Rt Revd David Jennings (Theology, 1966), retired Bishop of Warrington, still has his diary from the trip. ‘There were very important moments during that trip for me, which have been sustaining me all the way down the years.’

Helen Cooper (English, 1964), now a retired professor of English at State University of New York at Stony Brook, says it was a landmark experience. ‘I think about it often and how incredibly fortunate I was to be able to experience that journey, not a journey that the King’s graduates of 2015 could replicate,’ she says. ‘Travelling to so many places with so many people

I didn’t know gave me courage, independence, a wider view of the world.’

Dubbed the King’s College Jerusalem Expedition, the adventure saw participants drive across 12 countries, from the UK to the Middle East, which at that time was a mysterious part of the world for most Europeans. On the return trip, they took a ferry from Israel to Greece, sleeping on the deck.

SETTING OUTThe expedition grew out of a series of conversations amongst several King’s theology students.

‘We just wanted to go to Jerusalem: it was essentially a co-operative enterprise,’ says the Revd Ian Zass-Ogilvie (Theology, 1965), one of the chief organisers.

Of the 16 who signed up, over half were from King’s, joined by students from LSE, Royal Free, Oxford and the College of Estate Management. Two of the participants, Ann and Andrew Baily, were newlyweds. ‘Ann and Andrew had spent the first part of their honeymoon in Donegal. This was part two,’ says Bishop Jennings. ‘Imagine taking 14 other people on your honeymoon.’

Two of the King’s organisers had vehicles: Robin Gill (Theology, 1966), now Emeritus Professor of Applied Theology at the University of Kent, had his parents’ Land Rover, and Frank Selkirk (Theology, 1965) had his parents’ Bedford Dormobile, a campervan. Everyone in the group pitched in and bought a third vehicle, a Morris J2 minibus that ‘boiled like mad’ on steep hills or in hot weather, according to Ian Zass-Ogilvie. ‘By the Dead Sea, it could only manage a few hundred yards at a time!’

The journey took them across western

‘Travelling to so many places with people I didn’t know gave me courage, independence, a wider view...’


Europe and then into Hungary, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. Their time in eastern Europe was occasionally tense, Dr Belham recalls, as ‘there were Russian soldiers about and so much poverty’. The students became real curiosities once they crossed the Bosphorus. ‘We were a bit of an oddity,’ says Bishop Jennings. ‘Three vehicles driving into places where I shouldn’t think they saw Europeans terribly often.’ Ian Zass-Ogilvie adds: ‘We had enormous crowds around us in Turkey. But there was absolutely no hostility.’

They relished their time in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, cooking on camping stoves, eating meals that were considered exotic in the 1960s and visiting ruins. Sir Roger Fry says: ‘I recall the people of Turkey and the Middle East as very friendly in an apparently peaceful environment. They were very generous to us, offering food and refreshment in many places.’

They weren’t in a particular hurry to leave Jordan, because they knew that once they passed through Jerusalem’s Mandelbaum Gate into Israel they couldn’t go back.

Not all went smoothly. Dr Belham remembers he and a few others took a cab to Petra, in Jordan. ‘The road was partly

blocked, so the driver slowed down, and suddenly men with machine guns appeared,’ he says. ‘The taxi driver resolved the matter. We were so grateful to have taken a cab.’

Overall, however, they were safe and treated with respect. ‘We were very fortunate,’ says Rupert Furze, later studying at the College of Estate Management. ‘A British passport got you through places that otherwise you would have found more difficult.’ He remembers when a young Jordanian guided them through Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem. A guard stopped the group, let the British students go, but marched the young Jordanian to a police station. When the students threatened to write to The Times to complain about the young man’s treatment, he was released.

The return trip began with a ferry from Israel to Greece, which was an adventure in itself.

‘We just laid our sleeping bags out on the deck,’ says Professor Cooper. ‘We learnt to climb over the gates separating deck class from those with cabins so we could shower and use the bathrooms. I discovered on that voyage that I didn’t get seasick. We sailed through a storm on the Mediterranean Sea and many were sick; I was fine and ate the others’ food!’

WHAT IT MEANTEach member of the expedition came away with favourite memories. Bishop Jennings was moved by the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem and walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. Ian Zass-Ogilvie fondly recalls the Blue Mosque, Masada and the Dead Sea. Frank Selkirk enjoyed the Roman ruins, including one ancient theatre where, according to another member of the party, he sang opera and recited some Shakespeare.

‘For me it was the beginning of itchy feet,’ says Rupert Furze, who trekked across

north Africa the following year with several friends, including David Hellard (LSE) and Sherwood Burge (Royal Free and now a professorial consultant in respiratory medicine), who were also on the expedition.

Similarly, Professor Cooper says that after living ‘a fairly narrow and sometimes anxious life’, she discovered that she could cope with the wider world. A year later, she and a boyfriend drove a Morris Minor to Morocco – ‘right to the edge of the Sahara Desert’ – and back, and later she hitchhiked with a friend to Spain and took a cargo boat to New York. ‘I loved being absorbed into so many different cultures. It opened my narrow European eyes.’ Sir Roger Fry says simply: ‘It was the best journey of my life. Subsequent travels to places such as Tibet and Bhutan, which also have spiritual dimensions, cannot compete.’

For Dr Belham, who was studying science at King’s, the expedition helped steer him toward the ministry. ‘The Bible came alive,’ he says. ‘It helped me to grow up. I came to university absolutely green. I learned a lot about coping with people.’

‘The thing that I learned,’ says Bishop Jennings, ‘was that for me, Jesus was in this neck of the woods and he did all these things, and that was hugely important to my faith.’

Ian Zass-Ogilvie says everyone in the entourage enjoyed the culturally-immersive experience. ‘Tourism is all very well,’ he says, ‘but shopping in local markets and bartering cigarettes for wine are better ways to learn about a culture.’ David Hellard recalls a moment when everyone in the group was dancing on a road in the Bekaa Valley, and ‘a bus stopped and everyone got out, including a band, which then proceeded to play in the middle of the road.’

Many of the places that they visited are regularly in the news today, often for tragic reasons. ‘There was a moment when we were just outside Homs, Syria,’ says Bishop Jennings. ‘There was a small house, and a man came out and offered us some tomatoes. That little house has probably been destroyed.’

On the whole, however, the expedition evokes pleasant memories. Frank Selkirk remembers when their convoy rolled into a small Lebanese city and nobody in the group was sure which way to go.

‘Ian was standing in the Land Rover. A police officer stopped them and said: “I have three things to say to you. First, it’s dangerous to stand in a vehicle when you’re looking around. Second, you’re wearing shorts, and shorts are for the seashore, not the inland. And third, welcome to Lebanon!”’Want to know what happened to our intrepid travellers since the trip? The next alumni enews will bring you up to date.Don’t receive the enews? Sign up here: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-enews

Above: (L-R) David Jennings and Sherwood Burge. Below: Colonnade at Baalbek, Lebanon


There’s an In Touch app now available for Android and Windows devices as well as iPads

Android Google Play Store iPad App Store Windows Windows 8 Store

Don’t forget: you also can read the magazine online at alumni.kcl.ac.uk/InTouch

If you prefer In Touch digitally, please let us know at [email protected] – so we can save paper!

IN TOUCH APP NOW FOR ANDROID AND WINDOWS TOO!


Community

Happiness is... 12th Annual Alumni Weekend 12-14 June 2015

Six ways to make happiness a habitDr Tamara Russell on how we can influence our happiness levels

In our fast-paced and often stressful lives, it’s easy to forget to think about what actually makes us happy. Several factors influence our happiness. The context in which we find ourselves is a given. Genetic factors also shape how we view the world or process our emotions. However, a large part of what dictates our happiness arises from our own actions – the choices we make, as well as our reaction to life events.

A fundamental way to increase our happiness is to develop greater resilience, and hone our ability to bounce back quickly from difficulties. Easier said than done?

Below are six proven ways to boost your happiness.

ConnectMake connections with people who inspire you, value you, or share your interests. Look beyond family or friends: connecting with those not in your immediate circle can greatly enhance your happiness.

Meeting old friends at Alumni Weekend is a perfect way to boost your happiness, and I look forward to meeting many of you there!

Be more activeRegular exercise and physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety. Moving our bodies is particularly important if we spend all day sitting down and working at a computer. If you can, try to exercise outdoors: being ‘at one’ with nature really is good for you!

Take noticeReally notice what is around you. Taking time to enjoy each moment not only increases your awareness of the small, pleasurable things in life; it also reduces the brain’s capacity to get caught in loops of ruminative thinking. Mindfulness training is one way to significantly improve your ability to engage with each moment and truly ‘be present’.

Creative activities such as painting, music, writing and dance, as well as engaging with nature, all contribute to a feeling of being present. You can also increase your ability to notice by taking a regular break from technological distractions, such as tablets and smartphones.

IS...To see the full programme of events and to book your place, please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-weekend, email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053.

ALUMNI WEEKEND

12th Annual

12 - 14 June 2015

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Come back to King’s for three days of events, led by King’s experts and tailor-made for alumni, including:• Meet and Q&A with the Principal, Professor Ed Byrne• The Happily Ever After Ball• Workshops on mindfulness, achieving your goals and eating happy!To see the full programme of events and to book your tickets online, please visit: alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-weekend email: [email protected] or call: +44 (0)20 7848 3053

LearnBeing able to learn is one of the greatest features of our human brain. Challenge yourself to an appropriate level – make sure you get out of your comfort zone. Fear of failure stifles creativity and learning potential, so enter into any learning opportunity with a willingness to embrace failure. Most of our learning comes from when things go wrong, so seeing this as part of the process is critical.

Give, and be gratefulHelping others and reflecting on the things that we are grateful for can help us see beyond our day-to-day struggles. This counteracts the natural tendency to focus on all the things that are wrong and the constant bombardment from the media of negative events.

It’s important to note that although we all aspire to happiness, the ability to engage with the richness of the human experience without getting overwhelmed by the distress is the key to a happy and fulfilling life.

Trick your body into thinking happy thoughts Even if our mood is low, we may be able to improve it by putting our bodies into a posture that informs the brain that this is our new mood. Amy Cuddy’s TED talk on how body language shapes who we are is fascinating viewing. www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are

For instance, if we try to smile, this will naturally improve our mood. Similarly, if we surround

ourselves with smiley happy people, our mirroring of these facial expressions will

also have a positive effect. Feedback from the body into the brain can therefore influence how we are feeling.

So, even when we find ourselves in tough situations there are still a few things we can do to help us lift our mood. Engaging in activities that stimulate and nurture us can help us to act and think differently. Embracing both positive and negative experiences helps us find equilibrium and – hopefully – a sense

of understanding in our lives.Dr. Tamara Russell is a clinical

psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology &

Neuroscience and a mindfulness teacher. For more information about her training, visit www.runriotprojects. org/ mindfulness


...a gold medal and a home crowd

Katherine Grainger CBE, PhD, Law 2013

...cooking with my favourite music on; watching cricket; walking round my home town (Edinburgh); driving in France, Spain or Italy in an old Alfa Spyder; translating operas; raindrops on roses. Whiskers on kittens. Oh, hang on…

...finding the book you were looking for in the Maughan Library

... being a mascot to King’s College London. Oh, and the Lion King!

… a magical mix of routine and diverse experiences. I love sitting quietly at my computer and thinking intense thoughts and also love thinking about nothing as I meditate. I love a tough backpacking hike in the wilderness and also love the pleasures of warm tap water when I return to civilization

Rory Bremner FKC, Modern Languages, 1984

Larisa Lara, Conflict and Security, 2014

Reggie the Lion

Michael Levitt, Nobel Laureate, Physics, 1967

… A day with thoughts other than cancer. A day meeting up with friends, a day spent with family, a day of laughter, a new day, life

...four paws and a wet nose

Suzanne Funnell, French, 1992

Geoffrey Gower-Kerslake, Law, 1968

… good company, good wine and work one enjoys and is challenged by

Professor Anthony Stevens, Mechanical Engineering, 1960

Happiness is...

...simple. A really good cup of coffee and the time to enjoy it. Small everyday pleasures

Suzanne Triviere, English Literature, 1990

What’s your definition of happiness? Email us at [email protected]


EventsInternet surveillance: what now?19:00, 21 May, 2015K6.29 (Anatomy Lecture Theatre), Strand CampusOur guest panellists will explore the legal and policy dimensions of internet surveillance in the UK, discussing the implications of the General Election and what this means for the British public.Please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/surveillance-2015, email [email protected] or call 020 7848 3053.

Unseen Waterloo – The Conflict Revisited 10:00-18:00, June 12 – August 30, 2015 Strand CampusKing’s alumnus Sam Faulkner showcases a five year project this summer, exploring how we remember fallen soldiers from an era predating photography. The exhibition held at Somerset House will comprise 100 life-sized photographs taken in the actual fields where the Battle of Waterloo was fought. Characters created during the annual re-enactment of the battle are the focal subjects of these powerful images, developing themes of Faulkner’s earlier work but with a striking new approach. Instead of using small hand-held cameras to capture as much reality as possible the project constructs and poses what is fundamentally untrue, the act of remembering a conflict through recreating it.Admission to the exhibition is free and the event will also include a series of short talks. More details will be announced in June. To learn more, visit Alumni Online or www.unseenwaterloo.co.uk

Alumni Weekend 201512 – 14 June, 2015Various locationsAlumni and friends are invited to our 12th annual Alumni Weekend, which will include a range of exciting events under the theme of Happiness. For more information, please email the Alumni Office at [email protected], visit www.alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-weekend or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053

Alumni Volunteering Event Alumni Weekend 201513 June, 2015Strand Campus, King’s College London ‘Do good, be happy’ Come and hear about the Alumni Volunteer programme. With over

2,000 volunteers worldwide, King’s is making a big impact globally! For more information, and to register, please email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053

President’s US Tour5 – 8 October, 2015Stops along the East and West coasts of the USAJoin King’s President and Principal, Professor Edward Byrne AC, for his annual tour of the East and West Coast. These popular events feature eminent speakers from the King’s community as well as news from the university and time for networking. For more information, please visit www.alumni.kcl.ac.uk/usevents2015, email [email protected] or call +44(0) 20 7848 3053

Queen Elizabeth College Annual General Meeting 2015Early October, 2015Strand Campus, King’s College LondonJoin fellow alumni of QEC for the College AGM, followed by a reception with a buffet dinner.

For more information, please visit www.alumni.kcl.ac.uk/events andreunions or www.qeca.org.uk

Royal Dental Hospital Alumni Association Luncheon10 October, 2015 from 12.15Radisson Hampshire Hotel, Leicester Square, LondonInformation about the luncheon will be sent out at the beginning of August 2015 to those on our email mailing list. To check whether your contact details are up to date, please email [email protected] or contact Peter Frost, Secretary, Royal Dental Hospital Alumni Association [email protected]

ReunionsKing’s College Hospital Medical School 60th anniversary reunion Class of 195513 – 14 June, 2015Strand Campus, King’s College London, Principal’s Lunch at Alumni WeekendPlease contact Eileen Darwood at [email protected], and use

the reunion reference “Eileen Darwood 1955” when making your booking for the Principal’s Lunch.

Royal Dental Hospital 45th reunion23 – 24 August, 2015Hampshire Hotel, Leicester Square, LondonDinner will be held on Sunday evening at the Penthouse on the 8th floor. All colleagues who were on the course from 1966 to 1970 are welcome.For further information, please contact Sid Hamilos at [email protected] or [email protected] or by phone on +44 (0)7860 692 549.

King’s College Hospital Dental School 50th anniversary reunion8 – 9 September, 2015Stratford-upon-AvonAll finalists of November 1964 and July 1965 are warmly invited to our 50th reunion. There will be a Beggs/ Poplett Golf Day on 8 September, with a Reunion Dinner on 9 September.Please contact Dennis Sweetlove at [email protected] for more details.

King’s, History Department, Class of 1965-196815 January, 2016Rutland Room, Overseas House, Park Place, St James’ St, LondonReunion lunch to celebrate 50th anniversary. Please contact Dr Patrick Hase at [email protected] for more information.

Getting involvedFundraising events in aid of King’s College London and its health partners: Guy’s and St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley

For information about either of these events, visit togetherwecan.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 7848 4701.● Guy’s Urban ChallengeFriday 9 & Saturday 10 October, 2015Run, spin, climb the world’s tallest hospital building to raise money for Guy’s Cancer Centre Appeal● Royal Parks Foundation Half MarathonSunday 11 October, 2015The 13.1 mile scenic route winds through four royal parks in all their autumnal splendour

Community

A portrait from the Unseen Waterloo exhibition


Want to get involved? Contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053

The Incredible Adventures of ReggieIn one of the most painful experiences of his life, Reggie lost some valuable bits in the 1970s. Martin Stockley (Engineering, 1977) recalls the regal Great Hall ceremony when Reggie was fully restored.In one of the raids of Reggie in the mid- to late-1970s, a group of kidnappers, I believe from UCaL, took a hacksaw to Reggie’s crown jewels. I am pretty sure we never learned what happened to his missing parts.

Reggie remained neutered for some time, until Commemoration Day, when the engineers sculpted a new set from reinforcement bar and cementitious resin. These were reinstated at a special ceremony in the Great Hall, with students in full regalia. I believe it may have been at the start of a more serious event, as the hall was full and included staff and guests. All parties were dressed appropriately: the engineers in site jackets and hard hats, bearing tools of their trade, such as theodolites; the medics in green scrubs; and the theologs in full gowns and headwear and providing incense.

The missing parts were removed from some poor soul by the medics (in a mock transplant process behind hospital screens), brought forward by the engineers on a velvet cushion and blessed by the theologs. The engineers then used a power drill to prepare Reggie for reattachment and carried out the completion of the procedure.

I believe there was an unwritten rule in the sport of mascotry that kidnapped mascots would not be damaged, but clearly that rule was broken in this instance. This episode may have been around the time when Jeremy Bentham’s head went missing from UCL, which may have triggered the aggressive response. Jeremy’s head was of course returned intact.

It was from under the guise of a doctor that David Berry (BA, War Studies, 2002; MA, History, 2004) first met Alice Devall (BSc, Anatomy, 2003; MBBS, 2006) through mutual friends in 2001. Having both travelled widely throughout their careers, they married in May 2013 and now live in Winchester with their daughter Charlotte. David: We first met in Guy’s Bar at Boland House on Guy’s Campus – I was friends with some medical students and became quite familiar with that place. I was dressed as Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. Despite this, Alice kindly spoke to me.Alice: Our friend Sam introduced us and then we danced to some cheesy tunes for the rest of the night. I remember us being the only ones left in the Boland House disco ‘Inverse’ when the lights came on, so we must have got on pretty well.David: I knew immediately that Alice was the girl I wanted to marry. I suspect it took Alice rather longer! I worried for a long time that we might have met too early. I was wrong.Alice: On our first date we went for cocktails at a bar called Freud in Covent Garden and then went to a very raucous bar called Roadhouse. Halfway through the evening the rest of his rugby team turned up so the ambience changed somewhat, but we still had a very good night.David: As a history buff I’m afraid I subjected Alice to quite a lot of history-related dates, including the Imperial War Museum, probably more than once.Alice: David’s interests, which are very different to mine, such as history, literature and politics, opened my eyes to the world outside science and I really fell for this. He is also still an extremely old fashioned romantic, which I love.David: There are too many romantic memories around King’s and London to mention. Whenever we go to London now we always reminisce if we walk past somewhere we went together.Alice: When I first stayed over at David’s student house we slept in the kitchen as his room

We met at Guy’s

was so cold, and when we woke up in the morning a mouse had eaten our breakfast. I guess I could have run at that point, but I think we then realised we had the same sense of humour as we

couldn’t stop laughing and I kept coming back!David: I was attracted to Alice by her caring, loving nature

and her sharp brain. It makes her an excellent doctor too.Alice: We had a weekend in Paris in September 2012

when the city was at its loveliest: warm, sunny and tranquil. After a hearty French meal near the Sorbonne, David proposed. I said yes and the rest of the night was a celebration in the wine bars of Montparnasse: parfait!

We married in Christchurch, Dorset where I grew up. The

beautiful Priory church holds a lot of memories for me, so I was very thankful to David and our friends and family for coming to party down there. The day really was enchanting.David: Shortly after completing my MA, I joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer and have spent a number of years at sea, serving around the world including the Arabian Gulf and Afghanistan. It was my experience at King’s studying under Professor Andrew Lambert that made me realise the importance of the sea in our lives. Alice: I have worked in some wonderful cities including London, Brighton and Christchurch New Zealand as a junior doctor and am now a GP Partner in Winchester where we live.David: We enjoy anything to do with eating out, but at the moment our beautiful one-year-old daughter, Charlotte, is keeping us very busy.


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To get in touch with any of the alumni groups listed below, please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/connect

01: Angola 202: Argentina 7703: Australia NSW 40204: Australia Queensland 13405: Austria 32706: Azerbaijan 3707: Bahamas 3408: Bangladesh 12909: Belgium 1,03210: Brunei 15111: Bulgaria 13712: Canada Toronto 22913: Cayman Islands 2614: Chile 14915: China Beijing 38816: China Shanghai 23617: Colombia 8318: Croatia 3719: Cyprus 84520: Denmark 33921: Dominican Republic 822: Egypt 19223: Finland 21424: France 2,54225: Germany Berlin 40226: Germany Bonn 3927: Germany Munich 9528: Greece 2,36529: Hong Kong 2,28630: Hungary 9431: India Delhi 24332: India Mumbai 17133: Indonesia 12234: Iran 31035: Iraq 15136: Ireland 1,21937: Israel 23338: Italy Milan 6139: Italy Rome 13240: Japan 79841: Kenya 26642: Luxembourg 19243: Malaysia 1,40544: Malta 8945: Mauritius 13846: Mexico 20447: Monaco 2548: Netherlands 53949: New Zealand 37150: Nigeria 57951: Norway 45252: Oman 5453: Pakistan 66054: Peru 3455: Poland 29656: Portugal 40957: Qatar 5458: Romania 14259: Saudi Arabia 33860: Singapore 1,42961: South Africa 33262: South Korea 40163: Switzerland 73164: Syria 4265: Taiwan 49266: Thailand 58867: Turkey 41068: United Arab Emirates 33069: USA Boston Area 85170: USA Chicago 111

71: USA New York Tri-State 1,68672: USA Philadelphia 9073: USA San Diego 24274: USA Southern Tri-State 33375: USA Washington DC area 97476: Venezuela 10277: Vietnam 36

UK ALUMNI SUBJECT GROUPSAssociation des Juristes du Pantheon et de Kings Anny Tubbs (Law and French Law,) www.assoajpk.comDental Alumni Association Dr Suzie Moore (Guy’s, Dentistry, 1997)King’s College London Engineers’ Association Peter Weitzel (Electronic & Electrical Engineering, 1975) www.kclea.org.ukGeography Joint School Society Paul Collinson (Geography, 1990)King’s College London Association (Law Branch) Pierre Brochet (Law, 1992)King’s College Construction Law Association Anne Wright (Construction Law, 1997) www.kccla.org.ukWar Studies Alumni Group Charlotte Bickerstaff (War Studies, 2007) www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies

UK ALUMNI SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSAKC Alumni Society Steven Rhodes (Theology and Religious Studies, 1988) www.akcalumni.org.ukKing’s Alumni Theatre Society (KATS) Kos Mantzakos (German and Modern Greek Studies, 2001) http://swiit.net/katsKing’s College London Bar Society Michael Walsh (Law, 2005) http://kclbarsociety.org.ukKing’s College London Boat Club Michael Gleeson (Guy’s, Dentistry, 1971) http://theboatclub.org.ukKing’s Sports Anthony Currie (War Studies, 2007)

UK ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONSFormer Staff Dr Barrie Morgan (former Geography staff)Queen Elizabeth College Association Pat Cox (QEC, Household & Social Sciences, 1954) www.qeca.org.ukRoyal Dental Hospital Peter Frost (RDH, Dentistry, 1969)

INTERNATIONAL GROUPS

Community

DID YOU KNOW?

● King’s Connect, your online community that brings together King’s alumni and current students in mentoring relationships● InTouch app for your phone (alumni.ac.uk/intouchappinfo)● Email forwarding with a King’s email address● Free access to online academic journals through JSTOR● Stay in King’s accommodation outside term time in some of the best locations in London

Visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/benefits for more information

You can take advantage of many alumni benefits no matter where you live


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For more information on alumni groups, call +44 (0)20 7848 3053 or visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk

Racing Eight donatedBoat Club members and alumni gathered at Chiswick to name the new Racing Eight after Donald Bompas. Donald, Secretary of Guy’s Medical and Dental Schools 1966–1986, worked tirelessly for the hospital and the Philip and Pauline Harris Charity. He was Vice President of the Boat Club and actively developed its fleet.

Lord Harris donated the boat in memory of Donald at the request of his family. Immediately afterwards the Ladies 1st VIII took to the water in the new boat to compete in the Quintin Head of the River Race, coming 4th out of 23 crews in their class.


King’s College London Association(War Studies, 2010)Elected members● Jerry Asquith (RDH, Dentistry, 1981)● Hannah Barlow (Biochemistry, 2011)● Kirsty Buck (American Studies, 2009)● Margaret Haig (Law, 2004)● Judge Peter King TD AKC (Law, 1970)● Mike Nosa-Ehima (Biomedical Science, 2008)● Freya Pascal (Philosophy, 2012)● Mary Zagoritou (Mathematics Education, 2007)

KCLA is the alumni association for all former students, staff and friends of King’s and the institutions with which it has merged. All alumni are encouraged to participate in KCLA’s work by attending its events and voting in its elections. Patron Archbishop Desmond Tutu FKC (Theology, 1965; MTh, 1966)President Professor Anne-Marie Rafferty FKCPast President Professor Nairn Wilson CBE FKCChairman Professor Stephen Challacombe FKC (Guy’s, Dentistry, 1968)

Vice-Chairman Professor Patricia Reynolds (Guy’s, Dentistry, 1977)Vice-Chairman Graham Raven (Civil Engineering, 1963)Past Chairman Andrew Parrish (Chemistry, 1966)Secretary Dr Max Chauhan (Dentistry, 1992)Assistant Secretary Margaret Haig (Law, 2004)Treasurer Sneha Saunders (History, 2005)Events Officer Alison Taylor (Human Environmental Science, 1990)Sports Officer John (Matt) Ricketts

The KCLA Chairman

I am delighted to have been elected as Chairman of KCLA, with the exciting task of building on Andy Parrish’s excellent work over the last six years. I would like to thank Andy for his outstanding commitment during his tenure.

Under Andy’s leadership, and before him, that of Steven Rhodes, KCLA has initiated many alumni activities, as well as contributing significantly to the success of the World questions|King’s answers fundraising campaign.

We have events planned through 2015. On 12 March, at the Royal Society, we welcomed Diana Garnham, Chief Executive of the Science Council, as our guest speaker. A few weeks later we commemorated Duel Day, in honour of the Duke of Wellington, founder of King’s, at Lambeth Palace.

On 2 October we will be holding a Sports Dinner at the Oval, with the Alumni Games the next day at Honor Oak Park. Our AGM, Annual Dinner and Council elections will be held on 6 November 2015 at the House of Lords.

All alumni are welcome to attend any, or all, of these events. Together with the Alumni Office, we are also looking forward to the Alumni Weekend in June.

One relationship we intend to focus on is with the vibrant sports community at King’s. Most universities see sport as a vital link between past and current students, and we intend to work with the new Principal, Ed Byrne, Head of Sport Andy Allford, KCLSU and the Alumni Office to strengthen this link.

In recent years, we have provided financial support to alumni hockey, rugby (men’s and women’s), netball and cricket. We look forward to seeing many more alumni take part in our sporting activities.

KCLA’s new President, Professor Anne-Marie Rafferty, incoming Treasurer, Sneha Saunders and myself would like to hear your views on any matters involving alumni. As always, we welcome and appreciate your continued support.

Stephen Challacombe (Guy’s, Dentistry, 1968)

Community

Is it important for a mentor to be able to relate to the career stage you are at?Christine: Absolutely. If they are a couple of stages beyond you they can give relevant advice. I wanted someone who had been through the ranks, someone who had worked in different environments and managed diverse stakeholders, so I could see what it would look like 10 years down the line. Lyn: If you have someone who is too senior, they might just be a little bit too far removed from the environment and challenges faced by today’s young professionals. I know what it’s like, at this stage in Christine’s career, and it’s hard to see the wood for the trees sometimes and be able to look beyond the everyday things like hierarchies and politics in the work place.

Has the mentoring scheme helped you keep a connection to King’s?Christine: I was already connected with my peer network from King’s, but it has allowed me to meet new people like Lyn. The events put on by the Alumni Office are very interesting and the speakers always have a lot of experiences to share. They’re also a good platform to meet other people in the King’s alumni network. Lyn: It has definitely made me reflect on my own experiences at King’s and what I have learned since then. I think it’s worked quite well between me and Christine. Our mentoring relationship has been a very rewarding experience, both professionally and personally. Why not join the King’s global community and inspire others?To register go to: www.kingsconnect.aluminate.net

King’s Connect is our new online mentoring scheme where alumni can mentor current students and interact with other alumni around the world. Over 700 alumni are part of King’s Connect, representing 26 countries. Lyn Oh (Law, 1993) signed up to the scheme in 2014, and is mentor to Christine Li (Law, 2005).

How did you get involved with the mentoring programme? Lyn: I got an email from King’s Connect inviting people who were interested in being mentors to sign up. I do a little bit of mentoring in Hong Kong, and find that it’s not only helpful for them, but it’s personally very rewarding, so I was quite keen to sign up and give something back to King’s.Christine: I received an email and decided to sign up as a mentee as I thought it was a good way to meet other people within the King’s network. I was also exploring other opportunities in my career and when I heard about Lyn, I thought it was great that she had pursued a different career beyond her Law degree, which demonstrated to me that there are options beyond being a lawyer. Lyn: Having been through quite a few changes in my career – and having worked in a number of different industries – I guess I’m able to offer a slightly more rounded view, and not something that is solely from the perspective of the legal industry.

Did you find it easy to establish a rapport with each other?Christine: We were very lucky; Lyn understood what I was thinking and that helped

us bridge the gap. She also understands specific issues for women, like being a working mother which is really important.Lyn: Christine is a very bright, very capable, very intelligent young lady. She is very open to ideas and keen to explore new possibilities. I found it quite easy to build a strong rapport with her. I am quite an open person, happy to share my own personal and professional experiences. This hopefully made her comfortable enough to open up to me, and realise that I’m not going to judge her nor question her decisions or her beliefs. Christine: I think the main quality to have as a mentor is open-mindedness, because it’s hard as a mentor to give meaningful advice to someone you have just met, and as a mentee it was challenging to envisage a new career path. Lyn studied Law but then did so many different things, so I had to be open to new perspectives to what you can do with your skills.

King’s Connect: alumni mentoring


For the latest information about all of our alumni groups, go to alumni.kcl.ac.uk

If you studied at King’s, or at one of the colleges with which it has merged, you are entitled to many great benefits. Please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/benefits or call +44 (0)20 7848 3053 for more details

Alumni benefits and services

Library access Alumni are invited to sign up for an alumni library card with lifetime membership. Registering has never been easier! Simply visit alumni. kcl.ac.uk/your-kings-facilities and follow the instructions. You will receive access to all five of the College libraries, including the magnificent Maughan Library on Chancery Lane.

Accommodation in LondonAlumni can now search for accommodation near King’s, with ‘live availability’ of hotels, B&B’s, guesthouses and hostel accommodation. The website features the option to filter by distance, price and star options. For more information, visit bedandbreakfasts.co.uk/kings-college-london

Student Union – still open for alumni!Relive your student days by reuniting with your friends at a KCLSU bar. King’s College London Student Union offers great venues which are open to alumni during term time. Out of term time, there is the opportunity to hire these venues at a 25 per cent discount. To find out more, contact [email protected] or visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/kclsu-bars

Evening Language ClassesWant to learn a new language? Alumni are eligible for a 30 per cent discount through the King’s Modern Language Centre.

There are 24 different languages available and all courses take place at the Strand Campus. For more information, please email: [email protected]

Discounted fitnessKing’s Health and Fitness Centre has recently been refurbished and offers alumni an affordable training facililty and a wide range of classes located five minutes from Waterloo. Alumni receive a discounted rate. Feel free to pop in and take a look for yourself!

Free access to academic journalsA huge range of online academic work via our subscription to JSTOR is available to alumni – and it’s all completely free of charge. Just sign up via Alumni Online at alumni.kcl.ac.uk

Newsweek subscription discount

Professional coaching offers

More alumni benefits

For the first time in 80 years, Newsweek is publishing a dedicated European edition. Working with over 100 correspondents worldwide, Newsweek Europe offers in-depth reporting, award-winning photography and a global perspective on current affairs.

Newsweek are offering alumni an exclusive subscription discount on their Europe edition in both print and digital. To take advantage of this offer visit: newsweek.com/kingsalumni

Considering returning to work?Women Returners are the UK experts in supporting professional women to return to work after an extended career break.

Alumnae receive a 10 per cent discount on all return to work coaching programmes for the academic year 2014-15. To find out more email [email protected] or visit wrpn.womenreturners.com/coaching

20.02.2015

Why men are killing themselves

The trouble with men

Bridging the gap after university Mind The Gap Coaching support people in their 20s and 30s to help bridge the gap between leaving education and moving onto the next stage of your life. King’s alumni are offered 10 per cent discount on our 1-2-1 coaching services.

To book a free session visit mtgcoaching.co.uk/clarity-session and mention ‘King’s College London alumni offer’ or email [email protected]

Onlinealumni.kcl.ac.uk

facebook.com/KCLalumni

twitter.com/KCLalumniKing’s Alumni is also on LinkedIn


Class notes

While we make every effort to verify the information here, which is selected and edited for space, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. If you have concerns over any content, please contact the Alumni Office. You can update your personal records at Alumni Online. Visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk

Chelsea CollegeMalcolm Stein

Pharmacy, 1967Still working as a locum. Married for 43 years with one son and two grandsons. Driving a Morgan for fun!

Dr Zulfikarali J A Alibhai (now Nag ji)

Pharmacy, 1978 I am still practising as a pharmacist (part-time) and am a senior University Lecturer and Research Fellow. With God’s immense grace, mercy and benevolence, life is good, simple and satisfying.

Matthew Guntrip

Biology, 1982 First solo CD First Cut released in 2014.

Next CD Woman is due for release in March 2015 on iTunes and CD Baby (mattguntrip.com).

Guy’sDr Roderick Stevens

Dentistry, 1955 As a past National President of the Round Table Association of Great Britain, I still have a fairly busy life as a speaker at their dinner and AGM.

Dr Charles Wallace

Medicine, 1955 I will be retiring from active practice in June 2015, ending a medical career that has lasted almost 60 years and a medical partnership with Nurse Practitioner Maggie Visscher of around 40 years. After a lengthy period in the RCAF, I established a medical practice in Zurich and later in Bayfield, and established the Bluewater Rest Home in Zurich. Since 1975, Maggie and I have combined our skills to care for the people of Bayfield and Bluewater. We have continued to make house calls to patients, long after it was

common practice for doctors to do so.

Frederick Chate

Dentistry, 1965 Had a pulmonary endarterectomy in November 2013 then discovered I had pulmonary hypertension. Since review of medication in June 2014, I lost 7kg in two weeks and I’m now able to have a good quality of life. One thing that pleases me: Ryanair has to take my mobility scooter FREE.

Arthur Morris

Medicine, 1965 I have just completed 20 years as a visiting volunteer in Kumasi, Ghana and have set up a reconstructive plastic surgery service there. From a standing start, we have established a full burn unit treating 150 severe burns a year and 1,500 surgical procedures per year.

Dr Martin Wheeley

Medicine,1972 Happily retired after two years as a GP, followed by 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry, the last 22 years in drug safety. Now devoted to grandparenting.

Dr Sarah Hands

Medicine, 1979 Recently became a granny for the first time.

Dr Chris Stephens

Medicine, 1979 I have worked in the NHS since 1979, and at the University of Southampton since 1994. I led the team expanding the medical student numbers, working with different NHS partners, as well as colleagues abroad, to create new programmes and develop their medical curriculum. I moved from being a practitioner doing a bit of education in my early career, to an educator doing a bit of general practice now. I will certainly miss students, friends and colleagues but it will be a good transition to the next stage of my life. I’m married and have three daughters and two grandchildren.

Dr Alison Gardiner

Medicine, 1981 I married Adam Sawyer (Guy’s, Medicine, 1981) in 1986. We now have four children, aged 24, 22, 16 and 14. I became a GP and left the NHS in

Vinita Marwaha Madill

She hasn’t travelled into space yet, but Marwaha Madill (Mathematics and Physics with Astrophysics, 2008) wants to make sure there will be women astronauts in the decades to come.

‘I’ve always been interested in space, and I think it’s been a passion of mine from a young age,’ she says. ‘I told my physics teacher when I started secondary school in Year 7 that I wanted to do physics at university.’

While she has worked for the European Space Agency and currently serves on the leadership team for the Space Generation Advisory Council, an NGO that links university students and young professionals on space policy issues, for now she’s very much on the ground. She works for a Canadian company that’s developing smart road technology through an intelligent traffic light system that can track all vehicles in a city and predict which routes they’re likely to follow.

Following her studies at King’s, Madill earned a master’s in Astronautics and Space Engineering

Rocket fuelat Cranfield University and a second master’s in Space Management from the International Space University in Strasbourg.

‘During my time at King’s and the rest of my education, then working at the European Space Agency and the German agency, I met some amazing people – especially other positive female role models,’ she says.

Her passion is to inspire other women to become involved in the space industry, while at the same time making positive role models more visible to girls from a young age. Her website Rocket Women (rocket-women.com) is dedicated to encouraging teenage girls and young women to pursue careers in the space industry, and she regularly speaks at schools. This advocacy prompted the magazine Elle India to feature her in its recent ‘Geek’ issue, alongside a variety of other inspiring female role models.

‘You really need those role models out there and visible to inspire the next generation of young girls to become an astronaut, or be whatever they want to be.’


I returned to the UK and am now enjoying work in a non-clinical role. Awarded an OBE in 2014 for my work with the Afghan National Security Forces developing a trauma centre in camp Shorabak, Helmand.

King’s College London

The Revd John Ouless

Theology, 1949 Shot with Cambridge Officers Training Corps (303), 1950. War service RAF 1941-46. Married for 60 years, companion to widowed friend for last eight years. Now aged 92.

Gilbert Jackson

German with French, 1950 My main concern nowadays is to retain the large amount of piano music I have committed to memory. I am now in my late 80s and hope for a few more productive years!

Pauline Beard (now Cox)

Latin with English, 1952 Started as junior Latin teacher at a girls’ public school (not what I wanted to do). Worked in BBC in drama auditions department, then did market research. Met my husband on Epsom Downs golf course and married in September 1955. Daughter born in 1956, son born in 1960. Sadly lost my husband in 2007. Heart condition due to virus discovered in 2008, pericardiectomy in 2010.

Malcolm Sargent

German with French, 1955 I’ve taught German throughout my working life. I’d like to catch up with my fellow classmates (through the Alumni Office) to find out what they have been doing since 1955!

Hilary Fletcher (now Kemmett)

French, 1957 I keep busy with local activities, being publicity member for garden and art clubs and choir. I sing and write songs, also mainly humorous poetry which I’ve self-published and used to raise funds for our doctors’ surgery appeal. We now have a (step) great-grandson and an older grandson at Birmingham University.

You can view lots of fabulous old class photographs at alumni.kcl.ac.uk

The Revd Canon Thomas Williamson

Theology, 1957 I take great pleasure in meeting up with some former Plats residents (1954-1956) every September at a venue organised by a group member around the UK. I joined Malcolm Rowson and his wife for his 80th birthday at Warwick. Leslie Owen, Dr Elizabeth Brennard, The Revd Roy Barker and John Leonard Williams are no longer with us, but Neil Price, (James) David Swain, Ken Gregory, Peter Brooks, Valerie Williams and Betty Owen met for three days in Eastbourne this year. Liverpool next year. My grandson graduated in History at King’s in 2013.

David Hodgson

Law, 1958 After a rewarding life in Law and the building society movement (chairman of Beverley Building Society, 1994-2007), I’m now in retirement overlooking Hornsea

Golf Course and continuing my lifelong addiction to the game.

The Revd Martyn Wratten

Theology, 1958 Now in my 20th year of retirement, I’ve joined the team of volunteer chaplains at Taunton’s Musgrave Park Hospital. My wife and I spent a memorable week in Assisi at the end of May 2014.

The Revd Ian Monks

German with French, 1960 I retired from being the head of a large Modern Languages Department in 1993 and was ordained. I am now a curate at St Pauls, Woodford Bridge in Essex.

Sydney Leleux

Chemistry, 1961 A project I undertook to research the history of the internal railway system at Southam cement works, begun in 1959

1998 to set up my own private GP unit in Bournemouth. I also broadcast sporadically on Radio Litopia, blog at alisongardiner1.com and write books.

KCHSSChristina Morgan (now Kitchen)

Social Science, 1948 Retired teacher. Still in touch with KCHSS colleagues, Sheila Free (Livesey, 1945-48) and Ailsa Melton (McLellan 1945-48).

Ailsa McLellan (now Melton)

Household & Social Sciences, 1948 Two members of a group of six former KCHSS students who first met in Leicester, in 1946, recently had lunch together in a local Sidcup restaurant. Later we were able to speak on the phone to two of our surviving friends. Marvellous!

KCSMDDr Cleo Van Velsen

Medicine, 1984 Consultant Psychiatrist in a forensic personality disorder service based in London.

Dr Ian Flude

Medicine, 1985 Retired from the NHS after 29 years. Moved to County Kerry, Ireland in 2014 to keep sheep and bees.

Dr R Elwin (now MacGregor)

Medicine, 1986 Took early retirement from the NHS after 27 years in 2013. I worked in community paediatrics (initially in Leeds, and, from 1999, in Taunton) with a particular focus on children with disabilities and behaviour problems, especially autism. I intend to start training Early Years practitioners in child development and disability. Married to an accountant, my two children are now 20 and 22.

Dr Joanna Keogh (now Leason)

Medicine, 1998 After over 12 months in Afghanistan,

Buzzing and growingcalculates how much you’ve billed; we were the first company to reach six figures and we did this within 18 months. This status has resulted in more traffic and so each month we are growing – we have gone from one client to over 80.’

Determined to give back to King’s and help students stand out when they graduate, Social Buzzing is in discussions with King’s to create an internship scheme. This will allow King’s students to work for the company alongside their degree.

‘I learnt a lot at King’s,’ says Whitaker. ‘I was there for three years and really enjoyed it so it is nice to give back, not only to the university but also to the students that are coming through.’

And for anyone considering following in Whitaker’s footsteps? ‘Go for it,’ she says. ‘It’s about having the confidence to do it and King’s gave me that confidence.’For more information go to: www.social buzzing.co.uk

Vanessa Whitaker

A shining example that the route to success can take many different paths is King’s alumna Vanessa Whitaker. Faced with an ever-competitive job market, and boosted by the skills and knowledge harnessed during her degree, Whitaker was inspired to found her own business, Social Buzzing.

‘I applied for lots of jobs and didn’t get them, but there are different options out there,’ she says. ‘If you want to start a business, you can make it in these times.’

Social Buzzing works with clients to create, develop and implement social media management strategies. It enables them to grow their business and presence online, and was born out of her enjoyment of the marketing, entrepreneurship and social media modules covered during her Business Management degree.

Demonstrating its leadership status in the sector, Social Buzzing won a prestigious award from People Per Hour, an online marketplace where businesses and individuals buy or sell unique services. ‘The award was for top seller status,’ says Whitaker. ‘You are billed through the website and it


has finally been published as Warwickshire Lime & Cement Works Railways. To honour the spirit of a promise made at the time, a copy has been given to the College Library. I would be interested to hear from any former chemists, or members of the Railway Club or Rover Crew.

The Revd Dr Colin Beevers

Electrical Engineering, 1962 After 20 years with Shell International, I was ordained in Hereford Cathedral in 1989. Married to Ann (English, 1964), we celebrate our Golden wedding anniversary in July 2015. Was recently Chaplain on a world cruise.

The Revd Canon Derek Carpenter

Theology, 1962 Celebrated the 50th anniversary of my ordination as a priest in June 2014, with

services in my last parish of St. George’s Beckenham and the parish where I now live, St. James’s East Malling, Kent. Have now been retired longer than I was in any parish!

Dr Victoria Dawson (now Joyce)

English, 1963 Married Geoff Joyce (Physics 1962) in 1965. Now retired from University of Greenwich. I have two children and five grandchildren. Enjoying theatre, art, travel. Member of University of the Third Age in Sevenoaks.

Professor James Hulbert

Nuclear Physics, 1964 Raced at Le Mans Classic, working on 3rd edition of one of my books, leading vintage art tours of Eastern Europe. Still teaching at Peking University.

Alan Hagedorn

Education, 1968 I have started a blog for latest news: thegreatnorthhum.wordpress.com

The Revd Dr Ian Duffield

Theology, 1971 I retired in 2013 after 40 years in parish ministry and continue to supervise PhD students at the Urban Theology Unit for degrees awarded by Birmingham University and Manchester University.

The Rt Revd Ian Palmer

Theology, 1971 From February 2013 the Bishop of Bathurst in the Anglican Church of Australia.

Dr Stephen Lee

Aquatic Resource Management, 1972 I am a founding member and a Past President of King’s College London Alumni Singapore Society (KCLASS) and was awarded a Public Service Star medal with a BBM title, during the National Day Award 2014 by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

The Revd Ian Robb

Theology, 1972 After 42 years in full-time ordained ministry, I have now retired. Jill and I still live in Gloucestershire so as to be within reasonable distance of our children and grandchildren; I help out in various local churches, and our new garden is keeping us busy.

Professor David Young

Musicology, 1972 Since October 2014, Vice Chancellor of East African University Rwanda and Professor of Performance Studies at Kampala University.

Dr Michael Cohler

Physics, 1973 Thirty-five years after becoming an academic, and having been a lecturer in Physics at York University for 25 years, I became a senior citizen and retired. Having also spent 20 years as a private pilot, my interests now are in ballroom and Latin dance, spending time with my children and four grandchildren. I also administer Linux computers to keep their systems secure.

Catherine Bown (now Forsythe)

History, 1973 Just moved to Scotland to be near family. Very busy decorating new house and looking after my granddaughter Aeryn. Looking forward to rearranging the garden!

Hewan Ormson

Chemistry, 1973 Happily retired to Wales after 40 years of teaching.

Professor Joan Magor (now Beaumont)

War Studies, 1975My recent history, Broken Nation: Australians and the Great War (Allen & Unwin, 2013), was joint winner of the 2014 Prime Minister’s Literary Award (Australian History), winner of the 2014 New South Wales Premier’s Prize (Australian History) and winner of the 2014 Queensland Literary Award for History.

Dr Frank Hoffman

History, 1980 PhD, Philosophy of Religion, 1981. Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of Ethnic Studies. Guest Editor of the November 2013 issue of Asian Philosophy. Completed term as Chair Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium.

James Laing

Physiology, 1980 I was appointed as Medical Director of ABM University Health board in April 2014 and continue to chair the South Wales Sarcoma Service.

John Parr

War Studies, 1982 Moved to Ireland to write.

Dr Carole Hanbidge

German with French, 1983 Retired on grounds of ill-health (multiple sclerosis).

Douglas Murgatroyd

War Studies, 1987 Fully retired, now garden and play golf. Holidays – mostly golfing with friends from Rowlands Castle Golf Club and with my wife (latest to Zambia to visit my daughter, working in Lusaka).

Class notes

Jonathan Maitland

Dead Sheep is a political drama exploring the relationship between Margaret Thatcher and Geoffrey Howe, her one-time friend and political soul mate. Howe’s speaking skills had been unfavourably likened to those of a “dead sheep”, but it was his infamous House of Commons speech during Thatcher’s time in office which triggered her political demise.

Jonathan Maitland remembers the speech vividly: ‘You knew when you were watching it that it was dynamite. What was amazing about it was that it was dynamite from the most unlikely source.’

Captivated by the relationship between the two politicians, Maitland feels it has largely been overlooked by film and theatre. ‘They always glossed over the story of Geoffrey Howe, and Thatcher’s relationship with him,’ he says. ‘I think you have one of the most exciting, interesting and revealing relationships. I thought: “If I don’t write this part of the story, someone else will.”’

Structured around both real and imagined events, Maitland found the creative process hugely rewarding, but also challenging: ‘Once I established the framework and plot, it just spilled out of me. My issue was actually writing too much and trying to shape it.’ He was aided in this

Renaissance man

process however, by using the skills learnt during his studies. He explains: ‘Law is about taking huge swathes of information, reducing it towards a core and seeing the nub of something, and certainly that’s what writing’s about.’

Maitland’s time at King’s, where he was an active member of the College’s theatre scene, also proved helpful in getting the play off the ground. ‘When discussing the play with the cast and crew I felt quite at home, because the principles that I adhered to when I was at King’s are the same,’ he says. ‘It’s about creativity, working with others and really enjoying being completely immersed in it. My time at King’s was hugely helpful.’


Eva Pinthus

Education Studies, 1987 I am nearly ninety years old and retired! I do some pastoral work. I have time to listen! I’m the Quaker Representative in the West Yorkshires. I have a vast correspondence –over 200 letters at Christmas.

Dr Penelope Hollingbury (now Carson)

History, 1988 My book The East India Company and Religion was published by Boydell & Brewer in 2012.

Chris Dixon (now Kurihara-Dixon)

French, 1988 I’ve lived in Japan for 27 years and am producing an album with my band Edward’s Operation. Author Susan K. Burton wrote a piece called Rent A Vicar about my work as a wedding celebrant in Japan. Undertook an MA in Creative Writing Anthologies, 2014.

Stephanie Hudson

Nutrition and Dietetics, 1989 Mother of two boys.

Simon Gillow (now Gillon)

French, 1990 I have published two ebooks on Amazon in 2014: Pictures at an Exhibition and Music and Identity.

Nadeem Arshad

Science, 1991 I have been at Aston Martin for the past 15 years, responsible for delivering climate control systems since 2000. I have also worked in Engine Cooling Systems. I am a Chartered Engineer and am introducing new refrigerant technologies at the company.

Fiona Miller (now Cockburn)

Engineering, 1992 After a successful career in TV, producing shows like The Bill and Doctors and then having two children, I now have a new career in intellectual property. I am a part-qualified trademark attorney and director of a patent agent in the Midlands.

Aquila Sharif

Physics, 1992 Currently working in private healthcare in UK.

Alfonso Frontera

Education, 1995 Currently working part-time as a lecturer, examiner and moderator. I have been semi-retired since 2001. It’s called not having a mortgage. I spend seven months of the year having free time, travelling and enjoying life!

Zumma Mohiuddin

Communications and Radio Engineering, 1995 Recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Chartered Institution of Engineering & Technology. I also founded and headed the business group in PTCL (largest telecom provider in Pakistan) that took broadband from just three cities to over a thousand locations in Pakistan. Currently the CEO and founder of Olive Lit Group of companies, which specialises in telecom management consultancy as well as social sector development. I hold an MBA from the University of Oxford. www.olivelit.com

Loic Heron

English Law and French Law, 1996 I have now joined a boutique law firm in


employment and labour law (MGG Legal) in Paris. Regards to all alumni, in particular those of the Anglo-French LLB.

Doreen Jones

Women & Religion, 1996 I studied at King’s for the MA in Women & Religion after I retired from a career teaching geography. Retired at 60, now aged 86.

Ruth Oshikanlu

Nursing Studies, 1996 I completed my nurse training at King’s several years ago and have gone on to build on this solid foundation by becoming a midwife, health visitor and a Queen’s Nurse. Last month, I made the list of the HSJ BME Pioneers 2014. As well as this, I was made a Fellow of The Institute of Health Visiting in October 2013, won the CPHVA Community Practitioner of The Year Award in March 2014 and The QNI Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Services to Community Nursing in May 2014. It’s been the best year of my career to date!

Paul Willott

War Studies, 1996 I’ve been driving for 17 years in London on the buses, serving also as elected trade union shop steward in my depot (Croydon) for the last 12 years. It’s been an exciting year in my personal life too, with a skiing trip to Meribel, hiking in Chamonix, and visits to Hamburg, Las Vegas, Prague, and Berlin. Life rocks!

The Revd Dr Sheryl Anderson

Philosophy of Religion, 1998 Now Chair of Liverpool Methodist District (Senior Leader in the Methodist Church).

Joanne Fisher (now Hobbs)

Pharmacology, 1998 Married to Steven. We have two wonderful sons, Nicholas and Jonathan. Working in pharmaceutical industry.

Gavin Hall

War Studies, 1999 Embarking on a PhD at University of Birmingham examining the role of NATO in the provision of cyber security.

Dan Thomson

Having left home aged 17, Dan Thomson (Philosophy, 2012) is used to supporting himself. During his time at university, he not only remained employed the entire time, but also managed to launch his own business, Juice Club.

After gaining much experience in hospitality throughout sixth form, Thomson continued on that track by working for high-profile bars, events and festivals. It was during his first year at King’s that his entrepreneurial spirit surfaced.

‘I was extremely lucky to get an opportunity to open my own bar aged 21, called Zenna, on Dean Street in Soho,’ says Thomson. ‘I ran this whilst I was at university for the next two years, building up the business

Living a juicy lifehe says. ‘I’ve started seeing everything as a series of numbers, but understanding fruit and vegetable items by the amount they cost to produce each drink is fascinating.’

Comparing the direction of his career with the subject of his studies, Thomson credits his time at King’s as a strong contributing factor to his success.

‘Philosophy is the only thing keeping me sane! Lectures about happiness, purpose, money, ethics and general logical thinking have helped me separate myself from problems and working 24/7, so I can still have a life and enjoy myself without constantly having to think about work.’

With more sites for Juice Club in the development stage, along with running a fruit and vegetable delivery service called Squish and other business concepts in the pipeline, does Thomson have any other plans for the future?

‘Right now, everything’s pretty full on and I’m really enjoying my work, so I’m doing a lot of it,’ he says. ‘But sleep, hopefully!’

before I sold it back to my partners.’Following his success with Zenna,

Thomson was offered the position of General Manager at the renowned Milk & Honey members’ club. Inspired by the club’s policy of using only fresh juices in their cocktails, the ‘fresh meal replacement bar’, Juice Club, was born. What started at a

Saturday market has now been picked as a permanent pop up by Selfridges’ London and Manchester stores.

‘It worked for me,’ says Thomson. ‘The set-up is

similar to what I’d done before, it’s daytime hours and there’s less competition.’

Whilst Thomson has encountered many challenges along the way he is enthusiastic about

his new start-up venture.

‘I really love the business and financial side of the work,’


Class notes

Dr Alexis Bowers

Medicine, 2000 Consultant Psychiatrist and Lead Clinician for Adult Psychiatry for the Isle of Wight NHS Trust. Married with two daughters.

Andrea Bennett

Nursing Studies, 2001 I’ve now retired from nursing and am working/volunteering at a Tibetan refugee hospital in Dharamsala, India. When in England I live in Cornwall.

Toby Burns

War Studies, 2001 Spent the last six years in a specialist intelligence unit with a focus on international policing issues. I’m looking forward to further study and expanding my horizons. Would love to hear from any other 2001 War Studies alumni.

Matthew Goodman

Human Biology, 2001 My wife Angela (Biomedical Science,

2001) and I met at King’s and married in August 2010.

Angela developed a Group B streptococcus infection during her second trimester carrying our twins and was admitted to hospital at 20 weeks. We were told by the consultant that we needed a miracle to reach the viability stage of 23 weeks. On strict bed rest, Angela miraculously held on until 23 weeks + 5 days, giving birth to our son Oliver (weighing 550g) and daughter Sophia (weighing 525g). Oliver battled numerous infections, jaundice, a cardiac arrest and finally bacterial meningitis, which sadly proved fatal.

Sophia remained in intensive care

on a ventilator for the first two months of her life before contracting her first infection. In her third month, she contracted two further infections and developed a very serious and often fatal abdominal condition, necrotising enterocolitis. Eventually, the medical team managed to stabilise her condition for surgery. In addition to this, she developed an eye condition, retinopathy of prematurity, for which she had laser eye treatment.

Sophia is now recovering very well and is a healthy 3.4kg at two months old. We are looking forward to her coming home and starting normal family life.

Tannith Cattermole

Biological Sciences, 2002 I worked in interior design before travelling and moving to Australia where I worked in mining! On my return to the UK I returned to my love of the environment, working first for a sustainability charity and then for Interserve, where I work to help the government reach their Green commitments.

Ron Ingamells

The Revd Ron Ingamells AKC (Theology, 1956) discovered hockey as a teenager, captained the King’s XI and continues to follow the sport today.

‘I was fortunate to have started hockey at Skegness Grammar School and with the Skegness Hockey Club,’ he says. ‘In those days the team had six or seven county players and a superb pitch. The grass surfaces were very varied but Skegness was one of the best. I played for over 40 seasons and appreciated the all-weather surfaces near the end of my playing days.’

Revd Ingamells played while at King’s six decades ago. He captained the KCL Hockey team in his second year – playing against other London, Oxford and Cambridge colleges and a few clubs – and then was selected to play for the University of London in his final year.

‘The KCL season finished with a visit to Paignton for the Easter Festival,’ he says. ‘My memory of Paignton was six games, rough cider and blistered feet! But the hockey was fun!’

Revd Ingamells didn’t hang up his

A love for hockey

team,’ he says. He took up golf and continues to play about once a week at age 82.

Hockey, however, remains his passion, and he watches it whenever it’s available on TV. ‘It’s an underrated spectator sport,’ says Revd Ingamells. ‘It’s one of the fastest games going. The new rules have improved the game and made it so much faster.’

sticks when he graduated. He continued to enjoy hockey during his decades as a parish vicar, playing for teams in Leeds, Norfolk and Hertfordshire and organising a ‘Bishop’s XI’ team, comprised of local clergymen.

He stopped playing when he turned 60. ‘It’s a very fast and furious game, and I didn’t want to play in a lesser league, so I finished with a goodish

‘I would be very pleased to hear from any of the 1954 team,’ says Revd Ingamells, centre, front row. His email address is [email protected]

Dr Andrew Papanikitas

Medical Ethics and Law, 2002 Completed a PhD in medical education at King’s in May and graduated in July. Married Emma McKenzie-Edwards (Medicine, 2002) and living and working as an academic GP in Oxford. Main area of work is primary care ethics – do check our LinkedIn group!

Jasdeep Jas (now Bahra)

Clinical Dentistry, 2004 Addition to the family: daughter turned two years old in December 2014.

Shirley Birch

Public Health, 2004 Working for 10 months in sunny Gibraltar – happy days.

Phillipa Frankland

Physiotherapy, 2006 I left the NHS in August this year and set up my own business, Frankland Physiotherapy in Midhurst. Going well so far and enjoying the flexibility of being my own boss.

Anil Changaroth

Construction Law & Arbitration, 2006 Set up own practice Changaroth Chambers LLC in July 2014, representing parties in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Dealing primarily with commercial, civil, corporate and criminal litigation and dispute resolution, with a focus on construction industry-related mediation, adjudication and arbitration.

Robert Bullett

Modern History, 2007 Currently in the final year of a part-time Human Resource Management MA programme at the University of Westminster.

Deborah Cato

Midwifery, 2007Emigrated to Australia in February 2015.

Professor James Hacker Hughes

War and Psychiatry, 2007 I am a Visiting Professor and Director of the Institute of Veterans & Families at Anglia Ruskin University and President-Elect of the British Psychological Society.

The Goodman family



Sarah Shakir

Law, 2007 Recently left Norton Rose Fulbright LLP to join Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Limited as in-house legal counsel.

David Farrow

Geography, 2008 I am a social photographer, currently accumulating a body of work called The Absent Cost. This documents the disparate existence of UK coastal towns; regional crafts and trade that have been threatened by the emergence of globalisation in the last 50 years.

Ann King

Medical Law & Ethics, 2008Practicing as a Registered Intermediary since 2007, working with vulnerable witnesses who are required to give evidence to the police or courts. I have begun painting my observations and experiences of working with witnesses and my exhibition, Justice: Let’s Face It, will be at Birdwood House Gallery, Totnes17-24 October. For more information, contact 07787 112809 or visit www.annchesterking.com

Rowena Perkins (now Wakefield)

Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, 2008I got married to the producer of Cotswold TV, Tom Wakefield, in 2014, which we run together as a family business. I took part in Strictly Star at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham to raise money and awareness for the National Star College. Sadly, I didn’t win, but Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards was a worthy winner.

Anderson Yan

English & Academic Studies, 2008 I’m currently doing a PhD in Old Testament studies at King’s in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies.

Charles Fuz-Keeve

Law, 2009 Passed the New York Bar in 2013.

Philip Howard-Brand

English Language and Communication, 2009 Currently working for Fidelity Investments. Training people to do their jobs within client services. Enjoying life and living in Kingswood, Surrey.

Thinking globallyDev Pragad, Computer Systems and Electronics, 2005

What made King’s stand out to you when choosing a university?I wanted to study at a globally-minded institution with a strong academic reputation, and found King’s to be perfect for that. London is arguably the most international city in the world and King’s is located at the heart of London. The opportunities of such an institution were what convinced me. And in hindsight it was the best choice.

What attracted you to a Computer Science degree?At school, I excelled in Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. I was keen to do a degree that had the right mix of the three and found Electronic Engineering and Computer Systems to be the perfect fit.

Did you enjoy your time at King’s?Absolutely. I spent about seven years at King’s, starting with a BEng – which I completed with First Class honours – followed by a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering at the Centre for Telecommunications Research.

What is your current role?I am currently the Managing

Director, EMEA of IBT Media. I’m based at our London offices at Canary Wharf where we have approximately 100 staff. IBT Media is a global umbrella company comprising iconic brands such as Newsweek and innovative start-ups such as the International Business Times. My role involves overall strategic planning and development of the company and its commercial growth in EMEA.

How did you get to where you are now?While I was a student at King’s doing my PhD I became acquainted with Etienne Uzac who was then a student at LSE. He – along with his business partner Johnathan Davis – set up IBT Media in New York in 2006. When I completed my PhD in 2009 I had the opportunity to launch the global operations for IBT Media in UK and Asia. Since then the company has grown rapidly.

Do you have a motto?Aim high, never give up and

challenge yourself continuously.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to other alumni?My main advice would

be to think globally. The internet has broken

geographical boundaries and the world is fast becoming a single market.

Peymana Assadullah

Conflict Security and Development, 2012 I stood as a local government council candidate, and although I lost, I am involved in politics and campaign in my free time in the run up to the general election in 2015! I speak at events, am a commentator and blogger.

Toni Parker

Mathematics, 2012 I am running the 10k Race for Life for Cancer Research UK on July 20. Passed CT1-CT4 of the Actuarial Exams.

Martina Brablcova (now Pilatova)

Pre-Clinical Dentistry Research, 2012 On maternity leave.

Dr Silvia Camporesi

Philosophy, 2013 Please visit www.bioethicsandsociety.com

Queen Elizabeth College (QEC)

Patricia Hellins (now Garnham)

Household & Social Sciences, 1953 I was prompted to write after reading of the death of Donald Ross and his pioneering work on aortic valve replacement. I had an aortic valve replacement in 2010, without which I too would have been in the obituary columns. I started at KCHSS in 1950 but before I graduated in 1953 the College had metamorphosed into QEC. I keep in touch with June Waymouth (née Lloyd-Rees) and Sonya Teale (née Jones) and find time to drive for the local ‘Good Neighbours’ group taking those without transport to medical appointments. My eldest daughter, Sarah Peterson (née Graham) studied for her MSc at Chelsea College.

Huw Hughes

Nursing Studies, 1972 I am currently chairman of a local cancer charity. In the last 10 years, we have raised over £50,000 for local cancer treatment centres and hospices.

Jane Jackson (now Le Feuvre)

Biochemistry, 1972 Just had third hip replacement,

went very well. Third time lucky I hope.

Joyce Leckenby (now Mellors)

Nursing Studies, 1972 I enjoy very much receiving & reading In Touch.

St Thomas’Dr Isabel Johnson

Medicine, 1952 From a non-academic background I was privileged to be one of the first eight women students to qualify MBBS from St Thomas’ in 1952.

Dr Andrew Yates

Medicine, 1975 Recently retired from Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust. Now looking forward to a lot more sailing, travelling and seeing family and grandchildren.

Simon Hampson

Medicine, 1981On December 18, 2014 my daughter, Rebecca Leggate, gave birth to a son, Freddie James, at St Thomas’. Freddie’s birth is notable for the fact that both his grandfathers, myself and James Leggate, (Medicine, 1978) trained together at St Thomas’ in the 1970s. Interestingly, both of his grandmothers were also training at St Thomas’ at the same time.


On these pages we remember former students, staff and friends of King’s and its associated colleges and institutions. In Touch makes every effort to accommodate fitting tributes, and friends, family and former colleagues are welcome to submit obituaries to [email protected]. However, constraints occasionally mean we may have to edit the entries.

Margaret Hunter (née Bennett), King’s, English, 1955

Margaret held the title of Senior Woman Student during her final year at King’s, a position of great prestige at that time. She had outstanding acting ability and oratorical skills and took part in many drama productions and comedy revues during her time at King’s, as well as singing in the Chapel Choir. She went on to work for the BBC and always continued her connection with the theatre, directing and acting in many local productions in Surrey. In 1962 she married Robert Hunter, and they had two children, Robin and Ann.

Janet Ingamells (nee Bulgin), King’s, History, 1956

Possessing a glorious soprano voice, Janet Ingamells sang in the King’s Chapel Choir and later performed with the Broadland Singers and the Aldeburgh Festival Choir during the time of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Living in the east of England for much of her life, she regularly travelled to London to attend concerts and opera performances. She formed local choirs for the annual Women’s World Day of Prayers and on one occasion

accepted the challenge of creating a choir of non-singers to perform Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. When not performing, she spent her time passing on her love for music by giving piano lessons.

Chris Collins, King’s, Physics, 1983

The film production executive Chris Collins was a creative enabler and a sympathetic, pragmatic problem solver who won the respect of collaborators and peers across the British film industry. He was able to draw on a wide experience of differing forms of film production from experimental and arthouse

works to mainstream commercial successes. While at King’s he attended the weekly film nights, later enhanced by an evening class in film at St Martins School of Art, prompting him to find work at the ICA, and to become a runner for a production company.

In 1996 he joined BFI Production as a development and production executive, overseeing such titles as Carine Adler’s Under the Skin (1997) and John Maybury’s powerful drama Love is the Devil (1998), before striking out on his own, ultimately producing Francesca Joseph’s Tomorrow La Scala! (2002) and Sarah Gavron’s Brick

Lane (2007), among many other credits.

In 2007, he joined the UK Film Council, becoming senior production and development executive, helping to steer such films as Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights and Lasse Hallström’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (both 2011). ‘Chris was a rare man,’ says film-maker Paweł Pawlikowski, who worked with him on My Summer of Love (2004). ‘He took on the most underfunded and challenging films and directors. In the face of disasters, he kept his sangfroid and wit. He was always the last man standing. The world feels emptier without him.’

Bonham-Carter) History, 1947 David Nisbett Civil Engineering, 1948 John Gratwick Physics, 1948 Neville Jones Geography, 1950 Philip Clarke Chemistry, 1950 Denis Hawkins Mathematics and Physics, 1950 Ronald Bristow Civil Engineering, 1951 The Revd Kenneth Toovey Theology, 1951 The Revd Norman Smith Theology, 1952The Venerable David Jenkins Theology, 1952 Russell Gwilliam Geography, 1952 Colin Holbrook Physics 1952 Jane Mancus (latterly Rosaman) Geography, 1953 Hugh Proctor Electronics, 1953 Professor Geoffrey Chester Mathematics, 1954 Edward Ruddock Engineering, 1954

Dr Richard Pearce Medicine, 1972 Dr William Pickering Medicine, 1973Heather Hatty Subject and year unknownMarjorie Hansen Dentistry, year unknown

King’s College LondonThomas Ellwood Mathematics, 1939Dr Kenneth Glynn History, 1940Dr Joan Verney-Boys (latterly Chessher) French, 1940 Dr Leslie Hale Zoology, 1940 Dr David Leete Electrical Engineering, 1941 Barbara Clark Mathematics, 1942 Alwyn Carruthers Mathematics, 1945 Sir John Tavare Civil Engineering, 1946 Jack Rodin Civil Engineering, 1947 Lady Diane Madden (latterly

Dr Brian Levy Dentistry, 1971 Lindsay Koo Seen Lin Medicine, 1977 John Taylor Medicine, 1977 Paul Goslin Dentistry, 1980

Institute Of PsychiatryDr Martha Davies Psychological Medicine, 1961 Dr Zaida Megrah (latterly Hall) Psychological Medicine, 1967

KCSMD Denis Smith Dentistry, 1945 Professor Arnold Sladen Medicine, 1952 Dr Alec Whitmore Medicine, 1956 Dr Derek Henderson Dentistry, 1963 Anthony Summers Dentistry, 1964 Revd Peter Wallis Medicine, 1965 Dr Peter Gentle Medicine, 1967

Chelsea CollegeGeorge Smallwood Pharmacy, 1958 William Crawford Mathematics, 1958 Terence Davies Mathematics, 1968 John Newman Education, 1981

Guy’sJeffery Attale Dentistry, 1945Dr Kenneth Simpson Medicine, 1949 Dr John Parsons Medicine, 1950 Dennis Middleditch Dentistry, 1954 Dr Frank Mansfield Medicine, 1958 Dr Jennifer Whitlock Medicine, 1959 Dr Joyce Meyer (latterly Vale) Medicine, 1959 Anthony Seare Dentistry, 1960 Malcolm Iles Dentistry, 1961 Dr George Ross Medicine, 1968 Guy Standring Dentistry, 1969

Countryside campaignerThe Duke of Wellington

A countryside campaigner with a distinguished war record, Valerian Wellesley, the 8th Duke of Wellington, devoted much of his energy to preserving Stratfield Saye, the Hampshire estate of his ancestor, the 1st Duke, the hero of Waterloo.

A courteous and reticent man, Valerian was educated at Eton and New College, Oxford. His parents had separated when he was a boy, his mother having left to become a lover of the writer Vita Sackville-West. He joined the army at the start of the Second World War, fighting chiefly in the Middle East and in 1941 winning the Military Cross.

The army accounted for much of the rest of his life. In 1954 he became

the lieutenant-colonel commanding the Royal Horse Guards, followed by spells as Silver Stick in Waiting and lieutenant-colonel commanding the Household Cavalry, commander of the 22nd Armoured Brigade, and commander of the RAC 1st (British) Corps. From 1964 to 1967 he was defence attaché in Madrid.

He succeeded as Duke of Wellington on the death of his father in 1972. He quickly set about renovating Stratfield Saye, which had been sadly neglected, and after much work and planning, he opened the house and country park to the public in 1974. He also threw himself into the contemporary battle for the general preservation of the countryside through organisations including the Game Conservancy, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust,

the Council for Environmental Conservation, the Atlantic Salmon Trust and the Zoological Society of London. He was also a director of the tractor-making firm Massey Ferguson.

Obituaries


Professor Keith Patchett Law, 1955 The Revd Michael Hill Theology, 1955 Victor Jordan Law, 1956Ian Priddy Education Studies, 1956 Douglas Smith History, 1957 Robert McLeod Mathematics, 1957 Timothy Parker Electrical Engineering, 1960Emeritus Professor John Cloudsley-Thompson Zoology, 1960 Kenneth Bandy Philosophy, 1960 Della Walker (latterly Platten) Geography, 1961 Richard Stedman German with French, 1961 Dr Nicholas Beattie Education, 1961John Strickland Chemistry, 1962 Peter Harrison Theology, 1962John Godfrey Spanish, 1962 The Revd Andrew Rowe Theology, 1962

Thomas Guy Martin Wood Theology, 1962Professor John Hinnells Theology, 1964 Susan Rouse French, 1965 The Revd Michael Nelson Theology, 1966 Mark Tompsett Mathematics and Physics, 1973 The Revd Frederick Stevens Theology and Religious Studies, 1978Jane Gibbins (latterly Roberts)Law, 1979 Sigrid Burridge Biochemistry, 1981 Alex Gibson Law, 1996 Sonia Anderson (latterly Fenner) Nursing Studies, 1999 Diana Fyfe Classical Studies and Byzantine Studies, 1999 Dr Sian Lim Pharmaceutics, 2001

James Levy Construction Law and Arbitration, 2001 Edmund Perry Hispanic Studies, 2006 Nicole Levy American Studies with Year Abroad, 2007 Malka Shindler Human Sciences, 2007 Dr David Fisher War Studies Research, 2010 Navita Tanda Biomedical Science, 2010 Sagar Patil Pharmacy, 2011 Dr Vrushali Deshmukh (latterly Patil) Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, 2011 Aaron Gurmail Dentistry BDS, 2014 Joshua Amesbury Physics, year unknown Kathleen Davies (latterly Hall) Physiotherapy, year unknown Dr Phylis Stevens (latterly Gardner) Medicine, year unknown Nicola Hood Medicine, year unknown

An inspirational choirmasterDavid Trendell

Arriving at King’s as College Organist and Lecturer in Music in 1992, David Trendell became an inspirational Director of Music and a much-loved figure among faculty and students alike. Widely respected within the world of choral music, he developed the Chapel Choir into one of the finest in the country, much feted on its international tours.

Full of infectious enthusiasm and juxtaposing a gentle nature with rigorous standards, he was a natural teacher. He performed with the Choir what he taught in his lectures and his love of 16th-century music led to acclaimed recordings of William Byrd, John Taverner and Spanish Renaissance polyphony.

As his friend, the conductor Paul Brough, recalls: ‘It was the fusion of his scholarship and his recordings that was so potent.’ But he could wear that scholarship lightly, and singers might realise only at the last minute that the work they were to perform had not been sung for 500 years. He was a highly regarded record producer too, with a calm presence and a fine ear, and worked with numerous choirs, including the Clerks’ Group, Oxford Camerata and Schola Cantorum of Oxford.

He was devoted to the church, which he had served since boyhood. Born in Devon, he moved to Norwich and enrolled at the age of seven in the Cathedral choir.

He could have focused on singing but accepted an organ scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, which allowed him also to run the choir. He became assistant organist at Winchester College, later returning to Oxford as organist of the University Church.

At King’s, he succeeded Ernie Warrell, who had been director since 1953, and immersed himself in the rich church music tradition of the capital. He was Director of Music at St Bartholomew the Great in the City from 1996 to 2009 and latterly at St Mary’s, Bourne Street. A bright and engaging colleague, he was also an exuberant raconteur and a true bon vivant. As one friend observed: ‘He loved visiting Paris, spoke fluent French and was insulted to be handed a menu in English.’ In London, he enjoyed entertaining friends at the Athenaeum Club.

He died in his sleep at home, only hours after completing a Choir rehearsal in Chapel. It was typical of David that his last act should have been in keeping with his life-long desire to pass on his extraordinary musical ability to younger generations.

‘As well as an outstanding musician I remember David as such a kind and caring leader of the choir who made the experience such fun,’ recalls one former chorister. ‘One of my lasting memories of David was how he could sing our starting notes from soprano to bass – at pitch!’

RDHProfessor Geoffrey Howe Dentistry, 1946 John Stenholm Dentistry, 1954

St Thomas’Dr James Monk Medicine, 1941 Dr Michael Coigley Medicine, 1947 Dr Arthur Ferguson Medicine, 1947 Dr Donald Laird Medicine, 1952 Dr Alexander Cavenagh Medicine, 1956 Dr John Nocton Medicine, 1961 Dr N Omerod (latterly Davey) Medicine, 1967Dr Jill Ryder Medicine, 1968 Dr Roger Moss Medicine, 1969 Dr Richard Aldridge Medicine, 1974 Dr Susan Haigh Medicine, 1981 Dr Patricia O’Connell (latterly Bunning) Medicine, 1982

Dr Alex Inglis

A distinguished staff member for many years, Dr Alex Inglis was the last in the line of distinguished King’s dental deans prior to the merger of the then King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry and the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’ (UMDS). He succeeded Professor Frank Ashley and became the second dean of the new Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Dental Institute (GKT) and remained so until his retirement, at which time he was the longest serving dental dean ever in the United Kingdom.

With a management style based on charm, persuasion and loyalty, his achievements were immense. With staff working harmoniously on three sites, he helped establish the successful integrated five-year GKT undergraduate programme, introduced team training for undergraduates and championed distance learning, making King’s a leader in that field. He achieved all of this while balancing the books during a difficult phase in the evolution of the Dental Institute.

Margaret E M O’Flynn (Foley)

Margaret O’Flynn (née Boulton, formerly Foley), known professionally as Margaret Foley, was a consultant gynaecologist who devoted most of her career to the development and improvement of contraception, the sexual health of women and management of the menopause, starting at a time when the level of such services was poor. In 1970 she was awarded her FRCOG, becoming, with John Foley, the first husband and wife Fellows of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

She studied for her second MB at King’s College Hospital Medical School during the Second World War, partly in Glasgow, during its temporary relocation, and partly in Blitz-ravaged London. She qualified in April 1943 and in her second year of obstetrics and gynaecology she began working with John Peel – the start of a mentorship and friendship that was to last until his death at 101 in 2005. John encouraged her to take her DRCOG quickly as a stepping-stone towards her MRCOG, which she was awarded in 1949.

Between 1949 and 1952, she was a senior registrar at the South London Hospital for Women, where she became a consultant. But she left the post to follow her husband to Portsmouth, where he took up a rare

consultant appointment. She began to focus on the then

pitifully small area of contraception. Her first success was to achieve limited free contraception for women and she oversaw the opening of new clinics in disused buildings, which doctors and nurses often had to clean before starting work. Later she set up the Ella Gordon Unit, a new clinic at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth. Here she created annual training weekends for family planning doctors and GPs, calling on the expertise of her distinguished medical friends for teaching, including Sir John Peel, Sir John Stallworthy, Dame Josephine

Barnes, Mr Michael Kettle and others.In 1976, she took a year’s leave of

absence and became consultant gynaecologist at the newly commissioned Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi. In the same year, she was offered by St Mary’s Paddington the position of first Consultant in Contraception and Sexual Health of Women. However, by this time following the death of John Foley in 1972, she had remarried Garry O’Flynn, a GP, so she instead returned to the Portsmouth area where she continued her work as head of Contraceptive and Sexual Health services for the region until she retired.

Adrian Tyndall, King’s, Law, 2000

While studying for his degree at King’s, Adrian Tyndall won the Hickling Prize in Industrial Law and the King’s College Prize in Legal History. After achieving a distinction in his postgraduate legal practice course in 2001, he undertook a two-year training contract with Eversheds, before founding EL&I, an employment specialist. An experienced advocate, he appeared in the Employment Tribunal more than 60 times. He authored ‘Patriotism and Principles: Order 1305 and the Betteshanger Strike of 1942’.

40 IN TOUCH AUTUMN 2014 40 IN TOUCH SPRING 2015

One of the most distinctive writers of his generation

Dannie Abse, King’s, Medicine, 1950

The award-winning poet and author Dannie Abse was widely regarded as one of Wales’s finest modern writers. A popular choice in homes and schools, he wrote extensively in various forms, despite working long hours as a doctor.

He was born in Cardiff into a Welsh Jewish family, the youngest of four; his elder brother, Leo, became the flamboyant Labour MP for Pontypool. His first book of poetry was published while he

co-edited books – together. When Joan died in a car accident in 2005, he struggled to come to terms with her death, but eventually wrote about his grief in the book The Presence, which went on to win him the Wales Book of the Year award in 2008.

He was president of the Welsh Academy of Letters and was awarded a CBE from the Queen for services to poetry and literature in 2012. He had great personal charm and a wide circle of friends in Britain and the US, where he was visiting poet at Princeton.

was still training as a doctor at King’s and Westminster hospital. Soon after qualifying in 1950, he served as a medical officer in the RAF, then went to the Middlesex Hospital, where he stayed for the rest of his medical career, as specialist in charge of the chest clinic at the Central Medical Establishment.

He wrote various autobiographical novels, memoirs and plays, but was best known for his poetry, which became longer and more ambitious over time. In 1951 he married Joan, an art historian and author; they produced three children – and two

Obituaries

LONDON & ME EAST END MEMORIES

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Having once owned a car with the number plate KCL 871, I felt in 1963 that King’s was the right place to start studying theology. The Dean sent three of us theologs to live at Talbot

House on Tower Hill to spread a little Christian influence. I didn’t achieve much in that respect, but by being there I was introduced to London’s East End. Part of the house, headquarters of the charity Toc H, lay within the boundary of Stepney.

One day, I felt an invitation to explore Stepney and find that the Lord was there. The way into this unknown territory was provided by the Stepney Old People’s Welfare Association. Olive Wagstaff, a devoted social worker at Limehouse Town Hall and later at Toynbee Hall, gave volunteers a list of names and addresses. We were to discover if there were any needs the association could address. The main benefit was to give people someone to talk to for a few minutes.

Through the visits I met a number of Jewish people. Their community had blessed that part of London for many decades. Walking along Montague Street at Whitechapel, I absorbed the wonderful atmosphere conveyed by the businesses and the architecture. Buying clothes

at the Gardner’s Corner store was a reminder

of the skills and hardships of those in the ‘rag trade.’ My Jewish doctor was pleased to discuss the controversial book Honest to God with me.

I spent my second year at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, an oasis near Limehouse Station. From there I cycled around the Isle of Dogs before Canary Wharf had been dreamt of, joined West Ham fans at Victoria Park after the FA Cup victory, discovered pre-Olympic Park Stratford East and found a moving generosity for charity while collecting in a nearby block of flats for displaced families. One of the women at the flats remembered the days when Jack the Ripper was causing terror. Across Commercial Road from the foundation was the Methodist East End Mission. I regularly visited to volunteer at meetings organised by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

I will always treasure the warmth of the people who lived in the East End, many of whom were not churchgoers but showed so much fruit of the spirit. Without King’s sending us out to find accommodation, I may not have had those life-affirming experiences.

Our third year was spent at Vincent Square in Westminster, but that, as they say, is another story.

Local business fronts in Montague Street in 1961

Revd Jim Knights AKCTheology, 1966

IS...To see the full programme of events and to book your place,please visit alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-weekend, emailor call .

WEEKEND

12th Annual

12 - 14 June 2015

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ROAD TRIP OFA LIFETIMEKING’S AT THEFOREFRONT OFDISCOVERY

ON THEFRONT LINEOF THEEBOLA CRISIS

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in touch spring 2015

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