Alumnus Sir John Benger (1979, English; Master 2023) began his term as the 40th Master of St Catharine’s on 1 October 2023, following his election earlier this year. Arriving at the College at the same time as a new intake of students, Sir John had the opportunity to experience Freshers’ Week for the second time and to reflect on the similarities and differences between his first week in 1979 and his return in 2023. He comments:
“My time as an undergraduate at St Catharine’s was really important in my life. I still sometimes reflect on what I learned and experienced here, and some of my closest friends are friends from Catz. Much has changed over the intervening years but lots is reassuringly the same: new arrivals meet and socialise with other students, are welcomed with a dinner provided by the College, have a group photograph with other Freshers, and meet the academics who will support their studies. Above all, what I’ve found to be the same is the warmth and friendliness of this College community.”
Moving in
“By the evening Sunday 30 September, pretty much all our Freshers (both undergraduates and postgraduates) had made their way to Cambridge. I had a few days head start on them so I got to see a familiar flurry of boxes and suitcases arriving with students from the railway station or being dropped off by car.
“My room during my first year at Catz was on the main/Island site (in Hobson's) and I was actually on the same staircase as my older brother, David (1977, Music). Little did I know back in 1979 that within a few decades I would be actually moving into the Master’s Lodge across the way! Unpacking familiar items from home (I was based in South London before the move) has helped me settle into life at Catz, as I’m sure many of our Freshers have found.”
Sir John outside the Master's Lodge (credit: Elodie Giuge)
The Master's Lodge (credit: Cambridge TV)
A preview of the new development at St Chad’s
“The St Chad’s site on Grange Road opened in 1981, during my time as an undergraduate at Catz, but I never actually lived there. Over the years it has been developed further, culminating in the brand-new student houses (Belfield House and Silver House) that the College has built in a little over a year with sustainability and accessibility in mind. An invitation to tour the houses before students moved in was not to be missed! I walked around what was still a very busy construction site as contractors made the finishing touches to the beautiful new accommodation nestled amongst the trees on the corner with West Road. It was also a real honour to show Silver House to the family of the late Dr Marian Silver (1978), our first female Fellow, and hear their memories of her time at Catz.”
Left–right: Freya Vos and Robin Gruen, Dr Silver's grandson; Nick Parks; Jenny Willis, Dr Silver's great niece and St Catharine's alumna (2009, Law); Janet Hunter, Dr Silver's daughter; Professor Angus Silver, Dr Silver's son; Professor Ian Silver, Dr Silver's husband; and Sir John.
The induction ceremony
“After working for 37 years in Parliament, you might think that I’m no stranger to pomp and ceremony. Even so, I was still a tiny bit apprehensive before the ceremony in Chapel that officially installed me as Master. It was perplexing that my first interaction with the Fellowship was going to involve reciting an oath in a language that isn’t in everyday use (Medieval Latin). I was grateful for the moral support from my wife, Susan, at what was her first College event, and for the supportiveness of the Fellowship. Once inducted, I was immediately ‘on duty’ as Master and was delighted to lead the ceremony admitting six Fellows and get to know everyone at a celebratory dinner afterwards.”
Professor Katharine Dell (1996), President of St Catharine's, oversaw Sir John's induction.
Left–right: Dr Jan Huertas (2023), Professor Adrian Liston (2023), Professor Dell, Sir John, Dr Nisha Nixon (2022), Dr Doriane Zerka (2023), the Rt Hon Lord Justice Horner (1975, Law; Honorary Fellow 2023), Dr Pablo Olmos (2023).
Matriculation
“In addition to the traditional group photos and matriculation dinners, the College took care to organise welcome sessions this year so our Freshers could meet in person many of the people who will be sources of support during their time at Catz. In hindsight, I suspect I would have found these introductions very helpful in 1979.
“My original attire for matriculation back in 1979 was a black undergraduate gown but my ‘uniform’ for these events now includes a PhD gown and a red hood. Professor Richard Dance (1997) as Praelector reminded me that matriculation derives from the Latin word for list and that our Freshers were joining a list of other members of the College and the wider University. It has been special to play my part in the moment when our Freshers join such an historic list.”
1979 undergraduate matriculation photograph, with Sir John sixth from left on the top row (credit: Lafayette Photography)
Sir John in conversation with Senior Tutor Dr Holly Canuto (2020) and Praelector Professor Richard Dance (1997) during the 2023 undergraduate matriculation photograph.
Undergraduates assembled for the 2023 matriculation photograph in the same location as 1979
Postgraduates assembled for the 2023 matriculation photograph
“The undergraduate matriculation dinner was my first speech in my capacity as Master and I am very glad I didn’t have to stand up and speak back in 1979. I remember how nervous I was at my own matriculation dinner so I wanted to reassure our new intake and remind them that they all thoroughly deserve to be here. I also revealed to the Freshers that it is still astonishing to me to be back at Catz as its Master and I don’t think my 18-year-old self would have thought it remotely credible!”
The dining hall as it looked from 1967
The dining hall as it has looked since 2022 (credit: Jim Stephenson)
Committee meetings
“It is a source of some relief that committee meetings didn’t figure at all during my first Freshers’ Week. However, on my second time around, it has been enormously helpful to immerse myself in so many different aspects of College life so early on by chairing meetings for our Investments Committee, Education Committee, Nominations Committee and Fellowships Committee in the space of my first few days. I also feel on familiar ground as committees are one of the main ways that Parliament conducts its business.
“As Master of St Catharine’s, I also become a member of the intercollegiate Heads of House Committee. As luck would have it, there was an online gathering of Heads of Houses in my first week so I was able to connect with many of my colleagues across Cambridge. Among the group is Sir Christopher Greenwood, an alumnus of Magdalene College and its Master since 2020, who I want to thank for kindly showing me the ropes – much like the system of ‘College families’ whereby Catz Freshers are assigned to more established students who help them find their feet.”
Meeting our staff
“Our fantastic staff at Catz do so much to keep the show on the road and are a vital part of our community. The Porters and housekeeping team feature in my memories of Catz but so much of what our staff do isn’t immediately apparent to our students. For example, in my first week alone so many of our departments have gone above and beyond to ensure all students received a warm welcome and those in St Chad’s and Sherlock Court were able to move into their rooms on the back of two complex building projects. As a small token of the College’s appreciation, staff were invited to bacon rolls and pastries in Hall and it was a great opportunity to chat with some of our team members who I’d not yet met.”
Left–right: Clare Butler (Housekeeping Manager), Tracey Collins (Assistant Housekeeping Manager), Heather Lund (Library Assistant), Dr Colin Higgins (Librarian; 2018), Sir John, Alicja Duma (Events Co-ordinator) and Liam Greenbank (Fundraising Manager)
Exploring Cambridge
“While the city of Cambridge has expanded since 1979, Catz is still ideally located in the city centre. I think our student representatives have done a great job encouraging Freshers to explore what Cambridge has to offer by organising a variety of activities – from punting to club nights. A personal recommendation from me would be the University’s Fitzwilliam Museum (entry is free, including special exhibitions), which is only a few minutes away from Catz. I took a walk down to the Museum in my first week to see its latest exhibition entitled ‘Real Families: Stories of Change’.”
The Alumni Society Centenary Dinner
“One of the first invitations that I received after my election was to a special dinner on 6 October celebrating 100 years of the St Catharine’s Alumni Society. The Society was founded in London in 1923 and now aims to foster a lifelong, global community for our over 10,000 alumni. Having only been in Cambridge a few days, I headed back to London at the end of my first week for this historic occasion and the chance to connect with other alumni. I look forward to meeting many more alumni at events in the near future organised by both the College’s Alumni & Development Office and the Society.”
Michael Roberts (1967, Natural Sciences; Secretary of the Alumni Society), Joanna Reeves (1988, History & MML; Chair of the Alumni Society) welcomed Sir John to the Alumni Society's Centenary Dinner (credit: Sam Pearce)
