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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

We will remember them: Reading and the Great War | PAGE 12

From student to award-winning CEO in one year | PAGE 22

Professor Jim Knowlson on knowing Samuel Beckett | PAGE 24

TALKING WEATHER, WALLABIES AND WORLD FIRSTSwith ITV weather presenter Laura Tobin | PAGE 6

The Diverse Law Firm

www.clarkslegal.com

business club environmental investment network people

The CommonwealthEnvironmental Investment Platform

Making things happen

Resource efficiency in every form is vital as urban development grows at arate never experienced before

Sir David King, The Foreign Secretarys Special Representative for Climate Change

Clarkslegal is delighted to continue supporting the University of Readings House of LordsAlumni Reception.

We are extremely proud to have been associated with the University of Reading fordecades and to have worked with them on many of their most significant projects in recentyears.

Our Commonwealth Environmental Investment Platform has been working with the Universityto explore ways in which we can create smart and sustainable urban visions, providetransferable technology and knowledge solutions from the UK to the Commonwealth andhow universities, business and the public sector should work together to realise this vision.

This culminated in our organisations jointly hosting a major conference and reception in May2014, for 150 leading experts in the development of smart and sustainable cities. Our keynotespeaker was Sir David King, Chair of the Future Cities Catapult Board and The ForeignSecretarys Special Representative for Climate Change.

For further information on our work with smart, sustainable cities, please visitwww.theceip.com or www.clarkslegal.com.

Clarkslegal LLP 2014_Layout 1 03/07/2014 15:41 Page 1

3WELCOME TO CONNECTEDThe past year has been very exciting for the University of Reading. We have recognised the challenging times ahead for the Higher Education sector, and acted accordingly. Our new strategy has three areas of focus: educating for 21st century lives, understanding and creating solutions for complex societal challenges, and advancing policy and practice. The road ahead is challenging, but we are confident that we are well placed to maximise the opportunities the future brings and that our students, and ultimately the wider world, will benefit because of them. Knowing this, we have been working hard to promote the University and making sure our message is heard. Our 2014 Open Days were bigger and better than ever, and our Reading is Ready promotional campaign is giving us great visibility. We know that Reading is a world-leading university; now we are making sure everyone knows.

In our journey to make Readings name synonymous with limitless potential, we recognise that our greatest ambassadors are you our valued alumni. In this magazine we introduce you to ITV weather presenter Laura Tobin; Robert Gillmor, one of the leading ornithological artists in this country; Damian Collier, founder of Viral Spiral; Jas Sunder, Director of the Nestl R&D Facility and many other successful figures that we are privileged enough to count among our former students. You are our success stories and we are proud to have you in our alumni network.

Many of you regularly contact us via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or email, to share your memories of your time here. We always enjoy receiving these and some of last years contributions can be found throughout the following pages. We have also included some profiles that have been uploaded to our website if you havent yet published your own profile please visit alumni.reading.ac.uk/alumniprofiles and add yours. Not only are these profiles used in our publications and on our social media channels, they also serve as inspiration for our current and prospective students. You are the people they aspire to be.

I hope you are as proud of your University as we are of you. In this issue we are celebrating our Meteorology Department being recognised by a royal award (page 28), our successful entrepreneurs (page 20) and our new branch in Malaysia welcoming its first students (page 34).

Our community of alumni is very important to us and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your engagement with us, whether through a donation, volunteering or simply keeping in touch. I hope you enjoy this issue of Connected and would be very pleased to hear any feedback from you.

Sir David Bell KCB, Vice-Chancellor

WHAT YOUVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT

IN THIS ISSUEPAGE 4

PAGE 6

PAGE 12

PAGE 18

PAGE 20

PAGE 22

PAGE 34

PAGE 33

PAGE 36

PAGE 38

PAGE 40

PAGE 42

PAGE 44

PAGE 45

PAGE 46

PAGE 53

PAGE 54

NEWS IN BRIEF

ENTREPRENEURSHIP STARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF READING

WHEN SCIENCE MET SPORT

ART OF THE BIRD

AND NOW ITS TIME FOR THE

WEATHER

THE SWEETEST JOB IN THE WORLD

UNIVERSITY OF READING MALAYSIA

FINDING A VIRAL SPIRAL

GET INVOLVED

WELCOME NEW ALUMNI

EVENTS

SHARE YOUR STORY

FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY NEWS

YOUR NEWS

GIVING TO READING

NOTICE BOARD

KNOWING BECKETT

LEADING THE WORLD

IN CLIMATE SCIENCE

PAGE 28

PAGE 24

PAGE 14

PAGE 6

READING AND THE GREAT WAR

Cover image: With grateful thanks to ITV Good Morning Britain/Ken McKay

4Molly Pearce@MollyAPVery glad that the sun is letting me make the most of one of my last days on this beautiful campus. @UniofReading

Mike Read@MikeReadUKOld friends, sat on the park bench like Bookends. #WilfredOwen #GustavHolst #EdithMorley @UniofReading

Deborah Fyrth@deboFyrth@UniofReading didnt know Wilfred Owen was an alumnus! Feel even more proud to be a Reading alumna.

Airi MissCreamFor the first time Reading Alumni is in Astana, Kazakhstan! Thank you for organising this event

WHAT YOUVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT

Daniel Gibbons@danielgbbnsIt is a beautiful campus, all year round. Ah, I miss my University! Well done

READING VOTED BEST UNIVERSITY GREEN SPACE IN THE UK

WHAT WORDS DESCRIBE GRADUATION FOR YOU?

Exhausting, excited, euphoricThomas Fairclough Nerves and

excitement!Laura Slater

Magic Rose Wicks

Nervous, would I walk in correctly and not fall over!Jasmine Derbyshire

ExcitingClaire Louise Kennedy

Morning sickness! As I was three months pregnant at the time!Misha Williams

Relief Jill Chamberlain

See page 48 for a review of this reunion

5RUBC@RUboatclubIts great to see @UniRdg_Alumni @samwtownsend & @CharlesCousins (with Graham & Pete) leading the world #WellEarned

Rod Ellis

Peter JohnstonI used to have my own brewery in the cupboard in my study bedroom on the 5th floor in Windsor Hall two 40 pint barrels & a fermentation tank nearly always had a batch on the go bitters, lagers, stouts one of the advantages of being a Food Science Undergrad.

Reading alumni@UniRdg_Alumni1974 Quantity Surveying Year Group who are having a 40 years on reunion in June! #memorymonday

Keith SandersonWhat a brilliant photo from the Reading days. Make sure this goes into the Reading archives!

DO YOU REMEMBER RESULTS DAY?

Ust Oldfield@UOldfieldChristmas special of #universitychallenge tonight with the most awesome of teams @UniRdg_Alumni

I remember drinking cans of warm lager in the HumSS building & fighting with Mark Hutchings over Jaffa CakesJo Eden

a little sad that it was the end of a fabulous timeAlison Hazelton

Like yesterday! Four years ago, where has the time gonehope all the finalists got what they were hoping for today like I did that day!Natalie Rex

I still remember going to check the board in the Chemistry Department with my friends, followed later by the ChemSoc BBQ. Great day!!Katie RobinsI could have pumped

my fists in the air, but somehow the hugeness of it all just sapped my energy. Still a good moment!John Reynolds

CALLING ALL REAL ALE AND BEER LOVERS!

University of Reading now has it

s

very own beer. Extra Curricular

is a hoppy strong (5.4%) pale ale

and is brewed by Reading studen

ts

who are members of the Real Ale

Society. Customers seem to be

enjoying the aromatic beer, whic

h

is sold at all of the University bars

and some local pubs.

@UniRdg_Alumni

University of Reading Alumni

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

6

7Laura Tobin (BSc Physics and Meteorology 2003) will be a familiar face to many, especially those who watch Good Morning Britain. She has been the weather presenter for this programme since appearing on the launch episode, having already been working for ITV for 18 months. Laura vividly remembers her first broadcast with ITV. The lights in my weather area failed and there was nowhere else in the Studio for me to present from. Luckily or not depending on how you look at it Little Mix were performing to 300 screaming girls on the bank of the River Thames rehearsing for a performance on our show. They had a stage, lights and a cameraman so I was told to present from there! We stopped the rehearsal and I had to present the weather on stage in front of those 300 girls who were not happy at all. Afterwards Lorraine Kelly told me Well done. You acted like such a pro. To be told that by a legend like Lorraine Kelly was amazing.

Afterwards Lorraine Kelly told me Well done. You acted like such a pro. To be told that by a legend like Lorraine Kelly was amazing.

The team at ITV are brilliant to work with Laura explains. Lorraine is the most professional person you could ever meet. She treats every day like it is her first day she never rests on her laurels. Ben Shepherd is great fun he takes a great interest in the weather and even asks me to send photos of exciting weather for his children to look at. The guys who run the show work all night from about 10pm, but they are still smiling when I arrive around 4am. The Director is always so calm. I dont know how he does it he is like an air traffic controller keeping the show going and, even more importantly, running exactly to time!

Testing rollercoasters, sharing the limelight with Kermit the Frog and battling amorous sea lions. A weather presenter has to be prepared to face it all!

With grateful thanks to ITV Good Morning Britain/Ken McKay for providing image

8As well as ITV, Laura has also worked as a weather presenter for the BBC. What I remember most about the BBC she says is the variety it offered. There was national weather, world weather, Countryfile, Breakfast, radio, so your day could be really different. If you were presenting world weather for example, you would be recorded rather than live and might do 30 weathers in a ten hour shift! I found the world weathers particularly hard because my geography is terrible! I was always forgetting capital cities, or the order of countries in Africa, so I would have to write down reminders on bits of paper and stick them on the camera or on the floor.

The hardest job at the BBC though was the shipping forecast. We had to present the weather data for nine minutes exactly not five seconds more or less. We couldnt speed up or slow down, we had to maintain the pace exactly. Once, I missed out a minutes worth by accident, so when I got to the two minute mark I only had one minutes worth to report. We were able to do a summary at the end as a buffer I did a really long summary that day.

Before joining national television, Laura worked with the Royal Air Force, providing aeronautical meteorology reports and briefings via the British Forces Broadcasting Services. My area was Brize Norton so I learned that 20km radius really well. The job was incredibly pressured you had to be right. If I predicted that the fog would clear at 10am for example, and then they couldnt actually fly until 2pm, that could mean that people in Iraq or Afghanistan wouldnt be able to come home that day. You couldnt second guess yourself and there was no room for mistakes you had to be right there and then.

SHARING THE LIMELIGHTAlthough weather presenting is generally solitary, Laura has had some interesting co-presenters

She presented a report with the Earl of Wessex at the University of Reading earlier this year, when the Earl and Countess came to the University to present the Regius Professor Certificate to Professor Keith Shine (more on the Regius professorship on page 28). Im used to presenting the weather to millions of people watching at home, but I dont usually have such a high-profile audience with me in the studio.

Presenting the weather with Steve Carrell was a very different experience. We were told he wouldnt be presenting with me because he was coming on the show as himself, not his character

Brick. But while I was presenting the weather, suddenly the Director shouted in my ear hes coming over and Steve joined me. It was so strange I felt like part of me was watching it from outside my body I was telling myself You are presenting the weather with Steve Carrell dont mess it up!

Some of her co-presenters havent even been human. Working with Kermit was quite an experience. He said the rainy weather was perfect for him and he didnt know why we were complaining. Goofy was fun too. He thought he could do a better job than me and was so proud that he had brought sunglasses and an umbrella to represent sun followed by rain.

I can present the weather from the studio or, if there is nice weather or a story to cover, I'll go on the road to anywhere from zoo's to beaches, the UK or even abroad. There is never a dull moment with the weather and travelling all around the UK and even Europe makes it even more interesting

9NEVER WORK WITH ANIMALSThey say never work with children and animals says Laura and its true!

Ive had lions having sex behind me at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, rhinos relieving themselves on air at Chester Zoo and had to present the weather in a boiler suit so that the animals at the new safari ride at Chessington wouldnt get amorous with me because of my animal print clothes.

Some animals really dont know when to stop. I was presenting at Blackpool Zoo and there were some sea lions there whose trick was to kiss their handlers cheek when he pointed to it. He had been trying to teach them to do it to me, but they just werent getting the idea. When I did the report I accidentally touched my cheek and one of them suddenly seemed to get it and started kissing me. Then the other one started and they wouldnt stop!

Its easy to gesture without meaning it and forget that the animals around you might react unexpectedly. I was at Yorkshire Wildlife Park feeding wallabies. I stood up to give my report, forgetting I had some carrots in my hand. I was waving my hand about presenting the weather, and there was one of the wallabies, visible at the bottom of the screen, jumping to try and get them and the other one patting my leg as if he was asking if he could please have them. I had to stop the report and give them the carrots because there was no way they were going to give up.

I was telling myself You are presenting the weather with Steve Carrell dont mess it up!

AND NOW ITS TIME FOR THE WEATHER |

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WHY IS WEATHER FORECASTING IMPORTANT?We all know that there has been a lot happening with the weather over the past few years, but it is only when one really looks at the patterns that it becomes obvious why it is so important to understand the weather. From two years of drought to the wettest summer for 100 years, from heavy snow to the wettest winter on record. Every season is breaking records and never before has weather reporting been so important. Now we have better research, supercomputers and more funding we can begin to find out more, but even then it is not a precise art says Laura. I think people now do understand why we dont always have all the answers. As long as you explain why things have changed,

or what it is that is making things uncertain, then people understand.

Weather forecasting is based on a science. You have to translate the scientific terms to an audience who doesnt have your background in meteorology. When a particular phenomenon is causing interesting weather like the jet streams causing torrential rain you can introduce your audience to it, but there is a time and a place for the science. That doesnt mean however, that it isnt important. When a typhoon in the Philippines is causing snows in North America, we need to know why and we need to be able to prepare people for the possible effects.

The importance of encouraging young people into the industry

cannot be overestimated, and Laura helps in her role as a STEM ambassador. She explains STEM is a charity that encourages more young people to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Its a Government initiative which was started because these subjects are being studied less and are so important for many careers. Its free for schools to sign up and people who have careers in STEM subjects volunteer their time to go to schools and do talks or demonstrations. I do talks about weather forecasting and weather presenting, and I let the students have a go at presenting the weather themselves. Its a great initiative and I love doing it.

LAURAS MORNINGS

3.25amTime to get up!

3.30amThe car arrives. Theres no public transport at that time of the morning, so we are lucky enough to have cars pick us up. This gives me time to phone the Met Office, check twitter, news wires and online generally to see what is happening. I can then phone ahead to make sure we have the footage prepared.

4.15amArrive at work. I go into the presenters meeting and visit the News Desk so that I can see any pictures that have been sent in and also find out if there are any news stories that I can link to.

4.30amHair and make-up!

5amTime to get changed. For me it is really important that what I wear for the report reflects what people should be wearing in that weather so I dont wear short sleeved dresses and flip flops in winter, or long sleeves if it is going to be a hot day. At that time of the morning it is always chilly on location unless we are in the middle of a heat wave so I take a jacket with me but I always take it off before going on air if it is going to be a warm day. I like to think that even if someone didnt hear a word I was saying, they would be able to gauge the weather from how I look.

5.15amAnother chat with the Met Office for the most recent updates.

6amOn air!

| AND NOW ITS TIME FOR THE WEATHER

11

The University of Reading has one of the top Meteorology Departments in the UK, and the research done here supports the Met Office and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in forecasting the weather and influencing policy. Laura remembers her time in the department fondly.

It wasnt the kind of department where you showed up for your lectures and went home again. We were like a family there were only about 25 30 in a class and no more than 100 over a three year course so everyone knew everyone. There were also always lots of postgrad students around who were more than willing to help. I had a brilliant time I loved my time at Reading.

DID YOU KNOW THAT LAURAis often mistaken for Kate Middleton. I recently was sent a picture from Lorraine Kelly actually, saying that I really looked like Kate. It was a picture of me feeding a giraffe and Aled Jones very kindly asked which one was me! Sue Pollard also told me just a few days ago that I was the spitting image of Kate.

was the first person to ride the Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers. There was a delay so I had to ride it literally straight before presenting the weather live on air! My hair was all over the place and I couldnt quite believe I had done it. I even rode it before the designer who had been working on it for five years!

is the first person to have broadcast live from Disneyland Paris since its opening. She presented the weather from there as part of their 21st birthday celebrations.

recently completed a 60 mile bike ride as part of the ITV Local Heroes initiative, a scheme designed to encourage local people to volunteer in their community. Join In also supported the bike ride, with volunteers manning the marker points every ten miles and cheering encouragement along the way. I never cycled before maybe once a year on a really nice day to the pub and back so this was really hard for me. ITV were great. They hired a good road bike for me and I had a trainer for one week to get me ready. It was a huge challenge but I loved it, and now I cycle a lot. Its very addictive and gives you so much freedom.

is a huge Bon Jovi fan and actually got to interview Jon Bon Jovi himself on Radio 1. I knew the DJ, Greg James, well and he knew that I was a massive Bon Jovi fan. He told me that he didnt really have any questions for Jon and did I want to do the interview. I burst into tears! I had been up since 4am, but that night I was up until 1am trying on clothes, listening to their new album that had only been released that day, and preparing questions. As soon as I walked into the Radio Studio I burst into tears again. I had to compose myself and try to be cool. The interview actually went really well, even though at one point I couldnt see the questions anymore, or even breathe properly. When he signed a picture for my mum I gave him a signed picture of me! As he walked off I called out Dont lose it and he replied I got it. Then as soon as he moved out of vision I started crying again and couldnt stop for about an hour. It was the best day of my life until my wedding day of course!

For a closer look at our award winning Meteorology Department, see the feature on page 28.

Thank you to Laura Tobin for providing photographs

It is a hundred years since WWI began, but in all this time public interest does not seem to have lessened. Why are we still so captivated, moved and affected by something that happened so long ago?Phillippa Heath, Project Programmes Manager at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), tries to answer the question. I think it is the tragic aspect of WWI, the sheer volume of people that it affected. You look at the individuals in the War Memorial Book and they look so young, even though they are in their military outfits. They had their whole future ahead of them, but it was cut short.

The War Memorial Book belongs to the Special Collections at MERL and was displayed as part of the exhibition Reading University College: WWI and Beyond which ran from April to August. Funded by Arts Council England, this exhibition, alongside regular seminars, revealed the story of Reading and those who fell during the Great War.

READING AND THE GREAT WAR

HAROLD ASHCOMBE CHAMEN (18941916)While an agricultural scholar at Reading University College, Harold was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Special Reserve and later promoted to Lieutenant in May 1916. He became Commanding Officer of B Company when Captain Pearse sprained an ankle.

While attempting to take the second German line at Guillemont, Chamen was wounded and evacuated to Number 5 Casualty Clearing Station. While lying there, he dictated the following letter: I had the misfortune to stop a Boche shell this morning at about 6.30am. We were doing another attack. I am now at a dressing station and am doing along nicely. It is strange to notice that today is only one day short of the anniversary of my wound received last year.

He died of his wounds the following day.

FLORENCE MARY FAITHFULL (18921918)Florence is the only woman to feature in the book. She obtained her Certificate in Commerce in 1911 from Reading University College and was working as a nurse in Iraq during the war. On the 15th January 1918, the Matron and 12 members of the female nursing staff of 65 General Hospital, were invited by the Officer Commanding Beit Naana Officers Hospital to spend the afternoon at his unit, to meet his convalescent officers and have tea. On the return journey they were involved in a collision at Basra between a Steam Tug and their motor launch. Four members of the nursing staff died including Florence, who was just 26 years old.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

The War Memorial Book, believed to have been created around the same time as the War Memorial was erected on the London Road Campus (1924), contains photographs of many of the people who were connected to what was then Reading University College, and whose names feature on the war memorial plaques.

The War Memorial Book also played a central role in the Reading Connections Project, a partnership project with Reading Museum. The pictures were digitised and are available on Flickr at bit.ly/1s0KiCc. Phillippa has been working with volunteers to research the history of the people behind the names and faces, and she invites people to visit the Flickr album and leave a comment with any additional information they may have. She says: A key aim of this project is to encourage others with connections to these servicemen and women to come forward.

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WILFRED OWEN (18931918)Despite appearing on the list of service-people with links to the University, Wilfred Owen does not appear on the War Memorial itself. It appears that he first studied Botany and Latin, but was encouraged by Professor Edith Morley of the English Department (believed to be the first female professor in the UK) to change his studies to English.

A great deal is, of course, already known about Wilfred Owen as he is a popular war poet. He served in WWI as a Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment and was killed in action on the 4th November 1918 at the age of 25. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery at Joncourt in October 1918 a mere month before his death.

As well as studying at Reading University College, Owen has another connection to the University as it holds the archives of publishers Chatto & Windus.

Wilfred Owen and Professor Morley have both been commemorated by the University Plaque Scheme which identifies and honours notable figures from Readings past.

BASIL GEORGE HOPE MACLEAR (18851916)On the 5th of October 1915, Basil was commissioned as a probationary 2nd Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards, being confirmed in that rank on the 26th of January 1916. He embarked for France on the 16th of December 1915 where he joined the 4th Battalion of his regiment.

On 31st of May 1916 the London Gazette reported that Basil had received the Military Cross: for conspicuous gallantry and ability. When ordered to establish communication with another battalion, he did so over 250 yards of ground in the face of very heavy shell fire, establishing bombing posts as he proceeded.

On the 26th of July 1916 a party of enemy troops raided front line trenches held by Number 2 Company near Ypres. Some half a dozen of the enemy jumped over the parapet and bombed a working party who were taken completely by surprise. Basil Maclear, hearing the noise, rushed to the spot and was killed instantly by a bomb thrown at close range.

HUGH GORDON LANGTON (18861917)Admitted as Associate of University College Reading in 1905, Hugh was an exceptionally gifted violinist who, before WWI, studied under some of the best teachers in Europe including Professors Secvik (Prague), Wirth (Berlin) and Auer (Russia). The personal inscription on his headstone consists of a piece of music. It has been assumed that the notes are purely figurative as efforts to identify the piece of music have failed, but (albeit with the final note missing) it could be from the old song After the Ball the line in question being many a heart is aching. This is perhaps the family's intended tribute.

One person who has come forward is Dave Waite, who completed his teacher training at Reading. He was teaching his students about casualties from their school in WWI and was delighted to find a picture of Frederick John Huskinson on the Flickr page.

A key aim of this project is to encourage others with connections to these servicemen and women to come forward.

He sent this message Sadly missed art teacher, who enlisted just before the outbreak of war and lost his brother Charles in September 1914 aboard HMS Cressy. Wounded at Neuve Chapelle in 1915 and then listed missing, presumed killed on the first day of the Somme. No known grave. Remembered by the students of Sir John Nelthorpe School, Brigg (formerly Brigg Grammar).

The sheer magnitude of lives lost can make it difficult to remember that each life was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a daughter or sister. This project focuses the mind on those individuals. Jeremy Jones, project volunteer, said: The project has been both interesting and thought-provoking. The ages of those who died range from 18 to 45, with the majority being aged 30 or less. These were people who had barely set out on their adult lives and it is impossible not to be moved by the thought of the youthful hopes and dreams that must have gone unfulfilled and of the impact on their families. I hope that our work will contribute to an increased awareness of the impact of the Great War and the people who participated in it, so that we can see those who died as more than just names on a memorial.

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FAMILY CONNECTIONS Robert Gillmor (Fine Art 1957, Art 1958) is the grandson of the renowned artist Allen Seaby. He was a key part of a movement that brought the art of Japanese wood cutting over to the UK, and was one of the first Fine Art Professors at the University of Reading.

As a small child I spent a great deal of time in my grandfathers studio. He introduced me to oil painting and I grew up in a house full of his pictures. It seemed just very natural to be surrounded by art.

His love of birds began before he started school and he attributes this to his grandfather. We would go walking in the countryside together; my grandfather was deaf so I became his ears. I would describe what I heard, and he would tell me about the birds we saw.

Seaby founded the Reading Guild of Artists which held exhibitions at the Reading Museum and Art Gallery every year. The University of Reading Art Department was very much involved in fact, Professor Carter was President of Guild when Robert started at Reading. Professor Carter was adamant however that he wouldnt let any of his students become members! After graduating, Robert joined and eventually became President a post he held for 14 years. I was very proud to be following on from my grandfather he recalls.

Interest in wildlife art encouraged Robert to contact the leading wildlife artists of the day to suggest a joint exhibition. Up to then, it was very difficult to see their original work, except in reproduction. The exhibition, opened by Lord Alanbrooke, was held in 1960 at the Reading Museum and Art Gallery. Its success led to the formation, four years later, of the Society of Wildlife Artists. The Society has just had its 50th exhibition, at the Mall Galleries in London, opened by Sir David Attenborough. As one of the founding members, Robert has also been Secretary, Chairman and President. He is currently Vice-President.

You may not know the name Robert Gillmor, but you will almost certainly have seen his artwork. The avocet on the RSPB logo is drawn by Robert and he has designed 42 stamps for Royal Mail. He has contributed to over 200 books, was the Founder of the Society of Wildlife Artists and the recipient of the RSPB Medal in 2001.

LOGOS, STAMPS AND THE NEW NATURALISTSince he was a small boy, Robert has been a member of the RSPB. He began doing small pieces of artwork for them and started to make a name for himself with the organisation. When they hired a designer for their new logo who didnt know what an avocet looked like, they knew who to call! Although there have been minor adjustments to the design, the avocet image itself remains largely unchanged.

The New Naturalist cover work came about in 1985. Collins started the series in 1945 with the husband and wife artist team Clifford and Rosemary Ellis. After they had illustrated 70 issues Clifford sadly died and Rosemary didnt want to go on with them alone. The editor at the time, Crispin Fisher, an enthusiast of Roberts work, asked him to take over. I was a great admirer of the Ellises and I wasnt sure I could follow them so I was reluctant at first but then Crispin said he wouldnt take no as an answer and so I gave in.

Robert is still creating The New Naturalist covers; he has created 60 so far three titles a year! In 2010 he was approached by the Royal Mail and asked to provide linocut designs for their new Post and Go Service (self-service machines). They wanted something different to the traditional stamps to highlight the new service, Robert explains, and bird stamps have always been very popular, so they commissioned two sets of garden birds. They planned to follow these with photographs but seemed to like what I did and asked for two more bird sets. These were followed by three sets of farm animals. It meant working to tight deadlines which took me away from my own work for two years. When further sets of waterlife were suggested I decided that I needed a break and, in any case, having designed 42 stamps altogether wasnt too bad!

Starlings performing aerial manoeuvres, linocut

READING CONNECTIONSI had a wonderful five years at the University. I even occasionally did some work while I was there.

What Robert remembers most about the University is the great range of activities that he could take part in. He was a founder member of Reading University Exploration Society and went on an expedition to Spitzbergen to study birds, as well as taking part in two other expeditions to the Arctic. When the Whiteknights campus opened he became involved with the theatre, occasionally treading the boards, but more often working behind the scenes. He designed the set and costumes for the first production in the new theatre The Cherry Orchard. He even became President of the Theatre Group.

But of course, art was still of great importance. He was in the audience when the Queen opened Whiteknights campus and made a small oil painting from sketches done at the time. As a schoolboy, he had designed the first cover for the Annual Report of the Reading

Ornithological Club (1949) and has continued doing them every year since. He also illustrated his first book, on Blackbirds, while still a student at Reading.

One of my best memories of Reading is being able to work with a great group of teachers. They were enormously encouraging.

PROFESSOR WINS SIR MISHA BLACK MEDALThe Sir Misha Black Awards were established by the Royal College of Art, the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Design and Industries Association and the College of Medallists to commemorate the life of architect, designer, and professor, Sir Misha Black. This years recipient was our very own Professor Michael Twyman, a contemporary and friend of Robert Gillmor (Robert was actually the best man at Michaels wedding!).

I am privileged and honoured to receive the Sir Misha Black Medal for 2014 and delighted that it recognises the international significance of the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication at Reading. Professor Michael Twyman

Professor Twyman turns 80 this year and, in light of his years of dedication to the University as well as his recent honour, we have established a fund to support MA and PhD students in his field. If you would be interested in donating to this fund, please visit https://alumni.reading.ac.uk/support/typography.

Robert and Michael at Reading in 1958

Bumblebees, linocut

Little Tern, watercolour

ART WORLD TODAYArt is very different today says Robert. Some art I find difficult to appreciate because it doesnt seem to involve thought about drawing, colour, design. I went to a contemporary art exhibition in one of my local galleries and was amused to see a huge paragraph of explanation for each picture. I prefer to let the picture tell me. Its a shame that contemporary art has to rely on words.

Looking back over his career, there have been quite a few highlights for Robert. Ive always been very keen on promoting the art I believe in and encouraging young artists. I am very pleased that my New Naturalist covers are quite well received. I have enjoyed my own print making and I still like getting out in the field with my sketch book and drawing what I see.

But when asked what he believes to be his greatest achievement, as a very modest man, he is reluctant to answer the question. My greatest achievement he says, is really for other people to decide.

Grateful thanks to the RSPB, Two Rivers Press, Pinkfoot Gallery and Thomas Gillmor for providing pictures.

ALLEN SEABY AN EXHIBITIONThe Allen Seaby: art in nature exhibition is running from 11 October 2014 22 March 2015 at Reading Museum and Gallery. To coincide with this, Robert Gillmor and Martin Andrews (BA Typography 1976, PhD Typography 2006 and currently a lecturer in Typography) are releasing a book with Two Rivers Press. Robert is writing an account of his grandfather the man, and Martin is writing about Seaby the artist, and his impact on the world of art.

Seaby was a key figure in introducing the Japanese printing method to England and played a significant role in what was a unique and very important movement. It was very popular at the time, and art dealers are once again interested in this type of work.

As a poverty stricken newly-wed I bought my first artwork it was a Seaby. Martin Andrews

The University of Reading is a very special place for art and typography. When asked why this might be, Martin was able to provide the answer. The University of Reading was originally, in the 1860s, an extension college of Oxford. It was an Art School and Science School. In 1892, these schools became Reading University College which, in 1926, became the University of Reading. But it all started with an Art School and a Science School, and that is why Reading takes a leading role in Fine Art and the sciences especially Food Sciences.

Even from the earliest days, Reading also did printing apprenticeships. Young printers in town came to do evening classes, and in the 1960s, former student, Michael Twyman, started the Typography Department. As far as we know, it remains the only independent Typography Department in the world.

For more information on Robert and Martins book, please visit www.tworiverspress.com.

ART OF THE BIRD | 17

Barn Owl, watercolour

Blackthorn Blackbird, linocut

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NEWS IN BRIEF

LOTTERY FUND GRANT TO TRANSFORM MERLThe Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) has been awarded a grant of 1.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) that will transform the way people experience and understand our rural heritage. New galleries and digital displays will take visitors to the heart of countryside issues and history, and existing spaces will be radically redesigned to enhance the visitor experience.

This is an engaging project which will give visitors and local people from across the community the chance to explore and learn about changing rural life across England. The Our Country Lives' project will build on the museum's existing success by revitalising existing displays and exhibitions, creating new learning spaces and improving the visitor facilities. Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East

SANTANDER ON CAMPUSThe Santander University of Reading branch has been officially opened by Santander UK CEO Ana Botin and Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell. Ms Botin cut the ribbon on the new branch on Whiteknights campus, followed by a question-and-answer session with students and staff.

The branch marks Santander's ongoing commitment to the University. The partnership has provided life-changing funding to students across our institution. We look forward to working together for years to come. Sir David Bell

SENIOR STAFF CHANGESProfessor Christine Williams steps down as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation after six highly successful years. Fortunately, Christine is not leaving the University and will continue her Professorial work in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development.

Other important staff changes include:

Professor Tony Downes stepping down as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and becoming Provost for the University of Reading Malaysia. Professor Steven Mithen will be the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Two new Pro-Vice-Chancellors: Mr Vincenzo (Enzo) Raimo and Professor Robert Van de Noort

Keith Hodgson stepping down as University Secretary and Dr Richard Messer, currently Head of Administration, becoming the next Secretary to the Council

Dr Ben Coshs new appointment as Dean of Science.

UNIVERSITY INVESTMENT IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION PARKThe University of Reading has announced its commitment to developing a new Science and Innovation Park at the heart of the Thames Valley, with an investment of up to 50 million to establish the site infrastructure and phase one construction. This Park will play a key role in driving the region's knowledge economy, targeting technology-led companies seeking both a strategic location and access to the high-quality research and graduate support provided by the University.

Since 2012, Santander has invested more than 150,000 in Reading in scholarships, training and boot camps

FIGHTING DEMENTIABerkshire Healthcare joined with the University of Reading this year to create the Berkshire Memory & Cognition Research Centre (BMCRC). The Centre will allow experts to conduct crucial research including how diet and lifestyle can affect dementia, as well as the impact of the disease on carers and their families. In addition the Centre will run clinical trials offering access to possible new treatments and interventions.

Dementia is an incurable disease and ultimately leaves people needing full-time care as brain function wastes away. With the number of those affected by dementia set to triple over the next 30 years it is vital we find new ways of detecting and preventing this devastating disease.Dr Laurie Butler, Head of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences

READING RANKINGSIt has been a good year for university rankings for Reading.

We moved up eight places to 30th position in the Guardian University Guide (now ahead of several Russell Group Universities).

We maintained the 37th position in the 2015 Complete University Guide Rankings with six subjects placed in the top ten nationally.

We scored 78.5% in The Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, ranking 33rd overall with students ranking staff and lectures, extra-curricular activities and our campus environment particularly highly.

VIRTUAL ROMECongratulations to Dr Matthew Nicholls for winning the 2014 Guardian Higher Education Award for Teaching Excellence for his Virtual Rome project.

Dr Nicholls' digital model of Rome (c. AD315) has allowed students to experience the ancient world first hand. This unique tool includes reconstructions of all the major monuments, including the Coliseum, bath houses, forum and markets as well as the many square miles of the ordinary housing, tombs, and commercial buildings.

I'm absolutely delighted by this award, for myself and the students who have helped me develop my digital projects. I'm especially pleased to see my ancient subject of Classics, with great support from the University of Reading, recognised as a leader in innovative, modern teaching excellence. Dr Matthew Nicholls

INVESTMENT ON WHITEKNIGHTSThere are some exciting developments currently underway on the Whiteknights campus: A major refurbishment of the Library began in

summer 2013 and has continued in summer 2014. Each year, two floors have been refurbished with a total investment of 5m.

A new Hall, to replace the old Bridges Hall, has opened (the name is retained). This completes the third and final phase of the major Halls Redevelopment Project. Other halls that will see improvements separate to this project are St Patricks, which will have a 1.2m investment in its catering facilities, and Wessex Hall, which will have a refurbished bar, that will also be available to the new residents at Bridges Hall.

At the request of RUSU, the University is spending 1.2m on an extension and refurbishment of Caf Mondial.

A new Pavilion is being built at Bulmershe, which will now become the homeground of our footballers. Outdoor sports at Whiteknights will also be equipped with a new Pavilion.

The Palmer Lecture Theatre will be refurbished over summers 2014 and 2015.

WiFi is now available all across campus, and will be available in all halls by the new academic year.

The Whiteknights Utilities Infrastructure Project will see many of our major buildings serviced by a more efficient and sustainable Combined Heat and Power System to replace the steam main and boilers by the end of this summer, and the rest of the project will be completed next summer.

New and improved study area

Virtual Rome project supported by our donors in 2010

WORLDWIDE

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The University of Reading is one of the few universities in this country that offers its students both a theoretical and practical way to study business. Even better, it also offers some students the chance to run their own businesses in their third year from the Entrepreneurship Hub, headed up by Stuart Morris.

Stuart was the man who had the vision for the Hub. He explains Im not a traditional academic. Ive come from an entrepreneurial background Ive started 15 companies in the last 19 years but I love the teaching, the mentoring, the helping other people to realise their potential and reach whatever their dream is. So I wanted

to find a space where we could help students start their own businesses for real. Lets not just talk about it, lets do it.

The Hub on Whiteknights campus is a community for small businesses who are just starting out, where they can not only use the facilities, but which also allows them access to mentors so that they can learn from the experts in the field. The experience our students gain from this association is invaluable and wide ranging.

Take one example the art of selling. Selling is a really challenging thing to do says Stuart. To be able to go out and get somebody to part with hard cash is something that very few of us have done much of when we are 20 years old. I have two people who are very experienced sales people between them they have sold everything from double glazing to multi-million pound shares and they are willing to share their expertise. One of them comes in most weeks for half a day and does his sales calls from the Hub. So if someone wants to sit next to him and listen to how he does his telephone sales calls,

he is very happy for them to do that. Hes quite happy to give away all his years of experience because he sees it as giving something back to the community.

Some businesses will succeed, but there will always be ones that fail. Stuart however, sees this as a further opportunity. Even the failures are not failures, because people learn from them and people support one another. Very few entrepreneurs end up in the first business they started. Look at Richard Branson hes not selling records anymore. Hes got businesses that have failed but they have all been part of his journey and have led him to where he is now.

In times of economic crisis, there are fewer jobs than people needing them. Those who start up their own companies help to relieve this situation by creating their own jobs and, ultimately, employing others. But the support of SMEs is even more crucial than that according to Stuart. More than 50% of the working population in this country are employed by companies with fewer than ten members of staff. So the bedrock of the economy

ENTREPRENEURSHIP STARTS AT THE University of Reading

The recent economic problems have led many potential students to ask how is university going to help me get a job? Academia alone isnt enough anymore; students need to be prepared for the world after study. One way in which Reading is tackling this issue is through supporting students in starting their own businesses.

are these small, entrepreneurial businesses, and that is fundamental to our nations recovery from the recession. Small businesses cope with stress much better than big companies. If we get another housing crash for example, lots of well run, well managed, well taught entrepreneurs will help us recover.

And some Reading student-led businesses that originated in the Hub have started to show success already. Entangled Ltd have been featured in the media including Sky News, for their iPhone cases which amplify the sound of the phone without needing additional speakers or even batteries. KYMIRA is an award winning company founded by Tim Brownstone (see separate profile over the page) that creates sports clothing which help to oxygenate the muscles by taking the heat generated by exercise and turning it into infrared radiation that can be pushed back into the body.

The potential for these businesses extends far beyond that of the students who found their own businesses there. This Hub not only increases our students employability, but most of them will bring on board their friends from university, so they are employing people from the whole University which enhances our overall employability.

But is this something different? Is Reading doing anything that other universities arent? Stuart firmly believes that we are. There are lots of universities that have got Entrepreneurship Hubs, incubators, these kinds of things, but there are very few universities that are the stature of Reading, with the reputation of a business school like

Henley Business School, that have got one. There is lots of academic study of entrepreneurship going on at the top universities and top business schools but there are very little that actually do it. What were offering here, which is something that isnt available in too many other places, certainly in the UK, is a top flight university and the chance to actually practise, not just talk about it.

And why is entrepreneurship so important? The impact of helping entrepreneurs on the road to success is apparent in our own country, but it can also be felt internationally.

Entrepreneurship supported here can help to lift people out of poverty all over the world. 35% of our

students are non-home students says Stuart. Theyre going back to places like Syria, Iran, China, with the skills to make a difference in their communities. Thats why I get up in the morning and thats the message I would love Reading to be giving out to the world. In a sense we always have been.

The strength of the University in agriculture and development has allowed us to teach people in developing countries how to grow their food. Entrepreneurship is a similar thing in a different way. Its about helping people be better than they have been able to be in the past.

HENLEY BUSINESS SCHOOLHenley Business School is world renowned. Founded in 1945, it was the first business school to be established in the UK and is one of the oldest and most respected schools in Europe. It is consistently ranked among the worlds top 50 business schools in the Financial Times and The Economist. When it joined the University of Reading, it brought its expertise and experience to our students.

Here are some of the key facts that show how Henley Business School is improving our students opportunities in the world of work.

Even the failures are not failures, because people learn from them and people support one another

Top 10 position in all subjects in the Guardian University League Table 2015, including a number one position for Accounting and Finance and number one in career prospects for Real Estate & Planning

In the 2015 Complete Universities Guide, Real Estate & Planning ranked number two for the third year running with the number one spot for graduate prospects

Ranked 35th in the world and 5th in the UK according to this years Financial Times Executive Education rankings

Henley MBA has been ranked 1st in the world for potential to network by The Economist

66,000 members in the alumni network, from over 150 countries

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Tim is a keen scientist, sportsman and the CEO of KYMIRA Ltd. which he founded during his final year at Reading. He is a great example of somebody who took advantage of lots of different opportunities on offer at Reading the excellent sports, a great science degree and business modules from Henley Business School and combined them to come up with an award-winning idea.

How did it all begin?I was studying Animal Science at Reading and as part of my studies I was doing research into the biological effects of infrared radiation. I was rowing for the University and I wondered a few years ago whether it would be possible to get an infrared emission from sportswear. While at a Business School event, I was asked if I had any ideas. I said I did, but I wasnt sure I was the right person to do it and was told buy some business cards, get an email address and see what happens. So I did, and it just started snowballing from there.

What is it like working in the Hub?We were the founding company. There was one other company who have come and gone Entangled Ltd who are now completing PhDs and working on a different business model. Actually, Entangled were part of what inspired me to start KYMIRA. They started having small tastes of success when I was still a student and seeing them doing it encouraged me to try as well.

Without the variety of modules on offer at Reading and the support I received I definitely wouldnt be the award winning young CEO that I am now.

We now have four other companies in the Hub and it has been really nice to have some new life around. My hope is that it will become a community where everyone will support each other. For example, if I need graphic design advice there is now a graphic designer in there that I can go to.

TIM BROWNSTONE BSc Animal Science, 2013

I am trying to spearhead entrepreneurship at Reading and help others in the Hub by sharing my experience. Its limited experience but a lot can happen in a year!

Tell us about some of your successes with KYMIRA.I think it is important to stress that I am not successful yet. But I am trying to be! The first award we won was the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award which was a cash prize and some PR benefits as well. We were finalists at the NACUE Varsity Pitch Awards, which we will be reapplying for this year and will hopefully win this time around. We won the Start Young Global Entrepreneur Awards for Best Tech Start Up and Most Innovative Start Up and then most recently we won the Connecting Thames Valley Tech Inaugural Best Young Tech Entrepreneur. I am currently nominated for Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Kairos K50 too.

Do you work with other Reading alumni?I put together an Advisory Board for the more innovative developments that require engineering expertise, as I am not an engineer myself. We have three engineers sitting on that, the two Entangled guys and then another Reading Engineering graduate. My graphic designers are both Reading alumni too. I am keen to source from Reading partly because it is convenient but primarily because it is a great place to source from!

WHEN SCIENCE MET SPORT

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What is next for KYMIRA?We are investigating working with some space technology to produce products for use both on earth and in space. Nothing is confirmed yet but it would be great if it goes ahead. We are also looking into medical products and into energy harvesting to develop our take on a clean tech solution.

Did you always plan to be an entrepreneur?I certainly never intended to graduate with a business. It was a stressful final year. Id get up at 5am for rowing training, revise or write my dissertation from 8am until 8pm and then relax in the evening by answering business emails.

There was never a direct intent for that to come about but looking back I have always been fairly entrepreneurial. I started a publishing company when I was at primary school, with friends, making comics and selling them for 10p for example. Ive never had what I would call a conventional job and I always had the opinion that if I couldnt get a job then I would create one for myself. I did actually apply for a grad scheme just in case my business didnt work out. I got to the final round of interviews and the feedback was that they thought I was too much of an independent thinker! So I thought

maybe that was a sign... When the company can afford to do it I might send them a little hamper to say thank you for giving me a nudge in the right direction.

How has the University of Reading helped in your chosen career path?I did the Practical Entrepreneurship module with Stuart Morris and I give that a lot of credit for where I am now. If I hadnt been the one asking questions every week then Stuart wouldnt have asked me to go to the Business School event and I wouldnt have been inspired to start in the first place. Without the variety of modules on offer at Reading and the support I received I definitely wouldnt be the award winning young CEO that I am now!

I am really proud to have graduated from Reading. The friends that I made there will stay with me for many years to come and the memories for a life time.

Why did you decide to give to the University?Reading has been a great place to be for four years now, and I am very much of the mind-set that if someone or something supports you then it is only fair that when you have the ability to do so, you should support them in return. Be that in kind, by offering advice, or be that financially. I am proud to be a Reading alumnus and I want to support future students at Reading.

What does the University mean to you?I am really proud to have graduated from Reading. The friends that I made there will stay with me for many years to come and the memories for a life time. One of my favourite memories was on one of my last days as a student. My friends and I were waiting for our final results to be posted and as it was a warm, sunny, summers day we decided to go and sunbathe in the Harris gardens. Despite the enormity of the day, I remember being amazed that I could feel so relaxed!

Thank you to Tim Brownestone for providing KYMIRA photographs

To find out more about KYMIRA visit www.kymira.co.uk

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Jim explained how it all began. Beckett got the Nobel Prize for literature in October 1969 so I then had the crazy idea, and the infernal cheek, to believe that we should have an exhibition of his work. The librarian declared himself equally mad. He asked me what material we had. I said Weve got six books of Beckett and one on Beckett. So he said What are we going to exhibit? A reasonable question. I said simply Trust me. And luckily, he did. Jim, with the assistance of the librarian, archivist and another lecturer, was able to produce what ultimately became a mini-festival in May 1971, with performances, speakers, a catalogue and material which was contributed by Beckett after meeting Jim a number of times.

We hit it off right from the beginning. Mainly because I cant be serious for more than five minutes, and he had an equally well-developed sense of humour, only he was much wittier than I am. I also discovered that he was a big cricket fan and he had played for Dublin. So we talked a lot about sport. And he looked a little like my father so I almost tended to talk to him affectionately, as if he were my father.

Billy Whitelaw became a friend. I knew Dame Peggy Ashcroft and many others. It was great fun

I guess from then on my life was changed because I got the bug (up until then, I had been an eighteenth century literature and thought specialist). I got so involved in this guys work and interested in his life, and particularly in his plays. I used to go to rehearsals with Beckett, and of course, when you go into rehearsals, you also get to know the actors and the directors. For example, the actress, Billy Whitelaw became a friend. I knew Dame Peggy Ashcroft and many others. It was great fun.

By the mid-1970s, Beckett was giving Reading, through Jim, every manuscript of his plays and prose. I would read a new play before it had been produced! So Not I, I first read in a little French village station in a car park. It was so exciting!

It all began with six books by Beckett, and one critical book on Beckett. It became the leading collection in the field and allowed Professor Jim Knowlson to meet, and become friends with, the great Samuel Beckett himself.

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THE BIOGRAPHY Beckett had strenuously denied all rights to produce an authorised version of his biography even the initial request from his friend Jim who was first approached and asked to write it in 1972. I wrote to Beckett and asked him what he thought. I got a letter back saying:

I like to think in saying no I shall free you for more important work. So I said fine. No problem. I probably wouldnt have enjoyed it anyway and moved on. Then Deirdre Blair wrote his unauthorised biography which he hated.

When somebody in 1989, about nine months before Beckett died, asked me to do a biography I wrote saying: In 1972 I was asked and you said no, and then Deirdre Blair wrote your biography, so thats what you got. I have been asked again. I now know your work very well and I will do as good a job as I possibly can but I wont do it without a firm yes from you. I then got a one line reply:

To biography of me by you. Its yes. With a capital Y. That biography became Damned to Fame, and remains the only authorised biography in existence.

JULIE COHEN (MPHIL ENGLISH LITERATURE (CHILDREN'S) 1996)What are you up to now?

My fifteenth novel under my own name, Where Love Lies, has recently been published

by Transworld (Random House). My previous novel, Dear Thing, was a 2014 Richard and Judy Summer Book Club pick.

Why did you choose to do an MPhil at the University of Reading?

Reading was the best place for me to do research in children's literature with a strong postgraduate programme.

What was the best bit about living and studying in Reading?

I loved the children's literature collection in the library and found the University supportive and exciting. Reading is convenient and I still live here as I like the community.

What top tips would you give to students who are beginning their MPhil here?

Don't be tempted by the cheap beer in the student union before 5pm.

What advice would you offer to students interested in working in this sector?

Write every day, and read everything you can. Don't be daunted by rejection.

How has the University of Reading helped in your chosen career path?

My research in texts' creation of ideal readers has influenced my writing of popular fiction.

What does the University of Reading mean to you?

I used to love walking around the lake, thinking and looking at the birds. I still do this on a regular basis and have set one of my books there.

To find out more about Julie and her work visit www.julie-cohen.com.

JIM KNOWLSON ON

Bidding for the Murphy manuscript booksIt was very exciting. I only learned five minutes before the sale that the Director of Finance wanted me to do the bidding. I could not believe that I was sitting there. It gave us a huge amount of publicity; it was in I think 400 newspapers throughout the world. The name of Reading became inextricably linked to the world leading collection of Beckett material.

Receiving his OBE from the Queen It was at Windsor Castle and was a great day. It was quite impressive with the Yeoman of the Guard, the Gurkhas and the Queen herself, who looks so much like my mum! I even managed to make her smile. That was great fun.

I didnt feel it was particularly deserved but after all you are getting a pat on the shoulder for something that you just love doing. It cant be better than that can it?

Why Beckett?Beckett is good for you. People think that Beckett is profoundly depressing but if you have faced the worse but can face it stoically and come out knowing other people have faced much worse, then you know you can cope.

We are very grateful to Jim who has pledged a legacy to the University.

For details on how you can leave a legacy please email giving@reading.ac.uk

A NAUGHTY NOTEBOOKAs well as the Beckett Archive, our Special Collections hold a Mills and Boon archive that offers a unique glimpse into the world of this romantic series. The archive is in two parts: the paper archive (publishers' correspondence, marketing material, financial records etc) and the book archive containing file copies of a large number of the books in the original dust-wrappers.

Included in the collection is a naughty notebook, the Anthology of Artless Extracts, that contains some of the favourite risqu lines from the series of books, collated by some of the more mischievous editors. Very little is known about the book, except that it was created around 4050 years ago by Mills and Boon editors with self-confessed mean minds.

IS BECKETT STILL RELEVANT?The Beckett Foundation is unquestionably a world-renowned collection but why is that so significant? Is Beckett still an important figure to todays world? Jim believes there are two main reasons why Beckett, even 25 years after his death, remains relevant.

The first is his role in theatre. Theatre today is much more of a mixed art; you dont get plots and narrative in a simplistic kind of way. Its much more based on visual image. Most of Becketts late plays are just a single head or a man with his head down reading from a book. Thats one reason why John Hurt, Michael Gambon, Liam Neeson etc have all performed his plays in the last five years. All these big theatre stars are all trying their hand wonderfully at Beckett. His innovations in drama have become something that actors have grown into.

And the second reason? When I came to write Becketts biography, I thought back to these conversations about politics and realised that this so called non-political writer might be a political man. Nothing to be

done opens Waiting for Godot, but as a man he was with the Resistance during WWII. He wrote Catastrophe specifically in solidarity with Vclav Havel when he was under house arrest. He would never allow his plays to be produced in South Africa unless there was a mixed race audience.

In other words, theres a message of stoicism and resistance in his work

So one of the discoveries for me in writing the biography was how committed as a person he was to politics, to anti-racism, anti-apartheid, to political freedom, freedom of the individual. This means that whenever people are downtrodden, there is still a message to be read in his work. His answer to the sentence Nothing can be done can be read in his novel The Unnameable: You must go on. I cant go on. Ill go on. In other words, theres a message of stoicism and resistance in his work. This message surely means that Beckett is not only still relevant today, but will remain so for many years to come.

The University acquired the collection in 2011. It is a fabulously rich source of information for anybody interested in the history of books and publishing and, more widely, in the social history of Britain in the twentieth century.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE LINES CONTAINED IN THE BOOK:

Anything you desire I'm ready, willing and able, as the hosepipe said to the fire'

Grant sat down on the edge of the bed, a man with a firm grip on himself'

she looked up at him and bit into a sandwich before answering, that would show him how much she was afraid of him, she thought'

Thank you to John Haynes for providing photograph

27KNOWING BECKETT |

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The Meteorology Department at Reading is internationally recognised. Our innovative research, our involvement in advising policymakers across the world and our outstanding staff and students are all instrumental in evolving the way the environment can be studied and understood. With recent recognition from influential figures, Meteorology is in the limelight and being celebrated as a world class department. So what is so exciting about climate science at Reading?

A REGIUS PROFESSOR IS MADEProfessor Keith Shines Reading journey began in 1988 when he joined as a Research Assistant. He later became a lecturer and then a professor. The reason he has stayed here for so long is easy for him to explain: Reading is a special place meteorologically speaking. It is by far the biggest Meteorology Department in the country, and one of the pre-eminent departments in the world.

Her Majesty the Queen awarded the University the rare honour of a prestigious Regius Professorship in Meteorology and Climate Science in 2013, as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It recognised Readings sustained excellence in the field. Professor Shine was appointed to be Readings first such Regius Professor, an occasion marked by the presentation of the official Regius certificate by the Earl of Wessex in May.

It is important to emphasise that there are two different steps in the Regius Professorship Professor Shine explains. It is a double honour for me because it is great that the University was awarded the Regius Professorship in the first place and then a deep honour that I became the first Regius Professor. It reflects not only our research, but also our activity in teaching and training people from across the world.

The inaugural Regius Professor Lecture was given by Professor Shine in June, in which he introduced his audience to the complexities of the earths atmosphere and showed what a strange place our planet truly is.

A visit from the Earl and Countess of Wessex, advising world policymakers and working with the IPCC; its all part of everyday life for our climate scientists at Reading.

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THE IPCC REPORTS AND OUTREACH

Its totally fitting that, as we are a leading Meteorology Department, we have a heavy involvement in a report like this. Professor Keith Shine

Our Meteorology Department has close relationships with the Met Office (with whom we work on the science behind improvements to weather forecasting), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for the assessment of climate change, established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The IPCC produces major reports on climate science every five or six years. Professor Shine, along with many of his Reading colleagues, has been heavily involved in these reports. The first report was in 1990. One of the biggest breaks in my career was that I was chosen to be a lead author on this very first report and it helped to make my reputation.

Professor Nigel Arnell, Director of the Walker Institute at Reading, had a heavy involvement in the latest IPCC report, which came out this year he has been involved in the IPCC since 1995. He sees the reports as not only a reflection on the research previously undertaken, but also as a contributory factor to the research that happens afterwards. Its a two way process. Not only does the report shape policy, but from our

findings new research is undertaken that will impact on the next report. So it influences both the research we undertake and helps governments and others form policies.

The Walker Institute organises regular meetings and workshops with industry, which are highly regarded. Professor Arnell says It is due to Readings reputation that our meetings are so well attended. Otherwise we couldnt do them.

An event in May, organised by the Walker Institute, the Grantham Institute at Imperial College and the Met Office, brought together some of the worlds biggest companies with leading climate scientists and senior figures in the IPCC to discuss the findings of the latest IPCC report and the implications to business.

PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Good quality global data on climate change only exists from around 1950 onwards which means that scientists only have access to a few decades of information. Professor Sandy Harrison specialises in a form of climate science that uses data available from tens of thousands of years in the past. Using palaeoclimatology it is possible to look at historic trends and create climate models that can help to predict the environmental future.

There are two basic themes of palaeoclimatology explains Professor Harrison. One is discovering the mechanisms whereby a change in the global drives of climate is translated into a regional climate change and the

models that they are building, we can put those together and say this is what we see how do we get there? Whats the cause of this? And I think that is the exciting area.

Reading has had a focus on climate for a long time. Meteorology has driven a lot of this, but the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science provides the much-needed human dimension on climate change.

We need to get the message out that we are not just sitting here as a university and doing interesting things, teaching undergraduates etc, we are also trying to change the world and I think that is the key thing we have a direct relevance to policy.

feedbacks in that loop; the second is asking whether we actually know enough about this to be able to model it accurately. I think from the point of view of palaeoclimatology, they are both useful inasmuch as you have to understand the mechanisms to be able to do things, but certainly the question have we got models that are accurate to make future predictions is a key practical application of palaeoclimatology.

One of the great advantages of somewhere like Reading is that we have the whole range of expertise needed. We can collect the original data, put maps of climate change together, and then, in combination with an understanding of the mechanisms behind climate change and the kinds of

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Climate scientists have a crucial job to further our understanding of how the global climate system works, and what can change and influence the climate. But we also have a responsibility to share our findings, to help society to face up to the reality of climate change and help decision-makers based on the evidence as it emerges. Professor Nigel Arnell

Climate change is increasingly being seen as a real threat, both by individuals and by companies, and the pressure is on for governmental policy to develop a sensible plan of action. Climate scientists are playing a key role in advising in this process.

JENNIFER AKERS (MMet Meteorology, 2012)

What are you up to now? I am currently working as a Marine Meteorologist with Fugro Geos in Singapore! I applied for jobs in the UK, several of those at the Met Office, but it was a fellow Reading meteorology graduate who, knowing my appetite for living abroad, let me know of a vacancy in the SE Asia office of her company. I had an interview in their UK office and flew out a few months later! Adjusting to a new culture and continent has been the biggest of challenges but Im really enjoying my time here, especially the travelling of SE Asia that I have been able to squeeze in!

Why did you choose to study at the University of Reading?Once Id decided to pursue meteorology, there was only one place I wanted to study! The University of Readings Meteorology Department was the highest ranked of such departments in the country and offered the opportunity to study abroad (something everyone should do!). When I visited the beautiful green campus on a sunny mid-June Open Day and saw the department and staff for myself, I was completely sold.

What was the best bit about living and studying in Reading?The diversity of people that I came across made me love the University. I lived in Windsor Hall in my first year and living and eating with other students for the year created irreplaceable friendships. Living on Whiteknights campus with a five minute walk to the centre, was perfect for lazy freshers and Readings proximity to London was ideal to visit home and, indeed, anywhere else in the UK, for the weekend.

What would be your top tips for students interested in working in this sector?A degree in meteorology isnt essential the UK Met Office in particular accepts degrees in maths or physics but the specialist knowledge that you gain from

a meteorology degree is considered invaluable by private forecasting companies. Keep up with latest research particularly if youre interested in following a career in academia, (incidentally if this cant be found in the Meteorology Department library, then the research is probably happening in the rooms above you).

How has the University of Reading helped in your chosen career path?I knew I wanted a career in meteorology from the beginning of my studies, but the careers centre and, especially, lecturers in my department, helped me refine my job applications and gave me advice on what employers were particularly looking for in CVs. They were perfectly placed for this advice, having had alumni successfully gain jobs for the same companies.

What does the University mean to you?The Meteorology Department will always hold a place in my heart and memories. Its a truly unique department, with the Christmas Pantomimes and summer barn dances being some of the highlights. It is a department where professors, PhD students and first years share one coffee room and it was a great place to spend my university days. I made friends for life in Reading but it was particularly my time in Windsor Hall and studying in Oklahoma, which gave me the opportunity to meet a whole spectrum of people I wouldnt have otherwise.

An MSc in Past Climate and Environmental Change is due to start in October 2015. This novel inter-disciplinary programme combines empirical palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic data with numerical modelling. It will be a joint degree between the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science (SAGES) and the Department of Meteorology, with some optional modules also available from the School of Biological Sciences.

For further information, please contact the Programme Director, Professor Francis E. Mayle, at f.mayle@reading.ac.uk.

31LEADING THE WORLD IN CLIMATE SCIENCE |

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CLIMATE CHANGE With the floods this year, as well as other severe weather events, climate change has been a big topic for the media. Professor Shine acknowledges that climate sceptics are out there, but has seen interest, and a desire to find out more, growing amongst the general public.

The problem with climate change at the moment is, because of the political and societal consequences, there is a small, but quite vociferous set of people out there, who are very sceptical of climate change. Some of the climate sceptics are fine they come at it from a genuinely quizzical point of view and they want to understand things and try and learn but others seem politically motivated. They might not agree with government energy policy which is fine as there is an important debate to be had, but this is often coupled with ill-informed attacks on both the underlying science and the scientists themselves.

But we can see more people are appreciating the risks associated with climate change. I think this year with the flooding, a lot of people can see that extreme weather events can have a really severe impact.

Climate scientists like me cannot say that those floods were definitely due to climate change, but what it showed is that society is vulnerable to climate change. We are in the 21st century and the weather is still able to knock out our energy systems so that people were unable to cook their Christmas lunch! Collectively society has to decide what is the best way to respond to the risks.

I hope that the other thing convincing people is that the government, by and large, hasnt been questioning the underlying science of climate change and that the UN has shown great awareness of the issue. Another sign is how interested the insurance companies have become in climate science in recent years. They will be greatly affected by climate change as it affects their business model. I would say if you want to convince people that climate change is a real threat just show them how interested the insurance companies are and, likewise, the energy companies. Businesses are taking notice and worrying about the impact on their future activities.

NEENA SAITH (MSc Meteorology, 2003)

Why did you choose to study at the University of Reading?After doing a Geography BSc at Royal Holloway, I really wanted to study meteorology and Reading seemed like THE BEST place to do it, with an outstanding reputation.

What was the best bit about living and studying in Reading?The course was brilliant, as were the people. Of course, thats where I met my husband so thats got to count as one of the best bits!

What are you up to now? How did you get there?After completing my Masters I did a couple of years weather forecasting at Fugro GEOS, but as I realised that shift work was not for me, I started looking for other types of jobs that needed meteorology expertise. I stumbled across a company called Risk Management Solutions (RMS), who later hired me as a Catastrophe Response Analyst. This involved writing scientific reports and coordinating our response to natural catastrophes around the globe that might impact the insurance industry. Later I went on to lead this team before moving into a Product Marketing role that Im in now, focused on helping to grow our business in Asia.

What would be your advice for students interested in this industry?Theres strong demand for scientists in the insurance industry. Get the education grounding needed and try and back this up with some work experience as you go this will differentiate yourself from others when you apply for jobs.

What does the University mean to you?Burning the candle at both ends is probably a term that was used frequently working very hard but having a huge amount of fun! One of my favourite memories of University was the field trip we went on to Swanage.

WHY CLIMATE SCIENCE?The Meteorology Department at Reading is world-leading, and its scientists are amongst the best, but what is it that makes scientists want to specialise in this field? Professor Shine believes that the link between the science and the societal good is at the heart of it.

One of the great things about meteorology and climate science is that you do two things at once. Firstly you are tackling fundamental scientific issues. There is a lot of fundamental stuff that we dont know about our atmosphere yet. And so, irrespective of the applications of our science, it is in itself fascinating. But the key thing that I think attracts people into meteorology and keeps them there is that they can see a societal use for the science very close down stream. A lot of our PhD students like to know

that there is a use for their research. If they are studying African weather systems, for example, then they feel that they are doing something important scientifically but there are people who rely on the atmosphere for feeding their agricultural systems so it is of absolutely vital importance for them that we know more. I think it is that shortness of the link between the science we do and the use for that science that attracts us and keeps us here.

| LEADING THE WORLD IN CLIMATE SCIENCE

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THE

CAREERTell us a little about your job and what it involves. I think I must have one of the best jobs on planet Earth. I am the Director of Nestls primary confectionery R&D facility based in York. We are a team of 180 scientists responsible for helping deliver Great Tasting Permissible Pleasure confectionery products to Nestls businesses around the globe. As the worlds leading food company we take our responsibility in helping provide consumers with healthier and more sustainable choices very seriously.

The challenges are numerous and have involved me being given demanding opportunities, be this learning a new language in a faraway place (the last one being Santiago de Chile in South America) at the same time as turning around a struggling R&D facility, or being given a major investment project whilst managing a shop floor workforce of 100+.

I guess that my passion, energy and drive have always opened doors for me and today I would see myself as a change leader/driver.

As a company, Nestl has had some controversy. Does this ever affect you in a personal or professional capacity?No, because I am so proud to be associated with such a company. What we read in the media is more often than not one distorted side of a two sided story and therefore unrepresentative.

Nestl is one of the very few companies that genuinely thinks long term, indeed it has been recognised for this many, many times; this includes work with coffee and cocoa farmers as well as actively driving the water agenda on a global basis. It is a very international company and a true example of cultural diversity within the food industry.

GETTING THEREWhat impact has Reading had on your life? Up until Reading I had never left home; Reading presented me with my first taste of freedom and independence. It helped me develop a resilience and determination that over the years have become strengths. I say this as I am a British Asian who was brought up as a devout Sikh. Being able to find the true me whilst still respecting the values I hold dear to me have been central to my success. Reading helped me in this. Even then there

was a very diverse student base and I felt that there was a great positive feeling around with many nationalities under one roof and people very accepting of that.

Course-wise, the one thing that really stands out to me is the one year placement that we all had to do. I worked for three companies, two over the course of the year and a third during one of the summer breaks, and this helped me to develop a pragmatism and an appreciation of the real world of operations which have proved invaluable. The breadth of subjects including core science, statistics, probability, management (I still remember the Peter Drucker school of thought on management) also helped give me, as a scientist, a true

business appreciation which today is highlighted as one of my strengths at Nestl.

What does Reading mean to you?A life changing experience, hard work, fun times, inspiring professors!

AND FINALLYWhat are you most proud of?The people that I have been able to coach, help, support and develop along my 22 years.

JOB IN THE WORLD

JAS SUNDER (BSC FOOD SCIENCE 1992)

Jas is a multilingual entrepreneur with 22 years experience with an international food company across five markets, working in Operations, Strategy, R&D, Project Management and Leadership.

TIM

ELIN

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Our Malaysia campus is not due to open until September 2015, but students are already completing courses with the University of Reading in Malaysia.

In September of last year, our first students were welcomed to Menara Kotaraya to study a Foundation for Business