In the late Summer of 2016 a small number of Alumni – prompted mainly by Steve Walker and mostly from around the years 1968 and 1969 – decided that an occasional get-together at a restaurant somewhere in London would be both a pleasant and administratively straightforward way of keeping in touch with each other, as well as providing the opportunity to enjoy the cuisine of the sub-continent.

The inaugural gathering duly took place at the Temple Bar restaurant just off of Fleet Street, and was preceded by drinks in the conveniently adjacent El Vino wine bar. The general feeling of those present was that the quality of both the company and of the cusine fully justified repeating the experience, and a second gathering was duly organised – with a similar positive outcome.

Meanwhile, the number of Alumni showing an interest in attending future events had grown significantly, and the email distribution list now contains over 40 members, covering a wide range of Matriculation years – though there is still plenty of room for any former students wishing to add their names to the list. Should you wish to be informed of future meet-ups then just add your name, email address, subect and year of matriculation to the form below and you will receive a regular Newsletter containing details of the next event. You can, of course, unsubscribe at any time.

The current plan is now to meet every two or three months in order to enjoy a drink and a curry – not to mention scintilating conversation – though there is no presumption that this will always be at El Vino and the Temple Bar. Suggestions are always welcome as to the possibility of eating and drinking at other venues – provided, of course, that Peter May and Norman Wright remain within easy staggering distance of a railway station with connections to the south coast!

We hope that you will join us at the next event and look forward to seeing you then. Full details in the Newsletter!

Programme for Saturday 24 June 2017

10.30am Coffee at the Ashmolean

11.00am  An insider’s tour of the Museum with Dr Paul Collins

12.30pm Conclude tour and walk back to College

13.00  2 course lunch in Hall

Old Members Day this year will be back in Oxford with an insider’s guide to the Ashmolean Museum. This has been made possible through Dr Paul Collins, who is the Jaleh Hearn Curator for the Ancient Near-East at the Ashmolean. He is also a Hugh Price Fellow at Jesus and a Fellow at Wolfson.

The Ashmolean has had a series of terrific exhibitions recently and we are very fortunate to have this opportunity to learn more from Dr. Collins. This visit follows a tour some ten years ago which was a great success. Family and friends are warmly invited.

Sincerely,

Malcolm McIvor

To book please contact me********@**mg.org

 

Dear Fellow Member

CHANGE TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

This year, in accordance with the the permission granted in Rule 5 of the revised group rules passed at the 2013 AGM, the AGM will be ‘virtual’ for the reasons that are set out below. We shall however meet informally on the morning following Alumni Annual Dinner (the new title for the Jesus Society Dinner) which will be held on Friday 31^st March 2017. We hope that you will both attend the dinner and join us on the Saturday morning to express your ideas and thoughts on the events, communication and administering of our Group.

From the Treasurer’s Report, which is attached, you will see that the specific financing commitments made by the Group have now been completed with our substantial ongoing support of current members of College being made through the College Annual Fund. Consequently, the main aim of the Group and the focus of the Committee is developing the social interaction between members. Taking account of this, it does not seem necessary for us to hold a meeting to conduct the small amount of formal business we have.

The virtual AGM, for which relevant papers are attached with this note, will be held from your receipt of this note. You will be able, through me, to put forward any comments, matters of correction, requests for clarification, additional matters of business or objections related to the AGM items and papers. I will respond to any issue and set up a discussion with members, should that be necessary. Any significant matters will be discussed on the Saturday morning, 1^st April.

The Committee will be at the Alumni Dinner and surrounding programme arranged by the College. On the Saturday, we have arranged through College that one of our sponsored students will give a talk to us, after which, we will have our get together over coffee. This will replace the AGM, will allow more informal conversations about the College and the Group, and will provide more flexibility in timings and in the shared activities of Group members on the Saturday.

We look forward to seeing you at the Dinner and Saturday morning.

Yours sincerely

Paul Seward

Agenda for the JOMG AGM 2017
AGM 2017 Chairman’s Report
AGM 2017 Treasurer’s Report and Accounts

 Visit to Caernarfon, 15-17 May 2017

 Given Jesus College’s historic links with Wales, a JOMG trip to Caernarfon – the most Welsh of towns – is long overdue!  The town has a superb location – the island of Anglesey is across the Menai Strait to the north west, and the mountains of Snowdonia to the south east.

Caernarfon is probably best known these days for its castle, one of the “iron ring” ordered by Edward I to subdue North Wales, a goal that was only partially achieved. The castle and town walls – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site – were built between 1283 and 1330, with the unusual banded stonework and polygonal towers thought to be in imitation of Constantinople.

The town’s period of greatest prosperity came in the 19^th century as a result of rapid growth in the slate industry. Slate was exported from Caernarfon all over the world, generating ancillary industries such as ship-building and iron production.  After the 1914-18 war, slate production went into slow decline, but shops selling slate artefacts such as coasters, name plates and wine-racks are a reminder of the industry, while Penrhyn Quarry at nearby Bethesda is still thriving.

Caernarfon is a centre of Welsh language and culture, and around 9 out of 10 inhabitants speak Welsh as their first language.

The town boasts several choirs, with celebrities from the surrounding area including opera singer Bryn Terfel, Aled Jones (Walking in the Air), and Gwyneth Glyn (Jesus 1999), while the annual Harp Festival attracts enthusiasts from around the world.

Some 15 minutes up the A4086 is Llanberis, and the terminus for the Snowdon Mountain Railway, with a choice of footpaths to the summit for the more energetic. Other diversions in Llanberis are the Slate Museum, the Electric Mountain, and the Zip Wire (claiming to be the longest in Europe and the fastest in the world).

The British Rail line from Caernarfon to Bangor was closed in 1972 and is now part of the Wales Coast Path, ideal for biking and walking. However, local narrow gauge railways have in recent years been resurrected, including the Welsh Highland Railway, from Caernarfon to Porthmadog (next to Tremadog, birthplace of Jesus alumnus T. E. Lawrence).

Programme

Monday 15 May

15.30: Meet at the Galeri Café/Bar, Victoria Dock, Caernarfon. Guided walk (about 45 minutes) through the town

18.00: Welcome, orientation, and dinner (19.00) at the Royal Welsh Yacht Club, Porth yr Aur, Caernarfon (beer and wine may be purchased at the bar and table)

Tuesday 16 May

9.15: Meet at Castle entrance, Y Maes, for guided visit.

After the guided tour there will be the option to split up and visit parts of the castle which the guide tells you about, but does not take you to – notably the “Inside Edward’s Head” exhibition, and also the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum (entry to both included as part of castle entry). Climbing to the top of the Eagle Tower is worth it, for the view).

There are cafes and pubs within easy reach of the castle for lunch or takeaway sandwiches and drinks.

14.00 pm: Meet at Welsh Highland Railway Station for journey (departure 14.15) to Porthmadog (arriving there at 16.30)

17.30 pm: Coach back to Caernarfon. Arrive 18.30

Dinner is left open for the members to make their own arrangements.

Wednesday 17 May

9.00 Meet outside the Black Boy Inn, Northgate Street. Guided archaeological walk up to and around the Roman fortress of Segontium (about 2 hrs 30 mins)

13.00 pm: Light farewell lunch provided by the Cymdeithas Ddinesig Caernarfon Civic Society in “Y Wal”, Palace Street. (Drinks may be purchased at the bar)

After-lunch: an optional free end to the visit: a coastal/countryside walk led by Ifor Williams starting from Y Wal to the church of Llanfaglan – St Baglan – built in the 13^th century with 17^th century additions, now owned by the Friends of Friendless Churches.

Travel to Caernarfon

Rail: Nearest main line station is Bangor. Bus service about every 20 minutes from Bangor station to Caernarfon. Come out of the station, turn left up the hill, and the bus-stop is a few yards up on the left. Check with driver that the bus goes to Caernarfon. Taxi is around £25.

Road: A55 along the North Wales coast links to the UK motorway system. Leave the A55 at Bangor and take the A487 to Caernarfon. Other routes from central or southern England – e.g. via Corwen, Dolgellau or Bala – are more scenic but much slower.

Sea: sailors – if they’re sufficiently intrepid – can get visitors’ berths at Victoria Dock.

Accommodation

The Celtic Royal (celtic-royal.co.uk) , the Black Boy (black-boy-inn.com), the Premier Inn (premierinn.com) and Travel Lodge (travelodge.co.uk), among others. Totter’s Backpacker’s Hostel (totters.co.uk) is said to provide excellent value. All the above are within easy walking distance of the main square, Y Maes, with the Black Boy and Totters the closest. There is also a range of B&Bs such as  Bron Menai http://www.bronmenai.co.uk .

Caernarfon is an increasingly popular venue, so do book early”

 Due to tour and transport restrictions, the group size is limited to 30

Nearby places of interest:

Snowdon Mountain Railway

Llanberis Slate Museum and the Electric Mountain

Port Meirion, Clough Williams-Ellis’s Italianate village, the setting for 1960s cult series The Prisoner and more recently for Festival 6

Blaenau Ffestiniog slate caverns

Well preserved pre-historic sites abound in Gwynedd and Anglesey.

 Queries about booking: Chris Hicks at ev****@**mg.org

Contact when in Caernarfon: Eddie Williams

Land line: 01286 672244

Mobile:  07985408915

ed************@*******ac.uk

 

Tourist information

You’ll get a number of out-of-date and/or shoddy websites if you google “Caernarfon”. Among the better ones are:

http://www.caernarfon.com/index.html

http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Caernarfon_Town.htm

Caernarfon Tourist Information, Oriel Pendeitsh, Castle Street, Caernarfon, LL55 2NA, Wales, UK.  Telephone:- +44 1286 672232

(recent cuts in funding may affect this service)

We are grateful to David Pick and to George Reah for providing us with a permanent record of some of the highlights of the recent JOMG visit to Shrewsbury.

Spot the Difference Competition

Whiteleaf Golf Club is a 9 hole course near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire with an 18 hole yardage of 5,391 and a par of 66. Paul Seward is a member and invites you to join him for an afternoon’s golf.

The intention is to meet for a snack lunch and then play in the afternoon. The cost of the round of golf will be £15. There would be an option of playing 9 holes in the morning at an additional cost of £10. There are 4 possible dates – all on a Thursday in July or August.

Chris Hicks and Byron Grainger Jones have joined forces to arrange a two-day visit to Shrewsbury on May 5th and 6th, 2016.

The programme begins at lunchtime on Thursday 5th May and ends on Friday 6th May at about 4 pm. A 6-page brochure containing full details of the event – together with information regarding overnight accommodation and a Booking form – can be downloaded by clicking here, but briefly the key points are:-

Thursday 5 May 2016
Today’s lunch and tour of facilities are provided by the University Centre.
12noon onwards : Meet for light lunch at Rowley’s House, courtesy of the University Centre, followed by tour of the building and of the nearby Guildhall
3 until 5pm Free time for shopping or maybe a visit to our award winning Museum in the Square.
5pm. assemble at Sabrina Boat, adjacent to the Welsh Bridge, for river trip of approx. 45 minutes*
7pm Prince Rupert Hotel, Butcher Row for evening meal*
*Special bargain price for combined boat trip and meal, of £20.00

Friday 6 May
Todays’ programme is provided by Shrewsbury Civic Society
10.30am Assemble at entrance to Shrewsbury Abbey for guided tour of this handsome building constructed in 1083
12.30pm Light lunch at The Bear Steps, St Alkmonds Square.
2pm Guided tour of Town Centre, including visit to Darwin’s former school
4pm End of Programme

There will be an Old Members’ Day on June 27th this year to mark the XL Network Group’s 25th anniversary.

The timetable is:
10.30   Coffee and Tea in the Ship Street Centre
11.00   The programme of talks led by the Principal
12.00   The First Principal – Prof. Diarmaid MacCulloch.
13.00   Lunch in Hall

All members of the the XL Network Group are cordially invited to attend, and the charge for the whole event, including wine with the meal, is just £10 each!

T