yourmanchester

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends April 2010

Healing performances

Amis on students

Frenetic lifestyles

Drugs to improve the mind

The laughter laboratory

MarkKermodeback on campus

Welcome to this latest edition of YourManchester, the magazine for alumni of The University of Manchester.

This will be the last time that I will be writingin the magazine as President and Vice-Chancellor as I have decided to retire at theend of the current academic year. I will havebeen in post for almost six and a half yearsby then, although for the first seven monthsprior to 1 October 2004 my role was that ofPresident-elect working alongside the Vice-Chancellors of the two merging institutions.

Two things have determined the timing ofmy departure. First, as some of you mayknow, I have had niggling health problemsover the past couple of years, culminating inheart bypass surgery last September. I amfeeling well enough and energetic enoughto be confident about the next few months,but it would have been irresponsible for meto give the same assurances to theUniversity community and its Board ofGovernors about a further extended periodin office.

Which leads to the second timingconsideration. We have reached animportant watershed in the development ofthe University, making 2010 a sensible timefor a change of leadership, irrespective ofpersonal factors.

The Manchester 'merger' is effectively over,and has been an unambiguous success - areality reflected in our outstandingperformance in the Research AssessmentExercise 2008, in our impressive climb uprespected international university rankingssince 2004, and in the physicaltransformation of the Manchester campusthrough a massive capital investment ofover £400 million.

We have also begun to make progress onour major teaching and learning reformagenda and address the unsatisfactoryperformance by this University in theNational Student Survey (NSS). Blackboard,a state-of-the art online learningenvironment, is now available to all ourstudents and we have begun construction

of a major new student learning facility atthe heart of the campus. We are alsomaking other changes in order to offerstudents more purposeful curricula and to re-personalise the student learning experience.

A new, powerful institutional culture hasdeveloped around our ambitiousManchester 2015 Agenda, bringing with it agenuine sense of institutional momentumaround the pursuit of scholarly excellence inall its forms. Over the past few months, wehave been revising our Manchester 2015Strategic Plan to take account of theprogress that we have made so far and toclarify our Goals and Objectives. The newdocument can be seen on the Universitywebsite at www.manchester.ac.uk/2015

It has been a matter of immense goodfortune that the Manchester merger tookplace in a relatively benign financial climatein UK higher education. We took prudent,but significant, financial risks to empowerthe new institution to take full advantage of

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welcome to yourm

2 YOUR MANCHESTER

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Gilbert

the opportunities afforded by the merger,but we then took decisive action tobalance our books and ensure that theUniversity budget is now back in surplus.

Thank goodness that we did, because theexternal funding climate for all UKuniversities is now taking a dramatic turnfor the worse. The kinds of boldstrategies that represented prudent risksix years ago - and that in Manchester'scase were vindicated by the resultsachieved - could not have been pursuedresponsibly during a period of publicfunding stringency of the kind that UKhigher education now faces.

While I will be leaving The University ofManchester in a healthy financial position,even the very strongest institutions willfind it extremely challenging to managethe sheer scale of the public funding cutslikely to be compounded year-on-year overthe next five years or so. At the sametime, I am aware that 'hard times' createmajor opportunities for strong,

strategically-focused institutions like oursthat do not exist to the same extent ineasier circumstances.

One of the secret ingredients of thesuccess of the University over the past sixyears has been the active and passionatesupport that we have received from our230,000 graduates around the world. Ihave had the privilege of meeting many ofyou here on the campus and on my travelsoverseas over the past six years and I haveseen for myself the high esteem in whichyou hold your University and the widevariety of ways that you continue to offer ityour support.

Thank you for that support.

manchester

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University news 4

Students today 10

Drama – a powerful healing tool 12

Catching up with Martin Amis 14

Overcoming tiredness 16

Capturing carbon 18

Combating world poverty 20

Drugs to improve the mind 22

Mark Kermode receives University Award 24

Alumni event, a tour ofunderground Manchester 26

Soviet plans to invade Manchester 29

Manchester, a city of laughter 30

Alumni event, Alison Uttley revealed 33

Victorian peepshows andfreakshows 36

Alumni in the Spotlight 38

Alumni Association news 40

Development news 42

Alumni Benefits 48

Your Manchester is published by theCommunications, Media and Public RelationsDivision in conjunction with the Division ofDevelopment and Alumni Relations, The University of Manchester.

For further information concerning any of thearticles in this issue please contact:alumni@manchester.ac.uk

The articles printed here, to the best of ourknowledge, were correct at the time of going to press. We cannot guarantee that all articlessubmitted will be printed and we reserve the right to edit material where necessary. Furthermore,the views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester, The University ofManchester Alumni Association, or the Editor.

contents

YOUR MANCHESTER 3

Professor Alan GilbertPresident and Vice-Chancellor

4 YOUR MANCHESTER

NewsAstronomers at the Jodrell Bank Centrefor Astrophysics have discovered one ofthe hottest stars in the Galaxy with asurface temperature of around 200,000degrees - 35 times hotter than the Sun.

Despite numerous attempts by astronomersacross the world, the mysterious dying starat the heart of the Bug nebula, one of thebrightest and most beautiful of theplanetary nebulae, has never been seen before.

“This star was so hard to find because it ishidden behind a cloud of dust and ice inthe middle of the nebula”, said ProfessorAlbert Zijlstra.

"Planetary nebulae like the Bug form when adying star ejects much of its gas back intospace and they are among the most beautifulobjects in the night sky.

"Our own Sun will do this in about fivebillion years time. The Bug nebula, which isabout 3,500 light years away in theconstellation Scorpius, is one of the mostspectacular of all planetary nebulae."

Using the recently refurbished Hubble SpaceTelescope, a team of astronomers, led byProfessor Zijlstra, has shed new light on thenebula with a set of spectacular images.

The images were taken to show off the newimproved Hubble after it began work againin September.

Professor Zijlstra added: “It's extremelyimportant to understand planetary nebulaesuch as the Bug Nebula, as they are crucialto understanding our own existence onEarth. The elements necessary for life,especially carbon, are created inside stars,and ejected into space as part of theseplanetary nebulae.”

Hidden star bursts into sight

Professor Alistair Burns will promotebetter care of people with dementiawithin the NHS and social carecommunities and provide leadershipfor the implementation of theNational Dementia Strategy.

Formerly the University’s Professor of OldAge Psychiatry, Professor Burnsdeveloped the South ManchesterMemory Clinic which provides specialistassessment and diagnosis for peoplewith memory problems. He is also aninstrumental part of the Old AgePsychiatry General Hospital liaisonservice and helped establish a DementiaDrug Treatment clinic.

Professor Burns said: “I am delighted tohave been appointed to the post ofNational Clinical Director for Dementia.In the past few years, there has been agreat deal of public interest in dementiaand several influential initiatives, inparticular the National DementiaStrategy. The challenge now is to buildon this to make a real positivedifference to people with dementia,their families and carers. I very muchlook forward to working withcolleagues to realise this ambition.”

New NationalClinical Directorfor Dementia

YOUR MANCHESTER 5

Professor Tony Redmond, the DeputyDirector of the new Humanitarian andConflict Response Institute, has recentlyreturned from Haiti where he devisedhealth needs assessments for a numberof agencies including the BritishDepartment for InternationalDevelopment. He also led a team ofsurgeons providing emergency medicinealongside the charity Merlin.

The Institute was established in September2009 under Director Rony Brauman, aformer president of the internationally-renowned relief organisation, Médecins SansFrontières. Its unique, multi-disciplinaryapproach draws on the skills of medics andsocial scientists to shape relief efforts inglobal emergencies.

Professor Redmond is also involved in ongoingmedical development work with Chinesedoctors after leading the UK’s emergencyresponse team in Wenchuan which wasdevastated by an earthquake in 2008.

“My original appointment by the ForeignOffice in May 2008 involved a lot of spinalcord injury management and working withpeople who had limbs amputated as a resultof crush injuries,” said Professor Redmond.

“Following on from this, we have workedwith the Chinese to develop a MajorIncident Medical Management Supporttraining programme and six Chinese doctorsrecently came to Manchester to completethis. In 2010, we will be rolling out thecourse in China, where it will be adapted bythe Chinese.”

In addition, a medical student exchangeprogramme is being set up between theUniversity and Chinese medical schools,following similar principles to existingexchange initiatives with Kosovo, Uganda,Malawi and Egypt.

Professor Redmond was the first ClinicalDirector of the University Clinical Centre inPristina following the NATO invasion ofKosovo in 1999.

“I was asked recently by the hospital andmedical school to go back and help themwith further development and the outcomewas extremely positive,” said ProfessorRedmond. “We agreed to develop formallinks between the Kosovo and Manchestermedical schools and will be looking to set up an exchange programme involvingmedical students from both schools.”

Accompanying him to Kosovo were Dr JennyPeterson, a social scientist, and MA studentNatalie Wood, who formed a multi-disciplinaryteam there. This approach sets the HCRI apartfrom other UK-based relief organisations.

“We are writing a research paper on mywork in Kosovo in which we look at thesituation now, ten years on, from a medicalas well as a political point of view,”explained Professor Redmond. “Healthcareand politics are very closely connected inevery country and the HCRI is unique in thatit has medical and humanities peopleworking very closely together.”

Commenting on the formation of the HCRI,its executive director Professor BertrandTaithe said: “The project is driven by a desireto inform and support policy and decisionmakers, to optimise joint working betweenpartner organisations, and to fosterincreased understanding and debate in thefield of humanitarianism.

“We hope to become the leading centre forthe renewal of thinking about humanitarianintervention, and the best place wheremedical practitioners and academics fromthe humanities side can meet and informone another,” added Professor Taithe.

Providing support to Haitiansfollowing earthquake devastation

Photo by Norman Scott / Rex Features ©

6 YOUR MANCHESTER

News

University researchersworking towards treatmentsfor the pregnancycomplications pre-eclampsiaand fetal growth restrictionhave been awarded £2.4million.

Pre-eclampsia – a group ofconditions that result in highblood pressure in expectantmothers – can be fatal, whilefetal growth restriction, wherethe baby does not grow properlyin the womb, results in a greaterrisk of death or handicap.

The five-year programme grantfrom the Medical ResearchCouncil has been awarded toProfessor Colin Sibley, Dr SueGreenwood and Dr MarkWareing in Manchester’sMaternal and Fetal HealthResearch Centre based at StMary’s Hospital, together withcollaborations in Cambridge,Harwell and Alberta.

Professor Sibley said: “Pre-eclampsia and fetal growth

restriction are diseases withmany different causes and arethe most dangerous pregnancycomplications. There arecurrently no treatments availableother than Caesarean section orinducing labour.

“Some of the causes are similarto those in other conditions, suchas cardiovascular disease andcancer, and our search willdetermine whether the samedrugs that are useful in thosediseases can be used in treatingpregnancy complications.”

A further £220,000 has beenawarded by the MRC to fellowMaternal and Fetal HealthResearch Centre scientists,Professor John Aplin and DrLynda Harris. Their research willexamine an enzyme called MMP-12 and whether blocking itsactions may be a therapeuticintervention in complicatedpregnancies.

Meanwhile, Dr Stuart Pickering-Brown and Professor David

Mann, in the School ofTranslational Medicine, havebeen awarded £1 million of a£4.5 million programme grant bythe Wellcome Trust and MedicalResearch Council to identifygenetic risk factors in motorneurone disease.

Working with colleagues atKing’s College, London, theManchester researchers willinvestigate a gene called FUS –known to play a role in motorneurone disease – in dementiapatients with frontotemporallabour degeneration (FTLD).

Grant success for foetal medicine

One of the University’s longest-standingalumni was welcomed back to thecampus recently.

Geoffrey Stone, now nearly 90, whograduated with Double Honours in Frenchand German in 1940, met with a group offinal-year students to compare notesbefore undertaking a nostalgic tourthrough the bookshelves of the JohnRylands University Library.

Over lunch at the Christie’s Bistro with thecurrent Head of French Studies, Dr UrsulaTidd, and with the Heads of German Studies,Professor Margaret Littler and Dr MatthewPhilpotts, Mr Stone shared his experiences asa student in Manchester more than 70 yearsago. Rather different from the presentstudent experience, these included theprovision of individual tutorials in his room atDalton Hall and shared lodgings during his

residence abroad with such intellectualluminaries as André Gide.

Denied an official graduation ceremonybecause of wartime restrictions on publicmeetings, Mr Stone’s destination aftergraduation was the Military IntelligenceCorps and service in Britain, Europe and the Far East.

After a long career in education as aheadteacher and schools inspector, Mr Stone retains a keen interest ineducation and, in particular, in the teaching of foreign languages.

Mr Stone was impressed by the currentstrength of the disciplines at Manchester. “Iwas heartened to see that both Departmentsare flourishing, “commented Mr Stone afterhis visit. “I was also grateful to the lively andcharming students for their interestingcomments. You all did me proud!”

Wartime graduate returns to campus

Karen Buckle has graduated from Manchester with first classhonours, despite being autistic and a single mother.

Karen achieved the highest mark on theCognitive Neuroscience and Psychologycourse, winning one of only five WellcomeTrust Studentships to study for a Masters inHealth Care, Ethics and Law.

But she had a long and difficult journey tograduation. Born in Canada and unable tospeak properly until the age of six, Karenwas believed to be severely autistic andmentally retarded. She was ‘re-diagnosed’as gifted at eight but was bullied throughouther school career until the age of 16 whenshe won a scholarship to attend a girls’boarding school.

However, with family problems and noproper diagnosis for her condition, Karenfailed to apply for university. Several toughyears followed in which she was hospitalisedwith depression and gave birth to her firstdaughter Kendra who was taken into care.

At 23, Karen was finally diagnosed with ahigh functioning form of autism. She alsomet her British husband Ian online, movedto Britain to be with him and had twomore daughters, Antonia and Erin. Shewon a two year court case for custody ofher first daughter.

Karen and her husband separated amicably,but this did not stop Karen from setting outto achieve her lifelong ambition of going touniversity. When the girls were old enough,she completed an access course at her localcollege and applied for a place on aNeuroscience and Psychology degree courseat Manchester.

Karen has recently begun her masters degreein Health Care Ethics and Law. Shesucceeded, in part, thanks to the support ofstaff at the University and from her friends,family and classmates. “I have found myhome in academia” she says. “So much ofmy life has been focused on what I can’t do,and now I am in a place where I am good atsomething. I feel proud and terrified andamazed. I made it.”

YOUR MANCHESTER 7

The National Academy ofSciences (NAS) hashonoured Universityphysicist for his exceptionalscientific achievements.

Professor André Geim FRSLangworthy and Royal Society2010 Anniversary ResearchProfessor of Physics at theUniversity, is the recipient of theprestigious John J Carty Awardfor the Advancement of Science

The award is bestowed fornoteworthy and distinguishedaccomplishments in any field ofscience within the charter ofthe NAS.

Professor Geim, who is the onlynon-US recipient of this award,has been honoured for hisexperimental realisation andinvestigation of graphene, thetwo-dimensional form of carbon,which he discovered in 2004with Dr Kostya Novoselov.

Professor Geim has been basedat the University since 2001. Hisother notable achievementincludes the development of abiomimetic adhesive that laterbecame known as ‘gecko tape,’which mimics the creature’sability to cling on to surfaces. Heis also known for his experimentson diamagnetic levitation,including levitating a frog in amagnetised cylinder!

Since discovering graphene,Professor Geim has publishedmany high-profile researchpapers on his graphenediscoveries in prestigious journalssuch as Nature and Science. Hehas already won a string ofawards for his work includingthe prestigious Europhysics Prizein 2008 and the The KörberEuropean Science Award in2009. He is tipped for a Nobel prize.

Established by the AmericanTelephone and Telegraph Co, theCarty Award – a medal and$25,000 prize recognisingnoteworthy and distinguishedaccomplishment in any field ofscience – is being presented inthe area of physics in 2010.

Previous winners of the awardinclude Nobel Prize Winner SirWilliam Lawrence Bragg, whowas appointed LangworthyProfessor of Physics at theUniversity in 1919 and held thispost till 1937.

US honour for Manchester physicist

Overcoming adversity to graduate

Photo by Nick Ogden ©

8 YOUR MANCHESTER

News

Scientists have discovered that gorillas are a source ofhuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), havingdiagnosed a Cameroonian woman living in Paris with astrain that is different to those previously found to causeHIV-1 infections. This is the first human infection of HIVthat is clearly linked to gorillas and not chimpanzees.

HIV-1 is responsible for the AIDS pandemic that currently affects33 million people worldwide. HIV-1 originated as the result ofcross-species transmissions of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)found in chimpanzees, which is presumed to be a result of peoplecoming in to contact with infected bush meat. HIV/AIDS was firstrecognised by the scientist community in the 1980s, while the firstintroduction of the virus into the human population is estimated tohave been near the beginning of the twentieth century, in theregion of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Now a French team, in collaboration with David Robertson andJonathan Dickerson in the Faculty of Life Sciences, has found thefirst definitive transfer of HIV-I from a non-chimpanzee source, agorilla. The unusual HIV-1 infection was found in a 62-year-oldCameroonian woman living in Paris. It probably represents a newhuman lineage that is distinct from those previously indentified.

Dr Robertson, whose study was published in Nature, said “Thediscovery of this novel HIV-1 lineage highlights the continuingneed to monitor closely the emergence of new HIV variants. Thisdemonstrates that HIV evolution is an ongoing process. The virus

can jump from species to species, from primate to primate, andthat includes us; pathogens have been with us for millions of yearsand routinely switch host species.”

A team of archaeologists has come onestep closer to unravelling the mysteryof how the famous statues dotting thelandscape of Easter Island in the Pacificacquired their distinctive red ‘hats’.

Dr Colin Richards, from The University ofManchester and Dr Sue Hamilton, fromUniversity College London, are the firstarchaeologists ever to have excavated EasterIsland’s statue hat quarry, known to thelocals as ‘Puna Pau’.

The team examined the way the hats, weighingseveral tons, were moved by Polynesiansbetween 500 and 750 years ago.

The discovery of a road and a ceremonial axeby the team, who are the first Britisharchaeologists to work on the island since1914, has thrown new light on the mystery.

“We now know that the hats were rolledalong a road made from a cement ofcompressed red scoria (volcanic rock-like

pumice) dust with a raised pavement alongone side,” said Dr Richards.

“It is likely that they were moved by handbut three logs could also have been used,”he added. “The mint condition of theceremonial axe-like tool used for squaringup logs or hollowing out timber, perhaps incanoe construction – suggests that it wasnot a quarry tool but an offering left by a worker.”

Dr Hamilton said: “The hat quarry is insidethe crater of an ancient volcano and on itsouter lip. A third of the crater has beenquarried away by hat production. So far wehave located more than 70 hats at theceremonial platforms and in transit. Manymore may have been broken up andincorporated into the platforms.”

The axe and the way the road is lined withhats along one side, suggests, say the team,that the road was a ceremonial avenueleading to the quarry itself.

New clues in Easter Island hat mystery

Gorillas are new source of HIV, scientists reveal

During 2009, UMIST lost two of itsleading lights; here we rememberProfessor Bob Boucher and ProfessorHarold Hankins

Professor Bob Boucher 1940-2009Professor Bob Boucher, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of UMIST between 1995 and2001, died on 25 March 2009.

During his tenure he expanded thebiosciences to stand alongside UMIST’straditional strengths in the physical sciencesand engineering, and created theUniversity’s first ever clinical chairs. He wasalso a pivotal figure in securing a newbuilding for the School of Management andstrengthening its alliance with theManchester Business School, so thattogether they became one of Europe’spremier academic centres for business and management.

In 2001, Professor Boucher was appointedVice-Chancellor of the University ofSheffield, the continuation of a longassociation with Sheffield where he hadpreviously been Pro-Vice-Chancellor and hadled the mechanical engineering department.

Professor Boucher was appointed a CBE in2000 for his services to higher education andthe engineering profession.

After retiring as Vice-Chancellor at Sheffield in 2007, he held many prominentpositions including Chairman of the City'sMuseums Trust and a Deputy Lieutenancy ofSouth Yorkshire.

He made a significant contribution to themaintenance and improvement of quality inhigher education through his involvementwith the Quality Assurance Agency and theHigher Education Funding Council forEngland. He was also an influential figureon the international stage, working onbehalf of Universities UK, the British Counciland the Association of CommonwealthUniversities to maximise the recruitment ofoverseas students to British universities.

Above all else, Bob Boucher was a familyman, devoted to Rosemary, his wife of 43years, and their three children – Jeremy, Timand Justine.

Professor Harold Hankins 1930-2009Professor Harold Hankins, who died in May2009 aged 78, was Principal and Vice-Chancellor of UMIST from 1984 to 1995.During his time at the helm of the Universityhe stabilised its finances, substantiallyincreasing its annual research income from£2.5 million to nearly £18 million. He alsooversaw an ambitious programme ofstructural expansion.

Born on 18 October 1930, Harold attendedCrewe Grammar School and became anapprentice with The London Midland andScottish Railway in 1947. He studiedelectrical engineering on a part-time basis atManchester College of Technology (later tobecome UMIST). After graduating in 1955,he married Kathleen and took up a post atthe Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Co Ltd.Following a successful spell as AssistantChief Engineer, Harold returned to academiaas a Lecturer at UMIST and embarked on aPhD. After completing his doctorate, he wasappointed a Senior Lecturer and thenProfessor of Electrical Engineering in 1974.

From 1979 to 1981, Harold was Vice-Principal of UMIST. Under his watchful eyeUMIST grew in both international

prominence and physical size - Haroldcommissioned the Joule Library and theWeston Centre, and invested in several newstate-of-the-art student accommodationblocks. Over a short period of time UMISTwas awarded a Queen’s Award for ExportAchievement, The Queen’s Anniversary Prizefor Higher Education, and two Prince ofWales Awards for Innovation.

Throughout his tenure, Harold maintained hisresearch interests, collecting ten separatepatents over the years for his work withcomputer visual display systems. He wasappointed a CBE for services to highereducation in 1996 and received HonoraryDoctorates from UMIST, The University ofManchester and the Open University. He wasalso awarded the prestigious ReginaldMitchell Gold Medal by the Association ofEngineers in 1990 and was elected a Fellowof the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1993.

As Principal of UMIST, Harold entertainedmany university groups at his house inGlossop, and found the time to sit on theboard of governors of both South CheshireCollege and Cheadle Hulme School. He alsocultivated a keen interest in military history.

His name lives on at the University within theHarold Hankins Building in the ManchesterBusiness School. He is survived by his wifeKathleen and three sons Anthony, Matthewand Nicholas.

YOUR MANCHESTER 9

Do you want to hear more news from your University? If so, sign up to Your Manchester Online(www.manchester.ac.uk/yourmanchester) and click on Your Manchester News. You will alsoreceive our e-newsletter six times per year. See page 41 for details.News

Obituaries

Professor Bob Boucher Professor Harold Hankins

“On one level the place has changedradically but on another it is essentiallythe same,” said Mr Readle who is thealumni representative on the University’sBoard of Governors.

“In the 1960s there were no PCs or cellphones. The physical facilities forstudents are so much better than in myday. Lecture theatres are brighter andmore spacious, slides have beenreplaced by white boards and powerpoints and interactive learning centres.But despite all this, from what I haveseen and been told today, students stilluse note books and pens most of thetime. They prefer it!

Mr Readle said he thought theinvestments made in the whole of theinfrastructure of the campus had changedthe way students work. “We had never

heard of ‘break out’ areas for students towork in small groups, unless it was in thebar or hall of residence. In fact, apartfrom formal lectures and tutorials, myfriends and I rarely worked in theUniversity’s maths department but tendedto do our own study in the library or backin our halls of residence or flats.”

He also gained the impression, fromtalking to current students, that theStudents’ Union is a lot more effectivethan it used to be. “The liaison with theUniversity management means thateveryone is working together to makesure student learning is as good as it canbe,” he said.

Away from the academic side of things,Mr Readle noticed other changes: “I’mnot sure exactly how the entertainmentside works for undergraduates these days,

but in my day a typical Saturday night outfor my friends and I would be at Belle Vuefor stock car racing followed by a takeaway and beers, usually at Hulme Hall.

“Looking round the accommodation, thekitchens are so much better now!However, I don’t see anywhere to parktoday. Forty years ago I had no difficultyfinding a spot for my old mini van…”

Parking aside, much has altered atManchester since the 1960s of course,and over recent months great strides havebeen made to ensure that studentlearning is as effective as possible. ColinStirling, Vice-President for Teaching andLearning, said that both theundergraduate and postgraduateprovision had recently undergone athorough review process.

How much has the student experience altered over the last 50 years?Peter Readle, a maths graduate who studied here in the 1960s, had a goodlook around campus recently to see for himself

“Students still use note books and pens!”

10 YOUR MANCHESTER

University Place

“All recommendations to improve thequality of the student experience arebeing implemented,” he said. “Changeswill ensure an emphasis on personalcontact and support for individuals,coupled with important curricular andskills developments.”

Much of the focus has been on makingsure that all schools are able to providetimely, high quality student feedback.“We’ve listened to our students and theyhave been telling us that our feedbackprocess could be improved,” saidProfessor Stirling. “We’ve listened to thesuggestions and comments from thestudents and, after months ofconsultations with students and staff, anew feedback policy has been drawn upso that students get feedback they canreact to within a reasonable time frame.”

In addition, work has now begun on thedevelopment of the University’s iconic£30 million ‘Learning Commons’building which aims to provide a world-class 21st century learning environmentfor students.

Demolition work has just started on theformer Refectory and Moberly Towerbuildings which are flanked by OxfordRoad, Lime Grove and Burlington Street.

The Learning Commons, which is due toopen its doors in the summer of 2012,will accommodate more than onethousand students in stimulating andcomfortable surroundings. There will behigh quality IT facilities and a campushub for student-centered activities, plusa variety of learning support services.

Professor Stirling said the LearningCommons would be a beacon for studentlearning, demonstrating the University’s“genuine commitment to students and theprovision of high quality learning spaces fitfor contemporary learning practices.”

Jan Wilkinson, University Librarian,described the idea as “a perfect exampleof the Library reaching beyond itsboundaries to work collaboratively withits partners to create a learningenvironment suited to the needs of futuregenerations of students."

Sustainability will be a major feature ofthe new building, which will includeenergy efficiency and CO2 monitoring tominimise energy wastage - somethingthat would have really blown the mindsof our students back in the 1960s!

The Alan Turing Building

The Students’ Union Peter Readle

YOUR MANCHESTER 11

Photo by Professor Nick Higham ©

Drama can be apowerful tool intimes of conflict astwo projectsexamining therelationship betweenperformance andhealing havediscovered

Making a dramaout of a crisis

12 YOUR MANCHESTER

Arts performances in war ravagedcountries such as Sri Lanka, Gaza andRwanda - as well as in prisons in Britain -have been uncovering the extent to whichdrama can enable the healing process totake place.

According to James Thompson, Professor of Applied and Social Theatre,many people in times of distress turn to the performing arts to help deal withtheir problems.

Professor Thompson has been instrumentalin setting up two unique organisationsbased at the University, to explore therelationship between performance andhealing in times of conflict.

The Theatre in Prisons project began in1992. Over the years, it has established astrong reputation for creative work withprisoners. Staff have worked in prisonsacross this country and in the US, SouthAfrica and throughout Europe.

The project has now become a charity,funded by Arts Council England NW,although it retains strong links with theDrama Department and has created oneof the longest established undergraduatetraining courses in Theatre in the CriminalJustice System.

Director Simon Ruding said the ideastarted from the belief that theatre andrelated arts have the power to transformpeople's lives.

“That vision continues,” he said.“Although theatre will always be our

primary art form, we draw upon a rangeof art form approaches in thedevelopment of our work."

Projects include delivering creativedrama-based workshops at the youthoffenders institute at Hindley; providing adrama and creative arts co-ordinator forHM’s Prison at Styal; and a collaborationwith the National Children's Bureau.There is also a database on a wide rangeof artists and creative organisationsworking with young people at risk ofoffending in the North West.

Professor Thompson is also behind 'InPlace of War', a research project fundedby the Arts and Humanities ResearchCouncil. He said: "Millions of peoplecontinue to endure the chaos of war andhumanitarian crises. And while theseevents are not without historicalprecedent, they have never before hadsuch evident global reach and impact.This presents many challenges for artistsand cultural workers in sites of crisis andarmed conflict.”

In Place of War is concerned with theatreand performance practice that existsbecause of - and in spite of - wars, crisesand disasters.

In one notable example, ProfessorThompson and his colleagues haveworked in Sri Lanka for UNICEF's ChildrenAffected by Armed Conflict Unit to helpsome fifty young actors perform inschools and displaced people's campsevery week.

Their original aim was to create a touringlandmine education awarenessprogramme for villagers who had recentlyreturned to their homes after the 2002ceasefire there.

But since then, the project has grown andhundreds of children's plays have beenperformed to professional standards inschools throughout the Jaffna district.

Other examples include Rwanda'sMutabaruka company, which usestraditional song and dance to performAfrican morality tales.

Another project, called SPACE, offersyoung people from a Protestant area ofNorth Belfast a way of understanding theeffects of the conflict in Northern Irelandon their community. There are hundredsof other examples across the world.

Professor Thompson's colleague RuthDaniel oversees the In Place of Warnetwork and database. She said: "Theproject team continue to meet, learn fromand engage with practitioners andscholars involved in theatre andperformance from conflict and war zonesaround the world. Using our research, wehave created a searchable, online resourcethat houses over 2,000 documents,images, videos and interviews related toperformance and conflict.”

Anyone can see it for themselves atwww.inplaceofwar.net/ipowdb/

YOUR MANCHESTER 13

Professor Thompson is the HCRI Directorof Research, see page 5.

Once deemedliterature’s ‘enfantterrible’, world-renowned writer MartinAmis is now Professor ofCreative Writing at TheUniversity ofManchester. As histhird year at the Facultyof Arts’ Centre for NewWriting draws to a closehe describes hisexperience so far…

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Photo by Adrian Sherratt / Rex Features ©

Martin Amis has been many things;novelist, memoir-writer, commentator andjournalist among them, so it’s perhaps notsurprising that he turned to a newchallenge three years before his 60thbirthday. A key attraction of becomingchair of the University’s new writing hub,he said at the time, was the opportunity"to find out more about the young. At acertain age you feel like they'recreatures... not from another planet, butdefinitely another country."

Having now taught Manchester’s MA inCreative Writing for three years, he isunequivocally enthusiastic about hisfindings. “I’m impressed with the wholegeneration,” he says. “They’reunideological, more independent of mindthan the one between me and them -they’re relaxed.”

Despite having children of a similar age,he already feels that the experience ishelping him to understand the nextgeneration better. “It’s nice to haveanother milieu that I can describe,” hesays. “Your own children don’t tell youexactly what it’s like.”

The writer, who is widely considered to beone of the best at work today, teachesmaster classes on everything from thenovella to the comic novel to aspiringnovelists and poets.

“As Nabokov said, there’s only one schoolof writing and that’s talent - and you can’tteach that,” he admits.

“But you can teach craft, and Iencourage the students to becomeexpert in words - the tools of their trade -to use the dictionary, to use thethesaurus; to build up their vocabularyand feel at ease with it.

“I try and instil confidence. I’m very mild -I wouldn’t dream of being fierce with

them! I tell them that no-one’s lookingfor perfection in a first novel, they’relooking for energy and freshness of voice.

“It’s an awful lot to do with confidence.”

In taking up this, his first teaching role,Martin achieved a mirror image of hisfather Kingsley Amis’s career, whichbegan with teaching English in Swanseaand Cambridge. By the time Martin was12, however, his father was concentratingexclusively on his writing, and his teachingwork was not often discussed.

“I’ve read several accounts of histeaching, and I think he was very good,”Martin says. “I hope I’ve inherited someof that, although of course he was goingthrough the big texts.

“When I teach Pride and Prejudice I don’twant the students to identify withElizabeth Bennett or Mr Darcy, I wantthem to identify with Jane Austen. Withevery paragraph the writer should bethinking, ‘now how’s he going to getthrough this, how’s he going to get thisscene done?’

“Every page should present the writerwith problems that they might comeacross themselves. It’s emphasising theimportance of reading; one of the mostenjoyable aspects of the role is bringingwhat I felt while reading into the class.”

Asked whether his experiences at theUniversity have started to influence hisown work, he admits that writers becomefairly set in their own patterns. “But in afew years something might emerge,” hesays. “It’s never an immediate response.”

In addition to his MA teaching Martin isinvolved in the Centre for New Writing’sannual summer school forundergraduates, as well as its acclaimedpublic event series. He hosts four publicdebates each year on literature and such

social forces as terrorism, science, sex andageing, and has welcomed high-profileguests including Clive James, JohnBanville, John Gray and Howard Jacobson.

Favourite among the events so far havebeen last summer’s discussion ofliterature and suicide, with Al Alvarezand Melvyn Bragg, and two eventsinvolving Will Self. “He always livensthings up,” Martin laughs.

An event on the life and work of PhilipLarkin also offered a very personal insightinto the poet’s writing, personality andhome-life, gleaned from Martin’s ownrelationship with him as his father’scontemporary and friend.

Clearly proud to be hosting his own eventseries, he seems most impressed by theinterest and dedication of Manchester’sliterary audiences. So impressed, in fact,that he decided to launch his highly-anticipated new novel, The PregnantWidow, in Manchester in February.

“We have a loyal and very intelligentaudience which comes out in allweathers,” he says. “I never knowwhether I should praise them more whenthey come in the rain or in sunshine!

“It’s a counterweight to what feels like astorm of frivolity and superficiality thatEngland seems to be submitting to – TheX Factor and all that.”

Having done his bit to combat the forcesof Simon Cowell, Professor Amis heads offto nurture the next generation of writersin his final master class of the year. Andwith four of his recent graduates alreadyprize-winning or published, and publicevent attendances averaging over 400,there seems little doubt of the impactbeing made by Manchester’s latestadopted son.

What your childrendon’t tell you

YOUR MANCHESTER 15

Tiredness,

The body’s circadian clockgoverns many importantphysiological processes, butour frenetic 24 hour lifestyle isdisrupting its rhythmsaccording to medicalresearchers

16 YOUR MANCHESTER

Tiredness is a very modern malaise. It is tothe 21st century what scurvy was to the18th, at least in the developed world. Wehave access to warm homes, good food andeffective medicines, but we are also beset bythe unnatural rhythm of modern life thanksto advanced technology and competitiveworking practices.

If we work, rest or play at the wrong time,because we work shifts or want to stay onFacebook for a bit longer or watch the latenight movie - or even have a lie in - ourbody suffers. In short, modern life iswrecking our circadian clock – the part ofthe brain that drives our daily behaviour,physiology and the neuroendocrine system.

Systems as diverse as hibernation, seasonalreproduction, fattening cycles, feeding cyclesand sleep-wake rhythms are all driven viaenzyme output from the circadian clock – alsoknown as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)in the hypothalamus – which is triggered bylight via specialised neural pathways.

Professor Andrew Loudon, at Manchester’sFaculty of Life Sciences, has beenresearching the circadian clock for ten yearsand is now seeing major breakthroughs inclinical medicine as a result of his work.

“It is important not to subject ourselves toprolonged sleep deprivation,” he warns.“We have a natural pattern of sleep and it

changes with age. So when teenagers goto bed late and sleep in, it’s biology notbad behaviour.

“We should not force people to work shiftsaround the clock. It takes a long time toovercome disruption and changing shifts is areal contra-indicator of type II diabetes.With 15 million sufferers across Europe, thisis a big problem.”

Professor Loudon adds that the Chernobyland Windscale disasters were classic casesof a disturbing link between night shifts andindustrial accidents. “Most occur in the earlyhours of the morning – when we are meantto be asleep.”

the ticking time-bomb

However it is not all bad news.Manchester’s researchers have nowunderstood how important it is to take careof our circadian rhythm and in the pastthree years they have been identifying thegenetic basis of the mechanism. This hasassisted in the development of drugs tocombat disease.

Professor Loudon explains: “After a decadeof research into the area you don’t have toexplain to anyone what the circadian clock isthese days, which is a very good thing. Butin the last three years we have gone further,developing very strong links between thebasic science and its clinical application.

“We now have detailed insight into how themolecular cogs of the clock work. We havebeen looking at it organ by organ, cell bycell, unravelling how the clock drives thebiology of the organism. Many diseases arerhythmic, so it’s no surprise that when thecircadian rhythm is disrupted it is associatedwith altered physiology.

“We have discovered genes that areimportant in regulating the system andthus we can reset the circadian clock. As aresult of that work, drugs are beingdeveloped to deal with clock dysfunctionby regulating the activity of particularenzymes in the clock, something we areworking on with Pfizer.”

In addition the team has found that manydiseases, such as asthma, have a rhythmicregulation. Similarly, the way our bodiesmetabolise drugs is highly rhythmic. Sowork is ongoing with Glaxo Smith Kline(GSK) to develop new drugs to alleviatesymptoms with optimal timing of therapy,known as chronotherapy.

Two team members, Professor Hugh Pigginsand Dr Mino Belle, recently published astudy that turned circadian rhythm theoryon its head. The cells in the clock had beenthought to be most active during the middleof the day but their study, published inScience, found that many cells appeared tobe active at dawn and at dusk only. Duringthe rest of the day, these particular cellsbecame silent while another group of cellswere activated.

Their research, with colleagues at theUniversity of Michigan, will enable a newapproach to tuning our daily clock.

Professor Piggins explains: “What we'vefound is that there are at least two types ofcells in this part of the brain. The dawn anddusk active brain cells behave unlike anyother cell seen so far, and contain a keyclock gene which allows them to sustainunusually high levels of ‘excitability’. Thecells become so ‘excited’ that they seemquiet or even dead during the afternoon –but then they recover and become normallyactive again. It is this activity which tells thehuman body when to be awake.”

There is particular interest in thepharmaceutical industry in trying to developchemical treatments which reset the bodyclock to help counteract jetlag and, perhapsmore importantly, to treat different kinds ofsleep disorders in which dysfunctions in thisclock are often involved. The researchers arecollaborating with Servier in France toexamine how melatonin affects cell activitythroughout the brain.

Professor Loudon says the relationshipbetween the researchers and thepharmaceutical industry is essential to thiswork, producing products that can help uswith this very modern – and serious – malaise.

He says: “Manchester has exceptionallygood links between basic and medicalscience. I share the AV Hill Building withmany good colleagues across the spectrum.I am also a great fan of teaming up withpharmaceutical companies. We aren’t ableto design drugs: we need them to do that,having discovered how the system works.”

www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/research/researchgroups/neurosciences

YOUR MANCHESTER 17

Professor Andrew Loudon

carbon

As the political fallout fromCopenhagen’s climate summitcontinues, a Manchestergeochemist has discovered that thegreenhouse gas carbon dioxide hasbeen stored safely and naturally inunderground water in gas fields formillions of years. Could this be thekey to halting global warming?

How to capture

18 YOUR MANCHESTER

Geochemist Professor Chris Ballentinetravels to some of the world’s mostbeautiful places in the course of his work –although the anonymous décor of theconference centre is often the limit of thevistas to be enjoyed.

Recently, he was given the honour ofchairing the organising and scientificcommittees of a major conference ofgeochemists in Switzerland; a task thatadded plenty of extra work to his alreadybusy working life.

As a conference highlighting the future ofgeochemistry in the fight to safeguard theEarth’s future, it seemed appropriate thatthe setting was the breathtaking mountainlandscape of the Swiss Alps – a starkreminder, perhaps, that this natural beauty is at risk if global warming continues unchecked.

The United National Climate Changeconference in Copenhagen last year thrust

the issue to the top of the internationalnews agenda. But after two weeks of franticnegotiations, the 193-nation climate summitended without a legally binding deal to curbcarbon emissions, which many had hoped –and perhaps prayed – for.

Instead, there was an accord that calls oncountries to state what they will do tocurb greenhouse gas emissions withoutsetting global targets for emissionreductions by 2050.

Carbon is emitted into the atmospherewhenever we burn any fossil fuel, with the main sources being cars, lorries andpower stations.

While scientists and engineers havedeveloped ways of capturing carbon dioxidethere are still problems with the long-termstorage of millions of cubic metres of the gas.

It has been suggested that the gas could bestored in depleted gas and oil fields, but

there have been doubts about whethercarbon dioxide can be securely trappedunderground.

But new research by Professor Ballentineand his Manchester team, working withcolleagues in Edinburgh and Toronto, hasfound that carbon dioxide has been storedsafely and naturally in underground water ingas fields for millions of years.

The research, funded by the NaturalEnvironment Research Council (NERC) inthe UK and published in the scientificjournal Nature, could now have asignificant impact in the battle to slowclimate change – and brings large-scalecarbon capture one step closer.

In the aftermath of Copenhagen, with abinding international agreement to keepemissions down seemingly well out ofreach, Prof Ballentine’s work is looking morerelevant than ever.

YOUR MANCHESTER 19

“We cannot change our society overnight toa low carbon economy,” he says. “While weare in this transition we have to bury ourexcess CO2 emissions.

"Developing a clear understanding of hownatural systems behave means that whenwe inject CO2 into similar systems we knowexactly where it will go. This verification isessential to provide public confidence in thesafety of this disposal technology."

Previous research in this area used computermodels to simulate the injection of carbondioxide into underground reservoirs in gasor oil fields to work out where the gas islikely to be stored.

Some models predict that the carbondioxide would react with rock minerals to form new carbonate minerals, whileothers suggest that the gas dissolves intothe water. Real studies to support either of these predictions have, until now, been missing.

In order to find out exactly how the carbondioxide is stored in natural gas fields, aninternational team of researchers, led byManchester, scrutinised nine gas fields inNorth America, China and Europe.

They measured the ratios of the stableisotopes of carbon dioxide and noble gaseslike helium and neon in the gas fields, whichwere naturally filled with carbon dioxidethousands or millions of years ago.

They found that underground water is themajor carbon dioxide sink and has been formillions of years.

“The universities of Manchester and Torontoare international leaders in different aspectsof gas tracing,” adds Professor Ballentine."By combining our expertise we have beenable to invent a new way of looking atcarbon dioxide fields.

"This new approach will also be essential formonitoring and tracing where carbon

dioxide captured from coal-fired powerstations goes when injected underground –this is critical for future safety."

In the future, it is hoped the new data canbe fed into future computer models tomake modelling underground carboncapture and storage more accurate.

www.seaes.manchester.ac.uk/research/groups/isotope/

Sustainable Consumption Institute

The University is taking forward severalinitiatives in its quest to help tackleclimate change. One flagshipdevelopment, the SustainableConsumption Institute (SCI) at theUniversity was officially launched inOctober 2009.

www.sci.manchester.ac.uk

20 YOUR MANCHESTER

Despite the presence of extraordinaryaffluence, well over one billion people live inabsolute poverty in both the developing anddeveloped world.

As far back as 1958, the University wasaware of the problem when it establishedthe country’s largest InternationalDevelopment Studies department. TheInstitute for Development Policy andManagement is still going strong today.

Then in 2005, with the first of two pledgesnow totalling £3 million from The Rory andElizabeth Brooks Foundation, a newmultidisciplinary approach to povertyresearch was born, attracting some of theworld's leading experts in the field.

"Our aim, from the start, was to unleash thepower of rigorous world leading academicresearch in the fight against poverty byworking with organisations which representthe poor,” said Professor David Hulme,Executive Director of the Institute.

"We've been working across the developingworld - and also here in the UK - on areas asdiverse as fair trade, the living wage,reconstruction and climate change."

Last year, the Institute published areconstruction plan for Zimbabwe,launched in Manchester by the country'sMinister of Finance, Tendai Biti. It had beenput together by some of the world'sleading academics and policy experts onthe country.

Lead researcher Dr Admos Chimhowubelieves the catastrophic collapse of theZimbabwean economy could be reversed ifits Government adopts the controversialrecommendations of the Institute’sindependent report.

The February 2000 programme whichredistributed land to the majority blackZimbabweans, is recognised as a majorfactor which triggered an unprecedentedsocio-economic and political crisis, slashing

the country's life expectancy to 35 -amongthe world's lowest. Hyperinflation topped500 million per cent in July 2008.

The report urges the Government to givetax credits to compensate the mainly whitefarmers who lost their land.

Such an approach, says Dr Chimhowu,could bring closure to a difficult chapter inthe country's history and, if done fairly,could kick start investment in different areasof the economy.

The report also proposes $1.6 billion ofinvestment to small scale farmers who weregiven land as part of the country'scontroversial redistribution programme. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it adds, could be well placed to deal withbitter differences which still remain between Zimbabweans.

Dr Chimhowu said: "Following theformation of a Government of National

With the appointment of Professor Joseph Stiglitz, a leading figure in povertyresearch, the ambitions of the University's Brooks World Poverty Institute wereclear. Now the vision is bearing fruit

world poverty

YOUR MANCHESTER 21

Unity in March 2009, Zimbabwe is emergingfrom a decade of socio-economic decline -but there is still a long way to go.

"An important way to help that process is tocompensate many of the farmers who losttheir land.

"It may be possible for the inclusivegovernment to consider a pool of funds,probably partly supported by donors butmostly funded from local resources, tocompensate the farmers for the land.

"This is a controversial idea and donorsmight be unwilling to pay compensation tothe mainly white commercial farmers ratherthan support poor smallholder farmers.

"However, we know from the cases ofJapan, Taiwan and South Korea that it wasthe investment of compensation paymentsto dispossessed landowners which helpedthese economies grow after the SecondWorld War."

In another example of the Institute's policy-focused reach, Research Director ProfessorArmando Barrientos delivered a starkmessage to President Lula of Brazil in 2009.

"We presented more detail and context onthe ravages of the financial crisis toPresident Lula," said Professor Barrientos."The human development programme,linking income to education and health,reaches over 12 million households in Brazil.

"But despite that, financial crisis, hikes infood prices and effects of climate changewill be responsible for a slowdown ingrowth and trade, leading to higher povertyand vulnerability in developing countries."

The Institute urges developing countries tofurther strengthen their social assistanceprogrammes which have been effective inaddressing poverty and vulnerability, and tolink these to labour market policy, ProfessorBarrientos adds.

Work is ongoing with BRAC, aninternational NGO based in Bangladesh, onissues affecting impoverished communitiesin Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The BWPI-BRAC programme began inBangladesh at Rajendrapur during the samemonth as the World Economic Forummeeting of world leaders at Davos.

The Rajendrapur Conversation broughttogether BRAC activists researchers withManchester's anthropologists, architects,engineers, economists, environmentalists,hydrologists, urban planners and political scientists.

BWPI and IPPM have recently received £1.7 million to examine how best topromote policies and interventions for fair trade and employment in developing countries.

Dr Stephanie Barrientos has high hopes forthe project which will be a collaborationwith Professor Gary Gereffi from DukeUniversity in the United States.

The programme brings together a networkof researchers from 14 institutions in the developed and developing world with expertise in trade, private sector and employment.

The work of BWPI has been supported through theunprecedented generosity of alumnus, Rory Brooks, and hiswife Elizabeth, via the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation.Rory graduated fromthe University inmanagement sciencein 1975 and is co-founder of MMLCapital Partners. Theircommitment to fundthe establishment ofthe Brooks Institute isbelieved to be thelargest gift supportingpoverty research in theworld. Rory has maintained close links with the Universityand in 2008 accepted an invitation to chair its GlobalLeadership Board – a new volunteer body to raise high-levelfunding for issue-focused research and scholarshipprogrammes at the University.

NAFUM World Poverty ScholarshipsThanks to the generosity of Robin Mills (BA Econ 1967) and his wifeJan, John Burnell (BSc Engineering 1955) and his wife Madeline, andHarindra de Silva (BSc Mechanical Engineering 1982) along withthose who give to its annual fund, the North American Foundationfor The University of Manchester (NAFUM) has provided generoussupport for the following awards for PhD students at the BWPI:

The Mills NAFUM PhD Fellowship – held by Farzana Ramzan

The Mills NAFUM PhD Scholarship (for a student from Zimbabwe) –held by Admire Nyamwanza

The Burnell NAFUM PhD Scholarship (for a student from adeveloping country) – held by Jing You

The de Silva PhD Scholarship (for a student from Sri Lanka) – held byGanga Tilakaratna

For further information on supporting the work of the BWPI pleasecontact Lesley Dowdall, on tel: +44 (0) 161 275 2373, emaillesley.dowdall@manchester.ac.uk

22 YOUR MANCHESTER

A drug routinely prescribed to treathyperactive children can also enhance brainfunction in healthy adults, but possession ofmethylphenidate (Ritalin) withoutprescription could land individuals with afive-year prison sentence.

Not that the prospect of incarcerationappears to be deterring a growing numberof university students, who, tempted by thepromise of increased cognitive performanceand no doubt better grades, are using theclass-B drug to improve academic ability.

But is this fair? Certainly, universities don’tthink so and many, including Manchester, havepolicies forbidding the use of brain-enhancingdrugs by students, especially ones that areillegal. In practice, of course, there is littleuniversities can do to prevent students takingsuch drugs, short of random dope tests, likethose carried out in professional sports.

So is the law and the stance of universitiesjustified? John Harris, world-renownedprofessor of bioethics and Director of The University of Manchester’s Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, doesn’tthink so. Last year, he wrote a commentaryin the British Medical Journal advocating the use of Ritalin and other enhancing drugs by any adults who wanted to usethem. His comments drew widespread media attention.

Harris says: “Suppose a university were toset out deliberately to improve the mentalcapacities of its students; suppose its statedaims were to ensure that students left theUniversity more intelligent and learned thanwhen they arrived. Suppose they furtherclaimed that not only could they achievethis, but that their students would be moreintelligent and mentally alert than anystudents in history. What should ourreaction be?”

Harris argues that if the gains in cognitivefunctioning were significant and the costscommensurate, then we should probablywant this for our children. It is, after all, whateducation is about.

Growing numbers of students arerisking a prison sentence by takingintellect-enhancing drugs. Let themget on with it says Manchesterethicist Professor John Harris All in

He continues: “Now suppose, as indeed hasalready happened, several drugs had beenshown to improve cognitive performanceand had been proved to be safe for use inchildren. What should our reaction be?Would it be unethical to use these drugs inhealthy people to enhance performance?Would it be ethical not to do so?”

Methylphenidate has been judged safeenough to use in children and young peoplewith attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) over a long period of time. Thecondition is not usually life threatening andthe properties of the drug that make iteffective in ADHD are the same ones thatgive it its enhancing qualities. This, saysHarris, justifies its use from a safetyperspective in healthy adults - but whatabout from an ethical perspective?

“Clear thinking on the issue of humanenhancement has been bedevilled by theissue of doping in sport,” says Harris.“Sport, however, is not a matter of life anddeath. The wrong of performance enhancersin sport, if there is one, is that suchsubstances are almost universally banned bythe rules of competition; using them istherefore cheating. But absent the ban,absent the cheating.”

Harris suggests that it is not rational to beagainst human enhancement. We are afterall, he says, creatures that result from anenhancement process – evolution – and areinveterate self-improvers in every conceivableway. Reading spectacles or hearing aids areforms of enhancement, yet we would neverconsider banning these.

“Synthetic sunshine – firelight, lamplight andelectric light – is another accepted exampleof a valuable enhancement technologywhich, like such others as written language,education, physical exercise and diet, createsproblems of justice as well as the side effectsof use and overuse,” he says. “Beneficialneural changes have been reported forreading, education, physical exercise anddiet, so how then are drugs ethically distinct?

“Before synthetic sunshine people sleptwhen it was dark and worked in the light of day. With the advent of syntheticsunshine, work and social life couldcontinue into and through the night,creating competitive pressures andincentives for those able or willing to use it to their advantage. The solution,however, was not to outlaw syntheticsunshine but to regulate working hours and improve access to the new technology.The same is, or will be, true of chemicalcognitive enhancers.”

Professor Harris’s comments in the BritishMedical Journal formed part of a debate andwere opposed by Professor Anjan Chatterjeefrom the University of Pennsylvania.Chatterjee argues that the risks of givingRitalin and other cognitive enhancers tohealthy people were too great.

“The most obvious reason to object to usingmethylphenidate for healthy enhancementsis that the cognitive benefits are minimal andthe medical risks are not; non-physicianscalling for responsible use of

methylphenidate by healthy people under-appreciate this risk.”

Apart from the health risks, Chatterjee also argues that the use of such drugs cancreate risks of expanding social inequitiesand coercion.

“Drug enhancements will be availabledisproportionately to those with financialmeans,” he says. “Clearly, many inequities ineducation, material goods, and social class,not to mention more fundamental inequitiesin health care, nutrition, shelter and safety,already give the socioeconomically luckydisproportionate advantages. However,acknowledging the existence of disturbinginequities does not justify blithely adding more.”

He adds: “Matters of choice can evolve intoforces of coercion. Implicit pressures tobetter one’s position in some perceived socialorder would find a natural conduit incognitive enhancements. Such pressuresincrease in ‘winner-take-all’ environments, inwhich more people compete for fewer andbigger prizes.”

YOUR MANCHESTER 23

the mind

Professor John Harris

24 YOUR MANCHESTER

In the Woody Allen film DeconstructingHarry, Allen plays Harry Block, a successfulwriter invited back to his alma mater toreceive an honorary award. The parallel isvivid enough to raise with film critic DrMark Kermode, himself returning to TheUniversity of Manchester to accept anaward, as Outstanding Alumnus (see page41 for further details about this Award).

Like Harry Block, Mark has enjoyed a hugelysuccessful writing career, while also workingas the in-house film critic for Simon Mayo’s

show on 5Live, and presenter of the BBC’sCulture Show. However unlike Harry –expelled from his college and confusedabout his feelings for his student days - DrKermode is singularly complimentary aboutthe city of Manchester, the University, andthe time he spent here as bothundergraduate and postgraduate.

Growing up in Barnet, North London, Markfelt drawn towards Manchester’s nascentmusic scene: “I had a sense - entirely gleanedfrom the pages of the NME - that there was

so much stuff happening in Manchester, “ hesaid as he robed up for his award. “ Art washappening in Manchester… music washappening in Manchester”.

Having duly applied to this University, ourOutstanding Alumnus was promptly turneddown. “That was it,” Mark continued, “Iwasn’t interested in anywhere else.”

After taking a year out, Mark regrouped,reapplied and in 1982, moved his life toManchester: “On my very first day I

Our Outstanding Alumnus,BBC film critic Dr MarkKermode, remembers hisstudent days fondly and sayshis professional life wasforged during his years at theUniversity

“Whatever you wanted todo you could make ithappen in Manchester...”

YOUR MANCHESTER 25

checked into Owens Park, then caught thebus into town and bought one of the creditcard memberships to the Haçienda.” Itwas important to tap into the culture ofthe city as well as the campus: “If youweren’t engaged with the city you weremissing out on at least half of theexperience of being at university.”

Mark immersed himself in politicalcampaigns, drama productions andimpromptu skiffle gigs outside The RoyalExchange (the proud owner of a perfectly

cultivated quiff, he continues to play skifflewith The Dodge Brothers). He also beganwriting for the student newspaper,Mancunion, then for City Lifemagazine -established by the present Chair of theAlumni Association, Andrew Spinoza. As acritic you trade by the currency of youropinions and Mark certainly has those.Crucially, he also has the ability to expressthose opinions eloquently. “That’s somethingI learned from City Life,” he recalls.

Extending his life in Manchester to take on aPhD, Mark wrote his thesis on HorrorFiction. “I had struggled to get intoManchester and ended up with a middling2:1 degree. But I really wanted to finishthat PhD… and be Dr Kermode. The firstthing I did was put it on my chequebookbecause I’m more proud of getting mydoctorate from Manchester than almostanything else.”

Mark’s biography It’s Only A Movie includesa chapter Bright Lights, Big City Life abouthis time in Manchester. The Sunday Timesrecently listed him as someone the BBC arekeen to invest in, whilst other sources havelined him up to replace Jonathan Ross asanchor of the Film 2010 show. If Mark’slife were a film it would have something ofan upbeat narrative, and he puts much ofthat down to Manchester: “All of it wasforged in Manchester,” he says later at the

ceremony, to the graduands before him inthe Whitworth Hall. “Whatever youwanted to do you could make it happen in Manchester.”

He also compares Manchester in the 1980sto Hunter S Thompson’s vivid description ofSan Francisco in the mid 1960s; the sense ofbeing in the right place at the right time.

…And occasionally the wrong place at thewrong time. Back then Mark penned aharsh review of the latest David Lynch film,Blue Velvet, and was subsequentlyapproached by a member of the public inthe Cornerhouse, who identified him as theauthor. Initially flattered by the recognition,things took an ignoble turn when the manpunched him. “That punch broughttogether everything,” says Mark, nowchuckling at the memory during a post-award lunch. “The writing... thepoliticisation… the fact that someone feltthat strongly about something to physicaliseit. It’s a really odd thing, but in many waysthat tiny altercation in the Cornerhouse barsummed up everything about Manchesterfor me.”

Manchester remains a proud and passionatecity, but is now interested only in extendingan open hand to Dr Mark Kermode;especially (and irrespective of thatcontretemps) because he has now reversedhis opinion of Lynch’s fabulous film.

Dr Mark Kermode with his mother, Audrey

Deep down underManchester’s bustling streetslies a hidden landscape oflong abandoned tunnels,from nuclear proof corridorsto underground canals andeven a Victorian shootinggallery

26 YOUR MANCHESTER

What liesbeneath?

Photo courtesy of MEN ©

This subterranean world has capturedthe imaginations of Mancunians, manyof whom remain fascinated by our lostcity of caverns, crypts and canals. One ofthem is publisher and local historianKeith Warrender.

Over the years, Keith has uncoveredevidence of dozens of places - fromnuclear proof corridors under Piccadillyto underground canals and a Victorianshooting gallery.

In March this year, Timperley-basedKeith, who has also written two bookson the subject, took a group of intrepidgraduates from the University on a tourdeep into the bowels of the city as partof the Alumni Association’s programmeof events - Your Manchester Insights.

He said: “I’ve always thought thesubject of what lies below Manchesterabsolutely fascinating and I’d heard somany stories that about ten years ago Ibegan to research into it and started togive talks to local groups.

“Along the way people gave me moreand more information so I decided towrite a book and publish it.”

Keith’s first book, UndergroundManchester, was such a success that herecently published a sequel, BelowManchester, delving further into thetales - true and false - about lifeunderground.

Keith’s latest volume has a foreword byformer Radio Manchester presenter FredFielder, whose ‘Orpheus Project’ is nowthe stuff of legend.

In the early 1980s, Fred and some palswould secretly explore tunnels in avariety of locations in the city centre. Anoption which, thanks to health andsafety regulations and the blocking upof access routes, is no longer possible.Keith, however, is one of the few peoplestill able to gain permission to conductoccasional tours.

In a recent BBC programme, he joined ateam investigating Victoria Arches, avast network of tunnels created in 1830when the steeply sloping ground in frontof the cathedral was levelled off tosupport a new road.

For years the arches housed cellars andsmall businesses, but today the entranceis a closely guarded secret.

During the Second World War thetunnels were used as air raid shelters. A sign on the wall from the 1940s stillwarns that ‘gambling and insobriety’won’t be tolerated.

Later still they were used as public toilets– today the cubicles are still standing, asign on one reading ‘Convenienceclosed for repairs’.

Keith said: “I think it's an amazing place- the sheer scale of the arches, thefascinating notices and other remnantsfrom the last war, and imagining what itwas like for all the people who sheltereddown here.”

Manchester’s most famous undergroundsecret was revealed in 1968 when officialdetails of the ‘Guardian’ tunnel network,built to provide a secure telephone linkbetween Manchester and other Britishcities in the event of a nuclear attack,were revealed by the Government.

Located under the Piccadilly Hotel belowBack George Street and York Street, thismassive labyrinth was protected fromnuclear blast by a 35-ton concrete slabdoor, manned by around 50 engineers.It extended 1,000 feet beneath the citycentre – complete with livingaccommodation, food supplies and afresh water well nearly 600 feet deep.

Unfortunately, advances in the arms raceput paid to its effectiveness as a possibleplace of safety for regional government.

Another nuclear bunker, in Cheadle, wasmade similarly redundant anddemolished in the 1990s when it wassold to a private hospital.

But most of Manchester’s undergroundcaverns have rather less sinister origins.Many of them are canals, rivers andtributaries now closed off to the public.

The River Tib runs right underneath Tib Street. Dukes Tunnel, along theRiver Medlock near the BBC on Oxford Road ends up below the London Road approach to what is nowPiccadilly Station.

Below Deansgate is the Manchester andSalford Junction canal, originally dug tolink the Rochdale Canal with the RiverIrwell in the 1830s and later divided upinto over a dozen chambers. This runsfrom the site of Granada Television rightthrough to what is now Manchester

YOUR MANCHESTER 27

Keith Warrender

28 YOUR MANCHESTER

Central conference centre. During theSecond World War, this was also used asan air raid shelter

At one time, there was talk of turning itinto a theme park complete with anunderground gondola. Keith hopes thatsome of these ideas to turn tunnels intotourist attractions will still come to fruition.

Not every tale turns out to be true.Stories of an old underground postalrailway linking Manchester railwaystations and Spring Gardens post officehave so far come to nothing.

Still yet to be located is a tunnel allegedlyrunning from Victoria Arches right alongDeansgate to Knott Mill station.

The problem, Keith admits, is that manyof these places have probably long beenfilled in by developers.

“In a way, I’ve started all this years toolate because a lot of the tunnels wereonce much more accessible and I’m verymuch aware that lots of evidence hassimply disappeared.

“But much still remains and people whohave lived in Manchester all their livesdon’t realise they are often close tosomething of underground interest.”

The city’s vast underground networkincludes Manchester University, wherebeneath the Victorian quadrangle is anetwork of passages once used asservice ducts. A wartime ARP controlroom still lies below ManchesterMuseum on Oxford Road.

Dozens of buildings in the city, includingManchester town hall and the CISbuilding, still have their old air-raidshelters.

And, going further back in time, therewas an underground shooting gallery inVictorian days just off Market Streetwhere Harvey Nichols now stands.

“It wasn’t just for the upper-classes. Allkinds of people would come and shootat targets for sport. The tunnel stretchedright up to Manchester Cathedralboundaries. Later on in the 1920s

Goulburns grocers and poulterers used itas a cheese store. We have thephotographs to prove it.”

Though he has spent the last ten years inserious research, there is seemingly nodanger of Keith running out of material,or of an audience.

A recent talk at Manchester CentralLibrary proved so popular that it had tobe re-located to a larger room.

“I was surprised at first about the level ofinterest but I suppose people just lovefinding out about tunnels. Why? I thinkit’s the mystery of the unknown, coupledwith our primeval fear of the dark andthe sheer thrill of trying to sort out mythfrom truth. There is obviously a lot morefor me to investigate!”

See page 40 for details ofthe Alumni Association’sYour Manchester Insightsevents programme.

Insights

Guardian BT Tunnel Manchester and Salford Junction Canal Tunnel

Great Northern Tunnel

Photo courtesy of MEN ©

YOUR MANCHESTER 29

Soviets planned toinvade our spaceA fascinating collection of maps detailing Soviet plans to invadeManchester have attracted record numbers to the John Rylands Library

Visitors to the library over the last yearhave been astonished at the display ofSoviet maps, created in the 1970s, whichmark colour coded targets aroundManchester and reveal which roads in thecity were wide enough to carry battletanks (Washway Road, the MancunianWay, and Princess Road).

Chris Perkins, a map specialist and theexhibition organiser, said the imageswere unsettling: “After all they are only35 years old and the level of detail theyhad collected, presumably from soviet spyplanes and satellite imagery, isastonishing,” said Dr Perkins, a seniorlecturer in Geography.

There really wasn’t much they missed, headded, suggesting local intelligencegathering was under way as well. Evensecret locations such as StrangewaysPrison and the Risley Moss nuclearresearch site - which were left out ofOrdnance Survey maps from 35 years ago- were all there.

"They had maps of everywhere from hereto the Congo, but this is an 'A-list' – a

place which they really thought theymight need to know one day."

The Manchester map used road widthsand load-bearing statistics to plotadvance routes for tanks, ruling outolder, crooked lanes where armour mightbe trapped by urban guerrilla warfare.The Soviet planners also used a colourcode for local targets: industrial sites inblack, administrative buildings in purple,and military installations in green.

Given the highest security during theBrezhnev years, when mutual goadingwas part of the UK-Soviet relationship,the map came to light after the collapseof the Communist system. Along withsimilar charts of other western and USstrategic centres, it was sold by militarymapmakers in the chaotic aftermath ofperestroika and glasnost.

"The managers of individual printingfactories basically went native," said DrPerkins. "They sold as much stock as theycould on the western market, wherethere was no shortage of customers. Iknow for a fact that the Ministry of

Defence sent a van over there in 1991, to pick up as much as they could."

The maps were analysed to get a senseof Soviet spies' efficiency, which wassorely tested by the intricacies of thethen-developing industrial estate atTrafford Park. Like many local visitors,the mapmakers got lost in the maze ofnew factories, and decided to steer their tanks past on the A57 and theChester Road.

“Images like these really give us a newangle on familiar places,” Dr Perkins said.“And that’s the great thing about maps.They tell different stories and reveal thepast in a new way.”

The advent of Google and other digitalimage providers mean maps haveexperienced a resurgence of interest headded. “More people are now using mapsthan ever before, whether it’s looking attheir own house on Google Earth orchecking travel routes on the internet.Maps are really a metaphor for everythingthat is happening in the world at anygiven point. Absolutely invaluable.”

30 YOUR MANCHESTER

For a city drenched in the misery ofindustrial hardship, it has generated someof the best comedy around.

Those Lancashire mills brought withthem the working men’s clubs and thecomics who would thrive or die in frontof the work-weary and cynical. In the1970s it was all Bernard Manning andWheeltappers and Shunters Social Club,Jimmy Clitheroe and the peerless HyldaBaker - purveyors of a kind of northernhumour that didn’t chime with a morepolitically correct audience a decade orso later.

The counterpoint which emerged wasalternative comedy and many of its

performers such as Ben Elton (BA HonsDrama 1980), Rik Mayall (BA HonsDrama 1978) and Ade Edmondson (BAHons Drama 1978) were graduates ofthe University.

Both Mayall and Edmondson haveacknowledged the importance of theirtime at Manchester. This is Mayall’sexplanation of how their career began:

“We formed a group called 20th CenturyCoyote, and the first thing we did was animprovised affair called 'Dead Funny'. Thetwo other guys I was doing it with pulledout after a couple of shows, so I decidedto ask Ade. He had a bit of a reputationin our year as the actor. He had done a

couple of big roles and had lots ofconfidence. He said yes, and that's howwe started.

“We would perform lunchtimes at TheBand on the Wall and Monday eveningsat the Studio Theatre at the University.We would drink at a pub called the Ducienear the University and go to theCavalcade Club. We used to go andwatch jazz... I think the characters wedeveloped at that time are the basis foreverything we have done since.”

For Edmondson, it was an equallyauspicious time: “I do look back on myuniversity days with great affection. Rikand I got on so well because we liked the

Many big name comedyacts are formerundergraduates wholearnt their trade oncampus

It’s a funny old place

ManchesterRik Mayall and Ade Edmonson “Saturday Live”, 1985. Photo courtesy of ITV / Rex Features ©

same things, like drinking eight pints oflager, and found the same things funny.

“When we were in the third year, BenElton joined our course and later co-wroteThe Young Ones. The first time I wasaware of him was when I was round atRik's house and he said: 'Quick, duck. BenElton is coming down the path.' Ben wasincredibly prolific; he was putting on playsin his first week.”

It was The Young Ones that got NeilEdmond into comedy writing today.

Neil, who won a 2010 South Banknomination for his BBC2 series HomeTime, explains: “The Young Ones causeda small revolution in my family: we allloved it so much that mum and daddecided we could swear freely, providingit was funny. So, the fact that Rik and Ade

had gone to Manchester (and that myDad grew up in Levenshulme), did swingit when it came to applying to university.

“My fondest memories are of theWednesday night 'Studio Group'performances in the Drama Department -even when it was just posh kids trying todemonstrate how hard life was byrubbing cat food in their hair, or spittingfake blood onto photocopies of theirbreasts. I still think The Seperadoes' tragi-comedy 'Sackboy am Christmas' - aboutthe bastard offspring of Santa and hissack - was amongst my best writing.

My dad died just after I graduated and Isank into a long period of sitting quietlyand making detailed maps of roadjunctions, and occasionally making propsfor other people's shows. But, years later, I

bumped into Justin Edwards and GeorgeCockerill in a pub in London. They'd beenin the year below me, and Justin and I hadput on some early 20th Century daft'terror-dramas', playlets by the likes ofLord Dunsany and Sidney Box. We met upa few times and started work on whatwas a fairly pioneering comedy website -The Peel Bell, a fake small-townnewspaper which grew into a very rich,strange, online world with its owncurrency and strange games, wherereaders had to sign up as town residentswith unlikely names. From there Justinand I ended up forming a sketch groupcalled The Consultants (with JamesRawlings, another Manchester graduate,though I'd never met him) and we werejammy enough to win Perrier BestNewcomers in 2002.”

YOUR MANCHESTER 31

Ben Elton. Photo by Karl Schoendorfer / Rex Features ©

32 YOUR MANCHESTER

If students weren’t doing comedy whilethey were at university they werewatching it, at places like The Buzz inChorlton which ran for 15 years until2004. Compèred by the veteran punsterAgraman the human anagram…itbecame at the time the longest-runningcomedy club outside London, and helpedlaunch the careers of Steve Coogan,Caroline Aherne, Peter Kay, Eddie Izzard,Bill Bailey, Lee Evans, Jack Dee and HarryHill. Venues like the Frog and Bucket andthe Comedy Store followed andsuddenly, Manchester was part of amajor comedy explosion.

Toby Hadoke is now a regular compèreat XS Malarkey at the Frog as it isaffectionately known and admits that anacademic qualification wasn’tuppermost on his agenda when he cameto the University.

“I remember having lots of fun -university was a big adventure as I'm acountry boy,” he reveals.

I remember the time spent there withaffection. But I don't think I went for aneducation as such, I went for theexperience and the "student" lifestyle,which I got, and probably tried to clingon to for too long after I left. It was onlyin my final year that I even considereddoing stand-up, and that was at thesuggestion of a friend, Steve Keyworth,who was putting on a night.

Dave Gorman dropped out of a mathscourse at Manchester, but not before hewas cajoled into attending a comedy-workshop run by the then-unknownFrank Skinner, who had also played atthe Buzz. Gorman was offered a spot atan upcoming benefit gig at SalfordUniversity followed two weeks later by apaid gig in a Birmingham club and therest, as they say, is history.

It was a similar story for Gavin and Stacycomic Mathew Horne, who in 1997 sawSteve Coogan while studying performingarts and thought ‘I want to do that’.

Aged 21, he formed a comedy double act with fellow student Bruce Mackinnon.

“God knows what we were doing.

“We went to a pub called ScruffyMurphy’s in Fallowfield that did a topicallimerick competition. We won and saidwe were a double act, can we have fiveminutes on stage. The bloke booked usfor a gig.”

With a week to write the material headmits it looked like they’d ‘getslaughtered’ but they were a big hit.After that they came third in a Channel 4comedy competition.

“The degree didn’t matter. We came to London, got an agent and it all kicked off.”

Manchester was even the starting point for one of the most successfulfemale Muslim stand-up artists, ShaziaMirza, whose parents wanted her to be a doctor.

"When I was at Manchester University I had never thought of being acomedian, but I knew I wanted to be on stage,“ explains the formerbiochemistry student.

“University did inspire me, it inspired meto pursue my dreams no matter howincredible, and to be what I wanted tobe. I had never watched live comedybefore doing my first gig, but I didpursue many other interests while at theUni. I took up ballet and tap dancing,and took acting classes. I was studyingbiochemistry, and all I could think ofwas, 'How on earth am I really going tobe able to do what I want?'

“Other students were shocked and horrified when I became acomedian. They couldn't believe it. They couldn't believe I ditched thebiochemistry for laughter.”

Shazia MirzaMathew Horne and James Corden. Photo courtesy of Rex Features ©

At the time of going to press we hopeto see Ade Edmondson back at theUniversity with his band, The BadShepherds – for further details andtickets please contactboxoffice@manchester.ac.uk

Dave Gorman

Photo by Garaint Lewis / Rex Features ©

Photo courtesy of Rex Features ©

YOUR MANCHESTER 33

One of the University’s first female physics graduates went on to become one ofEngland’s best loved authors. But her charming country tales of Little Grey Rabbitand Sam Pig were in stark contrast to the writer’s own often tortured personal life,as Alison Uttley’s newly published Diaries reveal

Biographer Denis Judd had a hunch thatthere was a remarkable story to be toldabout the life of the celebrated authorAlison Uttley. But after tracking downher diaries - literally saved from a fire asher troubled son John sought toextinguish her memory after her death in1976 - a life story emerged that he couldnot have predicted.

“I soon realised that this beautiful, lyricalwriting was intertwined with the oftendepressed and negative feelings of atragically, lonely woman struggling tocome to terms with her husband’ssuicide and wracked with self doubt andanger at the world,” said Professor Judd,a historian and writer, and Alison Uttley’sofficial biographer.

Alison Uttley has a special connection toManchester, having been only thesecond woman to graduate in Physics in1906. An extensive archive of her papersis held at the John Rylands library andlast year The Private Diaries of AlisonUttley, edited by Denis Judd, werepublished to mark the 125th year of theauthor’s birth.

Alison UttleyUncovering the rich imagination of

Alison photographed by her fiance, James Uttley on Wimbledon Common, c 1911

Professor Judd, who spent almost twoyears editing the 6 million-word diaries,came to talk to alumni in Manchesterlast year about the work as part of theYour Manchester Insights programme ofevents. He explained to a rapt audiencehere that the anniversary had offered anexcellent opportunity to reassess theliterary reputation of one of the mostremarkable and gifted British writers ofchildrens’ and adults’ books.

The Diaries reveal the highs and lows ofher personal life, as well as providing aninvaluable record of nearly 40 years ofBritish history.

It was following her husband’s death in1930 that Alison Uttley establishedherself as a best-selling author. Therewas something about Little Grey Rabbit,Squirrel and Hare, Sam Pig and TimRabbit, as well as classics like TheCountry Child and A Traveller in Timethat had captured readers’ imaginationsworld-wide.

“Although shadows pass over thesegenerally sun-lit landscapes, the storiesare most remarkable for their brilliantcharacterisation and wry humour, theirlove of country lore and magic, theirsense of time and place and their

celebration of old and solid values -good neighbourliness, good sense, alove of the natural world and of theenduring values of hearth and home,”Professor Judd said.

Despite her love of science, AlisonUttley also believed in fairies, one of hermany mysterious incongruities. She wasan Edwardian suffragette, ProfessorJudd explained, and a close friend ofthe future Labour Prime Minister,Ramsay MacDonald (to whose childrenshe told bedtime stories), but in laterlife she became a staunch Conservative.“She was obsessed with the world of

Portrait of Alison painted from a photograph taken at her graduation in 1906. Theportrait was bequeathed by her to Peter du Sautoy and given by him to the University.

Manchester Physics Department students and staff.Alison is on the first row, second from the left

Alison and her son John, photographed while on holiday in Tenby, in the 1920s

34 YOUR MANCHESTER

dreams, writing an intriguing book, TheStuff of Dreams, yet she shied awayfrom any serious self-analysis. She wasa loving wife, mother and friend whoserelationships were often stormy andsometimes downright destructive. Herhusband drowned himself before shehad been able fully to establish herselfas a writer - a tragedy from which shenever fully recovered. She could be ademanding and over-close mother, andan easily offended friend.”

She was eventually estranged fromMargaret Tempest, the illustrator of

most of the Little Grey Rabbit books,over copyright and over which of themhad really created the characters. She was bitterly resentful ofcomparisons with Beatrix Potter and she despised her neighbour inBeaconsfield, Enid Blyton.

“She took the work of literary creationvery seriously and relished her success,but was easily hurt by criticism andcraved the affirmation of the public,”Professor Judd says. “She eventuallyearned large quantities of money andhad the works of Brueghel in her home,

but was able to agonise over whetherto buy a small bag of oranges.”

From the rural idyll of the hillyDerbyshire countryside of the author’supbringing, to the story of herintellectual awakening in EdwardianManchester, “everything she publishedis soaked in a sense of having sprungfrom the deepest part of a richimagination,” concludes Professor Judd.

See page 40 for more detailsof the Alumni Association’sYour Manchester Insightsevents programme

Insights

A delighted Alison, after being made a Honorary Doctor of Letters, at Manchester, in 1970

YOUR MANCHESTER 35

The popularity of peepshows andfreakshows suggests that the Victorianshad none of our 21st century qualmsover seedy voyeurism. And yet,according to University lecturer AnnFeatherstone, the modern pleasure-seeker has much in common with its19th century counterpart.

“I believe we are much more like theVictorians than we think we are,” saysAnn who recently published a novel,Walking in Pimlico, based on heracademic research into Victorian circusesand sideshows.

There isn’t such a great deal of differencebetween us and them, except theVictorians were more honest. They didn’tthink anything of looking, whereas we tryto disguise it.

“They had freakshows and we have TVprogrammes like Embarrassing Bodies, or

Bodyshock: the 60 stone man, or BigBrother or the X Factor.”

Ann had a long-held interest in theseedier side of Victorian entertainmentafter completing an Open Universitydegree, and was encouraged by Professorof Theatre Jacky Bratton at RoyalHolloway to pursue the subject for a PhD.

“It was great being able to legitimise myinterest,” says the 55-year-old Universitylecturer in Performance History. “Anddoing the research gave me the sense ofbeing a detective, there was this wholesubculture waiting to be discovered.”

Her studies have led her into anextraordinary underworld of portabletheatres, Victorian circuses and penny gaffs.

“The penny gaff was to be found inurban areas like Manchester and Londonand was the lowest form of permanentvenue,” she explains.

“A showman would take an abandonedshop or empty dwelling and turn it into atheatre space for freakshows or forperformers like sword-swallowers. Therecould be an overnight conversion into apenny theatre. The idea would be to keepyou moving from scenes in one room toanother which increased the sense ofvoyeurism.”

Freakshows were a source of greatamusement to the Victorians but Anninsists that sadly the unfortunates, likethe famous Elephant Man John Merrickwho were the sideshow stars, often hadlittle choice.

“I think sometimes a showman wouldtake advantage but if say a child hadmicrocephaly, or what they used to call a‘pin head’, they were never going to earna living so the parent would sell the childto a showman. The alternative would bean institution and an early death. But

Big Brother and The X Factorare the modern incarnation ofthe Victorian entertainmentindustry according to aManchester lecturer

Peepshows and Freakshows

36 YOUR MANCHESTER

really the freakshow could includeanything. Tom Norman, who hadfreakshows in America, said you can tell ifyou’re any good as a showman if youshow them a bloater and convince themit’s a whale.”

In spite of the uptight prudery of theVictoria age – or maybe because of it, sextoo was an obvious lure according to Ann.

“Why were the front rows at the circusmainly filled with men? Well, if a lady isstanding on the back of a horse they cansee her legs and a lot more! Balletdancers were also sexually significantbecause the men got to see their legs.

“And one aspect of the freakshow wasthe sex life of the freaks. How did they doit? For example Chang and Eng Bunker,conjoined twins of the time, were marriedand had lots of children. There was a lot ofcuriosity about how that could happen.”

Surprisingly, given their red-light statustoday, peepshows weren’t a source ofsexual titillation.

“These were touring shows but not whatwe think of as a peepshow today,” saysAnn. “The peepshow was a box withholes cut into it and a glass lens stuckover painted scenes of say Waterloo, or a picture of something cut out of a newspaper. You’d peer through the lens which would make the image slightly magnified. It was lowcheap entertainment.”

Exploitation of minors crossed the darker side of the Victorian amusement‘industry’ Ann adds: “Children workedday and night in the ballet, shivering in the streets afterwards with no warm clothes.

“There were children like William Betty, achild prodigy who played roles like

Richard III when he was seven and who,when his voice dropped, was no longerwanted. There were others who just fellby the wayside.”

And the cruelty extended to animals, such as horses, the mainstay of theVictorian circus.

“Some trainers would break a horse’sspirit, or its tongue would be tied to its foot so that it would be bowed all the time.”

But visions of the ‘Baldwin cat’ which hadbeen trained to climb up a ladder andthen parachute down to the ground, orthe dancing dog dressed in a tutu, drewcrowds all the same. However distastefulthese divertissements are to the modernsensibility, they are a source offascination, especially as so little is stillknown about this extraordinary world.

YOUR MANCHESTER 37

38 YOUR MANCHESTER

Alumni in the spotlight

Janette Faherty, chief executive of Avanta Enterprise Ltd, aleading employment, skills and enterprise company, returnedto her alma mater in November to speak to students as aguest lecturer on the Manchester Leadership Programme.

The Manchester Leadership Programme is a successful Universityinitiative to help equip students for modern citizenship,entrepreneurship and above all leadership. Students have beenoffered the opportunity to hear from an impressive range ofspeakers including high-profile leaders of global multinationals,Nobel laureates, as well as MPs and Ministers of State. MLPstudents also learn from leaders of charities and community groups,local government bodies and small enterprises who have compellingstories and experiences of leadership.

Janette, who was recently awarded an OBE for her services tounemployed people and entrepreneurship, graduated fromManchester in 1971 with an honours degree in politics and modern

history. After a short stint as a teacher, she married and had two daughters.

On re-entering permanent employment in her 30s Janette began her career at TNG, now part of Avanta,as a training manager. Five years later, following a management buy-out, Janette became chief executiveand owner of the company.

Today the company operates nationwide from more than 100 locations, employs more than 1,000 staffand works with some 30,000 people each year. “I was delighted to be awarded an OBE on behalf of allmy staff who make a daily difference to people’s lives”.

Dragons’ Den inventor to inspire students Successful Dragons’ Den contestant ImranHakim, who graduated from Manchester inOptometry and Vision Science in 1999, hasbeen appointed director of entrepreneurshipat UMIP, the University of Manchester ’sIntellectual Property Limited.

Imran is best known for securing a £140,000investment from Peter Jones and Theo Paphitisduring his appearance on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den.Since then, demand for his product (an interactivetoy bear called iTeddy which has an MP3 player inhis tummy) has exploded and it is now available inover 40 countries worldwide generating a £12million turnover.

Imran has been running his own business since hewas 16, long before he entered the Dragon’s Den.An optometrist by profession, Imran runs a chainof independent practices in the north west. He haswon countless business awards over the years andmost recently won The Institute of Directors’‘Young Director of the Year, 2008’ as well as beingthe youngest entrant into the NorthWest Power100. He received an honorary doctorate from theUniversity of Bolton in 2009.

Now the 32-year-old businessman is helping tofoster more talent in his new position with UMIP –a company dedicated to helping students andacademics maximise the potential of spin-outcompanies. Imran will be helping them to licensetheir intellectual property whenever possible.

“I will be continuing with the expansion of myexisting business portfolio but I am enthusiasticabout working with UMIP” he said. “TheUniversity already has an excellent track record forinnovation and commercialising world-class scienceand technology, and some fantastic resources likethe £32 million UMIP premier fund. So I’m proudto be associated with my old university and excitedby this challenge”.

Grace Boyle goesRainspotting inBangaloreChemistry graduate Grace Boyle, 24,spent the summer in Bangalore workingon a Greenpeace project investigating the impact of climate change on rainpatterns there.

The Rainspotting project, which focuses on theIndian monsoons, presented the testimonials ofrural and indigenous Indian communities as tohow the climate was changing to serve as abody of evidence against climate change denialin the country. The project is part of a largercampaign to put pressure on the IndianGovernment to commit to various renewableenergy laws.

Grace completed an MChem in chemistry atManchester in 2008. As part of her course, shewent on an exchange to Berkeley University inCalifornia and also participated in a summerschool in Hong Kong in 2007. During the finalyear of her degree, she and several otherstudents formed a group under the charityREAD International, and collected over 30,000surplus textbooks from Manchester schools,travelling to Tanzania the following summer todistribute the books to schools there. Duringher trip, she also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro toraise money for girls' education in Africa.

The University is delighted that Grace iscontinuing with her experiences overseas andshe is writing a blog for the Independent abouther time in India:www.independent.co.uk/rainspotting

Originally from London, Grace is currentlybased in India, where she works forGreenpeace as a writer on Climate and Energy.

Janette Faherty returns to Manchester

YOUR MANCHESTER 39

Former Student Directjournalist scoops topawardA formerStudent Directjournalist haspicked up a topaward forrestaurantreviewswritten forMetronewspaper.

Universityalumna EmmaSturgess waspresented withthe Guild of Food Writers RestaurantReviewer of the Year award by food criticEgon Ronay at a ceremony in the magnificentLincoln’s Inn in London. The event wasattended by some of the nation’s top foodcritics and other winners included Jamie Oliverfor his campaigning Jamie’s Ministry of Foodtelevision series and Heston Blumenthal forhis The Big Fat Duck Cookbook.

Emma started her writing career at StudentDirect, The University of Manchester’s weeklystudent newspaper, the largest in the country.She began by writing restaurant reviews ofsome of Manchester’s best - and worst -establishments while studying at theUniversity. She has not looked back since.

“I've always been interested in food, cookeryand restaurants and enjoy reading the workof illustrious obsessives like Ruth Reichl,Michael Bateman and Jeffrey Steingarten,”said Emma.

“A few years after graduation I trained atBallymaloe Cookery School in Cork, Ireland,and am now freelance, working for TheObserver, Radio Times and Metro.

“I was thrilled to win the award, especially asit was for my reviews of restaurants inManchester, where I started as a food writerand have had so many good and bad meals.”

Emma graduated from Manchester in 2000with a first class degree in English andAmerican Literature.

She beat off competition from Jay Raynerof the Observer Magazine and John Walshof the Independent Magazine to take thetop prize.

Student Direct has begun the careers of manybig name journalists, with former staff nowworking at the BBC, the Financial Times, andthe Mirror, among many other places.

To read more alumni profiles please visit the alumni news section on the alumni community website Your Manchester Online. See page 41 for details on how to register. There is also a ‘distinguished alumni library’ which lists some of our eminent alumni.www.manchester.ac.uk/yourmanchester

Manchester graduate DrewCockton, 23, has taken on thecredit crunch by opening thenew ‘Eazysleep’ budget hotelin Manchester.

Faced with a poor jobs marketDrew (BA Hons European Studiesand Modern Languages, German,2008) and some friends decidedto take matters into their ownhands after graduation. Theybegan raising funds to transforman old bed and breakfast on CanalStreet in Manchester’s trendy gayvillage into a new budget hotel.

The hotel, which has 14 en-suiterooms with prices starting from

£19-a-night, was up and runningin time for the Manchester Pridefestival in August 2009.

Already a cross section of guestshave been welcomed in toEazysleep including football fans,female shoppers, gay men and ofcourse Manchester graduates!

Drew now hopes to expandEazysleep to Liverpool orBirmingham. "This is the hardestthing I have ever done in my life,but I'm hoping it'll all be worthit. My advice to anyone thinkingof doing something similar? Go for it, but don't expect it to be easy!"

Lucinda (Cindy) Ledgerwood (formally LucindaBurger), a contestant in The Apprentice BBCTV show in 2008, has embarked on a new twoyear challenge in India with the charity VSO(Voluntary Services Overseas).

The 33 year old alumna, who was fired from theApprentice show for being too zany and isremembered for wearing berets, has given upher freelance earnings (said to be over £100,000a year) to help poverty-stricken youngsters inNew Delhi.

Lucinda graduated from Manchester in 1998 witha degree in psychology and neuroscience. Herfirst job was in the finance sector with Ernst andYoung and Merril Lynch. After three yearsextensive travelling, including four months in acampervan going through Mexico, she set up herown business consultancy to focus on businessstrategy, development and project management.She was employed by the UK’s largest lifeassurance and pensions provider, among otherclients, as a contractor.

Lucinda is working in India with a small NGOwhich educates street children, who live under theflyovers and on pavements, and beg or work attraffic signals in South Delhi. Khoj Foundationprovides basic education through roadsidelearning, workshops and theatre. It aims to be asupport system to the children, guiding themtowards a dignified life and educationalopportunities. Their next project will see the launchof a mobile school bus.

Lucinda says: “I loved being at ManchesterUniversity. I had some of my happiest momentsthere. I feel that it was a really supportiveenvironment that has helped me determine the lifeI lead. Working in India is eye-opening. It isinconceivable how some of these young folk live.They have no permanent shelter, few clothes(many simply wear a single t-shirt every day) andno guarantee of food or safety. Yet the warmthand happiness they exude with no expectation issimply astonishing”.

www.khojfoundation.com

Former Apprentice star heads to India

Budget hotel success

Insights

40 YOUR MANCHESTER

Alumni events

Alumni Association Dinner inLondonThe University of Manchester AlumniAssociation's annual, black-tiedinner was held this year at theInstitute of Directors in London andhosted by Chancellor and Universitygraduate, Dr Tom Bloxham MBE

Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture 2009Our speaker for 2009 was ProfessorMohan Munasinghe who is Vice-Chairman of the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC) andthe new Director General of theUniversity’s SustainableConsumption Institute (SCI).

Your Manchester InsightsLondonThe May 2009 Your Insights LondonLecture took place at the RoyalOverseas League and was presentedby Manchester graduate Dr StephenTaylor (BSc Hons Biochemistry 1991),Cancer Research UK Senior Fellow atThe University of Manchester.

The private diaries of Alison UttleyAlumni heard from acclaimedbiographer Professor Denis Judd, onthe subject of renowned children'sauthor and Manchester graduate,Alison Uttley, while enjoyingafternoon tea in the Christie Bistroat the University (see page 33 forfurther details).

Past Events

Forthcoming EventsYour Manchester Insights Lecture and Business NetworkingReception, LondonMay/June 2010See the alumni community website for details of this event

Tour of Gorton Monastery followed by lunchWednesday, 8 September 2010Visit the magnificent Victorian Gothic building and walk in thefootsteps of the Franciscans. The tour is followed by tea/coffee,homemade soup and sandwiches and Monastery-made cakes.

The Alumni Association Annual General MeetingWednesday, 30 March 2011All alumni are encouraged to attend the AGM, which is youropportunity to gain a full insight into the activities of your AlumniAssociation, as well as a chance to meet the staff of the Divisionof Development and Alumni Relations.

Join our many former students who attend an alumni event in the UK or overseaseach year. To keep yourself informed about the latest events, register for theexclusive alumni community website www.manchester.ac.uk/yourmanchesterand make sure that your details are updated regularly.

Here we highlight just some of the many events which have recently taken place.Details of all our past events can be found on the alumni community website.

International Networks

Members of the Alumni Association enjoyedalumni events in Hong Kong (hosted by LordBradley of Withington, Special Advisor onGovernment and Political Relations at TheUniversity of Manchester) and in Shanghai(hosted by Professor Rod Coombs, Vice-President for Innovation and EconomicDevelopment at the University).

YOUR MANCHESTER 41

The Alumni RegisterIf you wish to be kept informed of theproceedings of the Alumni Association andto exercise your voting rights, pleaseensure that you are registered with thealumni online community – YourManchester Online (YMO) – and that youremail address is kept up-to-date. Thosewithout access to the internet shouldcontact the Division of Development andAlumni Relations (using the contact detailson page 3) and ask to be kept informed ofproceedings via the postal system.

Chair of the Alumni AssociationOur special thanks go to Andrew Spinoza(BA Hons Combined Studies 1982) whotook up the helm as the first Chair of theAlumni Association for the newly-established University at the 2005 AGMand whose term of office will come to anend in April 2011.

Andrew founded City Life, a “what’s on”magazine for Greater Manchester, whichis now owned by the Guardian MediaGroup. He also founded a national PublicRelations consultancy based inManchester called SKV Communications.

Since his appointment as Chair theUniversity has benefited greatly fromAndrew’s links with the city and withbusiness. Andrew comments: “I havethoroughly enjoyed my role as Chair ofthe Alumni Association. My time at The University of Manchester helped make me what Iam today and it has been an honour to be able to play a role in enhancing the University’sprofile and to engage with so many alumni”.

Graduates on the Alumni Register are able to nominate other fellow graduates to beconsidered for the role as Chair. Nominations received will be submitted to the AlumniAssociation Advisory Board for selection by its Nominations Committee. Nomination formswill be available on Your Manchester Online this Autumn.

Outstanding Alumni AwardsThe achievements of three former students have been recognised with Outstanding AlumniAwards. These are given to former students who have achieved distinction within theirprofession, have provided exemplary service to the University, or have made an outstandingcontribution of a personal humanitarian nature. Recent recipients are:

Dr John Emsley PhD Science 1964, MSc Science 1961, BSc Hons Chemistry 1960Respected writer and broadcaster, well known for his award-winning books on chemistry.

Paul SkinnerMBA (Dip BA) 1969Chief Human Resource Officer, Royal Dutch Shell.

Dr Mark KermodePhD English 1991BA Hons English Language and Literature 1985Highly acclaimed film critic – see page 24 for further details

Many of thearticles within themagazine havedirected you to thealumni onlinecommunity – YourManchester Online(YMO) – designedto keep you

updated with the latest news and activitiesand to help you maintain contact withthousands of other alumni.

As a reminder to those who have not yetregistered, in order to do so you will needto enter your alumni ID number. Thisnumber appears on your alumnimembership card. You will also need tocreate a User ID (a name you select whenregistering on the site) and a password(which you will need to remember, or keepin a safe place for future use).

www.manchester.ac.uk/yourmanchester

Online

Can you help?Can you help former Manchester graduateand economics lecturer Eric Rowley (MAEconomics 1966) to identify staff, alumniand students from the University who diedwhilst in the Armed Forces in the yearsfollowing 1945, in order to complete acommemorative list. If so, please contactEric at eric.rowley@btinternet.com ortelephone + 44 (0)161 439 8779.

Paul Skinner (second from left) receiving his award from Hugh Mitchell (Chief Human Resources and Corporate Officer,Royal Dutch Shell plc), flanked by Michael Luger, Director of MBS (left) and Chris Cox, Director of Development

42 YOUR MANCHESTER

DevelopmentFund

Tao Wang’s life changed for ever in May2008 when an earthquake measuring 7.9on the Richter scale devastated hishometown of Pengzhou in China.

The 23-year-old was an engineering studentin Manchester at the time. Tragically his sisterand grandfather had been killed and Tao’shome and his family’s successful hotelbusiness were also destroyed.

During the summer vacation, Tao returned tohis village to help rebuild the badly damagedcommunity. He used skills acquired throughtaking part in the Manchester LeadershipProgramme, and enlisted the support of hishigh school friends, to set up makeshiftschool rooms and to teach children subjectssuch as Maths, Physics, English, History andKung Fu. Some students travelled for up tothree hours on foot to attend.

Despite the tragedy, Tao’s family wereadamant that he should continue his studies.Tao said he was overjoyed to receive a£17,100 Bridging Hardship Award from YourManchester Fund to cover the remaininginternational student tuition fees and livingcosts for his final year studies. The award

enabled Tao to graduate in 2009 with theMEng Chemical Engineering degree he hadworked so hard for.

“I really appreciate the support from theUniversity and the alumni who have helpedme during this very difficult time.”

Tao strongly advocates the notion ‘pay itforward’, believing that people should behelped and inspired to achieve great things“so that they can go on to help and inspireothers in turn”. Tao says: “A strong gestureof support could deliver untold goodwill in awide range of communities and is beneficialall round.”

He has since returned to China to work foran engineering company and is continuing tohelp rebuild his village by securing supportfrom prominent Chinese individuals andorganisations.

Rebuilding a quake-torn Chinese community

Your Manchester Fund is theannual giving programme for TheUniversity of Manchester. Alumniand friends make a tremendousdifference for thousands of currentstudents through generousfinancial support for scholarships,projects and research programmes.

Funding is allocated to five key, student-focused areas:

Opportunity ManchesterThese scholarships are offered to highachieving undergraduate studentsjoining the University, who come frombackgrounds which are under-represented in higher education.

Global OutreachThe Global Outreach programmeenables students from developingcountries to study beyond their bordersand fulfil their potential, whilstdiversifying the talent pool atManchester.

Research ImpactYour Manchester Fund is supportingoutstanding Manchester researchstudents as they undertake solutions-driven research into issues of nationaland international importance.

Bridging HardshipBridging Hardship offers a helping handto hard-hit students in order to see themthrough their studies at Manchester.

Learning EnrichmentYour Manchester Fund supports a widevariety of projects and programmesacross campus to enrich the academicand wider university experience for thestudent body as a whole.

NewsGiving for impact on campus and beyond

Help support more students like TaoWang now by contributing to YourManchester Fund. The value of your giftcould be increased by up to 70%.

See page 45 for details.

Tao Wang

Thanks to a Your Manchester FundResearch Impact Scholarship,Manchester’s most talented studentsare undertaking solutions-drivenresearch into issues of national andinternational importance.

One of these students is PhD scholar,Dan Calverley who is investigatinginnovative methods of reducing carbonin the transport sector.

He is currently helping to create a newgovernment policy relating toenvironmental issues in Wales and isdirectly expanding current knowledgeabout how public attitudes to pro-environmental behaviour affect theuptake of interventions designed toreduce CO2 and prevent climate change.

His work is in conjunction with theTyndall Centre for Climate Change andthe newly founded SustainableConsumption Institute.

Dan says, “The award money hasgranted me a degree of interdisciplinaryfreedom not attainable under otherfunding programmes.

“Thank you very much for your donation.I will strive for a high standard ofresearch which will do credit to YourManchester Fund and the University.”

Dan’s innovativeplan to reducecarbonemissions

Medical Scientistsworking on a jointventure at the Universitiesof Manchester andHarvard have madeimportant progress in ourunderstanding of the linkbetween scar tissue andcancer.

Thanks to generous supportfrom alumnus and presidentof the North AmericanFoundation for TheUniversity of Manchester(NAFUM), Tony Thornley (BScChemistry 1967) and his wifeGillian, the Thornley VisitingProfessorship in RegenerativeMedicine has enabledspecialists from the UK andthe US to work together togrow human keloid scartissue in a test tube for thefirst time at The University ofManchester.

The work is a significantbreakthrough in the field ofregenerative medicine andcancer treatment, an areawhich has receivedadditional funding fromanother alumnus, SteveFitzpatrick (BSc ChemicalEngineering 1972) and hiswife, Kathy, together with asignificant contribution fromYour Manchester Fund.

The transatlantic team iscarrying out pioneeringresearch into the moleculargenetics underlying woundhealing and skin cancer. Thefocus is on keloid scars –lumpy, over-grown scars thatform over injured skin.Keloid scars grow like cancertumours, but unlike cancers,they do not spread beyondthe injury site.

By investigating thebehaviour of wound healingand scar formation at amolecular level, theresearchers hope to learnmore about skin repair andthe role of stem cells in skin

regeneration, as well as thegrowth of cancerous cells.

Professor Pier Paolo Pandolfi,an award-winning geneticistand cancer researcher, isdirecting work at HarvardUniversity, and has beenappointed Thornley VisitingProfessor in RegenerativeMedicine at The University ofManchester for the nextthree years. ProfessorPandolfi is due to visit theUniversity in the spring. Hisbusy schedule will include alecture and seminarprogramme, along withdiscussions on progress withManchester-basedregenerative medicinespecialists.

The team at The University ofManchester is led byProfessor Gus McGrouther,Professor of Plastic andReconstructive Surgery, andDr Ardeshir Bayat, a plasticsurgeon with a PhD in themolecular genetics of scarformation.

The research is beingsupported by theappointment of Thornley-funded post-doctoral fellowsat both universities.

Manchester fellows Dr Syed(Sameer) Farhatullah and DrSyed Amir Iqbal, recentlypublished papers containingfresh findings related tokeloid scars. Meanwhile, atHarvard, Dr Shohreh Varmehis looking into moleculardevelopments in tissuesamples sent from the UK.

“The advances we havemade as a transatlantic teamare very exciting,” saidProfessor McGrouther.“Keloid scars are relativelyunder-researched at amolecular level and the workis important because thesescars are disfiguring and canbe crippling when they formover a healed burn injury.”

Professor McGroutheradded: “The partnershipmeans our people inManchester can collaboratewith Harvard colleagues tolook at the genetics of keloidtissue, while addressing thequestion of how this relatesto the biology of cancers. Bylinking the two fields and byexchanging staff, we aremaking big strides towardsincreasing our understandingof the entire process.”

Harvard Link-up

YOUR MANCHESTER 43

Dan Calverley

Tony Thornley

44 YOUR MANCHESTER

Fund

An amazing group of Manchestermothers who work with murderers toprevent further violence – despitehaving lost a child to violencethemselves – has inspired YvonneThorne to begin a unique PhDstudentship scheme at the University.

Yvonne, a mother-of-three and a foundingmember of Mothers Against Violence (MAV),is pursuing her academic goals whilemaintaining her hands-on voluntarycommunity work after winning a place onthe pilot studentship scheme.

The scheme was launched by the Manchester Leadership Programme (MLP),the University’s pioneering initiative thatoffers a unique combination of academicstudy and community-based activity. It isgenerously supported by Russell Jones &Walker Solicitors.

The four-year studentships enable threeoutstanding young researchers to combinePhD research with valuable work experiencelinked to the leadership programme. The ideais directly connected to the University’s threestrategic goals of research, higher learning,and social responsibility.

Yvonne, aged 33, was expecting her firstchild when she became inspired by thecompassion of MAV members whose childrenhad been killed in gang-related violence inthe Moss Side and Hulme areas ofManchester. The group has beencommended by the Home Office.

“These mothers are amazing. Despite havinglost their children they come back to stop thishappening to other people,” said Yvonne.“They’ll go into a prison and hug someonejailed for murder, which is crucial to theoffender’s rehabilitation. This compassiondrove me then, and it still does now.

“I became the treasurer at MAV but as avoluntary set-up it’s all hands on deck and Iquickly found myself visiting bereavedparents, doing talks at schools and youthcentres, advising people about their legalrights, and writing letters to prisoners. Allthis was on top of my ‘official’ duties,”added Yvonne.

After leaving school with three GCSEs, shereturned to the classroom some years laterand gained extra qualifications. These, alongwith an extensive portfolio of voluntarycommunity work, enabled her to take a BA inCriminology at the University. She graduatedwith a 2:1 in 2008.

The pilot studentship scheme involves threePhD students carrying out interlinkedresearch projects related to improving thechoices and chances of young people livingin Wythenshawe, one of the Manchester City

Region’s most deprived areas. Yvonne’s remitis to identify case studies of people who havesuccessfully broken out of offendingbehaviour cycles and establish how thesestudies can be used to help other people.

“I started my studentship in September 2009.It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but a marvellousexperience. What motivates me is the ideathat other people will benefit from mywork,” said Yvonne.

Russell Jones & Walker Solicitors is headed byManchester alumnus Neil Kinsella (LLB 1979),a managing partner at the firm whospecialises in personal injury and sports law.

Neil is delighted that his company is involvedin supporting this project: “Yvonne is aninspiration as someone who makes a realdifference and that’s why we wanted tosupport her and the University.”

Future DevelopmentsDid you know that Manchester has the UK’s lowest life expectancy for men and the second lowest for women? The University plans tolaunch another programme of MLP PhD studentships aimed at identifying ways in which community-based research, focused on some ofthe most deprived areas in the UK, can help address this important issue. Alumni who are interested in finding out more about how theycan support this work should contact Jane Ratchford, Director of The Manchester Leadership Programme tel +44 (0)161 275 2828 orjane.ratchford@manchester.ac.uk

Law firm backs community-based doctoral research inWythenshawe

Neil Kinsella of Russell Jones & Walker with PhD student Yvonne Thorne

YOUR MANCHESTER 45

The University’s allocation from theGovernments Matched FundingScheme is fast running out as donorsfrom the UK and beyond are using thisopportunity to increase the impact oftheir gift. Join them before it is too lateby supporting Your Manchester Fundand increase the impact of your gift byup to 70%.

What is the Government Matched Funding Scheme?

• The UK Government has launched aprogramme to encourage gifts fromalumni and others to support EnglishHigher Education institutions, knownas the Matched Funding Scheme.

• As a former student, wherever you arein the world, we can add at least athird to the value of your gift, at noextra cost to you.

• For UK donors, this 33% bonus will beapplied both to the gift itself and to thevalue of Gift Aid. This means the valueof your gift could be increased by 70%.

Which gifts qualify?

• Donations from all donors, given since1 August 2008.

• Gift Aided donations.

• Gifts from UK and internationalindividuals, companies and charitabletrusts.

• All gifts to Your Manchester Fund (seepage 42). Certain limits apply to majorgifts above £150,000.

• Shares, valued at the time received bythe Division of Development andAlumni Relations.

Which gifts do not qualify?

• Any gifts made after 31 July 2011, orafter the University's allocation fromthe Government has run out (whichwill happen soon).

• Gifts in kind.

• Legacies.

To find out if any other forms of giving are eligible for Matched Funding, pleasecontact Lesley Dowdall, Head of Donor Programmes – tel +44 (0)161 275 2373, email lesley.dowdall@manchester.ac.uk – for further information

Time isrunningout......to make your match

Together we’re shapingthe world of tomorrow

Fund

Your Gift Your Gift with Gift Aid

Your Gift with GiftAid and MatchedFunding

Effect on Your Gift

£29.37 £37.59 £50 +70%

£117.48 £150.37 £200 +70%

£588.68 £735.85 £1,000 +70%

Pleasepay

YYYYMMDD

£

Amountin words

Commencing on the

Name

Address Email

Tel

Postcode

Nameof bank

Bankaddress

Your account number

Sort code /

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/

Date

for years OR Until further notice(please tick)

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Date

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* Please note not all cards have astart date or issue number.

I enclose a cheque made payable to ‘The University of Manchester’

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OR

The purpose of your gift

Your Manchester FundTo benefit the five student support priority areas at the discretion of the YourManchester Fund Steering Group

the following Student Support area: (please tick)OpportunityManchester

Research Impact

Learning Enrichment

GlobalOutreach

Bridging Hardship

Other

Specific Research Theme (optional)

Please tick here if you would prefer your name not toappear in any future donor acknowledgement list

Donor Acknowledgement

If you are a UK taxpayer please take a moment to sign this declaration. Indoing so you will increase the value of your donation by 25% at no extracost to you. For donations made from 6 April 2008 to 5 April 2011,HMRC will also add an additional 3% in transitional relief. Aconfirmation certificate will be sent upon receipt.I would like The University of Manchester to treat all donations I have made for the last 6 tax years, and all future donations that I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise, as Gift Aid donations.

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Data Protection - 1998 Data Protection Act Your data is securely held in the University’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations and will be treated confidentially and with sensitivity for the benefitof the University and its members in accordance with the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. The data is available to our schools and faculties, recognised alumni societies, sports and other clubsassociated with the University and is used for a full range of alumni activities including the sending of University publications and the notification of alumni events, fundraising programmes and for thepromotion of benefits and services. If you do not want your data to be used for the above purposes, please tick this box.

YOUR MANCHESTER FUNDShow your support for the transformational power of education and research.Your Manchester Fund is the programme through which thousands of Manchester alumni target their supportfor a range of student scholarships, student support resources, and research at the University. For further detailson the priorities of the fund, or to donate online please see www.manchester.ac.uk/yourmanchesterfund

Please complete in block capitals and return to:Your Manchester Fund, The Division of Development and Alumni Relations, The University of Manchester,Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL tel +44 (0)161 275 2619

Eachmonth yearquarter

to The University of Manchester Annual Fund donations account number30924369: Barclays Bank plc, Manchester City Office, PO Box 357, 51 Mosley Street, Manchester, M60 2AU (Sort code 20-55-34)

Please allow a minimum of 3 weeks to set up standing order

OR

Together we’re shapingthe world of tomorrow

Fund

REF: MAG 10/11

‹ ‹

Add up

to 70%

Matched Funding

See page 45

46 YOUR MANCHESTER

YOUR MANCHESTER 47

Many alumni choose to show their appreciationof The University of Manchester byremembering the University in their Will –building on a long history of philanthropicsupport at Manchester.Whatever the reason or size, legacy gifts can have a real andenduring effect. They speed up vital research, strengthen anacademic discipline, or help us to attract the best students. Examples of gifts include:

• Mr Kenneth Cavalot (Adult Education, 1971) – for the ManchesterResearch Centre Hearing and Communications Group, allowingthe Audiology and Deafness Department to further research intothe benefits of hearing aids and cochlear implants for hearingimpaired children;

• Dr George Howard (Chemistry 1943; MSc Polymer Science andTechnology 1944) – for The Howard Scholarship in Chemistry.Established by Mr Andrew Howard in memory of his father, theScholarships are awarded to undergraduate Chemistry studentswho are finding it difficult to study at the University withoutadditional financial assistance;

• Dr Isabella Muir was a Research Biochemist at the University. Hergift is used for research prizes in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, supporting training visits.

If you have been inspired by The University of Manchester in any way,a gift in your Will can be invaluable to research and scholarly enquiryfor future generations. It may even be that you have a personal reasonto support the University – to commemorate a loved one's time herefor example. Whatever the reason, if you do choose to remember theUniversity alongside other commitments in your Will, we wouldencourage you to share your plans with us if you feel able to do so.Please be assured that any information provided will be treated in thestrictest confidence, should that be preferred.

Legacy

The University is honoured to be the selected partner for such far-sighted generosity and we thank you sincerely for your support.If you would like a copy of the University’s legacy brochure orwould like to speak directly to someone about leaving a gift inyour Will to the University, please contact Lesley Dowdall, on tel+44 (0)161 275 2373, email lesley.dowdall@manchester.ac.uk

Alumni from the University can take up a special will-writingservice that is available at a discounted rate through specialistsIrwin Mitchell Solicitors. Please visit:www.extranet.irwinmitchell.com/willsandtrusts/university_of_manchester/index.asp for further information. Rates areirrespective of whether the University is included in your Will.

J2747 04.10 The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL Royal Charter Number RC000797

Your Alumni Association membership card entitles you to over 40 special discountsand offers. See the alumni community website below for a full listing and click on‘benefits and services’ – you will need to register if you have not already done so (seepage 41.) We have highlighted just a few of the benefits currently available below

www.manchester.ac.uk/yourmanchester

Royal ExchangeTheatreAlumni can take advantage of a£3 discount off any performancein the main theatre. This excludesSaturdays and is subject toavailability

Forthcoming careers fairsGraduate Recruitment FairWednesday 16 and Thursday 17 June 2010(Different exhibitors each day)Ethnic Diversity FairOctober 2010 – date to be confirmedEngineering, Science and Technology FairWednesday 20 October 2010Finance, Business and Management FairThursday 21 October 2010Law FairTuesday 16 November 2010Postgraduate Study FairWednesday 17 November 2010

The MagazineGroupAlumni can save up to 75% onover 400 magazines and tradejournals

Cottages4YouA 10% discount is available foralumni on over 13,000properties in the UK and partsof Europe

BenefitsAlumni

www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/fairs