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Welcome to the Summer issue of the e-newsletter
Graduation 2018
Congratulations to everyone who graduated from Christ's in 2018! It was a very successful year, with excellent results, so well done to you all! You can view the photos taken on the day by clicking here.
Christ's students at Graduation, June 2018
Great Gate Conservation Project
You may remember that we told you all about the conservation project taking place on the Great Gate and the stonework above the door to the Master's Lodge. As reported in the Autumn 2017 e-newsletter, the paint had already been removed from the Great Gate, and as of July 2018, the same treatment has been given to the stonework above the Master’s Lodge. The painstaking removal of the layers of paint from both sites has been fascinating; providing the College with a rich historical account of paint types and colours over the centuries. Both areas of stonework will remain uncovered for some time in order to carbonate before redecoration is started.
The project has also been extended to include the conservation of the Great Gate itself and the metal gate leading to the Fellows’ Garden. Bolts, hinges and bracings will be fixed on the Great Gate, as well as the wood being cleaned and oiled. The Fellows’ Gate will receive treatment to hinges and bolts, as well as the removal of paint layers which are obscuring detail in the decoration, and work to remedy areas of corrosion.
This is a long-term project that the College hopes will significantly extend the life of these characteristic features of Christ’s, and we will keep you up to date with developments.
 
The cleaned stonework on above the Great Gate (L) and above the Master's Lodge (R)
News from the Old Library
To find out more about the Old Library, you can read the latest Friends of the Old Library Newsletter here!
Christ's College Choir Tour
The Christ's College Choir are currently on their Summer tour. They are touring the East Coast of Canada for three weeks, performing a wide range of music ranging from Tallis to Britten, including Parry’s Songs of Farewell and Howell’s Requiem, among others. The tour finished on 19 July, but there are still tickets available for some of the remaining concerts. For more details, click here.
Down at the Bottom of the Garden...
As in much of the country, Cambridge has endured a long dry spell which has lasted since around the beginning of June. Our main task has therefore been to keep the plants alive through regular watering of herbaceous borders, pots and window boxes. One happy consequence of the good weather has been that the Malcolm Bowie swimming pool has proved very popular, with students seemingly unable to resist the pull of its clear blue water, never mind its chill. In fact, the weather has been so hot that the cold might have been an advantage!
Four months on since we constructed a new path in the Fellows’ Garden, linking the main entrance to the green door near the Yusuf Hamied Centre, I can report that the path is well-used, while the recently-planted herbaceous borders beside it are in full flower. To watch people use the path, one could easily imagine that it had always been there, so natural is its presence and so obvious is its function.
In June, we planted a new herbaceous border in the part of the Fellows’ Garden referred to as 'Mulberry Side', bringing added interest to that pleasant and sheltered corner of the Garden.
In May, we received the visit of a delegation from the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, whose members came to admire the Iris collection in Third Court while the display was at its height. Meanwhile, the Fellows’ Garden has played host to numerous Garden Parties, such as the May Ball and Graduation, while also receiving members of the public who have wandered in to discover an oasis of calm in the city centre.
We are pleased to report that this year’s May Ball has not left destruction in its wake. We would like to thank the many hundreds of attendees for having respected the gardens, and the May Ball Committee for the bottles of prosecco they kindly gave us afterwards in thanks for our work and cooperation!
On July 11 we welcomed the gardeners of Worcester College, Oxford. We enjoyed showing them the gardens, and hearing about their work.
Long may the good weather continue and we look forward to updating you all again in the Autumn!
The Fellows' Garden in full bloom
Don't forget that you can leave a comment or suggest a topic for the Gardening Diary on our online alumni NetCommunity pages here. Please log on and select 'Discussion Groups' from the Alumni Community drop down menu. If you have forgotten your password then click 'forgotten log in details' and follow the instructions. We'd love to hear from you!
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