In preparation for writing this article, I attempted to research the history of the Porter in Cambridge. Remarkably, all I could find was the inevitable Wikipedia entry, and an article in the Guardian on a gentleman called Colin Maxted, who worked at Sidney Sussex. This was surprising to me: certainly, in my mind, our Porters are a definitive element of the ‘Cambridge experience’.

We all have a vague understanding of what a college porter’s role entails. They’re definitely involved in fire alarms. They almost always have the key to wherever you need to go. They’re the people that have your back, and though you might not know their names, they’ve almost certainly seen you drunk, they’ve definitely seen you in your pyjamas, and quite possibly at some point, they’ve been a shoulder to cry on. As one porter at Magdalene college summed up during arrivals weekend, “I hesitate to say that I’m their Dad, but…” In all honesty, our porters are the the real college parents. 

It is for these reasons among others that I present ‘Porter’s Choice’. I have a radio show on Cam FM, and on that show, every Saturday morning at 10am, I will open with a track chosen by the Head Porter from each undergraduate college, followed by a brief explanation as to why that track was chosen. And then, because thirty seconds is simply not enough, I will publish brief interviews with each college’s Head Porter here in Varsity.

I begin with Jane Phelps, Head Porter of Clare College. Jane’s Porter’s Choice is ‘Nobody Does It Better’ by Carly Simon, in memory of a particularly striking moment at the beginning of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, in which Roger Moore skis off a cliff, unfurls a Union Jack parachute, and disappears into clouds of powder as Simon’s voice fills the echoing mountains. Phelps saw the film during her first date, when she was the local guide leader, with a red-headed boy scout. The film, she recalls, was excellent, although ‘Golden Eye’ is her favourite. “It was the first film other than a Disney movie that I saw in a movie theatre.” Although ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is particularly memorable, Pierce Brosnan is her favourite Bond. “He made a film at Clare last year, but it hasn’t been released yet. He was a real gentleman when he was with us. So friendly and really kind natured.”

In her early years, Jane served as a guide leader in her local community and found the work very rewarding. “I worked with brownies and guides from my teenage years until my mid-twenties. Guide camp trips are the best. It always rained, featuring heavy, old canvas tents that smelled foul and camp fires with very wet people sitting around them singing... very happy days.”

Originally from central London, “near Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road”, Jane moved to Hertfordshire in 1992 and then to Cambridgeshire in 2008. “My husband had a serious car crash and was unwell and I needed to work closer to home. I was working in East London and living in Buntingford. After his crash and some time to recover, we moved house and job and I started to work in Cambridge. The move away from London was a big change.” After a number of years in Cambridge, London now feels very far away. “I can't believe I used to drive to London every day for work. When I drive to London now it seems so far away and not a commutable distance to me anymore.” 

Working as a porter at Clare College since September 2010, Jane has seen a number of freshers come and go. Her one piece of advice to freshers (and all students) would be to always know how to get home safely if you’re out for the night and are drinking: “Have some money for a cab or a group of friends with you. There is no need to be left on your own.”

I finish the interview with the most important question of all, what is Jane’s favourite Sunday breakfast? “It’s got to be boiled eggs with marmite soldiers…yum!”

You can listen to Porter's Choice on Cam FM every Saturday from 10am to midday, or catch-up online here.