A Downing deception

Cambridge recently featured in one of Britain’s favourite reality TV series. A contestant on this year’s series of The Traitors, Hugo Lodge, is an alum of Downing College, and was chosen as a Traitor; he was ‘banished’ by the group in the third episode. Lodge matriculated as a law student at Downing in 1992, and now works as a barrister. He told the College that “meeting my fellow players reminded me very much of Freshers’ Week. It was completely acceptable to just talk to people and learn more about them”. He added: “Whilst at Downing I also managed to avoid being recruited by the boaties – so maybe I picked up a few diversion and deception tactics too!”

AstraZeneca plans new conference construction

The biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has submitted plans to Cambridge City Council for a new six-storey office block to be built at Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The plans include offices for 736 members of staff, alongside a 200-person conference centre, a 450-seat auditorium, and a restaurant. In the planning documents, the company said the office building would “not only serve AstraZeneca, but also make a lasting, positive contribution to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the city’s scientific and architectural landscape”. The application comes months after AstraZeneca announced it was pausing plans to invest £200m in expanding its Discovery Centre, also located on the Biomedical Campus.

Caring for Cold Call

A seal pup found on a doorstep has been nursed back to health by Dr Rachael McKinney, Homerton’s director of studies for Clinical Veterinary Medicine. The young female pup, named Cold Call, was found outside a house in Gorleston at the beginning of January. Seal pups are frequently rescued during the colder months, having been separated from their mothers during a storm. Cold Call has been recovering at the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Hospital, where McKinney works as a veterinary clinician. McKinney said: Cold Call is recovering very well and learning to eat fish for herself now […] We have an amazing care team! It is an honour to work for both the College and East Winch Wildlife.”

Corpus fellow makes a clerical discovery

A Corpus Christi fellow has discovered the only known surviving copy of a popular 14th-century spiritual text. Dr Timothy Glover’s recent study identifies Shrewsbury School’s copy of Emending of Life, written by Richard Rolle, as the only complete copy of the text. He finds that other known copies, previously thought to be complete copies by Rolle, are instead abridged versions by other writers. Rolle is described by the University as “the most widely circulated English writer of the late medieval period,” though the name lacks notoriety today. Glover said of the discovery: “I’m the only person since the Middle Ages to have read this knowing that it’s Rolle’s original. It’s such an important manuscript and it offers a direct connection with an author who deserves far greater recognition.”