Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - April 2018

[Mike Costigan]

April Fool's Day, so we'd better have a bit of a joke!

The 1958 Cambridge University Senate House Stunt:



Twelve University undergraduates pulled off this stunt in late May, 1958. They found the derelict van in Harston, and towed it into Cambridge parking it outside the Senate House, stickering it up with posters for the May Ball. Overnight on the 8th June the van reappeared on the roof as seen in our photo! Officially the culprits were never identified, but the Dean of Caius College sent a congratulatory case of champagne to the appropriate 'staircase' ...

The ringleader, Peter Davey, is seen here in a photo taken the next day:


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According to legend, the authorities were unable to remove the van in one piece,and had to dismantle it in situ using oxy-acetyline equipment; however, this sequence of photos suggests otherwise:

[Steve Berg]

I remember that! I was about to go up to "the other place" in Autumn that year. What is Peter Davey doing now? He deserves this A7 van!

[Mike Costigan]

From the Daily Telegraph of 28th June 2008, following a fiftieth anniversary dinner:

Many of the group responsible went on to enjoy distinguished careers. Mr Davey, from Mousehole, Cornwall, was awarded a CBE and an honorary doctorate after setting up automation and robotics companies while another, Cyril Pritchett, was a lieutenant colonel in the Army.

Two of the team of 12 live abroad and could not make the reunion dinner at Caius. One, David Fowler, had died and was represented by his widow Denise.