“The Bridge of Sighs”, properly known as Hertford Bridge, celebrated its 100th birthday on Saturday as Hertford College celebrated the centenary in style.
Around 140 former students, including BBC newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, attended the celebrations, which began at midday with a lecture on reproductive biology by Dr Alison Woollard, and ended at 3am with a game of ‘ring of fire’ in the JCR.
Principal Will Hutton expressed his hope that the Principal at the time of building, Henry Boyd, would share his pride in the modern college a century on.
The afternoon event also featured the premier of a promotional film for the college, produced by BAFTA award-winning producer Anthony Geffen, showcasing the college’s liberal ethos.
Setting out his “vision for the future” to the gathered alumni, Hutton said of the film, “we are all liberal, with a small ‘l’. We were amongst the first wave of colleges to admit women; we have long championed open access to state schools”.
“When I first arrived here, I was told by the fellows that Hertford is a ‘middling’ college. Middling as in being in the centre of the city, middling in academic results, middling in pay. My intention in my tenure is to take Hertford well beyond ‘middling’,” Hutton added.
The festivities continued well into the evening including the “Rick Hutton Band”, the lead singer being the brother of Principal Hutton. One student volunteer who wished to remain unnamed told Cherwell, “watching Will Hutton dance to his brother’s band was like watching a giant lumber around the dance floor. He’s not very good, but bless him, he tries”.
The evening ended with a gathering of the remaining student volunteers, staff and alumni for a game of “ring of fire” in the JCR. One student volunteer, a recent graduate, said “I suppose you might call it post-drinking. It’s a celebration; everyone has worked hard to make the event a really momentous occasion to celebrate a century of the university’s most prominent landmark”.
The Hertford Bridge was constructed largely due to the efforts of Henry Boyd (Principal 1877-1922), who overcame significant opposition from both city and university authorities to realise his vision of a skyway linking the old and new quadrangles. Designed by TG Jackson, the acclaimed bridge was opened on 14th January 1914.
