This year's Alumni Weekend begins today (Friday 27 September). Cambridge alumni from across the world are gathering for three days of events.

The annual weekend reproduces all the best parts of undergraduate life at Cambridge with lectures, a Union Debate, College reunions, concerts and social events. It attracts up to 1,000 visitors every year, with people coming from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

This year, for the first time, sport is included in the weekend. Today real tennis enthusiasts can see a demonstration match and take lessons in the ancient game. On Sunday a rowing regatta involving 12 crews will take place on Long Reach at 11am. Observers are welcome at the regatta and for post-competition refreshments at the Pike and Eel pub.

"We have a core of around 450 people who come every year," explains Jenny Jardine of the Alumni Office. "More and more people are coming with family and friends. They can combine the weekend with College reunions and departmental alumni events."

The dramatic political events of the last year will be considered on Saturday evening in a Union Debate on the motion 'This House Believes the War on Terror has been a Success' and in a lecture by Professor Christopher Andrew entitled 'Spyhunting from Cambridge to Osama Bin Laden' on Saturday afternoon.

The Weekend officially opens with a welcome reception at the Fitzwilliam Museum on Friday evening. Later in the evening at 8pm there will be a concert at the newly refurbished concert hall in West Road, where a trio of award-holding student musicians will perform piano concertos by Brahms, Haydn and Panufnik.

The event is open to University staff as well as its alumni and the organisers are keen for people to get involved. Many events are fully booked but there are places available for a number of the lectures and for this evening's concert.

Tickets for the concert cost £8 and are available on the door. Details of the weekend events are available at the Alumni Weekend office in the foyer of Lady Mitchell Hall on the Sidgwick site. Copies of the full programme are available during office hours today from:

Alumni Office
10 Trumpington Street
Cambridge CB2 1QA
Tel: 01223 332288

The full programme is available on the web at:
https://www.foundation.cam.ac.uk/pages/page02_1.cfm

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