Pembroke College Cambridge

26/08/2026

HuffPost has drawn heavily on a blog post about medlars, written by Dr Sarah Gilbert, our Manuscript Fragments Cataloguer, for an article on bletting.

Bletting is a softening process that some hard, bitter fruits must go through to become edible.

Read Sarah's original blog post: https://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/kit-smarts-blog/medlar-fruits-

And then the HuffPost article: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bletting-fruits-uk_uk_6a8844b9e4b021f20f8859e7

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24/08/2026

Fingers on buzzers! Pembroke is set to take on St Andrews in the first round of University Challenge tonight, 8.30 pm, BBC Two.

Our team comprises H**e Robertson (2023, Classics), Arvin Boraghi (2021, Medicine), Timothy Ho (Captain, 2023, Maths), and Rory Moloney (2025, Natural Sciences), with Felix Lawry (2025, Natural Sciences) on hand as reserve and Marie the Martlet performing important mascot duties.

“I’ve been a long-time fan of the show,” said Timothy, “So it’s still quite surreal to have the opportunity to live out a dream and participate in University Challenge. What has made the experience especially meaningful has been being able to share it with a group of people who are equally passionate about quizzing and the show.”

Already strong in maths and the sciences, they split up the other subjects based on their interests and strengths, meeting once or twice a week to practice, with Felix acting as quizmaster.

The episode was filmed in Salford earlier this year. “The atmosphere was something else,” observed H**e. “Obviously quite intense, but the team spirit was wonderful, and everyone behind the scenes of the show helped make the whole experience a positive one.”

Read the full article: https://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/college/news/pembroke-returns-university-challenge

If you can't watch the programme live, catch up later on BBC iPlayer.

Your starter for 10: how many series of University Challenge has Pembroke appeared in?

Photo: Front row (l to r): H**e Robertson, Arvin Boraghi, Marie the Martlet, Timothy Ho and Rory Moloney. Back row: Felix Lowry and presenter Amol Rajan

21/08/2026

Today we bid a fond farewell to our 2025-26 Graduate Library Trainee, Coral Shaw Jackson.

“I’ve had an amazing time at Pembroke as the Trainee Librarian. It’s been a busy and rewarding year, filled with valuable training, visits to other libraries and opportunities to build professional networks with fellow trainees and library staff across Cambridge.”

“From supporting students in the Library during the exam season, to researching one of Pembroke’s archive collections as part of my own project, every day has brought something new.”

As for the best part of the job: the people. “Thank you to everyone at Pembroke for making this year truly special!”

Coral joined Pembroke last September. After studying for a degree in Fine Art at Loughborough, she spent a year out working in Nottingham Central Library. Thoroughly enjoying that experience, she decided to explore a career in the library sector and to apply for the traineeship at Pembroke.

Many colleges offer library graduate trainee places, which provide valuable experience in key areas of library work, very useful preparation for those intending to apply for a postgraduate qualification. The Cambridge trainees attend a coordinated programme of events, including visits to many of the over 100 libraries across the University - and beyond.

We wish Coral all the very best for the future. She’s heading back to Nottingham to work part-time as an Information Assistant in Nottingham Trent University’s Library, alongside studying for a part-time online MA in Library and Information Services Management at the University of Sheffield.

If you would like to find out more about what the Cambridge trainees get up to, check out their blog on CaTaLOG: https://www.catalog.group.cam.ac.uk/

18/08/2026

A cartoon from the 1910 Easter Term edition of The Pem.

Did you know that water from a branch of Hobson's Conduit can be directed through the runnels on either side of Trumpington Street, passing Peterhouse (the Pot side) and Pembroke (the Pem side)?

It finally rained last night, but we suspect it will need a few more decent downpours before the Pem flows again...

13/08/2026

Congratulations to everyone who is receiving their results today!

Regardless of the outcome, we know you all have a very bright future ahead of you, and some exciting next steps await!

If you are coming to Pembroke or your loved one is, then please let us know in the comments! 👇

12/08/2026

Timelapse footage of the Auditorium tower and Warwick Foyer during this evening’s partial solar eclipse.

🌘

23/07/2026

Congratulations to the 29 Pembroke students who graduated from the University of Cambridge today! 🎓

Seven types of degree were awarded today: eight PhDs, an MA, two LLMs, 12 MPhils, two MASts, two MBs, plus a couple of BAs for variety. 😊

We're very proud of everything you've achieved during your time in College and wish you all the very best for the future.

21/07/2026

If you're a fan of BBC2's 'Quizzy Mondays', then you may have spotted the three Pembroke alumni on last night's episode of Only Connect!

The Makeweights are Omer Elchanan (2019), Eleanor Stiles (2021) and Isaac Barden (2021). As the team name suggests, all three were committed members of PCBC as students!

Did they win? Well, you'll have to watch and find out...

Bonus point: Can anyone spot the link to Pembroke in one of the clues on the first Connecting Wall?

Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. Three rowers take on a team of microbiologists in finding connections between apparently random clues.

17/07/2026

Pembroke’s Mill Lane site, now known as the Dolby Quarter, has been shortlisted for the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize, the UK’s most prestigious architecture award.

Designed by Haworth Tompkins, the Mill Lane site won a RIBA National Prize in July and received four RIBA Regional Awards (East) in May.

Located opposite Pembroke’s historic site, in the centre of the city, the project transformed a congested urban location in Cambridge’s Historic Core Conservation Area into a coherent new quarter. It offers a mix of student accommodation, social, teaching and public spaces all arranged around connected open spaces that mirror the courts and gardens across the road.

Designed with sustainability as a priority, the project increased the College's footprint by around a third. It included the sensitive preservation and retrofitting of six existing buildings of various ages and styles alongside the construction of six new buildings.

The site is gas-free, served by air-source heat pumps. The refurbished buildings have improved glazing and insulation to enhance their thermal performance, while the new buildings incorporate passive design. Solar panels have been installed on roofs and materials salvaged from buildings that could not be retained were reused to reduce embodied carbon. In addition, the gardens were also designed with climate-resilience in mind.

Julian de Metz, RIBA East Jury Chair, commented that the site is “a robust and thoughtful piece of city-making. It improves accessibility, strengthens connections between buildings and gardens, and opens the site to the wider community and to industry. It shows how heritage, contemporary academic needs and environmental responsibility can be aligned.”

Reflecting on the nomination, Professor Polly Blakesley, Master of Pembroke, said: “This is a remarkable and richly deserved tribute to the ingenuity and creativity of a complex project and stunning design.”

The College congratulates Haworth Tompkins and all the teams involved in the site’s design and construction. This recognition highlights a project that has greatly enhanced Pembroke and brought benefits to both the College and the wider Cambridge community.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 15 October 2026.

📷 Fred Howarth