Diana Statue Incident

As mentioned in the York Campus Folklore, there used to be a statue called `Diana the Huntress' standing on the lawn in front of Heslington Hall.

After the first Physics Department Christmas Dinner, (12th Dec 1965) the members of the department and friends returned to campus, somewhat jolly, and began carol singing on the lawn in the Heslington Hall courtyard. The self appointed conductor, a member of the Chemistry department, climbed up onto the plinth of the statue of Diana. Upon seeing the porter coming to send them away, said chap launched off of the plinth, sending the statue in the other direction, to break in pieces on the ground.

The events which followed are somewhat unclear, but many of the participants escaped. One however (a second year economist) was cornered by a porter, and then unwisely decided to fight his way out. The police were called, and he was jailed for assault.

Following enquiries (including the questioning of the rugby team, who had nothing to do with it but were obvious suspects in the eyes of the authorities) those who were caught were fined for the repair.

This article is taken from Issue 13 of Nouse:

Graduates' new income

Those who manage to read the papers in moments of inactivity will know that the uncouth vandals who killed Diana were fined a total of &163;100.

What may not be know is that, while most of the money will be spent on the repair of the goddess, and compensation to the porter, the rest will go to the graduates in the form of carpets and other luxuries of doubtful necessity.

However much the graduates may like the idea of enjoying the benefits of softness underfoot, at the expense of the more oafish undergraduates and graduates, one wonders whether the university would be willing to finance undergraduate comfort, should they commit a similar misdemeanor.

Perhaps sometime, someone will give some thought to the facilities in the College Bars and particularly in Derwent Television Room, which are worse than useless at the moment.

Otherwise in this university it would seem to be a good moral that if you want more facilities go and smash something up.

It seems that the GSA spent it's share of the fine on setting up a bar for their members.

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