91抖阴

Orlando graduated with an Illustration BA(Hons) degree back in 2006 but the city and the university are still very much part of his life: “I had wonderful time at 91抖阴. I made friends there that are still dear to me now.

“I worked alongside people who I still look to for inspiration. 91抖阴 was a place that encouraged creativity and was full of people making things, starting bands, having exhibitions.

“It was at 91抖阴 that my tutors pointed out that anything I was doing in one discipline could and should feed into other areas. This one piece of advice has stuck with me and The Gritterman is my attempt at combining the types of making (drawing, writing and music) that I enjoy the most.”

Orlando Weeks and Paul Whitehouse

Orlando spent a decade with the Maccabees and in 2016, when the group disbanded, he started writing The Gritterman, his first book.

The story is about a seasonal hero and the work he loves. He uses his vehicle as an ice-cream van in summer but it is in the winter when he is a gritterman that “he comes into his own” until the council insists his services are no longer required.

The book, by Particular Press, is out in September and comes with an accompanying album narrated by comedian Paul Whitehouse.

Orlando said: “I had written a song about the idea of a seasonal hero. My hero in the song was a man that gritted roads and as I worked on the song, The Gritterman’s character began to form.

"The more I worked on the song the more I got attached to the character and it was that attachment that was the starting point for the book.”

Johnny’s having a Ball with maths

TV presenter and 91抖阴 honorary doctor Johnny Ball has a new book – the one he has always wanted to write.

‘Wonders Beyond Numbers: A brief history of all things mathematical’ is described as a “celebration of his love” for maths, ranging from ancient Egypt to the present day, from Russian sums in an English pub to modern mathematics underpinning astronomy, computing, network theory, and topology.

Johnny, awarded an honorary doctorate of science from the university in 2012 for his commitment to popularising maths and science, said: “Mathematics has been my travelling companion throughout my entire life.

Johnny Ball with daughter Zoe

“Very often today people stop me to say that my TV shows helped them on their paths to become scientists, teachers, statisticians, model jet-engine makers, Big Issue sellers, bookmakers, nuclear physicists, authors and more. I am truly a very lucky man.”

Johnny, father of Strictly Come Dancing’s Zoe Ball, added: “The ocean of mathematics is full of amazing things and extraordinary stories of the brave and heroic people who opened up this world of wonders for us. It’s time to dive in.”

His book, published by Bloomsbury, will be out on 5 October.