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  - heading "Five Minutes With… Paul Shapter" [level=1]
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  - heading "Five Minutes With… Paul Shapter" [level=2]
  - paragraph: My name is Paul Shapter, and I’m Head Gardener at St Catz. I’ve been here since 2017, so nearly 10 years now, and I still consider myself a newbie really. Time really does go in a blink of an eye!
  - paragraph:
    - strong: What have the past 10 years at Catz been like for you?
  - paragraph: When I first came in, it was very much status quo – “this is how it is.” There was a system that worked and a fairly established way of doing things. There was also an old gardening committee, which was quite an intimidating panel in a way, and they had their own way of doing things.
  - paragraph: Since then, it’s changed completely. COVID happened, then RAAC, and everything’s felt quite transitional. I often think my role is about translating theory into practice, but there’s a big gap between the two. When it comes to implementing things, you just try your best. We know what we want to achieve, but it’s the curveballs and last-minute bits that complicate things. We just get on with it as a team.
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  - paragraph:
    - strong: How have the grounds changed during your time working here, and what are you most proud of?
  - paragraph: Since RAAC, the landscape has changed quite a lot – broken slabs, things quite higgledy-piggledy. So, it’s good now to have a plan with Anna Birch, the landscape architect. It’s a halfway house between restoring how it was, keeping some of the original ideas, and adapting what’s already here. So we know where we’re going now.
  - paragraph: A lot of it is about educating people, getting them used to the idea that cutting a hedge back isn’t killing it, even if it looks like that at first. It will recover. It’s about doing things earlier, rather than letting them build up into a massive job later. I do take pride in maintaining and upholding the beauty of the grounds.
  - paragraph: The increasing footprint means we’re being squeezed, and the gardens are becoming more fragmented. This makes things more labour intensive, especially as we’re a small team. I often talk about a “Japanese garden syndrome” where something looks great when it’s installed, but without the knowledge or investment to maintain it, it deteriorates. It’s about investing in staff and the technical knowledge so things last and can be sustained.
  - paragraph:
    - strong: Do you have a favourite part of the College?
  - paragraph: I’d like to say everywhere holds the same significance, and in a way it does. Some areas get more wear and tear, but it’s all part of the same whole.
  - paragraph: The more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know. The history of the planting is fascinating – what was chosen, what it represents.
  - paragraph: The original Jacobsen plan was quite ericaceous – camellias, azaleas, heathers, but it was completely the wrong soil because this used to be a rubbish dump, so it didn’t work. Barry Juniper and Ken Burrows then reworked the plan, and it evolved over time. Some species are exotic, some native, and it took years to settle.
  - paragraph: Gardens evolve, you don’t just plant and forget. Jacobsen’s idea was a “college within a woodland,” and we are kind of there now. You can see the buildings, but they’re softened by the trees which have now matured.
  - paragraph:
    - strong: What would you like people to understand about your work?
  - paragraph: Even natural-looking spaces need constant management. Wildflower areas look effortless, but they require a lot of work.
  - paragraph: From the outside people think, “oh isn’t that lovely,” but nobody really appreciates where they are and what they have until they’ve gone. My message would be to treat the place with respect, enjoy it, but care for it. Pick up your rubbish and talk to the staff. Engagement matters. That’s often the best way of understanding how things work here.
  - paragraph:
    - strong: What would you hope for future generations at Catz?
  - paragraph: This College will still be here in 10, 50, 100 years. It will evolve, but it will remain.
  - paragraph: I’d like to see more student engagement with the spaces, using them, getting involved, maybe even growing things. We are here for the students after all. It would be nice to see them engage in nature and gardening perhaps join Pot Soc where they can enjoy time outside being practical.
  - paragraph:
    - strong: What gives you pride when you walk around Catz today?
  - paragraph: At the moment, the long lawn looks really good. We didn’t put it down, but maintaining it brings me pride, it’s so central to the College.
  - paragraph: Looking after all of the College brings me pride – we’ve just put new turf down near the JCR, and that’s come out well. It’s about keeping things tidy and manageable, and that’s what we do our best to do. I think you’d really noticed it if we didn’t.
  - paragraph: "***"
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    - text: If you’d like to spend Five Minutes With… us, drop the team a line at
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    - text: to find out more.
  - heading "Latest News and Events" [level=2]
  - text: News
  - paragraph: September 2026
  - 'link "From research to the gallery: Dr Jessica Goodman’s collaborative project explores uncertainty"':
    - 'heading "From research to the gallery: Dr Jessica Goodman’s collaborative project explores uncertainty" [level=3]'
  - text: Vacancies
  - paragraph: September 2026
  - link "Catering Assistant (part-time)-closing date 25 September":
    - heading "Catering Assistant (part-time)-closing date 25 September" [level=3]
  - text: Vacancies
  - paragraph: September 2026
  - link "Assistant Butler-closing date 25 September":
    - heading "Assistant Butler-closing date 25 September" [level=3]
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