Charlie Loke: Malacca Strait to River Cam

The pandemic was a period of reflection for many around the world. For Professor Charlie Loke, it was a time to reflect on his life and write about it, and in 2024, Cam Rivers is proud to publish his memoir, Malacca Strait to River Cam. It is a riveting tale of how a boy from the British colony of Malaya became a Cambridge don, an expert of the placenta, and a proud husband and grandfather. It is as entertaining as it is educational. Please find the prologue of the book below.

Cambridge, May 1964

“Now that you have gained your doctorate, what are your future plans?” Professor Kendal Dixon asked me. “There is a position for a demonstrator coming up in the University Department of Pathology. Would you like to apply?” he added.

We were dining together in King’s College. Kendal taught me when I was an undergraduate there in the early 1950’s. This was the first time I’ve been back since graduation. Earlier that day, I had successfully defended my thesis for the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

I remember this conversation vividly because it marked the beginning of my journey from “Malacca Strait to River Cam”.

I thought about it throughout the flight home to Malaysia. By the time we landed, I had made up my mind. Yes, I would apply. The tenure of a Demonstrator is for 3 years in the first instance with the possibility of a further 2 years extension. To spend 3-5 years teaching in Cambridge would be a fascinating experience. After having been an undergraduate in the University, it would be a pleasant change to sample life on the other side as a don. Back to familiar turf but, this time, without the torment of Tripos examinations every summer. I will be setting exam questions instead of answering them. It should be fun, a temporary interlude before returning home to Malaysia. I never thought of it as a permanent career move, as it turned out to be.

Much of my life is unplanned. Things just happened, through a combination of luck, chance and serendipity.

While waiting to defend my thesis, I had enrolled for a diploma course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to learn about parasites and the diseases they cause. Living in the tropics, I have been enthralled by these exotic creatures with their exquisite life-cycles, like beautiful works of art.

By a happy coincidence, the Department of Pathology in Cambridge was, at that time, in the process of reorganising their teaching in parasitology and was looking for someone who could contribute to this area. The diploma in tropical medicine (DTM&H) became a useful addition to my newly acquired MD degree in my CV for the Cambridge application. Luck was on my side.

My application was successful. I was duly appointed as Demonstrator in the Department of Pathology to start in the academic year of October 1967.

We decided to travel to the UK by boat as we had a lot of luggage for our new life. This would be the second voyage for Penny and me but, this time, in the reverse direction. The first, in 1960, was as a married couple. Now, we were accompanied by three children aged 6, 4 and 2. On reflection, I think we were either very brave or just foolish to have embarked on such an adventure with so many toddlers in tow. Fortunately, Penny, as always, is very organised and unfazed by it all.

We duly set sail from the island of Penang in the summer of 1967. The voyage took over 5 weeks because the Suez Canal was closed due to the conflict there. I remember the day we rounded the notorious Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It was the 19th September, our eldest daughter Tracey’s 6th birthday. The ship had organised a children’s party and dad had to be there to cut the cake. I am a very bad sailor who can be seasick even in the calmest conditions. That day, the waves were enormous. I could hardly stand up, the ship was pitching and rolling so badly. But I managed to do my paternal duties.

It was a great relief to finally set foot on dry land again. We were a bit late arriving in Cambridge. I missed the first two weeks of the Michaelmas term.

That was how my life in Cambridge began. There was the sense of a new beginning. I have entered a scholastic world with its own customs and traditions. It even has its own rhythm. My university diary, for example, runs from October to October to coincide with the academic rather than the calendar year. University life is largely separate from that of the City. It is a world within a world, a serene protected space.

I have arrived at a vital crossroads and have chosen the path I wish to follow. An academic life suits me. What I do sits comfortably with who I am. “Every man’s work is always a portrait of himself” observes Samuel Butler.

About the author

Y.W. (Charlie) Loke was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He spent his early childhood in Penang, an island off the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. After boarding school in England, he graduated from Cambridge University (MA) and holds doctorates in both Medicine (MD) and Science (ScD). He is Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) in recognition of the contributions his research has made to these clinical specialties. He is Professor Emeritus of Reproductive Immunology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of King’s College Cambridge. He presently lives in Cambridge but retains a home in Malaysia where he hopes to return one day.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the following teams for their substantial contributions to the editing, design, and management of this book:

Honorary Editor: Professor Alan Macfarlane FBA

Editor-in-Chief: WANG Zilan

Editors: Irene Galstian, Levente Koroes, QIN Yuchen, Oliver Hargrave

Cover Design: GE Dalong (MUYE)

The painting on the front cover: David Paskett

The portrait on page 56 was painted by Anna Paik

Design and Typeset: QIN Yubin (MUYE) and Irene Galstian

The black-and-white photograph on the back cover: Tao Keng Beng

The publishing of this book is supported by the Vanishing Worlds Foundation, U.K.

ISBN: 978-1-916858-32-9 (hardback) 978-1-916858-08-4 (paperback)