Newcastle University

Having endured umbrella weather in 2012 we waited to see what the weather would throw at us this year and were overjoyed to see the sun shining on the campus as we welcomed over 450 graduates and friends back to Newcastle University. 

The weekend had a Spanish theme with paella for lunch, a Spanish menu for dinner and a flamenco guitarist and dancer for good measure.

A highlight of the day was Convocation Lecture: ‘The Spanish Holocaust - Violence against Civilians 1931-1975’ presented by Professor Paul Preston CBE, FBA, the preeminent contemporary historian provided a powerful insight into the social renewal, justice and reconciliation challenges faced by this popular country.

In addition to a packed Meeting of Convocation there were school visits in Agriculture, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Naval Architecture, Fine Art, the Hatton Gallery, Geography, History, Marine, Biochemistry, NU Food Facility, Archaeology, Architecture, Business School, Politics, Dental and Medical Schools and the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies.

The Welcome Reception, Campus Tours and Convocation Lunch were all well attended and everyone enjoyed watching the Kingsmen dancers who this year were able to entertain us in the sunshine after lunch.

This year we welcomed back many groups who were celebrating an anniversary since their graduation including 1963 Agriculture,1963 Chemistry,1963 Fine Art,1963 Geography,1973 History,1973 Geography, 1973 Spanish, 1973 Scandinavian studies,1973 MB BS,1976 MB BS, 1983 Physics,1083,Geography, 1983 Agricultural Food Marketing,1983 MB BS and the International Centre for Heritage Studies celebrated 21 years.

We were pleased to welcome back alumni from all over the globe including Ghana, France, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, USA, Australia, Canada, India, Libya, Singapore, France, Greece, and Japan.

It gave all the University staff great pleasure to welcome everyone back and to be able to share so many happy memories with them. We also want to thank those alumni who shared their photographs with us and were projected on to the walls throughout the evening event, snapshots of their time at Newcastle University for all to see.

Thanks also to the Development and Alumni Relations team and other colleagues around the University for making the event such a success, particularly Maria Szpitun who organises the weekend and ensures that everyone is well looked after and has a great time.

Many thanks also to our Chairman of Convocation, Antony Jones for his guidance and support in developing the programme for this year’s event.

Below I thought I would just share a few of the many comments we received from those who attended to emphasise the fantastic time that we all had and to encourage you to join us at a Convocation Weekend in 2014.

With very Best Wishes

Jane Clubley

Director of Development and Alumni Relations

'Not having been to such an event before, we were all overwhelmed by the quality of organisation and the sheer helpfulness of all concerned. The visit to the Geography School in the afternoon was simply superb and the dinner at the Bistro was a fitting climax for what we all felt was an excellent celebration of the four decades since graduation’.
Dave Cunningham, BA Geography 1973

“I thoroughly enjoyed the Alumni Event, not only was it a fantastic opportunity to catch up with old friends but also a chance to re-visit Newcastle after a long absence. The University is clearly thriving, the Campus looks great and I was delighted to hear how well my old faculty, Chemical Engineering, is progressing. Above all, the weekend was extremely well organised and lots of fun!”
Peter Marshall, BSc Chemical Engineering 1983

‘I enjoyed every bit of the convocation weekend events. I wish to thank you for your brilliant organisation. Looking forward to another opportunity....’
Sampson Agodzo PhD Agriculture & Environmental Studies 1993

‘We really enjoyed Convocation Weekend and thought all the organisation was excellent .This view was shared by the whole of our group’
Pat & Mike Rhodes, BA Geography 1963

‘Congratulations to you and the team for a superb Convocation. Plaudits abounded at the dinner’.
Ian Forster, BA Geography 1955, Chairman of the Alumni Consultative Group

‘Can I just say a big thank you to you and all the staff who helped to make Saturday's convocation event so enjoyable. It was lovely to tour the campus to see how things have changed’
Alison Parker, Spanish and Latin American Studies 1983

‘I was stimulated to pen some lines to commemorate the event’

To the North
With Tyne on our side,
An angel's wings signal
The Durham panorama,
Towers in the gloom
Reign us but temporary,
Still free to return,
So on-speed we fly
Till high level views
Disgorge humanity
Into rush-hour chaos
Then beyond to a calm,
Scented-lawn quad
Where edifice hides modernity,
Old skin over new bones
To house returning freshers
Hungry for memories,
Thirsty for ephemera
Of 40 yesteryears gone,
Remodelled from bricks,
Remoulded with love
Where youths became men,
Faulty, naive, clueless,
Mate-searching thwarted
By impossible odds.
Recognition smiles,
Close hugs and handshakes
Oil the brewed wheels;
Sana Mens Bar in sana corporis.


Females approve the name,
Perchance to spy a beau,
Posing in new locus
Above old Bun Room bowel
No longer the Agric sump
Where Thursdays wrung out
Refrains unrestrained,
Tables groaning under tuns
Beers turned to notes
Turned to dance
Turned to strips
Turned to cheers
That we were not Medics.
Thus is pilgrimage rewon,
The wiedersehen arrives
In chatter of stretched axons
Recalling fragments jigged,
Sawn, recast by, in, time;
I knew you then, but when,
And we did this, didn’t we,
That’s the place we went,
Or was it there instead?
No matter, the now is us,
The warm strength of friends,
Lives half spent or more
Taking a stock to find
It has been good, lucky,
Beyond our children’s grasp,
Ours for the keeping.

19-21.6.13

Bill Otto, BSc Agriculture 1973