Paul and Anne Armitage sat down with CONNECTED to share their University of Reading love story which began 40 years ago in the corridors of Wells Hall.
Meteorology graduate Paul, and geography graduate Anne Armitage went travelling on safari in Botswana in 2024. Whilst there, to their delight and surprise, they bumped into another UoR Love Story couple – two more graduates who met and fell in love at Reading. Paul said: “It’s funny how Reading alumni can spot each other even in the most unlikely of scenarios!”
This wonderful coincidence prompted the Armitages to reach out to share their memories and spend a little time reminiscing on their four-decade long love affair.
Teapots and fire alarms
Wells Hall was a hall of residence which was opened in the 1970s at the University of Reading. It was closed down in 2006 and permission was granted in 2013 to redevelop the site into family homes. However, the demolition of a hall can’t erase the memories and life-changing events which took place there – something which Paul and Anne know only too well.
Paul said: “I met Anne when we were both living in the now defunct Wells Hall, and so it holds a very special place in our hearts and memories. In fact, most of our early relationship played out amongst the Wells Hall corridors and in the bar.
“During our second year we ended up living on the same corridor – or ‘Pantry’ as we called it. Anne was the only student with a proper teapot which was hugely attractive to me!”
Anne said: “I’m trying to recall our first date, and the time which springs to mind was a midnight cuddle during a fire alarm. Middle of the night fire alarms were a persistent feature of hall life, during our time at Reading at least. On one occasion in the middle of a bad spate of these alarms Paul and I found ourselves huddling together for warmth.”
Paul and Anne share that once they became a couple they enjoyed spending time scrunching through the autumn leaves in the Wilderness on campus, as well as Friday nights spent in Wells Hall bar listening to live music.
Paul added: “We have made such great memories in our 40 years together, it’s hard to pick any one thing out. But, just being together as a couple with friends crammed into those pokey Wells Hall rooms drinking coffee, and laughing so hard at each other’s antics that we just couldn’t speak – those are definitely standout memories.”
Staying connected
Life after graduation didn’t mean life away from Reading for the Armitages who eventually found their way back to make their home near the town where they met.
Paul said: “We remained a couple after we graduated and spent as much time together as we could even though our jobs were in different parts of the country.
“The grounding in fluid dynamics and coding I acquired from my meteorology degree enabled me to secure a job in the nuclear industry upon graduating.
“I continued to work in the energy sector right up until retirement, primarily in upstream oil and gas, spending most of my time thinking about what was going on 10,000 feet under the North Sea!”
Anne said: “My geography degree sparked my interest in the Built Environment and after graduation I joined the Valuation Office and have remained a Civil Servant ever since, as well as acquiring professional qualification as a Chartered Surveyor.”
After a couple of years of long-distance, Anne was able to relocate her job and the couple got married and started a family.
Paul said: “We did eventually move back to the Reading area and, despite changes in jobs, we have stayed there ever since. This has made it easy to have a connection with the University, for example through donating to support the University community.
“We have supported University Bursary Funds for some time now and are members of the Blandford Club. Timing was everything for us in terms of the University’s Fundraising Team reaching out to us to consider alumni philanthropy.
“At this time our own children were considering their post-school and further education options, and we could see how important the right support is for students.
“We had also seen the benefits of extra-mural work – as pre-teens our children had been fascinated, year after year, by Professor Fulford’s and Amanda Clarke’s presentations at the Silchester Insula IX dig. Outreach activities by many different departments, which were made possible in part by alumni funding, seem to have had a significant impact on the local community over the years. Notable in our minds was the School of Law’s staff and students taking discussions on the age of consent into local secondary schools.”
Janice Galvin, Fundraising Manager at the University of Reading, said: “I’m so incredibly grateful to Paul and Anne for their support for Reading. As long-term donors their monthly gifts and encouragement mean a great deal to us.
“Their thoughtfulness and generosity have touched so many people’s lives and continue to help us deliver so many important projects on and off our campuses.”
Fundamental memories
Paul retired in 2023 and is now focused on volunteering, which he does in a local school, through his Parish Church and as Trustee of a local family-focused charity. Anne retired in 2024 and is enjoying family time and more freedom to be creative.
Anne said: “I’m enjoying spending more time with our grandchildren and picking up creative hobbies I’d had to put down for a while. We both really enjoy hiking and travelling – particularly going on safari – and we’re looking forward to putting our feet up in-between our adventures.”
Paul added:
“We both have such fond memories of Reading. Had we not gone to Reading, we would not have met, so it was such an important time in our lives. In fact, our memories are more than fond – they’re fundamental.
“We definitely both enjoyed our courses and consider our degree awards great successes. Like many people, university was our first experience of being away from the parental home and meeting people who only knew us as adults was incredibly important. As well as each other, we have made good friends for life.”
Feeling the love today? Check out another of our University of Reading Alumni love stories.
