40 former students reunited on Whiteknights Campus to renew friendships, 50 years after their time at Reading.
Last year, half a century after graduating, 40 Reading graduates returned to the University to reconnect with old friends, revisit familiar places and reminisce about their time at Reading. CONNECTED spoke with some of the attendees to find out about their day back on campus.
The reunion began on 29 April at an old stomping ground. Terry said: “We all met on the London Road campus to be shown around the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), which was formerly the home of St. Andrews Hall.
“St Andrew’s Hall was the place that brought us all together in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
“It was sad to see that the building, which ceased to be an accommodation hall in 2000, was no longer operating as a hall of residence, but it was fascinating to see the range of exhibits housed in the MERL.
“The following day, we had a tour of Whiteknights Campus, exploring the Henley Business School, the Palmer Building, the Students’ Union and the Library. Most of the group had also studied agriculture, so we enjoyed a tour of the agriculture building with current academics.”
Watch the video to hear from Terry about their reunion:
Jane added: “We were delighted to receive an address from the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Van de Noort, in Park House, where we had lunch.
“We would also like to thank members of the Alumni Team who looked after us so well during our campus tour and our fellow alumni Helen Tudor-Jones and Jim Godfrey for their hard work in organising the event.”
Jim, who studied Agriculture, organised the reunion alongside Helen, who studied Agricultural Botany.
Jim shared: “Helen and I started planning the reunion in the summer of 2024; the Alumni Team at the University was very helpful in organising our visit.
“We invited our friends, who then invited their friends, so we ended up with nearly 40 people attending! Some of whom we had not seen since we were students together!
“We reminisced about our student days and talked about our lives since leaving Reading.
“We were all impressed with the staff we met, as well as the development and new facilities on Whiteknights Campus. We left wishing we were students again. We exchanged contact details and parted with a promise of another reunion.”
Looking back
Terry, who studied politics, economics and sociology at Reading in 1969, shared some of his memories of University in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
He recalled: “When I came to Reading, the University only had about 5,000 students. I remember my first week extremely well. Freshers’ Induction Week took place during the first five days, during which I discovered the different clubs and societies that existed, including the Flat Earth Society.
“On the Saturday, I attended my first University gig with no less than Pink Floyd! I knew then that I had made the right decision to come to Reading.
“In the weeks that followed, we were entertained by groups including T. Rex and The Who and by such singers as Ralph McTell and Sandy Denny.”
Jane came to Reading in 1970, after completing a gap year in France, to study English, French and linguistics, and graduated in 1973.
“I graduated with a BA in 1972 and then proceeded to stay at Reading for a further year to study for an MA in the Graduate School of Contemporary European Studies.”
The University today
Terry and Jane reflected on how the University and Whiteknights Campus had changed over the last 50 years, and their thoughts on the University today.
Jane said: “It was impressive to see how many of the buildings on campus had been added to and improved, particularly the Library and the Students’ Union. Many new buildings have also been built since the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, such as the Henley Business School.”
Terry said: “We were also impressed by the number of designated study areas inside many of the buildings, and by the number of cafes and outside seating areas available across the campus. It was also great to see that buses from Reading town centre now go directly on to the campus.
We were very pleased to see that so many of the amazing mature trees are still standing, which helps to make the campus particularly green and unique.
“What are our impressions of the University today? We were both impressed by the University’s commitment to equality and diversity and its commitment to sustainability, including being named Sustainable University of the Year 2025 by The Sunday Times. We were also really impressed to see the wide range of degree courses being added each year, and the growth in student numbers since we were at uni. We couldn’t believe that Reading is now home to over 27,000 students, and that they come from over 147 different countries around the world – it’s incredible.
“We wish the University all the best as it enjoys its centenary year. We are very grateful to be part of its history and are excited to see what is in store for its future.”
Hear from Terry and Jane’s fellow alumni who reunited at the event:
