{"id":13484,"date":"2024-09-03T08:49:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T08:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=13484"},"modified":"2024-09-03T08:56:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T08:56:12","slug":"reconnecting-after-50-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2024\/09\/03\/reconnecting-after-50-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Reconnecting After 50 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whiteknights Campus was filled with laughter, nostalgia and the rekindling of friendships as nine alumni from Mansfield Hall gathered for the 50th reunion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"On Monday 8 July 2024 Peter Handson, Agricultural Economics<\/a> graduate and organiser of the reunion, waited eagerly outside Park House for the arrival of his friends. Some he hadn\u2019t seen for almost fifty years, and some of whom he wondered if he\u2019d even recognise.<\/p>\n

Following this special day, Peter shared with CONNECTED his inspiration for organising the reunion and what it was like being back on campus with his 1974 cohort. We also spoke to a few of the attendees to hear what it was like to walk down memory lane with old friends.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everlasting bonds<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The reunion saw nine friends meet once again on Whiteknights Campus \u2013 Peter Handson, John \u2018Jim\u2019 Russel, Simon Johnson, Ralph Pearson, Steve Nice, Mike Heppell, Melanie Dyball, Vanessa New and Fernando Inigo. Fernando had travelled all the way from Florida for the special occasion.

Peter said: \u201cWe had a strong group of about twenty friends who bonded well and made our Reading experience so special. Another friend, Alison Wigley, had suggested the idea of a reunion back in 2021 and again in 2023, but it didn\u2019t amount to anything. Then when Fernando announced his visit to London from Florida in 2024, it prompted me into action.

\u201cI managed to contact about half a dozen of our \u2018gang\u2019, most of whom were very keen for a reunion. Sadly Alison couldn\u2019t join in this reunion but she was instrumental in bringing it together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The reunion was a heartwarming experience for all attendees. Quantity Surveying<\/a> graduate, Simon\u00a0Johnson, said: \u201cIt really was the strangest thing to see people again after nearly 50 years. Everybody looked very different but once we got chatting, it was surprising to see how little they\u2019d actually changed. They had the same mannerisms and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 the same sense of humour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Echoing this sentiment, Melanie Dyball, Psychology<\/a> graduate, said: \u201cIt was amazing to see everyone and it was a fabulous day.<\/p>\n

\n

“Watching everyone\u2019s faces seemingly becoming younger and younger as they changed into students again was a real highlight.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Memories of Mansfield Hall <\/strong><\/h4>\n

The group fondly recalled their time at Mansfield Hall. Peter said: \u201cWe had a small bar in Hall which was always busy. The nearby Junior Common Room was used regularly for discos and parties. I also remember a colour TV being a popular draw for \u2018Top of the Pops\u2019 and \u2018Monty Python\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simon added: \u201cI have vivid memories of Mansfield Hall \u2013 card games in the bar and table football most evenings, gigs at the Union or at another hall of residence on Fridays and Saturdays!\u201d<\/p>\n

Melanie shared one particularly amusing, stand-out memory from her time at Reading: \u201cWe once had a friend – \u00a0Bam as he was known – leap out of a paper cake in a white bikini. Leaping out of cakes was all the rage back then, but the bikini was quite a surprise for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"As the group walked through the campus, reminiscing on the good times, they noticed how things have changed throughout the years \u2013 and how some things hadn\u2019t. Simon noted: \u201cIt was reassuring to see that so many buildings were still recognisable. Of course there were plenty of new ones and upgrades \u2013 but it is great to see that those that once stood decades ago, still stand today. And how much the trees have grown was clearly noticeable throughout the campus!\u201d<\/p>\n

Simon found the transformation of Mansfield Hall particularly poignant. He explained: \u201cSeeing my old hall of residence converted into flats was very sad \u2013 and just plain weird to see somebody living where my favourite part of the bar once stood!\u201d<\/p>\n

Encouraging others<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Thinking back on the day, Peter reflected: \u201cSeeing everyone arrive with a smile and the relief when everyone bonded instantly was a wonderful moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simon added: \u201cIt was amazing \u2013 standing in the bar at Park House and having a laugh, just like old times.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group all agreed they would encourage others to host reunions of their own, noting the importance of staying in touch and how nice it was to have a dedicated day to reminisce. Peter said:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cEveryone was so thrilled to have been part of it. The group left with a renewed sense of connection and some cherished memories.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Are you interested in hosting your own reunion? Email us to find out how we can support you or, if you\u2019ve recently had a reunion of your own, share your story with us \u2013 alumni@reading.ac.uk<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whiteknights Campus was filled with laughter, nostalgia and the rekindling of friendships as nine alumni from Mansfield Hall gathered for the 50th reunion. On Monday 8 July 2024 Peter Handson, Agricultural Economics graduate and organiser of the reunion, waited eagerly outside Park House for the arrival of his friends. Some he hadn\u2019t seen for almost […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":225,"featured_media":13489,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[54,186,189],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReconnecting After 50 Years - Connected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whiteknights Campus was filled with laughter, nostalgia and the rekindling of friendships as nine alumni gathered for their 50th reunion.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2024\/09\/03\/reconnecting-after-50-years\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reconnecting After 50 Years - Connected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whiteknights Campus was filled with laughter, nostalgia and the rekindling of friendships as nine alumni gathered for their 50th reunion.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2024\/09\/03\/reconnecting-after-50-years\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Connected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-03T08:49:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-03T08:56:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/09\/Connected-Header.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"hborthwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"hborthwick\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2024\/09\/03\/reconnecting-after-50-years\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2024\/09\/03\/reconnecting-after-50-years\/\",\"name\":\"Reconnecting After 50 Years - 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