Coming to university holds endless opportunities for our students, and one of our favourites is the chance to build lifelong friendships.
We’re delighted that alumni reunions are back in action and have loved supporting various activities for our alumni on campus this year. There’s nothing nicer than bringing our graduates together to reminisce about student days and share in the laughter and memories of days gone by! Here’s a few highlights from this year’s reunion activities.
Celebrating 50 years since graduating: Engineering, class of 1972
What a joy to welcome members of our Engineering class of 1972 back to campus in September 2022 to help celebrate their 50th anniversary since graduating. Complete with original Brunel scarves!
This was a special milestone of a wonderful friendship that has stood the test of time and we were delighted to be part of their day. The group enjoyed a campus tour, a visit to our engineering labs, and a trip to the Brunel archives to see memorabilia from their time as students. The day brought about lots of reminiscing about student days, mascot raids (who remembers Izzy the Dinosaur?!), Students’ Union activities, and jumping across the River Pinn… sometimes successfully! The group also made a visit to SS Great Britain in Bristol for a tour and to spend time with Brunel himself - absolute dedication to being a Brunelian!
“We spent two days enjoying several hosted tours revisiting many of those facilities which still remain from our days. Many of the students we met were just amazed that we had returned after 50 years!”
Reigniting old friendships: Building Engineering & Management, class of 1983
It’s been nearly 40 years since graduation for our Building Engineering & Management class of 1983, so it was lovely to reunite class members on campus in October 2022. Despite the year’s gone by, the old friendships reignited in a flash.
The group enjoyed revisiting familiar spots on campus including the sports hall where plenty of music gigs were enjoyed and their old classroom in the Lecture Centre, which still has the same view from the window (with slightly bigger trees!). A wonderful day of laughter, sharing memories, and feeling like student’s again with a trip to Loco’s Bar!
“Brunel has changed so much and not at all in a strange way! Revisiting familiar haunts and reliving shared experiences was fabulous. What was particularly pleasing was how well we got on and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.”
Commemorating 50 years with a return to campus: Chemistry, class of 1976
Celebrating 50 years since starting their degrees in 1972, we were pleased to welcome our class of 1976 Chemistry graduates back to campus in June 2022. The group had a fantastic time reuniting, meeting for lunch in the Lancaster Hotel to kickstart their day then revisiting their former science labs in the Heinz Wolff Building and taking a tour of campus before heading out for a social gathering in the evening. Read more from alumnus David Pinkney about how the group have continued to reunite through the years.
“When we were undergraduates, we were a close-knit community - our courses, practical work and projects meant that we spent a lot of time together. We plan to have more reunions every two years. The one in 2026 will be very significant as that will be 50 years since we graduated.”
Celebrating 50 years of lifelong friendships: Maths, class of 1972
Also celebrating their 50th anniversary since graduating were members of our Maths class of 1972 who visited us on campus in October 2022. A guided tour of campus brought back plenty of special memories for the group, as did a trip to Uxbridge town centre for a reunion dinner in the evening. Another wonderful reunion celebrating a milestone of lifelong friendship and Brunel memories. Read more from alumnus Pete Wescott about his memories of student days.
“We have come back to Brunel a few times for various reunions and it is fair to say it’s a completely different world these days! When we began our courses in 1968, the Uxbridge campus had only just opened.”
Marking 50 years since becoming students: Materials Science, class of 1972
Another celebration to mark 50 years since starting their degrees in 1972 saw members of our class of 1976 Materials Science courses make a visit to campus for a night in Loco’s; the Students’ Union bar. A good time was had by all and the group certainly gave our students a run for their money in the pub quiz taking place!
“It was nice to meet some current students and we were made to feel at home. In the evening, the quizmaster was great (unlike our quiz team!) but still a good time was had by all.”
Can we help reunite you with classmates?
If we can help to put you in touch with old friends or support arrangements for your class reunions, please email the team at alumni@brunel.ac.uk.