Find out what your fellow alumni have been up to. You can also tell us your own story by emailing alumni@soton.ac.uk
Botany Reunion
50th Anniversary
1950’s
A group of 1957 Botany graduates celebrated their 50th anniversary of graduation by visiting the National Oceanography Centre in November 2007. Attendees included Peter Hunt (BSc Physics 1957, MSc 1960), Corinne Williams (BSc Zoology 1956), Michael Hudson (BSc Botany 1957), Dawn Foad née Bond (BSc Botany 1957), Jennifer Austin née Kahn (BSc Physics with Botany 1957).
Anthony Burges (BA Geography 1958) writes “On 16 October 2007 twenty three geography graduates and spouses gathered in Bath for a celebratory dinner to mark the 49th anniversary of their graduation in 1958. We were particularly fortunate to be joined by two faculty members; John Small and Bill Robinson who were members of the faculty in that year.
This is a photograph, sent in by Oscar Mathieson (BA History 1959), of the annual outing to London of the History Graduates 1959 group. This years attendees were (l to r) Dr Mike Lynch, Clive Lodge, David Parry, Oscar, Brian Richmond and Frank Martin. It is the largest collected number that has been photographed since their graduation 49 years ago!
Professor Brian Sparkes formerly of the Classics Department writes, “Miss Norah Cuthbert who was Domestic Bursar at Glen Eyre Hall in the 1950s and 60s, is now in her 100th year, her 100th birthday is on July 12th. If any staff or students resident at Glen Eyre during her time remember her and wish to send their greetings and congratulations to her, please e-mail Diana and Brian Sparkes (basp@soton.ac.uk) and they will take them along when they visit her on July 12th.”
1960s
Reunion anyone? Remember NELSONS COLUMN, the iconic 60's University band? Well, George Benn (BA English 1968), Nick Goddard (BSc Chemistry 1967, PhD 1970), Chris Goulding (BSc Mathematics 1968) and Keith Goulding have reformed to play the best of 60's rock ,soul and blues. They can be contacted on 01962713045
Dr Keith Hammett (BSc Botany 1963, PhD 1967) writes, “I received a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in the recent New Zealand New Year’s Honours list for services to horticulture. I am sure this was very much based on the excellent education I received from the then Botany Department at the University of Southampton.
I was recruited as a green PhD by the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1967.”
Eduardo Embry (MPhil. 1979) took part recently, as a special guest, in the International Writers and Academics Conference held in Santiago, Chile, to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Sociedad de Escritores de Chile. The event was attended by writers and academics from the U.S., Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Nicaragua, Spain and Chile. Eduardo, representing Chile in the UK, besides reading his poetry, gave a lecture based on his new research project concerning the increasing difficulties with communications which made it more difficult to obtain new and regular contributors to journals at the end of the 1920s and beginning of the 1930s. This meant that in this period European journals began to exchange publications as a partial solution to the problem. One positive consequence of this collaboration was the relationship between the journal The Criterion (1922), edited by T.S. Eliot in London and the Revista de Occidente, published and founded in Madrid by José Ortega y Gasset (1923). As a result of this, in the early 1930s, some Spanish and Latin American writers were able to make their work known in the UK. Among these was Nobel prize-winner Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) (Photo caption) Eduardo Embry, in the middle, with Peruvian writers Juan Corcuera and Carlos Germán Belli.
After 23 years with BICC then Corning Cables, Nigel Lea-Wilson (BSc Physics 1978) changed career to Science teaching in 2002. Now teaching part time for the sake of sanity and the chance to do a few other things!
Elizabeth Marsh née Patience (BA History 1975) writes, “Whilst at University I was on the committee of the History Society and can remember arranging lectures by visiting academics and trips to places of historic interest. Whist I was at University Dr Alan Whitehead MP (BA Philosophy & Politics 1973, PhD 1976) was President ,and John Denham MP (BSc Chemistry 1974) was involved with student politics as well. After leaving university I trained and qualified as an Environmental Health Officer and I have worked for Southampton City Council since 1976. I have been Head of Environmental Health and Consumer Protection for Southampton City Council since 2004, and have responsibility for the City's Environmental Health,Trading Standards,Bereavement and Registration Services. Historians can turn their hands to all kinds of practical work! In the past couple of years I have been an alumni member of the Jubilee Sports Centre and I am really grateful to be able to use these fantastic sports facilities. I am still in touch with some alumni from the History Department including Dr Robert Bushaway (BA History 1974, PhD 1973) and Dr Barbara Brattle (BA History 1975, MA 1994, PhD 1999) and would love to hear from anyone who can remember me.”
Dr Eric Scerri (MPhil Chemistry 1979) is the author of a new book published by Oxford University Press, The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance, which has sold over 5000 copies in just over a year and was named as an "outstanding academic title for 2007" by Choice Library Magazine.
1980s
Simon Cripps (MSc Oceanography 1984) has just been appointed as Chief Executive of the Dorset Wildlife Trust having lived abroad for about 20 years working for Universities in Sweden and oil companies in Norway. He moves from his current position as Global Marine Director at WWF-International near Geneva.
Whilst studying at Southampton Dr Michael Dixon (BSc Mechanical Engineering 1981) was given a third year project consisting of the design and construction of a boilerless steam engine. This was novel, thought to be unique at the time, and it worked, the final report giving details of the prototype running. Mr Sara was his supervisor. He has now written and published a motor-racing novel, "Kicking the Tyres" based on this idea. Further information is available at www.michaeljdixon.co.uk
Dr Paul Lee (BSc Physics 1993) got married to Carly Spreadborough, a graduate of the Canterbury Christ Church University at Shire Hall in Cambridge on 17th November 2007. They had a lovely honeymoon at Centerparcs at Elveden Forest. In attendance was Richard Adams (BSc Physics 1993). Carly and Paul first met on the Love@Lycos website in 2003. Paul has also just finished writing his first (electronic) book on the Titanic disaster. It was a gargantuan task, involving trips across the country, and uncovering material only just released by the Government.
Dr Paul Grout (BM 1982) was awarded MBE for services to the military search and rescue force, in the 2008 New Year's Honours list.
Karen West (BA History 1980) writes, “The dawning of Autumn 2007 marked a scary thirty years since Sarah Beer née Bernthal (BA German 1981), Shirley Goater née Grinter (BA History 1980), Sue Bell née Farran (BA History 1980) and myself began our degree studies, but this notable anniversary provided the perfect excuse for a reunion meeting for three historians and a linguist of the class of ‘77 - former residents of Connaught ‘B’ and C blocks. 
With the enthusiastic help of Sarah and Katherine from the Alumni Office, they enjoyed the chance to meet with the current Head of History to learn what today’s undergraduates get up to in their studies and to look around the impressive Arts Faculty in New College. This was followed by the opportunity to re-visit the main campus and library (including a greatly appreciated tour of the excellent and much expanded Archives), enjoying the familiar as well as admiring the new student facilities. The morning was rounded off with lunch (with chips, of course!), eaten where else but in the Students’ Union building! Perhaps best of all was a nostalgic visit back down Stoneham Lane to the ‘old quad’ of Connaught where legends such as the bed deposited in the bell-tower of the JCR came flooding back – but the cheek of it, they saw students in their old rooms, albeit impressively hard at work on a Friday afternoon.”
1990s
Sheeraz Ahmed (BSc Physics 1992) recently made an honest woman of Sian Morgan (BA Geography 1992). The wedding took place on a glorious day in Marrakech and was attended by Sian Morse-Jones, Pam Jones née Larkin, Lyndon Watkins, Andrew Moodie (all BSc Geography 1992), Janet Soulsby née Sippy and Andrew Mead (both BSc Economics & Business Economics 1992).
Richard Willoughby (LLB Law 1997), wife Joanna and son Patrick are pleased to announce the birth of their second son Edward Alexander Richard, born on 4th January 2008 at the Ipswich Hospital.
Dr Kevin Wood (PhD Education 1999) has recently been elected on to a new taskforce called the National Learner Panel set up by the Government under Bill Rammell, Minister for Higher and Further education. The panel was setup to provide a learner perspective on emerging Further Education policies and initiatives and to put the learner voice at the heart of the policymaking process. The Panel get re-elected every year and Dr Wood has joined the Panel of 18 people from all over the country for the 2007/8 year
2000s
Catherine Ashdown (MSW Social Work 2001) married Alistair Hitchcock (BEng 2000, EngD 2006) in March 2006. Many Southampton Graduates joined them including Best Man Jon Salisbury (BA History 1999) and Bridesmaid Laura Chisholm née Vacher (LLB Law 2000). They are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Hannah Catherine Hitchcock on 11th July 2007.
Alexandra Bell (LLB Law 2007) recently published his first novel, he wrote it whilst studying at Southampton. The book is a supernatural thriller called The Ninth Circle and can be purchased via Amazon.
Tamasin Flinn (BSc Geography 2002) married Dr Pete Falloon on 16th June 2007 in Exeter, Devon. The couple met while working at the Met Office in Exeter. Pamela Clark (BA French & Philosophy 2003) was chief bridesmaid, Rob Harrison (BSc Marine Science 2000) was best man and Matthew Palmer (BSc Oceanography with Physics 2001, Phd 2005) was one of the ushers. Many other Southampton University alumni joined the celebrations including: Eva Leung (BA Accounting & Spanish 2003), Neil Breton (BSc Geography 2002), Timothy Fay (BSc Geography 2002), John Abbots, Joanna Weeks (MGeog Geography 2003), Dave Cole, Kelly Wiltshire née Pidgeon (BA Geography 2002, PGCE 2003), Nicholas Wiltshire (BA History 2002, PGCE 2003), Sarah Holder (BSc Oceanography with Marine Biology 2000), Charlotte Nash (BN Midwifery 2004) and Matthew Hill (MEng Aerospace Engineering 2003, MSc Operational Research 2006). The couple jetted off to a rather rainy honeymoon in the Seychelles and are now setting up home in Devon where Pete is a climate research scientist for the Met Offices Hadley Centre and Tammy is Marketing Manager for her familys horticultural nursery and garden centres.
Toby Frost (LLB Law 2000) writes “ My first novel is due to the published on the 8th May. It is entitled Space Captain Smith, and is a comedy adventure that harks back to the spiffing days of Biggles and Dan Dare. It is to be published by Myrmidon Books and available via Amazon.”
Armanda Maffi (BA Spanish 2004) and Christopher Baker (MEng Mechanical Engineering 2004) got married on the 13th October 2007. They met when we were students at University of Southampton.
Lucy Morland née Robins (MEng Civil Engineering 2004) would like to announce the arrival of her beautiful bouncing daughter Georgia.
Tanya Surendra (BSc Economics 2001) and Piratheepan (Nathan) Pathmanathan (LLB Law 2001) got married in Kerala on 5th December 2007. They met when they both lived in Brunei House, Glen Eyre Halls of Residence during our first year (1998) and married nine years later. The wedding was attended by friend Emily Porter.
We are sorry to announce the deaths of the following friends and alumni of the University.
Wendy-Claire Bootynée Birtles
BA French 1965
1942-2008
Submitted by David Booty (BSc Civil Engineering 1963)
Wendy-Claire and I married in 1965. She taught French to 6th formers at various schools in Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Bedford. She later taught English as a foreign language in Doha, Qatar. Later she taught at Wilmslow. She then took a fine arts degree at Macclesfield College and came top with another first class. She died in France on 25th January 2008 of a rare, fast acting cancer, suddenly after a months holiday in Chile and Argentina. She will be fondly remembered by her husband and 3 children and friends from Uni, Bedford, Qatar, Prestbury and France.
Nazir Chaudhry
Certificate in Statistics 1984, MSc Mathematics 1985, MPhil Mathematics 1985
1939-2008
Submitted by Asim Humayoon (eldest son)
My dad Nazir Ahmed Chaudhry, passed way on 27th January 2008. He had been working as Professor/Chairman for the Department of Statistics, Sindh Agriculture University in Pakistan and retired from this post in November 1999.
June Heardnée Cowell
BA English 1954
1931 -2005
Submitted by David Heard
June passed away on the 31st August 2005 at her home in Chandlers Ford. She was an ardent member of the Southampton University Dramatic Society and took many leading roles. Her last few years saw her suffering from MS with which she coped bravely.
Symou Nicos Symeonides
BSc Economics 1963
Submitted by Alan Lindsay (BSc Economics 1964)
Nicos died after a short illness on the 3rd May 2007 in Nicosia. He is survived by his wife Vanthuella in Cyprus. He was a remarkable man who came to Southampton already qualified as a Middle Temple barrister. After Southampton he returned to work all his life in the Cyprus Civil Service, where he was in charge of several different Ministries. Later he retired, came out of retirement at the personal request of the President to run a major Educational Institution, then he was moved to become The Minister of Defence in late 2006. Nicos always had a special way of thinking, or arguing as some people would call it, a killer logic allied to a mischievous sense of humour which influenced many many people throughout his life. He will be sorely missed by all of those who knew him in 1960 to 1964 in Connaught Hall.