Groundforce star to open University Garden
Tommy Walsh from BBC's Groundforce programme will officially launch the University of Southampton's Golden Jubilee celebrations tomorrow (22 January) when he opens a special garden, watched by members of staff.
Tommy will put the finishing touches to the University's Golden Jubilee Garden, outside the Hartley Library by wielding a sledgehammer to knock in a paving slab. The Garden also features the Atlas statues, which date back to 1862 and formed part of the original High Street façade of the Hartley Institution in Southampton.
Notes for editors
- Tommy will arrive at the University at 11.00 and will tour the Gardens; he will then cut a ribbon and complete the Jubilee Garden at 11.45. Members of the press are welcome to attend.
- The opening of the Garden is the first event in a year long programme of celebrations designed both to celebrate and commemorate what the University has achieved over the last 50 years. Other event include a series of public arts lectures, the second of which takes place on Wednesday 23 January
- The University received its Royal Charter on 29 April 1952, only a few weeks into the reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
- The Charter created the University of Southampton, and enabled it to award its own degrees. Since that time around 100,000 students have graduated from the University, and it has developed into a leading research university, with an international reputation.
- The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship. The University, which celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2002, has 20,000 students and over 4,500 staff and plays an important role in the City of Southampton. Its annual turnover is in the region of £215 million.