Great friends
Congregation in January 2020 was a very important occasion for me. After several years of working hard to obtain my PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology, I made the long journey back to the UK from Panama. My celebrations had already begun – after drinking very good whisky at Jim’s house, one of the best…
Genista Astell, St Mary’s College, Spring 2022
Graduation: a day which had been a long time coming – from matriculation and years of study to the ceremony scheduled and cancelled twice due to Covid-19! I was convinced at times that a graduation ceremony is something that I would sadly not experience. When…
We asked our alumni for their memories of Congregation here are some highlights…
Janet Vickers, BA Social Studies, St Aidan’s
This wonderful photograph (above) was taken in the back garden of St Aidan’s College on the Bailey. I am happy to say all the friends in the photograph still keep in touch.
My…
We asked our alumni for their memories of Congregation, here are some more of their highlights..
Marie Brett,History, Collingwood College
I will always remember part ofDame Margot Fonteyn’s address at Congregation in July 1985. She said if she could give one gift to every person graduating, it would be the…
Lucy Robinson & ‘Piglet’, Collingwood College,
I graduated in 2000 with a BA in Theology and was awarded my degree by Peter Ustinov who was Chancellor at the time. Also attending the ceremony, hidden up my huge black sleeve, was my toy Piglet. Piglet had been present at all my exams, had sat with me as I…
David Breeze, University College
The interviews at Castle and the History Department in 1961 clinched it for me; I was captivated by Durham. When I arrived in September 1962, my first tutor was Eric Birley, Professor of Romano-British History and Archaeology. Towards the end of term he mentioned that the university…
Fifty years of memories - Congregation 1970
1st January 2020
Angela Braga (nee Hall), St Mary’s College
The view from Durham station is surely one of the finest in the world, and arriving there for my interview as a nervous 17 year old, I was blown away. I knew I had found my place.I loved it all: the trunks being sent on ahead by rail, two weeks before term: the cosy…
Peter Davenport (Grey) & Francesca Warner (St Aidan’s)
After graduating from Durham having studied Geology, Peter Davenport moved to Canada in 1970 where he obtained a PhD in Geochemistry from Queen’s University, Ontario. Francesca (Fanny) Warner, studied English at Durham and went on to gain a B.Mus in…
Since undergraduate level, I was a straight-A student. I was also very ambitious with high dreams. I was always dreaming about pursuing my postgraduate studies in the UK. After getting my BA from the department of English language and translation at Qassim university, I was nominated by the staff members in the department to be…
As part of the obligatory mid-life crisis, I decided to quit my job and return to full-time education. With no particular career path in mind I applied for a place on the MA International Cultural Heritage Management at Durham University, with the only premise being that it complemented my BA in archaeology.
Military…
