Over 45 years of friendship

In 1978, a group of Electrical & Electronic Engineering freshers – Andy White, Andrew Cresci, Errol Lafayette, Simon Wakefield, Roger Hawker and John Field – walked into their first lecture at the University of Bath and met friends who would be in their lives for the next four and a half decades. 

45 years after graduating, they returned to Bath to reflect on where it all started and to catch up on where life has taken them since. 

The beginning  

The group's friendship formed on three fronts. Most of them were classmates from day one, placed together in the same Electrical & Electronic Engineering cohort. Others crossed paths living in Mendip 3E on campus. In their second year, when many moved into the city, the circle widened further, bringing in friends from Bath's School of Domestic Science and university sports teams. Among them were Doug Nunn, Jerry Fry, Neville Wright, Karen Elen, Sara Sheppard, Stephanie Harley, Jill McQueen and Annie Brett.

1978 was a very different era. With no laptops, mobile phones, or TVs in student accommodation, there wasn't much to do other than spend time together.  

"We spent lots of time hanging out together in the kitchen, on campus, going to pubs and playing for different sports teams," said Andy. That togetherness forged lasting bonds. 

Bath itself was part of the draw. The university's strong reputation in Electrical & Electronic Engineering was a major pull, as was the appeal of a smaller, close-knit campus and the charm of the city. Not everyone arrived by choice, though: a few landed at Bath because a sponsoring company preferred the university, which they're now extremely grateful for.  

A golden ticket 

Many in the group came from small, tight-knit communities: a Yorkshire village, a Coventry factory town and a Welsh mining village. For many of them, Bath represented something their families had never experienced: a place at a university, at a time when only a small percentage of people proceeded to higher education.  

"A degree from Bath in Engineering would be life-changing. It opened a whole new set of career opportunities, great adventures, travel and living internationally, and dream jobs in exciting places," says Andy. 

What they remember most from those years isn't any single moment but the accumulation of them. "Being around smart and fun people, making friends for life, crazy times at the campus bar, concerts and time spent in town," says Andy. Life split between campus and the city had its own texture, with digs in areas like the Circus and Portland Place standing out, alongside Sunday lunches at countryside pubs. 

Sport ran through much of the experience too, though everyone found their own way into it, whether it was football, rugby, basketball, rowing or cricket. Some played for the university and others simply for the fun of it. For some, the highlight came in their senior years, taking on captaincy roles within student-run clubs – a formative experience in leadership and organisation. Several of them helped push Bath's teams toward the top of their respective sports, leaving a lasting mark on the University's sporting history. 

Staying connected across continents 

After graduation, the group scattered – to Africa, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Asia, and the Middle East. "We all scattered to the wind... but somehow we stayed in touch," says Andy. Their families have grown close over the years, gathering for holidays and visits long after their time at Bath ended. Between them, there's a sense that studying at Bath was among the best times of their lives. Along the way, many were also able to help one another professionally, opening doors and making connections in their respective industries. 

Careers that exceeded expectations 

Every member of the group left Bath with strong job offers from leading companies and went on to build careers that took them to places around the world. Many became CEOs, company owners, senior executives, board members, or leading technologists in their fields. 

None of them set out with those ambitions. "None of us imagined being leading execs, CEOs, owners of companies," Andy says. "We thought we would be good engineers in the technical field, or manager of a group." Looking back now at how far the group has come, there's a feeling of pride in being Bath graduates, and in what that degree ultimately made possible.

Giving back 

That gratitude is part of what drives Andy's support for Bath's Gold Scholarship Programme. Like most of the group, Andy attended Bath on a full scholarship, at a time when his family couldn't have funded the tuition.

"I had the opportunity to attend Bath for free, so did most of us, knowing our families could never have afforded tuition," said Andy. "When I heard about the Gold Scholars Programme, I thought it was time to give back to the university, now I had the financial means to do so."  

Seeing scholarship candidates in a position much like his own decades earlier was what tipped the decision. It's a sentiment the rest of the group shares, seeing programmes like Gold as a meaningful way to give back, for anyone in a position to do so. 

Coming back after 45 years

Returning to campus after all this time has been a study in contrasts. The university itself has grown enormously in size, prestige, and ranking, and new buildings now sit where there was once nothing but farmland. Yet some things have stayed the same. "What is the same is our Electrical and Electronic Building 2E, also Mendip residence, and Claverton Down," Andy says. 

If they had to relive one day?

Asked which single day from their student years they'd choose to relive,  a common thread emerged. Many pointed to the days just after final exams. "A beautiful hot summer, music blasting from Mendip windows, laying out on the grass, knowing we would receive a BSc Honours from the University of Bath." Or maybe graduation day itself – the first time many of their parents ever met one another, and for several in the group, the proud milestone of being the first in their family to graduate from university. 

In 2031, the group will celebrate their 50th reunion. "It's tough getting old, but we'll have a big turnout and we're looking forward to another get together," says Andy.