{"id":1930,"date":"2025-09-03T08:30:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T07:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/?p=1930"},"modified":"2025-09-02T15:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:02:14","slug":"three-degrees-of-graduation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/2025\/09\/03\/three-degrees-of-graduation\/","title":{"rendered":"Three degrees of graduation"},"content":{"rendered":"

At this year's summer graduation ceremonies, we met with a very unique family. Josh Byford became the third generation of his family to receive a degree from Bath. We spent the day getting to know the family by looking back on where this generation-spanning story began.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Richard received his University of Bath diploma in 1966, he could never have imagined that decades later, both his daughter and grandson would follow in his footsteps. For three generations of his family, Bath has been more than a place of study <\/span>\u2013<\/span> it\u2019s been the backdrop to life-changing love stories, careers and friendships.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard met his wife, Meryl Eynon, through a mutual love of badminton. They were studying at the Bristol College of Science and Technology at the time, which would later become the <\/span>University of Bath<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWe met at university, got married, and the rest is history,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cWe were very happily married until Meryl passed in 2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Meryl\u2019s path was pioneering. \u201cShe was always one who would take on a challenge,\u201d Richard remembers. \u201cShe was one of the first graduates of the Dip Tech and went on to have a varied career <\/span>\u2013<\/span> first as a scientist, and later as a teacher. She taught chemistry, biology and maths over the years. She was always prepared to try new things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Meryl (centre) in a newspaper article about her receiving her degree<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University wasn\u2019t something Richard had planned for. \u201cIt came to me really,\u201d he remembers. At 16, he started at Bristol Aeroplane Company as an apprentice. At 19, there was an opportunity for high achievers to progress to further study. That included Richard. \u201cI got told I was going to study for the Dip Tech and off I went,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Years later, Richard\u2019s daughter Christine would follow in her parents\u2019 footsteps. She headed to Bath to study pharmacy, where she met her future husband, Adam <\/span>\u2013<\/span> also through badminton. \u201cWe\u2019re from similar areas and had known of each other for years through our sport,\u201d Adam says, \u201cbut it was Bath that brought us together.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Christine and Adam (right) at the Roman Baths<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Adam and Christine, the University became the launchpad for successful careers. Christine remembers, \u201cBoots were coming to Bath to recruit and that\u2019s how I got the job at the company I stayed at for 32 years.\u201d Engineer Adam adds, \u201cProfessionally it helps that you\u2019ve got a good institution behind you to get your foot in the door.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking back, they\u2019ve witnessed how dramatically the campus has changed. \u201cWhen I lived at Eastwood Green, it had fields surrounding it <\/span>\u2013<\/span> now it\u2019s all accommodation,\u201d Christine says. \u201cWe have pictures of the lake where all you can see is the water and the amphitheatre. Now it\u2019s all beautifully landscaped.\u201d At the time, Bath had just 5,000 students in total; today there are <\/span>over 21,000.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite their fond memories, Adam and Christine insist they did not steer their son towards Bath. \u201cWe didn\u2019t push him here,\u201d they laugh. \u201cWe knew the University was good and it was nice for him to come somewhere that we\u2019d both had such a great time. Our advice was just to make the most of all the opportunities.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Christine and Adam with Meryl and Richard on their graduation day in 1990<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Josh, who has gained a degree in Civil and Architectural Engineering, Bath represented both a strong academic choice and a meaningful family connection. \u201cI chose Bath because it was one of the top universities for engineering,\u201d he says. <\/span>\u201cKnowing we have that family connection is special. I know to my Gramps it means quite a bit.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Josh has made his own mark during his time at Bath, taking part in a placement year which led to him securing a graduate role. \u201cKnowing I was going into this role really took the pressure off during final year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the people he\u2019ll miss the most. \u201cAll the little moments where you\u2019re just having fun with all your mates and being silly,\u201d he reflects. \u201cBeing able to see friends whenever you want was great.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For Richard, watching his grandson succeed at Bath has been a source of joy. \u201cHe\u2019s matured an awful lot, I\u2019m very proud of him,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to see how he\u2019s progressed and happy that he has a job to go to.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The family on Josh's graduation day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We concluded the day with the family by walking them to Bath Abbey, where they donned their gowns to watch Josh graduate. His time at Bath has written a new chapter in a story that began with Richard and Meryl in the '50s and continued with Christine and Adam in the '80s. Across three generations, Bath has remained a constant thread in their lives.<\/p>\n

Do you have a similar story to tell? Share it with us at advancement@bath.ac.uk.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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