СÀ¶ÊÓƵ

Valentine’s Day; the annual celebration of love. For some, it’s an opportunity to shower significant others with affection, to celebrate friendships (we’ve got you covered, galentines) or for others, just another day with no significance.

No matter how you choose to spend 14 February, we think it’s lovely to share a heart-warming tale of lifelong love, all starting at СÀ¶ÊÓƵ, this time at the Polytechnic in the late sixties.

This article is not just about love, it’s also a reminder of the friendships made at University. Friendships you might be lucky enough to have for a lifetime or maybe rekindle years down the line.

We introduce you to Jonathan and Julie Guest, and Erich and Trisha Koenig who met in 1969. The four graduates all studied at СÀ¶ÊÓƵ where their paths crossed.

Meet Jonathan and Julie

Jonathan, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Let’s go back to the beginning! When did you first meet Julie?

We met on the very first day of the Geography course during a bus tour of СÀ¶ÊÓƵ.

Jools (Julie) remembers me asking her and a friend if they were singers. They clearly thought it was a weird chat-up line but I was genuinely looking for someone to sing with, having left a folk group back in West Yorkshire. It turned out they weren’t interested - in singing or me!

What happened from there?

Our first year was spent in digs - I lived in Gains Road with five boys and Jools lived with six girls in Waverley Road. We all connected as a group and gradually got to know each other walking back and forth to lectures. We were blessed being able to walk across Southsea Common every day, which now holds some of our favourite memories together of our time in СÀ¶ÊÓƵ.

At first, there were no immediate romantic notions - we just spent a lot of time together and with friends. One couple from our two houses got together quite early on, but it wasn’t until February of the first year that we got together. 

We were with the usual gang in the Students’ Union (which is now St Paul’s Gym) and stayed after the others had gone home. Jools tells me that I invited her to a folk gig the following evening but completely ignored her in favour of talking to another girl. I don’t believe it! But she still agreed to meet me a week or so later, where we took a walk along Southsea Promenade to the Pier. It was here she instructed me not to do that again… and I didn’t! 

Life after СÀ¶ÊÓƵ

Our time at the Poly came to an end and we both left СÀ¶ÊÓƵ for our respective homes in Yorkshire and Wirral. We were together throughout the summer holidays and knew our relationship was for good. I was the first of us to get a job, it was with West Riding County Planning, so Jools joined me in Yorkshire. We both lived at my Mum and Dad’s house - of course, it was separate bedrooms until marriage.

A sort-of marriage proposal came about at a friend's house on New Year’s Eve. We made ourselves unpopular with family when we were a bit too amorous after she said yes! We got married in December 1972 at Thornton Hall in Wirral. Then a few months later, we moved into our first house. We then went on to have two children, Katy and Ben, born in 1976 and 1978. 

Over the years we moved about for work, Jools worked as a planner and I worked within planning, regeneration and local government management. My last job was as a Corporate Director for Development and Community at Derby City Council before we both retired in 2010.

Good times over the years

The birth of our two children and growing up with them, and now their chosen partners, has definitely been our highlight.

We moved to Cardiff in 2012 to be closer to Ben and his wife, Caroline, after we found out they were expecting twins. It was a great decision - the grandchildren are now 11 and great company. Katy married Jon and they live in Kew. Both of our children have settled into their chosen careers after University life.

Life now

In our spare time, we have a few hobbies including painting, playing the guitar and going for walks. We’re also actively involved in University of the Third Age (U3A) which is a valuable charity for those of us in old age to come together and learn new skills. Jools has had a role on the management commitment for two years. 

We also like to spend as much time as we can with the littluns and feel very lucky that we see far more of our close family now than we have since Katy and Ben left home.

We’ve been lucky enough to make great memories in many places across the world too; our favourites being the Greek Islands and Thailand. 

A reunion to reconnect

Whilst Jools and I spent our life together, the Geography group dispatched in 1972. I stayed in touch with one good friend, Andy until 1987 and then unfortunately we lost touch. 

We didn’t have any other contact until our reunion event last year in СÀ¶ÊÓƵ. Erich and Gerry both made immense efforts to find us and get the group together; we had a great time. It was like Andy and I had only seen each other a month or two ago. 

Jools and I were most impressed by those who could remember anything about the course because we can’t! It was a pleasure to see the new Geography department and so interesting to see what current students were working on. We were tempted to start over again.

Can you share any secrets for a happy marriage?

Last year, we celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary. We were very lucky to spend it with our extended family of 27!

I’m not sure we have any sage advice on the secrets of a long and happy marriage. Maybe just try and ignore the differences, and the small stuff. Concentrate on the things you do agree on and enjoy them together.

Meet Erich and Trisha

Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Erich! Please can you tell us about your experience of СÀ¶ÊÓƵ in the 60s?

We studied at the Polytechnic before its designation as a University. The Poly had no campus and the departments were housed in various buildings around the city. I studied Geography which was based in Old СÀ¶ÊÓƵ. Trisha was based near Lion Terrace (by Victoria Park) as she studied Zoology. 

Like Jonathan and Jools, we were both assigned to guest houses in Southsea which offered full boarding - there was only one hall of residence at the time. I shared first-year digs with nine other students at Salisbury Road. It was here Trisha and I met through mutual friends in the summer of 1970, when she was visiting one of her fellow zoologists. I thought she was a very attractive girl and out of my league!

Was it love at first sight or were you just friends?

We didn’t actually get to know each other well until our second year. In the first week back after the summer vacation, we met up in the Students’ Union and began to spend more time together.

Our first proper date was at an ‘Argent’ concert at South Parade Pier in October 1970 and I walked her back home after. I don’t remember exactly who said I love you first, but I’m pretty sure it would’ve been me during our studies! 

When we look back at our time at the Poly, our favourite memories were the late-night discos at the Students’ Union and enjoying lots of meals together.

We’re sure life would’ve been very different if we hadn’t met in СÀ¶ÊÓƵ. Although we had a lot in common and both came from farming families, given our different career paths and geographical separation (Trisha from Cornwall and me from Berkshire), our paths were unlikely to have crossed.

What happened after?

Unfortunately, we were both unable to attend graduation but soon after leaving СÀ¶ÊÓƵ, we enjoyed a three-week European tour in my father’s car. Afterwards, we both returned to our family homes.

I joined Reading County Borough in October 1972 as a Trainee Town Planner. Trisha joined me shortly after and in 1974, we got married in Cornwall and bought our first home in Berkshire. 

We’ve had a few different jobs across the years with Trisha in healthcare and myself in local government planning. In 2004, I took voluntary redundancy and we moved to Devon to be closer to Trisha’s elderly mother. My last job was with Exeter City Council as their Planning Appeals Officer and Trisha worked as Senior Radiographer at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. In 2013 we both retired. 

Life after retirement

These days we both volunteer in our community shop. We also enjoy gardening, playing bridge and bowls at our local club, and like to take part in pub quizzes. We travel quite a lot, visiting family in Europe, the USA and Australia. We’ve enjoyed a few cruises and we have a motor home which we use on trips around the UK but haven’t yet taken abroad. We also walk quite a bit on Dartmoor, which is on our doorstep now we live in Rural Devon, as well as walking in Cornwall with our cockapoo, Amber.

Reconnecting with good friends

I lost touch with almost all my fellow Geography students a few years after leaving СÀ¶ÊÓƵ. During the Covid lockdown, I decided to see if I could track down the Class of 1972 using the power of the internet and social media. Our 50-year reunion in September 2022 was the result of this exercise.

Of the 27 original course members, I managed to trace 19 fellow students. Two further geographers had sadly passed away which still leaves a few to be found. I hope the elusive six will be found before our next reunion scheduled for 2025!

It was amazing to meet up with fellow course mates again and we spent the time reminiscing over student days. My favourite memories with friends from our course were the field trips to North Wales, North Yorkshire and the Ruhr. I remember climbing a snow-covered Snowdon wearing trainers and scaling the walls of Beaumaris Castle after a late-night drinking session.

Trisha’s fellow Zoology students were much better at staying in touch after leaving СÀ¶ÊÓƵ. In 1986, they had a reunion in СÀ¶ÊÓƵ which we both attended and have since continued to correspond through social media. We’ve met up with them all at various events over the years and took part in a lockdown Zoom meeting.

Valentine’s Day and the secret to a happy marriage

I always buy Trisha a Valentine’s Day card and the occasional flowers but otherwise, it’s just a normal day. 

If I were to share any words of wisdom about marriage, I’d say it’s important to share common interests with your partners. And husbands, no matter what you do, do not forget your wedding anniversary!