Faraday alumni reunite and relive their student days in halls

LboroFamily
A large group of people standing in front of the Hazlerigg Building on campus. Many are on the ground, whilst some appear above them, standing on the wall of the fountain. It is night time.

A group of former Faraday Hall students, who were freshers between 1994 and 2000, returned to campus in July for a special reunion weekend. Organised by Chris Mallaband (Management Sciences BSc, 2000), Mark Hobley (Accounting and Financial Management BSc, 2001) and Emma Cooper (Geography BSc, 1999), the event brought together 60 alumni to catch up, reminisce and revisit some familiar student haunts.

A bar with stocked fridges. A logo is on the front of the bar.

The weekend including a sherry drinks reception, a meal, a trip to the Students’ Union, and an overnight stay in Faraday Hall. The group gathered over breakfast the following morning – just like the old days.

The meal took place in Rutherford in the student village whilst Faraday Dining Hall underwent some renovation work. “The Faraday Arms” was set up as a temporary bar area and brought some much-loved hall charm and fun to the evening.

The weekend was a wonderful opportunity not only to reconnect with one another, but to relive their days in Faraday around 30 years on.

Alumni attended the reunion from as far away as San Francisco, USA, United Arab Emirates, and Sydney, Australia! Alongside those taking on domestic travel, others came from parts of Europe including Ireland, Belgium, and Germany.

The hall warden during the late 90s was Stephen Stewart MBE. He joined the weekend via video call from Scotland during the meal, sharing a special moment with his former Faraday residents.

The current Faraday warden, Dr Ash Casey, also attended the meal. He presented Chris Mallaband with the welcome board from the reunion which had been signed by everyone in attendance (pictured).

Chris Mallaband smiling as he is presented a board by Dr Ash Casey who is holding a microphone. They stand in front of a stage area.

One attendee, Clare Whatling (née Smith) (Economics BSc, 2002), said:

“The Faraday Hall reunion weekend was a truly wonderful occasion – from the elegant sherry reception followed by a delicious dinner full of laughs and chatting, to dancing the night away in JCs, it was a real joy to reconnect with old friends and reminisce.

“All attendees were very grateful to the University for supporting the reunion committee in the organisation and enabling so many Faraday alumni to revisit our youth!”

Matt Lawrance (Aeronautical Engineering BEng, 1998) added:

“It was amazing to be back in Faraday, rolling back the years. 30 years on and it was just as fun, meeting up with a great bunch of people all with such fantastic memories of our time there and given the opportunity to add a few more new ones. It was a privilege to be part of such a great event.”

A group of people outdoors on grass outside of a hall building. Many stand and hold drinks, and a couple of people are seated on the grass. People are wearing summery clothes.

The group agreed it had been too long, and plan to meet again in a couple of years’ time. If you’re interested in connecting with the group for future reunions, let us know!