Class of 1970-71 Reunion

With graduation celebrations in the Quad happening just outside, the North West Wing played host to some of the Department's former students.

The event, organised by graduates Mike Rossington and Charlie Grimble, along with Emeritus Professor Peter Wood, was the latest in a series of reunions for the group, the last of which took place in 2015.

Nearly 40 members of the graduating class, along with their partners, heard from Dr James Kneale on the latest developments in the Department and recent innovations in Human Geography.

Reflecting on the event, James said, “The Department was very happy to support the return of the class of 1970-71, not least because the pandemic had made these kinds of visits impossible.

"It was lovely to be able to chat to so many interesting former students and to hear about their experiences.”

Dr Kneale was followed by PhD researcher Carole Roberts, representing Physical Geography, who gave a talk about her own experience in the department and research on reconstructing past environments.

Like James, Carole was also an undergraduate in the Department, so this was an opportunity to compare the experiences of a recent graduate with the memories of these alumni.

Carole said, “It was so great to share my own perspective as an undergraduate through to PhD researcher in the department whilst hearing from the alumni about their time at UCL Geography and their variety of experiences and achievements over the years.”

Most of all the reunion was an opportunity for the class of '70-'71 to catch up with each other and find out where their lives have taken them thus far.

Group photographs from their time as students and copies of the Bloomsbury Geographer, which was launched during their undergraduate years, were on display for the attendees to rifle through.

In 1970, when the alumni were coming up to their graduation, student numbers were at just 180 across all undergraduate courses.

There are now well over 400 and growing.

Although this event took place in the North West Wing, their classes in the 1960s and 70s happened over at the Foster Court Building, a former book warehouse and location of both the Refectory and the University's incinerator.

The day was concluded with a meal in the Jeremy Bentham room organised by UCL Alumni.