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Essex Blogs20 August 2024

Recreating student photos at the Alumni Reunion Weekend

Alumni team

Last week, more than 150 Essex graduates headed back to our Colchester Campus for a special reunion weekend.

Held during the University’s 60th anniversary, it was a brilliant weekend with alumni joining from all six decades of Essex history. Some graduates travelled as far as Australia to make it back for the event and we even had four of our founding students from the first cohort in 1964 make the trip to campus.

Amidst all the catch-ups, nostalgic strolls around campus and obligatory trips to the SU bar, we set graduates the task of recreating their old student photos, and they delivered. Here are our winners and runners up.

First prize - John Neilson (BSc Environmental Biology, 1987)

We love how the expression on his face is still the same and that he's kept the URE t-shirt after all these years.

Left, a man wearing a University Radio Essex white t shirt drinks from a red mug in the 1980s. Right, the same man wears the original t shirt and sip from a mug recreating the original image.

Runner up - Jane Barker (BA Languages and Linguistics, 1987) and friends

In the Students' Union bar 1987 and 2024. We love the commitment to recreating the same outfits!

Left, three women pose in the bar in 1987 holding their drinks. Right, the same three women in 2024 pose in the bar holding their drinks, wearing similar clothing to the old photo.

Runner up - Gary Pitty (BA History, 2004) and friend

Excellent recreation down to the hand gestures.

Left, two men pose in the SU bar holding a drink in the early 2000s. 20 years later, they recreate this photo standing in the SU bar in front of a message board for the Class of 2023/24,

We have loved looking at all the 'then and now' photos submitted by alumni this weekend. Thank you to everyone who took the time to have some fun and recreate their pictures. Below you can browse all our other entries.

Siu-Hung Croft and Fatima Choi (BSc Mathematics, 1984)

Left, two women pose close together outside the Computer Science building, their arms linked together. On the right, the women pose in the same position 40 years later.

Leigh Sebba (BA Economics, 1970)

Left, an old photo showing a man leaning against a car, large hair and a long coat and scarf. The campus behind him. Right, a recent photo of the same man wearing a similar scarf, leant against his current car in the same position with campus behind him.

Siu-Hung Croft (BSc Mathematics, 1984)

Left,a photo from 1984 with a woman standing at the top of the hill on campus, the library and North Towers seen behind her. Right, the same woman standing in the same position 40 years later.

Richard Bourne (BA Mathematics, 1970)

A few more health and safety warnings on the paternoster lift these days.

Left, a man from behind stepping onto the Paternoster lift in black and white from the late 1970s. Right, the same man stepping onto the Paternoster lift in 2024, health and safety signs seen on the right hand side.

Jane Barker (BA Language and Linguistics, 1987)

Left, a woman in her student room wearing a pink stripey top sat on a chair, her legs leaning on the desk in front taken in 1984. Right, the same woman wearing a pink shirt poses in the same position in 2024.

Carl Bober (BSc Mathematics and Computing, 1984)

Left, a graduate on his graduation day in 1984 wearing robes and a mortar board. Right, the same man 40 years later holding the photo in the same location on campus.

Gordon Brown (BA Physics, 1971)

Left, three men in 1969 pose in front of a concrete building. In 2008, the men recreate this photo in the same position. Both photos are in black and white.

Adrian Ravenscroft and David Lee (BA Government, 1987)

Keeping in touch

If you missed out on the recent Alumni Reunion Weekend, it might be that we don't have any up to date contact details for you. You can update them here. If you're planning your own reunion or visit back to campus, here's some information you might find useful when planning.

About the Author:

Alumni team

Communications and External Relations, University of Essex

Whether you’re a recent graduate, or it’s been a long time since you studied with us, we’re here to help keep you involved with the University and your alumni network.