Alumni: Who graduated between 1954 and 1959

 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959

How does it Work?

We collect What Happened To's from about May to about February each year and publish synposes of these in the annual forever: keele magazine.
When forever: keele is ready to be published (usually about April), we replace the WHTs on the website with those received since February of that year and start all over again, adding them as they come in.... The current series of WHTs was begun in March 2013.

You can read past What Happened To's in our online versions of the forever: keele magazine 

1954

Yvonne Baker: At 80+ very much in retirement!

Stan Beckensall: I can share the publication of my two books. 'Northumberland Hills and Valleys' and 'Hexham Through Time' and one on Northumberland old churches is published soon. I have recovered well from my stroke last April.

Robert Lee: Retired in 1996. Helped unpaid until 2006.

Bill Lighton: Taught in Suffolk and Cheshire, largely in grammar school environment. Left teaching in 1984 and had a variety of work as an inspector for Cambridge Syndicate, bookshop, and similar. Now acting as an interviewer for Keele Medical School, enjoying regular cruising etc.

Pam Lloyd-Owen: I continue to live in my bungalow with panoramic views of the Malvern Hills. In my old age, I am cosseted by my daughter, son-in-low and four grandchildren, who live about a mile away. I have a small dog and live a quiet life in quiet contentment.

Bryan Waites: After Keele, research at Uni of London then four years in Royal Navy. Later principal lecturer and head of Geography at Leicester Polytechnic. Later taught at Loughborough Uni and Oakham School. Retired 1996 – married 54 years with 4 children. Lived in Oakham, Rutland for 44 years. Author of 50 books and 300 articles on history, geog, environment, geographical education, walking books, landscape, etc.

 

1955

Brian Clark: In regular touch with Keith and Pauline (Yardley) Johnson 1955, Alan & Yvonne (Jervis) Tipper 1955, Dave Wilson 1958. At my age expect to meet up with many more fairly soon!

Jo Gatley: Since retiring in 1997 from my career as a psychiatric social worker and family therapist, I have enjoyed my home and (English) garden, travelled (to Australia, Italy, Ireland, UK and Portugal). For nine years I was busy with Habitat for Humanity building several houses. Now I just enjoy life.

K Parkinson: After retiring as Head teacher of a High School in St Helens, I have enjoyed my golf and my garden. I have kept myself busy as a member of the U3A in Clitheroe and produced films for various groups of that organisation in the Ribble Valley. I have been an editor of the Clitheroe talking newspaper and a member of the Ribble Valley movie makers.

1956

Philip Braithwaite: My wife, Barbara, and I have been married for 55 years and had one daughter, Bridget, who became a lawyer in Texas. After 40 years in the oil industry, working internationally, we retired to Dallas, Texas. Since retiring we cruised for several years. My hobbies include sailing and trap shooting.

Stanley James: Still in touch with many Keele Student friends – a great joy!

Howard Mounsey: Married Jane, one year after graduating, now in our 57th year, best decision of my life, choosing Keele certainly No 2. We have three children all of whom attended other Universities, seven grandchildren (two graduating summer 2013, two currently in their first year one at Oxford one at Durham. Started my own publishing business aged 50 in 1981 (this turned out to be very successful and is now keeping my two sons in considerable comfort). I had my 82nd birthday earlier this year and I am planning for immortality!

Martin Tunnicliffe: Still here.

1957

Susan Bobath: I was head of Politics and History at a local grammar school. Now I am retired – I have four children (all married) and 10 grandchildren. I play golf, bridge and garden. I have been very lucky.

Derek Evans: Long retired from a successful teaching career followed by 20 years of creative entrepreneurial woodwork (furniture, toys, design, glass engraving). Golf followed hockey 11 year treasurer of vets section.

Marina Oliver (Stroud): Over 60 of my books are now online as E-Books, available on Amazon and elsewhere. Chris and I spend winters at our house in Madeira, Summers in UK!

John O’Sullivan: Still quietly vegetating in Ludlow, I continue with my scribbling to fend off or at least slow down the descent and in the hope that when the passion for ‘chick-lit’ passes there might at least be an opportunity for ‘old fart’ lit!

Bill Hanna: In retirement, have been a school governor; local organiser for army benevolent fund; field work for national inventory of war memorials (UKNIWM); meetings secretary for history of bath research group.

Gillian Rance: To my surprise I live in a small village. We moved here temporarily as a mid-life joke twenty five years ago. Stuart Milner and I married as soon as we graduated in 1957, lived in SE London, had children, and lived in Switzerland for 3 years. We both dabbled in writing and playing with paint. Stuart died in 2010. Growing old seems OK so far. Lots to laugh about and philosophy is ever more interesting.

1958

 Judith Simms (Bryon) :  I am now living in Oxford after a lifetime of teaching in secondary schools in York. I have recently taken part in a research study on the affect of exercise on cognitive ability because my Oxford son-in-law works in the nuero imagining field. I have 3 grandchildren in Oxford and 1 in Sweden and a rather large garden to tend, so am never shortof something to do! Life is great!

Mike Morris : Taking life easy retirement. Married to Sally (Keele Graduate) for 53 years. Still enjoying caravanning, gardening, dog walking and swimming. A few memory problems but otherwise fit!

Joyce Jackson (Jones): I graduated from Keele in 1958, married Derek Jackson in 1959. He had graduated from Keele in 1954, done 2 years compulsory military service and 1 year at LSE training as a teacher for the Colonial Office. We went to Tanganyika 1959 and stayed on after independence in 1962 until 1969. Then we were posted to Uganda until Idi Amin threw us out. We returned to UK to bring up our family. Then 1994-97 went to China. Derek is still there, now married to a Chinese lady and lives in Guanzhou. I fund-raise for Kilimatinde, Tanzania and visit every 2 years.

Jim Docking: My wife, Anne (Pearson), whom I met at Keele died in October 2012 – suddenly and quite unexpectedly. I am now heavily involved in the U3A and NADFAS.

John Pearson: After Keele it was 2 years National Service – most of which is still clouded by the Official Secrets Act. Then it was 26 years with the Midland Bank (now HSBC) – and an early retirement on health grounds. Then a spell with the First National Bank and finally five years or so at Stanmore College as Examinations Manager so that at age 60 I retired with three pensions. This was a fairly conventional career path maybe but it was the time spent outside ‘office hours’ that was the best part! Over the years I have held many Treasurer ships, including one for a Council run ‘Mother and Baby Home’ and another for the local District Girl Guides. With two youngish sons I turned to organising discos, and more book keeping and acting as manager for a Club Scout football team. Great fun and all for nothing of course! On the Church Council, firstly at S Lawrence and then S Albans I turned my hand to fund raising – Christmas Markets and Summer Fayres: I even organised a Church Flower show! For a lot of this time I was firstly a School Governor and then a Trustee and Governor at St Clement Danes School (where both the boys attended) – as a Honorary Member of the Geography Department I went off on a couple of field trips. Until 2007 I was an active member of the Samaritans in Harrow. By now my main activity was the sorting and pricing of donated books for the local Hospice Charity Shop – but after some ten years politics starting getting in the way. Since its inception – some two and a bit years ago I have been the Secretary of the Abbotsbury Practice Patient Participation Group. Now this is something I have never done before – great learning curve.

Barbara Thomas (Pennell): We have a community shop in the village and work there on a regular basis. One main interest is Caravanning and travelling to France.

Jack Thomas: We work regularly as volunteers in our Village Community Shop. We caravan a good deal and travel abroad. I officiale at Athletics meetings.

1959

Christopher Andrews: Ill health forced early retirement and return to UK in 2008. A good journey so far.

Dot Bell (Pitman): This year my husband and I have been married 50 years. When I went down from Keele 1959, came to Nottingham and met Peter. We have a daughter with two married  children and a son has partner and no children.

Pauline Hanna (Jones): Retired – enjoying the cultural and friendly life of Bath – still see many ‘old’ Keele friends. Family in Bath, Lincoln and Sydney. History of Bath Research Group, war memorial trust, art and music.

Ann Richards:  Married to Brian, 3 children, one deputy librarian in an Oxford college, one head receptionist in a large vet practice and one a journalist. 5 grandchildren ranging from 19 to 7 and another due in November.  I'm currently a Swindon Borough Councillor.