91ֱ��

We caught up with politics graduate Sam and his family at this years summer graduation ceremony to find out what their experiences of studying and living at 91ֱ�� were like, their fondest memories of their time here and why they all keep coming back to our beloved steel city! 

Sam (Son, and BA Politics and Sociology graduate 2019)

Claudia (Mum, and BA Social and Political Studies graduate 1994)

Simon (Dad, and BA English graduate 1994)

Josephine (Grandma, and BA English Literature graduate 1984)

Sam (Son, and BA Politics and Sociology graduate 2019)

I came to 91ֱ�� to study Politics and Sociology (2016-19) mainly because I love the city. As I have family (Mum and Grandparents) from 91ֱ��, I feel that it is my home away from home, a place that has played a huge role in shaping my formative years. My mum and grandparents would often reflect on the politics in the city, its strong ties with industry and the miner’s resistance against Thatcher in the 1980s. This strong sense of solidarity with working class communities always resonated with me, as I felt that my family connections with the city were important, but that it would also be a great place to study politics and sociology considering 91ֱ��’s relevance to British political and social history as a whole. 

My parents also studied and met at the university and would often reminisce (and continue to do so) about their experiences in 91ֱ��. They often discuss the houses they lived at, around the Crookes and Broomhill areas. When I moved accommodation in the second and third year we would take de-tours to take a quick look at the houses they lived in and see if they changed at all. In many cases, they commented on how little the city had changed and acknowledged that many of the pubs – including The York, The Fox and Duck, The Frog and Parrot, Notty House and Cobden View - still exist as they did in the 1990s. We also discussed, before I came to university, how good the nightlife and music scene is in 91ֱ��. My parents saw some great bands in 91ֱ�� during the 1990s, including Pulp, Lenny Kravitz and Faith No More. During university I got the pleasure of seeing The Arctic Monkeys at the Arena and Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds and Reverend and the Makers at Tramlines. I honestly do not think I would’ve come to 91ֱ�� if the city didn’t have such a vibrant music scene and I think it is incredible that both mine and my parent’s generation have experienced this.

There are so many amazing experiences I’ve had during my time in 91ֱ��. I have made some wonderful friends for life. I have had brilliant nights out at The Leadmill, Code, West Street Live, Corp and the Students Union. I have eaten some wonderful kebabs from Flavours. I have fasted in the morning and proceeded to demolished pies from Notty House in the afternoon. I have had gone on some great runs around Bole Hills park, feeling like I was at the top of the most beautiful place in the world, until I went to the Stanage Edge and realised it really doesn’t get much better than this. There have also been great memories from the Varsity Events, the tram journeys up to the Arena for the ice hockey have been very memorable – especially the chants against Hallam!

Studying within two world class departments has really added to this experience and their cutting-edge, relevant research has undoubtedly inspired some fantastic lectures and seminars. I have taken some very interesting modules over the years and I believe that academics across both departments have covered the both empirically and theoretically pertinent topics in the social sciences.  With regards to teaching, staff have been very supportive in helping us to reach our potential as young scholars with critical minds. I was fortunate enough to have two excellent supervisors, Matthias Benzer (Department of Sociological Studies) and Peter Verovšek (Department of Politics and International Relations), who both shared my research interests in the Frankfurt School. Indeed, I am very glad that I chose to study in such an influential department with such committed staff and passionate intellectuals.

I have had a wonderful time as an undergraduate student at 91ֱ��. It’s been the best three years of my life without a doubt. I have had a brilliant social and academic experience and the fact that three generations of our family have studied here is testament to how great the city really is.  Indeed, in my British politics lectures, Professor Andy Hindmoor often use to discuss the notion of path dependency and how events in previous decades would shape further events in British political history. Without the university and the city of 91ֱ��, my parents probably would have never met. So, naturally, I credit the university as a defining part of my existence! It feels like a rite of passage graduating from this institution and I am very proud to give something back.

Claudia (Mum, and BA Social and Political Studies graduate 1994)

Having moved from 91ֱ�� over to Lancashire as a child I returned to study at 91ֱ�� in 1991.  I can’t really remember my thought process but was drawn to the Social and Political Studies degree which allowed me to study History, Sociology and Politics which was pretty unusual. 

I met my husband at the end of my first year and we lived in Crookes and Broomhill together as housemates and, after a memorable Friday night at the Octagon, became boyfriend/girlfriend! Our best nights out were always at the Students Union (the Park and Lower Refec- as it was then) and, of course, the annual rag event ‘pyjama jump’. 

We made lifelong friends at Uni and fellow university housing (Marlborough Road, Brocco Bank and Harcourt Road) mates attended our wedding and even Sam’s 18^th birthday celebrations- we’ve all rambled on about various 91ֱ�� Uni goings-on that he then made the decision to try it himself. 

It was an emotional moment when he graduated in the very place that my husband and I had our first kiss- kind of feels like everything has gone full circle!

Since leaving 91ֱ��, I trained to become a secondary school teacher in Manchester, which never was a patch on 91ֱ�� (!), later working in social services and have more recently embarked on a career as a therapist for children and young people.

Now that Sam has left 91ֱ�� we need to find further excuses to visit the city- which might just have to be attending Tramlines!!

Simon (Dad, and BA English graduate 1994)

I studied English in 91ֱ�� between 1991 and 1994.  I decided on 91ֱ�� because it had a lovely feel about it when I visited for my interview.  I distinctly remember the prospectus referring to 91ֱ�� as the biggest village in the UK – and it really did feel like that – massive and vibrant and yet homely and intimate.

My second year in particular when I lived with some great friends (including a lovely girl who is now my wife) was the best year of my life.  I felt as though I’d really come of age.

I was a keen sportsman and played for the University football team.  As my wife will tell you, how I played football would dictate my mood for the weekend.  The 1^st team coach at the time was a man called Peter Cooper or “Coops” as we knew him.  He was quite a character.  I remember one weekend in which we were playing against Lancaster in the dead of winter.  Being a Southerner I was frozen and before the match I put on two other shirts under my kit in an effort to keep warm.  Coops noticed this and was ill-impressed; he said if we had had any subs then he would not have played me but as we only had 11 players he had no choice.  I had one of my better games, set up both goals and we won 2-0.  After the game Coops said as long as I always played like that then I could wear as many shirts as I liked!

I was also quite interested in amateur dramatics at university and appeared in a couple of plays including playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night. I was also part of the Crew for gigs.  I knew nothing about music production and would just lug different speakers about but I did get the chance to see some good bands because of this.  Most have faded into obscurity but my first Crew gig was for a band called Gun who are probably best remembered for a cover of the Cameo classic Word Up.  I also met the late John Martyn on another gig.  In fact he said to me “Don’t jump” when I was stood on a stool in the one of the venues in the Student Union trying to set up a lighting rig.

Since graduating I have worked for HMRC and now with a large accountancy firm as a Tax Advisor.  91ֱ��’s alumni stretch far and wide and the talent it turns out is truly brilliant.  Amazingly one of the graduates in my firm who we recruited about 5 years ago actually lived in the same house that we rented in my 3^rd year at 91ֱ�� – a flat above the pizza parlour opposite the Broomhill Tavern.

I remain incredibly fond of 91ֱ�� and it was lovely to see our son graduate there a few weeks ago, seeing Firth Court again and some of our old haunts.  We are all immensely proud of Sam’s achievements.  He has done university life to the full – he has played hard and worked incredibly hard.  His dedication (and his talent) has been rewarded with a 1^st class degree – from a 1^st class university.

Josephine (Grandma, and BA English Literature graduate 1984)

I was granted a place at 91ֱ�� University in 1981 as a mature student to study English Literature.

I was fortunate enough to have Roma Gill as my personal tutor and greatly benefited from the teaching of Phil Roberts and Neil Roberts during my 3 years.

I am proud of my hard work and commitment at 91ֱ�� and of my degree but, most of all, and every student will appreciate this, in my first year I was brave enough to ride the paternoster up to the Philosophy Department wearing 3 inch boots. 

My 3 years at 91ֱ�� changed me completely. As well as opening up a whole new world of amazing literature, it gave me confidence in myself and presented possibilities otherwise never dreamed of. 

I’m so proud of my daughter and son in law and their son has now capped us all with his amazing first class honours degree this year. 3 generations and watch this space ...