FOREVER: KEELE - Keele University

Eric Rose: After serving as Social Secretary
at Keele in 1981-1982, I worked in the
entertainment industry. In 1986 I moved to
New York where I spent several years in
the newspaper business and attained an
MBA before becoming a financial planner
and ultimately opening my own practice.
1982
Christine Clarke (Foster): I am a
police constable.
Peter Chadwick: Travelled the world!
1983
Jazz Matharu: Had fun making music until
parents asked me to get a ‘proper job’.
Was chairman of Arts Club Mayfair and
run own tax practice for people in film,
TV and music and the arts and also run an
IT company.
Val Clarke (Dodd): Now living in
Huddersfield with my husband Wayne
(1983), working in Christian retail.
Wayne Clarke: I’ve now left the BBC after
working as a radio producer and presenter
for 11 years. I’m now minister of New North
Road Baptist Church… Val (Dodd) and I
have been married since 1984 and our two
children are both undergraduates.
Eileen Harrop (Chew Khean Geok): The
Rev Eileen Harrop is the first woman from
South East Asia to become a Church of
England ordained minister. Married to
Brian Harrop (1990), Eileen first worked
in an English inner-city high school then
after a Masters degree in Diplomacy,
managed hospitals. A telephone call
from a ‘headhunter’ took her into the
world of business and industry, advising
international blue-chip companies around
Australasia. She and Brian returned to
England to set up in business working
with clients from Britain to the Urals.
Illya Torbica: I’ve been in International
Sales, working in North and East Europe.
In October 2011, I met by chance Ian Brunt
(1983) on a plane and have kept in touch
with him since then, and he’s the one who
directed me to reconnect through the
‘Lost Class of 83’. Cheers Ian, we`ll have
that weekend drink soon.
Chris Hill: After living for many years
in New Zealand I am now settled in
Sydney, Australia.
Olwen van Woerkom (Enright): In
September 2012 I began studying
International Development at University
of Amsterdam.
1984
Jo Baldwin (McKellow): Living in
Oxfordshire, remarried two years ago in
the snow in Cornwall. Now have three step
children plus two boys of my own aged
21 and 18. Working as an FM Manager
for Carillion.
Robert Evans: After working in London,
Canberra and Belfast, I ended up in
New Zealand.
Miranda Mawer (Barry): Working in
Wellington, New Zealand; hoping we’ll
have a house built by next year.
David Vayro: I am a partner in Gateley, a
UK top 50 commercial law firm. My area
is construction and engineering and I
specialise in EU and domestic procurement.
I am married to Ruth and we have two
gorgeous boys, Oscar (6) and Luca (4).
1985
Rosemary Gorell (Mee): About to move to
Perth on the next stage in my life journey
and in the process of writing another book.
Peer Schmitz: I am now working in
Munich as a systems administrator for
a medical research centre. Married with
two wonderful daughters!
1986
Gillian Jowett (Bourne): I did an MSc
in Land Management at UEL from 1989
and have been a Fellow of the RICS
since 1993 and a surveyor for 24 years. I
remember my time at Keele as a mature
student with much pleasure. I met Sir
David Attenborough and Patrick Moore
at Keele. A fabulous four years.
Simon Miller: I work in PR and currently
run government and media relations
projects for Telefonica O2. I have been
married to Kate Jenkins (1988) for 20
years and we have two sons.
Grace Osuman: I have become an author
and publisher. I write for Primary Education
in Nigeria. The books are titled My Aa
Bb Cc Book Series, for nursery/primary
children. I also have written poems for
secondary education, a novel for senior
education and currently have a book
being reviewed.
Martin Williams: Now happily remarried
and living in Perth, Western Australia.
Niall Wilson: After leaving Keele I moved
to Stockport with Christine Baker (1984).
Chris and I married in 1989 and have two
sons who are both now at university.
I taught in primary schools, before
training and working as an educational
psychologist. I now work as an NHS
clinical psychologist with children with
autism and mental health problems. I
haven’t acted on stage for years and
instead satisfy myself vicariously with
visits to the Edinburgh Fringe.
1987
Bridget Appleby: Now back in the office
after a decade of working at home (and
looking after James and Matthew). Now
Malcolm is retired I have completed
a Masters in Occupational Health and
Safety, and I’m currently on contract to
Cancer Research UK, helping with health
and safety guidance.
Marcus Brown: From being made redundant
last year, I am now working freelance as
a self-employed SEN consultant in East
Riding. We now have three daughters with
Sophia being born last October.
Julie Draysey: Primary teacher; driving
instructor; emigrating.
Antony Edwards: A long and varied career
in the oil and gas industry with BP and
BG Group has led to me starting my own
consulting company. Married to Marcela
who is from Chile, with three small children.
We travel and ski as much as possible.
Julie Jones: Lived in London after
graduating and started my career in HR.
Moved back to the North West over 20
years ago and live with my lovely partner
Steve and our dog.
Jennifer Sutch (Ibbott): I married just
after graduating and have four sons –
three of whom are now experiencing
university life for themselves! I continued
to write but nothing published. After
years of being a full time stay-at-home
mum, I’m now a newly qualified teacher
– of English of course!
Alwyn Teh: Married Clare Lucas in 1991
and we have three children, living in
south-west London.
Karen Walsh (Costello): Am married
to Ian and we have a six-year-old son.
Have recently started work at Lancaster
University project managing a new HR
system implementation.
1988
Amanda Carr: I am now working at the
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology for The
London Project to Cure Blindness.
1989
Bernard Emmett: Worked as a maths
teacher in Botswana (1995-2001). Since
returning, have worked as a supply
teacher and for Royal Mail since 2005.
Maria Skrzypiec: Happily living in the south
of France, working as a freelance editor.
Sian Sweeting (Williams): After graduation
I worked in IT for 11 years. I am married to
Jim and have two sport-mad sons! We
have moved around a bit for job reasons
and lived in Staffordshire, Yorkshire and
now Nottinghamshire. We also spent three
years living in New Zealand, before settling
back in the UK. I have now retrained and
work as a School Bursar in Leicestershire.
Andrea Veale: Living and working in
Devon as marketing manager for an
architectural firm. Two teenage kids and
more grey hair than I’d like!
Julie Welch (Harrison): Living in Herts – still
in HR after entering it over 20 years ago.
Now Group HRD of medium-sized logistics
company. Married with two teenage children.
1990
Maria Cavanagh (Dodd): Working in Nigeria
on a justice sector reform programme.
Andrew Fountain: I live outside Glasgow
with my wife and son. I still occasionally
ski, sail and run (if my son insists on
having company).
Sara Guy (Clift): After 17 years living in
East Yorkshire, our family has moved to
Dorset where husband David is director
of sport at Sherborne School. My children
are now 8 (Lucie) and 5 (Jamie).
Andrew Hartshorn: Married Jill Smith and
now working as an IT lawyer in Birmingham.
Dawn MacKay: Would love to hear from
old friends!
Stephen Thornley: Was made redundant
after 20 years in local government. Currently
retraining as a primary school teacher at
Homerton College, Cambridge University.
Colette Wilson (Hunt): Now mum to
Zachary (born 2009) and Savannah (born
2011), I currently work part-time.
1991
Gavin Coles: Moved to Hong Kong in early
2012 after five years in fantastic Australia,
I am still jumping back to Europe many
times a year to spend time with my two
children from my first marriage. Remarried
a rugby-mad Kiwi and a new baby on the
way in 2013. Still enjoying working in a
specialised field in banking which involves
stopping people doing bad things.
Dominic Crisp: Made and lost a million.
Married twice with three beautiful kids. Live
on a remote farm in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
Michele Gates (Al-Ghashi): Went on to
Chester College of Law and qualified as a
lawyer in 1992.
Claire Hogan (Metcalfe): Since graduating
in 1991, I have worked in a variety of roles
for international companies in finance
in London and Microsoft (in Seattle and
Dublin). I am currently the central marketing
group controller for Microsoft based in
Seattle. I am married to a ‘Seattleite’ and we
have two children, Oliver and Alicia. Spare
time is spent following football (US version)
and having fun!
Abd Zabar Sion: I continue to pursue my
career in IT as a Business Analyst working
in the gas and power industry with a
Shell joint-venture company, Brunei LNG
Sendirian Berhad.
Yvette Thornley: After Keele, I worked
with the homeless and unemployed in
Cambridge before studying law and
qualifying as a solicitor. Now a lecturer in
law for the Open University.
Francis Yam: I have been working in IT
since graduating. The family migrated
to Australia in 1995 and later became
Australians. Later got an MSc in UTS in
Sydney. Currently working for Scotiabank
in a strategic investment project as the
Deputy Head of IT in the Bank of Xian in
the ancient city of Xian, China.
1992
Randhir Amoganathan: Worked in
London and subsequently returned to
Singapore. Got married and moved to
Perth in Western Australia. Currently
balancing time between work and an
energetic young son.
Shelley Brooks (Ruddell): Enjoying being
a really old first time mum! Just got into
cycling and love working in public relations.
Cheung Chock Mun: Was originally the
general manager of Diageo Plc, the
global drinks giant, heading the travel
retail business for Greater China. Left
the company last year and embarked on
our business. Now own a chain franchise
across Shanghai with six outlets.
David Harrison: I headed to Sheffield
to do a Master’s and PhD in Philosophy.
I added a PGCE and became an English
teacher, before moving into education
research. Just moved to Cambridge to
make a new start and a new life!
Amba Wade: I did MA Medieval History
from York University before joining the
National Railway Museum as a curator.
I published a book on royal train travel.
I moved to the charity sector for five
years, working for Marie Curie Cancer
Care and then Barnardo’s. I now work for
central government in communications. I
got married to Stan in 2004 and our son
Alexander was born on Christmas Day 2010.
1993
Stephen Booth: After over 12 years in the
same house (longest I’ve stayed in one
place without living somewhere else at
least part-time), I have moved into a flat
owned by my sister.
Begona Carreno-Gomez: Married, living in
Switzerland, working for Novartis Pharma
and awaiting my first baby due in January
2013. Still enjoying skiing and Eastenders.
1994
Gary Moss: Since October 2010 have
enrolled as a bell ringer at St Andrew’s
Church, Chippenham. Now ringing for
Sunday Service on a regular basis.
Stephanie Riviers (Glasson): Divorced in
2007 and remarried in 2010 a Frenchman
called David. I am stepmother to an
11-year-old boy who lives in Paris. For my
40th birthday last September, we walked
on the glacier in the Vallée Blanche
underneath the Mont Blanc which was an
experience never to be forgotten.
Catherine Williams: Now living in South
Devon with partner Chris, and working
at the Peninsula College of Medicine
and Dentistry.
1995
Robert Bray: I’m now a songwriter,
performing musician and recording artist.
Recently married and became a dad.
Shoa Abedi: I have emigrated to the USA.
Zoe Hancock (Thomas): Currently living
in Singapore with my family. My children
have just started school so I am keeping
busy volunteering and starting to look for
a new job and career.
1996
Laura Neilly: Living and working in Kyoto,
Japan, as a high school teacher.
Nicolas Olivari: I completed military
obligations in Limoges (obligatory back
then) where I taught English as a Foreign
Language to military personnel. I moved
back to the UK to read International
Political Economy at Warwick. I have been
working in banking since late 1999, first in
Bristol and then in London.
Sonja Smith: I recently changed jobs
so I’m now working out in Essex rather
than Central London. I’m still working in
education but I’ve started working with
14-19 learners rather than just adults.
1997
Nikolas Katountas: I am currently in
Athens, having established my legal office
since 2006. Prior to that I graduated
from Athens Greek Law School and
took theatre lessons. Been working as a
musician as well.
Emma Tovell: I joined the Tesco graduate
training programme and went on to
hold national HR roles in logistics
and manufacturing, as well as a spell
in management consultancy before
deciding that although the money was
great, life was boring! I left it all in 2009,
moved back to Norwich and did my PGCE
at the University of East Anglia in 2010. I
am now a reception teacher in a fantastic
school in Norwich. In the middle of all of
that, I am now a mum to Joe who arrived
in March 2010. I’ve never been happier!
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