Five friends return to King’s, 50 years on

On 3 September 2024, five friends gathered on the steps of the Strand to mark the 50-year anniversary of their time at King’s.

Stephen Pam, Chris Baker (Geography, 1974), Howard Gadian (Engineering, 1974), David Pryke (Modern Foreign Languages, 1975) and Gavin Rowland (History, 1974) first met as undergraduates in 1971. Half a century later, they remain firm friends.

Return to the King’s Building

The day began with an informative tour of the King’s Building, led by postgraduate student Krishna. The group visited various teaching and learning areas, the Chapel, the engineering laboratories and a language laboratory.

Stephen (who organised the reunion) observed that these state-of-the-art spaces were ‘all advances on the resources available in the early 1970s’.  

King’s then and now

The five friends remembered the college as being homely but considerably less clean and tidy than it is today.

KCLSU (King’s College London Students’ Union) is a far cry from the Chesham basement union of Stephen’s student days. He described the union as ‘dark and tired' and said the furniture was old. He continued, 'It was alleged that only regulars were able to balance their pints on the rickety tables.’

The group noted that the outside of some of the buildings (including the Chapel) were unchanged. Yet, they were amazed by the quality of the rooms, and extent of the campus, which now includes Bush House.

Regaling tales of the past

Throughout the tour, the men reminisced at length, regaling their guide and each other with tales of the past.

They described the freshers’ squash in the Great Hall and the freshers’ march round Aldwych with Reggie the Lion. They spoke warmly of excellent tutorials and approachable staff, reminding each other of the fellow students they had once known so well.

Save for a 25-year reunion, most of the group had not seen their course mates since graduation and shuddered at some escapades etched deeply on their memories. 

They laughed as they recounted Bob King’s Private Eye style sports reports in King’s News, and fondly spoke of the sports ground at Mitcham with its huge plunge bath, of spats and rivalry with UCL, and singing in the hall bar at Plats.

Life after King’s

Since graduating, the five men have all trod different paths but have kept in touch. Chris had a career in town planning in both local and central government, while Howard worked in research and management at Ford.

David and Stephen both went into education. Stephen worked in secondary schools, while David taught in colleges. Meanwhile, Gavin works in investment banking and corporate finance. Four of the five are now retired but remain busy in voluntary work and other activities.

A day to remember

After an informative tour, the group headed to The Barrowboy & Banker by London Bridge for a few beers. The day ended with dinner at Brown’s, overlooking the Thames.

Stephen said: ‘Our time at King’s gave us such enjoyable and valuable years. We developed a range of skills and a deep love for our subjects. We were challenged to become critical thinkers. We made good friends, engaged in sport, music and the life of the college, and had great fun.’

Keen to reunite with friends and former classmates? Visit our reunions page to find out more.