On Parade: alumni stories
From a 50-year reunion and a televised proposal to chance encounters.
Alumna peaks with pride
"My motivation always comes from within; that’s the key to being a safe mountaineer."
It’s been Adriana Brownlee’s dream to climb Mount Everest since she was eight, having written a letter to herself in primary school detailing her lofty passions. She spent the next 12 years working to achieve this – and did just that at the age of 20.
But her ambition quickly reached new heights. “After summiting Everest I knew I couldn’t end it there,” she tells us. “My mind was racing thinking about the next climb.”
On 9 October 2024, Adriana became the youngest woman to summit the world’s 14 mountain peaks over 8,000m high – reaching this milestone at the top of Shishapangma, China. “I felt an overwhelming rush of pride and achievement,” she recalls.
During her time at Bath, Adriana juggled preparation and studying – squeezing in workouts around her lectures. “The facilities were amazing for my training,” she reminisces. “They definitely helped in my journey to summiting Everest!”
A radio reunion
We welcomed two University Radio Bath (URB) legends to campus last year – former station manager and founder Jonathan White, and co-founder Stephen Ainger – for a sneak peak of their documentary about life as a URB member in the ’70s.
The film gives an insight into life as a Bath student over 40 years ago – including the long hair, bell bottoms and skinny rib jumpers – and captures the incredible work by dedicated students to broadcast music and conversation onto campus.
“It’s so rare to see footage like this,” says the University’s archivist Lizzie Richmond, “and for it to be so professionally shot and directed is just golden.”
The film is now complete, with plans to make DVD copies, stream online and show at a private cinema screening in Bath in due course. Information and updates on progress can be found on the film’s website www.urbfilm.co.uk.
An on-campus proposal
For Bath alumnus and musician Keian Barton, known as Alto Key, it seemed only right he propose to his now fiancée Georgie Hunter-Cozens at the place where their love story began: Claverton Down campus.
Having met while studying mathematics, they quickly began spending time together outside of the library. “We had a lot of mutual friends and interests including volunteering,” Keian tells us. “Naturally, we gravitated towards each other.”
Knowing he wanted to do a slightly unusual proposal, it was an easy decision when the producers behind Channel 4’s Will You Marry Me? got in touch.
The show helps lovestruck Brits create elaborate proposals and a plan was hatched that would see Georgie visit campus under the guise of reviewing an escape room for students.
“It was very exciting,” recalls Keian. “Everyone put a lot of love into it, but it was hard to keep it a secret!”
The proposal, which took place next to the campus lake, was perfect.
“The University will always be an important place to us,” says Keian. “We wouldn’t be ‘us’ without it!”
A reunion of champions
1974 was particularly memorable for the University of Bath men’s football team; it was the year they became UAU National Champions.
Eight of the original 1974 team, along with their partners and other alumni, returned to the University to mark the 50th anniversary and to see their teammates once again.
“Tom and Ivor had a remarkable impact on us. They had total conviction and told us from the start we were going to win the UAU Cup,” said captain of the ’74 squad, Andrew Hobden, speaking of former Director of Sport, Dr Tom Hudson, and football coach, Ivor Powell. “How I wish they could be here to share this day with us.’’
Connecting through our condition
Rebecca Beesley (BSc Business Administration 2000)
“I met Richard in 1996 when we lived in the same accommodation at the University, and we married before graduating.
“I’ve suffered with arthritis since the age of ten and we were devastated when our daughter was also diagnosed with the condition. Richard went back to his roots in biology to find out why so little had advanced with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) research. We also founded the Juvenile Arthritis Research charity.
“When a new volunteer, Suruthi Gnanenthiran, applied to join us, we were amazed to discover that she too had studied at Bath. We have a giggle about some of our memories – in particular the challenge of attending a university situated on the top of a big hill when you have arthritis!
We’ve also discovered that the inspiring England and Team Bath netballer, Summer Artman, also has JIA.
“It’s rewarding, and somewhat unbelievable, to connect with Bath alumni in this way.”
A chance encounter
“I graduated from the University of Bath in 1980, and my husband, Duncan Battman, followed me in 1982 – both mathematicians. We’ve been married since 1987, live in the North of England near sunny Manchester, and frequently visit Scotland for our holidays.
“Earlier this year, we went to visit an open garden in Rockcliffe, Dumfries and Galloway, and we were shown around an amazing garden which was designed, built and maintained by a lovely couple, Julian and Theodora Stanning. To our surprise, we discovered they were also Bath alumni, having graduated from horticulture in 1971.
“As mathematicians, we were amazed at the improbability of it all!”
Bernie Battman (BSc Statistics 1980)
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