Many students find love during their time at Birmingham. We bring you stories of University relationships that have stood the test of time.
Bryony Allison (BA History and North American Studies, 2018) and Matthew Allison (MSc Geology, 2019)
UPDATE: one of our very own campus romance stories featured on the BBC local news and radio! Hear how Bryony met her husband Matt in the same building at the Guild of Students that her grandparents did 54 years earlier.
Chris Curtis (MSc Physics, 2005; PhD Physics and Astronomy, 2010) and Alex Rendall (BA French and Hispanic Studies, 2007)
Chris says: ‘We met on campus on an LGBT Society bar crawl in 2004 and have been together ever since! After graduating, Alex worked for the University admissions office while I finished my PhD - we used to meet under the clock tower and walk home to Harborne. We've lived in London now for 12 years and we (finally) got married on the 4 March - our 20-year anniversary.’
Zoë Purdie (BMus Music, 1999) and Alex Wood (BMus Music, 1999)
Zoë says: ‘My husband and I have been together for 26 years! We met on day two at the department welcome event and were friends for over a year before a Valentine’s Ball at Manor House changed that. We now live in East London with our two children and are both still working in music/music education. We owe the University an awful lot! The photo was taken at our student house on Bournbrook Road in 1998, with my dog Angus, who often came with me to campus - he was quite the celeb.’
Jean Mintoft (BA German, 1963) and Brian Mintoft (BA German, 1961)
Jean says: ‘My husband and I met as students at Birmingham in 1960. The German department was not very large, so all students were able to get to know one another personally, and most got involved in the annual German Society plays that were staged in the Students’ Union building. A friend from my year introduced me to Brian when we were on a coach travelling to see a German play in Oxford.
'Brian and I were married in 1964 and we continued living and working in the Birmingham area. We brought up our three children in Sutton Coldfield before relocating upon retirement. We now have four grandchildren and live in Plymouth and this year we will be celebrating 60 years of marriage!’
Amelia Mostaan (BSc Psychology, 2016) and Rhonan Green (BDS Dentistry, 2018)
Amelia says: ‘Rhonan and I met on our first night in Maple Bank Block 7 and have lived together ever since. Last September we celebrated our 10-year anniversary and got engaged while on holiday in California at Yosemite National Park.’
Melissa Knight (BA Modern Languages French and Chinese, 2020) and Ning Xia (MSc Electric Power Systems, 2018)
Melissa says: ‘I met my now boyfriend at the University of Birmingham! He was a postgraduate looking to improve his English and I was an undergraduate looking to improve my Chinese! We signed up for the language buddy scheme through the University, got paired up and six years later we’re living together in Beijing!’
Jamie Lennox (BA Drama and Theatre Arts, 2000) and Rebecca Scholes (BA Drama and Theatre Arts, 2000)
Jamie says: ‘We met whilst both doing a drama degree. In our first term, we had to share a kiss in a rehearsal class - the scene went well but got off to a rocky start when I offered her a Polo mint and she took offence. A few sparks flew, but Rebecca fell ill with glandular fever (not my fault, or the Polo's), and had to miss the final term of our first year.
'We were on-and-off a bit over the second year, but started going out in our third, where the theatre played its part again. This time, the scene was a little punchier... In the crumbling-but-lovely basement theatre of the wobbly Muirhead Tower, we starred together in a two-hander by Jean Giraudoux called Judith, in which she had to cut my head off during a sex scene.
'We've been together ever since, got married, had kids (both as dramatic as us), and she hasn't tried to cut my head off for ages, so I'd call that a success story.’
Simon Jenkins (PhD Biomedical Ethics, 2014) and Ben Drawer (BA Archaeology and Ancient History, 2014)
Simon says: ‘I met Ben in the Nuffield building on the University of Birmingham’s main campus in September 2015. I was involved with a local Effective Altruism group, organising local events to talk to people about how to do the most good in the world. Ben came to the meeting as he'd been involved with the movement back at home.
'With our shared values and interests, we became friends very quickly, and our relationship became romantic within a few months. We got married in the summer of 2023, and now we live in Oxfordshire with our cat, Seth.’
Madeleine Wood (née Ashlee) (BA History, Ancient History and Archaeology, 2019) and Anthony Wood (BA Ancient History, 2019)
Madeline says: ‘We first met back in the first term of 2016, when we started as students and both joined the Catholic Society. After a year or so of friendship, we had a memorable first date by the Colosseum in Rome on a CathSoc trip before then going head-to-head to become Chair of the society. This contest didn't come between us and was fondly remembered when we tied the knot in November 2023, surrounded by many of the friends who had watched our relationship blossom when we were students.’
Robert Graham (BA Medieval and Modern History, 2005) and Suzanne Graham (BA Medieval and Modern History, 2005)
Suzanne says: ‘Rob and I met at the bottom of the stairs in the Strathcona building waiting for our first lecture in 2002. After a busy Freshers’ Week meeting new people, Rob, in his sleep-deprived state, got my name wrong, I laughed, and the rest is history!
'We had a fun-filled three years at University where we met lifelong friends and left with many fond memories of our time on campus and of course, a great degree! We married in 2012, moved to Dubai in 2016 and now have four children.
'Since moving to Dubai we have followed the progress of University of Birmingham Dubai and remained close as alumni, having taken a tour of the new campus and seen the amazing facilities. We are not the only Birmingham graduates in the Graham family, with Rob’s Dad Peter and brother Matthew also alumni. The University of Birmingham remains very dear to all our hearts!’