On a scorching hot day in early September a reunion was held celebrating not one but three milestone anniversaries for Alumni who matriculated in 1953, ‘63 and ‘73. It cannot be often that Golden Anniversary celebrants find themselves in the Junior Section.

On arrival at Univ we were invited to view an absorbing display of material curated by Elizabeth Adams, Univ Librarian, detailing the work of Oscar Wilde. Wilde said of himself that he squandered his Oxford years in “extravagance, trivial talk, utter vacancy of employment”. More appositely for our gathering, Wilde was said to have created himself at Oxford through self-discovery and self-creation. How fortunate we were to be at Univ at a transformative moment in our lives and at a time when far fewer were lucky enough to go to university.

We were greeted warmly by the Master, Baroness Amos, prior to an excellent lunch. She emphasised the relevance of such milestone events not only to reminisce but to collectively appreciate the importance of donations and legacies to the continuing work of the College. That work included the Oxford Opportunity Programme aimed at widening entry to applicants from under-represented backgrounds. This theme was touched on again when JCR President, Ardeel Hussain, talked to us about the Beacon Project, Univ’s own pilot outreach scheme to ensure that background is no barrier to entry. It was an example of the “ambitious and bold” college Ardeel wanted Univ to be.

The Master informed us that the Univ North project is proceeding apace and looms large in the minds of those charged with achieving its completion. Construction hoardings now visible to those travelling on the Banbury Road announce the progress on what is currently the largest college new build in Oxford.

After lunch Old Members were given enlightening presentations by two Junior Deans, Alicia Jia and Dixa Thakrar, about their respective clinical research programmes. They were followed by a delightful piano recital performed by Will Fox, MPhil candidate in Musicology at St Hugh’s, which proved the perfect digestif.

Collective thanks go to the Master for hosting our tripartite reunion. A special thank you also to Tess Raven and her colleagues in the Alumni Development Office for bringing together people across three decades to sense the “wistful music of continuity”.