During his first year at Birmingham, Jay Mistry (MEng Civil Engineering with Management, 1998) met the fellow students who would become his closest friends to this day.
'Most of us met in Mason Hall when it was a fully catered hall of residence. The main place for meeting up was Mason Hall bar, which we frequented on a regular (almost daily!) basis. Although based in different blocks, we got to know people from different areas, gelling as a group, and have managed to stick together over the years.
'I have particularly fond memories of the summer of 1995, which was exceptionally hot from Easter up until the end of the final semester. We spent most of that time studying for our end of year exams and, after that, outside on the Vale. We invested in a barbecue, played team sports, drank, survived the Summer Ball and generally had a fantastic time!'
The group on the Vale during the fabulous summer of 1995!
Although most of the group graduated in 1997, a few stayed on into 1998, including Jay: 'I was having such a good time that I opted for a Masters! A few of us rented a house in Selly Park and worked in Birmingham, while others went back home or to London for work. We are now scattered across the country from Yorkshire to Devon and everywhere in between, including the US, working in a variety of sectors including engineering, medicine, IT, teaching, law, accountancy, management consultancy and sports science.'
Despite being spread across counties and countries, the group attended each other's weddings and big birthdays and try to meet up at least once a year, whether it be a party, barbecue at one of their houses or a camping trip.
The majority of the group, including those now living in the US, got together to celebrate two members' 40th birthdays in May 2015.
Jay (centre) and friends on the Vale during their 25th anniversary reunion in 2019 (L-R - Michael, Sarah, Catherine, Jay, JJ, Rupert, Elaine and Emma).
'COVID-19 put things on hold for a couple of years, but some of us met up in June this year for a 20th wedding anniversary party. It's amazing that we have kept in touch for 28 years and we hope to carry on for the foreseeable future. The eldest of our children have just completed their GCSEs, so we are a couple years away from university, however I am sure we'll be encouraging them to consider our alma mater!'