Liza Patoux
20-09 2020 18:20
wrote:
Freshers Week, the Students Union Bar, Surrey University. Our parents dropped us off on campus a couple of days earlier. Work hasn’t started yet and the new cohort of 18 and 19 year olds are high on the new adventure as we forged new life-long friends that week and excitedly spent our grants on pints for our new best friends.
We spoke to everyone. “What’s you name? Where do you come from? What course are you doing? What Court of Residence are you in?”, “We’re Nick and Peter. And we’re studying dance.” “Yes dance,” said the 6ft 3 Nick, head titled back and a now familiar twinkle in the eye.
I don’t know how long I was fooled into believing that Nick and Peter were dancers. The Freshers Week discos probably clarified that point. However very soon we realised that we had both signed up for Drama Soc at the Freshers Fayre and had also chosen to take a Drama Elective on Friday mornings, where we met Paul Lloyd.
In our first term, Nick and I played alongside each other in a student production called “After Midnight Before Dawn”. Nick’s character was called “Man”, I played “Calm Woman”. We played condemned convicts awaiting the gallows at dawn. Only my character was adamant that she would not be hung. Nick had lines like “Shut your mouth before I shut it with my fist.” I had “I shall not be hung, that much is certain.” To cut a long story short, Nick murdered me, fulfilling my prophecy that I would not be hung. Student productions ….
In our second year, Nick, Paul Lloyd and I took over the running of Drama Soc, with Paul Chairman, Nick the Treasurer and me the Secretary. In the second year, Nick and I each directed a play, and fundraised with a Lower Bar Disco. However when Nick and I attended a Students Union Society Budget Meeting with the Union Financial Officer, we discovered that the money we had raised for our next production had to pay off a loan to the previous year’s committee. That was one of my earliest lessons in budgeting and we didn’t think it was very fair.
One of the benefits of the Drama Society was that it got access to the Students Union mini bus. We we were not allowed cars on campus due to limited parking, so borrowing the mini bus gave us access to a world beyond Guildford. We applied and successfully got a night’s use for Drama Soc. But where could we go? Nick threw in that he had been clubbing at the legendary Marquee Club and that it was pretty cool. So that was it. We were heading to London to watch some bands. The mini-bus insurance only covered sensible over 21-year olds, so Paul was the driver by default and the rest of us were very grateful to Paul taking on the role of Dad for the night. As we got into London, Nick suggested a game of Traffic Light Chicken. Every time Paul stopped at a red light, our gang got out and ran around the mini-bus once, led by Nick, before getting back in so that Paul could drive off. I was chicken, so stayed in the minibus though I think Katie Lloyd was braver than me as I can picture her running around the van. We eventually arrived at the Marquee. It was closed. So we found a pub for a drink and drove home. And that was our London minibus adventure.
This picture is L-R of Nick, me, Paul and Katie, taken on a Drama Soc outing to our favourite Indian, a rare treat at one of the students’ favourite restaurants. Nick had just had a new hair cut and was deliberately pulling a goofy face. Nick was a brilliant student and graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Information Systems Engineering, which got him a scholarship at Penn for his PhD.
Liza Patoux
20-09 2020 18:20
wrote:
Freshers Week, the Students Union Bar, Surrey University. Our parents dropped us off on campus a couple of days earlier. Work hasn’t started yet and the new cohort of 18 and 19 year olds are high on the new adventure as we forged new life-long friends that week and excitedly spent our grants on pints for our new best friends.
We spoke to everyone. “What’s you name? Where do you come from? What course are you doing? What Court of Residence are you in?”, “We’re Nick and Peter. And we’re studying dance.” “Yes dance,” said the 6ft 3 Nick, head titled back and a now familiar twinkle in the eye.
I don’t know how long I was fooled into believing that Nick and Peter were dancers. The Freshers Week discos probably clarified that point. However very soon we realised that we had both signed up for Drama Soc at the Freshers Fayre and had also chosen to take a Drama Elective on Friday mornings, where we met Paul Lloyd.
In our first term, Nick and I played alongside each other in a student production called “After Midnight Before Dawn”. Nick’s character was called “Man”, I played “Calm Woman”. We played condemned convicts awaiting the gallows at dawn. Only my character was adamant that she would not be hung. Nick had lines like “Shut your mouth before I shut it with my fist.” I had “I shall not be hung, that much is certain.” To cut a long story short, Nick murdered me, fulfilling my prophecy that I would not be hung. Student productions ….
In our second year, Nick, Paul Lloyd and I took over the running of Drama Soc, with Paul Chairman, Nick the Treasurer and me the Secretary. In the second year, Nick and I each directed a play, and fundraised with a Lower Bar Disco. However when Nick and I attended a Students Union Society Budget Meeting with the Union Financial Officer, we discovered that the money we had raised for our next production had to pay off a loan to the previous year’s committee. That was one of my earliest lessons in budgeting and we didn’t think it was very fair.
One of the benefits of the Drama Society was that it got access to the Students Union mini bus. We we were not allowed cars on campus due to limited parking, so borrowing the mini bus gave us access to a world beyond Guildford. We applied and successfully got a night’s use for Drama Soc. But where could we go? Nick threw in that he had been clubbing at the legendary Marquee Club and that it was pretty cool. So that was it. We were heading to London to watch some bands. The mini-bus insurance only covered sensible over 21-year olds, so Paul was the driver by default and the rest of us were very grateful to Paul taking on the role of Dad for the night. As we got into London, Nick suggested a game of Traffic Light Chicken. Every time Paul stopped at a red light, our gang got out and ran around the mini-bus once, led by Nick, before getting back in so that Paul could drive off. I was chicken, so stayed in the minibus though I think Katie Lloyd was braver than me as I can picture her running around the van. We eventually arrived at the Marquee. It was closed. So we found a pub for a drink and drove home. And that was our London minibus adventure.
This picture is L-R of Nick, me, Paul and Katie, taken on a Drama Soc outing to our favourite Indian, a rare treat at one of the students’ favourite restaurants. Nick had just had a new hair cut and was deliberately pulling a goofy face. Nick was a brilliant student and graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Information Systems Engineering, which got him a scholarship at Penn for his PhD.
