Love in the first degree
For more than 50 years, the University has been home and workplace to thousands of students and staff and subsequently many lasting friendships have been forged and relationships celebrated.
Candice Lu and Yifan He
Candice and Yifan (both MSc International Marketing 2019) studied the same degree at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ and met for the first time in a marketing strategy workshop. They have been together for almost five years and got married in July 2024. Candice said: "We had a colourful and meaningful time at Sussex. After graduation, during the job search proccess, we helped each other a lot. We're now starting our own business in China in the food industry".
Louise Dynes and Toby Osborne
Louise Dynes (Geography 2006) and Toby Osborne (Molecular Genetics 2004) met in September 2007. They had both volunteered to be Residential Advisors and ended up having their first conversation at 7am in Kent House after someone set off a fire alarm.
"Our early days were a bit of a whirlwind and we were officially a couple just two weeks after meeting, having bonded over numerous things including our love of Stargate SG1 and walks from campus into Lewes."
Louise and Toby subsequently set up home in Lewes and graduated in 2009. They now have two sons, Nathan and Noah, and have moved to Bournemouth where Toby teaches Chemistry and Louise juggles a second degree in Modern Languages with looking after the boys.
Alix Courtney and Ian Macfarlane
Alix Courtney (History 1990) and Ian Macfarlane (Physics 1987) married in 1994 on a boiling hot day in August and celebrated with family and friends in East Slope Bar.
Alix said: "It was a lot of fun. We had about 200 of our Uni friends celebrate with us along with family from far and wide who were a bit bewildered to find themselves in a student bar with a hogroast as the wedding dinner. It was strange seeing everyone dressed up so smart in East Slope."
Alix and Ian on their wedding day outside East Slope Bar
Alix and Ian still live locally and have raised two children in Brighton both of whom went on to study at university. The couple have lots of connections with ßÏßÏÊÓƵ and are often back on campus. Ian said: "We had a great time at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ and gained a large number of good friends who we still see often. For our 30th wedding anniversary, we had many ßÏßÏÊÓƵ alumni celebrate with us who were with us on our wedding day all those decades ago."
Mike Cohen and Doreen Lassman
Still going strong after 43 years, Mike Cohen (Economics 1964) met his wife Doreen Lassman (European Studies 1965) in her first week at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ and they married in September 1969.
Now enjoying active retirements and being with their grandchildren, Mike and Doreen still live close to the University retaining ‘many local connections and fond memories’ of their time on campus.
Mike and Doreen on holiday with their daughter
Satu Vilkama and Andrew Spratley
Satu Vilkama (International Relations with French 2002) and Andrew Spratley (Artificial Intelligence 2002) became a couple after living as housemates on Coombe Road with their friends Nick and Annicken, in their second year of university. Satu recalls their long distance relationship starting when she moved to France for a year abroad.
"Following graduation I moved to Finland in 2008 after gaining a traineeship at the Finnish Foreign Ministry and Andy followed me here a year later in summer 2009. We both live in Helsinki and have been married since 2013, 10 years after meeting at Sussex. ßÏßÏÊÓƵ and Brighton will always have a special place in my heart – we still visit the UK regularly to see family."
Yugin Teo and Amy Prior
Yugin Teo (DPhil English 2001) and Amy Prior (Geography 2001) started going out in 2003 when Amy was in her final year and Yugin was a DPhil student.
"We were both part of the Meeting House community and met through the activities there. We got married in the Meeting House on 9 September 2006 in a lovely ceremony that everyone still remembers fondly.
"We both still live in Brighton. Amy has recently finished her training to be a primary school teacher and I am currently working at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ as an Associate Tutor in the Schools of English and Media, Film and Music, and as a Projects Coordinator in the School of Education and Social Work."
Alexandra Loske and Jeremy Page
Art Historian Dr Alexandra Loske and Jeremy Page first met in 2003 when he was Deputy Director of the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ Language Institute (which became the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ Centre for Language Studies in 2010). They met through both working at the Centre, and this was one of the reasons why they chose to get married in the Meeting House in 2009. Alexandra and her flower children got changed into their wedding outfits in one of the offices in Arts A.
They had previously had their ‘ßÏßÏÊÓƵ baby’ daughter Flora christened at the Meeting House.
Alexandra's research into colour has also been connected with the Meeting House and she has included the building in several of her published books. Jeremy retired as Director of the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ Centre for Language Studies in 2021 and is currently an Emeritus Senior Lecturer in Language Studies at Sussex.
Photographer: Strat Mastoris
Photographer: Strat Mastoris
Alexandra and guests in the Language Centre in Arts A, where she got dressed for her wedding
Debashree Mitra and Rahul Singh
Debashree Mitra (MA Education Studies 2008) and Rahul Singh (MSc Automotive Engineering 2008) met at the Diwali gathering on campus in 2008, where Rahul was the host, and they kept on meeting thereafter, ie. on the bus stop to Asda.
They have now been married for fourteen years and have a little boy together, Debashree said: "ßÏßÏÊÓƵ has a special place in our hearts to say the least."
A collage of photographs of Debashree Mitra and Rahul Singh from their time at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ and also with their little boy
Eric Baker and Cherry Slater
Eric Baker (International Relations 1966) and Cherry Slater (Sociology 1967) met on the Library steps in 1968 and were married in 1969, before Eric's MA and Cherry's final year at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ, during which they lived in a flat with battlements and a roof terrace above the clock tower - great for parties.
A few decades on, after a spell in Australia, then careers in IT and teaching, they are enjoying retirement in West London, travelling extensively, looking after grandchildren one day a week and having plenty of time for friends and family.
Eric Baker and Cherry Slater at their golden wedding celebration at the Brentford Musical Museum
Paul Jervis and Patricia Manley
Paul Jervis and his wife Trish were married at the Meeting House on Saturday 21 September 1968 by then University chaplain Rev. Dr. Daniel Jenkins. Paul was a research fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ, where he met Trish, who also worked in the department as a secretary.
The wedding was covered by the local Argus newspaper, which reported that the bride "wore a gown of ribbon lace and crepe and a satin-rimmed veil" and that "the reception was held at the South Lounge of the University Refectory".
Over 45 years later, the couple are still married, and recently attended our alumni reception at the House of Lords.
Bernd Kaussler and Diar Ataian
When Bernd Kaussler (AFRAS 1999) arrived at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ for the first time after a gruelling ten-hour drive from Germany, Diar Ataian (AFRAS 1999) was literally the first person he saw, dragging her suitcase across the steep East Slope car park. Bernd said:
"I kindly offered my help but was rejected. It turned out we were both studying International Relations and ended up in the same seminar as well as living next door on East Slope (clearly, the most romantic of all dormitories).
"Somehow, I managed to convince her that I was a nice chap and put 'international relations' into practice."
Following that initial success, Bernd eventually proposed to Diar at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, and they married at a country estate outside Gothenburg in her native Sweden in September 2000. The couple will be celebrating their twenty five year wedding anniversary later this year and live in Virginia, US with their three children, Soraya (18), Shirin (17) and Dariush (13).
Tom Burnell and Rosie Mulhern
Tom and Rosie (both Psychology 2003) met at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ through a shared love of sport; Tom being the men's rugby club captain and Rosie the social secretary for the women's football team. It was an impromptu bungee jump for RAG over boiler house car park that first made her realise she'd fallen for him, after deciding that he was the one person she wanted to be there.
Almost exactly ten years after starting at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ they tied the knot at a ceremony in Hove in August 2013 and had their reception in Falmer Bar surrounded by friends, family and fellow alumni - some of whom were shocked to see how stylish the Hot House could be.
The couple live in Bristol, where Rosie works as a maths teacher and Tom in business development. They have two children, Alice and Isaac.
Mark Pretty and Cynthia Woodward
Mark Pretty (AFRAS 1976) and Cynthia Woodward (EURO 1976) met in their first term: "36 years later we are still together and have lived in Sydney Australia for the past 20 years. We have four children and a great life."
Despite living on the other side of the world for so long, Mark still supports Brighton & Hove Albion and last year he and Cynthia came back to the UK and couldn’t resist a visit to ßÏßÏÊÓƵ ‘for a wander around the Uni to visit all our favourite spots in Brighton and near surrounds’.
Nigel Ward and Frances Ward (née Moor)
Frances (EURO 1968) and Nigel (ENGG 1968) met in their first term at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ in 1968 and married in September 1970 - before they’d even graduated. Frances was due to go abroad for her third year but the University Senate allowed her to reverse her third and fourth years on the condition that she and Nigel married.
After leaving ßÏßÏÊÓƵ they taught in an International School in Switzerland for a year. Nigel then embarked on a career in International Sales and Marketing and Frances became a teacher and then a dyslexia specialist. The couple have two children and five grandchildren. Nigel and Frances recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. They returned to campus in August 2015 to celebrate the life of Lord Attenborough at a special event held at the newly refurbished Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.
Stephanie Alldritt and Martin Giesen
Stephanie Alldritt (EURO 1975) and Martin Giesen (ENGG 1975) met in their first term and have been married since 1981. They have two daughters aged 34 and 37. "Our time at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ remains a very happy memory for both of us." Stephanie said.
Steve Donohoe and Elaine Bousfield
Steve Donohoe (Chemistry 1982) and Elaine Bousfield (Social Policy and Administration 1982) met at a party in East Slope in their first year of Sussex. "I’m not a big party goer but luckily I went to this one and met Elaine." Steve said.
Elaine said: "I was getting over a big breakup with a boy from home and had read Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch and decided that I wasn’t going to have a relationship for a long time. Then my friend Anna dragged me to this party on East Slope where I saw a tall, curly-headed young man. My heart did a flip (I had hormones back then). I swore at the time that I would only go out with him for a week. Longest week ever."
