26 | FOREVER Keele
Keele love stories
Keele has been the setting for countless love stories over the years , and we are most grateful to the alumni who have shared theirs with us for this feature . If you ever want to share your own , please get in touch .
Moira Newns ( English & Psychology , Class of 1980 ) and Richard Newns ( Computer Science & Electronics , Class of 1978 )
Rich and Moira Newns , who met while studying at Keele in the 1970s , are celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary this month . The couple got married at a snowy Keele Chapel on 23 December 1978 after meeting at a social event in the Students ’ Union . After they married , they moved to Bedfordshire , then to New Jersey in the United States and finally North Carolina , where they have lived for the past 30 years with their two children , Rob and Kate .
Daughter Kate , who got in touch with Keele to celebrate her parents ’ sapphire anniversary , said : “ My parents absolutely loved their time at Keele . The campus is so beautiful and they spent lots of time there and at the Students ’ Union . We ’ ve been back to visit several times , and they brought us to see where they got married at Keele Chapel about 15 years ago .
“ More personally , they are really just the most wonderful people . They are both the most generous , fun , and thoughtful people , are incredibly loyal friends , and have set the best example for me and my brother for a healthy , happy marriage .”
Caroline Walton née Bollen ( Music and Sociology , Class of 1987 ) and Geoff Walton ( Sociology and Psychology , Class of 1983 )
“ Geoff and I got married in a local church at Bucknall in 1991 . We met while Geoff was gigging in local bands Boneshaker and Heymaker and I was a groupie ! Geoff was also in a band called Decomposition which won battle of the bands in 1987 . They later formed the band Greensward along with Keele graduates James Berriman , Steve Mitchell and Damien Cavanagh .
“ We still live locally and have two grown up daughters who now grace the local music scene in their own bands .
“ Geoff is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Information Science at MMU and I teach music for the Staffordshire Music Service across local Primary schools s .”