Celebrating our alumni’s #LivUniLoveStories this Valentine’s Day
This Valentine's Day, we’re celebrating some of our graduates who met here as students and have been together ever since in our #LivUniLoveStories.
Peter and Susannah
Dr Peter Farr (BDS 1988) and Dr Susannah Farr (nee Hill) (BSc Microbiology 1985, PhD Genetics 1988)
Peter shares how he met Susannah:
“I first met Miss Susannah Margaret Hill in the summer of 1986 in the Conservation Dept of Liverpool Dental Hospital. Not the most romantic of introductions, but at the time, she was just another patient for me to treat on my training pathway. Little did I know that she was going to become more than just another patient!
“I had just started the 3rd year of my dental degree and Susie was in the second year of her genetics PhD after gaining a degree in Microbiology. She had attended the Dental Hospital for some routine treatment and was allocated to me by pure chance to practice on! After a few visits over a couple of months I had completed all the necessary dental treatment and we said our goodbyes.
I received a handwritten letter in my mail inbox at the dental hospital. Expecting nothing more than a thank you letter from a grateful patient, it turned out to be a personal note from Susie.
“I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t fancied her, but it perhaps wasn’t the right environment for me to be chatting someone up. And besides, I didn’t get the feeling that she would be interested in me, and she was probably out of my league anyway. So, I just had to hope that I might bump into her one day around the University campus. However, a few days later, something happened that was about to change my life. I received a handwritten letter in my mail inbox at the dental hospital. Expecting nothing more than a thank you letter from a grateful patient, it turned out to be a personal note from Susie. It began by thanking me for all my hard work but ended by asking if she could buy me a drink sometime as an extra thank you. She went on to say that she had a part time job as a barmaid at the Philharmonic Pub and I could meet up with her there if I wanted to take her up on the offer.
Our first date, if you can call it that, was essentially an evening spent in the bar at the ‘Phil’ whilst Susie was working her shift.
It really was a simple decision to make, so our first date, if you can call it that, was essentially an evening spent in the bar at the ‘Phil’ whilst Susie was working her shift. Due to my natural charm, or so I thought, (Susie takes great pride in telling me that this nearly never happened) I somehow managed to get a second date and some 40 years later we are still together and very much in love.
“After we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend, I managed to graduate BDS in 1988 despite spending too much time propping up the bar in the ‘Phil’. Susie gained her PhD shortly afterwards and took up a position as a post-doctoral research scientist at the School of Tropical Medicine whilst living in Rankin Hall as a Carnatic tutor.
“Eventually we bought our first house together in Liverpool and we married in 1993. Our first daughter was born in 1994 followed by a second daughter in 1996 and a son in 1998. We later moved away from Liverpool but only so far as Cheshire, where I worked in general dental practice and where we are still settled.
“I retired a couple of years ago after selling my dental practice and after a career spanning 35+ years. Susie gave up her career in science after having children and is also now retired. We are both lucky to still have good health and we are both still very active. Time together now is spent walking, exercising and travelling as much as we can as well as catching up on all those things that we had put off doing whilst raising a family. We are fortunate to have a second home in Southern Spain so retirement now means that we can spend more time in sunnier climes. We still visit Liverpool on a regular basis as it’s only a short drive away and will always make an effort to visit the University and our old stomping grounds. The visit is never complete without a pint in the ‘Phil’ or Cambridge and then a drive back home via Smithdown Road and the old Carnatic site.
For me, I will always remember Liverpool University as the place that gave me a wonderful education and where I met the most beautiful young woman (I really was punching!) who was to become my wife, best friend and amazing mother to our children.
"We both look back fondly at our undergrad/postgrad days at Liverpool, and the University and city will always have a special place in our hearts. For me, I will always remember Liverpool University as the place that gave me a wonderful education and where I met the most beautiful young woman (I really was punching!) who was to become my wife, best friend and amazing mother to our children. So, thank you Liverpool and thank you Susie for writing that letter.”
Ken and Fiona
Ken Holton (MBChB 1977) and Fiona Holton (BDS 1978)
During a holiday [as students] we agreed to marry and formally engaged on [Valentine’s Day] and marrying in Liverpool in July the same year
Ken told us how he met Fiona:
“We met at Liverpool University in 1973 and went on holiday with fellow students in 1974, touring Scotland in a borrowed minibus. During this holiday we agreed to marry (on the Isle of Skye) and formally engaged on 14 February 1975, marrying in Liverpool in July the same year with our reception in the Catholic chaplaincy, this being a place we could afford as students and was lovely. We rented a little house in Aigburth and took other students as lodgers to afford the rent and qualified in 1977 and 1978 respectively. 2025 was therefore the golden wedding.
“We completed post-graduate training in Yorkshire and moved to Warwickshire where we worked until retirement. We have visited Liverpool several times since and kept in touch with around 20 friends. One notable visit was during a round-Britain cruise which stopped at Liverpool. We took one of the trips to see how it had changed (which was a great deal). The tour guide was very excited about the marital aspect and detoured to the chaplaincy and cathedral. Another time, we visited the halls of residence and were able to visit the rooms we once occupied more than 50 years ago.”
Andrew and Rachel
Andrew Meskell (BSc Information Systems Hons 1994) and Rachel Honey (BSc Hons Anatomy and Human Biology 1994)
Our friends arranged a blind date for us on the steps of the Harold Cohen Library.
Andrew shared how he met Rachel:
“Rachel Honey was studying Anatomy and Human Biology BSc (Hons) in 1994. We met in our first year at Liverpool through friends on our respective courses who thought we would make a nice couple, so they arranged a blind date for us on the steps of the Harold Cohen Library. That first meeting eventually led to our marriage in May 1999 and to two wonderful sons. One of them is now in his first year at Liverpool University studying Politics and Economics.”
Thank you to our alumni community for sharing their love stories with us!