Veterinary Medicine class of 1973

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Over the weekend 6-8 September 2013, 22 graduates made their way to Edinburgh from across the UK and Ireland, and as far afield as the USA, Canada, and South Africa to relive their experiences of studying at the Dick Vet.

The weekend got underway on Friday with a relaxed reception giving everyone a chance to re-acquaint themselves; some alumni hadn’t seen each other for over 30 years so there was a lot to catch up on!

Reviving memories

I hope to participate in future reunions as it’s been a long, long time since I last attended one and I now know what I was missing!

Douglas Tweedie

The original graduation photo was brought along by reunion organiser George Gunn which had everyone reminiscing about the student days.

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An Easter Bush introduction

On Saturday morning the group enjoyed a tour of the new vet school facilities at the Easter Bush Campus on the edge on Edinburgh, and were able to see how much the School had changed since the Summerhall days 40 years ago.

This was followed in the evening by a formal dinner with partners held at the University’s Playfair Library, and attended by special guests Professor David Argyle, current Head of School and retired lecturer, Alan Rowland.

A great time was had by all remembering experiences of Edinburgh and sharing stories about where the last 40 years has taken everyone.

Creating a lasting legacy

Over the weekend, inspired by George Gunn, the class also set up a special 1973 reunion fund with the intention of giving something back to the School. In the two months that followed, the class were able to raise collectively an incredible £10,000 which has since enabled the University to set up two new Access Bursaries for undergraduate vets.

The first Bursary will be awarded to a vet student starting in September 2014 and the second in September 2015 and will help to relieve the financial burden of coming to University so these students can live their dream of becoming a vet.

I wanted to ensure the weekend was meaningful in more ways than one, including giving something back to our alma mater. I have been encouraging all the class to contribute so together we can have an impact on the next chapter of the Dick Vet - a permanent memory for what has been forty amazing years. We are thrilled that the funds generated will provide two new Access Bursaries to help undergraduate vets facing financial difficulties take up their place at the Dick Vet.

George Gunn

Capturing the reunion

Roger Lever who’s had a varied veterinary career since graduating, including starting a practice from scratch in Dalbeattie with £1,000, still works part-time as a vet - this now finances his new career as a professional photographer.

On behalf of all of us who were able to attend, I would like to thank George for his unstoppable drive and enthusiasm in instigating and bringing this unforgettable event to fruition.

Roger Lever

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Over the weekend Roger took portraits of everyone who attended which have since been collated into a fantastic reunion album.

The album is a wonderful lasting memento of the weekend and has as mixture of group and individual photos, biographies, images and quotes from the final year.