Half a century after graduating from what was then North Staffordshire Polytechnic, a group of #StaffsAlumni came together to celebrate 50 years since their graduation in 1976.
The group of 20 from our 1973 intake, who largely studied Geography and Modern Studies, have remained in contact through email, and more recently WhatsApp, over the decades. They also meet for reunions roughly every 10 years to mark milestones from either starting their studies or graduation.
For John Knight, the reunion is all about "catching up with people" he says. "I think especially these days a lot of younger people are pretty isolated and don't see many people, and it's just great socialising".
The group's members are now spread across the country, with some travelling back to the Potteries from as far afield as Norfolk and Devon. John explained they even had one friend, Pete, travelling in from Gran Canaria to be part of the celebrations.
The reunion includes time to walk around their old stomping ground Stafford, eating, drinking and sharing memories.
John recalls arriving in Staffordshire with what he describes as a relatively sheltered upbringing. Sharing a flat and meeting people from different backgrounds proved to be one of the most valuable parts of his time at university.
"I think is was meeting people from different walks of life and different areas." he says. "In a way I think that was almost a valuable lesson for me as the actual studying."
The sense of community clearly stayed with him. Fifty years later, the friendships formed during those student years remain to this day. John and his alumni colleagues went on to have varied careers, with councillors, careers advisors, politicians and academics among them.
So what advice did John have to give students beginning their university journey today?
What he told me was simple, "work hard, but also play hard, enjoy yourself," he says. "It's a fantastic opportunity."
Perhaps most importantly, he encourages students not to be afraid of getting things wrong.
As John and his mates gather to mark 50 years since their graduation, their reunion is a reminder to all that the university experience extends beyond lectures and exams. For this group, it's friendship that has remained for five decades.
John Knight graduated from BA (Hons) Geography in 1967.