Both Stephen and Lorraine loved their time in London and have happy memories of exploring the city on foot. ‘I just loved being in central London.’ Stephen recalls. ‘I grew up in a village and from the youngest age I wanted to live in London. King’s gave me that opportunity. London is an amazing city, and what sticks in my mind most is how much time we had to explore it. We didn’t have much money for transport so we walked everywhere. It’s the only way to really get to know London.’
‘The thing that struck me first about King’s and really attracted me to it was the seemingly haphazard and chaotic way that it had been built and extended over the years. There was the old Strand underground station, the roman bath, the old biology lecture room, the Macadam building with the views over the river, the Chapel, Somerset House and the labyrinth of passages above and below ground. The whole place appealed to my imagination.’ Stephen recalls. ‘I was also privileged to be at King’s when the new Maughan Library opened in 2002 on Chancery Lane – that really made it feel like a world-class institution.’
One of Lorraine’s favourite places was the Courtauld Gallery, next door to the Strand Campus. ‘Because I was studying Latin American art as one of my subjects, I was able to use their library. I loved all the university libraries in London, especially Senate House [at UCL] which was like stepping back in time.’
Lorraine spent a year abroad in the south of Spain which she describes as ‘just amazing’. Stephen flew out to celebrate her 21st birthday. Stephen proposed after they had been together for three years. He picked a classic romantic spot on Hampstead Heath looking out over the city. ‘The only negative was that it was night time and pitch black so it was also utterly scary!’ says Lorraine.
Stephen and Lorraine married in 2004. They chose a church in the heart of the city that has been important to them – St Helen’s Bishopsgate, a beautiful 12th century church at the foot of the famous skyscraper nicknamed ‘the Gherkin’.
After graduating, Stephen worked for a while as a journalist, and is now the Head of Communications for a leading global law firm in the City. Meanwhile, Lorraine is ‘Director of Operations’ at home with their three children. We thank them for sharing these memories with us.
This is an ongoing series of stories about alumni who met at King's and we're on the hunt for more. Please email forever@kcl.ac.uk to submit yours.