Preet and Roy met at the University of Nottingham in 1985 where they were studying Engineering. They became firm friends in their first year, and after being placed in South Wales together for their stint in industry, they knew it was a friendship that would stand the test of time. Now, they give back together to support students at Nottingham, to ensure they have the opportunities they had. We sat down with the two of them as they spoke to scholarship student and the recipient of their generosity, Rene.
How did your friendship start?
Preet: [At university] People make friends through social activities, the halls they’re in or the course they’re on and there was a core group of us who were on the same course. I don’t know how we first met, but on the course, we would have got chatting. It would have been over some sarcastic comment or something, inevitably!
Roy: We went to quite a lot of discos, didn’t we.
Preet: We were out a lot and I think it just sort of built from there and our shared sense of humour. I think we just liked each other and just got on! Because we didn’t have social media, you made the effort to get to know everybody. Everyone knew everyone.
Roy: And suddenly you were completely cut off from all your friends from school, and you didn’t really communicate with your friends and family for the whole of the term, so you needed new friends.
My dad died in my second year, so I was having a pretty tough time and probably going out a bit too much and it was Preet, even in those young days he was always very sensible, who said to me that I needed to rein it back in. I’ll always remember that. It was a pivotal moment in my life. We’ve always been really honest with each other since then, like proper, good friends. That brought us even closer together.
Then, somehow, we both got the job with Ford and ended up working together in the summer and staying in the same place in South Wales.
Preet: It was a brilliant summer. It’s very serendipitous because there were loads of people who applied for that job, but we both got it.
What drew you both to Nottingham initially?
Preet: I liked Nottingham when I came to visit, I loved the campus feel. The engineering course was focused on manufacturing, which I liked, because that’s what my father was in. I wanted a degree that fit with that.
Roy: I knew I wanted to do engineering and management; I didn’t want to do just engineering. As Preet said, they had put this course together to rejuvenate British industry and I thought it looked well-rounded and interesting. When I came here for the open day, it was a beautiful sunny day and all the students were so friendly and I thought ‘wow, what a brilliant place.’
What about you Rene? How does it compare to campus life now?
Rene: When I wake up and see the hills, especially when the sun is shining, it really helps with morale and motivation. That was the number one reason why I also came to a campus uni, I didn’t want to be in London. Even in the winter when the grass is all frozen over, it’s just so pretty.
Roy: And when you’re finished exams, it’s great fun to go rowing on the lake!