Our Deputy Head Porter, Steve Moody, leaves us this week for (northern) pastures new. Here Steve reflects on his time at College:

“I came to Univ as a night Porter just before Michaelmas 2013 and the past eight years has flown by.

“Thinking back to when I first started my first memory was just hoping that a fire alarm would not go off while I was on shift! Would I remember how to get to the location where the fire panel was or would the students actually listen to this new Porter? Well, thanks to some students’ cooking skills I did not have to wait long; one hour in fact! Over the next few weeks I quickly became an expert in dealing with burnt toast incidents and where all fire panel locations were…

“The other main thing that stands out when I first started was trying to find my way around College in the middle of the night. During my shifts I would walk around the College both outside and throughout all the buildings. All I can say is that it got very close to leaving a trail of crumbs to get out of the maze that is 83/85 and 90/91 High Street!

Steve and Jen at their wedding in Chapel

“Never has anywhere I have worked captured me as much as Univ. It is a truly special place to me, I have met lifelong friends and my amazing wife here. Greeting all the students on their first day and watching them throughout their time here and putting them through graduation will be the main thing I will miss at Univ – and Percy of course!

“The pandemic and the national lockdowns gave my wife and I pause for thought, and after much consideration, we finally made the decision to relocate to Durham to be closer to Jen’s parents. I may have to buy a phrase book to see me though the first few months!

“Thank you to everyone who has made my time here amazing and unforgettable. I look forward to visiting in the future.”

Our thanks to Steve for his incredible contribution to College life over the last eight years. We wish Steve and Jen all the very best for whatever the future holds. “Gan canny, man…”

Read our Profile Feature on Steve here.