Brian and Rachel Kirby (Medicine and Physics 1958 and 1960)

Briand and Rachel - "Hungarian Uprising and Love"

"Students in Hungary started an uprising in autumn 1956 about antipathy to Russian control. When their government sought Russian help to suppress it many students fled their country arriving in the UK, penniless and without friends. Lyddon Hall students wanting to support those wanting to study in Leeds organised a fund-raising Barbecue and Hop in the Students’ Union.

"As an elected member of the Union Committee and Captain of the Boat Club I had helped to organise it. Tickets of raffle prize winners had to be drawn from a bag. As I was going to make the draw I saw this attractive looking girl and asked her if she would join me on the stage to draw the prize winning numbers?

"When we had done this I thought we should find out more about each other – we did so and here we are more than 60 years later, still in love. She graduated in Physics in 1959 and me in medicine in 1960. (We have 3 other Lyddon friends who married and are still together too). Emeritus Professor Brian Kirby OBE"