Looking back, looking forward...

As we embark on a new term it is a good time to bring our community up to date with some of the goings on at Grey. It was a busy and celebratory spring at Grey, as we marked the achievements of our students, welcomed friends to College, and enjoyed a range of events in the sunshine. Here is a brief round-up of what we have been up to…

Graduation

July brought one of the most important moments in the College (and University!) calendar as we celebrated our graduating students. Members of the Grey community gathered at Durham Cathedral before returning to College for a graduation dinner with friends, families and staff.

Graduation is always a proud but bittersweet occasion. We congratulate all our graduates on their achievements and look forward to welcoming them back to Grey as alumni in the years ahead. Graduation does not mean a departure from the Grey community and all our recent graduates are now on our alumni mailing list - welcome!

Cultural Exchange

Following our visit at the end of March, we saw a very successful return visit of exchange students from Hong Kong and Macau, and we are looking forward to the next iteration of this deepening partnership.

https://www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/colleges/grey/about-us/college-news/2026/macau-update/

Visitors were steeped in the culture and history of the North East and Grey College – activities included a scavenger hunt around Palace Green, tours of the Cathedral and Castle, a trip to Beamish Museum, experiencing the traditions British tea through scone making, and Grey Day. 

Pictured, a Grey student sharing their experiences and reflections on the friendships formed through this valuable exchange.

Wildlife Garden

Grey Goes Green continued to develop with the launch of the College’s wildlife garden, with the garden launch held in conjunction with Durham University’s Greenspace Festival. Students, staff and guests explored the garden and took part in activities including pond dipping and wildlife sampling. The event provided an opportunity to discover some of the species already making their home in the garden and to celebrate the progress made in improving biodiversity around the College. We are very grateful to the students, staff, volunteers and donors who have helped make the project possible.

For this coming year we are planning involving students in further wildlife planting, recording bird nesting and reporting on our ecological surveys. 

Boat Naming

Grey College Boat Club marked another special moment with the naming of a new boat (a men’s IV), Hubert French. Students and guests gathered at the boathouse for the occasion, celebrating the College’s long rowing tradition and the continuing achievements of GCBC. The Club fundraised for the majority of the purchase costs with a final donation from Prof French bridging a gap to allowing the purchase of this high spec Fillipi boat.  

We hope the new boat will play its part in many future Grey successes on the River Wear!

Garden Party

The summer weather provided the perfect setting for our SCR Summer Garden Party held in the Principal’s garden. Post graduate students and members of the College community enjoyed refreshments, conversation and garden games.

The event offered a welcome opportunity to relax and spend time together as the academic year drew towards its close.

College Formals and Student Awards

Our students continued to enjoy communal dining in College, with some very enjoyable themed dinners. We had an evening in the tropics for our Inter MCR Formal with tropical themed menu, drinks and games. At our Final Formal, we celebrated the many contributions our students have made to College life at our annual student awards. The awards recognised achievements across the Grey community and gave us an opportunity to thank those students who have contributed their time, enthusiasm, and talents throughout the year. Awards were made to students for their contribution as Unsung Heros and as champions of the Grey Spirit. Our College Gem staff awards went, by student vote, to Nic Gittins and Chris Mason, showing how much we appreciate our catering and portering staff! Grey students love a post-formal dance workshop, taking to the floor for line dancing in the JCR. The event brought together experienced dancers and complete beginners, including some willing SCR members,  for a lively and enjoyable evening in College.

The College dining tradition is going strong and we look forward to working with students on the programme for the coming year. 

Sporting Success

Grey’s strong sporting tradition continued with much to celebrate. In recent years we have narrowly missed the trophies, however this year was different and we took home quite a lot of silverware! Grey were the Men’s Football Floodlit Cup winners, were Premiership winners in Indoor Cricket, Women’s Badminton, Women’s Hockey, Men’s Hockey and Mixed Lacrosse, and were Plate winners in Men’s Basketball, Women’s Football and Men’s Basketball! Many congratulations to all our teams- whose success will inspire our freshers and returning teams members!

Portrait Unveiling

The College was delighted to unveil a new portrait of Principal Professor Sonia Virdee, painted by local artist Steve Lyon-Bowes. The portrait provides a lasting record of her leadership of Grey and will join the collection marking the tenures of previous College Masters in the College Dining Hall.