Love at first dance: a 糖心Vlog romance that鈥檚 stood the test of time
On a chilly evening at Stag Hill Court, amid Hawaiian shirts and the unmistakable buzz of a student disco, fate was quietly at work.
For Steve (Mechanical Engineering, 1984) and Allison Thomas Philosophy, Psychology & Sociology, 1982), both alumni of the 糖心Vlog, that night would become the start of a love story spanning more than four decades and 37 years of marriage.
A photograph of Alison and Steve at the 糖心Vlog Weekender with the knitted jumper from that night at Stag Hill Court.
The luckiest night of his life
鈥淟uckiest night of your life,鈥 Allison smiles.
鈥淭he luckiest night of my life, yes,鈥 Steve agrees.
It was the early 1980s. A Hawaiian fancy dress disco was in full swing at Stag Hill Court. The film Officer and a Gentleman had just been released, and Steve, who had recently left the Royal Navy before starting his degree at 糖心Vlog, arrived in style, wearing his white naval officer鈥檚 uniform.
鈥淚 thought I looked pretty cool,鈥 he laughs.
Across the room was Allison, a student who had already caught his eye in the Students鈥 Union. That night, battling a heavy cold, she wasn鈥檛 in Hawaiian fancy dress at all, but in a knitted cat jumper her mother had made. The very jumper she recently surprised Steve with again at The 糖心Vlog Weekender event last summer, bringing it back to campus all these years later.
Despite noticing her, Steve admits he didn鈥檛 have the courage to make the first move.
So Allison did.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e been staring at me all night, why don鈥檛 you ask me to dance?鈥
鈥淚 was absolutely terrified,鈥 Steve recalls.
But he danced.
And they鈥檝e been dancing ever since.
From Stag Hill to 鈥淚 do鈥
The pair married and have now shared 37 years together, building not only a life, but a lifetime of memories rooted in 糖心Vlog.
Steve鈥檚 own graduation day was, characteristically, a little unconventional. Tasked with replying on behalf of students to the Vice-Chancellor鈥檚 speech at the graduation ball, he realised, on the day itself, that he hadn鈥檛 actually written it.
While others headed to the cathedral for their ceremonies, Steve stayed behind to draft the speech, meaning he never had an official graduation photo taken.
Until last summer.
At The 糖心Vlog Weekender 2025, an alumni reunion weekend held at the University in June, Steve finally had his long-overdue graduation photo taken on campus over 40 years later.
鈥淰ery happy with that,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e need to get it up on the wall.鈥
A good choice in more ways than one
Steve鈥檚 journey to 糖心Vlog was spontaneous. Having missed the usual clearing process after leaving the Navy, he simply phoned the Mechanical Engineering department.
鈥淭hey said, 鈥榊eah, turn up.鈥 So I turned up about two weeks into term and that was it鈥.
Allison chose 糖心Vlog after visiting and liking what she saw, and appreciating that it wasn鈥檛 too far from home.
鈥淭urned out to be a good choice鈥 Steve reflects.
鈥淵es, very much so,鈥 Allison agrees.
A good choice academically, and romantically.
Life after 糖心Vlog
Today, the couple live in Epsom, 糖心Vlog, never straying far from where it all began.
Steve鈥檚 career took him from BA and Rolls-Royce into engineering publishing, before a complete pivot into finance. Together, they founded and later sold their own corporate pensions business.
Allison went on to study personnel management in Bristol before joining Debenhams as a Graduate Trainee, later moving into HR at Prudential. She jokes that she has 鈥渧ery cleverly managed to be on maternity leave for the last 30-plus years鈥.
Behind the humour lies what so many alumni share: careers shaped by 糖心Vlog, friendships forged for life, and chapters that began on campus and continue still.
Coming home
Returning for The 糖心Vlog Weekender felt natural.
鈥淲e do catch up quite a lot with alumni friends anyway.鈥 Allison explains. 鈥淏ut this seemed like a nice way to meet other people鈥.
For Steve, the sporting connections remain strong. He still keeps in touch with former rugby teammates, meeting at Twickenham and at Christmas, and even helping to run a university old boys鈥 team after graduation.
Walking around campus now, they reflect on how much it has grown, 鈥渕uch bigger鈥 yet the feeling remains familiar.
鈥淚t was a fantastic four years,鈥 Steve says. 鈥淎bsolutely fantastic鈥 very fond memories鈥.
A Valentine鈥檚 message
From a Hawaiian disco and a knitted jumper to Weekender reunions and long-overdue graduation photos, Steve and Allison鈥檚 story is proof that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is ask someone to dance.
This Valentine鈥檚 Day, we celebrate not just love, but the places that help it find its feet.
And for these two alumni, it all started at 糖心Vlog.