'It has been a privilege' - Stuart retires after 55 years

“I can honestly say I have enjoyed every minute of my time at University of Birmingham,” says Stuart, a steam railway enthusiast and father of two who has dedicated over half a century to the University. 

Born in Castle Bromwich and raised in Rubery, Stuart Arkless left school in 1969 to join the University at the age of 16 as a Junior Technician in the Chemistry Department. 

Now, 55 years later, he is readying for retirement with his wife. 

“When I started work there were no desktop computers and I remember working out weight average and number average molecular weights of polymers using a very large mechanical calculator,” Stuart recalls. 

“The University then installed what was then a powerful central computer which was able to do the number crunching in hours rather than days! Now we all carry mobile phones that can carry out complex operations in fractions of a second.” 

Proud

Stuart worked in Chemistry in both teaching and research until he was 65. It was at this point he first considered retirement but decided to stay on working in the Estates Office as a Technical Project Manager for the Molecular Sciences project. 

“Working in Estates for the last five and a half years has been a very rewarding experience, and I would like to thank all the staff in the Estates Office for their support and encouragement,” says Stuart. 

A standout memory for Stuart was the opening of the Molecular Sciences Building last year. 

“This was a culmination of 20 years hard work by the academic and support staff in Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. I’m immensely proud of my involvement in the completion of this building,” he adds.  

Rewarding 

Stuart holds a lot of fond memories throughout his career. 

“I can honestly say I have enjoyed every minute of my time at the University. Of course, there have been tough times but all in all it has been a very interesting and rewarding career,” he explains. 

“I have always enjoyed working with our students from a time when I was younger than the incoming students. Working with undergraduates and postgraduates has kept me young!” 

As he readies for retirement, the 71-year-old shares some parting wisdom: “My advice would be always work to live and not live to work because your time outside of work is just as important, not only to yourself but to your loved ones.”  

Retirement

Stuart is now looking forward to spending time with friends and family. 

“I have two amazing kids (who are not kids anymore!) Christopher and Shelley who I’m very proud of and who have lots of jobs for me to do when I retire.  

“My wife and I have two lovely grandchildren so they will keep us both busy.” 

Stuart is also looking forward to dedicating more time to his passions, which alongside steam railways include horology, car rallying – ‘watching not driving’ he clarifies – and cooking.

When asked about the one meal he would choose to eat for the rest of his life, Stuart didn’t hesitate: “Lamb roast dinner. It brings back so many childhood memories of  Sunday dinners with my family. I can almost smell the mint sauce now! We would sit around the table, ready to enjoy a lamb roast, followed by my mother’s apple  crumble or apple pie with Birds custard.” 

Privilege 

Reflecting on a remarkable journey filled with dedication and diligence, Stuart shared his heartfelt sentiments: “It has been a privilege to work at the University of  Birmingham all these years and I would like to wish all the staff and students (past and present) whom I have had the privilege to work with, all the very best for the  future.” 

We wish you all the very best Stuart, happy retirement!