Saturday 16 August 2025

Celebrating 60 Years at Keble: Steve Beasley

Today, we celebrate the remarkable long service of our Gardens Assistant, Steve Beasley, who has helped to look after our gardens and grounds for 60 years.

During a cultural era of space exploration firsts and the chart-topping reign of The Beatles, Steve began work at the College and its grounds on Monday 16 August, 1965. Only sixteen years old when he started, the cycle through Oxford up to Keble’s sportsground on the Woodstock Road stands out in Steve’s memory of his first day. There, he particularly remembers looking around the areas where he would be working, from the cricket pitch to the football field, and even the bowling green that the College looked after at the time.

In his early years, Steve worked alongside former Head Groundsman Clive Savin. When Clive retired in 1990, Adrian Roche, known to most as Ade, took over. It was in this period of change that Steve’s role went from tending to our College sportsground to looking after our beautiful gardens and quads. Since then, he has spent countless hours tirelessly brushing, mowing, and spiking Keble’s lawns, watering flowerbeds, sweeping and maintaining the paths, and even supervising a family of ducks.

Steve has witnessed both our 100^th and 150^th birthdays, having joined Keble less than a century after its foundation in 1870. He has served under six Wardens and nine Bursars during his six decades here.

Gardens and Grounds Manager, Adrian Roche, comments “On a personal note I would like to thank Stephen for being such an important part of the team and a wonderful colleague. His hard work and dedication are admirable and his cheery nature and infectious laughter around College is all part of what makes him Steve!”

We thank Steve for everything he has done for Keble over the last 60 years and congratulate him on this impressive achievement.