A former Aberystwyth University student will mark his 30th freshers weekend in a row this week when he returns to the seaside town.

Shane Carey first came to the town in 1996 to study biochemistry, and since his first step onto the prom, nothing has been able to stop him coming back.

Shane, who now lives in Rochdale, said: “If you had told me back then that I’d be coming back 30 years in a row younger me would have probably looked at you like you were crazy.

“But there’s something special about the town. It’s small and compact – you can pub crawl across it quite easily – but its rich and diverse too with lots of different people that always have a warm welcome, which is part of why it always draws you back.”

During three decades nothing has stopped Shane making his annual pilgrimage to the coast.

He said: “There’s been a few times where it was touch and go. I was in a car crash once that meant I was off work for a while and had to miss going to a World Cup, but I still made Aber.

“Covid was also a close call. We ended up hiring a caravan to make sure we could make it and it was a memorable year. I remember being freezing in the snooker club on a Saturday with our coats on as all the doors and windows had to be open to follow the rules – but it made sense.”

Shane has fond memories of Aberystwyth, from his daily trek up Trefor Road where he lived, to working in Varsity (now known as the White Horse again) where he saw many a memorable sight.

He said: “I’ll always remember one night this fat old guy streaked naked through the pub, arms out stretched and proud – he managed to get a few rounds of applause before the bouncers bundled him out.

“Everyone was talking about it, we heard some lads discussing it in the pub the next day. That’s one of the good things about Aber, its such a small community everyone knows everything.”

Shane’s time in Aberystwyth was memorable. He was briefly doing taxis in the town and got engaged to a girl who he was ‘crazy about’ but made the tough decision to leave the town to go into teaching, rising to the role of headteacher in some of the UK’s most challenging schools.

But no matter where he is working in the UK, he is always drawn back to his favourite place by the sea.

Shane, who turns 50 this year, said: “The town is very different from when I was here – there was a Kwik Save and the idea of having a McDonald’s seemed mad at the time.

“But at the same time it’s still the same place that’s warm, welcoming and has that youthful energy and I think that’s why we keep coming back.

“I know that when I come to Aber I may not be here for a long time, but I’m here for a good time.”