LevelItem
Ref NoRMB/42
TitleOral history interview with Dr David Pollard on 14 and 29 October 2015
Date14-29 October 2015
Extent2 wav files and 1 transcript
Name of CreatorUniversity of Surrey, Alumni and Development Department
Redrup, Kate
Pollard, David
DescriptionInterview conducted by Kate Redrup.

Part One
00:00-04:05: Introduction: recalls National Council for Technological Awards converted diplomas into Bachelors of Science degrees; mentions Brian Ayre; Pete Knightfoot; describes entry requirements for short courses;

04:05-05:11: Course: first year engineers taught together; Mr Mann, head of electrical engineering; Bill Peck, head of civil and mechanical engineering; Struan Robertson, deputy head

05:11-07:19: Apprenticeship: describes placement at College of Aeronautics, Cranfield, completing Higher National Diploma by day release; mentions laboratory technicians;

07:19-12:10: Why Battersea College? describes thin and thick sandwich courses; recalls rivalry between Battersea and Chelsea Colleges, mascot Oscar the penguin; mentions The Eagle and The Grove public houses

12:10-14:26: First Impressions of Battersea Colleges: remembers mixture of students from across the Commonwealth; recalls reputation for good teaching; Russell Tailby, head of department; Mike Banfield, president of Student Union

14:26-17:51: Teaching methods: Lectures and practicals; some taught together with London degree cohort of engineers; physics lectures with Stokes Scobie; recalls workshop technology module; Edward Deere, principal lecturer; Margaret Westwood, liberal studies

17:51-21:48: Facilities: describes laboratories and class rooms; mentions extensions built in 1955; recalls laboratories at Polish University College in Putney in old swimming pool; describes food in The Refectory;

21:48-24:26: Teaching styles: Formal, didactic; many staff at Battersea had written books, Peck, Lowry, Hayden; taught by Polish lecturer, Sidowski, and Harold Miller; remembers separate students' union representative for Putney students;

24:26-27:18: Doctoral Degree: saw job advert for a lecturer at Battersea College; lectured at the university until 2001

27:18-33:01: Student Life: sports, hockey; dances on Saturday nights, at Battersea College or another local college; recalls proximity of teacher training colleges, Southlands, Whitelands, Goldsmiths; remembers hockey on Saturday afternoons, Merton, University of London Hockey Championships 1959; lots of commonwealth players, Indian, Pakistani; Steve Guttman; Barley and Sunny Ponnappa, Indian Gymkhana; played against other London colleges; mentions role as secretary of hockey club

33:01-41:56: Sports Chairman: mentions Tony Freeman, treasurer of Students' Union; Alec Reed, president; Jill Garvey, vice president; Mike Palmer, arts chairman; describes International Evening, Indians, Pakistanis, Africans, Poles; lots of Polish staff in Putney, Komotoft, Belinski [Bilinski?], , Kolosoff, Kolosowsky [Kolosowski?]; Alex Hannam; recalls visit from Mayor of Battersea, with Dr West, principal; mentions dispute about workload on committee, Mike Clark brought in to make peace;

41:56-46:41: Debate concerning Wednesday afternoons for sport: recalls no licence for alcohol at Merton grounds; recalls sports kits and transport supplied by union; remembers securing Wednesday afternoons for sport and a limited alcohol license at Merton

46:41-49:59: Sport, hockey: tournament in 1957-8; Archie Hendrekes, rugby player for Streatham; Richard Constable, England hockey player;
Industrial placement: sandwich courses; Dr West, academics found industrial placements; Don Marta, tutor for industrial training; Associateship of Battersea;

49:59-52:30: Industrial Placement: Sandwich course introduced for other students;
Students' Union: Formed union of other colleges of technology across UK; Mad Hatter's Ball; Troglodyte Night, Steve Guttman, Mike Banfield

52:30-59:27 Entertainment: Mike Banfield, Robin Charmers; boating on Battersea lake; rowing race on river; RAG Week; practical test of university boiler for mechanical engineers; mascots; College of Domestic Science; recalls dance at Firsdown;

59:27-01:02:27: College of Domestic Science: Some teaching with Hotel and Catering Department at Battersea; Don Marta, Thermodynamicist, taught on course about cookers;
Liberal studies lectures on Wednesdays: visiting lecturers; John Hunt, mountaineer; Alec Issigonis, car designer;

01:02:27-01:06:56: Memorable characters: Don Marta, thermodynamics; Bill Peck, head of department; Mr Mann, consultant for Southern Railway; Struan Robertson, deputy head of mechanical engineering; Dickie Fendrick [Fendrich?]; Polish staff members, Komtaft, materials, Balinski [Bilinski?], internal combustion engine design;

01:06:56-01:11:37: Returned as member of staff: Based at Putney with Polish staff: Komtaft, pilot in Polish Air Force, wife and family still in Poland; Joe Balinski [Bilinski?], spent time in concentration camp; Kolosofsky [Kolosowski?]; Nagiefsky, civil engineering; Frank Fricke; Ziegrief

01:11:37-01:18:48: Becoming a lecturer: adapting to calling lecturers by first names; recalls using Wednesday afternoons for research; mentions preparing lectures outside of classroom; Zachak, reader; taught tutorials with Dickie Fendrick [Fendrich?]; describes staff common room; recalls relationship with staff from different departments, Rick Medlik

01:18:48-01:25:48: Move to Guildford: describes additional annexes; mentions suggested sites, Croydon Airport, Stevenage, Bracknell, Guildford; remembers contest between Battersea and Chelsea to move first; mentions Peter Leggett, been at college with Bishop George Reindorp; Mike Clark; describes process of move; describes catering in a tent; recalls Brigadier Rush, bursar, ensured there was a bar in Senate House

01:25:48-01:32:20: Teaching in Guildford: started in September 1968; moved with Sam House; based in AC building, recalls staff sharing offices; mentions great optimism; describes competition between Battersea staff and new staff hired for University of Surrey; changes to contracts and interviews about new posts with Bill Carnegie, Joe Zarrack and Peter Leggett

01:32:21 - End

Part Two
00:00-00:02: Introduction

00:02-06:47: Industrial Placements: Diploma in Technology, designed to include period of industrial training, together with courses on liberal studies, law and industrial administration; describes thin and thick sandwich courses; recalls studying for Higher National diploma on day release from five year apprenticeship; recalls assistant lecturers given six hours a week to do research; began teaching students on sandwich courses

06:47-13:06: Time in industry: students had six months industrial placements; Hotel and Catering students began year in industry from Easter holidays; mentions sponsored students; Dr West, ensured everyone could have a placement; describes subjects taught; balance between teaching and research

13:06-21:08: Research topic: Supersonic aerodynamics; jump jets; grant from Department for Scientific and Industrial Research; recalls focus on planning new laboratories instead; remembers mechanical engineers, civil engineers and metallurgists moved to Guildford in September 1968; two tutors, Don Marta, Don Mattison, RM Davis; taught to both civil and mechanical engineering students; PEM modules (physics, electronics and mathematics) and communication skills modules

21:08-27:24: Visiting students on industrial placements: Shell Haven refinery; recalls efforts to encourage companies to sponsor students; atomic energy site, Warrington; Dounreay power station, Scotland; British Steel sponsored lots of students; creation of body to deal with sandwich courses

27:24-44:49: Sandwich Courses: University Committee for Integrated Sandwich courses; university found placements, students kept record of them; visited students on their placements; Industrial Tutors' Forum; Industrial Training Committee; John Bailey, Ken Stevens; Tony Kelly; students speaking to university council to promote placements; international placements; Sarah Arbour, psychology, survey of students on placements

44:49-51:07: Professional training in other departments: Performing Arts, Dance, Drama; June Laison; Royal Ballet School; John Baynon; Glynis Breakwell; introduced three year courses without placement for foreign students; consideration of cost of industrial placements

51:07-58:34: Recruitment: recalls companies visited looking for students; changed name to professional training year; Patrick Dowling; Andy Simons

58:34-01:02:17: Changes to course structure: Modules and credits; trip to America to see their university staff courses; move semester start back to September; reading weeks to match half terms

01:02:17-01:05:18: Promotion: Senior lecturer and chairman of the Professional Training Committee; interview with Vice Chancellor for University Director post; John Lamb; Mike Gorringe; Paul Smith

01:05:18-01:11:54: New courses: Peter Butterworth, Glynis Breakwell, Vice Chancellors, requested new courses; aerospace; market research of a level students; CV Tonkins; accreditation for engineering courses

01:11:54-01:21:04: Retirement: course for new lecturers; Ken Stevens; Centre for Education; Louis Elton started course to train lecturers to teach; discussion about fees, introduced after retirement; Gwen Brown, Malaysian students, Chinese staff members, South America

01:21:07 - End
Administrative HistoryDr David Pollard graduated from Battersea Polytechnic in 1959 with a Diploma in Technology, Mechanical Engineering.
LanguageEnglish
CopyrightCopyright of the University of Surrey
FormatAudio
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