| Level | Item |
| Ref No | RMB/72 |
| Title | Oral history interview with Mr Brian Wingate on 30 June 2015 |
| Date | 30 June 2015 |
| Extent | 1 wav file and 1 transcript |
| Name of Creator | University of Surrey, Alumni and Development Department |
| Akinsete, Rotini |
| Wingate, Brian |
| Description | Interview conducted by Rotini Akinsete.
00:00-00:40: Introduction
00:40-01:54: Why Battersea College? Post as student apprentice with Philips Electrical in Croydon; sponsored by company for four year sandwich course at Battersea College of Advanced Technology
01:54-04:30: Accommodation: recalls living at home in Morden and commuting by car; remembers most students on sandwich course had cars
04:30-06:33:: University education: discussion of value of university education; remembers desire to gain qualification for career progression
06:33-10:31: Why Philips Electrical? Followed father; remembers studying for Ordinary National Certificate at night school at Wimbledon College of Technology at start of apprenticeship; recalls good reputation of Battersea for engineering
10:31-13:03: Timetable: Describes full schedule of lectures with Wednesday afternoons free to write laboratory reports; recalls studying eleven different subjects
13:03-16:26: Course: Remembers class sizes and lecture theatres; describes how students specialised as course progressed; does not remember any female students, or international students, but recalls a mixture of ages
16:26-19:29: Romance: Explains number of female students due to Hotel & Catering course; remembers some romances; mentions student from Manchester with strong accent
19:29-22:31: Friends: Describes reunions with mechanical engineering students at Berni Inn, Wimbledon; recalls most of friendship group married during their year in industry
22:31-26:16: Lecturers: Mentions meeting mechanics lecturer at reunion; praises Donald Farley's teaching methods; description of text books donated to archives
26:16-28:38: Funding: Continued to receive apprenticeship salary from Philips to fund course; recalls most engineering students were on sandwich courses funded by companies, Shell, Imperial Chemical Industries
28:38-31:47: Spare Time: Describes using Wednesday afternoons to write laboratory reports; no time for socialising; mentions lunch with other students in The Eagle public house or Green Café
31:47-33:55: Photographs: Describes photograph of mechanical engineering students before final examination
33:55-36:57: Graduation: 1966 so graduated from University of Surrey; describes comparison to modern degrees
36:57-38:53: Move to Guildford: recalls seeing photographs of construction of new buildings; mentions reunions at Guildford campus
38:53-41:44: Changes to college: describes changes to demographic of students at University; mentions lack of female engineers
41:44-44:24: 1960s: discusses Football World Cup in 1966
44:24-55:43: After Graduation: Returned to employment with Philips Electrical as production engineer; describes new role with company owned by W&T Avery, then onto engineering role at Shell in Orpington; mentions buying house in Biggin Hill; describes length of employment at Shell and move into self employment creating fuel test kits for tankers
55:43-01:02:33: Opinion of Higher Education: praises value of Battersea education; discussion of need for engineers; mentions meeting up with former colleagues; recalls offer from Professor Zorach for academic post at University of Waterloo in Canada
01:02:33-01:05:32: Regrets: Offered job at Shell relating to fuel for Ferrari Formula One team;
01:05:32-01:09:55: Battersea Memories: mentions Green Café; describes returning to area, mentions fish and chip shop
01:09:55-01:10:53: Graduation: discussion of photograph of graduation day; recalls who was there
01:11:00 - End |
| Administrative History | Brian Wingate studied Mechanical Engineering at Battersea, graduating in 1966. |
| Language | English |
| Copyright | Copyright of the University of Surrey |
| Format | Audio |