Description | Interview conducted by Chris Gethin.
00:00-00:40: Introduction
00:40-05:41: Why Battersea College? Spent short time at Havilland Aeronautical Technical School, but found it was too practical; too late then to start at Imperial College; found place at Battersea College to study Mechanical Engineering; compact campus, diverse student body
05:41-06:42: First Impressions of Battersea College: Porter at main door; close to Battersea Park; not crowded
06:42-11:08: Course: subjects were prescribed each year; full timetable; very organised and established; lectures of 10 students, small course; small but adequate laboratories; bought textbooks in Foyles bookshop
11:08-14:00: Battersea characters: Lionel Shreir, corrosion expert; internal and external students
14:00-18:03: Timetable and exams: Lectures during the day; small classes meant more discussion; examinations every year; results displayed outside Senate House; written examinations held at Imperial College
18:03-23:34: Industrial Placement: Work over summer for at least one month; Stewarts and Lloyds in Corby; damaged blast furnace; Battersea organised placements; Brian Wilkins
23:34-26:25: Doctoral Degree: offered unique project by lecturer, Lionel Shreir; corrosion protection; government funded
26:25-32:41: Socialising: gender imbalance; presentations to girls' colleges, Royal Holloway, Bedford, to encourage them to come to dances at Battersea; entertainment committee at University of London Union, chairman; President's Ball, Senate House; Queen Mother; squash with Tiny Davis
32:41-35:49: Battersea dances: Held in Great Hall; small entrance fee; run by students; student bouncers; dixie land music
35:49-37:09: Clothing: lounge suits; sweaters; girls in mini skirts
37:09-40:30: Studying: Edwin Tate Library, good place to study; flat in Prince of Wales Drive, not much room; ate on campus; commuted in first year from Mill Hill; most women were in halls
40:30-46:34: College rivalries: Chelsea Poly; Northampton College; stole mascots; writing on grass at Imperial College; chemical foam in fountains at Trafalgar Square, arrested
46:34-51:28: Romance: Busy studying; nursing college nearby; lots of au pairs in London; jazz clubs in Oxford Street and Piccadilly; gender segregated halls, bridge between buildings
51:28-57:31: Student demographic: Indians, Nigerians; Ghanaians round for Christmas; Arabs; Polish students, much older, ex-military, some lectures in Polish;
57:31-01:03:33: Graduation and beyond: Royal Albert Hall, Queen Mother; Derby Luminescence, gold mining and creating luminescent materials; taught evening classes at Battersea; American company, Lockheed, tried to recruit Lionel Shreir, he recommended Littauer; took job and stayed
01:03:33-01:09:34: Memories: Mike Banfield, Brian Wilkins; good food in Hotel and Catering restaurant; Sport, Squash with Tiny Davis, courts at University of London Union; wrote for student newspaper
01:09:41 - End |