| Description | Interview conducted by Jacqueline Wood.
No transcript was made of this recording.
00:00-00:44 - Introduction
00:44-05:40: Why Battersea? School in London; mentions apprenticeship after school with Lancashire Steel; mentions commute from home; recalls application and fees organised by Lancashire Steel; describes 5 year sandwich course; recalls degree compressed to fit 1966 grant of Charter; describes employment with Lancashire Steel before Battersea College
05:40-08:20: Industrial Placement: recalls lecturers found placements; mentions working with Pete Bayliss at Lancashire Steel, describes role timing moving scrap steel, mentions steel unions
08:20-09:45: Balance of academic work: 18 months before Battersea in industry; 6 months placements, January to June; employment with Lancashire Steel after graduation; returned to education as industry unionised; mentions Professor Jim Reed
09:45-11:30: Move to Guildford: Describes campus as building site, mentions mud; recalls catering was rudimentary; describes commute; remembers student accommodation was spread around Guildford; recalls student lifestyle and trips to Guildford Lido
11:30-15:38: Battersea College overcrowding: mentions Usk Road Annexe; recalls technical drawing classes at Falcon Road Annexe, converted swimming pool; hostels on Clapham Common; remembers construction of Ralph West Hall of Residence; mentions popularity of Battersea College for vocational courses; discusses rise in higher education, desire in Surrey county for a university; Battersea College integrated into University of London; mentions conversion of diploma in technology into masters degree when Battersea College gained charter
15:38-19:47: Teaching at Battersea College: remembers mostly laboratory work, chemical analysis, wet analysis, spark analysis; discusses make up of steel; recalls most teaching was spoken, without visual aids; mentions using punch cards to analyse data at University of Surrey during masters degree; mentions slide rules
19:47-24:27: Socialising: recalls owning car; lived in rented accommodation in second year, Camberwell; girlfriend who became wife was studying at Queen Mary College; year of 12 Metallurgy students; remembers Head of the Lake competition
24:27-32:11: Sports: Five-a-side football; mentions Streatham rugby club; Battersea rugby team, games on Wednesday afternoons, Merton sports grounds, meals in clubhouse after games; remembers 1966 national university championships, South East region qualifying group, article in Daily Telegraph about victory over Reading University, lost to University of Sussex at Crystal Palace stadium; spring 1965 rugby tour to Paris, watched France vs Wales international
32:11-34:42: Characters: Harry Brill Edwards, wealthy research student; Clive Roffey, president of Students' Union; Joe Mackowiak [Mackowiak?], fastidious Polish lecturer; John Thomas, strength of materials lecturer; Jim Reed, younger lecturer; Polish contingent, come over during World War II, Skopiak [Szkopiak?];
34:42-46:22: International Students: Mostly UK based, apart from Poles;
Teaching standards: Older lecturers, Ted Leach; keeping up to date with industry; Ken Ginsberg, lecturer found international placements for students;
Member of Metallurgical Society, guest lecturers; member of 1953 Club, informal group of alumni, arranged social events, IB was secretary, mentions Bob Walker, annual dinners and foreign trips;
Metallurgy Society Trip to Russia: describes final year trip to Sarajevo 1966, sailed from Tilbury, visited Leningrad and Moscow, only one technical visit allowed, watched opera in Kremlin, discusses surveillance; mentions Cold War
46:22-50:02: London in 1960s: Discusses modern stereotype, recalls students were still quite reserved; remembers parties with students in Putney, invitations sent to women's colleges; mentions The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Beatles; describes popularity of traditional jazz; remembers jazz balls and dances in Battersea Great Hall; mentions skiffle and folk music
50:02-53:42: Great Hall parties: recalls mixing between students from different London colleges, Imperial, Chelsea College; describes rivalry with Chelsea College, annual flour fight on Albert Bridge; University of London RAG week, drink dry Six Bells public house on Kings Road
53:42-55:48: Fashion: Miniskirts and tights, many female students made their own clothes; male students wore jeans, style was more relaxed than during 1950s; suits and ties at events
55:48-01:00:52: Gender mix on course: Remembers two or three girls in Metallurgy department, none on IB's course; recalls students mostly caucasian grammar school boys; describes company sponsors of students; remembers couple of Indian students; very little overseas recruitment, contrast with University of Surrey
01:00:52-01:07:44: Guildford Campus: Graduated from Battersea College in 1966, returned to University of Surrey in Autumn 1968; discussion of nationalisation of British steel industry; role as research assistant to John Bailey, on carbon fibres; liaison with companies in United States
01:07:44-01:11:30: After Guildford: Did not complete qualification; joined London Education Authority as careers advisor, course at Reading University on careers advice; IT manager in careers advice in London boroughs; Hoskins software for careers service; Hampshire local authority education department; discusses developments in computing
01:11:30-01:12:45: Graduation: Guests were mother and girlfriend; graduation ceremony in Main Hall, Battersea College; recalls two students left course, but had successful careers
01:12:45-01:18:05: Value of Battersea studies: describes feeling equipped for life; values the experiences offered; learnt time management, adaptable; learnt to appreciate everyone equally; recalls very few metallurgy students stayed in industry, considers why
01:18:05-01:20:30: Regrets: no regrets from student days; appreciates value of sponsorship; recalls birth of interest in metallurgy on school placement
01:20:30-01:26:25: Final memories: Remembers travelling in post office van owned by student sponsored by Ford Motor Company; describes Green Café, close to Battersea Main Building; mentions The Eagle public house and staff
01:26:25-01:28:06: Food: Mentions The Refectory; describes community at Battersea College; recalls relationship between Metallurgy and Hotel and Catering Course students
01:28:06-01:35:12: Romance: remembers relationships; recalls Battersea College was mostly male students, visiting girls from other colleges; metallurgy students mostly still married to Battersea College girlfriends; mentions Fred Starr, reunion annually, mentions Johnny Moore, academic at Colorado School of Minds
01:35:12 - End |