| Description | Track 1 [01:25:13][Session One: 3rd September 2017] Rob Slater [RS] born Congleton, Cheshire in 1942. RS mentions dad was a silk weaver in Macclesfield and mum was a cook, making school dinners. Sandy Slater [SS] was born 1st November 1944 in Bolton and mentions dad was serving in the Navy whilst mum worked in the Cooperative group in Bolton as part of the war effort. Both comment on working class backgrounds. [SS] remarks that she was the first person in her family to go to Grammar school and onto Higher education. [RS] Remarks on father’s war efforts working in a munitions factory in Euxton near Chorley. Story of RS’s dad cycling the 40 plus miles to work for the week, coming home at weekends and would play cards to make extra money. [RS] Describes his schooling. Remarks on getting eight o levels and Physics, Chemistry and Biology at A level whilst at Kings School (grammar school), Macclesfield. [RS] mentions potato picking job during half terms. [RS] Commented on working in local government for 2 years whilst doing an Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) Remarks that achieving ONC enabled access to University. Mentions that Welsh Universities would take an ONC as an alternative to a language for entry at that time (in early 1960’s). [RS] Comments on that’s why he applied to Swansea University to do Civil Engineering [00:07:25] [RS] Describes the interview for a place at Swansea University [SU]. Comments on good interview technique. Mentions having a grant which covered all living costs associated with University life and even funded running a car (1952 Austin Devon). [00:09:13] [RB] Describes being at Neuadd Lewis Jones Hall. Comments on pros and cons of living in halls. [00:10:52] Describes first impressions of Swansea in 1963 and mentions car was sent (from Lewis Jones Hall) to collect RS from station. [RS] Describes doing a foundation or “Inters” year in maths before embarking on civil engineering degree course. Story of Freshers meeting and having “the Bogies” (the college band) play. [00:12:41] Describes “the Bogies” as a wonderful college group playing “Rock and Roll”. and covers of Buddy Holly music. [SS] Describes her early days at the teacher training college, Bradford which was comparable to a finishing school. [00:14:17] Comments on meals provided during the day at the training college. [RS] [00:16:00] Describes dinner time at Lewis Jones Hall at 6:30pm. Mentions sitting by Jonathon Quelch(?) and Jeff Phillips. Describes the course setup being general engineering in first year of degree course. Describes Civil engineering course and mentions tutor Professor Zienkiewicz. Describes how computing made up part of course and how basic they were in the 1960’s. [00:22:01] Comments on being like a sandwich course as returned to Local Authority doing drainage work during the summer break from College. [00:23:10] Story about purchasing a new Morris 1000 Traveller. Comments on doing MSc in strength and materials with Jeff Hollister. Comments on Professor Zienkiewicz and on college size of 2500 students in 1963 and many went home at weekends as they lived locally. [SS] [00:27:11] Describes the teacher training college (also called Margaret McMillan* training college) in Bradford: where the students came from, the principal’s influence and control. [SS] Describes progression through her school life until starting her teaching career. Mentions “January entry” colleges. [0:30:10] Discussion about eviction times from halls of residence. [RS] [00:33:06] Description of social life at SU, RS together with some friends started up the Folk club in 1963. Mentions that it was the biggest club by the end of 1963 having 500 members. Comments that the Folk element was strong across the country at that time. [SS] agrees with RS and mentions that she was president of the Folk Club at her teacher training college. [0:36:57] Comments on benefit of such a large student membership were that funds were available to have really good guests: such as Ian Cambell Folk Group, Martin Carton, Dave Swarbrick, Diz Disely, the Arkansaw Travellers, Al Stewart and Simon And Art Garfunkel. Mentions putting up Al Stewart in his caravan in Southgate, Swansea when he played at SU. Comments that some of the guests would stay with Folk club organisers when they played at SU. Comments that in RAG week a concert would be organised and held at the Brangwyn Hall. [RS][00 39:22] Describes importance of RAG week as a charity fund raiser and other events that took place such as parades through town on decorated lorries, people lining streets and throwing money, pram race between SU and Cardiff, selling of RAG magazines. Describes how “swinging sixties” wasn’t felt in SU whilst he was there, maybe because it was too early. [00:47:22] Describes the time as being more of a “pipe and slippers” era. Describes time at SU was part of a changing social scene to that of parent’s generation but maybe not as radical as was happening in London. [SS] [00:51:47] Describes her changing social scene up in Bradford which was similar to Swansea, however she was involved more politically. Mentions Jack straw was NUS president at that time. [RS] Mentions not interested in political activism and wasn’t aware of any going on during time at SU. Discussion on few differences in social life back home to SU. Comments on more ethnic diversity to student body in SU. Tells anecdote about haggling for a coat in a shop in Swansea in 1960’s. [SS] Describes influx of Indian and Pakistan families during the 1960’s who had been invited to take up positions in Britain’s mills and health service and how that translated into her early teaching practise. [SS] Comments on diverse make up of population in Bradford. Mentions smallpox outbreak. [RS] [01:00:23] Describes living in (Eastcliff), Southgate, Gower for 2 years whilst at SU. Comments on Mrs Jenkins landlady. Story of help from Mr Jenkins during RS’s car breakdown. Description of renting the caravan in Mrs Jenkins’ garden. Mentions caravan had 2 double rooms and a television where they watched the “moon landing”. [01:06:30] Comments on English being spoken although Welsh culture prevailed at SU. Mentions and sings welsh song “Oes Gavaretto”. [SS] Describes running a Welsh culture group in Malvern, started by U3A with 120 members. [RS] Mentions Welsh culture experienced in student days in Swansea and comments on Vernon Watkins living at Southgate. Mentions having many books on Gower by the Gower Society. [01:11:37] Describes after getting MSc at SU, more association with consultants and got a job with Binnie and Partners in London. Describes working on a project in Strathclyde Park, Scotland for four months in 1970’s, diverting the River Clyde to form a big lake for recreational use. Comments on lake fed by a tributary, South Calder which was very polluted. Story about amphibious vehicles and Land Rover getting stuck in the boggy ground. Describes another project taking two months in Lancashire involving raising the level of a Victorian earth dam. Comments on taking a deputy engineer / surveyor job with a local authority in Upton-Upon-Severn, Worcestershire in 1973 due to dislike of working in London. Comments on the beneficial financial outcome of merger between 5 local councils in 1974 and getting a job looking after parks, refuse, and sewers. Remarks on retiring in 1998 to become a magician. Comments on lifetime connection to entertainment which began in SU. Comments on equal importance socially and educationally for himself. Story of Billy Connolly and the Humblebums playing at SU. Final comment on SU as “wonderful”. [01:22:47] SS prompts RS to comment on helping at Aberfan whilst at SU. |