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How
the World Changed: Manchester 1962-1966 and Our Reunions
Most of us started in Manchester
in October 1962 following the four year BA in Town and Country
Planning. The first photo of our year as far as I know is
in March? 1963, outside the Law Faculty Building
after one of our lectures on "English Law". Remember
that these were the days when we all took 'slides' and when
we took black and white photos, they were probably from some
Kodak 'Brownie' camera. This one certainly looks like it.
In fact Ross tells me it is and he took it - he is not on
the photo. He tells me it might have been late 1962? He is
probably right because Stu Wilton, next to me, next to back
row on far right, quit a little after Xmas 1962 so he was
still attending lectures then. December 1962
is our best guess. Marilyn isn't there, Duncan isn't there,
and Janet is hidden. On the back of the photo, Sue Batty (ne
Howell) has written this caption.
As far as we can tell, the next picture we have is also from
Ross and it is from the Easter 1963 field course
to the Norfolk coast (Norwich). A picture further down shows
us all also on the beach and my thinking was that this was
Norfolk too but maybe that was the Exeter field course. Anyway
below from left to right, we have Edwin, Terry, Ross, Kofi,
Linda, and Marilyn, and Diane (Hill), and probably the picture
on the right is in the same place - Judy, John and Awogbemi.
Below this is Sue and Hilary with Christine.
Ross tells me that some time in 1963-1964, the planning society
had a "Hike to Hayfield". And here is a picture
of some of our year. Apparently the one sprawled out is Keith
Nix from the next year up, and of us, there is Ross, Linda
(?), Judith, and Terry.
Next, a great one of "The Girls" - not my caption
for God's sake but Ross's from his photo album, and it is
a long time ago - 41 years ago in fact, so forgive him for
this non-pc term. This is Easter 1964 on the
Winchester field course. Another from Ross next to this is
of Duncan, Mick and Terry in Salisbury - as is the location
for the "The Girls".
And then at Easter 1965, we went to Exeter for our field
course, yet another 'cathedral town'. A contrast to Manchester
and its slum clearance programme that was in full swing by
then. Here is one taken at Lynmouth on the sea wall defences.
I have also found a picture of us I think at the same time.
Maybe the same day. I think now that it is also at Lynmouth
but I have never been back. I did think that it was from Norfolk
in April 1963, somewhere like Cromer on the
beach? But I think it must be Devon. Note that only Edwin
could throw stones into the sea wearing a tie! Only kidding
Edwin, we all wore them. And next to this is a picture of
four of us - me, John, Marilyn and Christine - in Devon -
Dawlish or somewhere - same time. Easy to check as John is
still wearing his cardigan and I have a sports jacket and
black jeans, Ugh! Surprising that we all wore 'black' in the
60s (It's the camera really). Look like we are about the take
over the town. It's those sunglasses, John!
It began to get serious in 1965-1966 in our last year. Here
below are most of us - in a pub in Canterbury - in April
1966 where we undertook a one week design 'exam' redesigning
Ashford as a new town. No Ross - he must still have had his
Brownie and be the photographer. Photo hasn't improved either.
No Janet. No Kofe and no Awogbemi.
Graduation
July 1966
We all
finished in June 1966 and here below is a picture
of George Chadwick and Ron Mould, our lecturers, in the staff
common room of the Humanities Building where we were invited
for a glass of something on our last day in 1966. Janet Whitehead
is in the picture, back to us, and in the very distant background
is possibly me, and Linda and ....?
And then
there was graduation itself. The day was Friday, 8th July,
1966, the time of your graduation ceremony was 3.30 pm. Let
the pictures speak for themselves.....
And there are other pictures we all have but mine and Ross's
so far are more indulgent. One of the Department football
team in 1966 I think and one of the representatives of Manchester
at the first meeting of the Association of Student Planners
in 1965. Click
here for all those photos.
And After .......
We departed, many for swinging London and the GLC ..... remember
this was 1966! height of Beatles and Rolling Stones, of which
there were more than echos in our own year! see here
and the photo.
England won the World Cup on July 30th, three weeks after
the pictures were taken above. I wonder if we will win the
world cup again. By the time we meet, we will know who has
won it as it will be held 40 years and 1 day after we graduated.
20 Year Reunion Manchester December 1986
We met
20 years later in Manchester, not in July but in December.
Many of us came. We had dinner in a Chinese restaurant, I
think, somewhere off Portland Street. The Prof ('Pro K') was
there and so was 'Rural Robbo' - Prof. Robinson. Here are
two pictures with Prof K in both and Robbo at the far right.
 
30 Year Reunion Bath July 1996 or was in July 1997?
We met
30 or was it 31 years on ... in Bath for reasons that I don't
quite understand? We had dinner at the 'The Moon and Sixpence'.
I did have a photo of this with us all but have temporarily
mislaid it. It may be in my house in Bath but someone is living
there at the moment and I can't get access. Help me out here
folks and send me the picture - we all have it - send me a
scanned copy.
One
was supplied within two minutes of me telling you of this
site - oh the power of the net! - supplied by Pete Bentham-Hill
(at 6pm,June 5th 2006) and I've asked him for one with a better
res if he can do it. But here it is to show we did meet in
Bath. It's not bad.
And
so to Manchester 40 years on ............
We will
meet in Manchester on July 15th-16th 2006. I 'think' it might
be exactly 40 years to that Saturday from the day we actually
graduated. I don't know but have asked the alumni office about
the date. The office told me we graduated on Friday, 8th July,
1966 at 3.30 pm, not quite the nice symmetry that I would
have liked and we didn't win the world cup either, but life
is not symmetric, not enough anyway!
Links:
The Department
Now
The
Department's 50th Anniversary
Manchester University
Now
Manchester University
Alumni Office
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