| Description | Track 1 [01:24:25][Session One: 20th September 2019] Sheila Mary Richardson [SR] , born 23rd Aug 1929. Angela Skinner[AS], [SR]’s daughter, born 25th April 1965. Guy Nell [GN] born in January 1954 in Llandeilo and whose mother was a cousin of SR’s mum. Rhys Davies [RD], born 19thJuly 1954. [SR] Describes upbringing: only child, brought up in Sketty, went to school at St. Winnifred’s convent (which became Ffynone private school), Uplands, Swansea. Mentions Government Scheme, to educate ex- servicemen at Universities, was brought in after the war (1945). Comments on gaining entry into Swansea University [SU] at 17 years old as there was an excess of university places. [00:04:42] Describes her experience of the three night Blitz, 19th - 21st February 1941. Mentions father was a headmaster of St. Joseph’s School, Swansea and part of Home Guard who were trying to find a pattern to the German attacks on Swansea. Discusses air raids [00:09:27] Describes first impressions of SU in 1946. Remarks that there were only a few buildings on the SU campus. Comments metallurgy was the main course of study for the boys. Mentions social functions and big lectures held in the hall. Remarks on doing four subjects in first year: English, French, History and Philosophy. Remarks on having to be twenty one years old to graduate; to solve this irregularity, English degree finals were taken in year 3 and in year 4 French degree finals were taken, bringing SR to graduate age. [00:14:00] Describes studying English and French at SU. Remarks on France still feeling the effects of the World War Two which stopped exchange with French students. Comments on lecturers: Dr Garnet Rees, formidable and Millicent Pool, great character. Describes Professor Mary Williams. Describes being in a young Kingsley Amis’ [KA] tutorial group [00:21:10] Describes the impact the ex-servicemen had on day-to-day college life. [00:23:29] Story of incident at one of the hops. Mentions breaking some of the campus rules would warrant exclusion: smoking, playing cards, gambling and disorderly conduct. [00:29:00] Remarks on social events: dances at Mumbles Pier and comments on feeling safe. [0:30:30] Describes the RAG week activities and the general public interaction. [00:33:53] SR mentions strict curfews set by father and tells of how this affected further dates. Mentions visiting classmates at Beck Hall, Uplands. [00:35:23] Comments on Beck Hall being primitive and strict. [SR] Mentions friends, one staying at Beck hall had come from Sheffield and [GN ] remarks on SR being a contemporary of Mavis Nicholson (a television chat show host). Describes social life in SU; supporter of college rugby team, member of debating society and the secretary of the Catholic society. [0:45:27][GN] Describes how proud the family were of SR and [GN]’s mother would brag about it. [SR] Describes how SU was held in great respect and comments how lovely Singleton Park was and was widely used by Sketty locals. [00:51:27] [SR] Describes career as a teacher after SU with decision to become a teacher influenced by a government grant given to students going in for teaching. Remarks being a teacher for over forty years in primary school: 6 years in Swansea then Sutton, Surrey for 34 years. Describes freedom was main draw to leave Wales and family. Describes intrepid journey made from Wales to Surrey in Austin A40 car every half term and mentions it being a six hour journey on minor roads as no motorways then. [GN] Describes memories of [SR] began at six years of age: a Doris Day figure, young independent woman with a 1961 Austin A40, in sea green and mentions always had a box of smarties for him. [1:00:00] [RD] Remarks on the reasons for choosing Psychology to study in SU, in 1973-76. Discuss that it was a new subject at SU at this time. Comments on lectures held in maths lecture theatre D, new arts building and all over campus. Describes first year digs with young couple in Park Wern road, Sketty. Mentions one friend who was with him throughout all his educational years: from primary school through to University. Remarks on moving to Sibley Hall of Residence in second year as wanted to be on campus before getting a flat on St Helens Avenue in third year. Describes having dinners mainly in the refectory even though dinners were provided at Sibley. Describes briefly low key social life: which revolved around going to nightclubs with close knit group of friends and going to their local pub, the Cricketers. [1:10:51][RD] Mentions not exploring much either due to lack of transport but but visited beaches – heatwave 1976- Caswell. [01:11:24][AS] Describes visiting Swansea twice a year or more to family home in Sketty in the 1970s. Describes the nostalgia from their simple family UK holiday and comments on favourite outing being Mumbles pier and amusements. Discussion on Pier and the Singleton Park boating lake. Comments on the happy family memories have stemmed from SR’s love of the area. [1:18:28][GN] Comments on 1971/72 careers convention at Fulton house, SU. [SR] Mentions SU played a big part in the festival of Britain, 1951 and discusses it briefly. |