Record

Ref NoUNI/SU/AD/1/1/1/32
Alt Ref NoC0001/32
Acc No2017/3
TitleTudor and Margaret Jones interviewed by Dr Sam Blaxland
DescriptionTrack 01 [01:16:08] Tudor Jones [TJ], born 1934 in Swansea, and Margaret Jones [MJ], born July 1934 in Swansea. TJ and MJ talk about Margaret’s father John Selwyn Caswell [JSC], a Professor of Engineering at Swansea University. MJ describes JSC’s childhood. TJ talks about JSC’s apprenticeship as a toolmaker and going to the Ebbw Vale Institute, a night school. TJ and MJ talk about JSC studying Engineering at Cardiff University and his involvement in the war effort. TJ and MJ talk about Professor Bacon, JSC’s mentor at Cardiff and later Professor of Engineering at Swansea University. [00:09:34] MJ talks about her happy childhood and JSC’s Methodist beliefs. [00:12:24] MJ talks about JSC’s involvement in sports at Cardiff University. [00:12:56] MJ describes JSC teaching her how to ride a bike. [00:14:08] MJ talks about visiting JSC at the university and watching his experiments as a child. MJ describes JSC’s positive relationships with students. MJ talks about JSC helping her with homework as a child. [00:20:48] MJ and TJ talk about the Department of Engineering and JSC’s colleagues, including Mr Fordham, Dr Rocky, Miss Murdoch and Dr Thomas. TJ describes the collegiate atmosphere across departments. TJ describes the artistic talents of Professor Bacon and Professor Stephen Williams [Professor of Welsh]. [00:25:41] MJ talks about her mother, who was a stay-at-home mother. MJ talks about her mother attending university dinner dances and other social events. MJ talks about the relationship between her parents and describes a poem which her father wrote for her mother. [00:28:20] TJ talks about JSC’s positive attitude towards war veteran students and JSC’s attitude regarding industry. [00:29:55] TJ talks about dating MJ and meeting her parents in 1953.[00:32:17] TJ and MJ talk about the London University Department of Engineering moving to Swansea during the war. TJ talks about the importance of engineering to the war. MJ talks about JSC’s duties as an air raid warden during the war and describes his research focused on improving steel production. [00:37:48] MJ and TJ talk about debates in the engineering community regarding the definition of fatigue. TJ describes a culture of mutual respect in the academic community and talks about the vibrant atmosphere at Swansea University in its early period. [00:43:01] MJ and TJ talk about JSC travelling outside of Swansea due to work, including Cardiff, London and Berlin. MJ and TJ describe JSC’s involvement in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London, the South Wales Institute of Engineers [SWIE] in Cardiff and in industry in South Wales in general. MJ and TJ talk about JSC’s trip to Berlin in 1937 as part of a SWIE delegation. [00:50:38] MJ and TJ describe their experiences during the bombings of Swansea in the Second World War. MJ talks about JSC’s air raid warden duty and TJ talks about his brothers fighting in Burma and the Middle East. MJ and TJ talk about their parents’ and their own attitudes to the war. MJ and TJ talk about American soldiers staying in Swansea and at TJ’s house. [00:59:30] MJ and TJ talk about JSC’s smoking habit and how he managed to quit. TJ and MJ discuss the temperance movement and the non-conformists’ acceptance of smoking tobacco. MJ and TJ talk about the adverse effect of smoking on the health of their fathers. [01:05:26] MJ and TJ talk about JSC’s retirement in 1961 and his presidency of SWIE. MJ and TJ describe JSC’s inaugural address and its representation in the press. MJ talks about JSC’s positive experiences during his career at Swansea University and his achievements. [01:09:00] MJ and TJ talk about MJ’s extended family in Ebbw Vale and their visits there. [01:16:08]
Date16 Aug 2017
Formataudio file WAV 16 bit 44.1 kHz 2-channel
Extent1 wav file. 1 hr 16 min
AccessConditionsAccessible to all researchers by appointment. Please note that some collections contain sensitive information and access may be restricted
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