| Description | Track 1[0:81:12][Session One: 2 September 2017] David Snoswell [DS], born in 1946 [Limpsefield, Kent?] was adopted in 1949 and grew up in Brixton, south London. Linda Snoswell [LS] was born in Wokingham, Berkshire in 1948. [LS] Describes reasons for coming to Swansea University [SU] to do Social Science degree and mentions SU was only university that offered the breadth of study in the first year. DS comments on his early interest in mending bikes and train sets together with a poster by Shell which encouraged him to take Electrical Engineering. Comments that one attraction to studying at SU was the good climbing locally but also praises the Engineering department for being progressive. [DS] Mentions Duke of Edinburgh awards. [0:04:00][LS] Describes first impression of Swansea, the magnificence of College house, the views over Swansea bay and grand entrance. Mentions the halls of residence were brand new. Perfect first impressions were only marred by the weather. [DS] describes his arrival at Swansea travelling via the newly constructed Heads of the Valley route on his pink Lambretta. Compares landscape of Glynneath and its coal tips to books read, How green is my valley and the Hosts of Rebecca. [DS] Mentions arrival at digs in Sketty Park avenue was like arriving in heaven. Discuss the bleak, de-industrialised land, seen on arrival to Swansea by train. [LS] Describes train journeys in 1960’s, where trunks would be packed and sent on several days ahead. [DS] Describes Port Talbot’s glowing furnaces. Describes meeting LS at SU: at the pyjama dance held at Llanelli Ballroom with its sprung dance floor, during rag week at SU in 1968. [DS] mentions being in SU for three and a half years before meeting Linda who had just started in SU. [LS] Remarks on DS’s popularity, being a key figure in the student Union. [0:08:32] [DS] Describes initial digs and the lack of food leading to move to Ma Smith’s digs in King Edward road with grocery shop on ground floor. Description of landlord Ma Smith and her husband who worked for Swansea Glass. [0:09:23] Story of meal provided by the landlady and the unusual layout of the bathroom? Comments how the Brynmill area looks gentrified today compared to how it looked in the 1960’s and suggests a reason for this being students expectations are higher. [LS] comments on the Mary Williams’ hall of residence, run by Dr Elizabeth Rhodes and mentions that it was basic: no en-suite facilities, a shared bath instead of showers and rows of sinks. Comments gowns were worn for meals and a bell rung at 10pm to signal the end of visiting hours. Permission was needed to stay out until 12 o’clock. [0:13:41] Story of one night not complying with the Mary Williams’ hall of residence rules after going to a party in Bishopston and having a motor bike accident. [0:15:50] [DS] comments on busy university social life: mountaineering club, harriers, mid-week league football, Asian society, believing University wasn’t only about furthering your studies but broadening your outlook on life. [0:16:28] Describes being part of the mountaineering society in SU and Gower climbing in an age when Joe Brown, internationally renowned climber and advocate of climbing, was living in Wales. Mentions the mountaineering club whilst open to the hard men that would do climbs, was also open for people interested in the flora and fauna of the mountains, resulting in two coachloads visiting north Wales to stay and experience the mountains. Comments the Exploration society was an offshoot of the Mountaineering club, describing their expeditions; Czechoslovakia- the high Tatras, climbing on Kurdistan- Afghanistan border. [0:18:37] Adventurous story of hostile Kurdistan-Afghanistan border area, 1970 and near- death experiences. Describes the unfit for purpose vehicles that took them to these remote and far flung climbing areas and the mechanical knowledge needed to repair them. Comments on time allocated to climbing were Wednesday sport afternoon, occasional day excursions to Ystradfellte (Upper part of Neath Valley) and some mountaineering weekends in either North Wales or the Lake District. [LS] mentions that the big exploration society expeditions took place during DS’s research years. [DS] Comments on other interests in undergraduate years were attending some political meetings and training with the Harriers second team which had a regular fixture list in autumn and spring terms. Mentions ran a dozen marathons later in his life. Mentions attending the enjoyable Saturday course: German for engineers and scientists. Mentions remembering Ian Paisley and Harold Wilson giving talks at SU and laughs at folk club and some of the experimental film nights’ which had some disastrous film choices. [0:24:00] [DS] Comments on the Ethnic and racial mix of students back in the 1960’s. [LS] describes being busy socially having a big group of girls friends and going out to the theatre, drinking in the Antelope and George pubs, Mumbles and going to mountaineering social events with DS, but not actually being part of any societies. Mentions having a reunion with this group of girls 48years on. Comments on being a second year representative on student council partly due to being an ex-head girl, being organised and liking everything to run smoothly. Mentions her group of mates played an integral part in campaigning and getting her voted in. [0:28:54] [LS][DS] Discussion on costs of drinks and nights out during the 1960’s and give examples. [0:30:00] [DS] Humorous Story of picking up a curry from Anglo-Alsation [Anglo-Asian] on St. Helen’s road, Swansea. [0:31:14][LS] Description of their first date at the Berni Inn in Swansea, ordering rump steak and chips. [DS] remarks that he had grant from South Eastern Electricity Board and hence a little more money. [0:33:14] Describes the pyjama party during Rag week at the Glen ballroom, Llanelli and the unsuitable outfits. Discussion of merits of going away to university and how this has changed over the years due to financial considerations. [DS] Mentions in 1964 there were 900 students in SU which meant more integration and highlights rag week as being an event that was fully subscribed to. Remarks on everyone taking part in the pram race and describes the event. [0:38:49] [DS] Mentions how students from the mountaineering club climbed up onto the Severn Bridge to put up a banner advertising Swansea Rag week resulting in Police fines. [0:40:00] [DS] Describes degree course; how many students, year by year breakdown of course, long days- lectures in the morning and practicals in the afternoon. Mentions notable lecturers: professor Gosling who invented the film control transistor, Peter Arnot. and Dickie Dunmore, who died early at 45. [0:45:20] [LS] describes her busy first year timetable of 6 subjects before doing Statistics and Economics in second year which involved less writing. Mentions Economics department was in new arts building where library is now. [0:48:16] Describes the swinging sixties in Swansea and admits pace slower in Swansea. [0:50:22] Comments on protest of students blocking the mumbles road in order to get a bridge constructed for public safety.[DS] Mentions part of learning was this testing of views, not staying in your room but being part of a mob, believing in your ideals and having your views altered. Comments that it was a time of a social revolution. [0:55:31] Story of visiting basketball team from (Selina), Czechoslovakia who invited SU exploration society to climb in the high Tatras. Mentions the trip was an education in a time of the Cold War. Mentions Jan Palach? in Wenceslas Square, Prague. [LS] Mentions monitory changes -devalued the pound in UK disappointingly not covered in the Economics degree and blames a rigid syllabus.[DS] Mentions Invitation to Vice principals house in Fairwood. This was a time where the student voice was gathering pace and to keep the status-quo, the staff tried to be flexible with the students. [1:01:48][LS][DS] Describe the Welsh-ness of the SU as being many Welsh students but not many first language Welsh speakers. [LS] Comments on half of her group of eight friends were from Wales. [DS] Remarks that was attracted to the language and choir culture and mentions north Wales felt less welcoming. [LS] describes loving the Swansea market and the stalls. [DS] comments on Welsh-ness more noticeable in Bangor, north Wales where he did his PGCE later. [LS] Comments on trips to Swansea on Saturdays and mentions the pantry in Mary Williams Halls which could accommodate provisions. [LS] Mentions lived in Mumbles in 2nd year with friends. Remarks that living together boyfriend –girlfriend was frowned upon and mentions a few of their friends already in a relationship, got married so that they could live together during university. [1:09:30] [DS] Mentions the University expected formal dress on campus although reality was different. [1:11:28] Both comment on further study at SU after both getting first degrees, [LS] did a job as tutorial assistant in stats department whilst doing her masters however doing both was to the detriment of her masters which never got written up, after which worked for Ford for one year. Mentions then went into teaching. [DS] Mentions being called back from climbing up in Skye and offered a research post to continue his undergraduate work after his achievement on getting a first. Remarks on further progression: from MSc to PhD, with some financial help from a one term scholarship from the Swansea Valley Copper Smelting Trust. Remarks on his varied career: from Army officer after being attracted to a planned expedition to Everest, to doing a commercial outdoor pursuits job which was exhausting with a young family, before teacher training at Bangor university which led to running a large comprehensive in Birmingham. Mentions setting up a guest house in St.Ives after teaching. [1:17:50] Discuss fond memories of coming to SU: [LS] remarks it was the making of her whilst [DS] comments that Swansea is a very significant place in his life, giving him a career and a love of the outdoors. |