| Description | Track 1 [00:42:07] [Session one: 4 June 2018] George Truscott [GT], born Bargoed, Rhumney Valley, 1939. Describes parents’ work - shopkeeper, colliery worker. Explains decision to attend Bargoed Grammar School, not the ‘better’ Lewis School, Pengam; states GT only pupil to go to university. GT’s war memories - vague, remembers hiding under table with mother. Briefly describes upbringing and relative affluence of family; talks amusingly about working in mother’s clothes shop, story of trips to Cardiff. Remarks on why chose chemistry at university; story about chemistry teachers teaching methods. [00:05:33] GT briefly explains deciding on Swansea University [SU]. Talks about decision to live in a house with a landlady. Remembers Swansea as a friendly place, made friends quickly. Describes living in a house the Uplands, Swansea (Hawthorn Avenue); talks fondly of landlady Mrs Nye; how she ‘looked after’ them, stayed 3 years from 1958, remembers housemates and other long standing friends from SU – not named. [00:10:13] GT describes chemistry class, size and close relationship of staff and students; tells anecdote about an experiment. Briefly discusses how different genders were treated in Chemistry Department [CD]; states relative numbers of each, subjects taken, academic abilities. Describes CD prefabricated sheds. Moved to new chemistry building during his final Honours year; brief description of the building (also mentions ‘Union’ building) and experience there as PhD student – tells amusing anecdote. GT remembers small, relatively young CD staff; remarks on Derek Long (GT’s PhD supervisor), Cedric Hassell (Head of CD), Geoffrey Stedman and Dr Summers [sp?] -comments on health and safety. GT describes a typical week’s timetable; amusing anecdote involving physics teacher - Frank Llewellyn-Jones. Comments briefly on relationship between staff and students. [00:21:01] GT briefly remarks on memory of SU’s growth during his time - compares class size, undergraduate education standards, PhD timescales, with University of Minnesota, America (GT did Post Doc there). Briefly describes demographics of chemistry students, comments on numbers of Welsh speakers in SU -compares with Aberystwyth. [00:24:33] GT describes social life at SU; stories about bridge playing, practical jokes – tells anecdote, pubs visited, memories of the Mumbles Railway, discusses the Student Union house in the Uplands, and briefly remembers the new Union on campus. Talks about meeting his wife, mentions a flat in Maple Grove. Briefly remarks on social scene and girlfriends, mentions renting a house in Southgate, Swansea, as a PhD student. No memory of SU outreach activities. Briefly discusses politics - personal and other students, mentions Welsh Nationalism. [00:35:16] Explains decision to do a PhD; brief remarks on ease of finding work as a chemistry graduate, applying for jobs – mentions 3M, Swansea; comments on his supervisor Derek Long’s tutoring. GT explains his PhD research into peptides, comments on papers published – tells amusing anecdote. Briefly describes teaching duties as PhD student, mentions he taught Dame Jean Thomas and James Barber. GT did PhD 1961-64. [Interview briefly stopped]
Track 2 [00:09:41] [Session one: 4th June 2018] GT comments on his musical interests as a student – humorous anecdote about trip to see Benny Goodman Orchestra in Cardiff. Further describes engagement, marriage and being married to a PhD student. Comments on not believing he would become an academic. Explains decision to do a post doc in America. Describes his post doc experience and research – photochemistry, also mentions high radiation chemistry and studying carotenoids. Remarks on consultancy work for sunscreen and hair companies – tells story involving L’Oréal and Johnson & Johnson. Remarks on current research work with a German dermatologist, and on biological medical emphasis to his own career. [00:06:50] Long description of his career post doc – mentions Margaret Thatcher (nee Roberts) and J. Lyons & Co. Briefly remarks on European and American scientific colleagues. |