Last week, two members of the archive team graduated, amidst the splendour and joy that is the Bath Spa University Graduation Ceremonies. In a change from the usual venue of Newton Park, this year's event took place in the heart of the city, at Bath Abbey.
Over the years, a variety of settings have been used, each one being ideal for a time, before expediencies of organisation dictated a change. In the early days, there was no formal 'graduation' as such, but a summer event marking the culmination of studies took place in the grounds and buildings at Newton Park. This 'Commemoration Day' saw large scale drama productions (including a full medieval pageant on one or two occasions) as well as family picnics and displays of work.
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| Historic pageant for Commemoration Day, June 1963 |
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| Commemoration Day dance display by students, c.1950. |
In the 1980s, the Assembly Rooms in Bath were used for the event, but the growing number of students soon meant that the space was too small. The solution then was the huge marquee, on the lawn in front of Main House, which is where I first graduated (with the BA in History) in the Summer of 2011.
The marquee itself is vast, and accommodates a large stage, with steps at either side. Nerves, high heels or a combination of the two can make these steps seem like a mountain. The fashion for ever-higher heels has presented an even greater challenge in recent years, too.
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| Graduation at Newton Park, July 2011 |
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| Students take their places at one end of the marquee, July 2011 |
The backdrop of Newton Park makes these graduation ceremonies very memorable. Registration takes place in the Library, gowns are donned in the University Theatre, and family and friends can congregate around the refectory at Moreton (formerly the assembly hall)
Last Saturday, Bath Spa students, staff and families seemed to be everywhere in the centre of Bath. The Guildhall was a hive of activity for registration, gowning and official photographs. Downstairs, the Alumni Association were busy taking photographs to use in the alumni magazine. Students posed with a huge 'golden scroll', which was great fun. These pictures can be viewed through the Alumni Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/BathSpaUniversityAlumni?fref=ts
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| The Academic Procession, ready to enter Bath Abbey for the second (of eight) ceremonies on 19th and 20th July 2013 |
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| Jubilation from some of this year's graduating Master's students and their tutor. |
Walking over to the Abbey, capped and gowned certainly caused a stir. It was a lovely atmosphere, amongst the crowds in the Abbey Churchyard, and we raised the profile of the university as all sorts of people took photographs and watched everyone in their ceremonial glory. Some tourists asked to pose with groups of graduates! It was a joyous occasion all round.
The 1985 graduation was at Sion Hill with strawberries in tents on the lawns ! The retiring Principal, Norman Payne, sat on the Assembly Hall stage with tears in his eyes as the (then) Bath University degrees were awarded by their officers. The next week work began on gutting the building to accommodate the move of the art courses from Corsham, while the food-related courses moved to Newton Park.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sending these details murn1, its always good to hear as much detail as we can gather. I haven't heard about Graduations at Sion Hill up to now. I have a couple of pictures of the Assembly Room events, but they wouldn't upload when I was putting this week's blog together!
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Kate
My graduation ceremony was one of the 'tent on the lawn' ones - as some of us used to call it - in 1994. The mention of high heels causing problems reminded me of an extremely embarrassing moment: I suffer from an 'A' surname and there was only one person in front of me & I couldn't see the procedure from the side of the stage where I was standing. When it was my turn I headed straight across the stage, ignoring the out-stretched hand of the dean, towards the one familiar person I could see - Prof. Graham Davis (Then head of Irish Studies M.A & lecturer in under graduate Victorian & Irish history.) After two attempts, I actually managed to shake hands with the right person. Still makes me shudder! Grand day all the same, and the sun shone!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Pat. Oops, hope the rest of the day went smoothly!
ReplyDeleteProfessor Graham Davis has been to the archive office and had an oral history interview too. He had a host of stories and memories for us, but you'll be pleased to know this wasn't amongst them...
Good to hear from you.
Kate
We four DipHE Dress and Textiles students received our University of Bath accredited diplomas at the Bath College of Higher Education summer congregations at the Assembly Rooms on 2nd July 1986. After 27 years I have only just noticed that my diploma makes no mention of my subject of study but I have just found copies of the ceremony programme and Bath Univeristy Gazette which both list all the awards. A period of change for college - the home economics students had moved to Newton Park and left the upper floors of the main building vacant as the art school was still operating out of Corsham Court and Sydney Place, to move in the following year. The college refectory and kitchens moved to basement rooms in Somerset Place, the main hall was divided up into studios and some of the student and staff accommodation was sold off. The young ladies studying to teach that begun their BEd Dress & Textiles courses in 1985 were some of the last trained on that course as the national curriculum subsequently merged textiles studies in with "CDT" and "needlework" teachers either had to re-invent themselves as technologists or become extinct. http://daisymarmalade.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/college-days.html
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