New Student, New Discoveries!

I have just started my third and final year of my undergraduate degree at Bath Spa University. This is also my first year of working in the Bath Spa Archive.

Acts of Parliament. Photo by Lisa Coomes

The main reason why this placement interested me is because it would allow me to use the skills I have learnt in an actual historical project and to learn more about the history of my university. Since starting in the archive I have been cataloguing books we have received from the Bath Record Office, mainly Acts of Parliament. The process of cataloguing I have heard mentioned many times in lectures but have never thought of the actual process you have to go through. As we were not a 100% sure what we had received and the condition of each item, I had to look at each book individually and note it all down. Whilst doing this I found interesting this inside the books such as an envelope with a stamp from 1950 with a stamp of George VI.  I found this really exciting as I don't think I have ever seen another monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II on a stamp before. At the end of the last session in the archive, I started putting it all into the computer. The thing I learnt most from doing this, was the format in which documents are recorded.

Envelope found in one of the Acts of Parliament. Photo by Lisa Coomes 

As I mentioned above, I also chose this placement because I wanted to learn more about the history of the university I have been at for the last 3 years. Since, starting in the archives I have learnt a lot of the history about the estate. From learning that the castle itself was a tower of the original 14^th century house to the architectural designs and changes put in when the estate was developed to make it suitable for the women's college. I have also discovered places I have never seen in the university such as the servant’s service corridor under the main house and the Octagon room!

Despite being at the university for 3 years I have never been exposed to the history. One of my main personal aims for the project would be to share the history of the estate and the archive on a wider scale within the university.

By Lisa Coomes

Back to the Future? How 1960s students predicted things to come...

On the occasion of Newton Park College's 21st Anniversary in 1967, a commemorative magazine was published. The magazine is a fascinating snapshot of student views, ideas, and approaches to life, and every time I read it I find more to add to the research...

It contains pictures, art work, surveys and articles. In between sections there are adverts for Bath businesses, most of which are long gone. The only one I recognise is that of 'a tobacconist in the city centre, here advertised as selling pipes and cigars for the discerning smoker' (pipe and cigar smoking students? Not quite the picture we might expect, perhaps...?)

The 21st Anniversary magazine

There is an interview with the founding Principal of the College, Mary Dawson, in which she looks back on her lifelong career in Education shortly before her retirement in 1968. As a university graduate in 1924, through further training and promotion throughout the following decades, she had seen massive developments in the field of higher education in her career, the culmination of which was the development of Newton Park College from 45 women students in January 1946 to the mixed college with hundreds of students in the 1960s. She left it in a strong position, and an ethos which embraced change. Bath Spa University has much to thank her for today.

Student style - 1946 and 1967

                                   
The article entitled 'State of the Union Report, 1988' looks ahead another twenty one years, and speculates, with tongue firmly in-cheek, on what the future might bring. As ever, some things are wrong, but some are eerily accurate. All of them reflect the time they were written, of course, and are very thought-provoking.

My thanks to the writers, Bob Fenner and Dave Spreadbury - where are you now, I wonder? Your ideas have been huge fun to read, and students here in the 21st century have loved discussing them.

Here are a selection of gems from the article. Enjoy!

'The 17th storey to the multi-level car park was added this year..'

'The visit of King Charles III will be well remembered' 

'Among the more important machines being considered...are a Condensed-Lectures-on-Tape machine, and an Instant-Apologies-for-Absence machine.' 

(let's hear it for Minerva and email?!)

'The Union bar continues to flourish despite the fact that each student is rationed to ten pints of beer per day. This state of affairs will unfortunately prevail until the Union brewery is completed. Plans are already being considered for a distillery. The Student's Union is planning to raise its tobacco acreage by 50% this year.'

The article also predicts that student numbers would grow to around 6,000 (not far off, but it would take around another fifteen years to reach that number) And that in order to find good jobs, students would have to stay in training for longer.

The line between satire and reality is sometimes very fine...

(Quotes taken from 'Newton Park 1946 - 1967', published 1967, various authors including D Spreadbury, B. Fenner, D. Moon, T. Browne)

by Kate James

BSU Archive Summer Module 2015

After a few weeks' break, some of our students have returned to university, giving up part of their summer vacation to complete an extra module. Ashley, Tom and Izzy are here for three weeks, preparing for a big event which is happening at the end of August.

I'll let them tell you more:

Ash:When we returned to the archive for the summer module  there were many items that required alterations to their catalogue entries. Before we left for the summer holidays a new system had been created which inserted another sub-level into the category of ‘BSU_2’ items - the institutional documents.

As the institutional documents comprised the largest section of our collection by far, it was decided that they needed to be divided up for the sake of organisation. Six groups were devised in order to sort out the collection; BSU_2_1 for Bath College of Domestic Science,  BSU_2_2  for Newton Park College, BSU_2_3 for Bath College of Education,  BSU_2_4 for Bath Spa University College and Bath Spa University and BSU_2_5 for Bath Academy of Art. Our aim for creating these sub-categories was to ensure that individual documents and items will become easier to locate.

What this meant was that all of the catalogue entries had to be printed out (in red ink due to a shortage of black!) for the edits to be made. Whilst doing this, it was felt that two birds should be killed with one stone and we simultaneously checked for errors and omissions in the catalogue and then corrected and completed them. The end process would be a catalogue sheet that had a fuller description of the item and an updated reference number. These catalogue sheets were then tucked into the boxes where their corresponding items with were kept with a pink sticky label, ready for the final step.

After the rough alterations were made on the printed catalogue sheets they then needed to be typed out on to the catalogue entries on Google Drive on which they are stored electronically. Once this had been completed, the pink sticky label would then be marked with a tick so we knew that the box was completed. Over the course of the first week, everything was edited both physically and electronically and has now been returned to the shelf. Its a long process, but satisfying when you see the end result. Its also helped us to find the items we need for the Alumni Reunion weekend, which Tom describes below.

Tom: The paramount event of our Summer Module will be the Bath Spa University Archive exhibition at the Alumni Reunion weekend. The alumni event will be bringing back numerous former students to the Newton Park Campus; the heart of the university. The Archive has been dedicated to the preservation of our history and has been steadily accumulating a wealth of documents and artefacts from the past institutions from which we grew.The alumni presents us with a unique opportunity to interact with the human elements of our history and we hope to trigger a few memories 

The "how" of our exhibition at the Alumni event is still in the creation process. It is important remember that the guest list includes students who graduated from 2014 all the way back to 1955, and that most of the guests would have studied in now defunct institutions such as the Bath College of Domestic Science, Bath College of Higher Education and  Bath Academy of Art, which have been amalgamated into a single institution over the decades. This presents us with the challenge of trying to make our exhibition relevant to a wide range of ages and experiences. 

So far, we have found photographs, prospectuses, paintings, newspaper cuttings and more from our collection of hundreds of catalogued items and documents. The emphasis for which items we shall display will revolve around student experience rather than administrative work, so our display can resonate with the former students. 

Finally, we have also got a leaflet for our exhibition under way, currently we have been acquiring resources electronically to use for it, So far we have acquired numerous antiquated photographs to be used to improve the aesthetic qualities of our leaflet. We intend to advertise the archive (in the hope that some ex-students might want to donate any of their old items to the Archive) as well as give a brief overview of the various previous institutions which are part of our history. Above all the leaflet is designed to advertise the archive and will be geared towards welcoming the former students into a trip down memory lane. 

Izzy: Aside from our primary focus of designing the exhibition, we were able to put into practice our archiving skills by cataloguing new items under the new system. Due to the excess number of items stored under the institution, it was necessary to introduce additional codes in order to differentiate each establishment involved. The team sorted through a number of portfolios and logged photographs and documents under their new allocated codes. These particular files included material relating to the institution; namely relating to the Domestic Science College.

 A personal collection was donated also donated to us; so Ashley, Kate and I carried out a ‘scoping exercise’ in order to gain an overview of what documents and information were included. They belonged to Professor Graham Davis as part of his research into Newton Park, and will eventually be stored in ‘Personal Collections’.

 For myself in particular, a new experience arose to suddenly be advised to be mindful of insects that could potentially harm various materials throughout the archive. We experienced first hand the damage imposed by an unidentified creature, and even came across a silverfish in one of the folders.

It’s been an interesting contrast to my previous archive experience, as I had not carried out any cataloguing tasks in the second year module. The planning involved with setting up the Alumni Reunion Weekend had been the most enjoyable element, especially when coming across names of those attending whilst going through archive material. Sorting through old photographs of students and institutions is personally my favourite aspect of working in the Bath Spa University Archive.

Izzy Watkins, Ash Catt, Tom Buckingham 

3rd Year History students

Learning from the Landscape

I'm now in the second year of my PhD, focussing on the themes of citizenship and community during the early years of Newton Park Teacher Training College. My current task is a deep analysis of the archival documents relating to those founding years, under the leadership of Mary Dawson, the first Principal.

'It was recognised that this beautiful landscape must, of itself, educate the students' (Mary Dawson, 1946)
Picture: Kate James

Going through some of Miss Dawson's speeches, one theme repeats again and again. This is the idea that the historical environment of Newton Park was considered a learning resource in itself, in addition to the teaching the students received from their books, lecturers and school practices. 

The built environment and landscape of the park represents over a thousand years of English History. 

Mary Dawson wrote in 1954 that 'there is a sense in which the students are heirs of a rich culture with roots deep in time.' 

Ancient buildings - the stable at Newton Park today
Picture: Kate James

Newton Park gatehouse, where generations have passed to and fro
picture: Kate James

Miss Dawson, as a historian herself, became fascinated to discover as much of the history of Newton Park as she could, and she sought the help of Darlow and Molly Humphries. Professor Humphries, a governor of the college, taught at Bristol University and Molly was the college's own history lecturer. A file of papers accumulated by the Humphries is part of the archive collection, and demonstrates the research methods of the time. Back in the 1950s, each item of information was garnered through a painstaking series of letters or time-consuming visits with uncertain outcomes. Some of Professor Humphries correspondents were helpful, but many are guarded or protective of their sources. Some were even deliberately unhelpful.

Today we can look up digitised archive records instantly; so much has changed in the world of research. Newton Park has changed too, with new buildings and vastly more students, but at its heart it retains all the historical aspects so admired by Mary Dawson, Molly and Darlow Humphries

 Kate James

  

1950: Princess Elizabeth at Newton Park

Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Newton Park on 2nd March 1950 was highly anticipated and was widely broadcasted not just in local newspapers, but also national ones. One of the focuses of her visit was the iconic speech she gave, outlining the importance of education, gaining the perfect balance between working life and home life and the similarities to mothers and teachers.

A smiling Princess Elizabeth

With a young toddler to look after and pregnant with Princess Anne it is unsurprising that her speech drew emphasis on the world of motherhood. From her speech, it is apparent that Elizabeth herself would have been a very caring mother who clearly saw the importance of educating children, she compares the role of mother and the one of teaching as very similar; “we parents and you teachers are therefore colleagues in the great work of education.” Her emphasis on the role the parents play on the education of children would have rung true to some of the new student teachers as some of them would be mature students with children themselves who could perhaps see the parallels between teaching and parenthood.

The call for more teachers in the 1950’s came after the so called “baby boom” after the Second World War as well as the question of the compulsory schooling age being raised the UK found itself in a teacher shortage. By 1947 fifty five temporary teacher training colleges had been established,which were eventually mostly made permanent. By 1950 there still was not enough trained teachers to fulfil demand so further efforts were made to train more teachers, the opening of Newton Park by Princess Elizabeth would have been quite prolific. The speech she gave on that day sought to inspire and encourage young women into the world of teaching, she even refers to those who make teaching their profession as “satisfying the needs of the nation”, perhaps drawing on war-time like propaganda there.

Meeting the locals

The opening of Newton Park was a major stepping stone in Bath Spa University’s development and the speech given by Princess Elizabeth fifty five years ago has gone down in history. Her emphasis on the importance of education inspired women to enter the world of teaching and set Newton Park on its long and ongoing journey educating young minds.

Guest Post by Rebekah Driscoll, 2nd year History student 

1950: A Royal Visit

Post- War Britain was a time of uncertainty. There were masses of debts on the country, and the once great Empire was in tatters. By March 1950, the country was beginning to recover from the great upheaval the Second World War had created, and there was a sincere bid by all to move forward in their lives, while still keeping a hold of some of the old traditions.

Though the Empire was not the power it once was, the Royal Family was still a large part of the social consciousness. The King had been the voice of a nation, along with Winston Churchill, during an uncertain and frightening time. The comfort of the Royal Family during the war, was something that the nation clung to. Following the War, there was still a thorough support for the Royal Family as they aided the nation to heal its wounds, and kept a sense of consistency for the public. The love for the Royal Family was demonstrated in many ways but the tour of Princess Elizabeth around the South West in March 1950, in particular in the crowds of people who flocked the streets and the newspapers’ reactions to the Royal visit is a particular example.

Princess Elizabeth is greeted at Newton Park, 2.3.50

The newspapers here at Bath Spa University in the archive provide a unique insight to how exciting the visit truly was for the general public, here in Bath, and into Bristol. The anticipation of the visit can be felt in the newspapers several days before the Princess’s arrival, often discussing her time at previous towns. There was also an eagerness of her visit here at the University, since the students had built an ark as a gift for the young Prince Charles.

Noah's Ark, made by first year students as a gift for the young Prince Charles

On the day of her coming to Newton Park, there was excitement throughout the town, and this is very much reflected in the publications. The newspapers are full of photographs of the crowds gathering in the streets, waving flags and cheering the Princess’s procession. There are also many photographs of the Princess here, at Newton Park. In many cases they fill the majority of the page, emphasising the importance of visual aid to journalism at the time. Another distinguishing feature of the journalism at the time is the description of the Princess’s clothing; ‘Princess Elizabeth wore the hyacinth blue coat and blue had with a curling osprey feather, shown in this specially-wired picture, when she visited Bath today’. This would have been for the benefit of the readers, since the photographs were in black and white. It would have helped the general public to become immersed in the visit, even if they were unable to attend. 

Section from one of the commemorative newspapers, 3.2.50

Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Bath and especially Newton Park College was an important turning point in its history and helped to establish the college as the place to be for teacher training. After all, it had a royal stamp of approval.

Guest Post by Jessica Bone, 2nd year History student

The 'Hippy Scene': Bath College of Domestic Science in the Seventies

While editing cover sheets for interviews in the Archive recently, I came across an interview that we did last year with Jane Hill. Jane studied at Bath College of Domestic Science in the early seventies, training to become a teacher of domestic science subjects. Her student accommodation was in Somerset Place; strangely to students of my generation they had a matron, who was very strict, and they had to 'smuggle' boys into their all-female flat! In contrast to what otherwise seems to have been a rather austere atmosphere- petrol was rationed at this time, for example, and foods such as pasta (which we think of as being basic) weren't readily available- all their meals were provided, and they were given sliced white bread and jam everyday. This was, in Jane's words, 'the height of luxury in those days!'

Somerset Place, Bath

Reading Jane’s interview again what comes through to me is the contrast of things that, too us, seem old fashioned- such as having a matron and ‘no boys allowed’ mottoes - alongside life-changing innovations such as the introduction of the pill, and the way that it was made widely available. Similarly, reading what Jane said about the fashions of the day really evoked the era of the early Seventies: she mentioned for example,unbleached calico, Laura Ashley floral prints, Scholl sandals, maxi dresses and long dyed hair, which she described as being “bright yellow” and “probably unwashed”.  Jane also mentioned her dad’s reaction to her clothes; “My father thought I was pregnant because I had this big smock over these loons…”. As often happens with oral history interviews, it was hearing someone talk about their personal experiences of nation-wide trends in this way that really brings the story alive:

Laura Ashley's early 1970s dresses, of the kind recalled by Jane. This image is from a recent retrospective exhibition by the Fashion Museum, held at the Assembly Rooms in Bath

" we were quite the Seventies hippy types....what happened was Laura Ashley, who I love still, opened her shop in Bath, which is still there, and she sold rolls of dress fabric material, and we used to go and buy this material, and knock something up in an afternoon... well because it was maxi dresses they were long dresses,flounces on the bottom a bit like Diana’s first wedding dress, that sort of thing, with the big puff sleeves - and they were a damn nuisance to be honest, because when you’re walking down one hill and up the other... we used to tuck them in our knickers..."

Guest Post by third year student Alice Meigh

Finding a Home for the Sydney Building

When thinking about constructing a new building for a site, whether it is a university or otherwise, an integral part of that planning process is to consider the question ‘where is it going to go?’. Generally, in the 21st century and particularly in Bath, this kind of enterprise comes with a host of practical concerns of the potential impact that such a building might have on the surroundings.

 Now, we all love our campus here at Newton Park for it’s great beauty and peaceful atmosphere; it’s sparsely built and seems to co-exist with the countryside around it. Much of what we appreciate today of the site is down to the famed 18th-century landscape gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown who beautified the grounds for the Langton family who were living there at the time, in what we now know as the Main House. From dainty ornamental trees to the beloved lake, his mark has truly been left on the site, and it is him we have to thank for wonderful views such as these;

The view from in front of Main House (2015).

   It is truly a lovely view. So, you can imagine our bemusement in the archive when we came across two black and white photographs of this exact view here, largely unchanged. These photographs were dated from the 1950's, when Newton Park was home to Bath Teacher Training College, which opened in 1946. However, they had not been left as they were. In some kind of collage, a small drawing of what we would now know as the Sydney Building which is used for accommodation has been superimposed over it.

The view directly in front of Main House.

A view we will be familiar with today (1954).

   Disregarding the imposing presence of the prototype Sydney Building, the view seen in these edited photographs is one that is very familiar to us, even sixty years on. Particularly distinctive is the tree that can be seen in the foreground of both the modern and the 1950's photographs. 

   These two photographs were most likely dated from the year 1954 which is the year that the Sydney Building was constructed. Given some of the notes scrawled on the back of the two photographs, it is likely that these collages were an attempt to visualise how suitable the Sydney Building would be if it were to be placed in this location. What we do not know, however, is exactly who came up with the idea to place the building in such a location, and more importantly, what their motives were for doing so.

   These collages look remarkably similar to images that some building projects generate in the modern day to simulate how the end result of the ongoing project may look. Often, software such as Photoshop will be used in order to create a realistic looking image. Obviously, we know that this kind of opportunity was not available in the 1950's, however the level of detail that the artist has gone to in order to create a realistic image is striking, and gives us a good idea of how the building may have looked, had the decision been approved to place it there.

The Sydney Building (2015).

   Above is the Sydney Building as we now know it, and where it has been for the past sixty years. The location that was decided on allows the campus to retain the same stunning view that it has boasted since the 18th-century, and the serene vision of Lancelot Capability Brown continues to live on at Newton Park.

Open Week at the Archive

Despite the cold weather we have had quite a few visitors in the Castle to have a look around the Archive and to look at the exhibition prepared by the students.

The Exhibition.

Our visitors yesterday were impressed by the work which has been carried out by the students over the last year and look forward to seeing the Archive grow. Two ladies who were former students also came to visit and brought with them some very useful memorabilia which we were able to scan. This included a student copy of the Village Survey which we haven't seen before. We also were given a copy of the Cooper and Tanner valuation dated 31st March, 1972 which related to the sale of 'Live and Dead Farming Stock, Hay, Straw, Seeds, Tillages and Acts of Husbandry' which were to be sold by the instructions of the City of Bath Education Committee. So folks, why did we sell off the animals? Answers on post card - or on the comments if you feel inclined!

Come and See!

Since moving back to Newton Park in June, we've been delighted to welcome a range of visitors to the Archive office in the Castle.

From current students having a wander around campus, to a local walking group stopping for a chat, it's always good to meet new faces. Current students can tell us about the student experience today, and in every group of women there is the chance that one of them trained here in the past. Such was the case recently, and those women were interested to see the new student accommodation, the 'Gardens', nearing completion. Its fascinating to hear the ways in which the student experience has stayed the same in some ways, yet changed out of all recognition in others. They may have different work patterns, expectations and burdens, yet they still report being awed by the landscape, woken by the cows and finding lifelong friends here.

Last week, we welcomed a large group of visitors into the office. The Holburne Museum Trustees had enjoyed a tree walk around the lake before dropping in to see the exhibition we're currently preparing, and having a strong interest in history, were most interested in finding out more about our beautiful setting and the university's history.

The Holburne Museum Trustees during their recent Archive visit. 

The Holburne is Bath Spa University's partner museum in Bath, and many of our students - from a wide range of courses - volunteer, work and carry out projects there. The university also hold our 'Centre for History & Culture' monthly lecture series there, in which notable historians and speakers deliver their recent research.

The Archive exhibition itself, now ready, will be open during the first week of November, from 10am until 3pm, Monday to Friday. Those already on campus can pop in any time, and visitors can come along to the office, on the ground floor of the Castle. You'll need to pick up a visitors parking permit at the Security Lodge on your way in, or better still, take any of the frequent buses from the centre of Bath. We're a short stroll up from the library bus stop.

BSU Archive exhibition - almost ready to open!

We hope to welcome you soon.

Kate

Another New Start, or, Goodbye to the Peacocks...

I write this in what will be our last week at the BSU Archive office at Corsham Court

We are moving!

Since beginning the development of the archive in January 2011, we have occupied the boot of a car or two, a garage, a walk-in cupboard and our current premises in the Stable block at Corsham Court. Although we've had a roving brief,

Bobby and I have always hankered after premises at Newton Park, and have eyed the ground floor room in the Castle jealously. 

This is because, when the teacher training College was founded in the late 1940s, the Castle building housed the first reference library. In fact the shelves are still there.

And next week, we move into the Castle! It's very exciting.

Sadly we cannot take a peacock or two with us. Personally I'll miss these extraordinary and wildly flamboyant birds. Their mating rituals are bizarre and highly entertaining and their behaviour has become part of our landscape. Their calls and screeches have been recorded in the background of recent oral history interviews though, so in a way, we are taking them with us...

New beginnings and distant horizons

Its been three and a half years since I became involved in the work of BSU Archive.

Back in January 2011 I started sorting through a pile of random documents on top of a filing cabinet, and a few days ago we moved a large collection of filed, boxed and catalogued documents, artefacts and images into a large office. Since the move back to the Castle at Newton Park, this new archive office looks very tidy and official by comparison to our humble starting point.

During the intervening time I have learned a great deal, not least the story of Newton Park and much that has happened here over the years. I've written a book, with Dr Roberta Anderson, which is due to be published in the autumn. I've delivered walking tours, lectures and conference papers, and look forward to exploring the story of Newton Park College through my PhD studies, which are now well under way.

I've also had the pleasure of mentoring students in the work of the archive, and witnessing their own development as they pass through their second and third years and on to graduation and beyond. My thanks to Rachel, Richard, Hayley, Adam, Laura, Alice and Carol, and recent newcomers Ashley, Tom, Rebekah and Jessica. All have helped to progress the work, but my particular thanks go to Richard, who brought his technical skills as well as his personal commitment and drive to the project. He has now completed his MA degree, and continues to act as an advisor when the technological going gets tough!

The work will continue, but the PhD brings further teaching responsibilities which I now look forward to embracing, after a gentle beginning this year.

I will continue to carry out my research in the archive office, of course, and so I'll still be around to see the next developments. Meanwhile, this blog will be written by the new student team.

I'll be in a little corner of the archive, trawling through books and documents as I write my PhD!

When 'Poldark' came to Corsham...

We had a fascinating time at the Archive office last week, with a grandstand view of the filming of a new BBC adaptation of 'Poldark'.

The roads just outside Corsham Court, namely Church Square, Church Street and the High Street, were transformed into an interpretation of 18th century Truro on market day. Horses, carriages, actors, extras, sheep, geese, produce, chickens, a Punch and Judy stall, technicians and camera operators all milled about the area while Corsham life carried on in between takes.

It was in interesting few days, not least because as historians, we know that the dramatic treatment of history is an area of intense debate. We could clearly see the attention to detail employed by the production team. They've been seen, considering buildings and shots in the vicinity for some time already, so obviously a lot of effort is expended. I personally hope that the end result is as engaging as the original version. 

During all the excitement, we welcomed a former student of Bath Domestic Science College to the office, for an oral history interview. We chatted happily about the 1975 version of 'Poldark' before and after the interview, and had to explain to Alice and Carol (aged 20) exactly what it was - and more crucially, what all the fuss was about. When told that the new Ross Poldark is being played by actor Aidan Turner, they began to understand...

And here are a few random photos of the filming for you to enjoy! 

Carriages and horses await

Church Street, with atmospheric gravel?

Corsham Post Office, still open for business but dressed as an 18th century Print Shop

Sheep, geese, extras and technicians

This dressed shop front was beautiful - The Silk Merchant - When England was 'the nation of shopkeepers'.

Corsham Town Hall

The view form the office - actors in tricorn hats and breeches enjoy a syrofoam cup of coffee

A Special Meeting

In the course of running the BSU Archive, we are lucky to meet a wide range of people who have been involved with parts of our institution over the years.

Often, meeting people and listening to their memories helps to complete the fragmented picture which archive work produces.

By their very nature, archive documents give a piecemeal impression of a time and a place. It can be difficult for historians to form a complete story from the fragments which remain of the past, but by listening to people, and spending time in the field of oral history, we can gain a much fuller picture.

Most recently, three of the team were thrilled to spend a morning with Anne and Bill, two people with much to tell us about life on Newton Park. 

Anne lived in the grounds of Newton Park College in the 1950s, when her father was head gardener. Bill was Mary Dawson's nephew, and he often visited his aunt during the time she was Principal here, spending school holidays enjoying the freedom of the grounds and the attentions of the students.

Bill and Anne, sitting together on the College hostel wall in Newton St Loe, 1950s

Bill and Anne became lifelong friends, and shared a love of the Newton Park surroundings which is evident to this day. 

Our current students, Carol and Hayley, had a great time, chatting and sharing experiences of their own time here. There was much to discover from one another, not least the ways that building use has changed, and the amount of development there has been over the years. Anne showed us the house she lived in with her parents, which is now the small office suite at one end of the Stable. She described her garden and the interior of the house to us, and reminisced about the places in the grounds and around the lake where she used to play. In those days, there were around 200 students, and the relatively small community were able to be much more familiar to one another than we can possibly be today. 

Bill, with the portrait of his Aunt

Bill enjoyed the chance to walk around the lake, and showing his wife the place that she had only ever heard about. She too was impressed that, despite new buildings, the landscape retains its beauty, especially near the lake and looking back towards Main House. This is a theme which comes up again and again when people revisit. (Bill's dog appreciated the walk around the lake too!)

Giddy moments in the archive!

At the archive office at Corsham Court, we are currently a team of four. Each person brings their own personality to the work, and its fun to see our characteristics on display. Today is a good example....

We have acquired a new set of shelving, which enables us to get a lot of the recently delivered material off the floor and properly arranged. A lot of this is awaiting the cataloguing process, but meanwhile, Hayley in particular wants an orderly arrangement! Nothing makes her happier than a properly arranged, uniform and neat shelf.

Meanwhile, Alice stands by, agreeing wholeheartedly with Hayley, as they jointly line up the handles on all the boxes, and check that all the number labels are aligned.

Lest you believe that we harbour acute OCD sufferers in the archive, remember that we are engaged in archive work, which of course means that this behaviour comes under the heading of 'key skills' and is entirely normal...(we hope!)

Kate and Carol then proceed with the opening the newly delivered trunk - the latest in a series of goodies being sent over by the Newton Park library. Every trunk-full is a surprise, and we've discovered all sorts of things. Today, Kate is rather overwhelmed at the sight of a pile of 100 year old samplers. They were sent from a former Domestic Science student to the College Principal in 1966, and date from her own student days in 1913 - 1916. She writes 'It was fifty years ago this July I sat for my Needlework Diploma, and now, both I and my samplers a Museum Piece!!!'

Samplers - drawn thread work, embroidery and scalloped edging, and an example of boning in a miniature bodice

This former student was sitting her final exam in July 1916 and meanwhile in France, the Battle of the Somme was just beginning. In England, people would have been anxiously reading the casualty lists for news of men at the Front. Just seeing the date evokes all these images...

In the same box, hidden in the folds of tissue paper, we find a bee. Carol particularly enjoys all these little surprises - the random finds and the added puzzles. The bee in the tissue paper; an old pencil in a wartime file; the marginalia and other added information, jotted onto the side of another document. These little things add even more layers to the story of the past; they are tiny pieces of the personal, the accidental and sometimes, the downright odd.

A 1960s bee. How did it get there?

Another trunk arrives from the library next week - I wonder what else we will find?