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

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

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!

Timeless magic: the black and white photograph.

Recently at the Archive we have received two boxes of materials from the depths of the Bath Spa Library containing all manner of interesting documents, objects and images. This week's box provided us with a rich collection of beautiful black and white photographs which we have fallen in love with, and our favourites have been shared below. The photographs show Newton Park students looking effortlessly glamourous when taking part in sports activities, science and art classes and agricultural studies. This has led to a discussion here at the office about the cyclical nature of fashion and how a simple lack of colour can aid to creating an air of class.

As we are now a wholly female team, our conversations can often drift towards what clothes we've seen recently and almost always leads to one of us finding the item online to get the approval of the others. Whilst this used to be confined to lunchtime chit-chat, the introduction of more materials provides us with new and interesting photographs to look through, and it seems that now our conversations about clothes are inspired by a particularly nice jumper, skirt or pair of shoes that a student is wearing in the images we're studying. In light of this recent discovery, I believe that the time we spend each week comparing items online, planning outfits and reminiscing about how similar things were in fashion when we were children all count as historical research! 

Despite how similar our tastes may be with our 1950s' counterparts, one can't help but feel that when comparing photographs from my own university life with the ones we get to enjoy at the Archive, mine will appear much less glamourous. This could be due to the magic of the black and white photograph, or perhaps we live in a less glamourous time! Nevertheless, that we covet the A-line skirts and gingham dresses of our former students shows yet again that we are not so different from our past generations after all, an important lesson that we are reminded of each week when we come to the Archive and delve into our collective past. 

Racing on the lake: students enjoying the lake at Newton Park

Biology class: students taking measurements for tree shapes.

Art class: two students sketching the impressive Main House.

Agricultural studies: a student working in the walled garden.

Guest Blog by third year Historian, Hayley Crymble

Reunions, Reminiscence and Reflections

During the past few months, the BSU archive team have been fortunate enough to be part of several Alumni Reunion events, organised by Ruth Russell from the Alumni office at the university.

Groups of former students are welcomed back to Newton Park, and enjoy refreshments and a chance to be together once more, in the beautiful surroundings of the main reception rooms of Main House. Later, there's the chance for a walk around the grounds, with a guide from the archive or alumni teams to talk about some of the new developments on campus. 

Sharing stories with the class of 1963-66

The women of 1963-66

The archive team always put on a display of materials, documents and images from the relevant era, and talk to the group about their memories and experiences of life at college in former times. If we're lucky, new donations are made to the collection by the people who come back. Alternatively, those who bring their photographs and documents for us to see can have them scanned on the spot, which was the case at the most recent events last week.

We can also make arrangements for people to come back for oral history interviews at another time, or take down the details of contacts for the future.

Each time one of these meetings occurs, we learn something new; yet another layer of history to add to our ever-growing archive collection. On Saturday we heard for the first time, about the protest and sit-in of 1976, when students occupied main house to demonstrate against the shortage of jobs in the teaching sector. Emulating the photographs taken back then, three former students climbed onto the window ledge outside main house in an echo of that long hot summer of  the mid-70s, when flares were at their most extreme, and seemingly everyone had loads of long hair...

Pictures of the past - images from 1975-76. The student sit-in is featured, top centre

Recreating the student sit-in. (Class of 1973-77)

Its a great privilege to be at these events, and share experiences of the past in a setting we all appreciate. The majority of people we've met so far were trained as teachers, and I feel there is something quite distinctive about them. They have developed in others a love of learning, kindled sparks in children and young people, and made themselves heard, one way or another, in decades of education. They are interesting, thoughtful, intelligent and appreciative of the education they received. Of course these are generalisations, but here in the archive we have had many chances to discuss the people we've met, and these are the conclusions we've come to.

We hope to be able to be an intrinsic part of these reunions for a long time to come, and to be there to hear and share many more stories. 

Lunch, a chat and a DVD of old photographs, with the class of 1973-77

(all new photographs taken by Kate James)

Meet the Archive Team

This week we thought an introduction to the team would be a good idea, so that our readers further afield* (see note at the end!) could get a better idea of who writes this stuff and who's been lurking in the archive office!

Our Glorious Leader is Dr Roberta Anderson, senior lecturer in History at Bath Spa University. It was Bobby's idea in 2011, to try to build a project based on the first haul of archive documents, and to fully explore oral history opportunities. Bobby advises, encourages and oversees the work here. We now have a suite of three work placement modules which provide the students with an excellent opportunity to learn about the workings of an archive through hands on experience.

Kate James is lead archivist, researcher and student mentor. Coming to BSU as a mature (only in years!) student in 2008, Kate has immersed herself in the world of history, dusty primary sources and oral history interviewing, and likes nothing better than a day of research and the waft of old paper. Gaining a BA in 2011 and an MA in 2012, a PhD is her next target. Her research will cover the history of Newton Park as an educational establishment and the oral history of place. Kate writes the blog each week, and occasionally goes home to cook meals.

Adam King, History and Heritage 2nd year, came on board last October, is interested in 18th and 19th century history. He is an avid reader of history books by authors such as Simon Schama and Norman Davies. He has an enthusiasm for researching the history of Newton Park.

Hayley Crymble is a 2nd year Historian, who has also been with the archive for 5 months. She has enjoyed discovering the pleasures of oral history interviewing, and getting to know the interviewees. She's not quite so entranced with scanning (its cold in that corridor!)

Richard Carpenter is the techno wizard. Let him tell you about his part in the work:

"My main role has been working on the transcription of interviews. Using some helpful software and my apparently legendary speed of typing acquired during my A level days, I have been able to almost half the time it takes to do them whilst still ensuring accuracy. Additionally, I have helped supervise the scanning process and set up our social media presence, including @BSUArchive  on Twitter, do give us a follow! At postgraduate level I am hoping to work on the digitisation of the archive for our website."

And by the way,  other 'Humanities at Work' students have been involved along the way: Rachel carried out the first interview and scanning tasks, back in the summer of 2011, and Chris continued with more scanning and research the following summer.

So that's the team. Although the current module ends in May, we hope we can continue to work together on future modules, and keep up the great momentum we've gained this year. With current developments, such as the move to the Corsham Court office, the exhibition and contribution to the book about our university, who knows what the future holds?

It's very exciting, and we look forward to sharing it with you, too!

(* According to the Blog stats, we have readers in UK, US, Germany, Netherlands and Denmark.)

Warm greetings to everyone. We hope you're liking the archive news so far. 

Let us know what you think! 

Best Wishes from the Archive Team

 xxx

The Official Opening and Cake Event!

On Friday 8th February, the BSU Archive office hosted its official opening ceremony.

We might not have had the spectacle of choreographed dancers, Kenneth Branagh as Brunel and an audience of millions, but oh boy, we have the history.

On the guest list:

Professor Christina Slade, Vice Chancellor of Bath Spa University
Dr Steve May, Dean of School, Humanities and Cultural Industries
Dr Alan Marshall, Head of History
Dr Alison Hems, Course Leader, Postgraduate Studies in Heritage and Applied History
Mr Terry Bracher, Archives and Local Studies Manager, Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre

Adam, the VC and Richard considering more cake, perhaps?

And greeting them, the BSU Archive team:

Dr Roberta Anderson, Senior Lecturer in History
Kate James, Archives Manager, BA History, MA Heritage Management
Richard Carpenter, Archives assistant, 3rd Year History undergraduate
Hayley Crymble, Archives assistant, 2nd Year History undergraduate
Adam King, Archives assistant, 2nd Year History undergraduate

Bobby, Alan, Alison, Steve and Hayley enjoy tea, cakes and  the discussion

And on the desks and tables:
Personal papers and photographs from the first principal of Newton Park Teacher Training College, 1946 - 1968
Original plans for Sion Hill campus, 1959
Guest book used at the opening of the new Domestic Science College at Sion Hill, signed by Her Majesty, the Queen Mother
Auction booklet for the sale of family possessions from the Newton Park Estate, 1941
Photographs of Rural Studies students, 1980s
Photographs of Newton Park campus, tennis court and orchard, 1980s
Exhibition materials for the forthcoming exhibition at Newton Park, (March 2013)

And not forgetting the triple chocolate layer bars, chocolate and caramel fingers, almond slices and caramel shortbreads, and lashings of tea!

The archive assistants showed their knowledge and enthusiasm, and enjoyed meeting and spending time with our Vice Chancellor. We were able to discuss ways of using the archive for wider public and institutional engagement, through publications, online resources and social media like this, so that our story can be told.

In fact our institution, our archive, holds many stories. The history we have to tell has many facets and many layers, and is growing. What started as corporate documents is being added to through the nuances of people's voices, experiences and life memories. The archive is a living and growing resource with amazing potential.

Just this week, we have provided a music student with the history of the Garden Temple, for a piece she is preparing. We have retrieved information about the School of Art prior to its move to Corsham in 1946. Exhibition preparation has been ongoing, and another oral history interview has taken place. We have transcribed and proof read several other interviews, and contacted past and previous oral history interviewees. And of course, we prepared for the opening ceremony!





It was a great afternoon, but in the excitement we forgot to take enough photographs. So sadly you'll just have to imagine the sight of our Vice Chancellor, Professor Slade with the 1902 Peer's coronet, ermine trim, red velvet and all. But she did look splendid!







(you'll just have to use your imagination!)

Sweeping down the stairs

Several recent oral history interviewees and former students at Newton Park have mentioned the Main House staircase.

Main House staircase (photograph K. James, 2013)

It appears today much as it did when the house was built in the mid 18th century. Architect Stiff Leadbetter included this grand sweep of pretty wrought iron, set beneath a central dome. The dome gives the first floor landing a bright and airy feel, showing off the cantilevered staircase as it descends to the ground floor below.

First floor landing and Principal's room, c 1950 (from Miss Dawson's collection)

In the 1760s, when the house was new, guests of Joseph Langton will have paraded up these stairs, and in a circuit around the principal rooms through the connecting doors. As they did so, Mr Langton's fine collection of furniture, paintings, silver and porcelain, the best which the nation's manufactories could produce, were on display for all to see and envy. In pride of place, either side of the drawing room doors, hung a pair of full length portraits, of Joseph and his wife, painted by the famous Mr Gainsborough, Bath society's favourite artist, then resident in the fashionably bustling city.

We have to imagine all of this however, since none of these things remain. During the Second World War, the valuable objects in the house were transferred to a storage warehouse in Milsom Street, Bath, for safety. Ironically, it was completely destroyed in the Bath Blitz of April 1942. The remaining contents were sold around the time of the Estate sale shortly afterwards.

When students moved into Newton Park, they were not permitted to use the stairs, despite several being in residence in a room just beside it. They had to use the back stairs, except on one day a year. (from the memoir by Joyce Day, student 1948-1950)

Students on the stairs, c 1950. As the college was then women only, the men had to be 'imported ' for the evening

On the day of the annual ball, dressed in their finery, they were permitted to sweep down the stairs. Sheila (1949-1951) recalls being in awe of the grandeur of it all, and particularly enjoyed parading down the stairs in a 'turquoise satin gown, off the shoulder, quite daring for those days.'

Wrought iron and cantilevering (photograph K James 2012)

Today, staff pass up and down the Main House staircase throughout the day. Is it just a route to an office, or do they too imagine a glamourous and glittering past?

Oral Histories - voices of our past

A large part of the work of the BSU Archive involves talking to people who have had an association with parts of the institution over the years.

Old students and staff past and present have come to meet us. Others write and send their memoirs, by email or by post.

Many people have generously given materials to add to the archive itself, and in this way we have added to our knowledge of the way things were done in the past.

It is always a privilege to meet and spend time with those who have known life here over the years. I have loved hearing their stories and memories, all of which add layers of detail to the bare bones of papers and documents. The paper resources are the bones, and the stories are the flesh and blood.

As a university of several thousands of students and hundreds of staff, looking back at the small beginnings of Newton Park, or the Domestic Science College is quite a leap of imagination. Newton Park began in January 1946 with 45 young women students, who lived in and around the centre of Bath as the college was not ready for use. It was a college in name only, and would not move to the estate itself until three years later. The Domestic Science College by contrast, began life in 1892, increasing the skills base of Bath residents, until one student, a Miss Heygate, asked to be trained as a teacher. Some of the memories of these early students are recorded in the archive documents from the 1950s.

Rural Science students in the early 1960s. This photograph was scanned for the archive by Mr & Mrs Entwistle, who were interviewed in July 2012.


The majority of the oral history interviews we have date from the late 1940s, 50s, 60s and 1980s. We also plan to interview those who have been here in more recent years, although of course their memories will reflect a different place in their lives, in addition to experiencing a changed phase in higher education. We have been struck by the ways so many rules have changed over the years, as well as the unchanging nature of first impressions of our buildings and landscapes.

About the archive

The BSU Archive is a growing collection of documents, images and memories based around the history of the university.

There are papers from the nineteenth century and accounts of seeing Newton Park for the first time only a few years ago. Old students' photograph albums sit alongside old ledgers and minute books. Peer's robes from the 1902 Coronation of King Edward VII have recently joined architect's pictures from 1950. And all this, in an office in the Stable block of Corsham Court, a building which has yet to reveal its exciting past to us!

Under the guidance of Dr Roberta Anderson, and assisted by undergraduate students on the Humanities at Work module, I work on building the archive into a useable resource, for the benefit of students, staff and alumni. So little seems to be known about the beautiful places we inhabit, or the fascinating history they reveal. I hope to change that.

Yet the richest addition to the BSU Archive are the oral history interviews which former students and staff have kindly allowed us to record. We have heard of the development of music, art and creative learning, and of lives spent in the education of the young.

Most of the people who have trained here, be they at the School of Art, or the Domestic Science College, or at Newton Park College, trained to teach. The quality of their experiences are remembered as an important and life changing period of their lives. Many have very fond memories of life in Bath or Corsham, where they witnessed life beyond their own, and people they still remember vividly. They took these experiences into their working lives, and in turn developed succeeding generations. Our current students benefitted from the society they changed, and the university now produces graduates who enter a vast range of professions in the global sphere.

This is the first blog entry of many, I hope. Every week we uncover new and fascinating details of the history of Bath Spa University and its component parts. A new instalment will appear each week, so welcome aboard and see you again soon!

Kate James
Postgraduate, Part time Lecturer, Student Mentor and compulsive sniffer of old papers...