Note from the Editor:
This article was kindly written for the SDC by member @Doctor Alan.

I suppose, as the son of a teacher, my educational path was pre-set, in a way. I could probably have fared quite well as a tradesman – probably as an electrician – but the academic path seemed to be what was expected. My older brother was particularly successful in this regard, seeming to have a much more ‘focussed’ approach to studies. For me, I think I was lucky to even get into a university. I’d ‘upset’ the headmaster, Mr Johnson, at my grammar school in Dorking, and he wrote a very unfavourable report. Luckily, I was able to get into what was called a ‘College of Advanced Technology’ at Battersea, in London, because Mr Lovering was the Head of the Electrical Engineering Department, and his son attended the same grammar school in Dorking, and he knew the character of the headmaster! (A fellow student had been to another interview at Battersea College, and Mr. Lovering had mentioned the bad report he had for the student. He pushed it to one side and said: 'I don’t think we need to bother about that, do we?') It’s strange how one prejudiced headmaster could completely change the path taken in life by a student. The three-year BSc degree (Electrical Engineering) for which I studied would be the same as if I’d studied at any London university.



My first university:
The funding for tuition at universities at the time was provided by local councils. It was ‘means-tested’, which meant that part of the funding had to be provided by the parents, the exact amount being determined by income. I was granted a 3-year degree, but I would only receive the next tranche after success in the previous year. Being so frugal, I never approached my parents for additional financial support. This got me into a bit of hot water because, at a critical point, I had no textbook – essential for that particular subject – and I had to buy one pretty d*** quick!

Students living away from home could apply to stay at a ‘Hall of Residence’ – a very modern and posh place. I could not get a place there for some reason and got a room at a much older building on Clapham Common North Side, that had apparently been built for the 1851 exhibition. The room I had was about the size of a small bathroom. It had a single bed, desk and wardrobe. The walls were quite thin, and I had a ‘wonderful’ view over the rooftops towards the city. I ‘decorated’ my little room with huge travel posters of Swissair and others that I managed to get from travel agents. Breakfast and evening meals were provided, and unless we’d managed to squirrel away some bread and jam from breakfast, we could get lunch at the college cafeteria. I had a bicycle for part of the first year I was there, and I used to ride it to the college. A few times, I used to ride it home for the 22-mile trip to Dorking. I made the mistake of locking it to the metal fencing and through the cables. I came out from dinner at one point, and the bike was gone. The thieves had simply cut the cable. Luckily my sensible parents had insisted I insure the bike, so I got $15 back for it. Later I was able to buy a little 1933 Austin 7 and used that for transport, even though it really cost me a lot of study time to get it going satisfactorily. The girls there absolutely loved it, and I was quite popular for a while.





Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque in diam id erat facilisis consectetur vitae vel urna.

Ut lacus libero, suscipit auctor ipsum sit amet, viverra pretium nisl. Nullam facilisis nec odio nec dapibus. Integer maximus risus et velit porttitor ullamcorper