Yes I have a diary and it recorded the momentous first two weeks of my university life. This for geographers meant going to university two days early and attending a two day surveying course in the Lake District which as fantastic to get to know each other
Saturday 29th September 1973
Woke up early and Trev and the boys came round but I wasn't quite ready. We set off eventually and got to Manchester and took my luggage to Umist. then we went to the Union and into the coffee bar where we had some very cheap sandwiches and coffee. After that we went back to Trev's car as it was raining and they left.
I went in and started talking to some third years and another newbie called Jim. We managed to find the bar where we met Mike and Tony and played table football against them. After that we went down to the cartography studio and had our names checked off. Then we got on the bus and after a quick stop at the services where I got photo's for my ID cards we headed on to Newlands. I was allocated a dormitory with people I hadn't me yet - Rob, Doug, Mike etc. We went to the pub at night (me, Jim, Mike and Tony) but we sat in the small bar, while the MUGS all had a sing song round the other side.
Sunday 30th September 1973
We were divided into tutorial groups in the morning. I'm in with Gordon, Ann and Christine, who are all very nice and Beverley who's very keen! Christine has a great accent! We started out on surveying with our tutor and learned to use the instruments by lunchtime. In the afternoon we started taking readings but we were very slow and had hardly done much more by teatime. We went down to the pub at night and sat in with all the MUGS so were much closer to all the singing!
Monday 1st October 1973
Surveying again - we got on like a rocket today and we'd taken all the theodolite readings and done all the levelling by the night.
We had a fantastic night - went to the pub first and I think everyone I knew was there. We stood with the senior MUGS and began to learn all of the songs! After the pub we had a party which took about 15 minutes before everyone was up and dancing. We danced non stop until about 2.00 and left at 2.30 - not a bad disco considering there was supposed to be no alcohol on the premises! We all talked for hours afterwards.
Tuesday 2nd October 1973
Got up early and at breakfast Foxy told us that we could do what we like this morning if we'd finished the survey. They arranged a minibus to take us to the head of the valley and ten of us decided as we were the first up there that we would walk back along the ridge. We had some of the best views I've ever seen. Christine hadn't got her walking boots so I had to help her all the way down a very steep descent. I met Alison on the way down and we went for a drink in the coffee shop.
After dinner we loaded everything up into the bus and headed back to Manchester. I found Wright Robinson Hall and checked in and found dinner, evetually. I made friends with the dental student who was in the room next dor to me and we went to a welcome rection, then retired to the bar for most of the night.
Wednesday October 3rd 1973
We had to go and meet at the geography department to register for the course. We had to queue to collect our forms and then go over to Roscoe in the afternoon so we killed time by going to the museum. It was very good especially the live snakes! At Roscoe we had to queue again for ages but there were loads of MUGS there. After registration I went back to the hall, had a showere and a coffee and then went to see Longdancer at the Union. We went in the bar, then the Solem bar then the disco bar and then back to the Solem bar with Alison. There were lots of geographers there - so many that I stayed in the bar with them instead of watching the band.
Thursday 4th October 1973
We had a zoology lecture which I only just remembered about so I met some of the girls in the coffee bar and went with them. Then I met Christine from Nottingham and we went over to the library to get the calendar and to the grant office. After that we went over to the zoology building and had a free dinner and back to the geography department to mess around with our maps from the surveying course and try and get them finished - we have to hand them in by Monday. We had a bit of a quiet night in the Solem bar - sat with Grat and talked to some third year associate girls and MUGS. I walked back with Grat as he's staying in the hall next door and we had curry and chips from the chippie on the way back.
Friday 5th October 1973
I decided to miss breakfast and stayed in bed until 10.00. I went over to the union, joined the NUS, then went to see about my grant but it hadn't come in yet.There I met Martin so I went back to the Union with hime and on up to geography department. I was supposed to meet Gordon at 11.30 but he hadn't arrived - I bumped into Alison and had a chat. Martin and I had some lunch then went to talk to Chris and Ed and the other climber in the small bar, then it was back up to the geography department to evetually meet Gordon. This was followed by a trip to the library and another check on my grant which still hasn't arrived!
Saturday 6th October 1973
In the morning we went down to the University to meet Beverley (if she'd got our message via Jane). We waited ages and then Gordon found that the geography department was locked up anyway so we went for a coffee. Christine and Beverley arrived but we couldn't do anything on the map so arranged to meet up tomorrow afternoon. In the afternoon I met Mike and Chris and we went into town. Mike bought a Bob Dylan album and we looked around the free trade hall but didn't buy any tickets for anything. Mike came back up to my place after we'd had a Wimpy for tea and we went down to the Union. We went to see Home and they were fantastic.
Sunday 7th October 1973
Got up at 12.30 then walked up to the bus station as I suspected there'd be a cafe there. I went to meet Gordon, Christine and Beverley and they all came round to my place to finish off our map. Beverley did most of the work by tracing the map and Gordon put the contours on. Christine and I kept them entertained! When they'g gone I went up to the Wimpey again for tea and then down to the union for a drink
Monday 8th October 1973
First day of lectures but we hardly did anything and I only had 1 lecture. It was nice to see everyone together again though. My grant still hasn't come through so I'm getting a bit short of money. I went for dinner in the refectory with Christine and Tony then we went into town to look for some books - Tony bought a geology book. We went back down to the geography department so they could do their map and bumped into Gavin and Ed. I walked back to the hall with Ed as he's staying in Wright Robbo as well. We went back to the Solem bar at night and had a drink with Christine, Gavin, Ed, Mike and Chris. It was a bit quiet - the juke box was broken so we couldn't even put David Bowie on.
Tuesday 9th October 1973
We did a bit more work today but it was still fairly easy. At night I went down to see Ed who is living on H floor and there were a load of people in the common room there playing bridge. We sat next to them at dinner and spent all the meal having a laugh with the waitresses or serving wenches as they cam to be known! At night I stayed in and wrote a load of letters to Tats, Di, Christine and Penny
