Lots of juicy bits from the February 1985 issue of Concourse. Here’s the first of them.
Annalisa de Mercur, bless her, was very concerned that the Student Union’s bar licence might get scuppered, which would indeed have been a near-existential problem for the union. The storm was very much of the teacup variety, I’d have thought, for the reasons described in the article.
How Pady Jalali and Hayward Burt ended up in an intra-article debate with the Vice-chancellor, Dr Harrison, is anybody’s guess. Methinks Annalisa might have been trying to big up her piece, as it were.
The health centre fee had been an ongoing issue, if the 1984 manifestos are anything to go by. John “Memory Man” White will hopefully chime in on the comments to describe in intricate detail the nature of the new-look campaign he planned. I don’t remember a thing about it, although welfare was my bailiwick.
By gosh it was cold at Keele that winter of 1981/82. So again it was in 1984/85. I remember it cold and the Evening Sentinel reported on that factor in excruciating detail, suggesting that January 1985 was even colder:
Thursday, 24 January 1985 -Busy and productive day. Lots of meetings in early evening. Petra came over later.
Friday 25 January 1985 – Busy and not very productive day. Went shopping in late afternoon. Went to [Ronnie Scott] jazz evening and got drunk.
Saturday, 26 January 1985 – Really miffed off today – did some work etc – went to bed early – Petra came over later.
Sunday 27 January 1985 – Lounged in bed most of day – went film in early evening – had John, Kate and Pady for dinner later.
Monday 28 January 1985 – Busy day in office – then getting ready for UGM in the evening – Petra came over after.
Tuesday 29 January 1985 – Meetings etc all day and early evening – very busy. Had early night.
Wednesday 30 January 1985 – Busy day meetings – referendum business etc. Cooked Petra meal in evening, very pleasant.
Thursday, 31 January 1985 – Lots to do today. Had Ringroad rehearsal early evening – Bust Fund disco after.
I’ll be writing more about Ringroad and the Bust Fund discos in later pieces. Those readers who are chomping at the bit to read more on those topics, please hold your horses.
I think the reason for my miffed-off-ness that last weekend of January was the National Union of Students (NUS) disaffiliation business that kicked off around that time. I felt that the referendum was a huge distraction from the good work we wanted to get done that year and largely an act of sabotage to divert us from our purpose. It was FCS (Federation of Conservative Students) policy at that time to campaign for disaffiliation, although they didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the referendum at a place like Keele.
Mind you, there were plenty of snowballs to be had at Keele that winter. More on that “campaign” as it unfolded in the first half of February.
Friday 1 February 1985 – Busy day with meetings etc. – pretty rundown – went to bed early (Petra came over).
Saturday 2 February 1985 – Rose quite early – canvassing meeting – shopped – Ali [Dabbs] came over in the afternoon – went to Keele Hall party in evening – Petra came over later.
Sunday, 3 February 1985 – Got up late – late lunch etc.. Went canvassing, office, radio interview etc.
I can’t remember what I said in that radio interview. It might have been about the NUS disaffiliation business, or it might have been a more general interview about academic and welfare matters at Keele. BBC Radio Stoke I think it was.
It won’t have been about cricket, unlike my 15 minutes of fame in Jagdalpur some years later…now THAT’S an unusual and interesting story:
