Tag: Keele University

My Last Keele Sixties Soul Disco, My Last Visit To Barnes L54 & Other “End Of Keele” Memories, Late June & Early July 1985

Hayward Burt sitting in MY Barnes L54 chair

Having survived a visit to London with Petra in her car…

We Interrupt Keele Festival Week To Dice With Death On A Theatre Trip To London, 28 June 1985

…my diary for the next few days has an end of era tone to it.

Saturday, 29 June 1985 – returned through night – slept in – went to town late – cooked John [White] and Petra [Wilson] a meal – John and I did last Sixties [Soul] disco. Went down well.

Sunday 30th of June 1985 – Rose quite early – Ruth’s folks – Petra’s car – breakfast – visited Ruth – Pitty [Graham Pitt] came over for dinner.

John and I have very happy memories of doing those sixties soul discos. It was kind of Pady Jalali (Social Secretary) to award us the end of Festival Week slot as a last hurrah.

If you are wondering what one of our Sixties Soul Discos might have sounded like, please feel free to click the image above – or here – for a YouTube Music playlist curated by me and John in the style of those discos.

Some people described our discos as Northern Soul style, but in truth they were more mainstream than that, not least because Keele’s record collection at that time had few “rare grooves”. Our soul discos always went down well, as confirmed by my assessment in my diary.

Ruth’s Parents, Petra’s Car & Hospital Visits

I have already told the tale of Ruth, Petra’s close friend, having been hit by a car in the street, in a piece named “Something’s Wrong…”

“Something’s Wrong” In The Keele Hall Salvin Room & I Am Keele’s “Bamber Gascoigne”, 19 to 24 June 1985

I should hasten to add that Petra was not the errant driver in the Ruth incident, as evidenced by Petra being elsewhere (with me) at the time of the accident. More seriously, Petra proved to be a very constant friend to Ruth during her recovery, in hospital, as my late June/early July diary attests. We (or at least Petra) visited Ruth almost every day, except when we were out of town.

I also remember that Eddie Slade, the Senior Tutor, visited Ruth in hospital to see how she was and to inform her in person that she had won an academic prize that year. A lovely touch, I thought then and still think now.

Eddie Slade – what a good chap.

In truth I remember little about the visit from Ruth’s parents. The fact that I blurt the phrase “Petra’s car” between the phrase “Ruth’s folks” and “breakfast” suggests that something once again happened to (or in) Petra’s car, as part of that expedition. Lost in the mists of time from my memory, that one. It can’t have been as dramatic as our near death experience on the Marylebone Road.

Monday 1 July 1985 – lazyish day – signed on, shops, went to hospital., Cooked Petra meal.

Tuesday 2 July 1985 – easyish day – office briefly – Petra packed – I went to Kate’s [now Susan Fricker] for a while – hospital – cooked Petra a meal etc.

Wednesday, 3 July 1985 – sorted things out – went to hospital – then walk round lakes etc.

Thursday 4 July 1985 – easyish day – rose late – went to Trentham Gardens in afternoon – hospital – dinner etc.

Friday, 5 July 1985 – Easy day – office briefly etc – went to hospital – had dinner – went union and then onto L54 to see John, Hayward etc.

Saturday 6 July 1985 – Rose late – shopped – went to hospital – cooked nice meal etc.

I think Trentham was a bit of a crumbling old ruin back then, but I suppose it was one of the few vaguely local attractions near Keele.

I don’t remember John staying in Barnes L54 at that time, but he must have done. My guess is that John had already given up his flat (room) in town and wanted to stick around Keele a while longer. I’ll also guess that it was Alan Gorman who had departed early and therefore had left space for John to squat in L54 a while.

I had lived in Barnes L54 for two very happy years – Autumn 1982 to Summer 1984.

Keele Action Group Springs Forth Campus-Wide, Constitutional Matters Mingle With A Crucial Culinary Debate In My Barnes L54 Flat, 8 to 11 October 1982

It was strange visiting that place for the last time – especially with Hayward Burt sitting in MY chair and all – have I mentioned that bit before?

Hayward: yes you have, Ian. Just hand over the keys…

Postscript – Actually my very last visit to L54 was the following week, where I saw Kate, Pady, Hayward and [Chris Spencer] Farm. That evening will have been my last visit:

Ringroad Finalists Revue, Keele University Students’ Union (KUSU), 27 June 1985

This image from Concourse, depicting a show several months earlier

A couple of weeks ago (May 2017) I wrote an Ogblog piece about my first forays into Ringroad Revue – click here. Quick as a flash, John Easom at “Keele Alumni Central” put Frank Dillon in touch with me, triggering e-mail exchanges, arrangements to meet up and of course a flood of more memories.

Frank wrote/asked:

I was particularly intrigued to learn that you are in possession of The Cornflake Box – or The Holy Grail as Olu Odunsi and I have dubbed it these past 30 years(!) or so.
Any chance you could scan me the contents?

The actual box (which I suppose I inherited from Frank in the summer of 1984) disintegrated during 1985 while it was living in my flat (K block Horwood). I think it was probably replaced by another similar box.

My collection of scripts is now in a file – a mixture of original hand-written scripts and photocopies – a fragment of the Holy Grail with some facsimile elements.

I don’t think that I even took the actual box with me…not that it was THE actual box any more, unless we accept that this particular Holy Grail of a Cornflake Box regenerated every few years – a bit like Dr Who…just more funny, less animated and with fewer enemies.

I suspect it will be autumn (2017) before I get space to take on the Ringroad File/Cornflake Box/Holy Grail Fragment for comprehensive scanning and sharing – otherwise I’ll be interrupting my current/future life by spending a disproportionate amount of time wallowing in the past…and that won’t do.

But I do have, already digitised, a recording of the Finalists Revue from 1985, which I have uploaded in two chunks (due to WordPress file size restrictions).

I cannot remember the name of everyone who appeared in the 1985 Finalists Revue – apologies to those whose names I only half remember or forget.

Frank was gone by then. Olu Odunsi was still around and was a delight to work with on the boards, including this show. John Bowen, who was on the research//academic staff, also joined with us for Ringroad that 1984/85 academic year and was similarly good news to have in the team.

Indeed the whole cast was fun and friendly. Dave Griffiths (who also wrote very good material) and three fabulous lasses, Jo, Jackie and (I think) Karen. Possibly there were others, but I think that’s it. Please help me to fill in the gaps if you are able, dear reader.

I have not re-listened to the recording in full myself yet, but I think the second half might be a tad better than the first half. The recording is poor as we had a microphone shortage, so some bits are less audible than others and some sketches sound a bit shouty.

I was pretty hopeless as a performer, really, but I think it was seen as a bit of a coup to have a union sabbatical on the Ringroad cast taking the pee out of union politics. I wrote little back then – my comedy writing was to blossom later, in the 1990s, at NewsRevue.

Enjoy the recording(s) below and please do comment.

Ringroad Finalists Revue 27 June1985 Part One of Two

 

Ringroad Finalists Revue 27 June1985 Part Two of Two

 

More Festival Week Stuff Including My Last Keele Students’ Union Ball, 25 to 27 June 1985

1985 Summer Ball image with grateful thanks to Andrew Macmillan

In many ways the things unsaid in my personal diary entries for that Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday are more interesting than the things said.

Allow me to transliterate those three days for you:

Tuesday 25 June 1985 – busy day – shopped – Ringroad rehearsal – popped over to Kate’s – had dinner – went to Pop Quiz – got drunk – Petra came over.

Wednesday 26th June 1985 – meetings etc – quite busy – dinner – Ball (including weak Ringroad!) – left about 2:30 am.

Thursday 27 June 1985 – meetings etc went to WPAR [if someone remembers what that was, please let me know] – hospital – cooked dinner – Ring wrote summer review – went down very well.

My appointments diary for the Tuesday shows that I had fully intended to play the festival week cricket match for the fourth year running, but became quite inundated with requests for meetings and gave up on the idea of one last go at the cricket.

Those readers who missed out on my Keele cricket (so-called) career can catch up with it through this King Cricket piece authored by Herbert Ackgrass with me appearing pseudonymously as Ged Ladd. It takes some gall to have one of your noms de plume write about another of your noms de plume, so clearly I have some gall:

Players (of the left) v Gentlemen (of the right) – match report + wagon wheel

But I digress.

The fact that we had a last-minute rescheduled Ringroad rehearsal suggest to me that the Ringroad show we performed at the Ball, which I described as weak, was a last minute idea, perhaps to fill a gap in the Ball schedule. We had a long-planned Summer Revue the next day and I think we needed to dredge the bottom of the Ringroad cornflake box of scripts to come up with a second show in as many days that wasn’t going to overlap.

I don’t remember much about the pop quiz on the Tuesday, but as I state that I “got drunk” rather than “won”, or “did well”, I think you can draw your own conclusions.

Frankly, I remembered little about the Summer Ball too. It is only fair to say that John White’s memory did no better. Interesting also that I didn’t note the names of the bands we saw – not even the headliners (Darts).

So I am truly grateful to Andrew Macmillan for supplying the headline image which helped bring back the memories.

One reason that I would not have thought Darts that exciting a pick is that I had seen them at an SU ball early in my Keele career. No doubt Pady chose them precisely because only a handful of us would have seen them at the Valentines Ball in 1981 – written up in this piece:

The Best Pot I Had In Five Years At Keele, i.e. The First Weekend I Tried Cooking In The F Block Lindsay Kitchen, 11 to 15 February 1981

You can hear/see some Darts in the above 1981 write up, but if that’s not enough for you, here’s another embedded video of that retro group. They were seriously retro, even when at their peak in the 1970s:

More interesting perhaps were the support acts. I remember being less impressed by The Higsons than I was by The Untouchables, but enjoying the sound of both.

The Untouchables were very much “John’s and my sort of thing”, with their Mod/Ska revival sound. I wonder whether Pady [Jalali] chose them for our last hurrah deliberately to please us. Forty years on, John [White] and I can ask Pady that question when we all meet up in late July.

I particularly remember liking The Untouchables version of a Northern Soul classic, I Spy For The FBI:

I love the parting remark in my diary, “left about 2:30 a.m.”.

And I had SO many meetings the next day, and THE Ringroad Summer Revue to perform. Did I make it?

Of course I did.

Perhaps WPAR is something to do with “womens group”, but I’m still none the wiser

Not only did I do all of that on the Thursday, but my diary reports that Petra and I visited recently run-over Ruth in hospital in amongst all of that too. I’m getting hot and bothered just thinking about it.

Some years ago I wrote up that Summer Ringroad Revue, my final Ringroad performance, including an audio recording of that show – here’s that write up:

Ringroad Finalists Revue, Keele University Students’ Union (KUSU), 27 June 1985

“Something’s Wrong” In The Keele Hall Salvin Room & I Am Keele’s “Bamber Gascoigne”, 19 to 24 June 1985

Bamber Gascoigne, image use permitted by the National Portrait Gallery

My diary entries for 19 June 1985 barely tell the story. I’d had a busy day of meetings, but the day was supposed to end in an enjoyable fashion, as Petra and I had been invited to an Overseas Students Reception in the Keele Hall Salvin Room, which we planned to follow up with a party/disco in less salubrious Lindsay – probably the Hexagon.

Well posh, the Salvin Room, this image borrowed from the Keele archive

Well posh, Keele Hall, as seen from the lakes

I remember a very relaxed atmosphere at the party – I knew many of the overseas students well from my Education & Welfare activities.

About an hour into the party – I’ll never forget this – Petra suddenly seemed very anxious and said:

I’ve got to go. Something’s wrong. I need to go back to my room.

I went with her, really not understanding her vexation. I don’t suppose she understood it at that moment. We soon got back to Petra’s Horwood block, H if I recall correctly, where one or two people were looking for her. Word had reached the block that Ruth had been run over by a car in town. Ruth was in A&E at North Staffs Royal Infirmary and had been asking for Petra.

I don’t much believe in extra sensory perception – I certainly don’t understand it -and am sceptical about the way that some people profess to have it – but for sure Petra profoundly sensed something that evening in Keele Hall.

Anyway, we jumped into Petra’s car and headed for the hospital.

Jonathan Hutchins / North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary – from Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0

The staff at the hospital were very nice to us. They explained to us that Ruth had suffered some significant fractures and that there was a fair bit of superficial injury to her face which looked worse than it was. Would we like to go in to the observation ward now?

Petra said yes. Squeamish back then as indeed I am now, I said that I would hold back for the time being.

Two or three minutes later, one of the nurses came out to inform me that Petra had fainted at the sight of Ruth and was recovering on a spare bed in the observation ward. Would I like to go in and see the pair of them?

Do you have another spare bed in there?

I asked, instinctively. Perhaps it was the wrong moment for comedy, but there was also veracity in my question.

Actually I did go in to the ward and understood why the events of the preceding hour or so, not least “the big reveal” of entering that small ward, had been so upsetting for Petra. She was a very close friend to Ruth and they are still very much in touch with one another, as I understand it, 40 years on.

My diary entries for the following few weeks have daily visits to see Ruth, apart from a few days when Petra and I were apart (when Petra would have visited without me) or when Petra and I were away from North Staffs together.

Wednesday, 19 June 1985 office – union committee meetings – overseas student reception – heard Ruth had been run over – went to hospital – got back late.

Thursday, 20 June 1985 – Rose early Leisuregames lunch – then went around with Petra to hospital etc – dinner after.

Friday 21 June 1985 – busy sorting out things for Ruth with Petra etc. Had Chinese meal at Hanley Garden.

Saturday, 22 June 1985 – got up quite early. Went home to visit mum and dad.

Sunday, 23 June 1985 – moved belongings around – had lunch. Left [for Keele] quite early – had dinner – Petra came over.

Monday 24 June 1985 – Rose quite late – did university challenge heat (compere) – had dinner with Petra and Ruth’s mum.

Gosh, yes, I remember being “Keele’s very own Bamber Gascoigne, just for one day”, doing the University Challenge teams selection heats in the ballroom that Monday. It was one of the first activities in Festival Week that year and I took the job of compering it very seriously.

The 1982 team – my contemporaries I suppose – picture borrowed from the Keele Archive

I especially remember all the effort I put in on the preceding days, including the couple of days I spent visiting my parents, going through the huge wad of questions that the Granada TV people had sent through to help with those heats. I tried to select collections of questions that I thought would be fairest and best help separate the Keele quizzing wheat from the Keele quizzing chaff.

I must admit I find it hard to think about University Challenge “in our day” without thinking of The Young Ones episode in which the anarchic quartet from Scumbag College take on a bunch of infeasibly posh students from Footlights College Oxbridge. Here’s a link to that episode on BBC iPlayer – you know you want to peek at it.

In the next episode of this forty years on series, I’ll be writing up, amongst other things, the Students’ Union Summer Ball, which took place a couple of days after the University Challenge heats. I need your help, dear readers…

…SO…

…fingers on buzzers and no conferring, here is your starter for 10:

Which act headlined at the Keele Students’ Union Ball on 26 June 1985?

And, your bonus questions for five points each:

Name the support acts…

…(Ringroad doesn’t count as a support act).

Answers in the comments or by private message please.

Out Of Office But Not Quite Yet Out Of Time At Keele, Mid June 1985

With thanks to Mark Ellicott, who captured the historic moment at which I symbolically handed the keys to the Education & Welfare Office to Hayward Burt.

10 June 1985 was the day of the last UGM of the academic year and the official end of my sabbatical year of office as Education & Welfare officer. Not that the official ending seemed to reduce the number of meetings and things I attended for the next few weeks. We sabbaticals in particular undertook quite a substantial “handover”, which we hadn’t received with such gusto from our predecessors but which we felt we should do for our successors.

I have previously written up the “Hackgrass Reveal” story, which dominated the early part of that historic day:

Hackgrass Reveal in Pub Circ, Keele, 10 June 1985

I have also previously written up some sort of spoof Union Committee meeting we held after a wet lunch that day:

After The Hackgrass Reveal…Later That Same Day…A Strange Sort of Committee Meeting, 10 June 1985

My appointments diary tells a slightly maudlin tale, with the entry “UGM, The End” on that day:

My personal diary sort-of covered the day…

Monday 10 June 1985 – last day officially in office – did little – “union committee meeting” for awhile – then somewhat chaotic last UG M – drink after etc. Very late night.

…although it failed to mention that I was awarded life membership of the Keele Students’ Union at that UGM. I was given a card the following day to prove it. Very proud of that card I am, such that I carried it around with me at all times for years. It now looks like this:

Like my face, my life membership card has seen better days. 40 years is a long time.

I always knew I had something in common with Nelson Mandela, but in truth had forgotten, until I found this article in the Sentinel while looking for something else, that Nelson & I both had life membership of UKSU conferred upon us that night:

Nelson gets life on 10 June 1985Nelson gets life on 10 June 1985 15 Jun 1985, Sat Evening Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) Newspapers.com

Here’s the text from my personal diary for the next week or so:

Tuesday, 11 June 1985 – Rose late – residential services in afternoon etc – had dinner with Petra.

Wednesday, 12 June 1985 – busy day – meetings etc – celebrated after Senate – had dinner with Petra.

Thursday, 13 June 1985 – meetings – in office most of the day – had an easy evening [Strangely, the appointments diary says that I did the Bust Fund Disco that night. I expect the appointments diary is right and the memory at the time I wrote up that week was wrong.

A 1984/1985 Keele Students’ Union Bust Fund Disco Playlist

Friday, 14 June 1985 – meetings, office etc. Cooked dinner for Petra, Ruth and [Graham] Pitt.

Saturday, 15 June 1985 – lazyish day – shopped etc – popped over to Pitt’s – went to Jackie Wong’s for dinner.

Sunday, 16 June 1985 – Rose late/lazy day –brekker etc. Cooked Petra dinner later.

Monday, 17 June 1985 – went to Derbyshire for day with June – peak/picnic etc. dinner. Got back late – Petra came round after.

I have very happy memories of the day June Aitken (the Keele Student’s Union administrator extraordinaire) took us outgoing sabbaticals (me, Kate, John & Pady) to the Peak District, for a day of picnicking and walking.

It was a truly special and memorable day – I am so irritated that I didn’t take a camera and a roll of film that day. I fell in love with the Peak District that day and visited it many times since – especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s – the following photo from 1990:

Tuesday, 18 June 1985 – meetings etc – Ringroad rehearsal – Petra cooked dinner later.

The next day…something significant happened. I’ll write up that story and its aftermath next time.

Now now, no peaking!

Having A Ball Towards the End Of My Keele Students’ Union Term Of Office, Late May To Early June 1985

My appointments diary remained ridiculously full of meetings right up until my term of office ended…and indeed for a while after it ended doing handover.

Sample from the appointments diary.

This article covers the two weeks ahead of the final day of our term of office.

Tuesday 28 May 1985 – rushed today with interviews, meetings etc etc. Cooked Petra some food in evening.

Wednesday. 29 May 1985 – busy in meetings all day – worked late. Cooked Annalisa a meal in evening.

Thursday, 30 May 1985 meetings all day – including NUPE over staff. Petra [cooked me a] meal in evening.

Friday 31 May 1985 – very busy day – hassled etc. Made Petra a meal late.

Saturday one June 1985 – Rose fairly early – went shopping (proper). Worked after. Cooked Petra meal

Sunday to June 1985 – Rose quite early – went to office for most of day – saw Petra later.

The question of who cooked whom dinner seems to have been my main personal diary concern that week.

Coincidentally, forty years on, Janie is cooking a pork stroganoff this evening of a very similar specification to the “strog” I used to cook back then. Obviously ingredients such as “shitake mushrooms” hadn’t been invented in 1985 and “three kinds of mustard” is at least two kinds more than I would have mustered back then, but still. We have no pictures of the food from 1985, as taking pictures of food hadn’t been invented. So here is a picture of the 2025 strog in the making:

Digression over – let’s move on to week two.

OK, I’ve heard you – you can’t read that diary page. Here’s a transcript:

Monday, 3 June 1985 – rushed today – meetings etc. Constitutional committee etc in evening – got back quite late.

Tuesday 4 June 1985 – choc-a-block today – meetings etc till late – cooked Petra a late meal.

Wednesday, 5 June 1985 – busy day – Union Committee, Ringroad meeting. Easyish evening at home – Petra came over.

Thursday, 6 June 1985 – worked hard & late today – Petra exams – made her grub – early night.

Friday, 7 June 1985 – busy day in office – not feeling too good. Cooked Petra meal in evening – stayed in.

Saturday, 8 June 1985 – lazy day – rose late – went shopping – had theatre supper around Having A Ball – very nice evening.

Sunday, 9 June 1985 – got up late had breakfast went to office for a while. Went to Kate’s for dinner.

Ah yes, Having A Ball at the Theatre Royal Hanley.

I’m glad that Petra and I had a pleasant evening. My memory of the play & production itself was of a very corny comedy, which was, in truth, not to my taste. Nor Petra’s, I should imagine, but we clearly enjoyed the “end of exams/end of tough week” escapism of it. I do especially remember thinking that the “having a ball” pun about being in a vasectomy clinic started to grind very quickly and was used far too many times.

I wonder if I might find a review of the production we saw…

…yup, from Newcastle a few days later. The critic’s view from 1985 concurs with my memory forty years on:

Ball Northern Echo MortimerBall Northern Echo Mortimer 11 Jun 1985, Tue The Northern Echo (Yorkshire ed.) (Darlington, Durham, England) Newspapers.com

Sexplanations: Keele Students’ Union Guide To Birth Control & Related Issues – Conceived Autumn 1984, Born Early June 1985

With thanks to cartoonist Paul Wood and Private Eye for their kind permission to use Paul’s image, published in Eye Issue 1636, November 2024.

When I spotted the above cartoon in Private Eye, it brought back a flood of memories about the conception, in Autumn 1984, of the publication that we named “Sexplanations”.

The unfunny part of this story is the running battle I was facing, as Education & Welfare Officer, with those pockets of Keele culture that did not want any information on “Birth Control and Related Issues” displayed and distributed by my office in the Students’ Union. My predecessor had bowed to the pressure of objections to information leaflets on the topic by abstaining from displaying any. I felt it was vitally important to provide information to students and was prepared to take on the issue.

My attempted compromise with the naysayers was to display the better of the supposedly controversial third party leaflets on a promise that I would produce our own Keele SU document that would aim to be suitably balanced in its perspective.

I made an early decision to pepper the booklet with cartoons, as part of my attempt to make the booklet readable and engaging enough to encourage wide readership. I had (indeed still have in a yellowing file) a small collection of Private Eye cartoons that I had torn out of my subscription copies of Private Eye when I saw a picture I enjoyed. Once the booklet had been conceived, I particularly sought out relevant cartoons from the pages of Eye.

When I sought permission to use the 2024 headline cartoon from Private Eye, I did confess to my previous use of its cartoons without permission (but for a good social purpose). So I really do owe Private Eye one…or indeed more than one. But I have been a subscriber for well over 40 years and do commend that esteemed organ to all Ogblog readers – here’s a link to its website.

The handful of mentions in my diary during the gestation of this booklet refer to it as the “birth control” leaflet. But the medical advisors I consulted, both in the local health authority and the Keele Health Centre, persuaded me quite early to broaden the scope and include information about sexually transmitted infections as well, which we did.

I recall that June Aitken (senior admin assistant) reported to me that Joan was in tears trying to type this document for me. I wondered whether Joan was finding the material embarrassing or difficult.

“Oh no”, said June, “she just so wants to do a good job for you, but cannot read your blithering handwriting, duck”.

The irony of my medically-oriented draft leaflet being illegible is not wasted on me. Sorry, again, Joan! June undertook to help Joan with the draft and of course the resulting document was very well typed and set in the end.

Petra Wilson and Jean Mackay, who were both on my welfare committee, were my main content assistants on this publication and did a terrific job on it. (I wonder what became of Jean? Petra – do you know?).

I recall a meeting (probably quite close to publication day) when we were to choose the name. I came up with the pun, Sexplanations, which none of us really liked, but none of us could think of anything better – i.e. suitably descriptive, catchy and suggesting that their might be some humorous as well as informative content.

Forty years on, I still don’t really like the title Sexplanations and still cannot think of a more suitable one.

Meanwhile, controversy continued to rear its ugly head in the union around such topics, as this snippet from May 1985 Concourse attests, in the matter of Life posters, which I permitted the “Life lot” to put up, but wouldn’t police for them in a “die on a hill” manner. I mean, dying on a hill would have been against their sanctity of life principles, wouldn’t it?

By the beginning of June, it really was time to induce the birth of Sexplanations, don’t you think?

Here is a link to the entire document if you want to read it, skim it or just look at the pictures – click here or the cover image below:

I believe the publication was a success. They certainly went like hot cakes during the few weeks that I remained at Keele post publication – my term of office was very close to its end when the booklet came out. I don’t think it was ever going really to please the naysayers, as their perception of balanced writing on this topic was somewhat at variance with mine.

Just one more strange memory about this topic – i.e. the aftermath of Sexplanations coming out.

Spikey condom image borrowed from Amazon, where such items can be procured.

Whether the spikey condom (unused) that awaited me under the door on arrival at my office on the morning after the publication was from the naysayers or a random prankster we’ll never know. Petra and I wondered at the time whether it might even have been a late contribution towards our research. Fortunately, further research of that kind would have been pointless post publication.

Anyone out there care to confess to having deposited said “gift”?

Nuts In May 1985 At Keele: Breakfast, Bugs, Barlaston & Much More

Sunday, 12 May 1985 – nice day. Rose late had “breakfast” – came to office late afternoon worked here and at home. Petra came over later.

Years later I discovered that there is a well-known term for the Sunday meal I described as “breakfast”… brunch. I cannot remember what I would prepare for such a meal but it probably bore more than a passing resemblance to an English breakfast.

Monday 13 May 1985 – busy day today – meetings etc. Cooked Petra meal in evening.

Tuesday, 14 May 1985 – union committee and meetings all day (including staff meeting). Petra cooked me a meal in evening.

15 May 1985 – busy day. Senate in afternoon. Long Ringroad rehearsal.

Thursday, 16 May 1985 – went to [magistrates] court in morning – meetings all afternoon – J-Soc early evening – Ringroad performance in the evening.

Friday, 17 May 1985 – busy day on birth control – committees et cetera. Very tired after. Shopped – cooked Petra meal.

Saturday, 18 May 1985 – road quite late – Kate [Fricker] came over to work on grievance/discipline [procedures]– Petra cooked us a meal in evening.

Having lived through the agony of the Tommy and Ralph saga for more or less half of our sabbatical year…

When The Keele Students’ Union Bars (aka Tommy And Ralph) Saga Came To A Head, Early August 1984

…Kate and I were determined to try and help leave behind a better set of grievance and disciplinary procedures than those we had inherited when we came into office.

Sunday, 19 May 1985 – Rose quite late – had breakfast. Did some work in office – Petra came over later.

Monday, 20 May 1985 – hard day in office – UGM in evening (so so) – Petra came over.

I cannot remember what was happening at our penultimate UGM to make it “so-so”. But I have discovered the following snippet from Concourse which made me laugh. Around that time, it became public knowledge that Princess Margaret was going to give up the Chancellorship of Keele. Concourse asked a few of us to suggest a suitable replacement.

I still think that Bugs Bunny would be a great choice.

I have subsequently found the first three quotes from that article – John’s mine and Hayward’s, were picked up by the Evening Sentinel:

Margaret Succession in SentinelMargaret Succession in Sentinel 08 Jun 1985, Sat Evening Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) Newspapers.com

Tuesday 21 May. 1985 – busy day – meetings etc. Did Bust Fund Disco in evening – Petra came over later.

The Bust Fund Disco will have been with John White – click picture link below for example playlist.

Wednesday, 22 May 1985 – rushed with meetings. Birth control [leaflet] etc. Cooked Petra meal in evening.

By this stage, the publication, which we named Sexplanations, perhaps even on that very day, had become more than just birth control. I remember that Jean Mackay was especially helpful with the editing of that document at the end. I’ll write some more about the publication of it in a subsequent episode very soon.

Thursday, 23 May 1985 – rushed with meetings and stuff – OSS [Overseas Students Society]meeting in evening – Petra came over later.

Friday, 24 May 1985 – busy day in office – went rebate etc. Cooked Petra [a meal] in evening – went to jazz night etc.

Not sure what “rebate” was about, but Hayward Burt was involved and there was some sort of finance committee meeting that day.

Saturday 25 May 1985 – rose quite early – shopped – did some work – cooked Petra dinner in evening.

Sunday 26 May 1985 – fairly lazy day – breakfast – did some work – Petra came over later.

Monday 27 May 1985 – took morning off – went to Barlaston – worked thereafter. Petra came over later.

Barlaston Hall in 2008

I think Barlaston Hall was a crumbling ruin still in 1985, mired in controversy over the project to restore the place that was supposed to be completed in the mid 1980s but…

That visit would almost certainly have been Petra’s idea rather than mine, but I’m sure we both had a splendid time. I suspect that I was in a deadline frenzy over completing the Sexplanations booklet on time, while Petra was on a mission to reduce my writing/editing excess on a Bank Holiday Monday.

That’s All Folks!…

…for now.

Boiled Beef & Carrott: Cooking & Thesping At Keele, Start Of Summer Term 1985 – But Who Was The Nerd?

Judging by my diary, I spent most of my time at the start of Keele’s summer term 1985 cooking meals for Petra Wilson (or occasionally being cooked a meal by her), or sitting through interminable meetings, as was my wont as SU Education & Welfare Officer.

Although, if the Concourse and Geordie mag wags are anything to go by, I must have been generating huge quantities of verbiage in the publicity circular and the like, as well as crafting my magnum opus, Sexplanations. I also was spending time rehearsing the new improved Ringroad with the enhanced team, including Dave Griffiths, John Bowen & Warwick Cairns – more on those topics to come soon.

This article is covering a dull-sounding period at the start of term in all of its exquisite diary dullness. It livens up as the piece goes on…honest.

Monday 22 April 1985 – Busy day in the office – interviews and What Subsid. Worked late – had early night.

Tuesday 23 April 1985 – More interviews today etc. Got quite a lot done – earlyish night – Petra came back [to Keele] in middle of the night.

Wednesday 24 April 1985 – Early start – meetings etc today. Cooked Petra dinner in evening.

Thursday, 25 April 1985 – Busy day with meetings and interviews etc – early night tonight.

Friday 26 April 1985 – Rushed day with Union Committee Meeting etc. Petra came round later.

Saturday 27 April 1985 – Rose late – went into town late – ran around the shops etc. Cooked Petra dinner in evening.

Sunday 28 April 1985 – Rose late – did some work later on – saw Petra for a while later.

One of the union cleaners, Kitty, retired around that time, so I suspect those interviews were about replacing her. I was busy researching Sexplanations and for sure I spoke with lots of medical people about that, but I don’t think in those days I would have called such research meetings interviews – for those I tended to write the name of the hospital or medical practice I visited.

For sure we launched Wot Subsid 1985-87 at the start of that term.

And the more I think about it, the more I think I should publish a collection of my Keele recipes in a booklet entitled “Wot Subsist”, for students everywhere henceforward.

In truth, boiled beef and carrots would not have tended to appear on my menu. I would occasionally cook beef for Petra but she preferred lighter fare – mostly chicken or fish – sometimes pork. Not spicy food (although I did have a canon of spicy dishes for others). Mild creamy sauces, for sure. If I were to cook beef it would be Chinese style – normally stir fry – although I had already cultivated a wicked Guangzhou style brisket of beef cooked in a “to die for” stock. I suppose that is sort-of boiled beef.

Monday 29 April 1985 – Worked quite hard today – got quite a bit done. Petra cooked meal in evening.

Tuesday 30 April 1985 – Rushed and busy today with meetings etc – Petra came round later.

Wednesday 1 May 1985 – Very busy day with meetings till late etc – Petra came round after.

Thursday 2 May 1985 – Got quite a bit done today as meetings were cancelled etc. Petra came around later.

Friday, 3 May 1985 – Busy day in office today – lots of hassle in afternoon. Shopped and went pictures (A Private Function) then Petra cooked meal.

Saturday 4 May 1985 – Did very little today. Rose late etc and cooked Petra dinner in evening.

Sunday, 5 April 1985 – Didn’t get up till late – did a little work in the evening and popped over to L54 briefly.

Ah, A Private Function. I remember that movie – about a chiropodist rearing a pig for a party:

Who’d have thought that, within 10 years, I’d be mixed up with a chiropodist, Janie, throwing a pig party. Trigger warning on the album that follows – some of the pictures are seriously piggy and I don’t mean the Janie & Phillie picture on the cover:

Pig Party_1994 (1)

But I digress.

As for visiting Barnes L54, that had been “my flat” for two years: 82/83 and 83/84:

Enter Stage Left, My New Neighbours & Flatmates At Keele In Barnes L54, 4 to 7 October 1982

Still there in 84/85 was Alan Gorman, who the only one who had been there throughout my time in that flat. Also Chris Spencer, who had been there for most of the time I was in that flat, plus Pete Wild who joined us in 83/84. Hayward Burt had taken my place…quite literally:

Oy, Hayward. That’s MY seat.

Monday 6 May 1985 – Worked hard despite bank holiday – cooked Petra meal in evening.

Tuesday, 7 May 1985 – Busy day with Union Committee morning, meetings etc till late. International Affairs – drank after until quite late and then went to see Petra.

Wednesday, 8 May 1985 – Hard day in office – Welfare Committee etc. Ringroad rehearsal in the evening – went well – went to see Petra after.

Thursday, 9 May 1985 – Busy day in office with enquiries etc. Busy evening – met Vice Chancellor [new VC was Brian Fender] – Union Committee meeting and Shirley and Kitty’s party. Went over to Petra’s after briefly – came back later.

Friday 10 May 1985 – Busy day in office – rushed off feet – especially in the afternoon. Went to theatre to see The Nerd and cooked Petra meal after.

I remember that we called Brian Fender “Uncle Fester” in those early days.

Jackie Coogan playing the role of Brian Fender…I mean Uncle Fester

Shirley & Kitty’s party got a whole page in Concourse that month. But surely the most newsworthy element, forty years on, is John White’s mop top hair and tank top garment.

JOHN – WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

As for The Nerd, I remembered little about it until I looked it up. Clearly this production went on to Coventry after Stoke:

Nerd CarrottNerd Carrott 10 May 1985, Fri Coventry Evening Telegraph (Coventry, West Midlands, England) Newspapers.com

We saw it at the Hanley Theatre Royal. I remember being pleased that I had seen Jasper Carrott perform live but not thinking too much of the show. The Evening Sentinel slammed it in a way that only the Sentinel could:

Nerd Bentley SentinelNerd Bentley Sentinel 07 May 1985, Tue Evening Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) Newspapers.com

Still, I cooked Petra a meal afterwards and no doubt let my inner nerd flow while vocalising my opinions on the lightweight play.

Three Weeks Of Easter Holidays, London & Keele, 1985

Having run myself down in the early spring of 1985, doing the Keele Students’ Union sabbatical thing, I took a bit of a break during the Easter holidays and then returned to Keele for a relatively calm period before the storm of my final term.

“Holy Week” & Passover Resting/Convalescing At My Parents House

Of course Holy Week had no meaning in my family, but the week or so in question was the run up to Easter and the Easter weekend. It coincided with Pesach (Passover) that year.

Monday 1 April 1985 – Lazy day – went shops – stayed in mainly taping, reading and feeling low.

Tuesday to April 1985 – Lazy day in – taped, read etc – feeling grotty and lazy. Stayed in evening also.

Image borrowed from Amazon, where this book can be procured.

Strangely, although the diary is silent on this matter, I very clearly remember reading Something Happened by Joseph Heller during that particular Easter break. It didn’t cheer me up, but I remember finding the book jaw-droppingly good. I had loved Catch 22 and had not expected to be that impressed by Heller’s so-called difficult second novel. Something Happened is a much under-rated classic in my opinion, but I digress.

Wednesday 3 April 1985 – Went to town [West End of London] today – went Newman Harris & Co – Caroline [Freeman, now Curtis] for lunch – shopped etc. Lazy evening in.

Thursday 4 April 1985 – Went to Edwina [Green, doctor] in morning. Went to Dad’s shop in the afternoon and had an easy evening in.

Friday, 5 April 1985 – Did little today – went for a [traditional bank holiday, with Dad] walk etc. Had a nice dinner and watched TV etc. – lazy day.

Saturday, 6 April 1985 – Easy day – did some taping etc – went to seder that evening with Grandma Jenny. Very pleasant evening.

Sunday 7 April 1985 – Lazy day – nice lunch – went to Briegals [Jacquie, Len, Hilary & Mark] afternoon and evening – had a nice time there.

I’m trying to remember whether the Briegals were still in Wembley at that time (I think so) or had yet drifted further south to Swiss Cottage. Mark will no doubt let me know. Were smoked and pickled fishes involved? It’s hard to imagine that they weren’t, but 1985 was before the competitive aspect of herring feasting had been formalised.

Pickled Herring Of The Year Competition and Other Delights, 12 October 2016

Monday, 8 April 1985 – rose quite late. Had a nice lunch. Went to Auntie Frances [Harris] in the afternoon. Lazy evening in on phone and in front of box.

No doubt Angela, Vivienne & John (Kessler) will also have been there – this picture is of the former two a few years earlier in Auntie Frances’s flat:

Returning To Keele & Preparing For The New Term

Tuesday, 9 April 1985 – rose quite early – Winfred [May – neighbour & Mum’s friend] came over for lunch. Petra [Wilson] came over – returned to Keele – had dinner and early night.

That will have been the first time that my parents encountered Petra. I recall that dad was quite taken with her and that mum didn’t have a clue that we were going out with each other, probably because mum was so weird still about that sort of thing. Mum – I was 22 years old FFS.

Wednesday 10 April 1985 – rose late – lazed around. Went shopping in afternoon. Met Ashley [Fletcher] had a drink and stayed in. Lazy evening.

Thank goodness. Another Ashley mention to keep Ashley happy.

Thursday, 11 April 1985 – rose early – Union Committee in morning – lazy afternoon – went to union. Had a drink with John [White] in evening and then home for dinner, etc.

Friday, 12 April 1985 – Lazy-ish morning. Rose late. Had lunch – went SC – busy afternoon and evening – had nice meal etc.

If any of you Keele alum detectives can fathom what SC means in this context, please help me out. I am clueless.

Saturday 13 April 1985 – rose quite early went to Chester for the day – lunch – Toy Museum – drinks etc. Stayed in evening had a nice dinner etc.

I do remember an enjoyable day trip to Chester with petra, but I don’t in truth remember the Toy Museum there. Perhaps the place wasn’t all that memorable as it permanently closed down some years ago, as I write 40 years on.

Sunday, 14 April 1985 – Rose quite late had nice food went for a walk, etc. Big meal in the evening – did little. Nice day.

Monday 15 April 1985 – More or less worked all day – sorted some things out. Petra and I went for a very nice walk after. Lovely evening.

Tuesday, 16 April 1985 – Took day off – went Mainwaring. Shops – did some work etc. Ashley popped in. Lazy evening very pleasant.

Don’t panic – The Mainwaring Arms is still there in Whitmore.

Picture borrowed from the Google Review – click here or the picture to visit it.

I don’t find it extraordinary that my mood was clearly much better when recuperating at Keele in Petra’s company, compared with convalescing at my parents’ place. But what I do find interesting is how clearly the changed emotions ring out (and how well my memory can be triggered forty years later) by so few words in my diary entries.

Wednesday, 17 April 1985 – Easyish day in office – union committee morning – Petra went home – easy evening – walked with Annalisa early eve, stayed in evening, early night.

Thursday, 18 April 1985 – Fairly light day in office today – did a little work in the evening. Ashley and Co came around – cooked them a meal etc.

Friday, 19 April 1985 – Busyish day at work getting odds and ends done. Went over to Kate’s in the evening – got drunk and stayed late.

Saturday 20th of April 1985 – Rose late – shopped with Kate – did a little work and then did disco [with John White] in evening.

Sunday 21 April 1985 – Stayed in most of the day – saw Kate and Annalisa for a while and did work on birth control leaflet.

I really must get around to putting up some more “John & Ian Disco Playlists” after the success of the Bust Fund Disco one. Watch this space.

A 1984/1985 Keele Students’ Union Bust Fund Disco Playlist

Interesting that, in April, I was still referring to the publication that became “Sexplanations” as a birth control leaflet, as it became more than that between April and its publication in June. Watch this space for that too.