Your webmaster is a member of the Class of '77. A page for a reunion of the Class of '77 was set up in 2007. It has lots of interesting pictures from the 1970's but has been lost to these pages as I put it under the 'Reunions' section of the website. However I've now updated it for our 40th anniversary of graduation following the receipt of some items Mike Roberts found when clearing his loft! To find the page with lots of interesting stuff from the 1970's click on the link, or the picture below....

In December 2007 Harry Bockmeulen (B.Sc, PhD Chemistry 1970-77) found this website and completed the membership form, and in January 2008 wrote to say :

‘As it happens I recently found a picture of the Chemistry Department football team taken in December 1972. I could name about half but not all my team mates.

And, 35 years later, Drs Ann Parkin, Adrian Parkins, Fu Ping Man and myself got together.

Best regards
Harry Bockmeulen’

Enjoy his pictures, below :

Patrick Gavin (1971-1974) sent the webmaster the following pictures of a football match between physics undergraduates and physics lecturers which he thinks must have been held in early 1974 at the Petersham football ground. Undergraduates were wearing the home kit and lecturers the away kit. The lecturers lost 7-4; the second picture shows Patrick scoring one of the goals for the students.

Top row: Bob Clarke, ???, Jim Medway, Phil Ingram, Mick McMichael

Bottom row: Bill Carey, Patrick Gavin (me), Tony Ollier, Barry Welch and Ron Zsumski

Now notice that one of the players was Ron Szumski. In a spooky co-incidence (or was it...) Ron (B.Sc. Physics 1971-74) sent to me a picture of himself and some friends. Ron says

“Photo taken near the entrance to the Physics Dept, looking out across the quadrangle to the halls of residence. Probably 1973/4. Names (L2R): Mario(?), Barry Welsh, Tony Ollier, Dave(?), Phil Ingram and me, Ron Szumski. At the time, we were Physics undergrads; 1971-74. Great days!

Students and beer - they go together like a horse and cart! So to actually have to drink beer in the course of research must be near the ultimate students dream. So it was that, on Sat 30th October 1976 a bunch of QEC students found themselves in Croydon persuading members of the public to sample beer, all in the name of research (well, to assist Barry Peerson with his Ph.D., but any excuse will do). These pictures are courtesy of our former Chairman John Brockhouse, and there is also one of the 1975 season Cricket Team.

Ron Wilkinson has kindly supplied the pictures below.

Does anyone remember the Fives court, especially playing the game? If you do, let me have your memories for this web site ) for more information about Fives take a look at Wikipedia.)

Ron has identified some of the people in the Students Union Committee photo, especially Nigel Rosenberg who was President and Seamus Quinn who was treasurer, but we need help identifying everyone in the picture. Let me know!

Update May 2005 : Clive Troubman has contacted us; he is the ‘beardy’ chap on the left leaning forward.

Ron’s pictures taken in 1974

Colin Love contacted the webmaster in April 2005 with some names to the middle picture. Apart from himself he identifies Radwan Thomas, Heather Berlin (Rag Week Chairman 1973), Mike Samarawyckrama (“Sam”), plus of course himself and Ron. Click here to see a copy of the picture (PDF file, 270kb).

Sweeny Todd Update from David Dickson Dec 2006

David (Biological Sciences, 1972-75) has contacted the webmaster with some fascinating information regarding the play Sweeny Todd. Firstly David, who played Dr. Lupin, tells us that the play was staged in 1974, with rehearsals taking place in 1973, and not in 1972 as the caption to the picture says. David is in the right-hand picture, above, in the dog collar. David sent the webmaster a 2-page document with the names of the actors and many other recollections about the play. Since it is so fascinating, I attach the full document here for you to read.

And it gets better. David still has a copy of the script used for the play. On the last night he collected as many signatures as he could from the cast and backstage people, and has sent me a copy, available here as a .PDF

Do you remember the price of a pint in 1974?

Club bitter 15p
Cider 17p
Tartan bitter 17p
Shandy 15p
Whisky, gin & vodka 16p
Rum & Brandy 17p
Brown & Light ale 9p
Newcastle Brown 22p
Mackeson 11p

Dave McVay has written to us about the barman and that Parrot

“The QEC barman’s name was Percy Sargent. In 1972 he was presented with a pewter tankard by the Union inscribed ‘Percy, called to the bar, QEC 1972”. Dave can remember getting the tankard engraved.

Dave continues :

“Unfortunately, I can also remember chairing some of those Union meetings about the ***** parrot”. Dave goes on to say that those meetings were not the Union’s finest hour!

This page last updated 21 July 2017