Town And Gown - Creating a university episode 11
In 1961, the Essex County Standard said that “sales of cigarettes and confectionery will boom ... each student will spend an average of £7 10s a week on his keep and amusements.” [Essex County Standard, 26 May 1961]. In the last of our podcasts marking the 50th Anniversary of the University, residents of Wivenhoe and Colchester remember how it felt to have a new university arrive in their midst. “The decision to fund a University in Colchester is the most important thing since the Emperor Claudius built his temple.” Lord Alport, former Colchester MP The interviewees talk about the role of the local community in supporting the development of the University and initial anticipation at the arrival of students. Local residents recall ‘weird characters’ dressed in ‘pink satin breeches’, how the local primary school welcomed new pupils from all over the world, and how sport was uses to help progress town and gown relations.