It appears that I've caused some of you (well Bernie at least) some confusion in respect of what I call myself, and in chatting to him about it, it would appear we may all well have the same problem. The names we used, to use to talk to each other 50 years ago, may not be the ones we tend to use now!
For me, it's quite simple. When I left Aber, probably at my first job, someone who I quite possibly didn't like too much (and certainly didn't have much respect for) called me Dave for some reason, I don't know why I certainly hadn't used that name and I just felt I had to make a stand so I corrected him and said "my name is David". Having done that once, it just became the rule. My professional name was David. [Incidentally Jenny has always called me David, as has my mother.]
However for everyone pre-work days I'm still, and will always be, Dave. We meet up with school friends of mine every month - I am Dave. There are friends I've made since I left Aber - I am quite often Dave to them as well. It's something I like to extend to my friends not for people to take without asking.
Here's Bernie's comments on the same subject ...
Names are a problem. My problem started when I started working at Cambridge Econometrics, they insisted on Bernard. That was usually the reserve of my mother when she was telling me off. Anyway I got used to it but then became Bernie again when I went back to teaching. Then when I visited the USA I was always Bernard with a different emphasis, and also I have lots of French contacts to whom I am also Bernard. I like the way they pronounce it, though it would seem a bit affected to use the French/American emphasis in England. Anyway I usually change who I am according to whom I am communicating with, but sometimes there is an unavoidable inconsistency in multi-person emails!
... I'd also add that Eileen would appear to be the only one who calls him Bern, but I may be wrong in that.
So the names I know you by are frozen in a late-1960's, early-1970's time capsule. It's Andy (not Andrew), Dot (not Dorothy), Babs (not Barbara), Midge (not Margaret), Al (not Alan), Ros (not Rosalind), Tony (not Anthony - although it could be Bovey in the same way that John was called Whitelegg some times, and Neil was called Wrigley some times ... why?). Gareth was sometimes called Callan (his middle name); Dennis was occasionally Den as I recall, but Richard was always Richard, as were Nick and John (JWD). Jenny was Little Jen to distinguish her from Big Jen (Jenny Jones), and I was once-upon-a-time known as Diddy Dave ... why?
So that's it - what's in a name. You'll have to make it quite clear how you REALLY want to be addressed, otherwise it's Aber-timewarp naming that rules OK.
Memories and friends who've passed on
Bernie dropped me an email this week to let me know that someone who we knew from Aber days had passed on. Like Bernie (and I suspect Rick), we played football with the people named in this message, which is a tribute to Keith Bevan, written by Ian (Lev) Edwards ...
The passing of Keith has really made me emotionally think of my time in Aber. It has suddenly made it all seem just a short time ago, regardless of the passing years.
Jim Kettle, Bev and myself spent much time together either playing football and talking about football in the Home Café especially when “Mr Statistics” Bob Culley arrived. We would get drunk together in a variety of venues mainly after games. Except on a Tuesday and Friday nights because we believed that getting drunk before games would affect our performance. So we never had more than four pints.
Keith, as they say , was a “ beautiful boy”. He was as graceful on the football field, with a killer punch, as he was off the field.
I remember one Saturday morning seeing him standing at the crossroads in the center of Aber. I went to the Home Café and when I returned he was still there. I asked him what he was doing. He replied “ waiting to ask someone to the dance tonight”. I relied “what, the first person you ask will come with you”. He said “ No someone will however”. He would turn up with the most stunning women. No one else “had the balls” to do what he was doing and he had a slight stutter!
I know I didn’t realize it at the time but Aber was a very special place. It really was the University for the Welsh as much as the University of Wales. Yet us boys, like Jim and Jerry, from Brum were readily accepted. Jim loved it so much he stayed for seven years.
The 60’s were a time of great change and upheaval around the world. Yet in Aber we were safe, although, I think, we frequently tried not to be. We laughed a lot and we cried when our teams lost, as they frequently did. We played to win on the field and in life, we drank too much and then looked for love, frequently in my case with mind numbing failure. Yet somehow we built a foundation which has supported us for the rest of our lives.
As my old mother used to say “ glorious days in the sunshine of your youth”
We all, and Keith especially, made the most of our coming into manhood.
Thank you Aber!
Lev.
Cen Williams, a friend of Keith and Bernie's, also wrote this poem (originally in Welsh) about Keith ...
The passing of Keith has really made me emotionally think of my time in Aber. It has suddenly made it all seem just a short time ago, regardless of the passing years.
Jim Kettle, Bev and myself spent much time together either playing football and talking about football in the Home Café especially when “Mr Statistics” Bob Culley arrived. We would get drunk together in a variety of venues mainly after games. Except on a Tuesday and Friday nights because we believed that getting drunk before games would affect our performance. So we never had more than four pints.
Keith, as they say , was a “ beautiful boy”. He was as graceful on the football field, with a killer punch, as he was off the field.
I remember one Saturday morning seeing him standing at the crossroads in the center of Aber. I went to the Home Café and when I returned he was still there. I asked him what he was doing. He replied “ waiting to ask someone to the dance tonight”. I relied “what, the first person you ask will come with you”. He said “ No someone will however”. He would turn up with the most stunning women. No one else “had the balls” to do what he was doing and he had a slight stutter!
I know I didn’t realize it at the time but Aber was a very special place. It really was the University for the Welsh as much as the University of Wales. Yet us boys, like Jim and Jerry, from Brum were readily accepted. Jim loved it so much he stayed for seven years.
The 60’s were a time of great change and upheaval around the world. Yet in Aber we were safe, although, I think, we frequently tried not to be. We laughed a lot and we cried when our teams lost, as they frequently did. We played to win on the field and in life, we drank too much and then looked for love, frequently in my case with mind numbing failure. Yet somehow we built a foundation which has supported us for the rest of our lives.
As my old mother used to say “ glorious days in the sunshine of your youth”
We all, and Keith especially, made the most of our coming into manhood.
Thank you Aber!
Lev.
Cen Williams, a friend of Keith and Bernie's, also wrote this poem (originally in Welsh) about Keith ...
Think of the good times, savour the wine
When our days are sad, and life is full of tears
The shadows dark, and the horizon grey;
Savour the wine and think of those good years.
Days when we think of Keith descending in decline,
The hours of sad reflection that upon us weigh;
Delight in all the good old days, savour the wine.
Weeks of unspoken suffering that he had
Those moments of hope, those minutes of dismay,-
Savour the wine, remember the good times not the sad
Times when non relenting waves pounded his shore
Debris and wreckage littering his bay;
Savour the vintage wine and days of yore.
He fought the fight with laughter in his eye.
And let us all remember the old Keith, so we may
Take pleasure in that wine of days gone by.
Diolch am gael dy adnabod Keith, roeddet ti’n un o fil.
Bernie also reports that last week they had attended the funeral of Mike Benjamin whose wife Sue Cole was a friend of Eileen's, and who I vaguely remember from Aber days, and who was a Professor of Physiology at Cardiff.
As Bernie put it "a sombre but enlightening week."
Programme for the Weekend
Well the months have turned into weeks, and the weeks are turning into days. Not long before we meet up and I thought it about time to let you know what might be going on apart from the lunchtime buffet and the evening meal.
After extensive research and fieldwork, and at great expense no doubt sampling the wares, Dennis has suggested that those of us who are arriving on Friday meet up at The Glengower on the Promenade. If the sun's out we can sit outside even and there's a good selection of beer and food available too. Here's a gallery of images from their website. Looks good. I suggest we say 7:30 to meet, but of course if you're going to eat there, we might see you before that, because we'll be eating there.
So that's Friday evening catered for, we might even stroll down and kick the bar I suppose afterwards before retiring for the night.
Nothing planned for Saturday morning so that's free time for strolling and coffee drinking. It looks like The Penguin is still going - must be some kind of record for a cafe, but no National Milk Bar ... those were the days. Do you remember it was about the only place open on a Sunday!
We have the buffet lunch at the Richmond Hotel on Saturday at 12:00 for 12:30. I believe Richard has said in an email I can't find now that there is a bar open for drinks before lunch. In fact I'd be amazed if there wasn't, so that's quite probably the most stupid thing I've ever written. The cost of this will be £15 for the 23 of us, but as we have 6 guests (Harold Carter, Tony Moyes, Roy and Andrea Lewis, and John and Pat Aitchison) please budget for £19 to cover their lunches. This will be a finger buffet with savoury and sweet courses and with suitable provision for vegetarians, followed by tea and coffee. We should probably aim to wind-up by about 2:00pm.
After lunch we're open to suggestions, but one possibility is that Richard, as Captain of the Bowls Club, has indicated that those who wished could have a game of bowls. John and Dennis probably, Tony (I believe), Gareth (I think) and I used to accompany Richard to the public green which was off North Road. Richard's club is at Plascrug between the Crown Buildings and the University playing fields on Llanbadarn Road. A start of 3:00pm is proposed.
Alternative suggestions for the afternoon are welcomed. A stroll up Penglais Hill maybe, or a ride up Constitution Hill on the cliff railway? We can discuss these on the Friday night or even Saturday morning. Nothing too strenuous though ... please!
Our evening meal for 21 of us is at Med Delight on North Parade. We meet at 7:00 for 7:30. I hope you'll take the opportunity to look at the menu - it looks fantastic.
Richard will be confirming the numbers tomorrow (22nd August), so if we have some drop-outs (shame on you) please let me, and Richard, know as soon as possible.
On Sunday morning John and Midge, Jenny and I are going to walk around (maybe even up) Pendinas Hill beside the Ystwyth, up to Southgate (Penparcau) and then back to town via either the cycle track alongside the Rheidol, or Llanbadarn Road, or Waunfawr - depending upon how fit we're feeling. This walk also allows anyone who has to get away quickly to dip out at a couple of intermediary points as well. So please try and join us. I've put a map of Aber so that you can see the proposed walk here.
So depending upon what you'd like to do, perhaps pack some comfortable walking clothes and shoes, and if you think you'd like to have a game of bowls please bring some trainers - heels strictly forbidden.
That's about it. Look forward to seeing you all.
Aberystwyth Geography Department 1970
Bern has dug out this document - Aberystwyth Geography Department 1970-71 which may bring back a few memories. It's made me think I should do a bit of searching and scanning myself.
If you have any documents or photos that you'd like to bring with you - that would be great. If they've been scanned - send them to me and I'll upload it to go alongside this document from Bern. Thanks a lot - helps the little grey cells a little!
If you have any documents or photos that you'd like to bring with you - that would be great. If they've been scanned - send them to me and I'll upload it to go alongside this document from Bern. Thanks a lot - helps the little grey cells a little!
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