Exeter Memories

By John Watson

Here are over 60 photographs from the earliest years of Exeter University in the 1950s. Photographs of the City and the splendid Devon countryside including Dartmoor and the Coast are also included. With the University now celebrating its Silver Jubilee 60th year it seemed a good time to distribute them as well as extracts from a written diary and digitised frames from old films.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Watson
• Release date: Apr 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310324727

John Watson

Author of Exeter Memories and forthcoming Using Old Film Cameras.

Book preview

Exeter Memories

By John Watson

Copyright 2016 John Watson

Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Chapter 2 – The City and the University

Chapter 3 – The Devon Countryside

Chapter.4.- Film Frames

Chapter.5.- Epilogue for the 1950s

Introduction

This is not a vintage car rally but just ordinary cars parked in the Cathedral Close sometime in 1958. I was a student at Exeter University in the earliest years of the University and during that time took many photographs in the City, around the University and on trips to Dartmoor and the wonderful countryside around Exeter. Over 60 of these photographs are displayed in this book and, if you were around Exeter at that time, you may catch a glimpse of yourself or some of your friends all those years ago. Most of these photos have never been seen before. As students, we could not afford to have all of our pictures printed. We selected a few negatives which looked promising and the rest were stored away and soon forgotten.

It is only within the past decade that technology has advanced far enough to enable me to scan the negatives and slides. With the University now celebrating its Diamond Jubilee it seemed an appropriate time to try to distribute them to those who might be interested in them. So here they are. I am sorry that they are over fifty years late

The City and University

The ornate building in the Cathedral Close called Mol's Coffee House had ceased to serve coffee long before I came to Exeter. The small church on the left has particular memories because it was looked after by Dr. Shutt, the University Anglican Chaplain, whom many of you will remember for his enormous understanding of students. He also owned a large old English sheepdog called Susan who sometimes accompanied us on our walks. Susan was a great favourite and is featured in some later photographs.

Looking along High Street towards Sidwell Street in an age before supermarkets. Exeter was badly bombed during the War and much of the High Street had been rebuilt. I always thought that the rebuilding had been well done and avoided the concrete brutalism which had been allowed to disfigure so many other cities. A huge advert for Woodbines cigarettes dominates one of the older buildings in the background.

The ABC Savoy was a very popular haunt of students at the time and stood next to Boots in High Street. Films, as you will see later, influenced the behaviour of students, especially on Rag Day. The Rag floats were often more entertaining than the films and the photo of the cinema reveals that it was trying to supplement its income by putting on live shows of rock and roll bands.