Reading University In The 1950s

A Memory of Reading.

Great memories of my years as a student at Reading University in the 1950's. At that time there was only one campus, and on entering through the covered London Road entrance (on the left of the photo) the cloister-bordered campus seemed so green and peaceful, with the library and clock tower at the centre. I boarded at St. Patrick's Hall (on Northcourt Avenue), many of the students then had completed their two years of National Service, some serving overseas. We also had some overseas students, one whom kept us laughing all the time and was good naturedly nicknamed Iraqi 'Arry, and another, from Ohio State University, could throw (not pass!) a rugby ball about 50 yards, but that wasn't much help during a match! We became pretty childish on Rag Days and in raids on other residences. These raids were planned like military operations, with blackened faces and thick socks over our shoes. On one raid we switched cutlery in St. George's Hall and Wantage Hall dining rooms late at night, so at breakfast next morning residents found only knives and teaspoons or forks and tablespoons available to eat their breakfast. I still have two framed prints of ducks (one of a Peter Scott painting), the other a Chinese print that I bought in Reading to decorate my room at St. Pats and have occasional contact with three of my former classmates, Peter Downer, Nick Jones and Steve Calvert. I hope to hear from any others from that time. Milton Freeman milton.freeman@shaw.ca


Added 10 October 2013

#306155

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