00:00We're here at Padgett Road, City Wolverhampton College, and we're with Principal Louise. Hello.
00:04Hi.
00:05So, how long have you been Principal here, Lou?
00:07Just coming up to 12 months.
00:09Oh, sorry.
00:10Yeah, you were Deputy before, weren't you? So you've been here a few years.
00:13Yes, I have, yes.
00:13So, what's the special event that you've held today?
00:16So, this has been the big Further Education Lunch. We hold one every year, and this year we've been able to use it as a theme to say farewell to Padgett Road.
00:26Yeah, exactly, because it's, of course, you're moving to where the old Yates is, Oceania nightclub. Yates is, that's not right. What was it before that?
00:35Atlantis.
00:35Atlantis. I should know, I was there enough back in the day.
00:38Yes.
00:39So, I mean, how's that coming along?
00:41It is coming along. It is literally going to be with us in September, the kids come over to us, and then we will be in there teaching from November.
00:50Wow, so this building next year will not be a college?
00:53It will be used as a starting point for students to be able to still get enrolled and start off their learning, and then the transition will take place. So, after October half-term, that's when CLQ will be alive.
01:06Exciting times to be principal then, isn't it?
01:08Yeah.
01:08Yeah, it's stressful, I'm sure.
01:09A lot to go wrong, but a lot to go right.
01:11Yeah, yeah. And so, we've had some former members of staff here today, haven't we, including the lady that was here at the opening when she was a student.
01:20It must be nice sharing kind of the memories with those guys, yeah?
01:23Yeah, it's been lovely to meet them all, and then being able to share their stories and reminisce together, but with other members across the party.
01:31Fantastic. Well, we look forward to coming and visiting you in your new building when it's open.
01:36You'll be welcome.
01:38We're with Jenny Lynn Maclay. Hello, Jenny.
01:41Hello.
01:41So, Padgett Road College, it's kind of, it's formed in your life in a different way, as a student and a staff member.
01:49Yes, that's right.
01:50Yeah, so when did you first come here then?
01:541962, yes.
01:55So, when did it open?
01:57It opened that year, but when I first started, it hadn't had the official opening. I can't remember what month that was.
02:03Yeah, yeah. So, do you remember the official opening?
02:05Oh, yes, yes.
02:06So, what are your memories of that day?
02:09Well, it was so different from school, the whole thing, you know, it's lovely to come here and have a refectory where you could have coke and chips and things like that, you know, yeah.
02:19And what were you, so you were here as a student then?
02:22Yes.
02:22So, you were how old? Go on.
02:24Sixteen.
02:24Yeah, and what were you studying?
02:27Commercial course, which was shorthand typing, bookkeeping and commerce.
02:32And how did you do? Did you pass?
02:33Yes.
02:33Well done.
02:34And then you came back as a staff member, so when was that?
02:38You know, I can't quite remember that. My children weren't very old, so about 82 probably and I was here for 23 years and then I've been retired for 20 years now.
02:49So, what were you teaching here then?
02:50I wasn't a teacher, I came to the print room, it was known as at the time, and learned how to use the Rank Xerox machine.
03:00Yeah.
03:01And then the library decided that they'd like me to work for the library, so I went up to work for the library.
03:07And also I did various, I only worked part-time, and then I worked on front desk for a while the other half of the day, and I worked for staff development in the morning and the library in the afternoon.
03:19So, you've been, you've had this special board made.
03:24That was a surprise.
03:26Did you not? It's a nice surprise, I hope.
03:28Yeah, yeah.
03:30So, over the years then, you know, it's featured in your life, so we're here today kind of to celebrate the college really, and it's the annual event, but of course it's going to be going, isn't it, the pageant road site?
03:41Yes.
03:42So, did that, how does that make you feel? Do you feel, do you feel sad, or do you kind of a...
03:47A bit of both. It'll be sadness, because I only live round the corner, and to walk past it when it's housing will be quite different.
03:54Yeah.
03:55But, there's wonderful memories of the college, so that'll be nice.
04:00And which, which are your fondest memories? Is it when you were a student, when you were a staff member, or a bit of both?
04:05I remember being a staff member more, and the closest with the other members of staff, because we all used to do enrolment together, and work together.
04:15And we used to have great social evenings, where the gifted member of staff would do, play the guitar, piano, all sorts.
04:23We had at home evenings, and they were absolutely lovely.
04:26At home evenings?
04:27They were called at home evenings.
04:28Yeah.
04:29They took place in the hall up here.
04:30Oh, wow, and that was just like a nice, friendly, social...
04:34Anybody, all the staff could come, yes.
04:36Oh, that's nice, isn't it, then?
04:37So, there was a real kind of bond, a family feel.
04:39Very much so, and we had a good staff association.
04:42We'd go out on walks on a Saturday, and, yes...
04:45What sort of places would you go and walk to?
04:47The Lake District.
04:48Would you have?
04:48Yeah.
04:48Oh, wow.
04:49And Connect Chase, the local ones.
04:51Yeah, yeah.
04:52Oh, that sounds lovely.
04:53So, you're here today to enjoy yourself, but also say a little goodbye to the college.
04:59Yes.
04:59Well, thank you for sharing those memories with us.
05:02Hello, sir.
05:03Hello.
05:04You've kind of curated a lovely little exhibition here, haven't you?
05:07I really have, yeah.
05:08I mean, thanks to the generosity of the people who've donated items, you've gathered quite
05:13a few things from all different departments at the university, and some paper archives,
05:19stuff from marketing, stuff made by the students, you know, a whole range of different types
05:24of objects.
05:26And this, what, I mean, just there, is this an old college tie?
05:29This is the Wolfram tie.
05:31Didn't know there ever was one.
05:32I mean, in the 1960s, people bought the Wolfram tie and stuff and wore it proudly to their
05:41college.
05:42Cool.
05:42And has it been nice to see people coming and kind of reliving those memories?
05:47It has.
05:47That's the bit that makes it really fantastic for me, is seeing his reactions.
05:52A lovely way that he responds to things that, like, are bygones, like our laptop, you know,
05:58a huge, heavy laptop, you know, it's surprising to see it these days.
06:01So, Jim, what did you do when you were here?
06:11Intellectual engineering.
06:12You were a tutor?
06:13Yeah.
06:14How long were you here for?
06:1511 years.
06:16Yeah, good times?
06:17Yeah, good times.
06:18Yeah, very good, yeah.
06:19Cool.
06:19Great stuff.
06:20Well-behaved pupils back then?
06:22No problem.
06:22Yeah?
06:23Yeah.
06:23Good stuff.
06:24Nice research.
06:25Yeah.
06:25It's...
06:26So, Jenny, you found yourself on an old picture.
06:31Yeah, let's have a look.
06:32Where are you?
06:33In the print room when I first started with my colleague, Jackie.
