In conversation: geography 1983

Liz: We’d planned to do a reunion for 40 years since we started, then it was 40 years since we left but thanks to Covid and other events we never got around to it. As Anthony was over from South Africa he was the catalyst for us getting together in Plymouth. If we’d had more time and done it later in the year then maybe we’d have had more attendees but it was what it was. There are quite a few others we are still in touch with, so if we get our act together we might be able to do something really special for our 50 years in 2030 (gosh that sounds scary).

Spud: It was well overdue, and we enjoy each other’s company, even though some of us had not seen each other for a while! Sadly, the dates did not match everyone’s calendar so we missed a few people who most definitely would have been at the reunion. 

Martin: As we got into our thirties, I think family life took over (certainly for me) and it was a tricky balancing act of old friends, close friends, and children's friends. Now, as children have grown up and moved away, we can indulge in a weekend away with old friends. Spud was the one who prompted this reunion. He came over from South Africa for a niece's wedding, we decided this would be a good opportunity to do a bit of walking. I have a plan to complete the whole of the South West Coastal Path, (now 57% done) so I suggested we walked a stretch that ended in Plymouth. We walked from Mevagissey to Plymouth, spending the last night in Kingsand. The crowd of 14 joined us at Kingsand on the Friday morning having caught the ferry from Plymouth, and joined Spud and I for the last few miles. It felt like the final day of the Tour de France, the walkers escorting us for the final bit.

Liz: I think for me memories of Plymouth are all about the people and the friendships made for life. We were a pretty tight knit course, and a number of us still see each other quite regularly. I think there are at least seven couples who met on the course and subsequently got married. It was also lovely to see Les and Sheila Ternan and Brian Chalkley. Les was my personal tutor and we have kept in touch over the years. As a West Country girl, I love Plymouth and particularly the Barbican area, so it was good to see that hadn’t changed very much at all.  

Spud: Bit of a cliché but the people. We had a great group of people on the Geography 1980-83 course, and the lecturers were also very approachable and involved. So as a small group we really got to know each other well. We created a strong bond – often most weekends going out as a group. We even created the Geography Rugby team and wore the same green jumpers around the Poly, which really identified us as geographers. Field trips were very memorable and well organised. Special trips away. Plymouth as a city was great – once you got used to the rain and hills. A friendly place to be. 

Martin: So many memories. Fieldtrips, fieldwork, living in a house with 7 other Geographers all on the same course. The fun and escapades that we got up to. Getting away from home to live independently for the first time was personally very important for me. I think the experience of being a student has changed markedly. I got a grant that funded me to live, and I worked in holidays to top this up. There were not really computers that did anything truly meaningful. Work was written by hand, apart from a dissertation that was typed. Getting hold of papers and books to read was sometimes quite a bun-fight, and because everyone wanted to read them access was restricted to a limited time within the library. 

Liz: In terms of how Plymouth prepared me for my career I think it provided me with an education in life as well as getting a degree. Living away from home at 18 you grow up quickly and have to manage your day to day living around studying. I loved geography and enjoyed the course very much but never specifically used that knowledge in the workplace. It was all about the communication skills, presentation skills, report writing, analysing data, teamwork, self-discipline, using your initiative, time management and getting on with people from all walks of life. I ended up in marketing and events so all these all these acquired skills stood me in good stead.

Spud: For me fantastically – BSc (Hons) Geography was a great degree – well rounded – broad, interesting, covering the world’s issues – good and bad. I think we were informed and able to challenge the status quo. Personally, as a geographer I have had the dream – I have lived on 4 continents and five countries.

Martin: I went on from my geography degree to do a PGCE and be a geography teacher. I did this all my professional life, retiring a few years ago. The only break I had was to be a house-husband for 10 years when my children were growing up. I think I was very well prepared for my career at Plymouth. The staff were very supportive and I enjoyed the course. Looking back I would write that it exceeded my expectations and it developed me in lots of ways. When I have reflected upon my command of language and ability to write as an undergraduate I realise now I developed a lot in those three years.  

Liz: It was great to be back in Plymouth, 24 years since my last visit. There are parts that have changed a lot but others still fundamentally the same. The uni has grown considerably with lots of new buildings and on site halls of residence. The library looked the same and I’m sure the Students' Union isn’t that much different apart from the iconic pyramid and entrance! We could all find our way around the city easily enough but a bit odd seeing Drake Circus as a shopping centre and a few old clubs and bars no longer there. It also wouldn’t have been Plymouth without a rainy day so some things don’t change!

Spud: It was special. Yes, plenty of change – new buildings, bigger, University of Plymouth buildings seemed to be all round the city. All well marked. Most of the pubs were still there and brought back lots of memories. The Barbican seemed so much busier. It really was quite basic in the 1980’s. A big thank you to Brian, Les, Sheila and John our old lecturers who came out to see us and give us a tour of the campus and a lecture (of course!) on 50 years of Plymouth University, and thanks also to the Alumni Team.

Martin: I visited the campus about 17 years ago when my son was looking at universities. It had, by then, changed enormously and was not the place as I knew it. There is a very weird feeling I got as I moved around. Some things had changed, some things not. I was hoping that the group photograph that was taken on a bank just outside the union could be retaken, albeit with just a few of us in it. To not be able to do this because the landscape had changed was a little disconcerting. But it is the people that make the place, not the buildings.