Student Reminiscences

Walter Lilley

Dear Editor

I thought that it may be interesting to present day students to hear what we felt of things at the time.

The accommodation and lecture building comprised the main hall and the annex both sleeping students all male of course at that time. Day to day control appeared to be in the hands of a Mr Dalgleish, Reg Whalley was a lecturer as were others. Veterinary Science covered by a local vet who came in and if I remember correctly a Mr Wassal who did hens, horticulture and such things, of the latter he related an interesting tale. He was inserting into the necks of cockerals a hormone which caused them to adopt female behaviour and their combs fell off. After some time he began to experience similar symptoms, to us students of course we visualised Mr Whoral without his male appendage and unable to fulfil his filial duties with which we identified fully and sympathetically.

The night of the raid was interesting, why it come about I know not, but it was decided that the annex where I lived would raid the main block at night and scrag the sleepers.

To the end we collected eggs from the incubators which were sterile, buckets of water, fortifying our own quarters against reciprocal attack with hosepipes fastened to taps and laid out to the head of the stairs for action.

The raid went fine, broken eggs everywhere, sliding down the walls and banisters, embryonic chickens caught on pictures and various other protruding features etc. Unfortunately we made rather a lot of noise to be faced during the conflict with Mr Dalgleish, Whalley and Lavanie Orme in dressing gown and curlers in an unhelpful mood and ordering us all to stop. We were then given buckets, mops, brooms etc and told to clean up the mess or else, which we did. I must say that there were no recriminations and the management took it all very well as who knows it could have been serious for us students and the end of our career at a stroke.

Dances, we were fortunate to give and receive many invitations to local Derby Hospitals for these events which went very well indeed. I remember one at the Hall, lots of nurses, the dancehall at 10.30 was virtually empty, everybody having paired off and pursuing other interests, accompanied of giggles, whispers and demonstration of unrequited love all over the campus - happy days.

During this period we built a tennis hardcourt at the rear of the hall, all of us wanting to drive the huge Caterpillar Bulldozer bought in for the purpose but to no avail.

Sports, my interest lay in soccer, we beat the Nottinghamshire Form Institute. I remember we were ourselves firmly thrashed by the army at Chilwell Ordinance depot and another team on the outskirts of Derby, the score being so high we thought they were all professionals. Reg Whalley, unfailingly supportive in all of these endeavours, driving the van, organising the meets etc.

The farms in those days were, Top, Lime, and Home and run we thought extremely well, another gentleman I remember from those days was an ex Wing Commander from the RAF. He and I did our 12 months farm labouring together on a Derbyshire dairy farm and he gave me my first dinner suit, having outgrown it, in the most fabulous midnight blue cloth the quality of which today would be unobtainable.

He must have been forty plus and me eighteen, he never moaned, pulled his weight in all of the physical tasks and was a tremendous example to us all.

Now I am a retired Engineer Businessman but I can still surprise lots of former neighbours with the skills I learned in farming at Broomfield.

In my 12 months farming prior to college I learned hedgelaying, ditching straight as a die, hoeing roots, milking cows and a lot of other practicalities. I remember that members of the staff thought that I wouldn't pass my exams as we used to enjoy ourselves quite a bit on the tiniest grant you ever saw, no help from home, anyway 4-5 weeks from exam time I crammed and crammed and passed with credits, how about that!

The physical tasks were no problem as I had the skills already.

To finish, I enjoyed it at Broomfield, the staff were terrific and in my dotage those 10 months still bring me happy memories.

P.S. If you find this too risque and unprintable never mind it was a pleasant trip down memory lane.

Also my best regards to members of staff present and retired together with members of my year who are still in touch

Kindest Regards to you all and the future Walter Lilley. 1950/51