50 Years On

They met within a few days of the start of term and were photographed together in the building site which was then Alexandra Square at Bailrigg, with the scaffolded buildings of Bowland College and tower in the background. The 1967 autumn term began late because of over-running building work, and marked the start of the transfer of teaching from St Leonard’s House in Lancaster to Bailrigg. Both studied in the then Classics Department, one of the University’s smallest, led by the able and affable Prof. Malcolm Willcock.  At that time the Department’s teaching was in the hands of John Creed, David Shotter, Mike Osbourne and John Randall, joined later by Gerard O’Daly.  There were few students taking Classics (Latin and Greek) as a major, but quite a few studied Latin or Classical Background and other related subjects.  One of the highlights of each year was the departmental visit to Hadrian’s Wall, where students were entertained by the procession of lecturers and their children in prams up the long ascent to Housesteads fort, especially the Creed family. 

After graduating in 1970 Janette went on to Manchester University to gain a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education, while Andrew studied for an MA in Classics at Lancaster, later obtaining a Doctorate in Archaeology at Nottingham University. They married in 1971, shortly after graduating from Lancaster, and came back here to live and work in 1983.  Andrew ran the Museums Service in Lancaster for twenty years while Janette taught at Hornby Primary School. On the 50^th anniversary of their meeting, they were photographed once again in the same place, still in part a building site. In fact, as they were posing for photographs a yellow dumper truck drove into the picture!