Thursday 22 January 2009

PHOTO TAG - BRINGS BACK MEMORIES

This morning I was reading Lane's blog and she has done a photo meme and thrown it open to anyone who wants to do the same (tag themselves) by showing the fourth photo in their fourth folder. Well I went into the folders of the old photos which I recently scanned (from colour slides to digital) and came up with the following:

What is this you ask - have I been in prison or a young offender's institution? Well the latter is closer than the former. Its a photo of my room in University Hall of Residence back in the mid 1970's. Its a small room with a shared bathroom in Hugh Stewart Hall, University of Nottingham. The hall comprised an old block with a beautiful tutor's house together with a modern block. I was allocated a room in the modern block which at least had the (in part) en-suite facilities.

I am awash with nostalgia looking at this photo. You can click on the photo to make it bigger. In pride of place in the room is my "music system" which comprised a Sony stereo reel-to-reel tape recorder. Linked into it via a homemade pre-amp was a Gerrard turntable. I would borrow LPs and record them onto tape. There is an old 10cc album visible - I saw them play at Leicester, an excellent band.

Also in the picture is a poster of Paul and Linda MacCartney, a photo of our black labrador "Cindy" which we got from the RSPCA, and a photo of Filey Bay taken from my grandparent's apartment. My yellow boxes of slides are on one of the shelves. There is a photo of all the Hall students on the board and various postcards received from family and friends. There was a small (2ft 6in wide) bed, a desk and (off camera) a wardrobe in the room.

Unfortunately you can't see the nice view from the window as the photo was taken at night. Nottingham has a beautiful 200 acre campus. When I was deciding to which University to go, all my friends would say things like "I'm choosing X University because they have a good reputation in psychology" or similar words. I got all the brochures (they called them prospectuses for some reason) to decide where I'd like to spend three years of my life. "I've choosen Nottingham, its got a lovely campus".

I think that approach was a lot more sensible.

Anybody reading who wants to run with the tag - fourth photo in your fourth album - is welcome to do so. If you do let me know.

24 comments:

Marian Dean said...

Was your room always this tidy, or just for the photograph? LOL (*!*)

Nostalgia is a wonderful emotion, I revel frequently in it. I think I will take you up on this, and investigate the fourth file and then the fourth photo. I might get a surprise in doing so. Off I go.....
Love Granny

Tim Atkinson said...

I've already been tagged for this by Jenny Smith, but I already know I've not photos of my student rooms (which is probably no bad thing). My room at The Lawns, (chosen, incidentally, for the same reasons as yourself!) Hull University looks almost identical to this, however, so it doesn't matter. In fact, I might make your post my tag!

Lane Mathias said...

Gosh you were very neat.

That brought back memories. I'd forgotten about transferring records to tape.

I never lived in halls, only shared houses. Shame, I think I would have liked a nice little room on campus with a view:-)

Troy said...

GotW - all my possessions fitted into a large trunk for transporting home each term-end. It is easier being tidy when you have very little. Now my study at home, where I'm writing this, is larger than my University room and is VERY untidy.

Dotterel - from memory Hull was my 4th or 5th choice. Fortunately (no dispespect to Hull intended) I got my first choice.

Lane - there are pluses and minuses with living on/living off campus. Being a lazy male who couldn't cook I opted to stay on campus. A ten minute stroll from the bed to the lecture halls was also a good feature. Thanks for giving me the idea for the photo meme.

Carol said...

That was a lovely post Troy!! I am so so impressed with how tidy your room was....when I was at Uni my place was always like a bomb site!! Funny now that I think about it because I am actually quite a tidy person now and can't work when my environment is messy!!

C x

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

What a great photo. I'm sure my son's room will look more like a dumping ground than a bedroom when he gets to uni and doesn't have me around to pick up after him.

Dave said...

My MA is from Nottingham.

Elaine Denning said...

What a great photo...and great words to go with it. I've been tagged for this too, and don't know whether to lie and put up a different one, or tell the truth!

Troy said...

Carol - reversals in behaviour. I've got more untidy as I've got older.

Debs - but they must stand on their own two feet. He'll be okay.

Dave - where is your pa from?

Elaine - I didn't actually say this was the fourth photo in the fourth album did I? (That was a photo of Mrs Troy and Troy Junior having a picnic at Burleigh House and I'm avoiding showing family pics.)

Kitty said...

Blimey, how tidy were you? :-O Good to see that 10cc album. I recently got an Ion vinyl-to-mp3 player, and can't wait to turn my 10cc into a more readily accessed format! x

Trixie said...

I want a picture of your study NOW so we know you aren't a neat freak!

Troy said...

Kitty - sounds like you are going to busy if you have the amount of vinyl I have put away somewhere in the house.

Trixie - I took a couple of photos of my study but when I blew them up I could see names, addresses, e-mail print-outs, credit card bills etc. etc. so I can't take a photo I can sensibly show without tidying everything up - which rather defeats the object. Trust me, its organised chaos.

Liz said...

Ah - another meme I can consider stealing.

New blog acquaintances = new blog ideas.

What a splendid place the internet is.

Ladybird World Mother said...

It Is So Tidy! Wish I had a pic of my old room... Nostalgia Rules and all that. Must have a look and see what I've got on my 4th whatsit... probably a chicken. Not much of a post,really.

Troy said...

Liz - welcome. I agree the internet is quite amazing. I'll check by later and see if you have taken up this meme.

LWM - A chicken is for life not for posting.

Anonymous said...

Happy memories! Once I get my photo's up on my computer, I might try the meme out myself.

CJ xx

Hadriana's Treasures said...

You won't believe this...but when I was 14 I ended up going to Nottingham Uni to a Summer Camp/Course. The course was organised for Italian students by a friend of my father's who has English schools in Italy. What did the teachers put on for those Italians as entertainment...why the dead parrot sketch of course!

Troy said...

CJ - I look forward to that.

Hadriana - questo pappagallo e morto. I will not attempt "pining for the fjords"! Seeing it you, I'll believe it.

Unknown said...

I have been trawling old piccies some this week and they do often make you smile don't they. I had a boyfriend at Nottingham Uni in the mid-80's and often slept over in a room such as this!

Troy said...

Sarah - I'm shocked, you weren't married! Sorry I didn't include the ceiling in my photo :-)

DJ Kirkby said...

What a nice clean room! I will go look at the 4th pic in my 4th folder and see if it is one I want to post. If it is then I will do it one lazy Sunday.

Troy said...

DJ - having received all these tidy room comments I have decided to do a posting about my present, untidy study.

Unknown said...

LMAO Uh excuse me Mr Troy, but did you not notice the emphasis on SLEPT over!! Shame on you!

Troy said...

Sarah - excuse me, but I was brought up reading Pride & Prejudice. A lady would always arrange for a carriage to take her home well before midnight. And I trust you always called your boyfriend Mr. and not by his given (Christian) name.