Silsoe alumni reunite (again) after 50 years!

On a warm, June day, in Silsoe, 57 cohorts and Staff of the former National College of Agricultural Engineering were reunited after an absence of over 50 years.

 

 

This second reunion was held in response to the success of the first reunion, which, was held last year for the first 4 intake years 1962- 1965. This year the reunion focused on the intake years 1965- 1968 and again it was held at the ‘Star and Garter’ Pub which was a well-known hostelry for many of the students during their time at the College.

 

For those within the Cranfield Alumni, who are not familiar with the origins of the College, we can advise that in February 1959 the Minister of Education announced to the ‘House of Common’s that a new National College devoted to Agricultural Engineering was to be established. This was to provide a source of well-educated graduates to enter the Agricultural Engineering sector for the benefit of the Agricultural Engineering Industry both within the UK and Worldwide.

 

As the ‘Institute of Agricultural Engineering’ was already established at Wrest Park, Silsoe, it was decided that it would be appropriate if the National College should also be located at the same site. In the event, the ‘Institute’ was located on one side of the A6 road and the ‘College’ on the other side.

 

Whilst the College was under construction the first cohort of 20 students began their studies at Boreham House, Chelmsford, (the Ford tractor Training centre) in September 1962. They moved to their permanent home at Silsoe in 1963, and in 1964 the first 15 postgraduate students were accepted from 9 different countries.  

 

The College continued to attract students in years that followed both from the UK and worldwide but in terms of student numbers it was considered to be too small an Institution to survive independently, so in 1975 the college became part of Cranfield Institute of Technology, now Cranfield University. At that time there were 122 undergraduates and 100 postgraduates. The College was renamed’ Silsoe College’ in 1983. In 2005 it was announced that the academic activities would be relocated to the main Cranfield campus. The college site at Silsoe was closed in 2009.

 

For those of us meeting up again (some for the first time in 50 years – hence the need for name tags) we may only have had a plaque on the wall on the site of the College to tell us where we spent our formative years, however, we did have memories to relive with our former classmates covering a special part in our lives. This was discussed at the reunion along with ‘what happened next’ in conversation over lunch and subsequent visits to view the College plaque and to see what had happened to Wrest Park. 

 

In the mid-sixties,  Silsoe College was considered to be a ‘centre of excellence’ for Agricultural Engineering. Led by its inspirational Principal Professor Peter Payne and his dedicated staff (many of who were not much older than their students) we were all pioneers in our industry. It was an exciting time for students and staff and the vibrant mood of the sixties and the College environment was certainly evident in shaping our future careers.

 

To mark the occasion of this second reunion all those present signed an ‘’open letter’ to Professor Peter Payne thanking him and his staff for the leadership, vision, tenacity and dedication in making ‘Silsoe happen’ for the benefit of us all.

 

Maybe a reunion for later ‘years’ next year?