Edge Hill Students' Union

Picket line on the Education Block – Joanne Parr, Sue, Nick Malliband, Graham Lee 1976

The induction programme we were given identifies Steve Cameron as the President of the Students’ Union. The SU provided the context for political activism of a student nature and wider – and for being an important part of my social circle. I was involved in the International Film Society which showed current and international films each week in Hale Hall. Brian Peacock was the projectionist. I set up a Backgammon and Boardgames Society. I became a student governor. I played a bit of snooker and I worked at the bar in discos. I remember a bit of trouble about an item I wrote for the student magazine called Opus. I blame Barry Holland! The first games machine appeared in the bar – Pong! I couldn’t believe it would be of any interest but it took £200 of 10p payments in a week. My mate, Steve Gross, was Social Secretary and booked many good, up-and-coming bands of the day such as Cafe Society, Sailor, Eddie and the Hot Rods etc. In connection with the SU we had visits from national NUS figures such as Charles Clarke, Alastair Stewart, Su Slipman and David Aaronovitch. Other Presidents of the Edge Hill SU at the time included Stuart Ash and Andy Simpson who I used to meet in the 2000s at events in London as he became Head of Education at the RSPB.

This sequence of photos shows some ‘direct action’ in the form of an occupation. I remember that lecturers respected the picket line. It looks a fairly harmless form of protest.