German and Scandinavian studies alumni from around the world reunite at Newcastle to celebrate 50 years since their student days.
In April 2024, we welcomed 15 German and Scandinavian studies graduates back to campus to mark 50 years since they first enrolled at Newcastle University. We caught up with two members of the group after their visit to find out more about life at Newcastle University in the 1970s, and where life has taken them since they graduated.
4 July 2024
In April 2024, we welcomed 15 German and Scandinavian studies graduates back to campus to mark 50 years since they first enrolled at Newcastle University.
We caught up with two members of the group after their visit to find out more about life at Newcastle University in the 1970s, and where life has taken them since they graduated.
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Hi Steve and Rosemary, welcome back to Newcastle, it’s lovely to meet you both! Can you start by telling us a little about yourself and your time at Newcastle University?
Steve Banks (SB): I started my BA degree in German and Swedish in 1974. I was very keen to learn more German and began studying Swedish. I stayed in various places in the North East including Whitley Bay, Castle Leazes, Brighton Grove in Fenham, and Ricky Road. I enjoyed my course, learning Swedish was challenging, but very rewarding. My fellow students were all a friendly bunch and although we didn't always socialise together, there was always a very nice, friendly atmosphere in the department. I loved the vibrant music scene, attending concerts at the Students' Union, City Hall, and the Mayfair Ballroom. The folk scene was lively, with lots of pubs offering live music and the Students' Union was always bustling, partly due to the affordable Federation Breweries' offerings.
Rosemary Drescher (formerly Franklin) (RD): When I went up to Newcastle for an interview with the German and Scandinavian Studies Departments, I was asked if I was applying to study Danish because it would be an easy option. That had been far from my thoughts! I was drawn to the Scandinavian languages because of my love of German. My degree was a Joint Honours degree in German and Danish which I enjoyed very much, in particular the study of literature and introduction to poetry in those languages. Adam Oehlenslaeger’s Bjergtrolden is still one of my favourite poems. I feel privileged that I was able to study subjects I loved rather than subjects that were geared toward a career, since retiring I have been able to devote more time to my work as a poet.
SB: The highlight of the course for me was without a doubt the year spent in Hamburg as an assistant in a Secondary school (my German improved rapidly, despite early problems, having read so much Goethe and Schiller that I was talking 18th Century German at the start of my stay!). Hamburg was a fantastic place to be, with lots to see and great music venues. I also managed a couple of trips to Berlin, courtesy of a good friend, whose father was a diplomat in East Berlin. Berlin was a divided city in those days; Checkpoint Charlie was for real, not just the tourist attraction it is now.
RD: In July 1975, I spent a month at a summer school for foreign students of German at the Humboldt University in East Berlin. A fellow German/Danish student and I applied to spend our required month abroad there as it was a rare opportunity to go behind the Iron Curtain and meet students from Eastern Europe and other parts of the world who we would normally not have the chance to mix with. Experiencing life in the German Democratic Republic was also an eye-opener and not only in a negative way.
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SB: Newcastle University was a great place to study. It was at the heart of a lively city, where everything was accessible. I wouldn't have liked to have been at a campus university.
RD: Newcastle was one of two universities at the time that offered the Joint Honours course in German and Danish, the other being UCL. Despite getting an unconditional offer from London I preferred to stay in the North of England. Newcastle may have also seemed more attractive as it retained a closer link to Scandinavia at the time.
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Is there anything that has notably changed about the university and campus since your time as a student?
SB: A lot of the University still has the same feel as it did, particularly King's Square and the Union building. The department has certainly brought itself into the modern era with computer-assisted learning, a greater emphasis on language learning, and easier access to a multitude of language learning opportunities. The Union building is much more a business than it ever was. Gone are the TV room, the record library (of course!) and the snooker room, giving the place a much less relaxed feel. It seems to be more a place to nip into rather than socialise at leisure, which seemed to be its main purpose when I was there.
RD: The Scandinavian Studies Department has gone, and the German department is much smaller and no longer in the same building (Claremont Tower). From my understanding, it is also now possible to study languages without engaging in the literature at all (although film studies are an option).
Where has life taken you both since you graduated?
SB: Since graduating I taught in Tyneside, Germany, and then for most of my career in Yorkshire, despite being Lancashire-born. I took early retirement when the paperwork and target setting seemed to become more important than the students in front of me. I certainly didn't regret it. Weekday concerts and football matches suddenly became a possibility.
RD: Back to Germany where I lived for 23 years, married, and had a family until my husband accepted a job at King’s College London in 2001! I originally trained as a copy editor with the Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, but worked in different research institutes and freelance as a language editor/proof-reader, as well as doing secretarial work.
What did you do for your 50th anniversary weekend and what part did you enjoy most?
SB: We booked rooms at the Copthorne Hotel, down by the Quayside. We had a tour of our old department and were given a very warm reception by Dr Carol Fehringer and Andrea Wilczynski, the head of Department. We also paid a visit to the Union. The highlight for most of the group was just connecting again with old familiar faces, having a nice meal in pleasant surroundings, and just chatting and reminiscing. We had all definitely aged, but somehow being back together again seemed to somehow conjure up the spirit of those long-lost years. Lots of conversations just seemed to flow on naturally, despite a 40-odd year hiatus.
RD: Hearing everyone’s reminiscences of life at university!
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We’re so happy you all managed to get back to campus to celebrate your anniversary. Why did you decide to organise the reunion?
SB: Shortly after my 60th birthday party, I got back in contact with old Newcastle colleagues, with the idea of arranging a reunion. It's the sort of thing that really wouldn't have been possible when I was still at work, both from a time point of view and from the amount of effort involved in tracking everybody down. Between a few of us, we managed to trace and contact 15 out of the 29 1978 graduates, which was pretty good going. There was a very pleasing response from the majority of those contacted since they were also retired.
That sounds like so much fun! Finally, if you could give one bit of advice to a recent Newcastle University graduate, what would it be?
SB: Stay in touch with your fellow students and friends, it's so easy to lose contact. Paradoxically, the easier communication has allegedly become with social media, the more distant and remote people have become towards each other.
RD: No learning is ever lost and learning a language can open new worlds.
Interested in organising your own reunion?
Your student days are a defining period in life, full of new and unforgettable experiences. Unfortunately, it’s easy for the connections and friendships to slip as time passes.
Well now’s your chance to reconnect with your old friends and course mates. Our reunion services do much of the work for you, making it easier to make contact and get people together.
We can help you organise your reunion by:
- Contacting your long-lost friends and former classmates
- Sending messages and invitations on your behalf
- Promoting your reunion through our web event listings and social media channels
- Recommending venues, accommodation and activities in Newcastle
- Where possible, treating you and your guests to a one-hour campus tour with a Student Ambassador.