Quasquicentennial 1990

Our first post from the Thames Polytechnic Archives relates to its centenary celebrations in 1990. One of the ways in which this auspicious occasion was marked was to ask the College of Arms to create new armorial bearings.

TP_Centinary_Coat of Arms The main elements on the shield are taken from that of its predecessor Woolwich Polytechnic

Woolwich Polytechnic Coat of Arms

with an engineers’ wheel ‘or’ for technical subjects, and a book ‘or’ for academic subjects on a ‘chief gules’. A cannon with lion’s head ‘erased or’ and ‘langued gules’ on a ‘pale sable’ represent the Royal Arsenal, from where students were initially drawn. The waves in ‘azure on argent’ represent the river Thames and come from the London County Council coat of arms.

GLC Coat of arms

Coincidentally three of these elements also appeared on the badge of Garnett College (Roehampton) which merged with Thames Polytechnic in 1987.

Garnett Badge

The final element, the capital of a Doric column ‘or’, represents Hammersmith College of Art and Building whose Departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Surveying merged with Woolwich Polytechnic  in 1969.

The ‘dexter supporter’ is a white horse from the arms of Kent:

Arms of Kent

on a cedar tree representing Dartford College, which merged with Thames Polytechnic in in 1976.

Dartford Cedar Tree_001

The ‘sinister supporter’ is the lion of London on an oak tree from the arms of Quintin Hogg, one of our founders, whose portrait now hangs in QA063.

WP_Quintin Hogg_001

The crest wears a coronet of roses and shells from the badge of Avery Hill College which merged with the Polytechnic in 1985.

College Badge_AHR_49_July_001

On top sits a red owl, for wisdom, a completely new element.

Our research so far has failed to find a Dartford College badge which supposedly has the cedar tree on it.

According to The University of Westminster Archives, Quintin Hogg their founder, did not have a Coat-of-Arms, and the oak tree appears to come from the cress of the arms of his grandson Quintin Hogg, Viscount Hailsham, the Conservative politician.

Lord Hailsham's Crest

 

Quasquicentennial 1995: A new campus in Dartford

This document reports on the University’s presence in Kent, going back one hundred years to the founding of Dartford College which later became the campus for the School of Architecture. Most interestingly it reports on plans to build a new University campus at Dartford, which was part of a wider scheme to extend both the Avery Hill campus and Woolwich campus to provide additional facilities for the new University founded three years earlier. All these proposals, with drawings, are held in the University Archive.

UG_fc UG_1 UG_2 UG_3 UG_4 UG_5 UG_6 UG_7 UG_8 UG_9 UG_10 UG_bc

National Archives Week

If you’re not able to visit our two exhibitions in the Mansion at Avery Hill here are the images we’ve used.

AH_S_1_19_British Architect_ 6th June 1890_Picyure Gallery_cropped

Avery Hill Great Hall – ‘Picture Gallery’, from The British Architect, 1890.

AH_PN_7_5-cropped

Avery Hill  Great Hall – Ballroom, from 1891 photographs.

40a dining hall 45_cropped

Avery Hill Great Hall – College Dining Room, 1906 ‘Greetings Card’.

p.6.17 1911 entrants resized

Avery Hill Great Hall –  College Photograph, 1911.

school assembly 1950s

Avery Hill Great Hall – Assembly Hall, 1950.

College dance in the Great Hall 1951_cropped

Avery Hill Great Hall – College Ball, 1951.

New Library in the Great Hall 1970s_cropped

Avery Hill Great Hall – Library, 1970s.

AH.p.6.223. Presentation of Awards Ceremony 1981_cropped

Avery Hill Great Hall – Degree Ceremony, 1908s. 

Great Hall 2015 5_croppeed

Avery Hill Great Hall – Library, 1915.

AH_PN_7_3_1891

Avery Hill Marble Hall – from 1891 photographs.

AH Colonel North lying in state

Avery Hill Marble Hall – The late Colonel North ‘lying-in-state’, 1896.

Marble Hall 1a

Avery Hill Marble Hall – Post card, with Great Hall as dining room beyond.

Marble Hall 2

Avery Hill Marble Hall – Post card, with Great Hall as assembly hall behind.

AH_P_3_24_Marble Hall 1970s_Cropped

Avery Hill Marble Hall – as ante-room to Great Hall as concert hall.

 

Archives: WW1 Remembrance

This week we remember by name those members of the University who died in the first year of the First World War:

WP_WW1_War Memorial_edit

James ATKINS, Student 1912-14, Able Seaman HMS Hogue, lost-at-sea – 22nd September 1914.

George Thomas STANLEY, Student 1908-09, Sick-bay Attendant HMS Hawke, lost-at-sea -15th October 1914.

Henry Percy PAUTARD, Athletics Club, Lance Corporal 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), died on home service – 7th June 1915.

Henry Charles BIRD, student 1906-12, Sapper Royal Marine Engineers, died of typhoid fever in Gallipoli – 5th July 1915.

Alfred WILLIAMS, student 1907-09, Corporal 6th Battalion The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), killed-in-action in Belgium – 12th July 1915.

Vincent William BAILEY, student 1913-14, Private, 5th Battalion Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment), killed-in-action Chunuk Bair Gallipoli – 10th August 1915.

Douglas William ROWE, Polytechnic School 1909-12, Private 1st/3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance RAMC, died-of-wounds Gallipoli – 22nd September 1915.

Matthew Hartley ALLAN, student 1909-12, Corporal 14th Battalion London Regiment (London Scottish), died-of-wounds Loos – 28th September 1915.

John MYLES, students 1911-14, Corporal 8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, killed-in-action France – 5th October 1915.

Sidney J. CAVEY, Polytechnic School 1897-99, Corporal 13th Battalion Australian Infantry, died-of-wounds Gallipoli – 11th October 1915.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

 

Quasquicentennial: Most Satisfied Students in London

Going backwards in time there’s little in the archives from recent years, so I’ve had to raid the Internet. A search for ‘University of Greenwich 2010’ brought me this little gem of information which never found its way to the Archive:

Greenwich has most satisfied students in London

Date of release: Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Sunday Times table shows University of Greenwich has most satisfied students in London

Greenwich has scooped top spot in the London league table for student satisfaction, for the second year running. In the latest Sunday Times University Guide league table, published on 12 September, the university is ranked 26th for student satisfaction, out of 122 institutions in the UK, putting it ahead of all other universities in the capital.

The results see Greenwich climbing nine places in the Sunday Times table for student satisfaction, compared to a year ago – meaning that it is now in the top quarter of all universities in the UK.

The table is based on the National Student Survey, which asks all third-year students to rate their institutions on a variety of topics, from the quality of their teaching and equipment to their personal development.

Greenwich topped the Sunday Times national league table for student satisfaction for some of its individual subject areas. Star performers were Civil, Chemical and other Engineering courses; Law; and Medical Science and Pharmacy, which were all rated as number one in the country for student satisfaction in these subjects.

The Sunday Times says: “The most satisfied students [in the country] are studying medical science and pharmacy at the University of Greenwich.” More than 96% of students studying in these areas said they were satisfied with their degree courses – which was the highest score in the whole of the UK, across any subject.

Greenwich is also ranked as a national top five university for student satisfaction in Business, Management, Performing Arts and Tourism; in sixth place for Maths; and in the national top ten for Politics.

The Sunday Times also places Greenwich in the top quarter of all UK universities when it comes to highest graduate starting salaries.

Tessa Blackstone, Vice-Chancellor of the university, says: “This is an important vote of confidence from our students. These results show how important it is for us to listen to students’ views and to act on them. Our ongoing challenge is to make sure that we continue to give every student a great experience of higher education at Greenwich”.

Maninder Singh, President of the Students’ Union, says the university’s high rating is well deserved. “The feedback I receive from students is really positive, not just in terms of the quality of teaching and facilities, but for the guidance and support throughout their time at Greenwich,” he says.