Further back down memory lane

I've been approached by a student who's collecting oral history data about feminist campaigns in the 1970s, including a campaign for nursery provision at Cambridge University in the mid-1970s.  (The powers that were, in those days, were singularly unimpressed by our efforts).  So I've agreed to a phone interview, which will be this coming Tuesday.

Uncomfortably aware that my memories are pretty faded about that time, I've been delving into some dusty cardboard boxes of old papers. Every time I've moved house, in adult life, I've managed to prune a few layers of old 'stuff' and get rid of it. But I knew there were probably still some old notebooks from my student days. 

It turned out that the notebooks were totally dull, full of a mix of earnest Marxist and feminist theory and some full-on post-adolescent self-absorption.  Looking at all this was salutory and reminded me, again, of how much happier I became later in life.  Those notebooks will be hitting the recycling bin tomorrow morning.

However, I did find three dog-eared copies of a community newspaper that I helped to produce, focused on a mix of local issues, recipes, crosswords, sports reports and some rather flat-footed political commentary.  This was based in the Romsey Town area of Cambridge, a world away from the colleges.  I do remember how we loved putting it together with Letraset headlines and laborious printing/copying methods.  These copies are much more helpful material for the interview, and do help me to reconnect with the 'feel' of the period.

It was a very long time ago :-)  However, many of the issues remain as important as they were then: affordable childcare, decent housing, living wages...