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NEW LIVES: The class of 1958/9 pose for a picture as they stand on the threshold of a career in farming

FORMER Lackham students reminisced on how much life has changed over the past 50 years when they met at a reunion last month.

Both student life and farming have changed tremendously since 1958 for agricultural diploma students.

In 1958, farming was still a career for life. But half the students who attended last month's re-union had moved out of the industry before retiring.

In addition to tremendous changes in agriculture, the social life of students has also changed.

In 1958, life was much stricter with the sexes being kept apart as far as possible.

Strict curfews were enforced by the matron and men and women were not allowed into each other's dormitories and were forbidden to use the same staircase.

Ursula Gilmore, who organised this year's reunion, said: "We were forbidden from going into each other's dormitories.

"The women had to use the back door to the house, which I suppose was the servants' entrance.

The former students get back together as they talk of times past

"The men used the main staircase to go to their dormitory, which the women couldn't use.

"This was something the matron worked hard at."

As a woman, Mrs Gilmore used to take an extra course called rural domestic.

She and her classmates went by bus every week to Trowbridge where they were taught gardening, bread making, preserves and cookery. Mrs Gilmore, who won the prize of Best Girl, later worked for the Ministry of Agriculture before marrying and moving to Kent where she still lives.

Ted Wheeler, 81, was a mature student when he went to college at the age of 31 to qualify as assistant manager at a farming school in Ashton Keynes, near Swindon.

"If you weren't back in the house by 9.45pm on a Sunday you were grounded for two weeks and stripped of your privileges," he said.

Many of the young men on the course went into farming to take over the family business. Mr Wheeler said: "I think that most of the young men and women went into farming to carry on their family tradition.

"I'd say out of the 42 that were on the course probably only 12 remained in farming until retirement.

"I think a lot fewer sons and daughters of those on the course have kept in farming. Farming is not what it used to be, it used to be a career for life."

Superficially, the main house remains much the same as it did 50 years ago although new buildings have been added as the college has grown.

4:06pm Wednesday 11th June 2008

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