鈥淚 arrived at DIHE in September 1981 as a 鈥榤ature鈥� student of 20 years, first living in digs in Wallisdown but soon moving out to various flats in Westbourne and Landsdowne. I鈥檝e been back to the Wallisdown site on several occasions, including a reunion some years ago and I鈥檓 still in touch with approximately half a dozen college friends.
鈥淲hilst at DIHE I was involved with the Students鈥� Union and in particular DISC or the DI(HE) Social Committee. We arranged the summer and Christmas balls and also the 鈥楤ig Night Out鈥� each Friday evening. We booked countless bands and comedians including Roman Holliday, Jo Boxers, Modern Romance, Pete Green of Fleetwood Mac and the comedian Stan Arnold. I was and still am into live music and saw countless bands whilst at DIHE. At the then Poole Arts Centre; ABC, OMD and Thin Lizzy. At Bournemouth Town Hall I saw New Order. The pinnacle of my gigs from that time had to be seeing a band at the Academy in Boscombe, who had just released a single which went on to become their first number one a week later. The single was Sweet Dreams and the band Eurythmics. That night I was also roadie for a college band called Wombats on Holiday, who supported Eurythmics. I remember being asked to operate a smoke machine by Dave Stewart and having to run from side to side of the stage setting off the machine every so often.
鈥淎fter the Friday night bar events had finished, we had a pre-booked fleet of Bournemouth yellow buses to take everyone back to the student flat areas or to continue the night out in Bournemouth, often at Manhattans, The Criterion or Mackawbers, all located on Old Christchurch Road.鈥�
