Memories - Howard Bartlett
Howard Bartlett, a technician in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences landed his dream job in Main Building in 1967 and has been working at the University ever since.
My association with Main Building began on a Saturday morning - October 9th, 1965. As a school boy from Tonyrefail in the Rhondda, I visited Main Building for the first time to attend and join the South Wales group of The Geologists Association. Their meetings were held at the geology departments of Cardiff and Swansea Universities alternately.
I was amazed when I entered the building to find out how big it was inside, like a rabbit warren. I had difficulty finding the large geology lecture theatre where the lecture, by Dr. D.A.Bassett of the National Museum of Wales was to be held. So many corridors and doors (lack of signage in those days, and still so today!)
I also discovered the geology department’s museum on the ground floor (now a seminar room) which contained displays of rocks, minerals and fossils. To me this was exciting as I was exploring and learning about the subject of geology.
Little did I know that my connection with Main Building would soon become more permanent. Some two years later, in April 1967, I obtained the post of Junior Technician in the department of geology under the then Head, Prof. J.G.C. Anderson. It was my dream job.
I quickly learnt my way around, discovering the many corridors, and stairways of the building. I discovered delights such as the music department in the corridor above the Council Chamber and the archaeology and education departments on the first and second floor. This was before they moved in the late 1960s and early 1970s respectively.
When I arrived in 1967 Main Building was heated by coal fired boilers. I can remember that the offices (including the Principal's) along main corridor were heated with open coal fires. One of the porter’s duties was to light them early in the morning and keep them stoked throughout the day. Rumour has it that beneath what is now the Viriamu Jones Gallery there are still several tons of coal and coke.
Interestingly if you look up at the ceiling in the Gallery you will see where pillars of Portland limestone were removed in the late 1960s to open up the Gallery. I know, because I helped take some of it away for the department’s collections.
Along the main corridor on the ground floor many of the administration offices have been changed into laboratories, then to offices and back again. One room that deserves special mention is the Pro Vice-Chancellors’ Office. This was previously the male students’ common room, and it was here in 1969 (after the Summer of Love) that a female geology student dared to enter, sit down and read a newspaper. It was an outrage in those days!
Along with Dr J.W.Baker (now retired) of the geology department, which is now the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, I have developed an appreciation of the building and its history.
During my time I have seen many changes internally to Main Building, but thankfully none to the exterior. Whenever I have visitors to Cardiff I always show them ‘my building’ and they are impressed. Similarly whenever tourists are on Park Place they are impressed, but I say "this is the back...go around to the front" and direct them there, to what I consider to be the most beautiful building in Cathays Park.