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December 18, 2025
April 1986
Posted On April 24, 1986 by onolan1
The April 1986 issue of Student is now live! As students return from their Easter holiday the University sees apathy towards EUSA politics, but heightened interest towards that of the Eastern Bloc. Read more below…
24 April 1986: Pollock Halls and Cold War Politics
- Election hustings event at Pollock Halls saw a low turnout, but heated debate amongst local student politicians and club convenors.
- EUSA General Meeting saw a motion to ask the Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Prince Philip, to resign as Chancellor of the University.
- Student published a feature on the cost and implications of Britain pledging support and participation in Ronald Reagan’s ‘Strategic Defence Initiative’ (SDI) against the Soviet Union.
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March 1986
Posted On March 6, 1986 by onolan1
The March 1986 issue of Student is now live! With the NUS setting new records for turnout to their annual national demonstration, a controversial Charity Ball raising over £1000, and an exclusive interview with one of Britain’s most famous classical composers, this pre-holiday issue packs a big punch!
6 March 1986: A Brush with Stardom and Charity Ball Success
- The annual National Student Demonstration in London hosted by the National Union of Students (NUS) was “the biggest event in the union’s 62 year history.” An estimate of 35,000 students from across the UK attended, with EUSA subsidising a bus ride for Edinburgh students to attend, as they did this year for the 2016 NUS Demonstration.
- Student interviewed Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, one of the most prominent British composers of the 20th century, who was patron to the Edinburgh University Music Society.
- The Colonial Society hosted a Charity Ball which succeeded in raising over £1,000.
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February 1986
Posted On February 27, 1986 by onolan1
The February 1986 issues of Student are now live! This month is full of heated political debates over issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Scottish Independence, and Thatcher-era labour laws; not to mention some more light hearted excitement around a city-wide student drama festival and new accommodation houses! Read more below….
6 February 1986: Political Turmoil Big and Small
- Students voted overwhelming not to combine EUSA and KBU (Kings Buildings Union), back when Kings Buildings students had their own union representation, separate from that of the main campus.
- British Rail sets special student rate of £4 for a round trip from Edinburgh to London…imagine if we could pay that little these days!
- Debating Union holds “explosive” debate between Palestinian PLO representative Mr Faisal Aweida, and former IDF fighter, Mr David Kapitahchick.
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13 February 1986: An Early Call for Independence
- Students vote to protest and boycott the distribution of The Sun and The Times on campus, due to the controversy surrounding Rupert Murdoch’s firing of 5,000 of his employees.
- University witnesses the official renaming of the Student Centre House, now to be called The Mandela Centre, with the proceedings being officiated by Denis Goldberg, who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela for 22 years.
- A Letter to the Editor describes why students should vote for the minority group SNP in the coming elections instead of Labour.
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20 February 1986: Drama Students Preform, and Politics Students Debate
- The second General Meeting of the Student’s Association saw five motions presented by members of the student body, all on social justice and political actions such as supporting students in Palestine, supporting the institution of a Scottish Assembly, banning The Times and The Sun on campus, and publically supporting the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP)’s campaign to label AIDS as a “hysteria designed to isolate and condemn the gay community.”
- The Scottish Student Drama Festival (SSDF) was launched in Edinburgh, with local theatres and tropes putting their best foot forward for attendees from around the world.
- Student interviews Mick McGahey, Vice President of the National Union of Miners (NUM) a year after the tumultuous strikes of 1985, about his and the union’s continued work against Margaret Thatcher’s administration.
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27 February 1986: Italian Arias and Anti-Thatcher Protests
- Students march across Edinburgh in a funeral-style procession, carrying a coffin full of crumpled DHSS forms, to protest the cutting of student grants and social security benefits.
- Construction begins on a new complex of student flats in Sciennes, now a popular accommodation option amongst today’s students.
- A laudable review is published, praising the University of Edinburgh Musical Society’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem in McEwan Hall for an outstanding performance.
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Posted in Accommodation, Music, Politics
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January 1986
Posted On January 31, 1986 by onolan1
The January 1986 issues of Student are now live! Read the first news of 1986, rife with political actions, from professor strikes to Apartheid boycotts. Read more below….
9 January 1986: Professors strike and students boycott
- Lecturers to go on strike as a result of under-funding of research and salaries. Students were urged to boycott classes in support of the strike.
- Edinburgh based publishing company Polygon, set up amongst others by Gordon Brown, continues from strength to strength with the release of its Russian Series.
- The review of ’85 was dramatic as it includes a warning from the Principal about the looming potential of Edinburgh University closing for good.
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16 January 1986: Coca-Cola banned on campus
- Edinburgh students embark on new study looking at ‘broken mouth’ in sheep.
- Poet Norman McCaig, whose 70th birthday Student celebrated in a previous issue, was awarded an honorary degree from Dundee University.
- Yet another product to be knocked down from the shelves and bars of the University. Coca-Cola was discovered to have South African connections.
- As short piece on the Freemasons also appears in this week’s issue. It seems that Edinburgh University used to have its own lodge.
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23 January 1986: Edinburgh-born Olympian returns home
- The AUT had its first national strike. The day of action took place across the country with University lectures going on hunger strike and blockading the Royal Albert Hall.
- Postgraduates at Kings Buildings undertake new scientific analysis of Shakespeare’s work.
- Ivy League fashion enterprise continued making a name for itself at Queen’s Hall fashion show. Ivy League specialised in working with budding young designers.
- Edinburgh born Olympic skier Martin Bell was interviewed in Kitzbuehel by Dave Yarrow – Did anyone else know the men’s team was sponsored by Gordon’s Gin?
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30 January 1986: Nelson Mandela nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Edinburgh academic
- University of Edinburgh professor, Dr Malcolm Anderson, nominates Nelson Mandela for the Nobel Peace Prize, in coalition with the Edinburgh City Council and Edinburgh Anti-Apartheid movement.
- EUSA decided to host their General Meeting at Pollock Halls in order to boost morale, however less than 200 people showed up.
- Sir Keith Joseph, Principal of the University, drafted a document outlining his issues with the conservative government’s higher education initiatives, or lack thereof.
- Royal Museum of Scotland hosts free film festival, to run through the rest of the winter and spring seasons. Titles include Lawrence of Arabia, Hamlet, and Chariots of Fire.
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December 1985
Posted On December 31, 1985 by onolan1
The December issue of Student is now live! Read the last issue of 1985, ripe with politics and debate but with its fair share of festive cheer! Read more below…
5 December 1985: Government cuts to higher education, but some raucous reggae to lighten the mood!
- Edinburgh Principal and Vice Chancellor, Dr John Burnett, warns that government cuts to higher education could cause the University of Edinburgh, and other top universities around the UK, to close in the coming years.
- Worry about the removal of dissections from CSE O and A level biology courses may force degree courses to take up the slack.
- Edinburgh debating team sets sail for New York, the team will compete with 6 other Scottish universities as well as others from around the globe.
- Student livens up the week with not just a little, but of lot of Reggae!
- History was made as the first ever Chair of Parapsychology was filled by Dr Robert Morris of Syracuse University.
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November 1985
Posted On November 30, 1985 by onolan1
The November 1985 issues of Student are now live! This month: famine relief underpants party revealed to be a hoax; University urged to boycott South Africa; Scottish Mining Museum opens. Read more below…
7 November 1985: An Undergarment Hoax
- An advert in the previous issue inviting students to an underpants party to raise money for Famine Relief in Africa is revealed as a hoax, along with much outrage from those who turned up sporting just their underwear…
- Female contraception makes the headline as controversial anti-pill campaigner Victoria Gillick pulls out of debate at Edinburgh University.
- Liz Lochhead, at the time writer in residence at Edinburgh University, inspires another piece looking at Scottishness and Feminism
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14 November 1985: Communists fight Conservatives
- Heading this week’s issue was the great success of the Leukaemia Appeal, students traveled to Biggar to personally present the £1,500 cheque to Ian Botham.
- Edinburgh Professor John Erickson, Head of the Department for Defence Studies, was selected by the BBC to act as a specialist advisor for their coverage of the Geneva Summit.
- A political debate between the Revolutionary Communist Party and the Federation of Conservative Students escalated to the point where police were called to the Chaplaincy.
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21 November 1985: Apartheid Boycotts in EUSA shops
- Students call to remove more products of South Africa from university shop, the oranges seem to have caused particular uproar!
- What’s up, Chuck? Student visits a lecture given by Chuck Jones creator of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
- Norman MacCaig, Scotland’s foremost poet at the time, celebrates his 75th birthday in this issue, with some philosophical insights on the writing of poetry and the poets “role” in society.
- Donald Trelford, previous editor of the Observer, gave the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Lecture. Trelford has since become famous for something else – being, at the age of 76 and 6 months, the oldest new father.
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28 November 1985: Miners and Monarchs in the spotlight
- Victoria Gillick is forced to take another bitter pill as police were called to escort her to a debate at Edinburgh University.
- André Brink, prominent South African author, was interviewed by Student after giving a lecture on “Writers in a Closed Society.”
- The Scottish Mining Museum plunges into industrial history with the opening of the Lady Victoria Colliery. The museum will focus on the Victorian era and the human experience of the miners.
- “Defence of the Realm” premiered in Edinburgh this month, Student interviewed the executive producer, producer and one of the stars asking how closely the film mirrors contemporary Britain.
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October 1985
Posted On October 31, 1985 by Gavin Willshaw
2 October 1985: Fresh Fruit!
- In a ‘Freshers’ Guide’, new students are advised how best to survive the year ahead, including detailed information on societies, pubs, arts, movies and sports, as well as a guide to the best clubs in Edinburgh.
- Editors of Student take readers behind the scenes to reveal how the paper is put together every week.
- Some of the challenges women are likely to face at University are discussed.
9 October 1985: His Royal Highness
- In an extensive interview with HRH Prince Philip, the then Chancellor of Edinburgh University outlines his views on the post war effect on the University. A curious snippet indicates that in the early 1980s Prince Philip would have been the people’s choice as President if the UK had become a Republic!
- A highly notable exhibition of the Emperor’s Warriors (Terracotta Army) comes to Edinburgh’s City Art Centre, with queues stretching along Market Street and up Cockburn Street!
17 October 1985: Protest!
- The theme of Apartheid features strongly in this issue, however not necessarily in the way you might expect. The front page contains an article on an Anti-Apartheid March recently held in Edinburgh. However, later in the issue we have an article complaining about the sale of South African paper clips in EUSA shop, and a particularly outraged letter about the inclusion of a ‘Special Anti-Apartheid Crossword’ in the paper Midweek.
- Another equally harrowing article was an eyewitness account from Edinburgh student, James Greenwood, of the earthquake in Mexico City.
24 October 1985: The belles of St Leonards
- St Leonard’s Hall is revealed as the venue of choice for the reunion of the infamous St Trinian’s Old Girls.
- An Edinburgh student experiences the bright lights and cameras of the world of television.
- Philip Cullum describes his experience of participating in Channel Four’s Comment.
- At the EUSA General Meeting, a proposal to ban the sale of alcohol from all the Student’s Association House is proposed!
31 October 1985: General Meeting – picking up the pieces
- The Edinburgh Leukaemia Appeal in conjunction with the Leukaemia Road Runners Celebrity Walk with Ian Botham as a key fund raiser.
- In an interview with Student, Jimmy Boyle, who was convicted of murder in 1967, talks about his artist career after his release.
- The newly established Edinburgh International Film Festival gets set for its second run.
December 1984
Posted On December 31, 1984 by Gavin Willshaw
6 December 1984: Fight to the Finish
- Citizen Smith- the way ahead: Last month, John Smith, Member of Parliament for Monklands East, was promoted to being Shadow Spokesperson for Trade and Industry (opposite Norman Tebbit).
- In the front line: ‘The Ivy League’, now based in West Nicolson Street, has won something of a reputation for itself on the Edinburgh fashion scene.
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Students’ rally brings London to a halt : Having expected 3,000 at most, the NUS organisers were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, as more and more students arrived at the South Bank Complex in a seemingly unending stream.
13 December 1984: We’ve won the batlle… but the war goes on
- Solid support for library work-in
- Steel strikes hard at Sir Keith
- Grant battle goes on
November 1984
Posted On November 30, 1984 by Gavin Willshaw
1 November 1984: Yes, we support the miners
- Miners’ support passed – but no quorum: Four hundred and sixty-eight people turned up at the McEwan Hall on Monday night for the first Association General Meeting of the year to discuss motions in support of a Chilean general strike, and backing the picketing miners here in Britain.
- Rock bottom: The minimum grant, which was halved from £410 to £205 last year, may be scrapped altogether, depending on the outcome of a Cabinet meeting later this month
- This Charming Myth: The Fall’s now long and atrophied roots stretch back over eight years to the blighted backside of England that is Salford
8 November 1984: Matringo winner collects £30!
- The Pride of Lions: After more than eighteen months, U2 returned to Edinburgh in a blaze of glory.
- Lonarch Gathering: Scotland is renowned all over the world for its traditional Highland Gatherings. One of the lesser known but most interesting of these is the Lonarch Highland Gathering and Games in Upper Donside: Student receives a rare insight.
- Mannix, Morrissey, Mondale: This week’s American election, the Smiths, and last term’s SRC elections have something in common. What difference does it make? You may well ask.
15 November 1984: Bilston Glen – state of the strike
- Tory split as Ryland resigns: Many months of internal wrangling and problems within the Executive of the Edinburgh University Conservative Association may well be over with the resignation this week of the President, Andrew Ryland, and three other committee members.
- The state of the strike: The recent SRC General Meeting passed a motion supporting the miners’ strike. The NUM rally last week at the Usher Hall was packed out. Edinburgh District Council donates £5,000 a month to the strike fund. Despite all this, reports in the press have announced a massive drift back to work.
- Ballgowns, bow-ties and booze: Yes, my darlings, the hectic University Social Calendar ground to a halt last Friday to embrace that decadent, capitalist extravaganza, the annual Presidents’ Ball. Student’s very own Dedicated Diarist braved the bank manager’s wrath to report upon the swirl of social luminaries attempting to be private in public.
22 November 1984: Grants – the fight starts here!
- O’Neill goes on trial at AGM: A dramatic annual general meeting is in store next Thursday, following the tabling of a motion at last week’s Committee of Management meeting demanding the dismissal of Union President Hilary O’Neill.
- REM – Caley Palais (p12): REM have a lot to live up to, variously lauded as the best thing to come out of America for years, the saviours of American rock music etc.
- WAR! The fight for education: Where will you be this lunchtime? To coincide with today’s mass rally against the heaviest grant cuts for many years, Student brings you analysis of the situation. Be at the Old College, 1pm, today.
29 November 1984: … and the fight goes on
- Huge turnout for Old College rally: “Education is a right – not a privilege. We must stand up and fight for the right to survive!” That was the clear opinion of all the speakers at last week’s rally in the Old College, which attracted a crowd of 2,000 students.
- Ghostbusters: Hype… Hype… Hooray!: We have been hearing the title song for months now, and the “no ghost” logo is all over the place – Ghostbusters, the most hyped moved of the year, is coming to the UK.
- Edwina Currie: the case for cuts: The Federation of Conservative Students leadership has “one of two funny ideas” – Alan Young talks to the formidable political phenomenon that is Edwina Currie.
October 1984
Posted On October 31, 1984 by Gavin Willshaw
3 October 1984: Lost?
- King’s Buildings: Distant, exotic and mysterious – but what is the truth about this land to the south?
- A load of Pollocks: So what do you need to know about Pollock Halls? It seems a pretty ordinary place. Just what you expected: a desk, a bed, a washbasin, lots of noise and awful food.
- The Library – bookworm’s rest: The Main Library is the largest University library in the country. It is also the largest and marginally least ugly building in George Square.
11 October 1984: Fur coat and no knickers
- A breath of fresh air? 2,300 people attended Freshers’ Week this year – more than ever before. The price had been raised to £8 and freshers seemed determined to get their money’s worth. Almost all daytime events were packed!
- Rangers Heart-broken: Hearts 1 Rangers 0: A crowd of 18,000 came to Tynecastle eager to see Hearts have a go at Rangers’ unbeaten record.
18 October 1984: Scotland: “Still a long way to go”
- Twenty years of Fraser debauchery: At 4pm on Saturday the 17th of October 1964, Fraser House was officially declared open by Lady Nina Fraser, wife of the late Principal. Consequently this week is the 20th birthday of Fraser House.
- Younger’s Tartan Special: George Younger has now been secretary of State for Scotland for over five years and has proved himself a tireless worker for Thatcherlsm north of the border. Bill Williamson talked to him about his past record and his vision of Scotland in the future.
25 October 1984: Library burnt to the ground (well, nearly)
- Library fire: half an hour of high drama. Shortly after eleven o’ clock on Monday morning a cloud of black smoke issuing from the roof of the University’s main library in George Square signalled the start of half an hour of frantic activity in the University environs.
- Tae uphauld the Scots leid. There is more to the Scots language than Oor Wullie, Gordon Jackson, Irn Bru adverts and Clare Grogan. The demise of the Scots language is an age-old historical problem which the Scots Language Society are working against.
Posted in Accommodation, Culture, Politics
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