The day commenced with a keynote lecture by Professor R. Merfyn Jones, who provided an insightful, bilingual, introductory address that advocated for the relevance and significance of history as an academic discipline. In a wide-ranging paper that ruminated on experience from his own practice and deeper reflections on the meaning of history. This set the tone for the days event.
Following a coffee break, Ms Shân Robinson, of the University Archives, delivered a fascinating talk entitled, 'Bangor: Growth of a City', which set the foundation of the university in the wider contest of Bangor's development. This included an important discussion about the university being a 'dinas dysg’, ‘a city of learning', before the University was constructed, through the presence of Coleg Normal, the North Wales Teaching College, and Friars School.
Taking inspiration from Gwyn Thomas’ powerful poem, which is read in every graduation ceremony, ‘Y Coleg ar y Bryn’, ‘The College on the Hill’, Dr Shaun Evans, of SHiLSS and ISWE, delivered an important reinterpretation of the foundation of the University College of North Wales, with an aptly titled paper, ‘A dyna y gwŷr busnes a’r holl rai eraill hynny …’, ‘And then there were businessmen and others …’ Dr Evans contended that the university's history was one of conciliation in the face of religious sectarianism, and one in which members of the Welsh gentry played an important role, alongside the traditional telling that focused on the quarrymen's contributions.
Following a lunch break, Dr Lowri Ann Rees delivered a bilingual paper that explored the ‘“The Bangor College Scandal”: Gender, Victorian Morality, and the University College of North Wales, 1892’. This paper presented the newly-funded University College of North Wales in its Victorian context, particularly exploring how female students were treated and the expectations that society had of them.
The penultimate paper was delivered by Dr Marc Collinson, entitled, 'Building History: A History of 鶹AV through 10 buildings'. This talk traced the University's development over 140 through the prism of 10 key properties that played important roles in its history, how it was shaped by social and architectural change, and how the university became more of a part of Bangor, which transitioned to become a 'university city'.
To conclude the extremely successful day, Professor Tony Claydon, Subject Lead for History at SHiLSS, delivered a few remarks regarding the centrality of history to a university education. This, in turn, was extremely poignant for a conference which celebrated and carefully explored the history of 鶹AV.