It is now forty years since our two Colleges merged in 1985 but several years of heated discussion, argument and possible ‘marriages’ preceded the final merger in 1985.

The years that preceded the merger were packed with projects and discussions, often heated. In some ways the prospect of the merger brought the various departments at Bedford closer together: we had been dispersed around Regent’s Park, on the main campus and in the Holme and in St John’s Lodge. Now we got to know each other better as we faced this momentous change.

Of course, the impact of an impending merger was perceived very differently in different parts of the Bedford community: students, the administration, the Library, the teaching departments, those who worked in the Labs, postgraduates and the alumni: all had different different priorities. It was the task of the Principal, Professor Dorothy Wedderburn, to take the College forward into an unpopular but, as became clear, unavoidable, merger. And when the final decision was taken that Bedford College was to be merged with Royal Holloway, much negotiation, adjustment and discussion had to take place to make the move as smooth and constructive as possible.

Those were turbulent years when the prospect of a merger dominated discussions at Bedford (and Royal Holloway, no doubt) and, when a merger became inevitable, the practicalities of making it work for all involved became almost overwhelming. If you were a student, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, a member of the academic staff, or part of the administrative team, what impact did the merger (both before or after) have on you? We would like to collect ‘Merger Memories’ from Bedford Alumni/ae. Please contact c.barron@rhul.ac.uk

Professor Caroline Barron