50th Reunion - Institutional Management Diploma cohort (1969-1972)
By Isabell Hodgson, (Class of 1972)
OUR GROUP of 12 commenced studying the Institutional Management Diploma in 1969. We were the last cohort to graduate with this award in 1972. Our first year was spent studying at Atholl Crescent, which was the institution’s first base in Edinburgh. It was a wonderful place which was steeped in history - if only the buildings could talk! We relocated to the new college building in Clerwood Terrace, Edinburgh, for our last two years. It was a total contrast to our first year, with the new site offering modern buildings and equipment, as well as very comfortable halls of residences
Our course was very diverse, covering business management; accountancy; science; and cultural studies, the latter which included visits to art galleries. There were also practical subjects such as food and beverage management; domestic services (cleaning), which included a six-week programme cleaning our fellow students’ study rooms; and laundry and dressmaking, which included producing curtains and cushion covers! We also carried out work experience in different sectors of the hospitality industry – this was one of the best parts of the course. All of these experiences influenced the future careers of many of the group.
We’ve all kept in touch since graduation and have held several reunions throughout
the years. Our first reunion was held at the Fox Covert Hotel in Clerwood, Edinburgh,
where many happy and outrageous memories were shared. We have also enjoyed
gatherings at the QMU campus in Musselburgh, as well as reunions in both Edinburgh
and York (with many of our group based in the south of England, York is a good halfway point).
On 24th May 2022, we held a 50th anniversary lunch celebration at Amarone in George Street, Edinburgh. This allowed us to revisit old haunts and recall many happy memories from our three years of study in Edinburgh.
The group had travelled from Devon, Somerset, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Argyll, Perthshire, the Borders and East Lothian
