When I joined the Postgraduate Diploma course in October 1957 I knew very little about electronics, having studied physics at Oxford University and then worked on mechanical systems at Supermarine for four years.

At Southampton University I was sponsored by that firm, but unfortunately it closed while I was taking the course. There were 18 graduates in the class. The west wing of the Physics Building, which is shown here in a recent photograph, accommodated our classroom and our laboratory.

Eric Zepler taught us circuit theory, and how to design amplifiers and radio receivers using thermionic valves. His teaching is described on another webpage.

Wally Punnett taught us about the use of feedback in amplifiers and control systems.

Bryan Venning taught us about pulse circuits and digital circuits, mostly using thermionic valves but some using transistors.

David Ingram taught us about small-signal germanium transistor amplifiers.

Nearly all of the practical work in the laboratory was on thermionic valve circuits. We needed to be careful not to touch components that were at high voltages or high temperatures!

This was undoubtedly a challenging course, which exercised our minds and gave us a good understanding of circuit design using thermionic valves. Unfortunately, the curtain was about to fall on that activity. Silicon transistors were going to take the stage. After the course, fortunately I was able to start work on the applications of silicon transistors at Mullards in Southampton. A year later I was back again, teaching the course.