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The Generator: Stories & Memories
The Generator: Stories & Memories An oral history project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Stories & Memories project captures the voices, recollections and experiences of those who studied, worked and created in the historic Packe Street building over the decades. Through these personal stories, we are preserving the building’s rich creative legacy while sharing it with new generations as The Generator begins its next chapter as a vibrant community arts venue. With thanks to Institute Loughborough for their continued generous support and for providing the filming location. Click on any picture below to read or watch the full interview
019 Katie Plumpton
Against All Advice: Katie Plumpton on Choosing a BTEC Over A-levels at Frederick Street
Katie Plumpton studied a BTEC at Frederick Street from 2000 to 2002, against the advice of teachers and worried parents who wanted her to stick with A-levels. She went on to specialise in fashion and textiles under Yanina Temple, study textiles at Loughborough University, spend a placement year weaving silk in India, and eventually design menswear shirts in London.
Interview date: 06.12.2025
012 Martyn Blundell
Frederick Street had a buzz you didn't get anywhere else
Martyn taught at Loughborough for decades without ever quite belonging to it, picking up part-time hours through people he met in the pub while working full-timers' hours elsewhere: Central Saint Martins, Norwich, Nottingham Trent. That outsider's view gave him a rare basis for comparison, and Frederick Street still comes out on top. He remembers a caravan built into an exhibition, a student who locked himself behind a hand-painted glass door, and an eclipse watched from the roof that silenced the birds.
Interview date: 08.10.2025
011 Yanina Temple
Four decades of drawing, chickens and camper vans
Yanina taught in the building twice, first in the early 1980s and then from 1991 until her retirement in 2020, spanning its move from Frederick Street to Epinal Way. She remembers a building that felt autonomous and a little wild: chickens kept on the roof for life drawing, projects set with a single word like "flight," and a mentor, Pat May, who had students spend four days on a single drawing until it was right. She's since visited The Generator's Heritage Open Days and hopes to see it become a broad, open hub for the whole town.
Interview date: 08.10.2025