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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
014 Martin Allen
Painting a Sunbeam Under the Generator's Roof: Martin Allen on Sixty Years with Loughborough College
Martin Allen's connection to Loughborough began almost by accident, brought to the town as a child during the Second World War, and went on to span a Loughborough College diploma in the late 1940s, a career in the earliest days of semiconductor and microprocessor technology, and a return to teach at Frederick Street from 1966 until his retirement in 1992. In this interview, recorded at The Generator during a Heritage Weekend, he recalls the building as a student, a lecturer, and even, briefly, a place to repaint his car.
Interview date: 08.10.2025