For our 400^th issue there was only really one option for this archive feature – Issue One. Created by an editorial team Shaun Harley (who contributed a UEA football roundup to the issue) describes as “full of ambition,” it was edited by Polly Graham (who went on to work for the Mirror) and self-funded by founder and Publisher Steve Howard who sold the ads (a role later taken on by Simon Mann). Howard also designed the pages (a role he was later joined in by Peter Hart).

The first front page story was ‘Modular Mess Up’ by John Barton. It reported that, from Autumn 1993, UEA planned to move to the modular course structure that we have today. This meant a two-semester academic year, the start of courses comprised of self-contained modules and the end of Finals. The move was largely supported, although the union did have concerns. Barton told Concrete editor Megan Harwood-Baynes in 2016 how he picked up the article at the first Concrete meeting, saying “I was a first year and somewhat starry-eyed – I stuck my hand up and somehow managed to get that first story.” He told us he remains proud of the piece, “not so much the writing but the fact it symbolised the moment when it became real and people had something to read again.”

The second story on the front page was about Radio 1’s plans to bring its Sound City festival to The Waterfront, which had recently been saved from financial difficulty by Norwich City Council (and would be bought by the SU in 1993). This was continued as part of an extensive arts section inside, beginning our long-held dedication to arts coverage. The section also contained an article looking forward to the opening of Norwich Playhouse in 1993.

It was also reported in this issue that the Dean of Biology and Labour candidate for Norwich North, Dr Ian Gibson, had decided to try living on a student budget for a week. After experiencing life on the allowance, calculated at £14.58 (with bills already deducted), he told Concrete “I’m famished, I’m hungry… My brains are going.” Dr Gibson was elected as an MP in 1997.

Elsewhere in the issue, Anna Worthington reported on the new buildings coming to campus, with construction of Nelson Court having begun in November 1991 and Constable Terrace to follow in February 1992. The two were being estimated to cost £18.3 million. Construction was clearly a theme for this issue, as elsewhere mature student Simon Mann contributed an article marking the start of six years of involvement in Concrete, drawing on his experience as a readymixed concrete plant manager to talk about the benefits of the material. So began the long association of the paper with the building material, most commonly expressed today through the emails about concrete that come into the editor’s inbox, and the many questions at Soc Fairs about whether we’re a society that just loves concrete!

Editor: Polly Graham

Click here to view Issue 1 in full!