Yorkshire Regional Network
North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire
 Clare Jenkins 17 Crimicar Lane, Sheffield, S10 4FA Telno: Email: c.jenkins@hud.ac.uk  Stephen Kelly Fellow in Media University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH Telno: 01484 478412 Email: s.f.kelly@hud.ac.uk  John Tanner Project Manager, Barnsley Museums Service Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Town Hall, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2TA Telno: 07738 475394 Email: john.tanner@barnsley.gov.uk Van Wilson York Oral History Society Telno: 01904 630970 (after 6 pm) Email: vann@vanalexinamay.freeserve.co.uk  Michelle Winslow Academic Unit of Supportive Care, University of Sheffield, Sykes House, Little Common Lane, Sheffield S11 9NE Telno: 0114 2620174 ext 28 Email: m.winslow@sheffield.ac.uk North YorkshireWe have been working with York Archaeological Trust who are using some oral history in their work. There is a big five year dig in the Hungate area of York, and I have updated the oral history book about this area, ‘Rich in all but Money’, to complement some of the early 20th century items found there. Up until the 1930s, this area was the poorest in York with literally thousands of houses crammed into a very small area. The houses were eventually demolished. It was also the location for a lot of industry and there will be an oral history project on ‘Working Hungate 1938 to now’, starting later this year, interviewing those who worked there. I am now working on a Second World War book which will include some of the oral history I collected in 2005-6 about York on the Home Front. I am also hoping to interview one of the German pilots who bombed York in 1942, and who has recently visited the city, which will give a different perspective on the subject. Both of these projects involve some work with local schools. Another of our members, Mike Race, is interviewing owners of small businesses in York which have closed down. York was once the scene of a lot of industry, which is now almost gone, and local businesses which have been forced to close down by bigger conglomerates coming here. We are awaiting the result of another application to Awards for All to digitise our collection. We have 500 interviews on tape, and need to make them available to a much wider audience as well as preserving them for the future, but obviously we need funds to do this. There are not many avenues for this kind of funding, especially as York is perceived to be a ‘rich’ area. If we are unsuccessful again, we will have to search for other sources, so if anyone has any advice that would be very useful. Van WilsonSouth YorkshireIn March 2007, South Yorkshire’s 7th Regional Network meeting brought oral historians to Dore
village to share ideas and practice. Dore Oral History Group hosted the day and presented an
exhibition of their work. Oral presentations were given by Tony Wright, Wild Rose Heritage and Arts,
who spoke about a substantial Heritage Lottery Fund project in Hebden Bridge, ‘Generations Talking’,
as well as the launch of their website: http://www.wildrosearts.net. A fascinating talk by Brian Elliot presented oral
history work with ex-miners: ‘Pit Voices: A Yorkshire Mineworkers’ Oral History Project’. In a lively
discussion, the group considered recording equipment, specifically, issues affecting choice, purchase
and experience of use. The next event, our 8th, is in November and will be hosted by a project
documenting the history of Kiveton and Wales, an ex-mining community: The following projects provide just a few examples of oral history in South Yorkshire, but they give a flavour of the range of work currently in progress: The AHRC funded Theatre Archive Project (www.bl.uk/theatrearchive), a collaboration between the British Library and the University of Sheffield, is reinvestigating the key period of British theatre between 1945 and 1968. To this end, a unique archive of interviews with leading theatre practitioners of the period has been created. Full transcripts of these are available online, together with a description of the British Library’s key holdings of the period, relating to leading figures such as John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and Cedric Hardwicke. A further strand of the project has aimed to make good the deficiencies in the British Library’s scripts collection, focusing on the (often ignored) post-1968 requirement that a copy of every new play script performed in a licensed theatre venue be deposited at the British Library. The project aims to compare lists compiled from theatres of plays performed with the Library’s holdings and track down missing scripts, and has identified over 1,000 missing scripts and recovered nearly 300. The project recently hosted an event looking at an institution that until recently has been relatively neglected by conventional theatre histories: the ground-breaking company led by Joan Littlewood, Theatre Workshop. It explored recollections of practitioners and audience members from this period who have been interviewed by the project. A joint project between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Macmillan Palliative Care Unit has established an oral history service. Led by Michelle Winslow and Bill Noble, the service is enabling people with life-threatening illness to produce audio life story recordings. A copy of the recording is made after the interview and given to the interviewee. Recordings are stored securely and made available to family and friends with the patient’s permission, and may be used in research with consent. Outcomes for patients can include raised self-esteem, sense of worth, attaching meaning to life experiences, creation of a personal family record, recognition and validation of experience. Outcomes for heath professionals include better understanding of living with life-threatening disease, awareness of impact on identity and lifestyle, and insight into relationships between patient, family and professionals. Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park Oral History Project, led by Liz Smith, aims to conserve and use the rich oral history of the Wentworth estate which is in danger of being forgotten and lost for ever as a generation of previous estate workers pass away. To date, the project has recorded the memories and recollections of a number of older people who have either lived or worked on the estate. This has enabled the Trust to begin to build up a detailed and lasting picture of what it was like to be an estate worker during the 20th century. The project has successfully involved volunteer community archivists who have worked with individuals or groups to record the memories of a range of people from different cultural and social backgrounds. Volunteers have been able to develop their skills in researching and recording interviews in a digital format and in summarizing and transcribing key sections of the recordings for future use in the interpretation of the site. The outcomes of the project will be shared with local community groups, encouraging community interest in and involvement with the Heritage Access Project and the wider restoration project at Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park. The recordings will be preserved by the Trust, making a valuable contribution to the Trust’s future interpretation and educational material. This year, Dore Oral History Group have published Dore Old School in Records and Recollections, by John Dunston, and hosted an Old School reunion attended by hundreds of past pupils who reminisced with former classmates. In January 2007 the group took part in the South West Area Panel Road Show (an initiative in Sheffield to improve links between communities, the Council and other agencies) and were awarded a discretionary monetary award for their sound archive. In February, they linked with Sheffield Hallam University, joining a scheme whereby history students take placements with community oral history groups as part of their degree programme. The students recorded and transcribed interviews, resulting in positive outcomes for all involved. An exhibition and further school reunion will take place in October.The China in Yorkshire Project, Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, aims to uncover Chinese treasures and make them widely accessible in exhibitions in the Yorkshire region. A community events programme is planned with publications underpinning each exhibition and web based resources incorporating a heritage trail and educational resources. Key outcomes will be local exhibitions showcasing Chinese treasures within the region, strong links with new audiences and increased curatorial knowledge and expertise. The project is engaging with local Chinese communities in this process, exploring their sense of identity and cultural heritage. A team of volunteer interviewers have attended an oral history training day and the interviewing process is under way. Kiveton and Wales Oral History Project is recording the heritage of the mining
industry in a major community history project that is bringing together the past of this area as a
record for future generations. Key outcomes of this HLF project are: a picture museum of photos and
local memorabilia; exhibitions of photos, memories, memorabilia and documents; an oral history
archive; activity weeks in local schools to teach local children and students about the area's past; a
local history festival; an industrial heritage trial of local historical sights; community coach
trips, such as to the National Coal Mining Museum; a book of local people's memories and photos. West YorkshireUp and Under Rugby League Project(www.rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk).This is the largest project in the area. It was awarded a grant of £85,000 by the University of Huddersfield last year with work officially commencing in September 2006. This is an oral history of rugby league in the West Yorkshire area and is organised by the University of Huddersfield. In particular it is collecting the oral memories of players, fans and officials of the game. The intention in the future is to extend this study beyond West Yorkshire. An office and website have now been established with a project manager in post. A PhD student is also on board looking at the Irish influence in rugby league. During the past year some forty face-to-face interviews have taken place and many of these interviews have already been posted on the website. Cricket History of Calderdale and Kirklees ProjectThis project was awarded a £43,300 HLF grant in 2003. It is producing a history of village and club cricket in the Calderdale and Kirklees area and is run by the University of Huddersfield. Official funding has now ended but work continues, particularly on the website (www.ckcricketheritage.org) where a number of oral testimonies have been posted. Pamphlets and booklets have been produced and various events held over the past year. Ethnic Voices: an oral history of the early immigrant communities in the Huddersfield areaThe project, which is run by the University of Huddersfield, was last year awarded a grant of £12,000 by HEFCE as a start-up grant to investigate the possibilities of further work in this area. Work commenced in August 2006 and a report has subsequently been produced outlining suitable areas for future focus. As a result, an application has now been made to the HLF for further funding. An office and website have been set up (www.ethnicvoices.org.uk) and some oral testimony has been posted on the website. A PhD student is also involved in the project. Coxley LiveFunded by the HLF, the project commenced in 2006 and comes to an end in December 2007. It is aimed at collecting and storing a local oral history archive around the local mining communities of Middlestown, Netherton, Overton and Midgley, close to Wakefield. Some training has already taken place and work is now under way on finalising specific areas of study. The Lawrence Batley Theatre ProjectThis is a project conceived by the Lawrence Batley theatre in Huddersfield and managed by the University of Huddersfield, and is aimed at archiving as much material as possible to do with the Lawrence Batley theatre and building. Documents, photographs and some oral testimony have been collected in the process. The project had initial funding from the HLF for one year only. This funding has now ended but some work still continues on it. The Huddersfield Architecture ProjectA project run by the Huddersfield Local Architecture Heritage Group and the University of Huddersfield, it received a £43,000 grant from the HLF to document the architectural history of Huddersfield from 1860 onwards. A database has been established with an archive of plans and other documents, including some oral testimony. A website is to be set up in the near future. Sport in Past TimesA one-year project funded by the HLF to the tune of £49,000 and run by Age Concern Calderdale. This project primarily involves young children from three local schools in recording the memories of older people about sport and leisure in the Calderdale area. The project has now launched and an exhibition is on display at the Piece Hall in Halifax. Stephen Kelly |