Category: Local History
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Putting a Story Behind Every Name
I remember sitting in the damp basement of the parish hall three years ago, staring at a list of names on a crumbling stone plinth that felt more like a grocery list than a tribute. Most people think that learning… Continue reading
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School Log Books Are Astonishing Sources
I remember standing in the overgrown playground of the old St. Jude’s primary, the smell of damp concrete and rusted swings heavy in the air, wondering why the local council seemed so tight-lipped about its history. People will tell you… Continue reading
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Finding the Works That Used to Be Here
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall in 1994, watching a young consultant present a glossy, thirty-page report on “economic trends” that cost our small committee more than our entire annual budget. It was all jargon and empty charts,… Continue reading
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A Will Tells You What a House Contained
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall in 1994, watching a lovely elderly woman try to explain her late husband’s wishes to a room full of confused neighbours. She had the heart to fix the local playground, but she… Continue reading
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What Parish Registers Do and Do Not Record
I remember sitting in the drafty vestry of St. Jude’s last autumn, the smell of damp stone and old paper thick in the air, staring at a stack of ledgers that looked more like daunting obstacles than treasures. Most people… Continue reading
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Researching a Family That Never Left
I spent thirty years in local government, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people love to make simple things unnecessarily complicated. You’ll see websites promising you can unlock centuries of secrets with a single subscription fee,… Continue reading
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Consent Forms for Oral History
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall in 1994, clutching a stack of legal papers that looked more like a mortgage application than a way to capture local memories. I was trying to record the stories of the old… Continue reading
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Transcribing an Hour of Tape
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall back in the nineties, surrounded by half-empty tea mugs and the heavy silence that follows a truly vital conversation. I had spent two hours listening to a resident describe exactly why the… Continue reading
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Asking Questions That Open Memory
I remember sitting in Mrs. Gable’s kitchen back in ’94, surrounded by the scent of stale tea and old newspapers, clutching a clipboard like it was a shield. I had this ridiculous, formal questionnaire prepared—twenty pages of “standardized inquiries” that… Continue reading
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Recording Someone Before It Is Too Late
I remember sitting in Mrs. Gable’s cramped living room back in ’94, watching a well-meaning university student struggle with a tripod and a microphone that cost more than my first car. He was so preoccupied with the technical settings that… Continue reading









