Local history is displayed in local places.
This is Deptford, South-East London,
more precisely Deptford Action Group for the Elderly,
where an archive of local history is gradually being added to.
I don't think there's a plan, a strategy for this collection,
just a conviction and enthusiasm to make sure people and events are remembered.
Whilst the photos above might tell of childhood memories of life in Deptford,
there is much evidence of more recent history:
Like the Olympics, London, 2012,
friends, locals, who have passed on,
protesting,
trips to the seaside,
and boxing.
I have had the wonderful opportunity to see all this
whilst hanging out with new friends with a cup of tea and a piece of cake.
Strictly I shouldn't be there at all,
I'm not put off by the no alcohol rule but I've yet to qualify as a pensioner.
I got to know these lovely people through a mutual friend, Rose Bird.
We all worked together.
In 2013 I ran a project called Deptford Decades where older people shared memories of Deptford and the 1940s & 50s, with local school children. The project ran for a few months, ending in a grande finale, a tea-dance in which the children performed dances they had choreographed themselves to tell the older people's stories. Over 120 people turned up. It was such good fun and also very moving at times. I remember that during one dance, the children all ducked down in quick unison, illustrating Barbara's memories of hiding under her kitchen table during an air raid.
We made a film too. It's about ten minutes long, it's beautiful.
You can hear first-hand from Barbara, Rose and others.
'Residents of Deptford tell their Stories'
I'm not advocating visiting DAGE, it's a drop-in centre for the local community of a certain age, there must be many places like this all over the country. However Deptford is brimming with history with associations to Peter the Great, Queen Elizabeth 1 and Christopher Marlowe.
There's quite a bit of history to see just walking back to the car park.
Second World War air-raid shelter sign.
Deptford Docks established by Henry VIII
That is absolutely wonderful. Inspirational in fact. And the video is simply compelling (if you're visiting this site, you MUST watch the video!). Maybe it meant more because my paternal grandmother came from Deptford - and I really should do some digging on that - but I don't think so. Every community should do a project on its heritage; oddly enough, we are just starting one in the village where I live! Wonderful post - thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks. You've made my day. Getting such positive comments keeps you going. Good luck with your heritage project. I don't where you live but have you checked out History Pin? It's an amazing website, a giant UK shaped pinboard where people pin photos & films. It's quite addictive, I've spent hours hopping around the country, checking out all the places that I & my family have ever lived.
DeleteMy mum says that the small museum in Romford is very good too. I must go there next time I'm over (this summer probably).
ReplyDeleteI love local museums, especially when you have some connection to the place.
DeleteHow brilliant.it sounds like the kind of thing the Cuming were doing too although I don't know if they follow Deptford. They have sessions in the library and various other places like SELFS at present, but I hope they get their building back soon.
ReplyDeleteI really hope they get their building back too. It's been a while. I wonder how committed the local council are to it?
DeleteThis is amazing! Memories are so important and I worry that my children & grandchildren don't seem very interested in the past. Memories are one way in which we all live on and I, from an early age, pestered my parents & grandparents for stories of their past.
ReplyDeleteJust off now to look at your Pinterest pics.
I used to love hearing my grandparents' tales of the Second World War. In Trentham, Stoke on Trent, they had bank clerks come and live with them, as the banks were moved from London to Stoke for safety.
DeleteA wonderful post today, I got Goosebumps watching the film. How short our lives are and yet how important our stories can become. Local history projects such as these are fantastic in so many ways -bringing all sections of the community together, and a valuable resource for contextualizing our recent past. Oh dear, I'm trying to chose an MA and I had thought I had picked one but after reading your post I am swaying back to a local history specialisation! Thank so much for sharing! Shauna.x
ReplyDeleteThankyou for your kind words. I really hope you make the right choice for you, for your MA. Good luck. x
DeleteHI Katharine. What a wonderful project--learning about local history and the memories of our elders are so important. My husband lived in Deptford for a couple of years before I met him. He said he loved going to the local markets to do his food shopping. I'll show this post to him later. I'll bet he'll find it interesting.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend!
Hope your husband like the post too? I had a lovely time running the Deptford Decades projects and as you can see from the post, made some lovely new friends.
DeleteWhat a wonderful project--learning about local history and the memories of our elders is so important. My husband lived in Deptford for a couple of years before I met him. He said he liked going to the local markets for his food shopping on his days off and have good memories of living there. I'll show him this post later. I bet he'll find it interesting.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend!
It is so important to keep memories alive and to build a collection of history too, it doesn't matter if there is no "direction" to the collection, the people are what the connection is, and that is important isn't it. xx
ReplyDeleteAgreed. All collections are important, even at home. My kids love looking through old family photos. Especially if they're in them! x
DeleteKatharine you just know how much I love this! The stories that people tell and the love they have for their area is always lovely to capture. They way they open up when they have a new audience just makes me smile. xx
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much Chel. Some of the stories in the film were harder to capture than others. Obviously a few didn't/couldn't stop talking. Other's needed coaxing and sadly (which probably doesn't show in the editing of the film) one lady had memory problems and got quite confused. But when she spoke of her childhood, she smiled so much and looked so peaceful.
DeleteSo pleased you have featured Deptford. It has so much history woven into its walls. I worked there for five years from '76 to '81. I loved the people and characters I met.
ReplyDelete