Walkley Memories Day

Thank you to everyone who came to and helped make the Walkley Memories Day such a resounding success on Friday afternoon.

Walkley Community Centre was abuzz with residents and ex-residents sharing their memories, photos and documents of Walkley's rich history. Ruskin Hall looked splendid with tables, each with plates of biscuits, scattered around the room.

Over 65 people came along between 2pm and 5pm, while 21 volunteers welcomed and talked to visitors, scanned photos and documents, and helped serve tea and coffee. There was also a slideshow of old images collected by the project so far and an exhibition. Some visitors went upstairs to look at the Reform Club World War 1 memorials in the snooker room.

We found out about all aspects of Walkley's history, from World War 1 to the 1970s, and saw an original letter written home from the First World War trenches by one brother to another.

Volunteers worked tirelessly to record recollections, with two people kept very busy on the photo scanner that luckily bounces. One lucky person now has the task of putting the names and details on a list so we can begin contacting those people who have asked to be recorded.

Calver Weir Oral History

The Calver Weir oral history project is coming towards the end of the interview phase this month. Volunteers have completed over 14 interviews. Five of these are now online, which cover the early history of the mill, Sissons and the restoration of the weir. Future podcasts will include the river and Colditz.

http://www.calverweir.org.uk/page1/page1.php

Tideswell Trail Re-used

The 2011 Tideswell Trails Hidden Histories self-guided leaflet used in Tideswell Church by local artist John Firth. He is using the map to locate his drawings of local places, asking people to guess the locations.

Hope - Castleton Finds Day

Today was another successful finds day for the Hope and Castleton Lives of the Medieval Common People project.

Ninety people came to see the finds from 50 test pits dug in the Derbyshire villages in 2012.

Cottingham Training

One Mark Kirby Scholar talks about Cottingham's past

Today we began work with Cottingham Parish Council on a series of workshops exploring the 18th Century history of the village, which lies on the outskirts of Hull. Over the next.three months we will deliver four workshtoops linking archival sources, archaeology and hands-on activities to discover childhood, costume, food and farming 300 years ago.

Today was about introducing the project to participants and training them in heritage interpretation and digital media. We have set up Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts for volunteers to record the workshops. They will also produce an exhibition for Cottingham Day in July.

Follow their progress at cottinghamstory.wordpress.com and on Twitter @CottinghamStory.