Oral history is about recording the memories of older people and storing them for future generations.
Our particular interest is in the canals of the London area although we will consider conducting interviews to record other canal recollections. If you have memories about canals in another part of the UK but live near London we may come to an arrangement to pass the recording on to another waterways museum. The memories of elderly people are a huge resource for the present and the future. We want to collect those memories and record them in a lasting format. Some may be used in the museum or on the website for the benefit of public education.
People with memories to tell and who are willing and able may be interviewed in front of a microphone. The people we interview might have a wide variety of memories. They may have worked on the canal either on boats or maintaining it in some way, or they may have worked in a canalside factory or warehouse, or unloaded boats, or perhaps lived beside the canal or regularly spent time watching the boats go by. Perhaps they drank in a canalside pub? This could be you, or your father, grandfather, mother, grandmother, unlcle, a friend or anyone you know.
The days of the working boat are not so far back in the past - boats worked throughout the fifties and many people can remember that period, and the 30's and 40's. Interviews can take place either in the museum or in the interviewees own home, as they prefer. The recording will be stored electronically for posterity and there is a possibility of excerpts being used in the London Canal Museum itself.
So do you remember the canals years ago, or do you know someone who remembers? Please get in touch. Contact us by telephone (020 7713 0836) or e-mail voices@canalmuseum.org.uk
We are also very keen to collect old photographs of the canals in the London area. There must be hundreds of examples in peoples' private collections. Sadly many of these are eventualy lost as they are eventually thrown out. If you know of someone with some pictures, please ensure that this does not happen!
Voices is an oral history archive remembering and celebrating the lives of those who have worked or lived on the London canals. We are currently looking for people who have worked or lived on the canals of the London area, and would like to interview them and record their memories for the benefit of future generations and for possible use in our exhibitions, so that others can listen and learn about their lives. If you, or someone you know, have any such memories, we would be very happy to hear from you. Please fill in the form below and we will contact you shortly.