Introduction
Oral history in the making: David Woodward talking in 2006 about growing up in Eye (Photograph: Brian O’Callaghan)
Since Bridge Issue 11, we have started our recordings, which are already revealing masses of fascinating information about Sonning and Sonning Eye. Did you know, for instance, that Helena Rubinstein had a home here once, or that another family arrived in a cattle truck to start their life here? People, too, have said they have enjoyed sharing their memories with us. We have been offered some extremely important papers relating to the history of the village and the Sonning Working Mens Club has lent us a book of photos - did men really wear their hair that long in the 60’s?
David Woodward has generously agreed to help us with the mammoth task of saving and archiving the recordings. So we are now ‘en route’! Over the next six months we aim to complete and edit our recordings as well as applying for funding to put on the exhibition in 2009. We hope eventually to set up ongoing recordings of people’s memories. We are fortunate to have a beautiful village with a wealth of history that is worth recording for generations to come.
If you would like to share your memories or have documents or artefacts you could lend us, or would be prepared to help in any other way, please contact Mary Chapman on 969 7398.
|
