Introduction to Farmland Voices Oral History Archive

Introduction to oral history recordings

Introduction

During the Seventies many fenland people were interviewed, particularly those who had connections with farming. A near neighbour, Prof. Doctor Margaret Spufford was very keen to make sure the collection was “used”, and arranged for the Haddenham Museum to be chosen for a grant from the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Trust. The grant enabled listening posts to be installed and were used until the museum closed in 1992.

Since then the tapes have been stored and rarely listened to. A chance comment during an interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, just before Christmas 2015, changed that. A volunteer from Chatteris, Gerald McMullon, helped digitise the ageing compact cassette tapes.

Thus many of the collection are available via the Internet. Doctor Spufford’s wish that the speech of local people will survive in spite of radio, TV and the media became a reality. We call the collection FARMLAND VOICES.

APPRECIATION

I would like to thank everyone who helped to make the Haddenham Museum Sound Archives (both interviewers and interviewees) in the Seventies and Eighties. They all gave many hours of that precious commodity, TIME.  Extracts have been used over the years but now, thanks to the efforts of Gerald McMullon, these reminiscences of life in Cambridgeshire are available on the Internet.  Thank you sincerely, one and all.

Lorna Delanoy MBE      August 2016

All audio and photographic material Copyright © 1970-2016 Lorna Delanoy

Lorna Delanoy MBE is the author of several books including “Farmland Museum (The Haddenham farmland series)” 1 July 1976 ISBN-10: 0904463117, “Bog Oak Country” with Valerie Bloye 2003 ASIN: B003MX8OLO, “Ten Miles from Ely” with Paul Melton (editor) ASIN: B006UJZZUU, “Village Voices Book 3” with Valerie Bloye 2003 ASIN:B003MX8OO6 and “A Woman’s Work is Never Done” 2005 with introduction by Prof Margaret Spufford.