A TREASURE trove of interviews with elderly Foresters made some 30 years ago could find a new lease of life on new technology.
The Dean Heritage Centre is taking part in the National Lottery Heritage-funded Foresters’ Forest project to digitise its collection of audio cassette tapes from the 1980s and 1990s.
The centre is now hoping to contact interviewees to ask their permission to use the tapes.
Dean Heritage Centre collections officer Nicola Wynn said: “These are recorded interviews of Foresters talking about various aspects of their lives in the Forest of Dean.
‘‘They are fascinating to listen to and reveal what life was like in the Forest 50 to 100 years ago.
“People talk about their experiences in mining, forestry, various industries, childhood, schools, growing up, shopping, towns and villages, Forest dialect and much more.
“These tapes are fragile and decay over time.
“Digitising them will not only preserve the audio recordings but also enable access to a wide range of people.
“The digitised recordings will be available to listen to at Dean Heritage Centre and we are creating a searchable database.
“Much has been written about the history of the Forest of Dean, but the recorded interviews further enrich this history by recording the unique personal experiences and memories of people.
“They really bring history to life and allow us to connect with people’s lives.
“Dean Heritage Centre is trying to contact interviewees to find out more information and ask their permission to use the recordings. Sadly, many of the people interviewed will have died by now so we are trying to contact relatives. If you can give us any information about the people listed we would be grateful to be contacted.’’
Alfred Warren, Liz Hiatt, Winifred & Archie Freeman, Albert Meek, Frances Webb, Molly Curtis, Jesse Hodges, John Griffiths, William Simmonds, May Parry, Cyril Trigg, Howard Moore, Ronald Jones, Harry Roberts, Marie Hobbs, Caroline Nicholls, Gurnos Roberts, Amy Howells, Hylton Miles, Frederick Baden Watkins, Harry Barton, George Rogers, Doris Harvey, Howard Moore, Caroline Nichols, Elizabeth Ibbotson, Ted Nelmes, Gilbert Baghurst, Percy Basset, Harry Byett, Charlie Hazell, Doris Turner, Mrs M Addis, Emily Rosser, Mrs Eunice Porter, Mrs Millwater, and Mr Albert Davies, Helen Bass, Alison Parfitt, Wendy Corum, Jane Reynolds and Samantha Weak, Wilf Edwards, John Halliday, Ivy Haile, Marion & David Williams, Douglas Barnard , Maggie Addis, May Benfield, Dorothy Davies, Leslie Watkins, Leslie Watkins, Leslie Watkins, Sylvia Elliot, Walter King, Archie Freeman, Archie Freeman, Cuthbert Brain, Eileen Symonds, Emma Luker, Jack Aston,Hilda Bishop,David Blick, Henry Howe, Phylis Turley, Joe Watkins, Evan Rosser, Geoff Roberts, Kenneth Saville, Phil Stephens.
If you can help, contact the centre by calling Nicola on (01594) 822170 or by e-mailing [email protected]