This project collects and shares recollections of life in Herne Hill, such as celebrations and floods, whether from long ago or more recently. We are keen to find and interview people who have lived or worked here over a long period. And you do not have to have been born before 1945 to take part! The project is led by a small team of volunteers and we hope it will continue for many years. The material will eventually be deposited with Lambeth and Southwark Archives.
What is the aim of History Hear?
Herne Hill is fortunate in that there are already several excellent publications describing the area in the past, produced by the Herne Hill Society. As yet we know of no formal collection of audio recordings on this subject and this project aims to fill that gap and to make these recordings available through a variety of media in order to reach a wide audience. Our aim is to collect and share short audio recordings about all aspects of life in Herne Hill, both in the past and also memorable recent events such as celebrations and floods. We would like to interview people who have lived or worked in this area over a long period and are able to tell us about the pubs, shops, schools, churches, traders, Velodrome, Lido and other local activities and events here. It may help to listen to some of our existing recordings to give an idea of the format, and you can do this at https://soundcloud.com/herne-hill-history-hear.
As well as hearing from people who might be interviewed, we would be grateful for assistance from anyone with interviewing or audio editing skills. We are also keen to make copies of photos of Herne Hill taken after 1930 that we can use to prompt memories. No broadcasting or commercial use without prior permission.
Who is History Hear organised by?
This oral history project aims to work with many local organisations and is led by the Herne Hill Forum (HHF) in partnership with the Herne Hill Society.
What will being interviewed for History Hear involve?
Most interviews will be relatively short, usually recorded in people’s own homes for their comfort but they could also be recorded at the interviewer’s home or elsewhere if the interviewee prefers. You are welcome to invite a friend or family member to be present at the interview.
Before the interview we will send you background information. You will asked to sign a form regarding the future use of the interview (please see below for further details). This will ensure that you are aware of ways that HHF and its History Hear partners may use the material and are happy with this.
In addition to the audio recording, some interviews may be videoed if the interviewee agrees to this. We will also be collecting photographs of interviewees wherever possible to accompany the audio recording. If you agree to be photographed we will ask you to sign a release form which will allow us to use the photographs on a website or other media, but only if you are happy for us to do so.
That’s how it was..large properties, massive gardens. Then we had lovely parks, which we still do, particularly Brockwell Park. Another thing was quite noticeable, this street wasn’t crowded with cars. Very few cars. A lot of people didn’t have cars.
Rudy Daley, former Mayor of Lambeth
Details
- Date of completion2016 -
- Budget£5,000
- Funding SourceLambeth Council
- ParticipantsHerne Hill Society, volunteers, local people
- Project TeamBeth Taylor, Colin Wight
Documents
Poster for launch of History Hear, 2016 (pdf, 1 MB)
History Hear Contact Form (doc, 2 MB)
History Hear Information for Interviewees (pdf, 500 KB)