It was just about a year ago that I sat down to record an interview with Chris Greensmith at his dining room table.  Chris is one of our Trustees and has carried out a lot of work measuring the water levels in the Hardwick Green Meadows.  It was my first interview (ever!), having just joined Julia Letts on The Forgotten Floodplains oral history project. Was I nervous? Well, just a bit: would I get home to find a blank tape with the 'record' switch firmly off, would I talk too much, would snores from Chris’ peacefully sleeping dog drown everything out? 

Fortunately all went well and the excellent training and guidance I had received from the Oral History Project served me well – Chris was endlessly interesting, had much to say and all of it was on tape, background snores and all!  

I went on to interview several local residents around Hardwick Green.  In every case, I felt extraordinarily privileged to listen to people’s memories of their early lives, school, work, village communities.  Things ordinary to them will sound fascinating to another generation. 

I was brought up in a town and knew little of country life and learned much. I heard how hard work and strong family ties were natural in the country and made life happy and fulfilling.  Lives were often governed by weather and the changing seasons.  I learned about the importance of the land.  Many peoples’ work was connected with the land but I learned, too, of the importance of a small piece of land on which to grow and rear for the table and to add to the family purse, all in addition to the day job. Oh, and not to mention a few apple trees for something in the barrel in the shed or the cellar. 

It is so important that these memories are not lost to future generations; they are brought to life so much more by the spoken word than by the printed page. There is much to learn and enjoy from the recorded extracts on the Trust’s web site and in our exhibitions.