Local people needed from June to August for the final year of Arun Valley oral history project
If you would like to share your memories about the Arun Valley and surrounding landscape with present and future generations, or know someone else that might, Arun and Rother Connections (ARC) would like to hear from you.
The Arun and Rother rivers catchment has rich culture, history and wildlife and the ARC project is recording this for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Project Officer Deborah Coggles said “We want to record the real stories from local people, stories that are often missed from the history books”.
ARC is looking for 10 local people to share personal experiences over a friendly conversation and cup of tea. The interviews will be recorded using a handheld digital recorder (no video) and will only take an hour or so of your time, at your home or close by.
You’ll be asked to talk about one of more of the following topics; childhood memories and family life, village events, your profession or hobbies, the rivers, local wildlife and flooding. You are also welcome to suggest other relevant topics. Your opinions, stories and memories are more important than historic facts (although those are great too).
We are now in the third and final year of the project so this is the last opportunity to get involved. To date we have interviewed 17 residents from all over the Arun valley. We’ve heard from farmers, artists, retiree’s, wildlife enthusiasts and more.
Last year Rob from Pulborough spoke about starting a drop in centre for local residents “Everybody’s interesting, in my experience.”
This year we are particularly keen to hear from anyone new to the area or from a minority group that would like to share their thoughts on community life, the local landscape and wildlife.
You can read about our volunteer interviewer Harriett’s experience in year one of the project here She said of her involvement “My favourite bits, though, were the stories of locals over the last 70 years, from the lady whose garden well was found to be full of gin bottles after she died, to the man who sailed all the way from Bury to Amberley Castle in the floods, using an old door as a raft.”
We’ll share sound clips, images and recordings at our end of project exhibition in September and invite you and your families to a private viewing to celebrate. The recordings will be stored at the West Sussex Records Office at the end of the project.
For more information or to suggest someone you think may be interested in taking part please contact Deborah.coggles@rspb.org.uk or call her on 01273 763378