What is Oral History about?

We record interviews with people in Dent and Sedbergh to find out about the changes that have happened to our communities within living memory. What did it feel like to go from horses to tractors, oil lamps to electric light, bikes to motorcars or clogs to trainers? We want to hear from men and women of all ages, people living traditional dales' lives and those involved in newer undertakings.

Who is conducting the Oral History?

The team includes Anthea Boulton, a long time Dent resident whose experience in oral history comes through working in local radio; Kate Cairns, another Dent resident with professional interviewing expertise; and George Handley, a retired headmaster and native of Sedbergh who will be known to many. Our secretary, Christine Wood, ran a business in Sedbergh, Elspeth Griffiths is our experienced archivist and Elizabeth Roberts, a distinguished academic in oral history, is consultant to the project. Neville Allen, who runs websites including those for Dentdale and Sedbergh & District History Society, is our technical adviser. Alison Cowperthwaite, legal secretary, Shirley Tebay, local historian, and Alma Wilson, local history librarian, do the painstaking work of transcribing the recorded interviews.


How will interviews be used?

The aim of the project is to record memories so that people now and in the future will better understand what life was like in our area in the twentieth century.
Copies of recorded interviews, with written transcripts, are stored at Kendal Library, where they are available to the public and also at THE HISTORY OFFICE, Sedbergh Community Office where anyone is welcome to come in and listen to the recordings at the touch of a button. With the agreement of interviewees, transcripts and interviews may in future be made available on the internet. Parts of interviews may be included in talks or exhibitions or published in a book. The project is non-profit-making and any proceeds over and above costs will be given back to the communities in Dent and Sedbergh.

Anthea Boulton

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