Worcestershire Directory of Oral History Recordings

The following alphabetical list gives details of oral history recordings known to the Worcestershire Record Office. If you want further information about a particular tape or collection, please contact the organisation or individual direct. All recordings are subject to the normal copyright regulations and it is your responsibility to check with the organisation that you are not breeching copyright law.

If you know about a collection of recordings that does not appear on the list, please give us a ring at the Record Office on 01905 766351.

BBC Century Speaks Collection, covering Herefordshire and Worcestershire – c/o Sound Archive, British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London, NW1 2DB.
Website www.cadensa.bl.uk.

About 150 interviews, which form part of the Millennium Memory Bank held at the British Library Sound Archive. Recorded by Julia Letts for BBC Hereford and Worcester in 1999. Includes every aspect of life in Herefordshire and Worcestershire in 20th century (all on minidisk). There is a keyword search on the Sound Archive’s electronic catalogue.

Bewdley Museum – The Shambles, Load St, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 2AE.
Phone 01299 403573.
Website www.bewdley.actinet.net.

More than 60 recordings (on cassette), all transcribed and summarised, made in 1970s and 80s on many aspects of life in the Bewdley/ Stourport area. Collection includes 24 interviews on the carpet industry, 12 interviews on the River Severn and 6 interviews on timber trade. Other topics include local crafts, rope making, clay pipe making, Bewdley town, agriculture, general trade and industry, and society.

Chris Cotterill Collection – c/o Chris Cotterill, 38 Ploughmans Way, Droitwich Spa, Worcester, WR9 9DZ.

10 recordings made and owned by Chris Cotterill including recollections of food, rationing, nutrition and black market during Second World War, and American and Italians at Droitwich Displaced Persons Camp and War Office. Also short interviews based around buildings at Avoncroft Museum (all on cassette, all have been transcribed).

Droitwich Heritage Centre – St Richard’s House, Victoria Square, Droitwich Spa, Worcester WR9 8PR.
Phone 01905 774312.

A small number of recordings with residents of Droitwich (on cassette) including memories of salt-making.

Droitwich Spa Library – Victoria Square, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershrie, WR9 8DQ.
Phone 01905 773292.

11 recordings with lifelong residents of Droitwich Spa, describing changes in the town during their lives (on cassette).

Elgar Birthplace Museum – Crown East Lane, Lower Broadheath, Worcester, WR2 6RH.|
Phone 01905 333224.
Website www.elgarmuseum.org.

A small number of oral history recordings including memories by the Elgar family, and interviews with authors and historians (on cassette). A large number of CDs of Elgar’s music.

Forge Mill Needle Museum, Needle Mill Lane, Riverside, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 8HY.
Phone 01527 62509.

Three collections of oral history interviews on the subjects of Childhood in Redditch, Moving to Redditch (about 20 interviews) and Redditch Businesses (about 15 recordings including interviews on manufacturing motorbikes and parts, batteries, springs and pressings). Also copies of recordings made by Tim Coleman for BBC Voices Project in Batchley in 2003.

George Marshall Medical Museum – Charles Hastings Educational Centre, Charles Hastings Way, Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester, WR5 1DD.
Phone 01905 760738.

More than 60 recordings with people talking about their experiences of medicine in the Worcester area (on cassette), including doctors, midwives, nurses and patients. Also recollections of the setting up of the National Health Service.

Gill Holt Collection – c/o Gill Holt, 34 Bank Street, Malvern, Worcester, WR14 2JG.

72 recordings made in 2000 to 2003 and owned by Gill Holt while researching her Malvern Voices series of books Wartime, Schools and Childhood. All on cassette, all transcribed. Interviews include memories of World Wars, festivals, music and entertainment, George V’s Silver Jubilee, Morgan cars, Malvern schools, hotels, guesthouses, trades and services, sport and local politics.

Hagley Historical and Field Society – c/o Mr Freeth, 2 Old fields, West Hagley, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 0QG.

10 recordings with local people talking about changes in the area, including recollections of growing up in Old Hagley and changes to shops and shopping (on cassette).

Kays Heritage Group – c/o Bernard Mills, 46 St Mary’s Close, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3JS.
Website www.kaysheritage.org.uk.

A small but growing collection of personal recollections from people employed by Kays of Worcester. Interviews made in 2003 onwards, covering all aspects of work at the establishment (on minidisk).

Kidderminster Library Collection, Kidderminster Library, Market St, Kidderminster, Worcester DY10 1AD.
Phone 01562 824500.

About 40 recordings (on reel-to-reel and cassette) made between early 1960s and late 1980s. The collection includes memories of King Charles 1 School, recordings of speeches, events, lectures, concerts and services in Kidderminster (including a recording of Yehudi Menuhin), interviews on local crafts and industries, and reminiscences on the carpet industry.

Margaret Bramford Collection – c/o Worcestershire Record Office, County Hall, Spetchley Rd, Worcester, WR5 2NP.
Phone 01905 766351.

50 recordings made by Margaret Bramford while researching her books Malvern People, This Was Our Malvern and Pershore Where d’ye Think. All on cassette, donated to the Record Office in 2003. 34 of the tapes are reminiscences from the Malvern area and include pre-war and war-time Malvern, Warwick House, Malvern Festival, Malvern College, Morgan motors and Madresfield House. 15 recordings are  from the Pershore area, and include recollections of Pershore Fair, war-time Pershore, the Abbey, farming, market-gardening, and the jam factory.

Mike Dickins Collection – c/o Mike Dickins, 180 Franche Rd, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 5AD.

More than 40 recordings made and owned by Mike Dickins, covering an enormous variety of topics including both World Wars, Morris-dancing, and many aspects of life in the Wyre Forest, Kidderminster and Bewdley. Several series including 36 episodes of Winifred Barber, 5 episodes on Imperial Airways and 4 episodes on the Sealed Knot. Recorded in Herefordshire and Worcestershire between 1981 and 2004 (on minidisk and cassette).

Museum of Worcester Porcelain - Severn Street, Worcester, WR1 2NE.
Phone 01905 746000.
Website www.worcesterporcelainmuseum.org.

A small but growing collection of recordings with former employees talking about their roles at Royal Worcester, including a master mold maker and a kiln man (on cassette).

National Trust in Worcestershire – c/o Jeremy Milln, The National Trust West Midlands Region, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4TP.
Website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/.

22 recordings related to the National Trust Properties in Worcestershire. Collection includes 8 recordings from Croome Court (including recollections of the estate, the water supply system and Croome as a school), 4 on Greyfriars (recollections of the Matley Moores), 8 on Hanbury Hall (including memories of Lady Vernon and family) and 2 on the Chartist Cottage ‘Rosedene’. All on cassette.

Phil Adams Collection – c/o Phil Adams, St John’s Library, Glebe Close, St John’s, Worcester, WR2 5AX.
Phone 01905 420400.

More than 200 tapes recordings with residents of St John’s, Worcester, made and owned by Phil Adams. Topics covered include memories of childhood, schooldays, work and leisure in St John’s. Also recollections of changes in the community (all on cassette).

Redditch Dialect Society – c/o Worcestershire Record Office, County Hall, Spetchley Rd, Worcester, WR5 2NP.
Phone 01905 766351.

35 recordings made by the Redditch Dialect Society. Collection includes interviews with local people in Redditch (all on cassette).

Tenbury Collection – c/o Howard Miller, 6 Oak Bridge Court, Tenbury Wells, Worcester, WR15 8DS.

Approximately 25 recordings made and owned by Howard Miller in conjunction with the Tenbury Historical Society. Collection includes personal recollections of Tenbury from 1908 onwards, Tenbury in the 20s, wartime Tenbury, evacuees, hop farming, and the Office of Coroner (all on cassette).

Terry Warneford Collection – c/o Terry Warneford, 6 Redland Close, Malvern Link, Malvern, Worcester, WR14 1NW.

A small collection of recordings made and owned by Terry Warneford on various events in the Malvern area, including the Opening of the Mavlern Museum in 1981, a service from St Joseph’s Malvern, and a tour of Malvern College.

Worcester City Museum Collection, Worcester City Museum, Foregate St, Worcester, WR1 1DT.
Phone 01905 25371.
Website www.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk.

A collection of 10 cassette recordings (all with summaries) on wartime Worcester and 1 recording of an interview with Ken Monk, the former head sauce maker of Lea and Perrins.

Worcestershire County Council Press Office Collection – c/o Worcestershire  Record Office, County Hall, Spetchley Rd, Worcester, WR5 2NP.
Phone 01905 766351.

Approximately 200 cassettes recorded off-air by the County Council Press Office, in the 1980s and 90s. Collection includes news bulletins and interviews with County Council staff on Radio Wyvern and BBC Hereford and Worcester (all on cassette).

Worcestershire County Museum – Hartlebury Castle, Nr Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7X2.
Phone 01299 250416.
Website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/museums.

6 recordings in reel-to-reel format, made in mid 1970’s, including recollections of coal mining, cider making and charcoal burning in Worcestershire and an interview with the Kidderminster Mummers

Worcestershire World War Two Collection – c/o Worcestershire  Record Office, County Hall, Spetchley Rd, Worcester, WR5 2NP.
Phone 01905 766351.

Approximately 160 recordings on cassette made by Record Office staff between 1995 and 2003. Interviewees include service personnel, civilians, children, German and Dutch interviewees and POWs. There are a number of interviews with aircrew. Nearly all have been transcribed.

Wythall History Society - c/o Val Lewis, 64 Meadow Road, Wythall, Worcestershire, B476EQ.
Website www.wythallhistory.co.uk.

A number of recordings made and owned by Val Lewis, covering many aspects of life and changes in the area. Recorded between 1960s and 2000 (on cassette and video).

Individual or small private collections – please contact the Worcestershire Record Office if you would like more information about any of the following recordings.

• Reminiscences of Mr Rowley of Martley (4 tapes) (c/o Record Office BA 13435)
• Sermon of Rt Rev’d Robin Woods, Centenary of St Peter’s Church, Bengeworth 1972 (c/o Clive Jones)
• Reminiscences of George Edward Beard circa 1900 (recorded 1961). (c/o Mike Beard).  
• Memories of  Alf Nicklin of Stoke Prior circa 1890s (recorded early 70s). (c/o Roger Leake)  
• Recording of Emily Ruth Stephens born 1905, one of 9 children, worked in fruit, glove and toy factories in Worcestershire (c/o Jill Jennings)
• Recording of Cradley Chainmakers (from BBC Radio 1970s). (c/o June Humphreys, Romsley and Hunnington History Society.
• Rose, orphan, attended Bluecoat School in Birmingham circa 1930. (c/o Anne Bradford)