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>>> photography
>>> digital media >>> video >>> live art >>>
web streaming >>> artistic software
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>>> 26
castle park, lancaster, la1 1yq >>>
>>> telephone: 01524 388550 >>> e-mail: [email protected]
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>>> folly is a non-profit media arts
organisation, promoting photographic, video and digital art.
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The Folly Aural History Project
A grant from the National Lottery's
Awards for All Scheme, awarded to the Carnforth Station & Railway Trust Co. Ltd.,
enabled the development of a pilot oral history and photography project about Carnforth's
steam railway heritage. This project was managed on behalf of the Trust by Folly.
| Two local historians, Nigel
Ingham and Sharon Lambert, collected personal histories from a small group of
residents, each of which was involved with the station during the steam rail days. Wartime
recollections, personal family reminiscences and memories from the filming of the film , Brief
Encounter, were all uncovered through these interviews. Local photographer, Helen
Burrow, worked closely alongside of the historians and was commissioned to visually
document the process. |
"Hands"
Photographer Hellen Burrow
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"Arnie"
Photographer Hellen Burrow
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Helen says about her
exhibition, "The photographs provide a portrait of each of the people interviewed,
show something of the emotions evoked during the process of talking about and recording
their memories and reveal a little about their present lives. The men and women
interviewed also allowed me to copy photographs from their own albums to illustrate the
times and activities they talked about. |
| The most frequently
heard phrase used when recalling their work for the railway was 'Happy days! '. There was
a strong sense of pride and pleasure, and a real sense of the community feeling which was
present among the railway employees of thirty, forty and fifty years ago. I hope the
photographs of the interviews with Sharon Lambert and Nigel Ingham give an indication of
the remembered happiness of those times." |
"George"
Photographer Hellen Burrow
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"Beryl"
Photographer Hellen Burrow
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Thank-you to Beryl
Watson, George Nightingale, Alf Bergus, Elaine Maudsley and Arnold
Hamill for their generosity in allowing us to record their life-histories for the
benefit of future generations. |
"During the summer of 2002 five people graciously allowed us to record their
memories of living and working in Carnforth. With years of birth ranging from 1918 to
1934, these men and women confirmed the major role that the railway played in the life of
the town prior to the decommissioning of steam engines in 1968. Every one of the
interviewees had memories of working at Carnforth Station: two of the men were engine
drivers and one was shed master, one woman worked on the book stall and both women were
volunteers serving refreshments to the many troop trains that passed through Carnforth
during the Second World War. As well as providing information on working lives during the
first half of the twentieth century, the interviews also produced some fascinating details
about schools, leisure and home and family life during the same period.
It was a privilege for us to hear these stories face to face in the comfort of
individual's own homes. Memories were often recollected with such vividness, pride and, at
times, humour. Each interview unfolding in its own special exciting way, full of surprises
for us as listeners.
We sincerely thank Beryl Watson, George Nightingale, Alf Bergus, Elaine Maudsley and
Arnold Hammill for their generosity in allowing us to record their life-histories for the
benefit of future generations."
Sharon Lambert and Nigel Ingham
Historians
Carnforth Oral History Project
Carnforth Update January 2006
Helen Burrow (photographer) was employed to collect historical images of Carnforth
and the surrounding area. A selection of these images are exhibited in the Heritage
Centre. The images that are not used in the exhibition will be available for the Trust to
reproduce at a future date, as Helen will be copying them digitally.
A selection of Helen's photographic images from the Reminiscence project were chosen
for a new exhibition.
Sharon Lambert (historian) was employed to write a short history of Carnforth Station
(1847 to present). This information has been put onto three information panels for the
walls of the Heritage Centre. A time line has also been designed for the opposite wall,
featuring the key historical moments of the Station.
Nick Carrillo (designer) designed a computer terminal for visitors to
add their own personal reminiscences to when they come to visit the
Centre. It is hoped that the Oral History Computer will be back in
action by Easter 2006.
Guy Woolough, History Teacher at Carnforth High School, was commissioned to help
design a basic education pack for students to use when visiting the Station.
An illustrator was commissioned to design a fun drawing of Carnforth for young
children to colour in.
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