Before I started work on the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The project is run by the British Library aiming to digitise as much of the UK’s sound collections as possible before 2021. Why? Because the cassettes and records and cd’s and open reel tapes that they are currently on are deteriorating and soon they won’t be listenable to at all.
Once they are digitised however, how do you decide which ones should be kept in public collections, which ones should be kept for posterity?
By listening to them. All of them.
This is where the volunteers are needed. On my first day, I was given an excel spreadsheet with a list of recordings on them. Most of the recordings I am currently listening to come from BBC Radio Brighton in the early 1970’s. As someone who grew up in Brighton and Hove these are extremely interesting to hear. From town planning disputes in nearby Shoreham to interviews with the cast of plays in the Connaught Theatre in Worthing.
I learnt a composer called Havergal Brian was a longtime resident of Shoreham and listened to not only an obituary for him, but also heard his voice through an old interview.
I marvelled at the fact that in the 1970’s the southern area manager for what was then still National Rail, took it upon himself to hear his customer’s grievances, not by setting up shop in a station, but by holding a meeting on one of the commuter trains to London one morning, announcing that he would seat himself in a central carriage for anyone to be able to ask questions without them having to take time out of their day.
After I have listened to the excerpts they need cataloguing. Everyone who speaks on the recording, needs their names verified so the rights can be properly sorted. The date of the recording must be obtained and made as specific as possible.
There are many more recordings still to be catalogued, all providing unique opportunities to hear news of my home town from all that time ago and listen to what was once so important to the community that it was broadcast on the radio.
ChristyESWriter 