WFOHW has been collecting its own material since 1983 and has recordings made by others from the 1970s; there are now more than 1000 recordings. Though the Workshop is an independent voluntary group, since its inception it has had a close relationship with Waltham Forest Archives and Local Studies Library based at Chingford Assembly Hall, next to Chingford Library.
If you have recordings – perhaps from a project you ran, or from family or friends about aspects of life in Waltham Forest – we would be happy to take them into our archive and make them available for others to share. Contact us with details of what you have.
When we began we used some of the best and worst equipment available at the time, there are more than 400 audio cassettes in the archive which are of varying quality. We now record digitally and quality has certainly improved since 1983; most recent recordings have been digital on accession to the collection.
We have transcribed a lot of our recordings by AI transcription software: on good recordings with clear speech it is very accurate; on poor recordings much less so. In particular proper names are often wrong. Transcripts produced this way have NOT been proofed or checked for spelling or accuracy. You should check the AI transcript against the original audio and WFOHW accepts no liability for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in these transcripts. Please let us know of any issues so we can correct them.
399
Gateway, October 1997; WW1; parents; training as typist; Lebus work; women doctors; holidays; food; school; courting; coach escort at Jewish school; husband, scales maker
Norma
01/10/1998
400
Gateway, May 1998; working life in Leyton; accident at work; social life and trips; Fingals; wire works and other places.
401
Gateway, October 1997; Wells Street Hackney; market; rheumatic fever; house bombed in WWII; moving into Warner in the war; pregnancy; post war at Warner's; shopping
06/10/1997
402
Gateway, October 1997
06/10/1997
403
Gateway, November 1998; brushmaking at home; Bakers Arms shops; working at Shepherds; milkman Hitchens; horse and milk van bolted down Kings Head Hill
404
Gateway, March 1998; childhood domestic life, work; war
03/03/1998
405
Gateway, March 1998. Methodism. Work. Leisure. Lea Bridge station
11/03/1998
406
pubs, Hare & Hounds, Leyton football club, Leyton Wingate, Glass factory Billet Rd
407
Coronation Gardens, March 1997; allotments; street party WWII
408
gas works, gateway, little on Jewish, Leyton wire works; Home Guard
09/03/1998
409
WW1 & WW2, June 1999; shoe repairer; ARP; newspaper article, see also 363
Oriel Wiiliams
02/06/1999
411
Pubs, Kings Head Hackney; Ferry Boat Inn; Essex Arms E17; Buxton Club E17
Sue Grant
05/11/1997
412
Jenny Hammond's daughter
413
Cricket , November 1993; Essex county ground 1930s; amateurs v professionals
414
Cricket, November 1999; Leyton County Ground, Mallinsons, cinema
415
Cricket, May 1999, Leyton District Boys team, Eton Manor Team, drummer in band, War time POW
416
Cricket and War, November 1999
417
Cricket 1999
07/07/1999
418
Cricket, February 1999; football, played for Charlton Athletic & Leyton Orient, cricket amateur team, Essex professional cricketer, Bredon's
1999?
419 & 420
Cricket, April 1999; hotel work in Clacton, gas fitter, father a policeman. Other people included at Essex county ground
420
Cricket, April 1999, cricket ground in 1940's, Stockbridge
Nick Hayes
421
Cricket, 1999
20/07/1999
This is a regularly updated database of recordings made by WFOHW since 1983, and including some other recordings made by Vestry House Museum since 1970.
If you would like to find out more about specific recordings, listen to them, or consult the paper records then contact us.
Use of our recordings is regulated by our Condition of Use; you can check these here.
