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River Tales - An Oral History Project

The River Tales Oral History Project

The project for Age Concern Herefordshire and Worcestershire ran a series of reminiscence workshops across Herefordshire and brought back some wonderful stories about the rivers in the county from people who have known them over a lifetime.

The River Tales CD-ROM has been distributed to schools throughout Herefordshire. A DVD version is available for free loan at libraries in Herefordshire. For information on how to obtain a copy phone Age Concern Herefordshire & Worcestershire 01905 726652 and ask for Admin. The project was supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund and LEADER+

YouTube Link

River Tales

This Age Concern intergenerational oral history project had a huge ambition - to help re-connect a whole county to their rivers and to connect the generations. The plan was to hold 50 River Tales reminiscence workshops, interview people on camera and involve three schools in the project. A DVD would then be distributed to groups - coffee mornings and care-homes; libraries, museums and heritage centres - to spark more memories and get people talking as well as a CD-ROM for the schools of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, fulfilling national curriculum requirements as well as giving children an appreciation of their local rivers and showing older people in a whole new light.

The Heritage Lottery fund and European funded LEADER+ made the idea a reality and through sharing their memories nearly 600 people began to paint a picture of four of the rivers of their county through their lifetime. 36 interviewees were filmed for the River Tales DVD and wonderful archive film and pictures of wildlife were to add to the tales.

The oldest participant paddled in the Wye in the first decade of the 1900s, some stories spanned generations into the nineteenth century and a geologist’s perspective rolled back millions of years - though not through first hand experience in that instance!

There are six tales - some shocking, some funny and some just lovely - made up of clips taken from interviews woven into conversations. The speakers bring with them a fierce passion, a depth of knowledge and dry sense of humour making for a hugely entertaining hour and a quarter.

‘I think this is a fantastic resource which will prove to be of great value to students in Herefordshire. It will be useful to support many areas of the curriculum, not least in exploring environmental issues and citizenship. I think a particular strength is in one generation educating another in local issues and preserving a traditional heritage.’ Andy Cooke, General Inspector, Secondary Strategy, School Improvement Service, Children and Young People’s Directorate, Herefordshire.

‘…the DVD is great – it’s very popular with visitors to the Museum & Art Gallery.’ Katherine Andrew Principal Heritage Officer, Herefordshire Heritage Services

River Tales was chosen for Borderlines film festival, is showing at Bromyard Conquest theatre this weekend and is shown regularly throughout villages in Shropshire and Herefordshire via 'Flicks in the Sticks'

River Tales was directed by Katya Coupland and produced by Field of Vision multi-media

For details of how can obtain a free copy of the River Tales DVD please contact Age Concern Herefordshire & Worcestershire

Tel: 01905 740950

Email: ageconcern@achw.org.ukhttp://www.achw.org.uk