The David Wood Collection

Physical details

• Number of Items in the collection: 19
• Venues where material can be listened to: Record Office
• Media available on: Cassette and CD

Collection history

The David Wood Collection comprises 22 interviews and other supporting material with residents of Barwell and the surrounding area. The interviews were undertaken by local historian David Wood as a personal project, from 1984 onwards. Transcripts of the recordings can be accessed on David Wood's website, as well as at the Record Office. Copies of the collection were deposited with EMOHA in 2001.

What the collection contains

The collection documents the lives and experiences of 23 people living in or around Barwell village in southwest Leicestershire, from 1883 to the present. A view of Barwell is given through one resident's eyes. Other recordings include the experience of a village policeman during World War II, and life in the workhouse between 1939 and 1943. Working life is recalled in interviews recording diverse experiences such as that of a district nurse, working at a gas works during the Second World War, on a farm and in a traditional village bakery. Experience of the boot and shoe trade in Barwell is also recorded. One interviewee gives a history of Barwell, while another recalls the local school, church and post office.