OOT update
Submitted by: Sally Brewis - 2nd September 2020
OOT has always aimed to capture the voice of Coquetdale, the unique and distinctive dialect and language from the valley. Our focus has been on journeys and routes throughout the area and through oral history interviews and recordings, we are building an archive telling stories and sharing memories of how life used to be in the most remote and beautiful part of Northumberland.
Covid19 brought an abrupt halt to the project and although we have been able to work with interviews already carried out, we are still keen to talk to people, collect stories and photographs and when possible, hold events where artefacts or objects can be identified and stories recorded.
Our priority is keeping everyone involved safe – that is the people that we are interviewing as well as the OOT interviewers and we have a number of ways our oral history interviews can be carried out to minimise any risk. We want to capture stories and memories as clearly as possible so face to face, albeit socially distant, is best rather than over the telephone. We will discuss individual situations before the meeting to make sure everyone is happy with the arrangements.
The interviews carried out so far and the information shared with us at the local shows in 2019 highlighted a particular interest in the local schools; dances and music and how people moved or “flitted” for work on the farms throughout the valley. We want to continue that work by collecting photos and artefacts that can be used online and in our final exhibition in 2022.
We also want to offer the opportunity to walk some of the old routes through the hills. Using the stories we have collected, and working with the National Park, we can walk along once vital routes and learn about the lives of the people who used them everyday.
Although we know that events in Coquetdale are few and far between just now, we still want to keep in touch with people interested in being involved with OOT. We feel that OOT is as relevant now as when we started to make sure that we capture living memories before they fade or are lost forever.
If you would like to be interviewed, or know someone who would; have photographs or objects that we could copy or if you are interested in volunteering in any way for OOT, please get in touch with Sally Brewis either by calling on 07876 636856 or by email to sally.brewis@bailiffgatemuseum.co.uk