With funding for the Lottery Heritage Fund, arts and education charity digital:works is working with two London primary schools, The Postal Museum, The Communication Workers Union and older and retired workers themselves to uncover the history and stories from the lives of London's postal workers. We are exploring this history from the perspective of the people who are crucial to delivering the Capital's mail.
Year 6 children from St George the Martyr Primary School have worked with historians and archivists at the Postal Museum in Clerkenwell to research this history.
This is an oral history project so the children have mainly learned from from the men and women who have worked "on the post".
After these workshops and activities the children worked with digital:works to understand oral history techniques and recording. They developed interview questions which they used to conduct and record oral history interviews with postal workers.
These interviews have been edited and combined with wonderful archive film footgae supplied by the Postal Museum to make a unique and fascinating documentary film starring the workers themselves.
The children have also produce creative and historical written work inspired by the people they meet and their research on project.
The film, titled "The Postman's Knock" is going to be premiered at the Postal Museum hosted by the children and with an audience of workers, historians and the public.
The film, writing and artwork will also be on display on this website.
The film will be produced as a DVD which, along with a booklet of the children's writing will be given to all those involved with the project as a big thank you.
The full unedited interviews will be on this website and will also be given to the TUC archives.
We are working closely with The Postal Museum who are providing expert advice, workshops as well as use of their wonderful archive of film footage and images some of which you can see on this website.
This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Communication Workers Union.
Egbert Hughes with children after his interview.
We are very rateful to the 22 people who generously gave their time to the project, coming into the school to be interviewed by the children. We are currently busy editing them to make the film and podcast and you will be able to listen to the full interviews on this website shortly.
