Gunnersbury Park Museum Oral Histories
Oral histories are a way of capturing people’s memories, experiences, opinions and feelings of the past.
Gunnersbury Park Museum has an extensive collection of recordings of local residents, particularly around South Asian immigration into Southall, Brentford Football and local life stories.
The oral histories available to listen to here are a small selection of the many hundreds held in our archive, and are usually available to listen to in various galleries throughout the museum. If you would like to arrange to listen to more oral histories, or for any other research enquiries please contact collections@visitgunnersbury.org
From our Home Gallery
Local Healthcare
John Cordon talks about his memories of healthcare as a child
Local Homes & Housing
Richard Adams talks about his childhood home on Lancashire Road
Wartimes
William Axbey talks about wartimes memories
Download the transcripts here:
From our Leisure Gallery
Games
John Cordon talks about childhood games
Acting
Kiran Shah talks about life as an Kiran Shah talks about life as an actor and stunt-double
Ealing Tea Shops
Muriel Wodehouse talks about tea shops in Ealing
Local Entertainment
Vera Burrows talks about music and dancing
Download the transcripts here:
From our Long Gallery
Gunnersbury in the Second World War
Joan Catterall talks about bombs being dropped on Gunnersbury Park during the Second World War
Childhood at Gunnersbury Park
Ken Boston talks about memories of visiting Gunnersbury Park as a child
Working in the Estate
Bernard Collis talks about his life working for the Rothschilds at Gunnersbury Park
Gunnersbury Park Opening
Dennis Bowen talks about memories of Gunnersbury Park first opening in 1926
Download the transcripts here:
Gunnersbury in the Second World War I Childhood at Gunnersbury Park I Working in the Estate I Gunnersbury Park Opening
From our Industry Gallery
Cherry Blossom Boot Polish Factory
Joan Field talks about memories from working in ‘the Cherry’, the factory that made Cherry Blossom Boot Polish
Laundries
Ethel Bowles talks about working in the laundries
Barges
Tom Bowles talks about life on the barges
Pigswill
Terri Humphries talks about his job of collecting food waste to be sold to local pig farmers
Download the transcripts here:
Cherry Blossom Boot Polish Factory I Laundries I Barges I Pigswill