Capturing memories

Building the future; recognising the past

The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the Foundation funding to keep a record of the changing face of Upper Horfield. Built in the 1920’s it was one of the first council estates in the country. The history of the Upper Horfield estate from the residents’ perspective was recorded using local residents as interviewers and photographers. CDs were produced that show residents telling the story of the area and explaining their hopes for the future together with photographs. A visual archive was set up in one of the last houses to be demolished.

The project was expanded to include the local primary school so we didn't just learn about the past, we also captured the hopes and thoughts of tomorrow's generation of adults too. It will be interesting to revisit this project in another 10 years to see how the area has met people's expectations.

You can now view pictures and listen to interviews from the Upper Horfield Capturing Memories project by visiting: www.horfieldmemories.org.uk.

Waiting to Go

Foundation Board Member Paul Bullivant has also produced a book of photographs of the Upper Horfield estate. Called ‘Waiting to Go’ it documents Paul’s impressions of a period of dramatic change on the estate and captures some of the atmosphere and mood at the critical moment when the redevelopment first commenced. Copies are available through the Foundation.