People Past and Present

Koppers Coke Ovens Easington People Past and Present, hord0293

In the mid 1970s, the internationally known artist Stuart Brisley launched a three part project named 'History Within Living Memory'. Six local people were employed to make tape recordings, transcribe them and collect photographs to provide a statement of life in the villages pre-First World War to the present. Unfortunately, the second and third parts of the project were never completed.

When the Development Corporation ceased to exist, the local people, under the direction of John 'Pop' Porter, completed their work under the auspices of the former District of Easington Council, creating what is known today as the People Past and Present Archive. 

Many of the interviews conducted include tales of the home front during the First World War.  We plan to increase access to this resource by putting these stories on the Durham at War website.  

Already up is the story of Lizzie Holmes of Horden, the first woman in the village to wear trousers.  As the Durham at War website allows us to use short audio clips, we can put extracts of the original interviews online, along with a transcript.  Follow this link to hear Lizzie Holmes talk about playing football and what happened to her kit when her husband returned home from the war: http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/113/