Oral History

Community

  1. What is your name
  2. when were you born?
  3. What are your memories related to? (Railway/ BBC/ Imperial Airways/ Clifton war refugee)
  4. Were you born locally?
  5. How many was in your family
  6. What are your earliest impressions of your area/locality?
  7. On which street did you live?
  8. Did you live in a flat or a house?
  9. What state was the housing in your area?
  10. Was there a community spirit?
  11. What was your job
  12. what was your spouses job
  13. Do you have any photos/ clippings

Railway

  1. From what age do you remember travelling on it
  2. How often did you travel on the Railway
  3. Did you most often travel on weekends or weekdays
  4. Why did you travel on it
  5. Where were you going to
  6. Was the railway busy (did you have to queue to get on)
  7. How much did you pay to travel on it
  8. Were there normally two or four cars running
  9. What do you remember of the top station
  10. What do you remember of the bottom station
  11. What do you remember of the ride
  12. Do you remember colours of the cars?
  13. was the railway in good condition

Social/Leisure

  1. What did you do for leisure activities/hobbies
  2. What sports did you play
  3. Were there any memorable one-off events, day trips
  4. Where did you go for your holidays

War-time

  1. Did you use the railway to shelter
  2. If not, where did you shelter
  3. From which years did you use it
  4. How many times did you use it per week
  5. Do you know anyone else who used it
  6. Did you have a pass
  7. What items did you leave there for your return
  8. What kind of things did you take with you
  9. were any refreshments available (WRVS?)
  10. what were sanitary arrangements like
  11. Which refuge did you use? The little one or the upper or lower area
  12. Was it dark? How was it illuminated?
  13. Do you remember where the warden was posted
  14. how was the tunnel managed (where were the wardens)
  15. can you remember the canvas over the walls
  16. Can you remember where the barrage balloons were sited
  17. were many people in there
  18. were there many children in there
  19. did you take your own family in there
  20. how did you keep them calm/ occupied
  21. what were the conditions like? (noisy/ smelly)
  22. did you ever have any parties
  23. do you remember where the barrage balloon were

BBC

  1. What was your job
  2. what did it entail
  3. what training did you get
  4. how many times per week did you go to the railway
  5. what do you remember of each room
  6. which room did you work in most
  7. how many of you were there at any time, and what did the others do
  8. did you work with anyone in particular
  9. what frequency was the transmitter
  10. how did you transmit
  11. how many live programmes were there and for how many hours were programmes transmitted
  12. can you remember who performed in the studio
  13. did you ever have concerts in the refuge areas
  14. what job did you do before the BBC
  15. what job did you do after the BBC
  16. how did you get your job
  17. where did you live
  18. how did you get to the railway
  19. can you remember the masts
  20. where were the masts
  21. did you ever go into the bottom waiting room of the station
  22. did you ever go past the refuge areas
  23. how much did you earn
  24. was this a good wage at the time
  25. what can you remember about the working conditions (noisy/smelly/ dark/ wet_

Imperial Airways

  1. What was your job
  2. what did it entail
  3. what training did you get
  4. how many times per week did you go to the railway
  5. where were you based (hotel/ Caledonia Place/ Tufnell House…)
  6. where did you work most
  7. how many of you were there at any time, and what did the others do
  8. did you work with anyone in particular
  9. did you ever go in the refuge areas
  10. what job did you do before Imperial Airways
  11. what job did you do after Imperial Airways
  12. how did you get your job
  13. where did you live
  14. how did you get to the railway
  15. can you remember the barrage balloons
  16. where were the barrage balloons
  17. how much did you earn
  18. was this a good wage at the time
  19. what can you remember about the working conditions (noisy/smelly/ dark/ wet_
  20. did you work with barrage balloons
  21. which squadron

Please return to Maggie Shapland

Computer Centre

University of Bristol

Tyndall Avenue

Bristol BS8 1UD