I met today with John Coster of Citizenseye and Namrata Varia from BBC Radio Leicester. Namrata is continuing the success of the BBC 4 Listening project.

"We want everyone to have a chance for their conversation become part of the Listening Project. A conversation that you have at your kitchen table could become part of the oral history archive in the British Library. Don’t be put off if you’ve never recorded anything before. All you need is a computer, laptop, camera, mp3 player or phone with a microphone.

If you don't have access to any of those then you can still get in touch with one of the local BBC radio stations participating in the Listening Project. A full list of the stations involved is available on our stations page"

I have often wondered if the stories  captured here in the blog ever spark conversations between families; whether you turn and ask your parents and siblings the kind of questions I've asked them. For example " What did it feel like coming over on your own?" I know I never asked my Mum and Dad and I regret that.

Do not let our stories disappear: you can always talk to me and I'll write them down and put them up on the blog, Or we can take this a step further and come along to Radio Leicester and record your stories together. Just let me know.

If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

Your dancing days...

As part of Leicester's Heritage Open Days yesterday I visited The Secular Hall on Humberstone Gate. It's the kind of building that we walk past everyday, forgetting to look up at and appreciate. It's drenched in a history of radicalism and free thinkers but I must admit my main motivation was to get inside the place where some of you said you drank, dance and for John and Annie Moran, even met your wives and husbands to be. The Hall was actually a key part of the dancing scene in the 1950's and 60's

In you go...

Up the stairs...

 

Nearly there...

and dance!

You may have popped in here to touch up your hair and lipstick...

...or even sat on one of these Gimson benches to rest your feet in between dances.

I don't know if my own parents ever went dancing at The Secular Hall but I got a lump in my throat walking up those steps thinking that they might have done.

Did you or your parents ever dance here?


If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

Blog Awards Ireland 2013

I found out this morning that, unfortunately, I have not been shortlisted for the Blog Awards Ireland 2013, Best Blog of the Diaspora. Getting through to the long list was exciting enough and I thank everyone for all their support and best wishes. I'm already thinking about how I can improve how the blog looks but the whole point of this blog is to tell your stories so let's just keep doing what we do!

Thanks

 If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB
We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

Academic interest...

Regulars will know that things have been a little quiet on the blog lately; sometimes life just gets in the way. But a really interesting development has popped up into that open space....

I have been contacted recently by Dr. Angela Maye-Banbury and Dr. Rionach Casey from Sheffield Hallam University. Angela, from County Tyrone, and Rionach, from Cork, are members of the Dept. of Architecture and Planning at Sheffield Hallam. They are experienced researchers in the field of sociology and particularly on the importance of housing and home in diverse communities. I am thrilled to say they have invited me to be part of their new project, Irish History Housing Research, looking at the housing histories of Irish communities in Leicester and Sheffield. If you or your family are interested in being part of this study just let me know.

If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

My Tribe

 

I have written before about my affinity with the Claddagh and do have a tendency to ask complete strangers if I can photograph their hands! Today's post is about me taking that one step further.

I have recently been on a Digital Story Telling course at the delightful Ashby-de-la-Zouch museum. Thank you so much to the staff there, the others on the course and Alex Henry of Creative Curiosity for her endless information and ideas.

Here is my first attempt at telling my story digitally.

 If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

Biddle Rd

Susan Quilter was born in Leicester to an English mother and Irish father.  Her father, William Greally (called Bill in Leicester) was born in Roscommon in 1922. He was the eldest  of 7 brothers and a sister.

The family moved to New Parks from Moira St in 1961. Mum, Dad, Pete, Sue, Maggie, Dette and Gez moved to 145 Biddle Rd when Sue was 14: her younger brother Paddy was later born here.  Her father Bill had had an accident down the mines in the late 60s and was pensioned out.

Bill Greally's pit tag.

With the money he got he bought a van and rented a shop selling second hand clothes, bric-a-brac etc. He also had a stall on Leicester Market.


Maggie Greally's birthday at Biddle Rd. Gez, centre left in a stripy dress, Dette centre right, blond hair,
Susan the older sister at the back.

Ann Morrisey and Maggie Greally st Biddle Rd.

Later the family moved to Beatrice Rd to a 4 bed house with a shop attached so he gave up the first shop but kept the van and stall on the market. Sue remembers playing hide and seek and skipping with her friend Linda Illiffe.

Sue had married in 1969 and became Susan Quilter but divorced in 1995. She later met her own Irishman, Pat Cullen in 1998 and they have been together ever since.  She was in The Standard having a drink when they got talking and it turned out that Pat knew Sue’s Dad and her uncles. He took her to an Irish music session at Molly O’Grady’s and the rest is history!

Pat had come over himself from Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon in 1963. He says “I came here on the Saturday, I was 18 on the Sunday and I started work on the Monday”

If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

RIP Susan Quilter

Susan making her First Holy Communion. Our Lady's Church, Harrison Rd.

Sadly, the community lost a delightful lady recently. I had known Susan Quilter for almost a year and the first half of her story was posted here only a couple of weeks ago: Moira St.

She was very keen to share her memories of being an English/Irish child growing up in Leicester and gave me the most fabulous photos; so many in fact that I'm able to make two fascinating stories. Sue's partner, Pat, has kindly given me permission to complete her story by posting the next part, Biddle St.

Thank you Pat, and we are so sorry for your loss.

The netball team at St. Patricks school, Harrsion Rd. Susan, top left, with the lovely bow in her hair.

 If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.