East Side Streets....

Sydenham Wood - had a lovely walk in the wood with the London Wildlife Trust - I'm a big fan of The Great North Wood so it was fantastic to not only hear and learn about the natural environment - but also to think about the no longer present victorian houses and gardens - see above the folly and the Lebanon cedar that appeared as a shrub in a picture from 150 years ago -  & the train track that once went through to the now bat inhabited tunnel - & the interconnected-ness of it all... enjoyed the rain though of course I treated myself to some cake and tea upon return.

Lovely article about the Crystal Palace Subway and the 'Inspired by the Subway Project' that I am taking part in. A lot of the volunteers have had oral history training sessions and a few interviews have already taken place. It is a great project to be a part of and I am looking forward to the development of it...

One of the sound excerpts that I have started collecting!

Excited to be part of the community choir for this! Great to have something so interesting and promoting accessibility and the arts so close to home :)

The Cloisters garden tour....

Travelling on the NYC Subway

Collecting together images that relate to The Crystal Palace of 1851 in Hyde Park and in Sydenham/Penge from 1854-1936. Do you know where any of the statues are? Got any memorabilia at home? Lets start collecting it all together in one place! Web links and photos alike all welcome :)

My new experimental project…. Only pinned one photo so far! Would be great to bring together all Crystal Palace artefacts in one place and see how far they have spread. I heard that I think it was Big Crosby was amongst the people to buy one of the statues in the big sell off….. Wonder where it is now?!

psychogeography? a starting point for my community audio trail and other such stuff...

So, I am poised to go; overloaded with to do lists and notes of threads of thoughts to follow. I am hoping that along with my excel workbook, that this blog will help me develop my thoughts and research.

First priority is to order some audio equipment. Having sought advice and watched this video: I have decided that the Tascam DR 40 is the one for me to try! I was toying with the Zoom hm4, which has a good reputation, however, it is a bit pricier and I don’t need the extra features it boasts.  We shall see how it goes! As well as asking for advice about recording equipment, I have asked advice about audio trails from the GEM (Group for Education in Museums) mailing list. I can recommend doing this to anyone who is looking for similar support. I received some very helpful advice and tips of trails to try out for myself. I am sure this will be an invaluable part of my research.

I have also approached a few people tentatively about being recorded for the audio trail that I want to make of Crystal Palace Park. I have received positive responses, which is great. I am though aware of the responsibility I feel towards recording and presenting this all properly. At the moment, my main aim is to record the oral history of the park at this point in time, which was inspired but my time with my friend’s daughter O, as well as talking with one of the park rangers. I am using ‘psychogeography’ as a starting point theory-wise. I am a beginner in this field, just as I am with recording oral history and creating an audio trail, which makes me slightly anxious, yet inspired to try and develop my skills and understanding. Luckily, a few other people have said they have never heard of the term and so at least I know I am not starting on a topic that everyone already knows everything about!

I am quite a nostalgic person myself and so I begin with an awareness of this fact! I’ve a great love of all things Crystal Palace, but am by no means an expert on the area. I love all things community minded and Crystal Palace is a place that thrives on community spirit. I also begin this project with a desire to explore the variety of options open when creating an audio trail. I have inevitably many questions! Is a trail a good way to help people engage in the park? Can I make an audio trail that locals (and perhaps visitors from further afield) will want to listen to?

Hoxton  and the Geffrye to Bunhill Fields

http://www.gravensteengent.be/en/discover

My new year saw a short visit to Belgium that included an afternoon in Ghent with a visit to Gravensteen Castle. It seems a while since I've been to visit a castle and Berry Pomeroy Castle comes to mind when I think castle (hidden somewhere near Totnes)....

What amazed me was the location of this castle - as part of the city.  The reasonable entrance fee was worth it for the views alone. I can't say that I came away with much knowledge of the castles past (not taking an audio tour) - however I knew it was a place associated with torture and a prison because of the in depth weapon and torture instrument collection and dungeons. I guess this is true of castles in general... I was impressed by the restoration of which the story was partly told.

You follow a guided route - which I found satisfying in that I knew I was not missing any part of the castle - and you are able to wander at your own pace and to any corner of the areas.

I went to the castle mainly because a Belgian course mate from the heritage module of my now completed MA has or is still doing an internship at the castle - and so that made it interesting to visit - because of the connection (however small) - I like visiting places I've been told of and where there is a connection of some kind...