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Category: Short Extracts

Here you can listen to short edited highlights from our collection. The full length versions of these interviews are available in the main collection.

Tony

Tony talks about growing up in East Hull and how “rough” he thought his area used to be. Tony also mentions his school life, describing it as a “battlefield”

Pat

  Pat tells us some mischievous tales from her youth including playing truant from school, pinching sweets and swinging round lampposts as well as her scheme for getting out of… Read more Pat

Rita

Rita tells us the funny and incredible story of how little she knew about the facts of life as a young woman, and how she was married and pregnant before she… Read more Rita

Robert

Robert tells us about the time during the war when his father had to get creative with the truth to save the family budgie Here Robert tells us a story… Read more Robert

Julie

  Julie tells us all about her punk days, using soap for hair gel, nicking her grandad’s old mac and getting a seat to yourself on the bus Julie tells… Read more Julie

Elwyn

Elwyn tells us all about his early life down Hessle Road including smoking, going down the pub, driving vans for the market and working in the slaughterhouse – all before… Read more Elwyn

Bill

  Bill tells us about some of his earliest memories including midnight flits to avoid the rent man and describes the house he grew up in   Bill shares some… Read more Bill

Pat

Pat tells us all about the rules of engagement for meeting girls out in the dancehalls –  and you’d better know your foxtrot from your waltz if wanted to stand a… Read more Pat

Janet

  Janet talks about what food was like growing up, including rationed goodies, stews that went on all week and jacket potatoes as hand warmers   Janet tells us about… Read more Janet

Carole

Carole tells us about what life was like growing up on St. Stephens square in the 40’s and 50’s, on the site of the current shopping centre, before the family… Read more Carole

Betty

Betty tells us about her childhood and how tight money could be growing up   Betty talks about her love of going out dancing, and how different the rules for… Read more Betty

Karen

Karen tells us about fun and games as a child in the tenfoot behind her house, stealing potatoes and rooftop bonfires

Lorraine

Lorraine describes the “old fashioned” look of Hessle Road and how she remembers her house finally getting electricity.

Johnny

  Johnny tells us about his legendary street fighting Uncle Eddie Johnny tells us about his time at sea, including drunken sailors, sabotaged engines and the dangers of life on… Read more Johnny

Les

  Les tells us about his love of music – from banging on pots and pans in time to Top of the Pops, to being mesmerised by the strange new… Read more Les

Dot

  Dot tells us about her working days in a fish factory down Hessle road and how she used to be a “good girl” before starting there   Dot tells… Read more Dot

Charles

Charles talks to us about his earliest memories growing up – including missing school, bombed out buildings and collecting shrapnel with his friends. Charles tells us his views on the working… Read more Charles

Eileen

Eileen tells about a very different experience of voting day, featuring an appearance from an unwilling donkey   Eileen talks about getting married during the time when everything was rationed

Colin

  Colin tells us the story of a ‘wild’ encounter from his time as bus driver in the city   Colin tells us about his first impressions of the city on… Read more Colin

Sylvia & Davey

  Sylvia and Davey tell us the charming story of how they first met while working in an ice cream factory and their first date  

Doreen

Doreen tells us all about the adventurous bike rides she would go on as a young woman  

Rachel

  Rachel talks about her first impressions of the city after moving here from London a couple of years ago, including slow walkers, friendly bus drivers and a city that’s… Read more Rachel

Ben

  Ben talks about growing up on Orchard Park in a busy house as one of eight children, the games he and his mates would play as kids and how… Read more Ben

Susanna

  Susanna talks about coming to Hull from Portugal and how life compares here to there. She discusses where feels like home, raising children in the city and the changes… Read more Susanna

Ahmad & Paraah

  Ahmad and family talk about fleeing from the fighting in Syria, their first impressions of Hull and difficulties with it’s ‘special accent’

Babs

  Born in the city, Babs Miller talks about coming back to Hull in the ‘Swinging 60’s’ after moving around as a child. She recounts tales of going out dancing… Read more Babs

David

  David shares his memories of childhood visits to the city including Christmas at Paragon station and the unexpected reason you never had to look far for a parking place… Read more David