Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards
Søren Kierkegaard
WISEArchive believes that people both retired and still at work have made an important contribution to society in the course of their working lives and are a valuable source of knowledge and experience which should be recorded and preserved for future generations.
The second half of the twentieth century was a period of increasingly rapid change in the workplace. Employees and management had to adapt as new skills and ideas, new technologies, new health and safety legislation and much more were implemented. Unions became stronger and some established working practices and jobs became obsolete. The workplace continues to see much change as we progress through the twenty-first century.
This archive aims to preserve stories of working lives, mainly in Norfolk, using transcribed recordings. Most of the stories have been edited, but the words are those of the contributors, as are the opinions. The archive is constantly expanding with all work carried out by volunteers.
If you have worked in Norfolk and would like to record your recollections for future generations we would be delighted to hear from you. We record both individual stories and stories for specific projects.
Browse our extensive archive to learn more about this rich history or search for specific occupations as you choose. For our latest activities look at our News page.
WISEArchive is excited to announce that we have been awarded a grant by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to carry out our project Celebrating Wensum Lodge and its importance to Norwich and Norfolk 1807-2024. Wensum Lodge was an iconic part of the lives of many people in Norwich and beyond, providing much more than Adult Education courses but becoming a centre for the local community and a springboard for many to a new career. We are working in partnership with the local King Street community, Friends of Wensum Lodge, Dragon Hall (now home to the centre for writing), the Norfolk Record Office and many more. We are planning events to showcase the project, beginning with a two-day Exhibition at Dragon Hall in April 2025, and culminating in displays at the Norfolk Record Office. More on the News and Projects pages.
WISEArchive attended the Water, Mills and Marshes End of Project event in September 2024. We contributed over 100 stories to this major project, and our book Life and Work on the Broads 1920-2020 received many plaudits. The event was held at the Norwich University of the Arts’ new immersive visualization lab and was an opportunity so see some of the Broads Authority’s new work with NUA which is exploring the landscapes of the Broads. Spectacular immersive displays made us feel part of the landscape ourselves and set the scene for future work. See the News page.
WISEArchive is collaborating with the Norwich museums on their ‘Norwich Works Collecting Day’, inviting people to share their experiences of Norwich industry with curators and librarians. The information we collected will enrich our understanding of this important part of Norwich’s history and will be shared with audiences to bring this history alive. The event took place on Friday 22nd March at the Norwich Millennium Library, The Forum. Members of WISEArchive were there to record memories of work at Edwards & Holmes; Boulton & Paul and Mackintosh-Caley. For more information, please visit our News page.
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