Jeremy reflects on his life experiences around the world, especially in Africa and how his outlook changed over the decades. Why they never get it One of the things I’ve decided over decades is that nobody ever really understands someone else’s position. I think of this whenever anyone (sometimes including me) comments adversely on someone […]
Life experiences
Coming home (1946-2023)
Michael has previously spoken with WISEArchive in 2019. He joins us again to tell us about finding family connections to Norfolk and his fascinating working life as the planning and historic buildings adviser with Norfolk County Council. Finding family connections to Norfolk Its jolly nice to be here and thank you for asking me to […]
Creating St Clement’s Common (1972-2022)
Maurice describes how St Clements Common, Rushall, became the first new common in 150 years and how he came to own his right of common. He was clerk to the Dickleborough and Rushall parish council for 26 years from 1972/73. Acquiring the land I was born and raised in Scole in Norfolk and initially became […]
From bottling beer to international fencing champion – the first lady Freeman of Norwich (1941-2012)
From an early age, Connie had a succession of jobs, often juggling more than one at a time to make ends meet but it was not until she reached retirement age that she found her passion, fencing. A passion, which in a different age, might have formed the basis of a fabulous career. Working for […]
Growing up in Mile Cross (1920s-1990s)
Olive and Rosina grew up on the Mile Cross estate. They talk to us about their childhoods, what they think of the estate now, what it used to be like and their lives in this community. Olive: I was born at my grandmother’s up the top of Kett’s Hill, in, well I’m now 87. Rosina: […]
Growing up in the Space Age (1950s-2021)
David trained to be a teacher at Brentwood College of Education, and taught at Hellesdon High School, Acle Primary School and Neatherd High School in Norfolk. He gained a science degree from the Open University, and used his scientific knowledge and his passion for astronomy to build up an online business trading in space rocks […]
Labour camp to municipal engineer Part One (1928-1946)
Frank’s moving account follows him from childhood in Germany and Czechoslovakia up to the time he spent in labour camps at the end of World War Two. He talks about his later life in Britain and Canada in the second part of this story. Life through two wars in Germany and Czechoslovakia I was born […]
Labour camp to municipal engineer Part Two (1946-2021)
In Part One, Frank told of his life before moving to London in 1946. In this second part of his story he talks about his later life in Britain and Canada. Arriving in London with no English and no map I travelled in to London by train. I was told to take the tube to […]
Living in Mile Cross today (1996-2008)
Sylvia describes what life has to offer in Mile Cross today and finds it a good place to live. I moved to Mile Cross in 1996 and I quite liked it from the beginning. Obviously it’s a bit strange when you go anywhere new. I live in a terraced house. There’s a lot of terraced […]
Mile Cross from the twenties to today (1920-2009)
Ronnie and Mary share their memories of living in Mile Cross and working in the shoe industry. Childhood – fresh bread and chestnuts Mary: I was born, ten minutes before my twin sister, on 30th December in 1927. We were born at home in Alma Terrace, between Aylsham Road and Waterloo Road, on the original […]