Queen Mary collaboration brings history to life
A community research project led by Queen Mary University of London and run in partnership with Drapers’ Academy and Eastside Community Heritage has brought the history, heritage and identity of Harold Hill to life.
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Funded by Queen Mary’s Centre for Public Engagement, PhD student Jade Hunter worked alongside students from Drapers’ Academy and Eastside Community Heritage (ECH) to deliver an oral history project exploring the history of Harold Hill through the voices and stories of those living there.
Through training from Jade and ECH in oral history techniques and the analysis of archival material, Year 10 and Year 12 Drapers’ Academy students interviewed residents, capturing their accounts of life in the area, today and in the past. These conversations – which amount to over 15 hours of original recordings – have created an invaluable archive of local knowledge and community heritage for future generations to explore. The training has also provided students with new transferable skills in research, communications and public engagement, which they can take forward into their studies and future careers.
These recordings have now been curated into the Heritage on the Hill interactive exhibition and booklet. Together, they celebrate the stories that have shaped one of London’s most distinctive communities, which has historic ties to East London. After the Second World War, thousands of families displaced by bombing were relocated from East London to Harold Hill, one of the largest post-war London County Council housing estates, creating the foundations of the vibrant and resilient community that exists today.
Launched on 1 July at the Drapers’ Academy, the exhibition brought together students, residents, community leaders, representatives from the Drapers’ Company and from Queen Mary, including Chair of Council Lan Tu, President and Principal, Professor Colin Bailey, Vice President for Education, Professor Stephanie Marshall and Chief Governance Officer Jonathan Morgan. Guests were able to listen to recordings, hear from students, participating residents and project partners and read the booklet developed.
Julia Lopez, MP for Hornchurch and Upminster, also visited the exhibition, where she met with students and the project team. She commended the ‘fantastic heritage exhibition’, adding that it’s ‘so important that we celebrate every aspect of our local history here in Havering.’
Speaking on her work, Jade Hunter said: “It's been such a privilege working on the Heritage on the Hill project with the young people at Drapers' Academy. Through archival research and oral history interviewing, they've done a brilliant job at capturing important stories in Harold Hill, which they have shared with the wider community at the launch event. Their work really demonstrates the fascinating history of Harold Hill, and shows the power of place and community connections.”
Professor Alison Blunt from Queen Mary, Vice Chair of the Drapers’ Multi-Academy Trust and Vice Chair of the Drapers’ Academy Local Governing Body, added: "Heritage on the Hill demonstrates how universities, schools and communities can work together to create new knowledge. The project celebrates local heritage while empowering young people to become active researchers and storytellers."
Jamie Shields, Vice Principal at Drapers' Academy, said: "This project has given our students a remarkable opportunity to become historians of their own community. By listening to residents and recording their stories, they have developed valuable research skills while helping preserve Harold Hill's heritage. We are incredibly proud of their work and grateful to everyone who shared their memories."
Together with the Drapers’ Company, in 2010 Queen Mary co-sponsored the Drapers’ Academy, and 2014, expanded this relationship further, to create the Drapers’ Multi-Academy Trust, providing funding, opportunity and guidance to the Trust and its schools.