Archive Council News

Historical CD brings Bangor Community Together

The Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr George James has launched a free CD detailing local life in Bangor up to 40 years ago.

The event at St Dunawd’s Church, Bangor on Dee was to mark the launch of the CD, entitled “Bridging the Years”. It is the culmination of a fascinating project that has given people the opportunity to discover what the Bangor area was like in recent years gone by. The aim of the initiative was to develop links between the youth and older people living in the Bangor on Dee area and to help the pupils to develop an awareness and understanding of the heritage of their local area through oral history.

Pupils from Ysgol Sant Dunawd, Bangor on Dee, interviewed residents to capture their memories to discover what the Bangor area was like in the 1960s and 1970s. This involved finding out what the village was like at the beginning of this period and discovering what changes then took place, such as the closure of the railway line and the development of the new by-pass. The pupils also found out about some of the jobs that people did, such as farming and basket making. Finally they learnt about the events that affected the village, such as the floods and foot & mouth crisis in the 1960s, as well as the more celebratory events, such as carnivals and raft races.

Speaking at the launch the Mayor, Cllr George James said: “I am very pleased to meet people involved in this project. The Bangor on Dee area is steeped in history and this innovative project has been able to capture some of its history and bring it alive for young people living here.”

The CDs will be available free of charge from a range of outlets in the village as well as The Plassey, St Deniol’s Church, Worthenbury, and the Wrexham Museum, Arts and Tourist Information Centres.

Julia Whitby, the headteacher of Ysgol Sant Dunawd said: “It has been an exciting and valuable project demonstrating how individuals can share knowledge and that not all history is written down. The pupils have also learnt effective interviewing techniques and further developed their communication skills. We have all valued the links made with our local community and hope to continue to expand on the wealth of knowledge to be found on our doorstep.”

Ken Howarth, a professional oral historian who assisted with the project added: "I have been involved in oral history work for many years mainly with adults. Working with children and adults has been a new and enlightening experience. I am pleased to have been involved in what is a groundbreaking project and hope that other communities with follow the lead of Bangor on Dee and use oral history to bring together young and old."

If you are interested in listening to a sneak preview of the CD, BBC North East Wales have included excerpts from the recordings about the floods on their website.
www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/sites/wrexham/pages/bangor.shtml