Bath Abbey has appointed Dr Oliver Taylor as Project Manager for ‘Creating Voices’, an 18-month oral history project which will gather, preserve, and share the stories of the many individuals who helped care for or restore the Abbey between 1942 and 2000.
The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Friends of Bath Abbey.
Dr Taylor brings with him a wealth of experience, having completed degrees in English Literature from Durham University. He also has valuable experience of managing oral history projects for Gloucestershire Archives.
In addition to his part-time position at the Abbey, Dr Taylor will continue to work simultaneously on a project which tells the story of Gloucester’s pioneering engineering firm Fielding and Platt, manufacturers of Britain’s first vacuum cleaner and the paving slab machines that helped to pave most of the country.
His role at Bath Abbey will involve managing volunteers from the Abbey and Heritage students from Bath Spa University who will record the memories of stonemasons, sculptors, stained glass window conservators and the many others who have been involved in work on the Abbey’s fabric over the years. There has already been a great amount of interest in the project and people are beginning to come forward to share their memories.
Dr Taylor said: “I’m delighted to manage such an inspirational project and have been given such a warm welcome by everyone at the Abbey. The unique memories that ‘Creating Voices’ will record will bring the layers of history in the Abbey building to life for its visitors and the community to enjoy.
“In order to do this, we need the people who worked on the Abbey themselves or who know others that did to get in touch. Without them, the story of the Abbey’s post-war restoration will remain untold. The stonework, sculptures, stained glass windows, organ, bells, clock, and carillon have all been worked on since the 1940s and it’s important that the stories behind them are preserved and shared.”
Speaking about the appointment Footprint Project Director Charles Curnock said: “Dr Taylor is an excellent addition to the team at Bath Abbey and I am sure this exciting project will thrive under his guidance. We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Friends of Bath Abbey for their support. I look forward to hearing more about the stories behind the individual craftsmen and women and for these stories to be shared.”
If you can help tell the story of the Abbey’s restoration or are interested in becoming a volunteer and would like to join the oral history team, please contact Dr Oliver Taylor at [email protected] or 01225 422462.
