An Oral History of Greyhound Racing at Wimbledon Stadium.
This project is set up and run by Wimbledon in Sporting History and educational charity digital-works.
Digital-works has run many highly successful projects exploring the history of work in London. In this project we turn to leisure, and more specifically to greyhound racing which Londoner’s visited in huge numbers from the 1920s to the 1960s after which its popularity slowly declined.
Wimbledon Greyhound stadium opened in 1928 and was home to races until it closed in 2017. Over that time it was of huge importance to many in the local community with races attracting capacity crowds of 25,000 in its heyday in the 1930s and then again in the 1950s and into the 60s. Across the country it was estimated that around 7% of the adult population bet on dogs each week and the huge stadium in White City could fill its 60,000 capacity.
There were 27 different greyhound race tracks in London with only two remaining to serve Londoners, Romford and Crayford. Wimbledon Stadium was the most recent to close and was famous as the home of Mick the Miller and held the Greyhound Derby for over 30 years. The site of the stadium is now occupied by AFC Wimbledon's Cherry Red Records football stadium.
This project will use oral history as the primary means to research, record and share this heritage.
We will train 12 people to learn about the heritage and oral history techniques covering how to develop an oral history project, interview skills and audio recording skills as well as researching and developing themes and questions. They will then go on to work in teams using these skills to conduct and record oral history interviews with 20 people related to greyhound racing either as owners, trainers, stadium workers, bookies or punters.
The full interviews will be deposited with Wimbledon in Sporting History, Merton Archives and Bishopsgate Institute.
This project website will house all of the full interviews, the podcasts, the film and cover the progress of the project.
This project is run by Wimbledon in Sporting History working closely with digital:works.
We are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their financial support and to AFC Wimbledon for hosting the project.
Wimbledon in Sporting History - WiSH was created to inspire its visitors through sporting history. WiSH is run by 24 inducted volunteers.
WiSH has accessed over £1 million in sporting memorabilia, some of which is showcased at our exhibition in Plough Lane.
Our purpose is to Safeguard, curate, celebrate and showcase Wimbledon’s sporting heritage and cultural stories, plus those of other local sports and their cultural influence.
wimbledoninsportinghistory.org.
digital:works has been running oral history projects across London working with communities to explore the history of work and workers in the capital. Projects so far include printers on Fleet Street, bus workers, underground workers, black cab drivers, jewellers in Hatton Garden, tailors in Saville Row, the Thames Lightermen, Thames boatyards and more. Other projects explore the history of Battersea, North Kensington, Southall, Eel Pie Island, as well as some of London’s indoor and street markets. If you would like to see any of these wonderful films and find out more about digital:works please visit:
www.digital-works.co.uk.
New Photos taken at Romford by Kirk PritchardOral history specialists digital-works are working with Wimbledon in Sporting History on a project that will explore the history of Londoners' experiences of Greyhound Racing.
We are inviting people to join this wonderful project. You will be part of a team, attend talks from historians, meet the people who made greyhound racing one of London's most popular pastimes, go on a visit to a greyhound race meeting and receive training in oral history techniques including interview and audio recording skills. After training you will be interviewing trainers, owners, stadium workers, bookies and others involved in the industry leading to the production of a documentary film.
You will need to be available for three training days on the 15th, 18th & 19th January 2024, plus two further days interviewing. An optional trip to Romford Greyhound Stadium is being organised for the 12th January.
Training and interviews will take place between 10-4pm at AFC Wimbledon's stadium in Plough Lane.
No experience needed. Expenses covered. All welcome!
If you are interested in taking part in this fun and informative activity please contact Sav for more information at sav@digital-works.co.uk
Oral history specialists digital-works are working with Wimbledon in Sporting History on a project that will explore and record the history of Londoners visiting or working in greyhound racing in London and particularly at Wimbledon Stadium.
We are looking for anyone who can spare an hour to share stories of their memories.
The interviews will form an important addition to Wimbledon in Sporting History, Merton and Bishopsgate Institute's archive and will form the basis of an educational documentary film.
You’ll be making history in this fun and fascinating project.
To find out more please contact: Jonathan Buckley jonathan@jpdbuckley.co.uk or 07985 575261
