Share your Newham transport, travel and food memories with Charabancs & Cadillacs Reminiscence project

people stand by a bus in a black and white photo — People from the Caribbean boarding a coach after arriving at Victoria station in 1950 ©Alamy, courtesy of Community Transport.

When we think of history it can tend to be all about kings, queens and heads of state. Stories of everyday people that we can relate to are often way harder to find.

Charabancs & Cadillacs Reminiscence project, run by Community Transport, is only interested in capturing such memories of Newham’s everyday people. The project focuses on the over 60s and their experiences growing up around transport, travel and food.

Charabancs & Cadillacs is inviting current and former Newham residents to have their stories recorded as oral histories, so the next generation can be given an insight into how life used to be.

The scope for transport and travel stories is really wide. Everything from catching a bus or train for the first time, through bike rides with your mates, roller skating or building go-karts, to scooter runs and a work beano to the seaside.

Your mum may have tales of when day trips meant sitting in a motorway layby, eating sandwiches, because Dad’s car had overheated yet again. Your story may be of settling in Newham from another country. Did you travel here by ship or plane? What did it feel like? How did the food here compare to home?

You may be a retired docker, taxi driver or London Transport worker. You probably encountered all kinds of fascinating or funny incidents with customers and colleagues.

When we meet older residents they often say, ‘Oh I don’t have an interesting story for you’, then they tell us about spending the day as a teen on the Red Rover bus, getting chucked off by the conductor when he caught them smoking on the top deck. This is just one example of a memory Charabancs & Cadillacs knows people would love to hear.

The project, funded by The Lottery Heritage Fund, runs for two years, and will culminate in an exhibit in the shape of a huge travel trunk. The trunk will house a touch screen to access residents’ stories, plus a travel quilt which the community can help to create. Memorabilia such as photos, souvenirs or objects connected to travel and transport are also needed to fill the trunk. You may have these knocking around your attic and would like to donate them.

The exhibit will go on a tour of Newham at the end of the project.

Reminiscence sessions, heritage lunches and trips are being organised for participants, drawing on their memories. These sessions are open to individuals and groups working with older people.

There are also volunteering opportunities available for those who would like to be involved in building the project.

As well as the general public, the project is keen to hear from ex-dockers, ex tube workers, black cab or bus drivers, motorcyclists, original ‘60s mods and scooter riders, ex milkmen and women, people who organised or attended beanos, roller skaters and ice skaters, rag ‘n bone and coal men, or anyone with transport related careers or hobbies.

If you, your family member or group would like to take part or you want to volunteer for this fun community history project please contact Alison on 07523 696273 or at alisonskeat@ctwf.co.uk or Jackie on 07719 964166 or at jackie@ctwf.co.uk.

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