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The Paul Graney Memorial Folk Trust is an educational charity, based upon a collection made over the lifetime of the late Paul Graney
He was a normal man in the street who felt that the history of the world may have been written about the leaders of society, Kings, Queens, Generals etc. but... the foot soldier, the farmer and the ordinary bloke were responsible for the creating of history and they all had a story to tell and a song to sing. The Paul Graney Archive, contains writings and tape recordings (360 reels and 400 cassettes) on numerous subjects, dear to the man himself:
- Oral history (interviews)
- Lancashire legends
- Songs (some remembered from childhood, some learned for performance)
- Dance music (both traditional and contemporary)
- World music (Paul corresponded with like minded people all over the world both by letter and on tape)
- Research into social history
- Conversations about vanishing aspects of life - cotton mills, coal mines, clog fights, poaching ...
- Memory tapes Made by Paul himself, these recall his school days in Nelson, Lancashire, at the end of World War Ihis early working life in the mills, then later as an engineer the General Strike, the Jarrow hunger march, the terrible days of the Depression and his years "on the road" his time in Europe just before World War 2 the Spanish Civil War, the early Working Class Movement, barnstorming theatre days, with Joan Littlewood and Jimmy (Ewan MacColl) Miller...
And so it goes on.
Since the late 1980s, the Trust's offices have been a part of the Greater Manchester County Record Office Paul's priceless collection is on poor quality tape - the best he could afford in the quantities he needed - and it is deteriorating daily through age. The Trustees have therefore been fighting to save these unique recordings by transferring them onto archive-quality tape and in the case of the Memory Tapes, turning them into manuscript form, for publication.
The Trust's part in the future of the Record Office will include conservation equipment for all kinds of recorded media. Secure, environmentally-controlled storage will mean guaranteed privacy and confidentiality for any deposits, including those of a private or personal nature Some or all of these services will be available to your organisation or your company.
Meanwhile ... Do you have a story to tell, a skill to describe? Did you make chimney pots by hand, perhaps, or specialist tools? A memory that should not be lost? Perhaps the Trust can help to make you a part of history.
If you feel we might be of service to you and you would like to know more about what we can do for you, please contact us at pgraney@gmcro.co.uk
Of course, if you feel you can be of service to us, then the Trust would gratefully receive (and acknowledge) any gift, whether recording equipment or cash. Use the above email link first.
Dave Hall
Barry Seddon
Trustees of the Paul Graney Memorial Folk Trust
The Trust gives thanks to the following people for their support and gifts.
- Dr Douglas Farnie
- Mr Pomphret
- Les Barker
- Matt Wenham
- Recycle IT