Affective Digital Histories

These cuttings relate to the Affective Digital Histories flash fiction commission, "An Imperial Typewriter" by Divya Ghelani.

These cuttings relate to the Affective Digital Histories flash fiction commission, ‘An Imperial Typewriter’ by Divya Ghelani.

These cuttings relate to the Affective Digital Histories flash fiction commission, ‘An Imperial Typewriter’ by Divya Ghelani.

These cuttings relate to the Affective Digital Histories flash fiction commission, ‘An Imperial Typewriter’ by Divya Ghelani.

These cuttings relate to the Affective Digital Histories flash fiction commission, 'An Imperial Typewriter' by Divya Ghelani.

A collection of newspaper cuttings from the Leicester Mercury regarding the Leicester United Caribbean Association. The original LUCA centre building was demolished to make way for the Curve theatre.

Newspaper acticle describing how a licence was refused for a proposed gay club on Abbey Street.

Collection of photographs of Charles Street (2)

Newspaper article describing how Leicester Gayline Friend would like to open a cafe at its' King Street base.

50 minute interview with Anna Mee, lifelong resident of Leicester. She describes her family background and how she left school at fifteen and became a cutter, eventually working at several hosiery manufacturers in Leicester. She recalls her brand new Secondary Modern school ; going from work to the lunchtime dances at the Palais on Fridays ; how the industry employed an entirely white workforce until the 1970s, when Asian women started to be employed ; meeting her husband at El Rondo ; being sacked for coming back to work drunk after lunchtime drinks ; as a child going to see the Coronation with her school at the Odeon cinema ; how she and her husband took over the running of The Charlotte in the early 80s. She recalls how Helsinki's was the fashionable place to go, and the scene at El Rondo where the black guys liked to dance and so were popular with the white girls. She relates how the hosiery factories were gradually replaced by small units and the area became run down.

46 minutes 43 seconds interview with Nils Feldman, an architect. The interview includes Nils talking about university and training to be an architect. He then gives a career outline and includes the architectural projects he has been involved with, and working with the Regeneration Company. Nils gives his opinion on the architecture of the Cultural Quarter and Curve Theatre and goes on to talk about the LCB Depot (Leicester Creative Business Depot) and the regeneration of the area. Nils then talks about the cultural and social life around the Phoenix Theatre and Orton Square. Finally Nils talks about the discovery of King Richard III and how it will affect the tourism industry in Leicester.

30 minutes and 43 seconds interview with Trevor Lock. Trevor Lock was born in Portsmouth in 1949 and moved to Leicester in 1975 to work as Information Development Officer at the National Youth Bureau (now the National Youth Agency). He talks about his life in Leicester including running a pub called G3 for 3 to 4 years, living in the first converted mill flats in Deuce House StGeorges and visiting the Helsinki Club where Garage and Happy Hardcore music was played, he also describes the interior of the club. He describes raves at Rack and Roll on a Saturday night that went through to 7am Sunday, the interior of the G Spot sex club, the different "estate tribes" using the pubs in Leicester and the unsafe atmosphere in the city centre in the evenings during the 1970's/80's.

41 minutes 52 seconds interview with Winston Thomas former doorman. Winston talks about his training as a carpenter, and painter and decorator in 1970's and also his martial arts background. Started door work in 1982 at Coasters in Lee Circle. Later he worked at Helsinki's bar, a popular bar, with huge mix of people, everyone was welcome. Winston goes on to talk about racism among club goers and bouncers. He was busy and worked all over Leicester, he finished working as doorman in early 1990's after almost 15 years. He describes an incident at Coasters involving 20 members of the Baby Squad gang who caused a large fight, Helsinki's was quiet place in comparison with only occasional fights. Finally, he recalls other incidents whilst working as a doorman.

Leicester Mercury rave newspaper cuttings 1

Leicester Mercury rave newspaper cuttings 2

Leicester Mercury rave newspaper cuttings 3

Final version of the choreopoem commissioned as part of the Arts & Humanities Research Council's Affective Digital Histories project.

18 second sound recording of someone using the rotary dial on a telephone.

Final version of a collection of flash fiction commissioned as part of the Arts & Humanities Research Council's Affective Digital Histories project.

51 second sound recording of a busy market, with the sound of wheels turning, motor vehicles and peoples voices.

27 minute and 1 second interview with Paul Shelvington [slightly edited to remove interruptions]. Paul Shelvington grew up in the Wharf Street, St Matthews area of the city and remembers the area in the 1960s. He mentions the "Longship" one of the many peephole clubs in the city at that time, as well as the Top Rank Suite and watching soul bands perform at Il Rondo. Paul recalls the Freeman, Hardy and Willis factory (known locally as the "three blind mice"), and his time aged 16 in 1971 spent working at the Leicester Hide and Skin to renovate the roof and install central heating. He talks in detail about the working conditions he witnessed there. Paul also recalls his mother's working career in hosiery factories. Paul talks in depth about the northern soul club night he ran "Centre Soul Club".

27 minutes and 42 second interview with Randy Stabana who was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1957, he moved to Leicester in 1967 and lived in the Charnwood area of the city. Randy attended the Avalon Youth Club and Mandela Boys School, he started to go to LUCA (Leicester United Caribbean Association) in the late 1970s around the age of 16. He mentions going out to nightclubs in Leicester for example, Bailey's, the Adam and Eve club and some of the racial tensions in the 1970s, 1980s. Randy also mentions the Odeon Cinema, the old bus station (now the LCB Depot), City Hall, the Palais and midnight dances at the International Hotel. Finally Randy talks about his business Stabana Cultural Products and the closure of LUCA.

70 second recording of traffic sounds on Charles Street.

Colour photograph of Cherub brand sock made in the 1940's

Colour photograph of the Guild of the Crippled, later the Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, abandoned and boarded up.

Colour photograph of the Guild of the Crippled, empty and boarded up.

Black and white sketch of the Guild of the Crippled. The building is now used as the Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

Black and white photograph of St George's Church taken Christmas 1981.

Leicester Evening Mail black and white photograph of the war memorial in St George's Churchyard.

A black and white photograph of St George's Churchyard with man clearing leaves.