Just before Christmas I was invited to the opening of a new exhibition at the National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield.
I’d never visited the museum before and it’s one I definitely want to go back to so I can have a proper look around another time.
The reason I was invited, was because I had played a small role in creating the exhibition. Back in the summer I visited a primary school in Sheffield with my mobile studio, and I recorded about twenty children who read out wartime memories written by Sheffield residents who had been children during the war.
The memories were specifically about the Sheffield Blitz which took place on the night of the 12th/13th of December 1940. The opening of the exhibition was held on 12th December 2025 – the 85th anniversary.
One of the people who had provided a memory for the children to read was Brenda Spencer who had celebrated her 5th birthday during the bombing. One of her presents was a teddy bear, a present from her father. The bear was one of the last items to be purchased from Atkinsons department store before it was destroyed by a bomb. The air raid sirens were already sounding when Cyril Dodgson paid for the bear, but the shop assistant took her time to complete the sale as she knew it was a present for a little girl. Nobody was in a rush to take shelter because there had been so many false alarms before…
Eighty-five years on, Brenda opened the exhibition on the eve of her 90th birthday, and Teddy Dodgson had pride of place as one of the exhibits. Of course, we all sang happy birthday to her!
The recordings of the children that I made can be heard playing in the exhibition. They really add to the atmosphere, and the fact that they are young voices really drives home the terror of the bombing – it reminds us that innocent children were caught up in this horror. This was definitely a project where my voice wouldn’t have worked, but I’m really proud of the children I recorded – they did a great job!
The opening night was a wonderful occasion with 1940’s music, local dignitaries and the press in attendance, and a buffet.
If you have a project where my voice might not be quite right – I can still help. My mobile studio can be taken anywhere, anytime, to record anyone!