North West Sound Archive

Old Steward's Office Clitheroe Castle Clitheroe Lancashire BB7 1AZ Tel/fax: 01200 427897

The North West Sound Archive was established in 1979 to "record, collect and preserve sound recordings of the life, character, history and traditions of the north west of England". After several homes in Manchester the Archive moved to Clitheroe Castle- premises occupied since 1982. Recordings include dialect, music, local radio programmes and the sounds of the region (textile machinery, railway engines etc).The Archive, and its collections, continue to grow steadily and today it holds over 110,000 items. Preserved, amongst others, are the memories of cotton mill workers, engineers, canal workers, railway workers, colliers, even conversations with prisoners in Strangeways. Important collections include The Survey of English Dialects, Folk Music, Jodrell Bank Radio Astronomy Collection, Manchester Jewish Museum Oral History Collection, Childrens' playsongs, Manchester Ship Canal memories, Bolton Oral History Survey, Birdsong, and an extensive collection of 78rpm shellac gramophone records.

The majority of the recordings are available to the public either for research purposes or general interest and can be listened to either here at the Archive (by appointment) or by loan copies. As well as the collection of sound material, another important facet of the work of the Archive is the collection of dialect and technical words and terms from the region. This collection is constantly being added to and up-dated. Work continues on the etymological side and the collection now comprises over 15,000 words. Researchers into the life and culture of the North West will find a wealth of information contained in the recordings.

The North West Sound Archive offers advice on the conservation, preservation and storage of sound recordings and also stores security copies of many regional oral collections. Through its outreach work, NWSA regularly holds training sessions in the techniques of oral history recording and offers technical advice on equipment, microphones, tapes etc.