Preserving & Sharing Textile Workers’ Life Stories for Future Generations
Stories collected and shared about the East Midlands textile industry 1980 – 2005
Welcome to Textile Tales
During 2019, the Textile Tales roadshow team heard from textile workers who worked in the industry between 1980 – 2005 at 8 roadshow events across the East Midlands.
We heard from everyone, from dyers, machine operators, workers and management, from the boardroom to the shop floor and these stories are recorded for future generations.
Sponsored by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters and supported by partnership museums, universities, businesses and East Midlands History and Heritage.
To explore the stories, soundclips and photos collected from our interviews, open the History tab on the menu above. All our recorded interviews are saved with The East Midlands Oral History Archive.
With thanks to our Project Sponsors and Partners
Photos and recordings from the Textile Tales Roadshows
Listen to some Textile Tales sound clips
A couple of sound clips from our interviews
Photos and Patterns from our Lakeside Roadshow, Nottingham November 2019
Photos and apprentice patterns from Astills Fine Lace, Bridge Mills, Long Eaton were shared with the Textile Tales team.
Textile Tales at John Smedley. Picture Gallery. 30th October, 2019
Textile Tales visits John Smedley as Part of World Heritage Discovery Days
Erewash Museum Picture Gallery. 25th October, 2019
Textile Tales Visits Erewash Museum
Loughborough Roadshow Picture Gallery. 27th September, 2019
The Textile Tales roadshow visiting Loughborough
“Revolutionary fabrics” for the England 2002 World Cup Shirts
A lady at our Long Eaton roadshow was surprised to see herself on the front of a magazine!
The Textile Tales team visits Borrowash. Photo gallery. 20th September, 2019
A photo shared with us at our roadshow in Borrowash
The First Roadshow in the Van. Picture Gallery Long Eaton 6th September, 2019
The first outing in the Textile Tales roadshow van.
Textile Tales at Strutt’s North Mill, Belper. Picture Gallery. 13th September,2019
Strutt’s North Mill, Belper. Photos from the roadshow. Images Anthony Fisher
Learning for Life at CVC Stevensons, Ambergate
The Learning for Life Initiative at CVC Stevensons Ambergate
Thank you for sharing your Textile Tales with us.
We have finished running our roadshow events at our partner museums and in our roadshow van, and we would like to thank everyone who came and shared your stories and photos with us. We are now listening to all the recordings and will publish these stories on the History page of this site in the coming months.