A request from a university student from Harlow,

Subject/title: “(Re)Telling the New Town Story: a study of Harlow’s 40th & 70th Commemorations”

My name is Jake Shepherd and I’m currently a geography undergraduate at Royal Holloway, University of London. Harlow is my hometown, and so whilst this project is personal I also want the process and the results to be engaged with by more than just a handful of people.

I want to draw local residents’ attention to the theme of my dissertation and a website (www.retelling.co.uk) which aims to complement my research by (Re)Tracing, (Re)Showing and (Re)Telling the process as it unfolds.

In a nutshell, my project takes the 40th & 70th anniversary commemorations of Harlow and compares them in order to discover how the commemoration of the town’s past has changed, specifically the process in which the town’s history has been told and re-told.

You can also contribute in a separate way through one or more of the following ways:
Do you know or possess any archival material (documents, photos, leaflets, memorabilia) from Harlow’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations? Would I be able to view, borrow or take copies of any items?

Were you one of the key figures who organised or contributed to the 40th anniversary celebrations? Please feel free to get in contact with me if you wish, it would be greatly appreciated.

Would you like to participate in an interview at a later date (July – September), about your experience of the 40th Anniversary Celebrations, either as an organiser or as someone who took part in any of the events?

Thank you for taking the time to read about my dissertation project and remember to check out www.retelling.co.uk, and to spread the word about this worthwhile and genuinely interesting project!

By Jake Shepherd ([email protected])