Sound Recordings, West Yorkshire

Description

[Collector announcement]; Arthur Barber, a retired wheelwright, recorded in his home in the Alwoodley district of Leeds in February 1973; talks about his family wheelwrighting business; the family farm; his birthplace in Leeds; describes jobs first done as a wheelwright, including preparation of wheels for tradesmen; first day at work; work before wheelwrighting; leaving school; working on cart bodies; working hours/week and the effect of World War One on working hours in general; wages; holidays; taking over a wheelwright's shop in 1941, people employed and work undertaken; talks of Hunslet in the past - stables, housing, transport; main customers, George Ward and Cullingworth companies; types of cart built; modern day clientele; ironwork and forged goods made in the shop; whitesmiths and blacksmiths; machinery, tools and materials (lancewood for spokes, oak, spruce, larch and redwoods for carts); seasoning the wood; cart wheels made by [?itinerant] Irishmen; describes in detail the making of a wheel, composition and hoop tyres; building carts to customer's requirements. [Tr. 2] [Collector announcement]; Edward Barber, blacksmith, recorded at home in the Hunslet area of Leeds in April 1973; talks about the family business and becoming a blacksmith; family and birthplace in Leeds; the history of the family business (started by his grandfather); learning the blacksmith's trade; decline in the number of apprentices; thoughts on the future of the business/trade; first day at work; making his own tools; cousin, Arthur Barber, starting work; examples of items made for carts; modern day smithing; working hours, wages and holidays; employees; the shop; Hunslet in the past - other wheelwrights; knowledge of wheelwrights still working; main customers, George Ward and Jack Foster; names other firms; use of carts by Corporation of Leeds; materials used in making carts; machinery/tools used; explains the dish of wheels; hoop tyres; making own paints and painting carts; stringing. [Tr. 3]

Metadata

Identifier kqfbc9ds
IRN 414909
Class Mark LAVC/SRE/A858r
Level Item
Type of Record Archives - ISAD(G)
Peristent Link http://prototype1.library.leeds.ac.uk/kqfbc9ds
Collection(s) Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Category Archive
Parent Record Audiotape Sound Recordings
Creator(s) Ivall, Roderick
Date 1973
Size and Medium 1 x 12.7cm open reel spool, Duration: 73' 05".

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