PRESS RELEASES

8 December 2008

Download as a word file here

HistoryWeb Limited launches

BritishLocalHistory.com

Where members of the public are encouraged to upload and add their own personal local history.

BritishLocalHistory.com is the new website where the public can assist in building a local history resource which is relevant for both the history dates we know about and the social history tales and events we might not be aware of.

Paul Savident, Founder of BritishLocalHistory.com, said “This site has been launched as an online resource where members of the public can upload pictures, videos, audio or simply tell their own British local history story - whether it be about their childhood life, growing up, how time's change, fashions, development of transport, traditional local festivals and recipes, work-life or simply general views and comments on local history.  With the help of the public we are hoping to build a leading online history portal which is both highly informative and also lots of fun.”

BritishLocalHistory.com is currently in a ‘soft-launch’ stage and members of the public are being asked and encouraged to contribute and discuss their own stories of historic local interest, general British history, social history or genealogy – whether it be their own family history, sightseeing visits, comments on historic events or simply information on a local history event or site BritishLocalHistory.com is the place to contribute stories, images and videos and discuss a wealth of rich local historical content.

BritishLocalHistory.com contains forums where people can start their own blogs and video galleries, add historical content, guides to cities and places of interest, as well as containing an extensive online shop of videos, books and publications of historical interest. 

Paul Savident decided to create the site following a trip back to his parents in Guernsey. “On a visit back home for my father’s 80^th birthday the celebrations were awash with family and friends of a ‘certain age’ talking of the good old days, of how times had changed and of emotive and significant events in the islands during the last century.  One of these was my mother’s story of her evacuation from Guernsey, by boat, as part of the mass evacuation of children to the UK mainland from the Channel Isles at the beginning of World War II and before German forces took over the islands.”

“I have always known that everyone has their individual history but realised that often, as we rely so much on documents, history lessons and books, the important stories of individuals are often overlooked.  Certainly the tales of evacuation of the Channel Islands have been told many times before, but generally by a very small number of people who had become the ‘voice’ for this event in history.  It was then that I decided that a site such as BritishLocalHistory.com could allow anyone interested to have their ‘voice’ and that this new online resource had a place to play in both social and local history matters of the UK by bringing people and their lives together.”

BritishLocalHistory.com has a number of ways that members of the public can contribute:

Forum – The forum has been setup to allow members of the public to log in and add their own comments on all matters historical and of relevance to the UK. We want this to be locally focused and have therefore some 1,400 towns and cities available immediately for people to add their thoughts and comments to or, most importantly at the moment, add new comments and topics.

Add a picture – It is often said that a picture can tell a thousand words, and therefore images can be uploaded, with or without added text, to tell a story. Whether it is a visit to a country house, a village of town where you live, or even a wedding photo that shows a history of fashion and the times, it is something worth sharing.

Add a video – If pictures tell a thousand words, what do videos do?  Tell a million words?

WikiHistorian – a place where people can upload articles of historic and social interest, and where others can add their own qualified information.

Blogs – the place for historical blogging.

Email – If anyone has a great idea, or wants to contribute more widely, they can simply drop an email to office@britishlocalhistory.com.

BritishLocalHistory.com also has a growing Specialist History section including:

www.musicandmen.com - about pianist Harriet Cohen

www.underfirebook.com - about the Fire Brigade

www.therippercode.com - about the Jack the Ripper

www.hilkesdiary.com - includes filmed segments of 13-year-old Hilke’s diary and

                                     interviews with her sister, Geseke.

Website:        www.BritishLocalHistory.com