Oral History Questionnaire

(Click here to for a printable version)

Community

1. What is your name
2. when were you born?
3. What are your memories related to? (Railway/ BBC/ Imperial Airways/ Clifton war refugee)
4. Were you born locally?
5. How many was in your family
6. What are your earliest impressions of your area/locality?
7. On which street did you live?
8. Did you live in a flat or a house?
9. What state was the housing in your area?
10. Was there a community spirit?
11. What was your job
12. what was your spouses job
13. Do you have any photos/ clippings

Railway

1. From what age do you remember travelling on it
2. How often did you travel on the Railway
3. Did you most often travel on weekends or weekdays
4. Why did you travel on it
5. Where were you going to
6. Was the railway busy (did you have to queue to get on)
7. How much did you pay to travel on it
8. Were there normally two or four cars running
9. What do you remember of the top station
10. What do you remember of the bottom station
11. What do you remember of the ride
12. Do you remember colours of the cars?
13. was the railway in good condition

Social/Leisure

1. What did you do for leisure activities/hobbies
2. What sports did you play
3. Were there any memorable one-off events, day trips
4. Where did you go for your holidays

War-time

1. Did you use the railway to shelter
2. If not, where did you shelter
3. From which years did you use it
4. How many times did you use it per week
5. Do you know anyone else who used it
6. Did you have a pass
7. What items did you leave there for your return
8. What kind of things did you take with you
9. were any refreshments available (WRVS?)
10. what were sanitary arrangements like
11. Which refuge did you use? The little one or the upper or lower area
12. Was it dark? How was it illuminated?
13. Do you remember where the warden was posted
14. how was the tunnel managed (where were the wardens)
15. can you remember the canvas over the walls
16. Can you remember where the barrage balloons were sited
17. were many people in there
18. were there many children in there
19. did you take your own family in there
20. how did you keep them calm/ occupied
21. what were the conditions like? (noisy/ smelly)
22. did you ever have any parties
23. do you remember where the barrage balloon were

BBC

1. What was your job
2. what did it entail
3. what training did you get
4. how many times per week did you go to the railway
5. what do you remember of each room
6. which room did you work in most
7. how many of you were there at any time, and what did the others do
8. did you work with anyone in particular
9. what frequency was the transmitter
10. how did you transmit
11. how many live programmes were there and for how many hours were programmes transmitted
12. can you remember who performed in the studio
13. did you ever have concerts in the refuge areas
14. what job did you do before the BBC
15. what job did you do after the BBC
16. how did you get your job
17. where did you live
18. how did you get to the railway
19. can you remember the masts
20. where were the masts
21. did you ever go into the bottom waiting room of the station
22. did you ever go past the refuge areas
23. how much did you earn
24. was this a good wage at the time
25. what can you remember about the working conditions (noisy/smelly/ dark/ wet_

Imperial Airways

26. What was your job
27. what did it entail
28. what training did you get
29. how many times per week did you go to the railway
30. where were you based (hotel/ Caledonia Place/ Tufnell House…)
31. where did you work most
32. how many of you were there at any time, and what did the others do
33. did you work with anyone in particular
34. did you ever go in the refuge areas
35. what job did you do before Imperial Airways
36. what job did you do after Imperial Airways
37. how did you get your job
38. where did you live
39. how did you get to the railway
40. can you remember the barrage balloons
41. where were the barrage balloons
42. how much did you earn
43. was this a good wage at the time
44. what can you remember about the working conditions (noisy/smelly/ dark/ wet_
45. did you work with barrage balloons
46. which squadron

Please return to Maggie Shapland

Computer Centre

University of Bristol

Tyndall Avenue

Bristol BS8 1UD