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Ports of Call – Silvertown schoolchildren dig up treasures of local heritage

Tuesday 9 October 2007

Young people from Silvertown are getting hands-on archaeology experience and discovering the heritage of the River and the Docks as part of the Ports of Call project organised by the London East Research Institute at the University of East London (UEL).

The year 6 pupils from Drew Primary School are going on a series of digs on the Thames foreshore with archaeologist Andy Brockman and artist Helen Marshall to find objects that will form the basis for art and creative writing workshops at North Woolwich Old Station Museum. The children will also be spending a day at UEL’s Docklands campus to learn computer-aided design techniques in the 'MagicLab', and the work will go on show at London City Airport in December.

The children have already made plenty of interesting finds, including pottery and bottles made by local companies, a perfectly preserved clay pipe made in Plumstead around 1840 and what is probably a Diwali lamp that would have been ritually placed in the river.

Archaeologist Andy Brockman said: "This is the wonderful thing about doing archaeology on the foreshore. Not only is it different every time you come here, but a cross section of the lives of all London's communities for thousands of years somehow ends up on or in the beach for us to find. The lamp reminds us that the Thames is still regarded as a sacred river by some, just as it was in the Iron Age, two and a half thousand years ago."

Dr Toby Butler, Director of the Ports of Call project, said: “We have had a great response from the Drew Primary pupils. This is a really exciting and active way investigate the past and the children get a great sense of ownership when they work creatively with objects that they have discovered themselves."

Dr Butler and his team are also hoping to create an audio heritage trail of Silvertown from recordings made with local residents which can be downloaded for free on to an ipod or mp3 player. The trails will include recordings from the Eastside Community Heritage archive, a large collection of oral history interviews recently set up at UEL's Docklands campus.

A series of free community workshops in historical mapping and trail building are planned, to be held at the St Johns Community Centre and at UEL. These will include memory mapping, local history, oral history recording, displaying content on the web, visiting speakers and several walks, including trying some other audio trails in East London.

Dr Butler said: “I hope that recording stories that can be heard on a walking trail will give the public a really accessible way of hearing about this area and its past. The first workshop will be at the beginning of November, with the hope that some attendees will be willing to share their experience and might even be inspired to help gather material for the walking trails that will be launched in the spring.”

For details of the Ports of Call project or to book a free place on a workshop, visit http://www.memoryscape.org.uk/ or call Dr Butler on 0795 729 4907.

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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