Thursday 5 September 2013

Down in the basement of The British Library lies a very special place for the media geeks among us!

A few weeks ago I received a very interesting request through a tweet. Would I agree to share my experiences of cancer for an archive run by Wellcome's Oral History of Medicine? So I headed to The British Library and lent my voice for just over an hour. It was pretty cathartic if not a bit emotional to be recounting my experiences with my lovely interviewer Catriona. In many ways I have tried to put a line under my cancer. But, it was nice to feel like I'd made progress emotionally since I last really thought about it in detail.

What I really enjoyed after the interview was being allowed to look at all the lovely old recording and playback devices both audio and visual.
Having worked in the BBC for over a decade many of them looked familiar, if only I'd seen them in far flung store rooms. Although many in The British Library I'd only heard of, such as the wire recorder. It reminds me that despite these many now defunct devices being no longer of any use to many of us now, they hold a kind of charm and beauty. I hope you enjoy my photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katzupatree/sets/72157635394018162/

Oh, and joining the British Library is quite exciting! Even if the process is a bit intimidating... I swear I just joined a secret society! ;)