East Linton Voices

About East Linton Voices

From our phone box in the high street and here online you’ll find voices and memories of lives in East Linton. Not a history but a gathering of stories, people and sounds carefully collected to present a snapshot of lives and times in East Linton. We hope it is a celebration of the wonderful place we live in and the people who make up our community.
Our voices have been created in easy to listen to sections, allowing you to wander through and catch a glimpse of life in East Linton.

The sound installation will be available in the phone box from Saturday 27th August to Sunday 11th September, and here on this website.

If you would like to share your feedback on this project, we would love to hear from you. Email Gill Robertson

Stories

Gala 2022

Gala 2022

After a two-year absence, locals share their stories about the East Linton Gala.
Listen here.

School days and holidays

School days and holidays

P5s from East Linton Primary School interview former pupils of the school, sharing their memories of childhood in the 40s and 50s.
Listen here.

‘A splendid place to live’

‘A splendid place to live’

Locals and Countryside Ranger Jen share their favourite walks, views, and nature in and around East Linton.
Listen here.

If I could turn back time

If I could turn back time

Listen to what life in East Linton used to be like. Jump on the train, buy a new suit and shoes and get a free sweetie from Tony Tartaglia as you wait for an ice cream.
Listen here.

The Time machine continues

The Time machine continues

A further dip into the life of a thriving and busy East Linton through the years.
Listen here.

From Cinderella to Calendar Girls

From Cinderella to Calendar Girls

The ‘new’ East Linton Drama group, founded in 1998 to help raise funds for renovations to the Community Hall. From Pantos and cabaret nights to murder mysteries and serious dramas, they have entertained us all.
Listen here.

Jessie the clock

Jessie the clock

Named after a local lass, the sound of Jessie has rung across East Linton for over 130 years. Here some of the locals who know Jessie best share their stories.
Listen here.

Our Hall

Our Hall

Run by volunteers and essential to village life, we celebrate 60 years of community ownership of our community hall. From ceilidhs to youth clubs to our very own pop band The Linn Rockers, the hall is integral to the village’s social calendar.
Listen here.

Credits

Each piece is made up of many hours of interviews with residents. The full interviews will be kept on archive here at Catherine Wheels and at East Lothian Council’s historical archive department at East Lothian Council Archive Service at the John Gray Centre, Haddington.

This event has been supported by Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. This fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.

Thank you to everyone we spoke to. We know that there are so many others we didn’t speak to, important voices with brilliant stories that we couldn’t fit into this project but still need to be heard. Maybe our small contribution with East Linton Voices is the start of something bigger. There are so many stories still to be told!

In the meantime, a huge thank you to:

Miss Walker and the P5 class from East Linton Primary, the Minister of Prestonkirk – Douglas Hamilton and the ladies who provided the tea and biscuits.

Thank you to everyone we spoke to on Gala Day, 11 June 2022, and sorry to those who didn’t make the final cut!

Special thanks to everyone at Climate Action East Linton (CAEL) who made this project possible and particular thanks to Julia Edmonds.

Jen Newcombe, Garry Menzies, James Telford, Kirsty Macfarlane, Paul Douglas, Alex Perdue, Bau Douglas, Ali MacDougall, Rebecca Buchanan, Gordon Rollo, Alastair Mackenzie Seagroatt, Anna Davidson, Sheena Sheerin, William John Campbell, Nancy Stewart, Conchita Campbell, Margaret Hunter, Iain Govan, Tom Middlemass, Gayle Aitken, Judith Priest, Jack Campbell.

Sound Designer – Coll Reekie

Director – Gill Robertson

Production Manager – Emma Jones

Technician – Neil Dewar

Designer – Leila Kalbassi

Special thanks to Danny Krass, Sound Design Mentor and Jen Kavanagh, Oral Histories Advisor