PLANS for a permanent record of Studley’s involvement in the needle industry are to go ahead after campaigners, including district councillor Hazel Wright, secured an £8,500 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The original idea for the project came from local flower show stalwart Des Crow and together with Studley Improvement Partnership and Local History Group an application was put in for the grant.
“We’ve received the award and Studley Improvement Partnership has given us a further £500 which means the scheme can now go ahead,” said Coun Wright.
The needle industry archive will consist of three separate but inter-linked areas with the aim of capturing forever what it was like working an in industry that forged Studley into what it is today.
The first part will consist of oral recordings of workers reminiscing about life in the industry, their daily work routine, the chores, the pleasures and pains as well as the characters that populated the factories.
The second part will be a permanent exhibition to go up in the village hall for local appeal and visitors alike to view.
Finally there will also be a mobile exhibition for use by the Local History Group and other interested parties to take out to any interested clubs or organisations.
“People always go on about Redditch and the needle industry but it was here in Studley as far back as the 17th Century,” said Coun Wright.
“So many people and organisations, including Studley community library and the parish council have much such efforts to achieve this and it couldn’t have been done without their support.”
It is expected that the project will take a year to complete with the oral history tapes stored in the local library as a permanent record of the voices of the past.
