This blog is written by husband and wife, Phil and Jan, as part of their work on the Voices of the City project, making Birmingham Museums City Sound Archive publicly available.

My name’s Phil, and I, along with my wife, volunteer for the Birmingham Museums Trust at the Museum Collection Centre. We’re involved with an oral history project where we listen to recordings of local people and help convert them into an accessible, readable text.  

Why did I volunteer for Birmingham Museums Trust? Coercion. Coercion and the chance to escape from each other for a few hours each week. Why coercion? Well, our daughter was concerned that we were becoming isolated and insular.  

I left work back in May 2013, my wife did the same about 17-18 months earlier. Leaving work allowed me to look after my mother more easily. She was in her 90s and fiercely independent and still looking after herself. By 2016, she was in a care home living with her dementia. Then we had Covid, and while she didn’t get it, sadly she died during 2021, aged 100. This left me at a bit of loose end, even though we moved earlier that year.  

Back to our daughter. She had been a volunteer for several years at Weoley Castle but had moved to the Museum Collection Centre to do something completely different. She kept on at us that we should get involved. To give us something to do outside of the house.  

Well, the advert was put in front of us, and with lots of encouragement, in 2023 we applied for the oral history work that seemed to suit our needs. Neither of us wanted to do any public facing volunteering, so sitting with headphones on, listening to old tapes was perfect.

That was the coercive part. The escape part of the plan entailed us doing alternative days at the Museum Collection Centre, thus giving each of us some time to ourselves each week! I have to say here that we get on very well and spend most of our time together! You could say we’re joined at the hip!

Well, the project we volunteered for is led by Siobhan Stevenson. Basically, it involves us listening to old recordings of interviews on specific topics. Childhood, memories of people’s early years around the First World War in Birmingham. Heartlands, people’s memories of the area around where the Museum Collection Centre is, namely Nechells and Duddeston. And the one we cut out teeth on, Vibes.

Vibes is predominantly people’s recollection of Afro-Caribbean music culture in and around Birmingham in the 1980s and onwards. And mostly from the people involved in the music scene. These have ranged from MCs with their sound systems, to members of bands, including Coventry’s Specials, to musicologists in both the West Indies and Africa, giving their insights into the history of their music, and of the different strands coming from Africa and mutating into the different forms on the different Caribbean Islands. Such as Reggae, Soca, Calypso etc. Also, how these genres have merged and mixed with African American styles to give us the varied musical forms like Rap, Hip Hop and Garage listened to and enjoyed by today’s youth.

As a general music lover, this was brilliant for me. It also gave me an insight into the history and musical variation within the English Afro-Caribbean communities. As a history lover, the background information given by some of the interviewees was also fascinating. Listening to some of the speakers took me back to 1970, to when a West Indian friend gave me a very well-played 7” single on the Blue Beat label to listen to. I had to put an old penny on the tone arm of the record player to stop it jumping off! I can’t remember the record itself, but it was a pre Reggae tune from Jamaica. Ska or Blue Beat, but not Reggae.

And as to the escape. Well, that never happened! We go most weeks to the Museum Collection Centre, together. And we listen to all these fascinating memories, and it transports me back to a different place and time. 

Hi, my name is Janet (Jan) and I’ve been volunteering for Birmingham Museums Trust since March 2024.

I retired, oh so long ago, early in 2012 and I have volunteered before for some short-term events (mainly at fun runs and athletics meetings). My first volunteering role was with the USA Athletics team at Alexander Stadium where they trained for the London 2012 Olympics. I’ve also transcribed old Birth, Marriage and Death records so that they could be made available on the internet.  

Volunteering for Birmingham Museums Trust was our daughter’s fault! Sarah had been volunteering for a long time for Birmingham Museums Trust and, knowing that we were interested in some volunteering, she let us know that they were trying to recruit more volunteers. So, along with Phil (my husband), I went through the process of applying and induction. Everyone was lovely and very welcoming.

Our intention was to find two different volunteering roles as we are both retired. Contrary to rumour, we are not (not yet anyway!) sick of the sight of each other! However, we’ve somehow ended up both working for Siobhan Stevenson on the Oral History project. It has been really interesting, and sometimes challenging, listening to interviews with individuals that were recorded many years ago, transcribing them or checking transcriptions in order that they can be made publicly available. I’ve learnt a lot from the recordings.

Volunteering does many things – it’s something different to do; it’s a valuable contribution; it teaches you different skills; it keeps the brain working; it informs you; it means that you meet others; above all, it’s really enjoyable.

I know that Birmingham Museums Trust really appreciates the people that give their time as volunteers and I’ve met lots of lovely people because of it. 

More details on the oral history project discussed here can be found on the City Sound Archive. 

If you are interested in volunteering see our volunteering page for more information.