David Northcroft: Grampian Lives

04 August 2017

A retired teacher and accomplished oral historian will next week discuss his work as part of the city library’s ongoing 125th anniversary celebrations.

For 16 years David Northcroft has been engaged on a personal oral history mission to investigate 20th century life in the North East of Scotland. To date he has conducted over 500 face to face interviews with a diverse range of people.

The historian and author will join Aberdeen City Libraries later this month to discuss his work building a representative portrait of the region’s most significant social, occupational and familial experiences. Local studies librarian David Oswald said: “David’s work is a remarkable and vast record of life in this part of the world. His talk will dip into a selection of the multitude of recollections which fill the pages of his celebrated books.”

So far David’s work has concentrated on the country, coastal and small towns of the region and yielded two books Grampian Lives 1: 1900-1950 and Grampian Lives 2: 1950-2000. He is now working on a complimentary pair of volumes that will focus on Aberdeen itself.

Describing his work David Northcroft said: “Although I have interviewed notable North East names, including Robbie Shepherd, Stewart Milne, Buff Hardie, Neil Simpson and Hugh Pennington, the stories told by the farmers, the fishermen and their families, posties, district nurses, tradespeople, and the many others who have contributed to the welfare of our local communities, have proved equally interesting and enlightening.”

The free event takes place on Wednesday 9 August in Aberdeen Central Library at 6pm. To reserve a place phone 01224 652500 or email libraryevents@aberdeencity.gov.uk.