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We’ve previously posted a link to Talking New Towns, our oral history website, and this post will focus on two of the helpful resources available there; education packs for Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead named ‘Thinking New Towns’. These provide a range of fun activities and information enabling children (and adults!) to learn about the history of the new towns through subjects such as PSCHE, history and geography.

As someone who was a pupil in Stevenage in the recent past, it is very interesting to see the history of the new town from the perspective of those who were there at the start, and to compare the childhood experiences of those who moved to the new town during its formation after the Second World War with my own – I’m sure current pupils will also find it fascinating.

I can see the ‘DIY oral history’ activity as being particularly exciting given that many of those who moved to Stevenage soon after it became a new town still live in the area and can be interviewed by today’s children. However, the pack is not just for learning about Stevenage – it links to topics including the Second World War, future post-war governments, and even the Soviet Union! It can also serve as a useful launch pad for a deeper look into the history of Stevenage new town through the main Talking New Towns website. These packs bring an important section of Stevenage’s rich and exciting history to life for today’s children.

Thinking New Towns Education Pack

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund

Chris Day, volunteer