THE PROJECT
Examples of those stories we have come across during our preparatory work include families driving across from Pakistan to arrive here in the UK and their experiences of the journey (e.g. breaking down in Europe and having to find accommodation) and the difficulties they had along the way.
We have also heard fascinating encounters from Asian women of how they worked in textile and clothing factories where they faced discrimination as a result of not being able to speak English but also how they formed lifelong friendships with other colleagues. The intriguing tales of how they sweated long hours to make ends meet and still looked after the family home have been great experiences for the young people to hear.
The mix of emotions from sadness at having to leave their homeland and wider families to anxiety at arriving in a strange destination, coupled with heart-warming stories of how they supported each other to get through the early years having truly inspired us to develop the project. This is a small sample of what we cover in this fascinating piece of work.
Explore these stories in our exhibition and find out more about the Leeds Asian Archive and how you can get involved.
THE BACKGROUND
The Purani Yaadein project was formed through a suggestion by young people to capture the history of their parents and grand-parents and ensure we retained these memories for future generations.
It is focused on preserving the heritage created by the arrival of the Pakistani / Kashmiri community in Leeds and the surrounding areas, from the arrival of settlers in the 1950s through to the current period. The heritage project aims to preserve the memories and record the contribution made by this community to the city.
THE PROCESS
Over the past few months the young people have worked extensively to identify key individuals to interview, visit places of significance and talk to community groups. They have used these testimonials to piece together a series of fascinating stories, some of which are highlighted on this website. Additionally, they have collated hundreds of pictures depicting life over the past 60 years (see the gallery section) and helped to compile a list of artefacts to be used in an exhibition roadshow. The memories shared on the platform help us all understand what life was like over the decades and the enormous contribution made by these pioneers.
CONTINUE THE STORY
We have begun to tell the story but due to limited resources, we were not able to speak to everyone who has a story to tell.
Help us continue the journey by contributing your story, sending in pictures or contacting us to help upload your old footage.
We’re also keen to hear from people who want to help with the Project – to Volunteer with us, please get in touch!
