CURRENT and past members of Winnington Park Recreation Club are being invited to the launch of a website focusing on the club’s oral history.

The site is being created by Tom Whitehead from Cuddington for the final project of his masters degree in public history.

Tom interviewed the club’s directors for the project, as well as current or former members and club employees.

Tom, from Cartledge Close, is studying for his masters at the University of London after graduating in history from York University.

The people he interviewed included club directors Ray Atherton, who is club chairman, Margaret Dutton, the club’s manager, and directors Sue Hulme, Nick Hughes and Louise Logue.

The website is to be launched on Tuesday, September 2 at 7.30pm at the Park Suite at the club, which was established in 1890 by Brunner Mond for its workers and was sold by ICI in 1994.

“I am a student at the Royal Holloway College, and for my final project I am creating a website about the oral history of the club,” said Tom, 23.

“I have interviewed the current directors and six other current or former members and employees of the club to see how they feel the club has changed since it became a private business.

“These interviews have been edited to create a series of ‘conversations’, where one interviewee gives an opinion, and then another elaborates on that point or gives a different perspective, about topics such as how the relationship between the main recreation club and the sports sections has changed or how wider cultural changes have affected the club.

“My hope is the project may get more people interested in sharing their stories and make people aware of the history of the club and what it stands for.”

Margaret Dutton said the project was very interesting in looking at how the club had evolved over the years and the changes which had taken place.

Past and present members, as well as anyone interested in the club‘s history, are welcome to attend the launch of the website, when Tom will talk about the project.