MHT has been working with RockArchivist since Summer 2010, initially to make the Collection of Giles Barker more widely available.
The collection itself was initially donated in November 2009 and comprises material related to an unpublished book “Peak Performance – A Century of Climbing in the Peak District (1885-1980)” by Giles Barker made up of recorded interviews for background research, correspondence, research notes and reports from Peak based climbing clubs.
Tom Proctor, Kellog, Stoney Middleton, 1977 © B Cropper
Phil Kelly (the creator of RockArchivist) was able to make some of the audio tapes available via web streaming on the RockArchivist website which was well received and promoted much discussion and debate, not to mention a few trips down memory lane for the listener. There are also many images within the Brian Cropper Photographic Collection which feature the people interviewed by Giles Barker.
Phil, with financial assistance from the BMC, has been able to convert the data held on original Amstrad disks into a readable format.
MHT sees this project as part of an ongoing working relationship which will develop to provide a rich resource of heritage sources.
Further information can be found at http://www.rockarchivist.co.uk