In 2022 the Schools Library Services launched ‘This is Our History‘, our local history project, generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. In 2025 we launched the follow up, ‘Everybody’s History‘,also made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Everybody’s History
Everybody’s History is a series of 6 multi-sensory story sets with the aim of making Tower Hamlets local history accessible to all young people, whatever their ability and learning needs.
Each set can be used for individual, small group, or general whole-class use as an artefacts set.
Sets comprise of a series of artefacts and props (including sounds and scents!) which are used to tell a short narrative connected to the theme. Each set is accompanied by a short history book with more detailed background information.
The Schools Library Services would also like to thank Genova Messiah and the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives for their help in facilitating this project and running pupil workshops. https://www.ideastore.co.uk/local-history
Thank you to Saheba Hussain and Khadijah Begum for their photography of the story sets.
A Journey to England
Based on the real life account of a merchant sailor from Barbados in the 1950s. At this time, West India Quay was still a busy trading port, with goods like sugar, rum and bananas being shipped in from the Caribbean.
The sensory story gives a hands-on experience of serving on a busy merchant vessel!
Down on the Docks
Set in West India Quay, this sensory story is set over one day in the life of a dock worker unloading the boats arriving from the Caribbean, including an introduction to dockers’ slang!
Friday in the Jewish East End. 1933
This artefacts box and sensory story follows a Jewish family living in the Aldgate area of Tower Hamlets – the heart of the Jewish East End at the time. Explore the shops and market on Hessel Street, visit the vapour baths before Shabbat and finally take a trip to the newly opened Troxy cinema!
The Ragged Schools
This sensory story and artefacts box follows the day of a child at one of the ragged schools in East London. Explore the lessons, the need for hygiene, lunch and playtime.
The set also explores the work of Clara Grant and includes an example of a farthing bundle and a replica of the ‘farthing arch’.
The East End Suffragettes
This story box looks back on the life of a suffragette, exploring items from the time – a suffragette penny, sash and rosette, and even a drum from their marching band!
The box also explores the changing roles of women in work and at the home and the protests that the suffragettes took part in.
The Battle of Cable Street
This interactive sensory and artefacts box explores the sights, sounds and smells from the day of the battle. Starting with the Blackshirts’ acts of vandalism, trace the actions of the protestors as they took on the police in and around Aldgate to stop the fascists’ march. You can use the canvas sheet to make your own protest banner to add to the box!
This is Our History
This is Our History – the original project from 2022 covered the following five themes:
- The Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888
- The Blitz and the Bombing of the East End
- East London Bengalis
- Somali East End
- London Docklands
We created a suitcase of artefacts and an accompanying booklet to support teaching and learning, teacher activities on related global learning, and an extra allocation of up to thirty books on and around the theme on each of these topics for teachers to borrow.
For additional information about the project and resources – contact schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk