Forgotten Fairytales

Documenting Northamptonshire’s gay community in sound and image – Compiled by Iain Armstrong with illustrations by Jayne West

In 2003, the tenth anniversary year of the Northamptonshire Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance (NLGBA), I was commissioned to produce an oral history archive to celebrate and document the local gay community while commemorating the work of the organisation.

I conducted ten interviews with participants varied in their background and occupations and aged from 18 – 69. Each participant was asked to comment on their experiences of living as lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the county. The responses and anecdotes recorded in this process, while both humorous and sad, tragic and shocking, provide a potent reminder and honest insight into how one’s sexuality and the way in which it is perceived by others can shape people’s lives.

Presented as a series of monologues, these people’s stories form the 10 chapters of Forgotten Fairytales. They are introduced by a Prelude which draws excerpts from the various chapters and presents them as a montage intended to encapsulate the emergent themes and issues which resonate across the project as a whole.

This is a independent release, limited edition 10 CD box set. Please contact me if you would like to purchase a copy.

Read more about Forgotten Fairytales on the project page.