The National Forest’s LANDshapes project interview with John Oakland

The sound should start automatically after a few seconds.

Please note that this is a large file and may not play well if you are using a 56kps modem. For Windows Media Player information see our technical statement

Read transcription of interview

Link to John Oakland's page on the LANDshapes website

Back to the index

LANt026 John Oakland
LANDshapes Oral History interview summary

Born in Nottinghamshire, John Oakland talks of his love for the Charnwood area and how he 'fell in love with it when I saw it'. Listen as John tells us of his lifelong passion for gardening, despite the often strenuous work in his own garden which is a part of The National Garden Scheme '…if you're a gardener you can't stand still…it's a non stop thing'. Learn about the octogenarian rhododendrons and azaleas that are 'Mostly still there in full maturity, some of them flowering'. Hear John talk about the joys of bee keeping which he describes as '…a very gentle hobby', find out why his bees had to make a '6 mile trip up the road to Belton' and discover why John says that he hasn't '…got a lot of respect for squirrels…' but has a lot of respect '…for the old fox'.

Interviewer: Roger Kitchen.
Interview Date: 22/03/2005
Landshape Zone: Charnwood
Parish: Woodhouse
Location: Woodhouse, Leicestershire,
Date of birth: 1934
Location of Original: Originals held with The National Forest Company.
Reference LANt026

Last updated: 15/9/2005
East Midland Oral History Archive Web maintainer
This document has been approved by the head of department or section.