The COVID-19 oral history interviews were recorded between May and December 2022, as part of the LSE COVID-19 archive project led by the Library. The interviews document the experiences of members of the LSE community, who were invited to share their memories of studying, working and socialising during the pandemic and to reflect on the impact which it has had on their lives.

This file includes the recorded audio of the interview with Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith, along with a transcript, a summary of the recording, and a photo of the interviewee. At the time of the interview, Esua was the Director of the Healing Solidarity International Feminist Collective, as well as a feminist activist and writer, with a lifetime's experience in the women's sector locally, nationally and internationally. Esua was the first woman of colour to be elected Chair of the Fawcett Society, and co-founder and (at the time of the interview) Chair of the Gender and Development Network. She was a commissioner for the Women's National Commission, and a member of the UK Government delegation to the UN's fourth World Conference on Women, in Beijing in 1995. Date of interview: 01/03/2021. Length of recording: 01:22:47.

Submitted by: Mhairi Gowans
Date: 28 February 2021

In February [2021], once the government announced it would be starting vaccination for Group 6, charities became aware that the Government had taken many clinically vulnerable people off the vaccination list. This particularly affected asthmatics of whom millions had been off-boarded from priority.

A patient group formed on Facebook and then launched several Twitter events to raise awareness of this issue. This graphic pertained to the second event which I promoted on my Instagram account on the 28th of February. Each Twitter event resulted in the chosen hashtag trending (first hashtag was #AsthmaticsAtRisk, second hashtag was #VaccinesforAsthmatics. #flujabequalscovidjab and #asthmaticsunder50 were also later used).

Unfortunately while this received some press attention and celebrity support from Supernanny Jo Frost, as well as charity support from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation and the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists, this issue has been largely ignored by the government leaving clinically vulnerable people vulnerable as society opens up.

Submitted by: Beatriz Tiago Fernandes Marques Da Silva
Date: March 2021
Location: At home in London

Grimshaw [LSE's oldest student society, supported by the International Relations Department but open to students of any subject with an interest in international affairs] held an online event on the Western Sahara conflict on the 5th of March with three speakers. The event was very popular and an opportunity to continue to host insightful conversations within our community at LSE despite the pandemic.

Submitted by: Grace Oswald
Date: February 2021
Location: Queen's Hospital, Romford

I usually work part time as a Healthcare Assistant in the Emergency Department. This photo was taken during my first ITU shift earlier this year- it was a night shift and I was already nervous to be working in a new area. I had the fright of my life (and actually screamed) when I switched on the light in the store room and found this disfigured hospital training doll. It was very funny and certainly made my new team laugh. I think it has now become a running joke to play on new staff- she seems to pop up everywhere!

Date Accessed: 13 Apr 2021
Significant context URL: https://www.sianberry.london/manifesto-2021/
Internet Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.sianberry.london/manifesto-2021/

Date Accessed: 13 Apr 2021
Significant context URL: https://sadiq.london/
Internet Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://sadiq.london/

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Avryl and Tembre.
Avryl, her mum Marlene, her daughter Tembre, her sister, niece, neighbour's kids and friends all travelled to Embrace the Base from Dorset after hearing about Greenham through a women's consciousness raising group and CND. Avryl remembers Greenham being very welcoming, feeling at home and safe sitting drinking tea and chatting to women. She talks about the huge lesbian community which Avryl became part of, finding safety with women that she couldn't find anywhere else. She recalls putting ribbon and children's toys on the fence, the holding of hands and the power that came from that.
The community of women Tembre grew up with had a powerful impression on her. She is now a circle song leader; gathering women to sing, and feels she must have absorbed Embrace the Base as a child. Avryl reads some of her mother Marlene's poems about Greenham which feature in her book of poems and writings. The interview ends with Tembre singing a beautiful rendition of one of her grandma's poems, who she says found her tribe at Greenham.
Avryl and Tembre were interviewed by Vanessa Pini in March 2021.

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
'Peace Woman refuses to pay fine, birthday in custody. Southampton Peace Woman, spent her 21st birthday in police custody at the start of a 7 day prison sentence for refusing to pay fines imposed after she took part in a blockade at Greenham Common.'
Carolyn Barnes shares the story behind the newspaper headline in the Southampton Daily Echo. She became involved with Greenham after moving from Bolton to attend Southampton University. She joined various groups including CND, 3rd World First and a local group 'Families Against the Bomb'. Her friend, Di McDonald, used to take a group of them to Greenham for demonstrations in her campervan.
Carolyn talks about being new to politics when first staying at Blue Gate, the cruise missiles being brought in, the excitement of a women-only space, treatment by the police, prison, poetry and impact on her family. She also recalls people not expecting women to stick up for each other and the different ways in which women reacted to the balance of power.
Carolyn describes Greenham as earthy, real, natural and primal.
Carolyn was interviewed by Tricia Grace-Norton in February 2021.

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Oak.
Oak Chezar arrived at Greenham from America in 1985 when she was 29 and stayed at both Blue and Yellow Gates until 1988. She talks about zapping, the effects of radiation, evictions and how Greenham changed her life, leading her into a women's performance group, teaching Women's Studies and writing. She says that writing kept her sane. Oak also recalls doing headstands in Newbury jail and how living at Greenham stopped her being a germaphobe! Oak Chezar is the author of 'Trespassing, A Memoir of Greenham Common'.
Oak was interviewed by Vanessa Pini in January 2021.

This file includes two video recordings of Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE from FORWARD interviewed by students of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, London. One of the videos is the full length interview, the other is an edited version. The interview was conducted remotely and recorded via a video conferencing platform.
Date of interview: 01/03/2021
Length of recordings: 00:39:40 and 00:04:02

Submitted by: Avanes Khachaturov
Date: 17 March 2021
Location: Red Lion Square, London

With physical lectures being cancelled and all classes moving online by December 2020, I found that I had much more time to explore lunch options around campus. Before, my typical day involved rushing from one lecture hall or classroom to another, with studying in the Library in between, and hence I was limited by how far from campus I could venture out.

Most of the fast causal restaurants dotting Kingsway that specialized in providing food were closed the previous year, with primarily coffee chains remaining open for take away, offering only small sandwiches and toasties as lunch options. On the other hand, Lamb's Conduit Passage and Red Lion Street, which runs parallel to Red Lion Square, offered many small and cheap eateries of various cuisines, from Korean to Malaysian to British classics, which I only found the time to try out now that all of my studies were online and not tied to campus.

The picture taken was during one such lunch time, a relatively warm day for the weather that month, with the benches lining the park offering excellent places to sit back, enjoy a warm meal, and either listen to music or a podcast, or to just take in the sounds around you.

Submitted by: Qiuyan Chen
Date: 14 March 2021
Location: Gay village, Manchester

To celebrate my birthday, we went to Manchester during the pandemic. The first thing we did was to take photos in the gay village. There were so many rainbows, loved it! There were very few people and the shops weren't open. But as long as I can be with my girlfriend, I am the happiest person!

Submitted by: Beatriz Tiago Fernandes Marques Da Silva
Date: 31 March 2021
Location: LSE Library

Despite the academic year having been incredibly difficult for our student newspaper The Beaver, the features team still met every week to share our ideas for articles and enjoy some time venting about how busy our week had been so far. Our last meeting felt bittersweet as some of our friends in the team were graduating soon without us having properly hang out in person all together. I still could not be prouder of our team effort. We made memories over Zoom that won't be easily forgotten.

Submitted by: Deborah Challis
Date: January-April 2021

These posters are based on the responses to a survey of children at a Primary School as part of the LSE Festival 2021. The children were asked for their experiences and feelings around COVID-19 and related restrictions and then turned into infographics by artist Becci Kenning.

Date Accessed: 13 Apr 2021
Significant context URL: https://laurencefoxforlondon.co.uk/
Internet Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://laurencefoxforlondon.co.uk/

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Barbara.
Barbara was easily persuaded to visit Greenham with a group of women from Hackney after an upbringing by politicised parents. Her black father and white mother had taken her to see concentration camps in Europe where she learnt the danger of power with no responsibility. She recalls going on demonstrations with her family and experiencing discrimination due to race and class, including police brutality and dishonesty. She also talks about her decision to take her daughter, Ellen, on demonstrations, the strength of having women's protests and the importance of women having status. Barbara found Greenham to be a peaceful and friendly place where she felt safe.
Barbara was interviewed by Vanessa Pini in February 2021.

Public (redacted) minutes of School Management Committee meetings held from August to December 2021, as follows:
31 August 2021
06 September 2021
07 September 2021
13 September 2021
21 September 2021
28 September 2021
12 October 2021
19 October 2021
25 October 2021
02 November 2021
09 November 2021
16 November 2021
23 November 2021
30 November 2021
06 December 2021
07 December 2021
09 December 2021

This file includes two video recordings of Joyce Kallevik from WISH interviewed by students of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, London. One of the videos is the full length interview, the other is an edited version. The interview was conducted remotely and recorded via a video conferencing platform.
Date of interview: 04/03/2021
Length of recordings: 00:46:52 and 00:04:53

Submitted by: Aarti Malhotra
Date: 11 March 2021
Location: LSE Rosebery Hall, London

With the hairdressers being closed, improvisation was key!

Submitted by: Rachael Maguire
Date: February 2021 and April 2021
Location: Near Lincoln's Inn Fields

I had to go into the dentist and took the photos to show colleagues how the Marshall Building was progressing.

Submitted by: Qiuyan Chen
Date: 26 August 2021
Location: Glass House Brick Lane, London

I curated the community-focused Queer Chinese Art Festival with Jamie in August 2021. We hope to amplify the voices of emerging Chinese queer talents especially under the pressure of Covid-19. At the bottom right is the Art Festival poster. You can also see a photo of two women kissing in the street. This is me and my handsome girlfriend!

Date Accessed: 13 Apr 2021
Significant context URL: https://www.londonelects.org.uk/
Internet Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.londonelects.org.uk/