Capturing the memories of Strand Spinning Mill
Portview invited former mill workers, their families and the East Belfast community to help preserve the stories and social history of Strand Spinning Mill.
The history of Strand Spinning Mill is not only contained in bricks, machinery and architectural drawings. It also lives in the memories of the people who worked there and the communities that grew around it.
In September 2020, Portview launched What’s the Story?, inviting former mill workers, their families and people from the surrounding area to share memories, photographs and material connected with the former mill.
The stories gathered contributed to Spinning Memories, an archive intended to preserve the social history of the site alongside its industrial heritage. The initiative formed part of the wider heritage work supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Collecting those memories helped ensure that plans for the future considered not only the architectural significance of the building, but also the experiences of the generations who worked there and the mill’s relationship with East Belfast.
That approach continues to inform Portview’s work today: understanding the past as part of the process of giving the building a sustainable future.
Contemporary coverage / source: News Letter – Can you spin a yarn about historic mill?
