The Dulwich Society Local History members are always looking for new ways to communicate local history, engage with residents and visitors, and add context to Dulwich’s past. Recently, we decided to install a listening post as an alternative to information boards.

After a bit of research into the different products on the market, including audio benches, we chose Black Box AV’s audio post https://www.blackboxav.co.uk/. The slim, tanalised timber post holds the electronics required to play up to six short messages of a couple of minutes each, giving up to 16 minutes of playback in total. The post is simple to operate with two buttons, one to start the audio, the other to scroll through the recordings.

The post has solar panels on each of its four sides, so needs no wiring or external power source, making it perfect for outdoor spaces and even through our long dull winters we haven’t had an issue with the post not playing. We got someone to install it in a small concrete base to make sure it stayed put. Its height makes it accessible to all, including children and people with wheelchairs, and we put ours next to a bench so people can sit to listen if they wish. Robustness and simplicity come at a price however and the posts are not cheap.

The local history content for our post took the form of a script by local history group member Brian Green and is written from the point of view of Edward Alleyn, (1566-1626), early modern actor and playhouse owner; lord of the manor of Dulwich and founder of Dulwich schools, almshouses and chapel. The script was recorded (on a smartphone) by local resident and actor Will Owen who, as Edward Alleyn, explained how he came to buy the manor of Dulwich and set up his charity. He talks about the buildings you can see when you are standing or sitting near the post. The tone is deliberately light while at the same time conveying quite a lot of historical information. The post gives us feedback in terms of listening statistics which show that it is used regularly throughout the year. More often in summer when Dulwich has more visitors.

We made the unveiling into quite an event. Our president gave a speech before around 70 people We then moved into the chapel for a short talk on the history of the 400-year-old building followed by an organ recital then drinks in the chapel cloisters to celebrate.

The messages on the post can be changed via a memory card so we have offered use of the post to the Dulwich Players, our local amateur dramatic group, and the Dulwich Festival, for them to make their own content for short periods. We can then return to Edward Alleyn retelling some of our rich local history.

https://www.dulwichsociety.com/local-history

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