Behind-the-Scenes - Cadet Voices

In 2022 Cadets were trained in how to approach, structure and record an interview by oral historian Jen Kavanagh. Held in London, Bristol, Stockport and Newcastle, these training sessions were also an opportunity for the team to get to know one another and develop their own discussion guides.

Over the summer, interviews were held in 16 locations around the country from Swindon and Exeter, to Ossett, Preston and Sheffield. The full interviews were then transcribed and now form part of the archive of the Museum of the Order of St John where they are available for all to consult. In the autumn, we hit the road again setting up displays and activities at events to celebrate the Year of Youth, including at Alton Towers and the Guildhall in London.

Colour photograph showing 7 Cadets standing in two rows in front of an elaborate stone fireplace. They are all smiling at the camera.

Some of the participating Cadets at St John's Gate, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph showing 4 Cadets sat around a table with notes in front of them. Discussion in progress. The backdrop is a wooden panelled room with elaborate gilded plaques on the walls.

Cadets Millie Goodbody-Mason, Kat Wright, Maria Chicu and James Squirrell taking part in oral history training, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of 3 Cadets sitting at a table having a discussion. Notes, drinks and snacks on the table. The backdrop is a wooden panelled room which has a large stained glass window.

Cadets Libin Prakash, Vida Mishra and Shannon Myers taking part in oral history training, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older woman sitting at a table with an open photograph album in front of her. She is showing it to a younger woman who is looking at the photographs and smiling. They are sitting in a dining room with kitchen visible beyond.

Jean Davey and Jen Kavanagh explore an album of photographs from Cadet Camp, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an elderly man sitting on a brown sofa and holding a black and white photograph of himself as a sixteen year-old out in front of him with both hands. He is wearing a white shirt, black tie and black trousers.

Dennis Parker holds a photograph of himself aged 16 in his St John Ambulance uniform, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a Cadet standing on the left wearing jeans and a black hoodie. Next to him stands an older man wearing cream trousers and a light blue shirt. They are posing against a wall graphic which has a quote reading 'It's probably the greatest achievement of my life' Simon Underwood Life Saver.

Cadet Callum Bollins-Bowers and Michael Lambell, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of two Cadets in green and black St John uniform standing either side of a woman, also in green and black St John uniform. They are inside a training room and the woman holds up a small booklet which has a title reading 'The Cadet Record Book'.

Cadet Libin Prakash and Cadet of the Year Georgina Heron-Edmends with Gill Tanner holding her Cadet Record Book, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a woman wearing a purple top sitting on a chair to the left. She is interviewing a man who is sat opposite her and wearing green and black St John uniform. The backdrop is an office setting with computer screens on the desk behind.

Rachel Job interviewing Ryan Russell, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a woman in a red-patterned t-shirt sitting at a table in mid-conversation. A black audio recorder is on the table.

Janet Basso during her interview, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a man and two Cadets seated at a table. They have microphones in front of them and an interview is in progress. The man is gesticulating with his hands as he explains something. The Cadets are listening. The backdrop is a wood panelled room with a gilded mirror and floral curtains.

James McNulty-Ackroyd being interviewed by Cadets Libin Prakash and Kat Wright, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a woman and a female Cadet seated at a table with a black audio recorder between them. They are both wearing green and black St John uniform. The backdrop is a training room with a large screen behind them.

Tracy Kane being interviewed by Cadet of the Year Georgina Heron-Edmends, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of two Cadets and a woman sitting around a polished wooden table with a black recorder on the table. They are all looking towards the camera and smiling.

Kobie Biggs being interviewed by Cadets James Squirrell and Shannon Myers, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a woman wearing a black jacket and red skirt standing next to a male Cadet in green and black St John uniform. A black recorder is on the table in front of them but the interview is not in progress. They are posing for a photograph and smiling at the camera.

Judith Morris and Cadet Danny Evans, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older woman wearing a white top and patterned skirt. She is standing next to a younger women and they are posing for a photograph in a living room. The younger woman holds a large black and white photograph showing a group of women and girls in St John uniform.

Enid Patient and Amie Hampsheir-Gill holding a photograph of Enid (centre) and the Walthamstow Nursing Cadets, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a man in a white shirt sitting at a table in an office. In front of him certificates and old photographs are laid out on the table next to a black audio recorder.

Michael Jackson at his interview, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older man in a blue shirt and dark trousers standing a posing for a photograph. He holds a certificate in one hand, and in the other two medals.

Dr James Burton holding his service medal and Order insignia, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older man and two Cadets seated around a polished wooden table. There is a black audio recorder on the table. They all have paperwork in front of them. The older man and one of the Cadets are smiling at the camera.

Keith Schnaar being interviewed by Cadets James Squirrell and Shannon Myers, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of two Cadets standing either side of an older woman in a carpeted room below a photograph of Queen Elizabeth hanging on the wall. They are all smiling and are dressed in green and black St John uniform.

Shirley Cox with Cadets Mackenzie Edmondson and Sarah Shore, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older woman sitting behind a table. She is looking directly at the camera. In front of her there is a pile of black and white photographs on the table.

Freda Pickard at her interview, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a man standing in a room against a white wall. He wears a dark t-shirt and brown trousers. He is smiling at the camera and in his left hands holds a small circular pin.

Michael McHardy holding his Cadet pin, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of two Cadets and a young woman standing in a room beneath a wall graphic that says 'Ask Us How First Aid Saves Lives'. The Cadets are both wearing green and black uniform, the woman is wearing a red and white striped top. They are all smiling at the camera.

Chloe Hunter-Rea with Cadets Sarah Shore and Mackenzie Edmondson, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a female Cadet and a man seated at a table with a black audio recorder on it. An interview is in progress. They are both wearing green and black St John uniform.

Craig Wood being interviewed by Cadet Elisha Holland, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older woman and a male Cadet seated at a table. They both have their forearms resting on the table and are leaning in towards each other. An interview is in progress and there is a black audio recorder on the table.

Liz Srogi being interviewed by Cadet Jake Curbison, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older lady wearing a green and black St John t-shirt. She is smiling and holding up an old magazine that has a black and white image of her on the cover as a young woman.

Marion Sharrock holding a photograph of herself receiving a trophy in 1967, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a man and two Cadets standing outside in front of a white St John ambulance with luminous yellow and green chevrons. All three are wearing green and black St John uniform and smiling at the camera.

Nicholas Evanson with Cadets Sarah Shore and Mackenzie Edmondson, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a young woman and two Cadets standing in a room. They are posing for a photograph around a plastic teaching skeleton. They are all looking at the camera and smiling.

Chloe Hobson with Cadets Kaelon Rutherford and Chloe Willoughby, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a male Cadet and a woman seated at a table. An interview is in progress and there is a black audio recorder on the table between them. The woman is gesticulating with her hands as she explains something.

Lauren McMaster being interviewed by Cadet Jake Curbison, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older woman and a younger woman seated next to each other on a brown sofa in a living room. The older lady has a lever arch file of documents on her lap and is showing the contents to the younger woman. They are both looking down towards the folder.

Celia Streeter and Sarah Wilkinson, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Kevin Pacey-Bartlett, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of two Cadets standing either side of an older woman. Behind them is a blue sofa and a wall graphic that reads 'Ask Us How St John Saves Lives'. They are all smiling.

Maria Marsden with Cadets Mackenzie Edmondson and Danny Evans, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a Cadet and a man seated at a table. An interview is in progress. There is a black audio recorder on the table between them.

Stephen Fox being interviewed by Cadet Jake Curbison, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older man in a suit seated at a polished wooden table. Opposite him are two Cadets in green and black St John uniform. The man is showing them a document and pointing at something on it. There is a black recorder on the table between them.

Alan Sharkey being interviewed by Cadets Maria Chicu and James Squirrell, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a Cadet and an older man seated at a table. The older man is laughing. There are documents and a small medal box on the table in front of them.

Brian Porter being interviewed by Cadet of the Year Georgina Heron-Edmends, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of two Cadets standing either side of an older woman outside a building with glazed windows and a large wooden door. They are all smiling at the camera.

Suzanne Squirrell with Cadets Callum Bollins-Bowers and Shannon Myers outside St John's Gate, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of an older lady wearing a white polo neck and a pink jacket. A white pointed cross is pinned to jacket. She is smiling and accepting a small box from someone out of shot.

Marjorie Riley in Sheffield Cathedral when she received her Service Medal Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a man and a Cadet standing against a white wall with lots of black and white signs on it. The largest, which is above their heads, reads 'St John Ambulance, Norfolk'. They are both smiling.

Andrew Hayward and Cadet Millie Goodbody-Mason, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a table covered with old photographs, magazines and booklets on a white tablecloth illustrating Cadet activities in the 1950s.

Display showing Cadet activities in the 1950s, Cadet centenary event at Alton Towers, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a young woman in a yellow t-shirt and black trousers smiling at the camera whilst she reaches out to some uniform that is hanging on a clothes rail in front of her. The uniform items are mainly black and grey and are not clearly visible. The backdrop is the inside of a marquee.

Amie Hampsheir-Gill with a display of historic uniform at the Cadet centenary event, Alton Towers, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a woman browsing some old photographs that are laid out on a table. The table is full of different types of artefact including a grey nursing dress on a mannequin, a white bag decorated with a black eight-pointed cross, shields, magazines and booklets.

Suzanne Squirrell browses displays of the Museum's Cadet collection, Guildhall, London, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Colour photograph of a table covered with old photographs, silver trophies, magazines and a black and white striped tie. A poster entitled 'St John Ambulance Cadet Divisions' with a black and white photograph of two girls in St John uniform washing a baby is displayed on a wooden easel behind the table.

Display of Cadet activities in the 1950s and 1960s, Guildhall, London, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Harrow Cadet Unit dressed as Cadets through the ages, with Steven Smith and Sarah Smith, Guildhall, London, 2022 Image courtesy of the Museum of the Order of St John

Quotes

“It was incredible to hear how each interviewee had different backgrounds and all had different hurdles and how they overcame these and all their different wins! The ability to delve so deep into St John’s history and how our Cadet and Badger programmes have transformed in order to fit modern day society has been such an incredible experience! Everybody has a unique story and it is so important to value and respect everybody’s individual stories and experiences.”

Cadet Libin Prakash

“I discovered a lot of opportunities there were and still are that I hadn’t heard of before. I also found out about the uniform they had to wear and how it has changed over the years. I will definitely take part in more camps, events, competitions and much more now that I am more aware what goes on.”

Cadet Elena Pons-Robinson

“One of my most enjoyed parts would be connecting with past Cadets. I loved meeting people who you may not ordinarily meet and hearing some of their amazing experiences from years and years ago. I think I’ve learnt to listen a lot more than what I would ordinarily.”

Cadet Jake Curbison

Acknowledgements

Oral historian: Jen Kavanagh

Steering Group: Hannah Agass, Sophie Denman, Amie Hampsheir-Gill, Brian Hays, Georgina Heron-Edmends, Rachel Job, Anna Mason, Ryan Simpson, Sarah Wilkinson

Cadets interviewers: Calum Bollins-Bowers, Maria Chicu, Jake Curbison, Mackenzie Edmondson, Danny Evans, Millie Goodbody-Mason, Georgina Heron-Edmends, Elisha Holland, Shannon Myers, Libin Prakash, Elena Robinson-Pons, Kaelon Rutherford, Soban Saqib, Sarah Shore, James Squirrell, Chloe Willoughby, Kat Wright

Exhibition design: Tim Jukes

Additional thanks to Mona Abdallah, Aaliyah Attwood, Kerry Craddock at Business Friend, Elaine Dicker, Ian Groves, Michael Hall, Emma-Jane Hampsheir-Gill, Harrow Cadet Unit, Victoria Ives, Steven Liggins, Immie Meade, Elizabeth Mellows, Hazel Shirley, Steven Smith, Sarah Smith, Suzanne Squirrell, Marleen Vincenten, Emily Whyte