A video that celebrates the lives of the men and women who built the Settle-Carlisle Railway in the 1870s has been released by well-known folk singer, Karin Grandal-Park.
Lives on the Line features sound bites from the successful CD of the same name as well as live performances of several songs from the iconic Ribblehead.
The project is part of Stories in Stone, a scheme of conservation and community projects concentrated on the Ingleborough area. The scheme was developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership, led by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Karin said: “I lived for a number of years within a mile of the Settle Carlisle Railway. I travelled on it many times, never really thinking about, or understanding the massive human effort involved in building it. This project gave me the opportunity to explore the history of this amazing engineering feat.
“More importantly for me, it gave me the chance to find out more about the Navvies: their lives, their families, how they lived and how they died. My songs are a reflection of my journey to know more.”
The video also features Mike Harding and Karin having a conversation about the lives of the navvies and the inspiration for the songs.
Michaela Brennan, YDMT’s Project Officer, said: “The Settle Carlisle Railway has a fascinating history and has inspired many artists and musicians such as Karin. We are delighted we could build on the success of Karin’s Lives on the Line CD by funding a video featuring her songs and a fascinating discussion with Mike Harding about the lives of those who built it.
“It will be a legacy of the project for years to come.”
Karin wrote and performed the songs, supported by Rebecca Clare Douglas (former Head of Strings at Giggleswick School), Allan Ideson and Mike Harding. The CD also features Karin’s version of Alice White, written by Alan Bell.
The CD costs £5 (plus £2.50 p&p) and part of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line. It is available from Karin’s website www.karingrandalpark.co.uk, the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line website www.foscl.org.uk and local outlets.
