Local people are being invited to share memories, photographs and stories of life on Hull’s Orchard Park Estate (OPE), as arts charity Back to Ours launches a new project exploring the estate’s history.
The new work, called We are Orchard Park, aims to build an archive detailing the lives and experiences of the estate’s residents, which will be displayed locally and eventually housed at Hull History Centre.
The project will include a zine featuring material contributed by local people, alongside a wider installation and exhibition, planned for October 2026.
Artist Joe Sheehan, whose family was from the estate, is also creating a model of Laxthorpe, the high-rise block of flats on OPE that was demolished in 2015.
In August and early September, Back to Ours is holding drop-in sessions at the Orchard Centre, where current and former estate residents can share their stories and memories.
Ambitious plans and everyday life
When Orchard Park was planned in the 1960s, it was imagined as a modern new community, with ambitious ideas for the estate including a cinema and outdoor swimming pool.
It was designed around the Radburn model of neighbourhood planning, with separate pedestrian routes, shared green spaces and homes arranged around communal areas.
The Radburn approach was popular in post-war housing development and is believed to have influenced Walt Disney’s plans for the Epcot Centre.
But the vision for new communities didn’t always match residents’ experiences, and newspaper reports from Orchard Park’s early years document some of the challenges faced by people moving into their new homes.
Back to Ours wants ‘We are Orchard Park’ to capture a wide range of experiences and memories – positive, negative and everything in between.
Louise Yates, artistic director and CEO of Back to Ours said: “Orchard Park has a fascinating story, but we don’t want to tell that story on behalf of the people who live there, we want to hear it directly from them.
“There are the plans and newspaper reports from the 1960s, the buildings that have come and gone, and the reputation the estate has developed over the years. But there’s another history made up of people’s everyday experiences – moving here, growing up here, raising families, making friends and building communities.
“We want to capture those stories while we can, and create something that belongs to Orchard Park and its residents.”
Artist Joe Sheehan said: “My grandma lived in Laxthorpe and she absolutely loved it. She was so proud of her home, and I have so many of my own happy memories of visiting her.
“Orchard Park means a lot to my family. Making a model of Laxthorpe is about remembering the building, but more importantly the people who lived there and the lives they made for themselves.
“We’d love to hear from other people who remember Laxthorpe – whether you lived there yourself, visited family or friends, or simply remember seeing it as part of the Orchard Park skyline. There are so many personal stories that deserve to be remembered.”
Drop-in sessions
Dates: The final sessions will take place on Tuesday 1st and 8th September, 11am-3pm
Location: The Orchard Centre (old café space), Orchard Park Road, HU6 9BX
No booking required, simply turn up.
Residents can also share memories, photographs or other material by contacting team@backtoours.co.uk.