Interview with Andrew Bibby

Interview covers late 1970s-2018

[00:00:02] Andrew Bibby briefly outlines his involvement in the worker co-operative movement [Oakleaf – a radical bookshop in Milton Keynes; Leicester and County Co-operative Development Agency]. [00:00:40] Outlines how Oakleaf was set up and it's early days. [00:04:47] Briefly outlines Oakleaf's closure. [00:05:25] Discusses the structures of Oakleaf and Leicester and County Co-operative Development Agency. [00:06:56] Talks about decision making within Oakleaf. [00:10:58] Discusses ICOM and CDA's in relation to the worker co-operative scene in the early 1980s. [00:12:02] Talks about links between Oakleaf and the Open University, and the Federation of Alternative Booksellers (FAB) which later become the Federation of Radical Booksellers (FRB). [00:13:23] Talks about involvement of Oakleaf with wider political activities include trade unions and the European Nuclear Disarmament. [00:14:44] Outlines how became involved with Leicester and County Co-operative Development Agency. [00:16:52] Outlines work conducted at Leicester CDA. [00:18:22] Discusses work as a journalist following leaving Leicester CDA. [00:22:36] Talks briefly about the wider background to the UK worker co-operative movement 1970s. [00:24:43] Talks about supporting other radical bookshops through Oakleaf.

Andrew Bibby was a founder member of Oakleaf bookshop before going on to work at Leicester and County Co-operative Development Agency. He then went on to work as a freelance journalist before becoming a professional writer.

(Interviewer) Philippa Lewis worked as the Project Archivist for the Working Together Project (2017-2018) based at the National Co-operative Archive.

Only accessible at the National Co-operative Archive reading room.

In October 2017 the National Co-operative Archive sent out a request for interview participants from the wider workers' co-operative community to take part in Working Together, a Heritage Lottery Funded project seeking to record and preserve the heritage of the workers' co-operative movement. This interview was recorded in response to this request. The interview was conducted at the National Co-operative Archive, Manchester.

Length of interview: 00:32:56

(Track 1: 00:25:43 Track 2: 00:07:13)

Recording Equipment: Zoom H2 Handy recorder

Recording note: original audio file WAV 48kHz/16 bit - copy audio file Mp3

This interview is licensed under a Creative Commons license (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives)

Transcript and summary of interview available on request at the National Co-operative Archive.

Original recording and transcript held at the National Co-operative Archive.