ona and Peter Opie were seminal figures in the British folklore scene for many years, but are mostly remembered for their work on children’s folklore from the 1950s to the 1990s. Their huge manuscript collection is held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and a project has been underway to digitise the materials, catalogue them, and present them online. Not all the material is yet available, but an impressive start has been made, and can be seen at: www.opiearchive.org. Much of the material is in the handwriting of the children themselves. The website was officially launched at an afternoon conference held at the offices of Oxford University Press on 15th November to celebrate the 60 years anniversary of the Opies’ hugely influential Lore and Language of Schoolchildren, and 50 years of Children’s Games in Street and Playground.
