Flittermice, mumble, backrackets: UoG supporting project to revive lost language

University of Gloucestershire is connecting the past, present and future to support an entertaining and educational new community initiative celebrating the lost language of Gloucester.

Designed by University graduate Holly Williams-Richards, the Lost Language project is reviving terms and expressions that have disappeared from the 21^st century vocabulary, including backrackets (fireworks), flittermice (bats), mumble (confuse) and stomachful (proud).

A collection of words from the lost language of Gloucester are being displayed at selected locations as part of a city-wide public art trail – including several sites around the University’s popular Oxstalls Campus.

The project has been funded by Voices Gloucester, a community-led programme that offers funding, mentoring and support to individuals or organisations that want to tell their story about Gloucester’s history.

Dr Matthew Andrews, the University’s COO and Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience, said: “We’re confident the Lost Language project will prove an extremely popular attraction to people of all ages, including our staff and student community, and we’re absolutely delighted to be supporting it.

“The trail is a fabulous opportunity to discover the lost language of Gloucester in a fun and engaging way while exploring and visiting locations across the city.

“As an institution where enhancing knowledge is central to everything we do, we’re looking forward to attracting visitors to our Oxstalls Campus to find out more about some of those fascinating lost words and phrases.

“We’re delighted that Holly, one of our graduates, had the imagination and creativity to convert a great idea into a reality, and we wish her every success with the project.”

Holly Williams-Richards, who studied BA (Hons) Fine Art at the University, said: “I can’t thank Voices Gloucester enough for providing the funding to make the project possible and University for their support and facilitation in giving some of these works a home.

“To be able to return to the University to deliver this project has been so exciting, and I hope that it brings some joy to the students too.

“I look forward to seeing the trail grow across the city and working to connect some of this incredible archaic slang to the growing cultural and heritage sites.”

Main picture: Holly Williams-Richards pictured with one of the posters at the University