Wonderful story Wendy

Some places in Essex (with blessings and funding from the Council) have been providing reminisence work including creating memory books for a couple of years. Heritage Outrach, Adult Social Care, Arts Development and Age Concern all work together to create this package and go out to nursing homes, shelterd housing, etc.

I remember hearing about the first session as the artist leading a memory book workshop used library books desitned for the skip. Participants were encourged to glue photographs, pictures, pressed flowers, ticket stubs from shows and concerts, (any memorabilia the possessed) into the pages of the book. Many of the women were very uncomfortable about defacing the books in this way.

There is also reminisence training which teaches carers to bring out memories using oral history collection techniques.

Mum in law is always, pulling out old photos and moving them around in different albums. She was big on writing until about a year ago. I used to get something (from little note to full blown 4 page letter) in the post every week.

She met and married Dad after the war so no writing there, I wouldn't think.

She has cousins she was very close to in childhood, who moved to New Zealand while they were all still young. There has been some letter writing between them. In fact lately has been talking of them more than ever.

I wonder if we could get hold of some of those letters. I am on it. TSO says he has an email address somewhere for those cousins.

Thank you for this Wendy. I now feel I can really do something to make this situation easier for everyone. I have been sitting the sidelines biting my nails too long because I felt it was not my place to interfere.