Mick, Amen to that.
My grandmother died a couple of days back at the age of 93, and I bitterly regret not writing down/taping or somehow recording some of her memories.
Trouble is she was a cantakerous old trout who hadn't spoken to me in nearly 15 years (a devout left-footer who hugely disapproved of divorce, which is something the mother of my kids and I tried out a few years back. We got over it and got back together, but my grandmother remained v.frosty)