Daily Mirror Article - Living Memories Online - December 4, 2020

Taken from the Daily Mirror article online - read the full article here.

MEMORIES Shopping on Christmas Eve in the 1940s

Grandparents often say Christmas was better in the good old days, and now they can go back and relive those golden times again for just £5 a month, which would make an excellent Christmas gift for them.

The service is also targeted at elderly people living at home or in care homes as well as those with dementia, and an £10-a-month subscription includes reminiscence resources for groups to help trigger memories.

Living Memories was developed by Brian Norris and his wife Leonore after running the Tea and Memory groups in Cornwall and East Devon. They decided to make their resource widely available online so everyone can have access to the memories.

Founder Brian, who also happens to be the local town crier in Colyton, says: “Archive films are a wonderful way of prompting older people to share memories and life experiences.

“When I watch these old films and chat about them, they make me feel young again,” says 84-year-old great-gran Noelle Ingham about new online archive film resource, Living Memories.

A member of her local Tea and Memory group in Colyton, East Devon, Noelle and her friends have been trialling a DVD version of the online platform. It is aimed at helping the elderly beat lockdown isolation by travelling back in time and getting folk to chat about the old days.

The not-for-profit social enterprise offers access to hundreds of hours of archive films and newsreels from the 1930s to 1970s – giving a fascinating insight into all aspects of life in the past, from important world events to life and work in the mid-20th century.

There are almost 40 different categories to choose, from getting married, cookery, fashion and make-up to food and shopping, and over 1,800 titles available with more are being added each month.

OUR CUP OF TEA Eileen and Barbara

“Long-term memory is usually one of their strengths, so reminiscence encourages them to chat about the old days, and it helps to combat loneliness.” At the Abbeyfield Tavistock Society, 84-year-old Graham Osborn says: “The Tea and Memory events I run for our residents bring so much joy and we always have a full house.

“Showing a short clip from the early to mid-1900s unlocks so many memories and everyone has stories to tell.”

Two of the residents, Eileen Hooper and Barbara Piper, loved the trip down memory lane.

“It was refreshing to once again experience precious memories of moments we never wanted to end,” says Eileen. While Barbara adds: “Tea and Memories is the perfect name for these events because the memories warm you up from the inside!”

Visit livingmemories.imagencloud.com to find out more or call 01297 552358.