Project aims to capture memories and stories of villagers
A project has been started to try and capture the memories and stories of villagers.
The Capturing Memories Project, initiated by North Muskham Parish Council, is giving residents the chance to document their past.
Drama specialists and village residents Anne and Geoffrey Readman are helping to lead the project.
“I believe in the power of the imagination. The imagination, to me, is what makes us who we are — it is what makes us human,” said Geoff.
“Re-living the past and imagining ourselves in past situations is important as it lets you relive the more human side to life.
“It is as important as charity work, or anything else we might read about, but it’s something we don’t actively seek to do.
“We ultimately want to record the village’s community identity.”
The couple, who met during their studies, hope to create a project that can be enjoyed by all ages.
“The process is intergenerational,” said Geoff. “We are running a club with Muskham Primary School because you would normally associate a project like this being linked to the seniors in the village, but we are trying to introduce this to the young people too.
“We are hoping to give them the chance to act out stories in a play.”
Anne said they had uncovered diaries of Frances Olive Willams, the wife of the Vicar of Muskham from 1905 to 1937.
She said it describes tales from the war years, which reveal happy times, sad times and everything else happening in the village during the period.
Several artefacts and documents have also been uncovered during their research.
“Talking to more and more elderly residents you get a strong since of community from their childhood and this is a real driving force behind it,” said Anne.
“’Do you remember when?’ is one of the most common phrases when discussing this project, but no matter where we are in the world, the strong sense of story and community always comes out of people.”
The website will be launched in September, when anyone will be able to access the stories of Muskham residents.
The parish council is also aiming to create a small archive in the village church.
There could also be a performance that tells stories from the village over the weekend of June 20, 2020, and an illustrated village book of recorded memories.
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