Precious memories preserved forever

A project which set out to record the memories of people living with dementia concluded with the launch of a book and a celebratory tea party at the 2024 Farnham Literary Festival.

Writing Memories began at the 2023 Farnham Literary Festival as a collaboration between Right at Home GF, the Farnham Herald, and the parish of Badshot Lea and Hale. The idea was to capture and record the personal memories and life stories of some of Farnham’s residents.

After the initial launch, the project was taken forward by volunteer Linda Katz who worked with more than 20 people who attend Right at Home’s weekly Sunflower Café at the Spire Church.

Liz Young, Business Development and Marketing Manager at Right at Home GF says: “Over the course of a year, a group of people from diverse backgrounds have recalled their memories about a wide variety of subjects. The book includes people’s early memories of childhood as well as accounts about Farnham which include visits to shops, pubs, the open-air swimming pool, Gostrey Meadow and many other places around Farnham.”

Linda Katz says: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work on this project. As well as culminating in an invaluable record of people’s memories, it provided participants with mental stimulation. At the workshops, we created an environment where everyone’s opinion mattered, and this led to people being completely honest when recalling memories. The project succeeded because of the loving and respectful relationships that formed amongst members of the group. We are now looking to take the project outside Farnham so we can record a different set of memories.”

The book of memories has been designed in a loose-leaf format so it can be added to in the future. It contains transcripts of memories shared at the workshops, beautiful photographs, and illustrations.