TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT DURING LOCKDOWN

 SNAPSHOTS FROM THE PAST  

 The lockdown seemed an ideal moment to start this new Facebook group, and you don't have to be a brilliant writer to join in. We already have 154 members and the numbers are growing.

 Births, marriages, deaths, the basic facts – you can get all these from the genealogy web sites but the little
personal details and experiences that make up a person’s life are lost forever once that person is gone. No, I’m not for a moment suggesting any of us are going to die! Far from it, we’ve been protecting ourselves by self isolating. But this could be the perfect opportunity to record your memories on paper, providing a legacy for future generations of your family.

On paper, yes, not just online. The internet is too ephemeral. Your family two or three generations, even one generation, down the line, won’t be able to read your posts and get to know you.

And it's easy! You don't have to be a brilliant writer. Jottings can be far more interesting than a formal autobiography. Use an old diary, a notebook, drop scribbled scraps of paper into a memory box. Later there'll be all the fun of sorting and categorising.

I've been posting regular triggers to provide inspiration. Examples: scents and smells, and what they evoke; your first home, first day at school, your first job, your first date; your school and teachers; a loved relative or friend - and there'll be more to come. All of them should spark memories.

Sometimes, too, you may recall other catastrophes experienced by yourselves or our forefathers. Those were overcome, and so will the present catastrophe be too.