This relatively new project is beginning to get well established , with two sessions taking place on the last Saturday morning of both January and February. Focused around a different theme each time , older members of CGN are paired with local writers (some also from CGN ) who listen to and record their memories and experiences., which will later be compiled into a 2nd booklet.
January’s session topic was music and dance, and February’s early friendship groups. We start the session with simple introductions eg say your name, and say one word which you associate with music and dance …moving on to some visualisation and relaxation as people are asked to think more deeply about certain memories around the topic. Once under way and with more prompts and ideas , people spend time in their pairs describing an experience or memory that they would like recorded. The writers then have some time together to think through what they have heard and what they wish to re check with their story teller. The gentle hubbub in the room is wonderful to hear, and we can see many older storytellers expressing themselves with hand gestures , laughter and with a lot of thought.
The sessions, are fun, so enlightening and it feels an incredibly supportive group of people . We are all learning about each other ,as well as acknowledging and valuing shared past experiences…It is a real life history lesson !
Chorlton Good Neighbours 