MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS…
After talking to their own mums, journalists Julie Magee and Tracy Johnson came up with an idea to record life stories so memories stay with families forever
Best friends and journalists Julie Magee and Tracy Johnson have joined forces to create a little piece of history for families who want to discover more about their past.
It was while the two were talking about their own grandparents, that they realised that they knew very little about their family history, and they decided it would be a good idea to ‘interview’ their mums, Alice and Lynne, to find out more.
“We found out so much – so many interesting things!” says Julie.
Tracy adds: “I found out that my mum had gone to the same school as Tom Jones!”
The pair decided to write down their mums’ stories so other members of the family could discover more about people from the past who have helped shape their future.
Having created two memory booklets for their mums, Julie and Tracy decided to launch Forever Memories, for families who are keen to pass on their history and heritage.
“Lots of people research their family tree,” explains Tracy. “Forever Memories is about characters and personalities, and stories from the past. We bring the family tree to life.”
In her Forever Memories book, Tracy’s mum says, ‘It’s funny to think that a girl from South Wales moved more then 200 miles from home to live with a boy from Clitheroe back in the late 60s. It was quite the dare devil thing to do!’
She recalls her own father and mother building the family home in Wales, adding, ‘They paid £200 for the plot of land, which was a lot of money back then and my father built it bit by bit as the bank released the money.’
After meeting her husband-to-be she recalls her move north to Clitheroe, the birth of her first baby, and their first Butlins family holiday, ‘You slept in chalets and each evening when the adults went to the main hall, the children were left in the chalet. Nannies walked around checking them and if one woke, they would write your chalet number on a blackboard for the parents to see. Such different times!’
Tracy adds: “When my mum told us she went to the same school as Tom Jones it was a real talking point among her grandchildren, as these days they recognise him from The Voice!”
Julie adds: “I found out that my mum met Richard Attenborough when he was in the area filming Whistle Down the Wind. He went to a dance in Chatburn, where there was a beauty contest that my mum entered.”
In her Forever Memories booklet, Julie’s mum recalls, ‘I didn’t win but afterwards Richard Attenborough came over and asked me to dance. I was so nervous I couldn’t dance for toffee! I kept standing on his toes!’
Tracy, who has written the non-fiction novel, The Mill Girls, about four women who worked in Lancashire’s cotton mills adds: “When I was writing the book I was thinking about my grandma, who worked in Holmes Mill. Writing the book gave me a real insight into what she went through. I was 14 when she died and never really asked her about her work – it was a lost opportunity.”
“Creating a Forever Memories keepsake means memories like this are not lost,” adds Julie, who has worked as a journalist for 23 years.
“The booklets are great gifts for birthdays or anniversaries. It is a way that families can club together and discover so much more about their history and characters from the past. It’s their story told in their own words.”
Julie and Tracy have already created a number of memory booklets for local people, one of whom recalls how her grandmother grew all her own vegetables, had a pet duck called Paul who sat on a sofa in front of a range cooker and she remembers playing in an air raid shelter at the bottom of the garden. In later life she recalls travels to China, trips to New York, to India and a solo cruise around the Caribbean.
“That memory book was quite a bit bigger than some, but it is totally flexible. We can include as much or as little as people want,” says Tracy, who has been a professional writer for 15 years.
“We start with a chat, and if they want to go ahead, we arrange a face to face informal interview. We are both experienced journalists so we know what we are doing and how to get the best out of people – the best stories. We enjoy talking to people and we work well together.”
“This is an opportunity for people to bring a lot of happiness to others, giving them memories to treasure.”
Julie: 07863 141 906
magee.julie@yahoo.co.uk
Tracy: 07886 416 842
tracyclitheroe@yahoo.co.uk
