A collection of stories responding to topics set during the Covid-18 break is now available on the “Our Stories” page on website. Our most recent topic, “I Grew Up in….”, resulted in evocative stories being shared describing growing up in ‘an institutional setting’, Chiltern, ‘the War Years’, Ireland, ‘a family of six’, with more to come.
The task for late July is to dip into our “Ideas Piggy Bank”. If you are new to the group or thinking of joining, the idea is to create an “Ideas Piggy Bank” in a shoe box, or treasured, perhaps decorated box, adding to it “objects and artefacts that enliven your memories, through scent and feel. Maps, menus, theatre programs, an old report card, vials of perfume, a garment, treasured photographs, a souvenir, an expired passport can sometimes trigger a work rich with detail”. (2) Select two items from this piggy bank as creative prompts – what do they mean to you? What were you doing, why; what were you thinking at the time this object related to your life? (250 words for each object). Perhaps you could attach a photo or two to the email to include with your story on the web site.
Last year, group members reminisced drawing upon objects and artefacts including two Olympic Games programs; a breakfast menu from the Ghan; a treasured family photo; a missive won as an award as a child, a pair of toe shoes worn as a 13 year old; a Brownie Box camera; a brooch; mementos of trips abroad; an imagined blue Malvern Star bike ridden on for the first time; rosary beads; a toy made by a treasured friend; a small folio of papers and newspaper articles found after a father's death; three wise monkeys and Milk Arrowroot biscuits.
An alternative topic on offer in July, is ‘Car Stories’ - the brief ‘So many formative moments happen in cars – tell us about a memorable experience you had in yours. It could be your first taste of P-plate freedom, a revealing in-transit conversation, or how an accident, a flat tyre, or parking ticket set off a chain of events in your day…or?’
After enjoying readubg Claire's nostalgia inducing story 'How I met Karl' in July, 'How We Met' was set as the alternative topic. Later I remembered this had been a topic not that long ago. If you haven't already written a nostalgia filled 'How we met...' story, or if you would like to write another one, feel free to do so!
Bev Lee
The task for late July is to dip into our “Ideas Piggy Bank”. If you are new to the group or thinking of joining, the idea is to create an “Ideas Piggy Bank” in a shoe box, or treasured, perhaps decorated box, adding to it “objects and artefacts that enliven your memories, through scent and feel. Maps, menus, theatre programs, an old report card, vials of perfume, a garment, treasured photographs, a souvenir, an expired passport can sometimes trigger a work rich with detail”. (2) Select two items from this piggy bank as creative prompts – what do they mean to you? What were you doing, why; what were you thinking at the time this object related to your life? (250 words for each object). Perhaps you could attach a photo or two to the email to include with your story on the web site.
Last year, group members reminisced drawing upon objects and artefacts including two Olympic Games programs; a breakfast menu from the Ghan; a treasured family photo; a missive won as an award as a child, a pair of toe shoes worn as a 13 year old; a Brownie Box camera; a brooch; mementos of trips abroad; an imagined blue Malvern Star bike ridden on for the first time; rosary beads; a toy made by a treasured friend; a small folio of papers and newspaper articles found after a father's death; three wise monkeys and Milk Arrowroot biscuits.
An alternative topic on offer in July, is ‘Car Stories’ - the brief ‘So many formative moments happen in cars – tell us about a memorable experience you had in yours. It could be your first taste of P-plate freedom, a revealing in-transit conversation, or how an accident, a flat tyre, or parking ticket set off a chain of events in your day…or?’
After enjoying readubg Claire's nostalgia inducing story 'How I met Karl' in July, 'How We Met' was set as the alternative topic. Later I remembered this had been a topic not that long ago. If you haven't already written a nostalgia filled 'How we met...' story, or if you would like to write another one, feel free to do so!
Bev Lee
