History project looks for memories of Bishop's Waltham (From Hampshire Chronicle)

History project looks for memories of Bishop's Waltham

9:00am Sunday 19th February 2012 in News By Emma Streatfield

A LOT has changed in 60 years since a 25-year-old queen was crowned.

Now villagers in the Meon Valley are being invited to commit their memories of what life was like in 1950s Bishop’s Waltham to history.

The Bishop’s Waltham Museum Trust wants to set up a reminiscence project so that it has an oral history to go alongside the artefacts it has collected over the years signifying life in Bishop’s Waltham and the lives of its residents in that period.

The idea is that the town will have access to a description of life in the 1950s available to listen to for years to come.

The trust will bring people together in groups to talk about the past which will be kept as an audio record, but also to record some individuals’ memories or anecdotes on tape.

For those less mobile, the group are prepared to visit them.

The first session will be in March.

The museum, in the grounds of Bishop’s Waltham Palace, off Winchester Road, is run entirely by volunteers who also hope to use some of the words to be part of the 1950s displays.

Gill Atkins, trustee and volunteer involved in the project, said: “It’s a chance to be part of history, it doesn’t have to be history written down in books, this is personal history, personal memories.

“This will give us a lot more information, help us collect a few more items for the museum and give a bit more interest to the items we have.”

The project, done together with Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council and community groups and traders, is one of several celebratory events planned for the queen’s jubilee.

To get involved register by calling 01489 895428 or emailing bishopswalthammuseum@hotmail.co.uk.