- Taming a wild bull at the age of nine…
- Tea drinking with Winston Churchill…
- A naked Fijian oil-wrestling champion…
- Saving a drowning girl from getting swept out to sea…
- Tying the headmaster’s car bumper to a tree…
These are just a few of the stories I associate with my grandparents. Each represents a snapshot of a bigger story which in turn forms only part of the rich tapestry of their lives. Strangely though, the more of these stories I hear, the more I realise I don’t know.
By Rowan Wilkinson, Founder of Love Your Stories
One of my grandfathers recently passed away, taking with him a multitude of stories about his life which sadly I will now never hear. And he certainly had some stories. His were always wild and wonderful, and he would never fail to stun a room into bewildered awe – or occasional concern! – whenever we got together for family gatherings. His death put into perspective for me how important it is to learn more about the lives of those closest to us whilst we still can.
Having worked as a music and entertainment publicist for a number of years, I spent much of my time setting up interviews to document and promote stories about the lives of musicians and celebrities.
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In doing so I began to recognise the wider value of telling, recording and sharing life stories as a meaningful activity which shouldn’t just be something restricted to celebrities and people in the public eye. Passing on the life stories and learnings of those closest to us as a lasting legacy to family, friends and future generations should be a hugely important part of life and something we all should be doing.
Imagine hearing the voice of your great-grandfather talking about his first-hand experiences of fighting in the Boer war, your grandchildren listening to your mum discussing untold tales of growing up in the Swinging Sixties, or even yourself taking in your own words at the age of six setting the world to rights. To facilitate this, I set up Love Your Stories.
We have assembled a crack team of award-winning radio journalists to give families and individuals the opportunity to document a loved one’s life stories with the same skill, compassion and professionalism that would be applied to the latest item on the national media agenda.
With years of experience making documentaries and producing high-profile radio shows for the BBC, the team interview and record people telling their own life stories in broadcast-quality audio. Each life story is then turned into a stunning, interactive online memoir, including photos, transcriptions and quotes, which can be shared with family and friends and treasured for generations to come.
One such example comes with the selection of stories we created with Martin Levey, who, after his Jewish grandparents had to leave Russia in the early 1900s because of the pogroms, grew up in the East End during the Blitz and made a life for himself in London.
And, in the run- up to Christmas, and exclusively with TRULY, we’re providing an extra Desert Island Discs service when you purchase any Love Your Stories experience.
This is Your Life: Document your Life Story with Love Your Stories >>
Life’s Precious Moments: Relive a Special Occasion with Love Your Stories >>