THANKS to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Crediton Library’s Reminiscence Project has been working to collect and preserve memories of people living in the area. The project is now entering its second year.

Interviews have been added to an online collection, where they can be accessed for free.

The project also carries out Reminiscence Group sessions, other memory related events and exhibitions.

Without the funding, this piece of history would be lost and inaccessible to the general public.

Project Co-ordinator, Izzy FitzGerald said: “We’ve collected a fascinating mix of stories, experiences and recollections so far.

“People have shared memories of World War Two, farming before tractors were commonly used, growing up in homes that did not have running water or electricity.”

She continued: “Some of the stories we have heard have been extraordinary, but we are also after the everyday ones too.

“Quite often people will tell us that they don’t have anything interesting to contribute, but even the stories that may be considered to be mundane offer insight into life in previous years. It’s important that we preserve these memories for future generations as the world continues to change.”

Not only does the project aim to preserve and share the history of people in the area, but it is also about improving wellbeing and reducing loneliness.

Volunteers carry out interviews in people’s homes or at the library so that those who are housebound or face challenges leaving the house can participate.

Encouraging people to share their memories offers some time to connect with someone and feel that their life experience is valuable.

The Project hopes to encourage conversation not only through interviews, but also through exhibitions.

The library’s current exhibition, put together as part of the project, features wartime letters from the Cleave family to Harold Cleave, who was in the RAF and was stationed in India.

Some 80 years later, Paul Cleave, Harold’s son, has shared the letters with the project.

The family, who were living in Yeoford at the time wrote often with updates about goings on in the village as well as wider events happening at the time.

The letters offer a snapshot of life during World War Two, through the lens of people who were living in the area at the time.

Letter writing was a way of boosting morale not only for troops, but also for people who were still at home.

The Cleave family had an evacuee staying with them, and talk about rationing, growing their own fruit and veg and the lead up to Christmas. Their letters give a human face to the history of the War.

There will be themed drop-in sessions at Crediton Library on the first Tuesday of every other month, where people can go in and talk. The first session will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, November 5, with the theme of autumn.

The project collection with audio recordings of interviews carried out so far can be listened to here: www.folklorelibrary.com/crediton-library.html .

If you are interested in being interviewed, or in volunteering, the library can be contacted via: [email protected]or on: 01363 772578.