Hello everyone,
I am a radio journalist based in Prague, Czech Republic.
I am fascinated by the power of the spoken word, especially
when describing the everyday lives and events of history.
So I have decided to embark on an audio project recording
the everyday memories of everyday people.
I must admit that part of my motivation is driven by regret.
My grandfather was an RAF Lancaster bomber navigator during WWII. The story
goes that he would come home to my grandmother with horrific tales of lucky
escapes during raids over occupied Europe. When my grandmother became pregnant (with
my father), she virtually ordered my grandfather to go to his commanding
officer and resign. So (and I believe to his eternal regret) he did. He was
subsequently demoted and - as Private Smith - was sent to fight the Japanese in
Burma. He didn't return until 1946.
As a child, I vaguely recall some harsh words between adults
when my grandfather apparently refused to speak to one of my father's Japanese
business colleagues.
Of course, these are just family stories and hazy childhood
recollections. If only my grandfather had lived maybe 10 years longer (he died
at the age of 69, when I was 13)! I would have been interested enough by then
to have grabbed a tape recorder and got his own take on all these stories. It
would have been wonderful, especially as I remember him as a very colourful
character with a great turn of phrase.
I often regret that. However, I also regret that I didn't
record my grandmother, to get her memories of wartime Britain or of her
childhood in 1920s Cheshire.
I also regret that I didn't record my maternal grandfather's
memories of being a mechanic at an airstrip in South Wales (my mother is called
Glenys, because she was allegedly conceived while my grandmother was visiting
the base).
But I am not just interested in my own family. This weekend,
I am going to a friend's flat to record her 92 year grandfather who worked as a
translator during the Nazi occupation of Prague. It's like opening a hidden
treasure trove and I can't wait.
Every life is a story.
What with the new technology at our fingertips, it has never
been easier to record our grandparents, parents, aunt, uncles, friends,
colleagues.
Anyone a bit "longer in the tooth", shall we say.
The memories don't have to detail wars or acts of heroism.
They simply have to be memories of a life - anything that the sender believes
is interesting. It could be about the first time they watched a TV show or the
joy the person gained from planting his/her own garden.
So, to kick the project off, I am looking for help.
Please help me record the lives of ordinary people. If they
happen to have witnessed or taken part in some of the momentous events in
history, then fine. Whatever has happened of interest in their lives is of
interest to me as a historical document.
Please record a life and send it to me as a sound file.
I do have some practical stipulations to help kick the
project off.
1) The file should be no more than 10 minutes in length and
in .mp3 format.
2) In English. (I will introduce more languages in future)
3) The speaker should be at least 70 years old (this is
simply because I must have some cut off point, at least at the start)
4) The speaker can be named or anonymous
Please attach the .mp3 file and send to me at
peter.smith@tiscali.cz
I will do some editing of the file. When I have enough
memories, I will place all the sound files online. It would be great if the
file was accompanied by a photo of the speaker and/or a short bio, but this is
not compulsory.
Either record yourself, or record a person you are close to
or know. There is no bar on what can be spoken about. Nothing is unimportant or
irrelevant. All memories - from any person, from any country, from any moment
in history - are valuable and cherished.
I do hope that you can contribute to what I hope will be a
worthwhile project.
Best wishes,
Peter Richard Smith
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