Leeds nostalgia: Yorkshire Film Archive's memory bank project

Yorkshire Film Archive has launched a project aimed at helping people born in the 1940s and 1950s to recall their formative years with the help of old film clips.The proj
Revellers let their hair down in Albion Street, Leeds
VE DayRevellers let their hair down in Albion Street, Leeds
VE Day
Revellers let their hair down in Albion Street, Leeds VE Day

ct is being run in conjunction with Age UK and there will be a special drop in session in Leeds on November 10, from 1pm-3pm at Age UK on Mark Lane.

Memory Bank was created by the Yorkshire Film Archive to provide a complete resource for reminiscence and life story work using carefully selected archive film footage from across the decades to connect the past with the present, rediscover memories, share stories and offer the opportunity to simply sit back and enjoy the delights of the films themselves.

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All Memory Bank products have been developed in conjunction with healthcare professionals, carers and families, with our classic range of titles covering familiar themes such as school days and holidays, alongside more local and specialised titles such as Memory Bank: Life on the Home Front.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by LAPI / Rex Features ( 482460a )

Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France - 11 Nov 1944

CHARLES DE GAULLEMandatory Credit: Photo by LAPI / Rex Features ( 482460a )

Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France - 11 Nov 1944

CHARLES DE GAULLE
Mandatory Credit: Photo by LAPI / Rex Features ( 482460a ) Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France - 11 Nov 1944 CHARLES DE GAULLE

Yorkshire Film Archive are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Age UK Support Services (Yorkshire and Humber), with support from the Aged Veterans Fund, to produce Memory Bank: Life on the Home Front.

Brian Percival, Aged Veterans Coordinator at Age UK Bradford & District, which held it’s drop-in days on November 2 and 3, said: “The secret to the success of this project are the films themselves; they bring the sessions alive because everyone shares those memories, and they are such a delight to watch.

Within minutes the conversations are flowing and there are some fantastic stories being shared – it’s amazing what you learn. This really is such a great resource.”

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The film archive, which is based in York, has tens of thousands of reels of old film covering all manner of subjects but is always on the hunt for more, so if you do have any old films, they would like to hear from you.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by LAPI / Rex Features ( 482460a )

Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France - 11 Nov 1944

CHARLES DE GAULLEMandatory Credit: Photo by LAPI / Rex Features ( 482460a )

Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France - 11 Nov 1944

CHARLES DE GAULLE
Mandatory Credit: Photo by LAPI / Rex Features ( 482460a ) Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France - 11 Nov 1944 CHARLES DE GAULLE

The Memory Bank: Life on the Home Front DVD pack includes the rise of the Home Guard, the jobs that women took on to support the war effort, the impact on children, VE Day celebrations, and the return to peace in our times as people looked forward to the future with events including the Coronation of our young Queen, along with the newly-found freedoms of the next generation.

Sue Howard, director of the Yorkshire Film Archive, said: “Here at the Archive we have a wealth of footage that shows what life was like across every decade of the twentieth century.

“Our job is to ensure these films are preserved, but that is only half the story – the most important part of our work is to ensure that our collections can be seen and enjoyed by everyone, and developing Memory Bank has been hugely rewarding.

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She added: “We very much hope that these films will not only bring back memories for those who remember those times, but will also create new opportunities for the next generations to see and understand what life was like at the time for their parents, grandparents and great grandparents.”

For details on how to join in, contact Brian Percival or just turn up on the day.

Telephone: 01274 301413

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