YEARS OF LIFE – Years of Experience
Elmwood Retirement Village in Stafford is home to former journalist Peter Underwood and his wife Heather. Peter used his talents from journalism to create a series of films called “Years of Life,” which details the incredible experiences of his fellow residents.
Assisted living apartments like Elmwood are a library of lifetime experiences, and the residents decided it was time to tell their stories for future generations. The results were given a Hollywood-style premiere in Stafford, and the videos have created a vital resource that will be in the Staffordshire Records Office for future historians to consult.
As Underwood explains, “I have spent most of my 74 years telling stories of fascinating people, not just the politicians or celebrities but real people who have lived through world-changing events.
“Some people spent nights in crowded Anderson Shelters during wartime, one went from a biker gang to the Salvation Army, and another resident spoke about the realities of the lack of medical care before the NHS. They’re all stories that deserve to be heard.
“And sometimes they’re just fun stories - a shared delight at a life well-lived. The important thing is to tell the stories, to their children, grandchildren, and generations to come. History from ordinary people, about ordinary people, for ordinary people.”
The Years of Life videos are being shared on YouTube – and we urge you to click here to watch the films.
The project has also been covered by BBC Stoke and Staffordshire – read about it here! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles
The project has been supported by the Wrekin Housing Group who operate Elmwood. Paula Reynolds, Head of Retirement Living at the Group said, “Our aim is to enable all our customers to remain as independent as possible, and we always respect their knowledge and experience. It’s easy to forget that the person in front of you may have seen and experienced things you can’t imagine.”
“We’re proud to support our residents to share their experiences, good and bad. These films will become part of Staffordshire’s official archives and will also be a treasured record for their families – and it’s helped residents get to know each other better!”
At Stone, A Converge Company, we were delighted to donate a Titan PC with keyboard/mouse/headset bundle and a Dell monitor, USB speakers and Logitech webcam. This technology helped with recording, editing and publishing of the series.
Stone identified that the Years of Life recordings provided an ideal way to help close the digital gap, encourage older people to use technology, combat isolation and embrace community diversity.
Sheryl Moore, Global Director of Sustainability for Converge Technology Solutions said, “We supply and look after technology for universities, businesses and government departments across the country and, as a company at the cutting edge of technology we recognise that not everybody benefits as the world moves online.
“We have outreach programmes that support younger people with technology and we are delighted to be able to help older people deal with and enjoy the technologies that have become crucial to living a full life.
“Our partnership with Elmwood and Wrekin is more than video creation, too - we are supplying backup help and technology advice whenever needed”
With help from Wrekin and Stone, A Converge Company, Peter is organising training for fellow residents in filming and editing interviews that are often illustrated with family photos and other archive material. He explained, “nobody lives forever, and I want this gift of voices from the past to keep on giving when I am no longer asking the questions.”
