In your own words - Story Telling
Village Story Telling centre
Our Story telling centre is an online archive of stories and memories from and of the people of Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor and area.
When many people think about history, they think about dusty books and documents, archives and libraries.
The fact is, history is all around us, alive within our own families and communities. History is the living memories and the experiences of older people.
We have only to ask an older person and they can tell us many stories which help us and future generations to understand the past. This kind of history that we all gather as we go through life, is called Oral history.
On our website you can read other peoples stories, or your can also share your memories of your life in these villages and area.
We look at a collection of stories about English village life, and show what it means to live in a small rural community. Historical documents and books can't tell us everything about our past. Often they concentrate on famous people and big events, and tend to miss out ordinary people talking about their everyday lives. See more at the Oral History Society
Please consider adding your Village Memory. You do not have to live in our village to do so, simply have memories of it and the surrounding villages.
"Back on its golden hinges, The gate of Memory swings,
And my heart goes into the garden, And walks with the olden things."
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Preserve and share your memories with us.
Explore Our Village Memories
Do you have a village story to add? Please let us know. Our email address is at the foot of this page. Below are a few links to give you some ideas.
If you have any photos to add to your story, they will be welcome. Please also consider sending us a photo of yourself too.
Here are some of the stories from this section.
Mrs Farmer's Village - a narrative of Kingston Bagpuize as a resident remembered the village on arrival in 1919.
Mrs Soden Remembers - the daughter of a groom tells her story of living here.
Villages in the melting Pot - an impression of our villages in 1965.
Sybil's Village - as one of the Blacksmith's daughters Sybil knew the village well. Here her words recall an earlier village.
Village Tragedy - a descendant of the Jeffries family that once lived in the village and ran the Post Office. Alan Jeffries uncovers a tragic family story.
BBC History Trails is an excellent site.
BBC History for Kids - what was life like for children in World War II and other stories. What was life like in Kingston Bagpuize, Southmoor and area? Let us know.
There is also an excellent site on Short Story writing Tips
Oxford University Press has this useful site. Ask Oxford - Better Writing.
All You need to know to write well is at: Write 101.com
If you are truly stuck and want inspiration from another story-telling website do try this excellent site for Banburyshire
If you are interested in Story telling or writing this is a good site for information on this subject. Tim Sheppard's Story Telling Resources.