We started with a few minutes to relax, get comfortable in our seats, take some deep breaths and close our eyes. Then with our eyes closed, we thought about the associations sweets have for us, with suggestions to help us to think of:
memories from our own childhood, the tastes and smells of sweets we were given, where we were given them and when
sweets that remind us of other people, for example, children in our lives both in the past and the present, our parents, family & friends
sweets associated with places we know or places we’ve visited
Then we passed around a selection of old-fashioned sweets from a wonderful sweet shop in Hawes, Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dale, where I’d had the pleasure recently to step back in time to my childhood. Eating some of the sweets and talking (when our mouths weren’t full!), we shared lots of memories, most happy, others not. Read on for the stories some of us have chosen to share with you in this blog post.
Our latest Stories of Our Lives session took place on the 18th of October at our new/ old home, Chorlton Library and was co-led by our wonderful guest speaker Merryn Myatt, who is a writer, celebrant, public speaking coach and retired journalist and broadcaster, and now runs lifestory.vip.
Participants engaging in a lively discussion during the Stories of Our Lives session at Chorlton Library, led by guest speaker Merryn Myatt.
It was an extended session today as we had so much to cover! We began by sharing our intentions for the morning. One participant used the lovely phrase “panhandler” , meaning sifting through life’s detritus for nuggets of gold. Others offered words like open, sisters, motivation, consideration, collaboration, encouragement, celebration, gentleness, and gratitude. Someone summed it up beautifully: “I can hear my critic, but I answer then with let’s get involved, let’s get curious.”
Together we reflected on our purposes for writing memoirs or life stories. These included validating our lives, showing the many sides of ourselves, and declaring with clarity and pride: there is more here than just what you see. Many spoke of wanting to leave a story behind, something that helps family and future generations see the whole person, not just what’s visible in the present. Others saw writing as a way to make sense of memory, to look back with compassion, or to celebrate what’s been achieved.
Merryn then shared examples from her work supporting people to create their own memoirs and explained her process. We discussed rhythm, method, and form, how our personal styles shape our writing journeys. I also shared a short presentation about voice transcription tools, which we’ll return to in a future session.
A big theme of the day was the power of photos, how choosing, labelling, and presenting them clearly can bring memories alive. Merryn offered practical tips on clarity, formatting, and choosing meaningful images. We even imagined creating boxes of memories, collections of photos or objects that can spark conversation and reflection, perhaps for people in care settings.
Towards the end, I reminded the group that Merryn is available for one-to-one support via merryn@lifestory.vip, and we talked about other ways to keep writing and stay connected. Many of us left with fresh motivation, one person said, “I’m remembering that I can do this.” Others planned to set aside a regular time to work on their project, even just fifteen minutes a week. Someone else said they felt newly inspired to embrace technology after the session, and another said they now want elocution lessons from Merryn because of her beautiful voice! (Merryn kindly refused, pointing out quite rightly that this request was asked by someone who has a beautiful voice of their own).
It was a gentle, purposeful, and encouraging morning and a brilliant reminder that our stories and authentic voices matter, that they’re still developing, and that sharing them can be both an act of genorosity as well as creativity and care.
It wasn’t difficult to turn back the clock to our schooldays!
We started by sharing a word or two each about our memories and/or the emotions they stirred. This resulted in a list which illustrates the variety of our responses, both positive and negative: unpredictability, learning, discovery, stickers, administration, teachers in my family, nightmare, corporal punishment, humiliation, envy, inequality, lost friends, solidarity, structure, judgement, uniforms, crowded trains and buses, a particular teacher, a flood of memories.
Joe Sykes then guided us skilfully in a time of individual reflection, using the prompts:
What experiences at school have shaped you?
What educational experiences did you have outside of school? (e.g. school trips, residentials etc.)
What happened at break time and lunch time? (e.g. sports, arts, music, drama, involvement with the local community)
He followed this by sharing his own story, illustrated by an amazing collection of photographs, scrapbooks and memorabilia from both his primary and secondary education. How wonderful to take part in the school production of the musical, Grease!
Then the room filled with noise as we discussed our responses in small groups. There was such a lot to say, no matter when we’d left school. It was fascinating to get back together at the end and hear more about one another’s experiences. Some of us tell our stories in the blog post which follows. We hope they’ll prompt memories of your own.
Our September session was beautifully led by Karen Whittick, who shared a heartfelt piece of writing to guide us in. Her words got us thinking both philosophically and personally, and set the tone for a session that felt both reflective and connecting.
We began by exploring the act of saying hello and goodbye. We talked about how in some languages the same word is used for both greeting and parting, for example aloha in Hawaiian or salut in French. In Islam the phrase as-salaamu alaykum means “peace be upon you,” with the response wa alaykum as-salaam meaning “and peace be upon you too.” This struck us as a beautiful way of not only wishing peace in both directions, but also of recognising the cyclical nature of life
From there our conversation moved into the different ways hellos and goodbyes show up in our lives. We spoke about the safety created by acknowledging someone on a hike (they might remember you afterwards if you go missing!) while others are told that its not safe to say hello. For children especially it can be confusing to be told to beware of strangers and also to be polite. We also thought about the everyday moments when a hello opens the door to respect, conversation and connection.
Our reflections then widened out into life changes ; moving home, changing jobs, the end of relationships, and the opening of new chapters. We noticed how every goodbye can carry the possibility of a hello, if we are open to it, and wondered whether that life lesson get easier with practice. How sometimes we can feel a bit stuck, while others we might flourish because we have learned to take something from the goodbye and carry it into the next chapter.
Philosophical threads ran through the whole session. We thought about the infinity symbol and how beginnings and endings are never really separate, how in Buddhism everything is interconnected and always in flux, and how nothing is ever static. At any moment there can be fullness or absence, and it is always shifting.
We touched on the whole spectrum of emotions that beginnings and endings can bring – joy, sadness, excitement, loss. Ceremonies, seasons and phases all hold that mixture. Airports and train stations came up as places where hellos and goodbyes are especially present and felt.
It was a session full of richness. There was a zooming out to the big philosophical picture and then zooming in to the specifics of our own lives.
Read on to see what our participants wrote and shared in response…
At our last session, Sue Ash shared some fascinating reflections on DNA and the ways our stories might be written into us at a cellular level. She spoke about the influence of our genes on different aspects of our lives, and drew out some striking facts and research, from the idea that friends may actually share more DNA than strangers to the way animals use memory and heightened senses for survival.
From there, our discussion opened up into wider themes: intuition, belonging, affinity, family, and the natural order of things. We asked ourselves what it means to feel a deep connection to a place or landscape, how heritage has shaped who we are, and how far our lives might be influenced by inherited aspects we cannot always see.
Some of the guiding questions we chose to discuss are shown here. (Maybe you too could reflect on these and share your thoughts in the comments below?)
Does any of this story resonate with you in particular? If so, why?
Have you ever felt a deep connection to a place or certain landscape?
How has your heritage affected aspects of who you are?
It was a moving and thought-provoking session that encouraged sense-making and research, but also invited us to listen to our intuition and explore our own stories.
Read on to see how participants responded and the insights they shared.
In our last Stories of Our Lives session, we turned our attention to the idea of groups – the ones we’re part of, the ones we’ve left, and the ones that have shaped us along the way. The conversation was a little shorter than usual because it was also our annual feedback session, but it was still a really rich and thoughtful exchange.
Over the past 18 months, Stories of Our Lives has continued to grow. Thanks to your ideas, participation, and support from group donations, Manchester City Council, and the Amazon Literary Partnership, we’ve held more than 24 creative and reflective sessions in Chorlton, explored facinating themes and creative methods from Green Spaces and Childhood to Memoir Writing and Poetry, welcomed wonderful guest facilitators and seen members self-publish books, begin new studies, and regularly write for our blog and the Manchester Post. Our blog now reaches readers in 180 countries, with nearly 38,000 visits, and our storytelling has travelled further through a number of outreach projects and connections with other groups.
In our July 2025 feedback, participants told us they value the variety of themes and guest speakers, the safe, supportive community, the inspiration to write and create, and the gentle challenge to step outside comfort zones. Participants also say our sessions are rooted in creativity, connection, respect, openness, kindness, and a willingness to try new things. We give space for all voices and bring lightness and laughter alongside depth.
Many also said that what makes Stories of Our Lives feel so nourishing is the way we hold space for one another. Both in terms what we share, and also in how we show care for each other’s time, energy, and presence. Whether someone is participating, facilitating, or supporting behind the scenes, we try to bring thoughtfulness, mutual respect, and a sense of balance. This shared ethos is part of what keeps the group sustainable, supportive, and joyful for everyone involved.
Looking ahead, here are the plans for the future based on other feedback:
Returning to Chorlton Library from mid October for its central location, visibility for newcomers, and access to technology.
Continuing to publish session themes in advance so people can prepare or choose the ones that interest you most.
Weaving in suggested topics — local history, nature and wildlife, favourite films, brief encounters, sweet treats, photography/video for storytelling, and belief systems.
Keeping a healthy mix of guest-led and member-led sessions to bring fresh voices and perspectives.
Exploring the option of occasional online gatherings so those unable to join in person can still take part.
Encouraging punctual starts so the session’s plan and objectives are clear to everyone from the outset. If joining late, quietly check in without disrupting the flow.
Supporting first-time or occasional facilitators with encouragement and constructive feedback if they’d like it.
Respecting each other’s creative boundaries , keeping up the habit of always asking before taking photos, and never record voices, faces, or work without consent.
Mixing up conversation partners from time to time so we hear fresh perspectives and connect across the group.
Continuing to check in for feedback so the group evolves in ways that feel relevant, inspiring, and inclusive for all.
Whether you join in person or follow from afar via our blog, thank you for helping make Stories of Our Lives what it is; a living, evolving space for creativity, shared stories, and connection. Here’s to the next chapter!
The group felt really lucky to be joined recently by our local councillor, the brilliant Tina, who shared her story of working in Deaf education for over 45 years. It all started in a café in North Manchester, where she first saw a Deaf family signing to each other across the counter. Something about that moment lit a spark that’s stayed with her ever since.
Tina’s session was warm, lively and full of connection. She got us all involved, including a brilliant activity where we had to silently organise ourselves by birth order using only intuitive sign language. Somehow, we managed it in record time… probably faster than if we’d been speaking!
She also taught us the BSL alphabet and numbers, and signed the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears – which was completely captivating.
The whole session really got us thinking about how we connect with each other, how much we can communicate without words, and who gets included when we do things differently.
Tina’s written more about her journey in the guest post below. Read on and you’ll likely agree that it’s thoughtful, passionate, and full of heart. We’re so glad to be able to share it here.
Celebrating together at Ascension Church Hulme during the Social Sunday event, highlighting birthdays and community connections.
On Sunday 6th July, we gathered at Ascension Church Hulme for a joyful, creative Social Sunday exploring the theme of Birthdays & Celebrations. The aim was to bring people of all ages together to share memories, have fun, and connect across generations.
We had a thoughtful and meaningful discussion following on from hearing Jane’s story about her involvement in supporting a group of gypsies who were being harassed. Our responses included reflections on similarities from our own experiences of feeling like an outsider, on prejudice and how it comes into all our lives, and the complexities of finding solutions.
The Stories of Our Lives 