Reminiscence
Here at Weston Museum, we are passionate about how remembering the past can bring a great deal of satisfaction and understanding to all ages. Reviving forgotten memories of key milestones of a person’s life can improve communication, raise self-esteem and encourage family engagement.
Reminiscence Services are organised and led by Jane Hill, our Heritage & Community Officer.
Reminiscence Boxes
Care Homes and Memory Cafes can borrow a themed Reminiscence Box to use with their residents or service users. These are brilliant for sparking memories and conversations, especially for people with dementia and memory loss for whom the distant past can often be a more fertile landscape than the present.
Each box contains a range of topical items including suggestions to help make your sessions more dynamic, together with activities such as a poem or quiz.
The Boxes are free to hire and can be borrowed for 2 weeks. We do welcome donations to help support our ongoing work here at Weston Museum.
Reminiscence Box themes
We currently have the following 12 themed boxes available to hire:
– Beauty & Fashion
– Childhood
– School
– Hobbies & Leisure
– Home
– Kitchen
– Modern Royalty
– Old Royalty
– Seaside & Holidays
– Sweet Shop
– Work & Transport
Coming soon….!
Clara’s Cottage Reminiscence Box will focus on the beloved former residence of Clara Payne here at Weston Museum!
What’s in a Box?
Each Box contains the following:
– A range of topical items, including historic objects and printed materials
– Suggestions for use to make your sessions more dynamic, including question prompts to explore memories and ignite conversation
– Fun and engaging activities, such as a poem or quiz
– A memory book for residents and service users (or their carers) to record their thoughts, feelings and impressions
– Examples of objects inside a Reminiscence Box:
– Queen Elizabeth II Coronation newspapers and memorabilia
– Charles & Diana wedding articles and memorabilia
– Punch & Judy puppets
– Weston-super-Mare photographs through the decades
– Garden gnome
– 1950s wedding dress
– Wooden yoyo
– Shoe stretchers
– Cream maker
– Local school reports
– Weighing bowls and scales
– Fuel ration book
Digital – Reminiscence Activity Pack
We have developed Digital Reminiscence Packs for each of our 12 Boxes, which are free for anyone to download. The Packs were inspired by our work with active living groups and residential homes. They encourage living history conversations over the telephone, online or even by letter!
To download a free supporting digital Activity Pack, please click on any of the links below:
Reminiscence Sessions at Memory Cafes
Jane Hill also runs Reminiscence Sessions at established Memory Cafes in the local area. During these sessions, Jane engages the attendees in absorbing aspects of local and personal heritage, using a themed box to further bring the session to life.
This service is extremely popular and subject to availability. Jane is already fully booked for 2026 and 2027.
We will be taking bookings for 2028 when our bookings window opens in January 2027 – please contact Rachel Joyce, our Learning & Heritage Administration Officer for details: rachel.joyce@wsm-tc.gov.uk.
Make a Booking
To book a Reminiscence Box, please contact Rachel Joyce, the Learning & Heritage Administration Officer at rachel.joyce@wsm-tc.gov.uk for a booking form.
Reminiscence Boxes can be hired for a 2 week period. The loan is free of charge, with a suggested donation of £25 to assist with the running of Weston Museum.
Feedback
Your feedback is vital!
We kindly ask that you complete a feedback form after your Reminiscence Box loan or Reminiscence Session to maintain the quality of these services.
Blank forms can be found inside a folder within each Reminiscence Box or can be obtained by emailing rachel.joyce@wsm-tc.gov.uk.