Nov 2019
Local acts of remembrance at Spencer Court
For the generation who have first-hand memories of the Second World War, and whose parents may have lived through the First World War, remembrance can be a very personal recollection of their pasts and an act of reminiscence.
Residents of Spencer Court Care Home in Woodstock are no different and many have specific wartime memories and stories. To aid reminiscence this Armistice Day, the home invited local historian and author Julie Ann Godson to deliver a talk that brought to life the stories and backgrounds of local Oxfordshire people in the First World War.
Julie’s book, ‘Our Boys 1914–1918: who were the fallen of one Oxfordshire valley?’ traces the often-surprising lives of 48 of the men from Oxfordshire who fell in the First World War and provides a glimpse into their lives. Her talk, accompanied by unique images, revealed some of the fascinating details of these men’s stories and of local life at the time, which many Spencer Court residents found familiar, themselves having also lived locally all their lives.
Spencer Court Home Manager, Anna Odeyemi, comments: “Reminiscence is an important and often therapeutic part of life as we age and is something we encourage here at Spencer Court. At this time of year, as we remember those fallen in battle, it is important for older generations to have a chance to recall their families’ pasts and how they shaped the world we live in today. We were delighted to host such a relevant, local talk and residents were interested to hearing the fascinating stories.”
If you would like to find out more about the activities and events at Spencer Court please call the home on 01993 812725, visit the webpage or follow on Facebook.