Oral History in the Community

Memories of times past are precious. The details of everyday life rarely make it into the history books. But those memories are what will enable our descendants to understand the lives we and our forebears have led. The everyday chores and activities that are so commonplace that they warrant little or no attention will become the acts by which our lives will become understood. And whatever can be retrieved and preserved through memory of the lives of those that lived before us will add even more to a future understanding of our times. We have a responsibility to those yet to be born to hand on what we know of the times in which we live. This is not a new idea - it is how wisdom has been passed from generation to generation across the centuries. But we are starting to forget how to do it in this present age of world news coverage. Our little world of daily chores can seem of no consequence. This is not true. Enough histories are written concerning the ‘high and mighty’ the world has been shaped by the daily deeds of less-noticed folk. One person’s heritage is no more or less important than that of the next. The information given and gathered

A Mason's journey to work!
In 1885 Andrew G Fordyce was a Mason who with his friend Frank would walk from Oyne to Monymusk to work, Click Here to read the poem he wrote about their journey over Bennachie

Childhood memories
Avril Patterson (nee Simpson) visited her Aunt and Uncle who lived by Bennachie when she was a child, click here to read about her memories of those visits.

The Gouk Stane
This stone can be found on Bennachie, to read about it Click Here