The Golden Hour
a 60-minute story gathering experience
Record precious memories of an important chapter in your life story with a professional interviewer.
Have your children or grandchildren been nagging you to write down your stories - but you never seem to get around to it?
It might be difficult to find the time, or perhaps the task seems so monumental you’re struggling to know where to begin.
The Golden Hour is a simple and effective way to capture your memories and voice as a precious legacy for your family and future generations.
Chronicle an important chapter in your life, in your own words.
During an hour-long oral history interview, conducted via video call, you’ll be gently but methodically guided through your life story.
Using my decades of experience as an interviewer, I’ll help you to describe your memories in rich detail.
You’ll be encouraged to reflect on events, going beyond the facts to give an insight into your thoughts and feelings.
By the end of the session, we’ll have captured some of your most precious memories - told in your unique voice - that will be treasured for generations.
How it works
Join a 30 minute planning call to plan your session.
Spend an hour chatting about your life on a video call.
An edited recording of your Golden Hour interview is delivered to your inbox.
What’s included
A 30-minute consultation to plan your session, gather background information and test your technical set-up.
A 60-minute online interview session.
Professional editing of your interview. Don’t worry about losing your train of thought, stumbling over your words or getting interrupted by the postman. We’ll edit out any bloopers!
A digital video recording & transcript of the interview, which can be shared with your loved ones.
What can we cover in The Golden Hour?
While an hour won’t be enough to cover your entire life story, we can explore one particular chapter. For example:
Courtship and marriage
Starting up a business
A posting overseas
A (brief) account of childhood
University years
An expedition
A gift to treasure
Are you looking for a special birthday or anniversary gift for someone who doesn’t need more ‘stuff’?
Or perhaps you’re looking for a meaningful gift to celebrate a major life event, such as graduation, marriage or retirement?
All packages include a welcome letter explaining how The Golden Hour works, with a link for the recipient to book their pre-interview consultation.
To make it feel extra special, the letter is printed on archival 150gsm Munken paper and enclosed in a beautiful patterned envelope from Cambridge Imprint.
The welcome letter can be sent to you or we can send it directly to the recipient on your behalf. Please allow four working days for this to arrive (UK addresses only - worldwide postage will take longer).
If you’re shopping for a last-minute gift, you can print off a digital copy of the welcome letter, which will be sent to you via email after purchase.
FAQs
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You’ll need a PC or laptop with a reliable internet connection. To help ensure clear audio quality, I recommend using an external USB microphone and headphones for the interview. If you don’t already have these, I can provide a list of recommended devices.
The three main factors which affect the quality of recordings are your internet connection, your microphone and background noise.
As these factors are all beyond my control, I can’t guarantee the quality of your recording - but I will give you a checklist ahead of our call to help you make the recording as clear as possible.
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That is absolutely fine! Just let me know within 24 hours of the interview, before we start the editing process. If you change your mind at a later date, we can re-edit your video, but you will be charged an additional fee.
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Sessions can usually be organised within the next month, but please note I have less availability at busy times of the year, such as Christmas and school holidays.
I do not usually conduct interview sessions in July and August - but if your need is urgent, for example due to ill health, do give me a call as I may be able to accommodate you.
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What if we run out of time - can I extend the sessions?
If we reach the end of the session and there’s still more you’d like to say, you are very welcome to book further sessions. These cost £75 per hour.
About Your Interviewer
Hello, I’m Rachel Wareing, the founder of Attic Life Stories.
When I started researching my family tree in earnest during the lockdown of 2020, I had an epiphany - recording our memories for future generations is one of the most precious legacies we can leave.
During my twenty-year career as a journalist and writer, I’ve interviewed thousands of people from all walks of life, but I realised I’d neglected to interview two of the most influential people in my life - my parents. So I start to ask them lots of questions about their lives, eventually publishing their recollections as a beautiful hardback book.
It was a truly enlightening process, helping me understand and appreciate them more fully as individuals, not just as parents. And it helped me see my own childhood from a new perspective, too.
Realising I could use my editorial skills to help other individuals, families and businesses preserve their heritage, I set up Attic Life Stories.
I’m a member of the Oral History Society, the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders and am trained in the Guided Autobiography methodology developed by Professor James Birren, one of the founding fathers of the field of gerontology in the US.
As well as the Golden Hour package, I offer a done-for-you memoir and family history book publishing service, which includes ghostwriting, genealogical research, editing, book design and printing.
For those who prefer to write their own story, I also offer a range of writing workshops and courses.