Since launching Our Family Memories at the end of 2021, Carolyn has worked on personal memoirs for a number of clients.

Below are reviews from some of the first people to commission books from Carolyn:

Charles & Carmen Thompson

“Carolyn has good experience in this field, and we felt very at home talking to her about our personal stories. She has a systematic and well-worked methodology, which helped us to recount our story to her as efficiently as possible.

“It took several interviews over the telephone, but Carolyn put us at ease as we passed through each step of the journey.

“We were very impressed with the final product. It looks and feels like a professionally-produced book, and, as consequence, we would not hesitate to recommend Carolyn to anyone who wishes to publish their memoirs.”

Amelia Hanratty

“I would like to express my thanks for the wonderful book you produced to record my mother’s life experiences and memories. After hearing about your work on Radio 2, it immediately struck a chord with me and I knew it was something I wanted to do for Mum. I am keen on family history and knew it was important not to loose stories but didn’t quite know how to go about it.

“Carolyn,  you guided us through the process beautifully, allowing Mum to tell her story in her own words whilst gently teasing out details I never knew because you asked just the right questions. You structured the story around facts, dates locations but also made sure Mum’s memories and reflections shone through too.

“One of the most gratifying things was how it shifted my 80-year-old mother’s view of herself. She moved from ‘well, I’m just ordinary who would be interested?’ towards feeling that her journey is part of the texture of social history. It has significance; it matters, and that is hugely life affirming, especially for an older person.

“From the games she played as a child to her role as a nurse to her unique perspective of her home town, having lived there eight decades, we came to see that while our Mum’s story is interesting to us as a family, it has a quite dignified wider significance too.

“I have shared the book with friends who have been so interested and inspired. The way the stories are laid out with images makes the book both comprehensive and accessible.

“Sadly, a few friends had quite a surprising emotional reaction as they realised they had left it too late to have and record these conversations with parents who had lost memories or passed away. I cannot say enough how pleased I am that we did this and thank you for your diligence and sensitivity.”

Julie Moore

“I can’t tell you how thrilled our family were with the book Carolyn created for us. She interviewed my parents and they really enjoyed reminiscing about their childhoods and the time when they first met.

“My dad particularly enjoyed his sessions with Carolyn and felt relaxed chatting to her. He doesn’t normally talk much about his past or about what life was like when he was growing up, so it was interesting for me to read all about it. Once my parents had finished their story, my sister and I added some of our memories too.”

Diane Moore (Julie’s mum) added: ” I enjoyed looking through all our old photographs and picking out our favourites. Carolyn was helpful with all her guidance. We now have a precious book to pass on to our grandchildren, and who knows, maybe even our great-grandchildren one day.”

Pat & Denis Mills

“I was introduced to Our Family Memories by our youngest daughter, who had obtained an example of their work and thought that we could do something similar.

“At first I was not convinced but then thought I knew nothing of my grandparents and little of the early years of my parents.

“Plus there must be a great deal of difference between my growing up in the 1940s and my grandchildren today. So I agreed to give it a try.

“Firstly we met our biographer, Carolyn Thomas and had two hour-long, face-to-face interviews, followed by four one-hour video interviews where we put our past history in some sort of order.

“At each stage we were given draft copies of what had been produced and then had to produce the photographs to illustrate the stories told , culminating in the draft copy of the completed work.

“I was most impressed. I gave copies to each of my children to show to their families and was told that some of my grandchildren had purchased copies of their own.

“It was well worth the effort and our grateful thanks go to Carolyn and Our Family Memories.”

Wendy Hale

“I was travelling home from my daughter’s in the car, listening to Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 when I heard program people talking about writing their life stories. I had  been wanting to somehow get my grandad’s life story that he had recorded on 12 cassette tapes to paper. Carolyn from Our Family Memories was saying that she started in lockdown to record people’s memories and make them into a book. Ah ha!

“I phoned her and explained that my grandad, Reg, had long passed, but could she work with tapes and produce a transcript of the story? Yes!!

“I sent the recordings digitally and after sometime, with one or two queries along the way,  Carolyn was able to supply me with a beautiful folder of the typed story, divided into subsections for easy reading. I’d asked for the story to be written, as near as possible to how grandad had said it. Then as I read it I could imagine grandad speaking and telling me the story of his first 60 years.

“He was a real character and had such an interesting and varied life living through two world wars and for practically all the 20th century.  I feel this book will be an important record of social history, and I am so glad Carolyn from Our Family Memories was able to help.”