Grab a cup of tea and find somewhere quiet to sit and embark on a captivating journey through our Heritage Stories, where members of our diverse community share tales from their heritage.
These stories touch upon various aspects such as home, food, journeys, family, celebrations, and traditions, creating a rich tapestry of cultural narratives. As marshmallows are toasted, a unique ambiance is created, fostering a sense of community and connection.
To preserve these treasured stories, an oral historian meticulously records them, allowing us to share these cultural gems across our digital channels and contribute to our growing collection. Join us in celebrating the richness of our collective heritage at Chiltern Open Air Museum.
If you’re interested in being a speaker at one of our Campfire Heritage Stories event then please contact us on outreach@coam.org.uk
Scroll down to listen to some heritage stories and to share your own.
Our Heritage Stories project is kindly funded by the Rothschild Foundation.
2024 storytellers include Karen Bonner MBE (former Chief Nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and now Chief Nurse for London, a descendent of the Windrush generation), Elizabeth Dench (Jamaica), Sejal Sechdav (Uganda) and B J Tailor (Keyna).
2024 Campfire Heritage Stories
In 2022, we invited Dr Geeta Ludhra (South Asia) and Gregory Gonzales (Philippines) to lead the storytelling.
2022 Campfire Heritage Stories
In 2021, we invited three special guests, who live and/or work in Buckinghamshire, to tell their stories round the campfire - Mei Sim Merry (Hong Kong), Irfan Arif (Pakistan), and Rabbi Neil Janes, who leads the South Bucks Jewish Community.
2021 Campfire Heritage Stories
Tell Us Your Heritage Story
We all love a story and here at Chiltern Open Air Museum, we have plenty to tell. Since 2021, as part of our Campfire Heritage Stories project, we have been collecting stories from members of our community whose heritage comes from way beyond the Chilterns. We have shared stories of home, food, journeys, family, celebrations and traditions, literally around a campfire. We are now expanding the project. If you live in or near the Chilterns area now and your heritage or previous home is rooted far, far away, we would love to hear your story to add to our growing collection.
Each month, we will feature a different object from the Museum. We’d love for you to use this item as inspiration in telling us your own heritage story.
There are two ways that you can add to our Heritage Stories collection. One is by filling out the text boxes in the form below and the other is by making a recording answering the questions in the form below. If you are submitting a recording, it must be in MP3 format and should be between 2 and 5 minutes long.
Object of the Month
This month’s Object of the Month is a festive candleholder. Do you have any seasonal objects that remind you of family traditions and stories?
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