A lady for whom I am creating a life story book has traced her ancestors back to her great great grandfather. It turns out that his brother's son, Richard, was the man whom Dirty Dicks was named after! 

Richard  set up his wedding feast in London for his marriage the following day but that night his fiancee tragically died. So distraught was he that he refused to wash, change his clothes or let anyone touch the room and even when his cats died he just left them where they were (see picture).  People came from all over England to see this eccentric, dirty man. After he died the premises were made into a bar and the cobwebs, cats and dirt were left - until health and safety authorities cleaned it up years later. Dirty Dicks in London still exists and Australia's Dirty Dicks theatre restaurant also continues to tell this famous story. It's also believed that the story of Dirty Dick inspired Charles Dickens to create the character of Miss Haversham in Great Expectations.

This is a picture of the most popular 60-page book which can contain around 10,000 words and approx 40 images.  

It is a luxuriously produced book with fabric cover, acid free paper which avoids any image see through onto the next page.

It is a beautiful book with an unusual button-close feature which comes in its own elegant protective case.

And just in case you are wondering, that's a picture of me when I was a baby with my proud father!

I interviewed a lovely lady recently for a life story, whose memory was starting to get pretty scratchy. As I was leaving her I asked just on spec if she had ever written anything down about her life. She said,
" Just a little bit in a folder, but more about previous homes and furniture, nothing really of interest." But I asked to borrow the folder anyway, just in case.

Once home I found I had discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...buried treasure...the most exciting, detailed reminiscing you rarely see. Wonderful family stories dating back several generations and even including letters, birth certificates and amazing old images. None of her family knew of the existence of this folder and she herself had no idea what wonderful content it contained. This is going to be an incredible life story book. Thank goodness I asked that one simple question...it will certainly be something I always ask from now on in...

I am working on an amazing life story of a man who fell in love with learning. He came from an extremely poor background in Malaysia but was determined to get an education. Not only did he manage to study up to PhD level but he spent much of his life helping other disadvantaged youngsters in Malaysia to become educated. What an inspirational man. I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have heard this fascinating story and to be credited with the responsibility of writing his life story.

A life story book about the person you love is the best gift not only for the person whose life is featured - but for all the generations yet to come.

But finding someone who can do this for you is hard to find - only a few people around the world specialise in writing life stories.

I not only write them but I produce beautiful hand-bound books telling their story in both words and pictures.

There is still time to make an appointment to have your book ready for Christmas. For an older person who already has everything they want and need - this makes the BEST Christmas gift. Phone Rebecca now on 0401 808 335 to ensure this Christmas is one of memories that last forever...

So many people have multiple house moves, and even move to different countries. While it's a good chance for a clear out - never, ever throw away old family photographs! Keep them in a shoebox, in a bag, in an envelope - in anything you can find, but never toss them out. There comes a time in everyone's life when it feels important to trace ones roots, ones ancestors - and these old images are priceless in recalling people, places and events. When it comes to having your life story written, these pictures tell a thousand words and once scanned and included in a book, will never be lost. And they will be treasured by future generations to come.

I am designing a children's book full of stories that a beautiful grandma made up for her grandchildren when they were little. Now they are all grown up they've asked her to write down the stories so they can tell their own children. I've found brilliant software that allows me to use colourful images together with the pictures the grandma originally drew to illustrate her stories. They are even three dimensional and I'm having so much fun creating her stories both in words and pictures. I can't wait to show her the finished product!

If you are trying to get some information or stories from a close relative, to help construct a family tree or life story,  they may be reluctant to open up to you. How do you handle this? With a parent or close family member, they may wonder why you you want to learn more about them.  It's important to reassure them that there are some stories you’d like to hear again. You can also explain that while you know a lot about them already, there are some things you don't know about. Maybe, things you were told years ago and you don't remember well. You can also give a couple of examples of things you have always been curious about – but know nothing about.