The Focus Groups positive opinion regarding the idea of the peoples stories website

All involved in the focus group agreed that once you get the older generation to reminisce about their lives and experiences, they become willing storytellers. Jim gave an example of this from his own experiences, whilst working as a volunteer at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. He said “When someone dies a tremendous amount of knowledge dies with them and is lost, and you won’t get that back”. He then gave an example of a former colleague and fellow volunteer at the Merseyside Maritime Museum who had recently died. The person in question had worked on the River Mersey throughout the Second World War and had large amounts of knowledge and information regarding things that had occurred at that time. He said that his friend was a quite man but if you asked him anything about the River Mersey during the Second World War, he would be able to give you exceptionally detailed information on that subject. Unfortunately with the mans passing away all that knowledge has know been lost because no one at the museum had the foresight to record or document what the deceased man knew. At this point the focus group altogether agreed that they thought the peoples stories website was an excellent idea and that it could prove to be very valuable to future generations. This example helps to demonstrate that the possibility exists for the peoples stories website could become a great success if the wright building blocks were to be put in place.

I also mentioned  to the focus group two historical societies that I had come across during the Christmas holiday season. First was a society called the Belle Vale Prefab Project Committee. Who had published a book called Prefab Days, A Community Remembers. The second an organisation called the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society and their story about the Edge Lane Roundabout tram depot, and a particular story of theirs regarding the last Liverpool tram and its final journey. At this point everyone in the Focus group started sharing their stories of prefabricated temporary post war accommodation, and also their memories of seeing the final journey of Liverpool's last tram. Bringing up both of these local historical stories and the reaction that they received from the focus group members, helped to reinforce my earlier prognosis regarding what a positive and also very popular concept the peoples stories website has in its possession.

The Focus Group then took the idea of these societies and their books further. They suggested that if these books were published on the peoples stories website, that people would be able to read them without having to buy them. They explained that this principal would in most cases be acceptable to the not for profit societies and organisations in question. As they only charged for the books so that the costs of getting their stories out into the public sphere would be covered. Also that the true goal of these socities was to educate the general public as much as possible and not to make profits. Thus if the peoples stories website was able to engage with these societies successfully, its promotion; trust; and reputation within the local community would reach very high levels. Also increasing the engagement with the older generation at the same time.