Frequently Asked Questions

We are based in Cumbria, and we welcome clients from across the UK. For some projects we will meet you in person, and we can also arrange remote interviews and video calls to make sure we stay in touch throughout your bespoke heritage project.

 

We are in easy reach of Wales, Scotland and the north of England including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, County Durham, Cheshire and Merseyside.

No, we will set out a full quote for your bespoke project before we start, and make clear what is included. We ask for 20% payment at the beginning of the project, and the rest is paid on delivery.

 

Projects do sometimes grow over time – so we will consult with you to agree extra costs (usually at an hourly or daily rate). We will tell you beforehand if travel and courier expenses will be charged.

Every project is unique, so we will set out a timetable with your quote. 

 

We can work to deadlines, so if there is a big event or birthday on the horizon, please let us know as soon as possible!

Yes. Our audio memoirs and bespoke history books make wonderful, meaningful gifts for big birthdays or life milestones. 

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We can supply a printed gift certificate, so you can present it to the recipient at the start of the project. To purchase a Gift Certificate, please drop us an email or use the contact form and we will send a payment link.

Yes. As trained museum professionals, we love organising and cataloguing collections of all kinds. We can set up custom cataloguing systems, create databases to record important information, and even produce illustrated catalogues of your treasured collection.

 

We cannot offer valuations, but we can advise on finding experts in that area.

Yes, we can help in several ways. 

• We can fact-check and complete research, visit archives and record interviews, using our training as genealogists and social historians.

• We can organise your family archive, to bring together dispersed material and draw out the information and stories.

• We can scan and transcribe your photographs, letters and documents so you can build a digital family archive. This helps to share information and images across branches and generations of the family.

• And we can bring your story together into a book or film, so your stories can be appreciated and shared.

Phone photos are great for quickly recording something and sharing pictures easily. However, for long-term storage and preservation, we recommend creating high-resolution digital copies of your treasured collections. The digital images are accurate, high-resolution, and suitable for reproduction and printing (if you ever want to).

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We will manage the scanning, editing, file naming and metadata, so your digital family archive is future-proofed, searchable and secure.

A transcript is a written version of a document or recording. A facsimile is a direct reproduction of something, retaining the original size and contents. Each one has particular benefits.

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Having transcripts of old handwritten letters makes them easier to read: you can search for particular words, copy extracts, and you can share them easily.

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Facsimiles are the perfect way to share special items – like a travel scrapbook or autograph book – that might be too fragile to handle. We can create multiple facsimiles which can be given to different people.

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Both transcripts and facsimiles help to preserve the original documents by avoiding handling and exposure to light.

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Some people like to have a transcript of their audio memoir too, to preserve a printed version of their story that can also include important photographs.

Yes. We can convert and update many old media formats in-house, and if we can’t, we will use local specialists who can. We will take care of the whole process from collection, scanning / digitisation / conversion, to naming and organising the files. We will then deliver everything back to you in high-quality digital form.

 

We can also use these newly digitised films and images to create bespoke documentaries, combined with interviews and new research. Let us know what you hope to achieve and we will work with you to make it!