MEMORIES will come flooding back for pensioners when a new community centre in York launches its first project.

Over-60s from the Walmgate area are being invited to reminisce about childhood and wartime memories - and then see them turned into songs and poems to be performed and recorded for posterity.

Walmgate Memories is being organized by Space 109, which is being set up in a former furniture shop in Walmgate to offer arts, crafts, drama and media production workshops.

As the premises are not yet ready for use, the six workshop sessions will be staged in the nearby Bretgate Community Room.

Starting at 2.30pm on Monday, organisers - who include Space 109 co-ordinator Jo Pullar and Bretgate community volunteer Rita Jarmin - are promising a "fun and exciting creative experience".

Project leader Gary Miller, an experienced songwriter who has successfully led similar projects elsewhere before, including one in Tang Hall, said: "The launch day will be a social afternoon with tea and coffee open to all over-60s residents in the Walmgate area of York. "English folk music and music hall traditions will be used as tools for creative writing of songs, poems and stories of Walmgate and beyond, both contemporary and historical," he said.

"I will draw on the memories, knowledge and experiences of the participants through a variety of group and individual activities including discussions, brainstorming and visual stimuli.

"This will be a wonderful opportunity for over-60s in Walmgate to meet and reminisce about childhood, schooldays or wartime memories, jobs or work, hobbies, social activities, people and places, in a relaxed social environment, and engage in story swapping and singing.

"They will then see their own stories and memories turned into songs and poems, and performed and recorded for posterity.

"No musical ability is required for participants - just a willingness to share and be involved in group activities."

He stressed that the project was not just about experiences of the Walmgate area, but any personal or general experiences from anywhere. It did not matter whether participants were born and raised in York or came to the area from elsewhere.

He said CDs and books of the resulting material will be produced for each participant, and a performance will be held at the National Centre for Early Music on Thursday, April 20. Mr Miller said the project was supported by Arts Action York and The National Centre For Early Music.

Updated: 10:39 Friday, January 06, 2006