Thursday 21st June 2012

Replay Motorsport: racing memories as therapy

New website aims to use motorsport to help sufferers of dementia

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We've all no doubt spent hours in the pub reminiscing about our favourite motorsport and driving experiences; it's simply great fun to chat cars and general good times with like-minded people (it's what the PH Sunday Services are all about, after all).

Now, a company called Sporting Memories Network is attempting to harness the positive impact on our minds of chatting about your favourite epic road trip, or your first experience of Le Mans, for the benefit of those with dementia and other such afflictions.

Its website (sportingmemories.org) offers users the chance to upload their own motorsport memories and browse those of others. The intention, according to Director Tony Jameson-Allen, is to "help older people who may have memory or mental health problems to re-capture the passion and enjoyment they have previously had for motorsport".

If this all seems a bit far-fetched, take a look at the effect music has on this chap, as featured in a recent episode of Russell Howard's Good News on the Beeb (starting at 26:15). It is this kind of regenerative ability the Sporting Memories Network aims to emulate. It has already embraced other sports such as football, and cars and motorsport is their newest venture.

The network already features many anecdotes from motorsport stars. These include rally driver David Higgins reflecting on his first karting experience, Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson on racing at Le Mans and Paul O'Neill describing his first BTCC victory.

The website is now encouraging more memories to be added - and they want you to get involved. There is no word limit, and pictures of up to 2mb can also be added. The website is a bit of a fledgling affair currently, so more contributions will only improve it. And even if it won't serve any direct medical purpose for you, it should make for some great yarns...

[p1doc]

what a great idea
martin

[bigdog3]

Some people reckon motorsport is a form of dementia (especially my wife) ...

[RichTBiscuit]

What an excellent idea. Top work.

[Mini1275]

That really is superb.

Good stuff.

[pagani1]

Not many F1 memories on the site-so come on P'hers add yours now.

[anonymous-user]

Call me a cynic but is this to help people with dementia or a smart way of promoting a new website.

Don't get me wrong some of the pictures are great and the website looks good but.................

[Marc W]

It is to promote the website but as the purpose of the website is to help people with dementia then it's both!

[blot]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Call me a cynic but is this to help people with dementia or a smart way of promoting a new website.

Don't get me wrong some of the pictures are great and the website looks good but.................

Hi Jim

A pertinent question to ask, especially in this day and age. Our aim is to spread the use of motorsports based reminiscence far and wide, it's not something that is used commonly with older people, yet the impact it has had on participants has been so rewarding.

Yes, the Replay site helps to promote the work, but its principal aim is to collect stories from motorsport that can be used in reminiscence sessions and ones that wouldn't otherwise get told. The stories from modern day can be used too, as several focus on emotions, rather than just the traditional race results, couple that with images and the materials become of use to groups, staff, volunteers and relatives.

Hope this allays any doubts, more than happy to answer any questions.

bw Tony aka Blot

[anonymous-user]

blot said:

Hi Jim

A pertinent question to ask, especially in this day and age. Our aim is to spread the use of motorsports based reminiscence far and wide, it's not something that is used commonly with older people, yet the impact it has had on participants has been so rewarding.

Yes, the Replay site helps to promote the work, but its principal aim is to collect stories from motorsport that can be used in reminiscence sessions and ones that wouldn't otherwise get told. The stories from modern day can be used too, as several focus on emotions, rather than just the traditional race results, couple that with images and the materials become of use to groups, staff, volunteers and relatives.

Hope this allays any doubts, more than happy to answer any questions.

bw Tony aka Blot

Thank you Tony.

Great to hear it.

Have met alot of people who promice to help people in need but never deliver.

Feel terrible being negative about it but now I know you are there to help I wish you alot of success

[blot]

but most of all....a huge thanks to Pistonheads for their help in publicising this project, which has the support of DC http://www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com/latest-smn-... as well as the Le Mans winning, TVR driving, Ginetta owning Lawrence Tomlinson

I'll be at Croft watching the BTCC swimming there this weekend (it's biblical rain up here again) so if any of you are there, I'll have my dictaphone in hand (ooo-err) and you can tell me a memory to put on the site there and then

For those who prefer to use t'interweb - read them or write them here - no need for registration and you don't have to put your email address in either (optional) we just use it to tell you your memory has been published.

http://motorsport.sportingmemories.org/content/mem...

Cheers
Blot

[blot]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Thank you Tony.

Great to hear it.

Have met alot of people who promice to help people in need but never deliver.

Feel terrible being negative about it but now I know you are there to help I wish you alot of success

It's not negative at all Jim, it was a relevant question to ask and yup, have encountered many of those type who tell a great tale but who fail to deliver.

What has been amazing, when planning this project, was the willingness of incredibly busy people to give us their stories - I couldn't pick a favourite, but Jim Glickenhaus gave us 2 brilliant stories and much more of his time than we could have possibly hoped for. http://motorsport.sportingmemories.org/memory/308-...

Any PH'ers in or around Edinburgh who want to find out a bit more are very welcome to drop by the National Portrait Gallery tomorrow and Saturday where we are running sessions as part of Alzheimer's Awareness Week up there. I'll be the one not wearing a sporran stood near the Sporting Memories Network banner just through to the left as you go in

I'll shut up now......

[m8rky]

Will watch this with interest as sadly my Father was diagnosed with the early stages of dementia.Fortunately the medication he is on has dramatically improved things but his life long love of motorcycle racing is a constant source of chat.
There is not much that really upsets me but seeing my Dad having to give up driving and pre medication his confusion was deeply upsetting,luckily Mother got on the case promptly.It's me on the Yellow Italjet circa 1977.







Love you Dad thanks for the great two wheeled childhood.

[Emley]

Weird, I was at both places pictured.
I can remember both like it was yesterday, so don't need to worry about dementia just yet.

Everyone recognises the first kink at LeMans, just dug my pics out, and yes looks like 1985.

But who recognises the exact location of the second shot?

I was there too, but my pics from that year show i was on the other side of the track behind that tree.

Regular place to get those first day cover shots in the bag.

Regards

Emley

[threespires]

I submitted 2 pictures yesterday, but they haven't appeared on the site yet. Is it actually working?
I have also just found that the iPad won't upload pix to it. (Par for the course, very little works on an iPad)

Edited by threespires on Friday 22 June 11:44

[blot]

Hi Threespires, thanks for the pics, I was unsure where they had come from as there wasn't a name to them so didn't want to publish in case whoever had uploaded them had changed their mind. Will publish if you are happy, cheers!

[threespires]

blot said:

Hi Threespires, thanks for the pics, I was unsure where they had come from as there wasn't a name to them so didn't want to publish in case whoever had uploaded them had changed their mind. Will publish if you are happy, cheers!

Ah thanks for message.
Go for it...

[blot]

Now on the site thanks Threespires

Memory of the day - Mike Wilds lines up on the grid at the Watkins Glen GP 1974 with Lauda, Hunt, Hulme & Peterson..... http://motorsport.sportingmemories.org/memory/326-...

[blot]

ITV's Louise Goodman has signed up as the latest supporter of the project http://www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com/louisegoodm...

A great memory from her of Interlagos 2008 & Lewis Hamilton
http://motorsport.sportingmemories.org/memory/341-...

[blot]

Morning

Memory of the Day- Linda Weldon Feldhorn and an encounter with Stirling Moss in 1966
http://motorsport.sportingmemories.org/memory/298-...

[blot]

Memory of the day is a great read - driving an F1 car at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit, CEO of Chelsea Auto Legends, Max Wakefield has submitted a brilliant memory for the project and has become our latest supporter

http://motorsport.sportingmemories.org/memory/343-...

News soon about Chelsea Autolegends and our network. The event celebrates the history of motorsport, is held at the Royal Hospital and supports the Chelsea Pensioners charity.