Unlocking A Loved One’s Memories

As specialists in bringing memories back to life, we were truly moved by recent news that old documentation of memories, photographs, film and music have found a new use, being thought to help trigger memories and reminiscences among people with dementia.

 

Bringing back memories for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia can happen in a number of ways. It may be playing a 1940s classic, spreading out photos on the coffee table, or re-playing old movies from family parties – but whatever it may be, helping recover these memories can offer extremely positive and rewarding results, for all family members.

Reminiscence therapy is defined by the APA as the use of life histories – written, oral, or both – to improve psychological well-being. The therapy is often used with older people, as a method or technique for the purpose of recalling memories, and has been a feature of recent news with the progression it has made for those suffering from dementia.

The heart-warming story of Joseph Hardman, an amateur photographer who had taken photographs between the 1930s and 1960s of daily life from all over the Lake District is a wonderful example of how captured memories can become a catalyst for those unable to remember.

When Hardman sadly passed away, his wife donated almost 5,000 glass negatives to the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry in Kendal, Cumbria, which are now being used to help a group of people living with dementia in the region. The group have been encouraged to take their own versions of his images, using them to reacquaint themselves with their lives.

The idea behind the project was simply to follow Hardman’s footsteps over a five-week period, so as Hardman did himself, the group took taxis everywhere, indulged in the tea and cake he was fond of, and visited some of his favourite places, documenting their journeys.

One place in particular was Dora’s Field in Rydal, a field made famous by the poet William Wordsworth. This was a trigger for Wordsworth’s poetry, a piece the generation would have learnt by heart as children, encouraging them to tap into deep long-term memories.

This wasn’t the only memories that were stirred; one participant re-discovered her ability to write short-hand although she hadn’t wrote that way for many years, and others were brought to recall particular events, songs and days-out that made their history.

As you can see, reminiscence therapy is a growing part of dementia care, and many deep-seating memories are often attached to emotion. Yet, with new techniques, you are able to tap into the positive emotions of their past and bring someone positive emotion to them.

For the full article on this very special project, please visit the BBC website.

Here at Video 2 DVD Transfers, we are proud to be one of the leading specialists in our industry, and are dedicated to helping you preserve those special family memories to enjoy and re-watch again and again. As a family run business, we understand the importance of quality service, and promise to take the upmost care when handling and delivering your beloved memories. For more information regarding our VHS to DVD transfer services, or to speak to one of our friendly and caring team – please do not hesitate to contact us on 0800 592 433 today!

You Wouldn’t Want to Miss It

There are some moments in life that can just pass you by, like the first coffee of the morning, or that joke your friend told you that you can’t remember because it wasn’t any good. But there are some that you really wouldn’t want to miss. Here are our favourite moments that really should be committed to film.

That Romantic Proposal

No matter how your significant other does it – whether they drop to one knee on a romantic trip to the Lake Garda, or even slur those loving words over pizza – being proposed to is a big deal – especially if you, y’know, say yes. And sure, while everyone films the resulting wedding, most people forget about the moment that started it all. Capturing the wedding proposal is a wonderful way to remember just how those blissful years together began.

Baby’s First Steps and Words

Ok, this might seem like a hard one to judge. Either you film your baby constantly, or you get lucky, but it’s totally magical if you can capture your child’s first steps or words on camera. Sure, you’ll remember the delight forever, running, screaming, calling up your mum and all your friends, but it’d be nice to let others witness the moment too. After all, it’s a big deal. And once you’ve got it on film, you can watch it back 15 years later and wonder what ever happened to that sweet, innocent kid!

First Day of School and Final Graduation

What could be better than book-ending your kid’s academic career? There are few moments as important as their first day of school, decked out in an ill-fitting uniform, designed to last for years, and a nervous smile. And no parent will want to forget the end of years in education, as they proudly swish their robe and collect their graduation certificates. In fact, it’ll be tough to tell who’s prouder – them or you.

If you’ve got any of these moments stashed away on video, relax, they’re not lost forever. If you wish to relive the moment, or cherish and share those memories, then we can definitely help. Here at Video 2 DVD Transfers we specialise in VHS to DVD transfers, and we’d love to help you see and share those moments again. Just contact us on 0800 592433 or email us at sales@video2dvdtransfers.co.uk to find out how we can assist you today.

Are you wondering how you get your order to us here at Video2DVDtransfers?

Well we use Royal Mail Tracked Returns. The UK’s most popular Customer to Business shipping service. A services used by 100’s of big names. High Street stores and online companies.

Simply download and print off the label from our website (we’ll also send you a link in our emails).

Attach the label to your parcel.

Take the parcel to your nearest Post Office. At a time that suits you! (no need to wait in for a courier)

At the Post Office your parcel will be bar coded and you’ll be given a receipt.

We’ll acknowledge receipt of your parcel a few days later.

It couldn’t be easier…..   and the cost is included in our prices.

Preserving Family Memories

Preserving memories can be very important, especially when it comes to those all-important precious family moments. Often we are lucky enough to have been able to capture these moments on film so we can come back and relive them over and over again. However in order to preserve these for the future, its important you take good care of your old photos and home videos so they stay in good condition, after all you never know when you might want to see them again. So here we take a quick look at how you can help preserve those precious family memories you have on film, so they can hopefully stay with you and your family for many years to come.

Photographs

The rise of the digital age has seen a move away from more traditional printed photographs and digital archives are now commonplace. Indeed almost gone are the days of getting your camera film developed. However many of us still have numerous old photos lying around of our most precious memories, such as family holidays, and our childhood days.

When it comes to protecting and preserving your old photographs there are a number of things you can do to help. For example a number of factors, such as sunlight and high humidity, can damage your old photographs, hence keeping your old photos away from bright light and humid environments is a must. High temperatures can also present a particular problem for you old photos, so when it comes to storing your photographs lower temperatures are preferable. You can also store your photos in good quality photo albums to help preserve them for the future, and these are perfect for having a look through and reminiscing over too.

Ultimately it can also be a good idea to make a back up copy of your most precious photos too. For example you could consider digitizing your old photos. There are a number of methods of digitizing your old photos, however for the best quality, using a scanner is usually the best option. Creating a digital archive of your old photos also means you can easily share your photos with others online.

Movies                     

There’s nothing quite like catching those all important memories on film; from your baby’s first steps to your wedding day, our home videos speak volumes and are there to be treasured. Home videos have been around for decades, allowing us to forever immortalise and capture our favourite moments and memories. However whilst memories can last a life time, the same cannot be said for you old home movies, at least not if they were captured on VHS that is.

VHS tapes were never intended to last a lifetime and in many respects VHS is a dying medium that has all but been laid to rest. Unfortunately VHS tapes wear out a little every time we use them, and over time their components can degrade. Hence if your old VHS home movies are sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust, and taking up valuable storage space, a great idea is convert these to DVD, giving them a new lease of life and preserving those memories for the future. Converting your old home movies to DVD can also make the ideal gift, perfect for putting a smile on people’s faces.

Here at Video 2 DVD Transfers we are specialists when it comes to converting VHS to DVD and pride ourselves on the high quality of our work. For more information about our great range of services please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.

Make It in the Movies

When people wonder what we do here at Video2DVD Transfers, one of the first things we tell them is how we transfer videos of weddings to DVD. And sure, that’s a key part of any VHS to DVD transfer we perform. Especially since a wedding is one of those special, once-in-a-lifetime moments that people will want to watch again and again for years to come. A lot like a child’s first birthday, or their christening. But that’s not the only kind of movies we convert to DVD. Here are a few more kinds of videos that we can transfer for you.

 

School Play

We’ve all seen them, and all pretended to enjoy them. Whether it’s the summer production or the Christmas nativity, your kid took such pride in being on-stage, and we know you did too. Sure, they might not appreciate it so much now they’re older, but you’ll still want to remember that time when they wowed the audience with a flawless reading of ‘To be or not to be…’ There’s an added bonus to getting your kid’s school play put onto DVD too. If something goes wrong, brilliant, you can send it in to You’ve Been Framed too.

School Disco

Before Americans came along and forced the whole prom night-limousine-tuxedo business on us, the disco was the highlight of the school year. Starting the night nervously fiddling with your dress or those cufflinks your mother made you wear, and wondering whether that special someone will dance with you. Ending the night, high on jelly sweets and Tizer, jigging to Spandau Ballet’s True. Good times. You know what they say: if you remember your first school disco, you weren’t there, man. Well, prove them wrong with a DVD copy of the night.

 

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Homemade Movies

Do you remember when you first got hold of a camcorder? How did it make you feel? Excited? Nervous? That you were a budding Steven Spielberg? Hey, we all have to start somewhere. Sure, that homemade movie might seem a bit embarrassing now. I mean, stunt-work basically involves you hurling yourself over the hood of your dad’s car, and special effects consist of cap guns and you and your friends shouting ‘Bang!’ as loudly as possible. But it’d be a shame not to keep a copy, watch it with your mates, or even hide it away from your significant other. That’s why converting them to DVD is a great idea. It might not be your crowning moment, but it was probably the most fun you’ve had with a video camcorder.

Maybe you have some of these old videos stashed away in your garage, loft or even hidden under the bed. If you have, then we can help transfer them to DVD for you. For more info about your affordable VHS to DVD transfers, just contact us on 0800 592433 and we’ll be happy to help.

Why Memories Make the Best Gifts

Giving somebody memories for their birthday or Christmas admittedly sounds a bit strange, but we’re sure you know what we mean! However, if you don’t, let us tell you that there are plenty of ways to do it these days including: photo books, photo albums, and, of course, the wonderful gift of transferring old home movies on VHS to DVD so that your loved ones can watch them back on current technology! Memories really do make the best gifts and we’re going to tell you why…

Remember the Good Times!

How do you feel when you remember certain times in your life? Joyous, warm and happy – we’re sure you’ve found yourself smiling outwardly because of what you’re thinking about! Just imagine giving this gift to somebody that you love – how would they react? Remembering brings back emotions and makes you feel young again, which is why it’s a fantastic gift for special birthdays and anniversaries.

A Gift that Just Keeps On Giving!

With a home movie or photo album, your gift will live on forever. The loved one who is receiving the gift will be able to look through an album or stick on a home movie whenever they feel like it, therefore the gift of memories is certainly a gift that just keeps on giving!

Incredibly Personal and Unique!

There is nothing more personal and unique than this gift – you cannot buy memories from a shop! Well, we can help you to transfer your old films, however you’re the one who has created the memories, making this gift wholly unique; no one else will have it but you and whoever you’ve given a copy of the film to! You can make it even more special by creating a personalised cover!

Shows You Care

Nothing shows you care more than a thoughtful gift, and this is exactly what an old home movie on DVD is. It shows that you’ve gone to a real effort to give a gift full of meaning, rather than simply buying a cheap pair of socks from the supermarket!

Bring Your Old Memories to Life

So, if you truly love someone, give them the gift of memories to show that you really care! It‘s wonderfully personal and will certainly help you both to remember the happy times forever!  So go on, bring your old memories to life again!

At Video2DVD we’re specialist in VHS to DVD transfers, and we always provide our customers with high quality products! For more information about how we can restore your memories, please get in contact with us – call 0800 592433 or 01926 461505 to speak to us today.

Live Chat, Support whilst you are on our website

We’ve added a live chat facility to our video2dvdtransfers website.

Click on the chat box and we’ll answer any questions you may have.

You can, of course, still call us free on 0800 592433 or drop us an email.

Transfer Video Direct to Digital?

As our direct to Digital service increases in popularity we have installed another Teranex processor.

 

Made by Black Magic Design the Teranex offers incredible results.

Direct to digital transfers from videotape are ideal if you want to edit your home movies and perhaps produce a special memento of a special occasion from your families past. You can also email and share your memories.

Details and ordering for our Video to Digital service can be found here.

Barcode stickers?

Some of our customers have asked us what the barcode stickers on their returned videotapes are.

We stick one to each of your tapes the moment they arrive with us. They include your order number and our individual tape reference. It’s very unlikely that a tape becomes separated from it’s order whilst in our studios. But in that unlikely event we can match things up quickly using the information on the stickers we apply. They also help us check your order before we dispatch it.

The stickers are removable adhesive so you can take them off once you receive your parcel back.