Alma’s Story – A Family Archive of Leicester Life and Legacy

Alma’s Story – A Family Archive of Leicester Life and Legacy

What happens when a lifetime of letters, photographs, sketches, and keepsakes are carefully saved instead of discarded? What story emerges when someone takes on the responsibility of safeguarding the memory of those who came before?

In this episode of Spotlight on Heritage, recorded at the Belmont Hotel on New Walk in Leicester, John Coster and Rob Watson are joined by Sue Batchelor, who has travelled from Somerset with a remarkable collection documenting the life of her aunt, Alma. Born in 1923, Alma lived her entire life in Leicester. She never married, experienced illness, and was part of a close-knit family that communicated across generations through hundreds of letters. Her creative talents in jewellery-making, fashion, and sketching were matched by her lifelong commitment to learning and her love of the theatre.

20250713 114434485 ios (medium)This conversation explores the memories Sue holds of visiting her family in Leicester, and how her aunt’s carefully saved belongings—ranging from programmes and receipts to adult education notes and family photographs—form a rich tapestry of everyday life in the city through much of the twentieth century. With contributions from local heritage advocates Barbara from the Friends of Welford Road Cemetery, Rebecca from Adult Education’s heritage events, Ellen from a World War I research project, and Nick with his own story of archival discovery, this episode opens up the emotional and practical aspects of caring for a family archive.

Sue reflects on the weight of responsibility that comes with being the custodian of such an extensive and personal collection. The conversation explores how seemingly ordinary items—paper bags from long-gone shops, cinema listings, old theatre tickets—can take on extraordinary meaning when seen as part of a shared cultural record. At a time when everyday experiences are often lost to digital forgetfulness, Sue’s family collection stands as a tangible reminder of how people stayed in touch, found joy in social life, and expressed creativity in a world without the internet.

20250713 112354957 ios (medium)As Sue prepares to share items with Adult Education, the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust, and other organisations, Alma’s Story becomes more than a private act of remembrance—it’s an invitation to think about how we value the stories in our own families, and what might be lost if we don’t take the time to preserve and share them.

The podcast includes references to local landmarks and heritage institutions, such as Gopsal Street, the former Applegate Museum, and Welford Road Cemetery, connecting personal stories to Leicester’s broader historical landscape.

To listen to the episode, and to hear the voices of those who joined this conversation, follow the podcast link on the Soar Sound website. You’ll also find a link to Highfields Remembered, where a 1990s oral history recording of Alma herself is available. It’s a rare and poignant moment to hear her voice and to place her words alongside the objects and memories Sue has so carefully gathered.

This episode asks us to think: who are the characters in our own families whose stories deserve to be remembered—and what will happen to their memories when we are no longer here to tell them?

Rob Watson

Rob Watson

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Soar Sound

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading