Grab a cup of tea and find somewhere quiet to sit and embark on a captivating journey through our Heritage Stories, where members of our diverse community share tales from their heritage.
These stories touch upon various aspects such as home, food, journeys, family, celebrations, and traditions, creating a rich tapestry of cultural narratives. As marshmallows are toasted, a unique ambiance is created, fostering a sense of community and connection.
To preserve these treasured stories, an oral historian meticulously records them, allowing us to share these cultural gems across our digital channels and contribute to our growing collection. Join us in celebrating the richness of our collective heritage at Chiltern Open Air Museum.
If you’re interested in being a speaker at one of our Campfire Heritage Stories event then please contact us on outreach@coam.org.uk
Scroll down to listen to some heritage stories and to share your own.
Our Heritage Stories project is kindly funded by the Rothschild Foundation.
2025 Campfire Heritage Stories
On Sunday 12th October 2025, In front of a warm and welcoming crowd, representatives from the local LGBTQ+ community shared their stories of challenges and triumphs at the Campfire Heritage Stories event at the Museum
Our storytellers were former director of Chiltern Open Air Museum Sue Shave, a queer heritage professional and lesbian mum on a mission to discover and share LGBTQ+ stories to make our community visible and proud, TJ Richards who went from being a US Air Force Sergeant to a UK LGBTQ+ activist, Conor Walsh who splits his time being a barista, baker, music-lover, concert-goer and the Social Media Manager for Aylesbury Community Pride, and Waz Arfan who describes himself as a queer Muslim on a quest to challenge preconceptions and celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
Why We Do Campfire Heritage Stories
Reactions to LGBTQ+ storytelling at Chiltern Open Air Museum, 12th October 2025, including interviews with Waz Arfan, Cat Cross, Daniel Williams, and Sue Shave
October 2024 Campfire Heritage Stories
On Sunday 13th October 2024, around the campfire in our beautiful surroundings, we heard from members of our community whose heritage comes from further afield. Storytellers Tetiana Pantielieieva and Vitalina Darnopykh, both from Ukraine, were joined by Sadat, a refugee academic from Afghanistan. All three have found safety and support in Buckinghamshire.
March 2024 Campfire Heritage Stories
2024 storytellers include Karen Bonner MBE (former Chief Nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and now Chief Nurse for London, a descendent of the Windrush generation), Elizabeth Dench (Jamaica), Sejal Sechdav (Uganda) and B J Tailor (Keyna).
2022 Campfire Heritage Stories
In 2022, we invited Dr Geeta Ludhra (South Asia) and Gregory Gonzales (Philippines) to lead the storytelling.
2021 Campfire Heritage Stories
In 2021, we invited three special guests, who live and/or work in Buckinghamshire, to tell their stories round the campfire - Mei Sim Merry (Hong Kong), Irfan Arif (Pakistan), and Rabbi Neil Janes, who leads the South Bucks Jewish Community.
Tell Us Your Heritage Story
We all love a story and here at Chiltern Open Air Museum, we have plenty to tell. Since 2021, as part of our Campfire Heritage Stories project, we have been collecting stories from members of our community whose heritage comes from way beyond the Chilterns. We have shared stories of home, food, journeys, family, celebrations and traditions, literally around a campfire. We are now expanding the project. If you live in or near the Chilterns area now and your heritage or previous home is rooted far, far away, we would love to hear your story to add to our growing collection.
Each month, we will feature a different object from the Museum. We’d love for you to use this item as inspiration in telling us your own heritage story.
There are two ways that you can add to our Heritage Stories collection. One is by filling out the text boxes in the form below and the other is by making a recording answering the questions in the form below. If you are submitting a recording, it must be in MP3 format and should be between 2 and 5 minutes long.
Object of the Month
This month’s Object of the Month is a traditional fountain pen. Does a vintage pen bring up special memories about your heritage?
Shared Heritage
The Campfire Heritage Stories events have shown that the many different communities in the Chilterns share many similar experiences. Read more about how our buildings and objects inspire memories from around the world on our blogs below.
Read our Blogs
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