News From The Bedford, Morison and Cordery Almshouses
This April 2026, our residents at Bedford Morison and Cordery Almshouses enjoyed a truly special Coffee Morning at No. 19. We were delighted to welcome Malini Shah from Bright Minds, who joined us to share her knowledge on the art of memorising, a skill that has been practiced for centuries and still fascinates people today. And what a joyful, laughter filled morning it turned out to be.
Exploring the Ancient Art of Memory
Malini introduced us to the idea that memorising isn’t just a skill, it’s an art form. For thousands of years, people have used creative techniques to store and recall information, long before notebooks, phones or Google existed.
One of the techniques we explored was the ancient Loci Method, a powerful way of remembering by visualising a journey. You imagine walking through a familiar route and placing vivid images at different “loci” (locations). Later, you mentally walk the same route to recall each item.
It sounds simple… but it’s surprisingly fun.
A Story That Took Us Around the World
To put the technique into practice, the residents each named two words or objects. Then, together, we created a story linking 20 words all together in order and what a story it became!
The room was full of laughter as the residents walked through the story twice and remembered every word.
How Childhood Memories Work
Malini also shared how childhood memories are formed, explaining why emotional moments stay with us for life. One recalled a cherished family picnic, sparking a lovely conversation about how early memories are shaped by love, connection and storytelling.
A Session the Residents Truly Loved
The feedback was unanimous: “When is Malini coming back?”
The residents enjoyed the session so much that they’ve already asked for another visit. Next time, Malini will be joining us to talk about nutrition for brain health and to revisit the topic of memory, story-telling with even more practical tips.
A Heartfelt Thank You
We would like to extend a warm and sincere thank you to Malini for giving her time, energy and expertise to our community. Her session brought joy, curiosity, connection and plenty of laughter, everything a Coffee Morning should be. We look forward to welcoming her back soon.
