That Reminds Me was inspired by the small details we remember about the people we love, and how easily those stories can disappear.

Lynne Smit cannot remember her father's voice. But more than 30 years after his death, she can hear the distinctive three-tone whistle that he used instead of shouting when he wanted to call his children. Wherever they were, they knew it was him.

"It is such a small thing, but that sound is completely my father to me," says Smit.

"I can't remember his voice any more, but I can still hear that whistle in my head. And it made me think about how easily those little details disappear. If I don't tell somebody about his whistle, how would anyone who came after me ever know?"

That thought lies at the heart of That Reminds Me, a new storytelling venture founded by the Macclesfield-based journalist and editor to help people preserve the stories, voices, photographs and memories that make a person, place or moment meaningful.

The platform brings photographs, written memories, audio and video together in a curated digital story. Story Pages can be accessed through a unique QR code or direct link and can tell the story of a person, pet, place, object, milestone or meaningful moment.

For Smit, the business is a natural extension of a career spent asking questions and telling stories. Her editorial work includes Nature Africa, part of the Nature portfolio. At That Reminds Me, she is founder and curator.

"Journalism teaches you to keep asking questions," she says. "Very often, the thing that makes a story comes after the obvious questions. It's the extra detail. The 'Oh, that reminds me…' moment.

"And yet we don't always ask those questions of the people closest to us. We may know where our parents or grandparents lived and what jobs they did. But do we know what made them laugh? What expressions they always used?"

Smit has lived in Macclesfield for five and a half years, and says the town has reinforced her fascination with hidden stories.

"Macclesfield is filled with history," she says. "There is really interesting industrial architecture and so many amazing people who have lived here. I often find myself looking at a building or a name on a plaque and feeling so curious. Who lived in that house? What were their lives actually like?

"And it isn't only famous people whose stories matter. Most lives are would be regarded as 'ordinary', but actually they are full of extraordinary stories."

That instinct to ask 'what's the story behind that?' is central to That Reminds Me.

"You see a name on a bench and wonder who that person was and why this place mattered to them," says Smit. "Usually, unless the right person happens to be there to tell you, the story stops there. I wanted the answer to be waiting, linked to a story page with a QR code that can be engraved on a plaque or just shared digitally."

The platform also offers charities, community groups, clubs, schools and other organisations a way to raise funds by partnering with That Reminds Me. When supporters buy a Story Page through them, the organisation receives an agreed share of the income.

One of the principles at the heart of That Reminds Me is that preserving stories should not begin with loss. A grandparent can help create their own page and tell stories in their own voice. A family can record the history of a home before it is sold. Parents can preserve part of a child's early years. Someone can celebrate a pet who has been part of the family for 15 years.

"Too often, we become interested in someone's story when we are preparing for their funeral," says Smit. "Suddenly everybody is asking questions. What did they always say? What was that story about the holiday? Where was that photograph taken? I'd like us to ask more of those questions while people are still here to answer them."

That Reminds Me is not intended to become another social network built around followers, likes or viral content. Instead, it is centred on trust, respect, responsibility and continuity, with the person creating the Story Page retaining control over how it is shared.

"There are tiny things like that in every family and every life," says Smit. "They can seem too ordinary to write down, until one day you realise that you are the only person left who remembers them. Stories don't disappear because they weren't important. They disappear because nobody tells them anymore. That Reminds Me is about making sure we tell them."

That Reminds Me can be found online here.

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