I am very pleased to say that the West Yorkshire Archive service have accepted the Back-Chat Collection interviews into their permanent archives thus ensuring their accessibility to the public for many generations to come.

You can hear this interview by simply clicking the West Yorkshire Archive Link where you will find all of the Back-Chat Collection interviews listed in alphabetical order along with captioned photographs.

If you would like to contact The Back-Chat Collection please do email me at carloharrison1947@gmail.com.

To listen to the interviews which are now hosted on the
West Yorkshire Archive Service click here.

Andy Thomson

Born

May 1954, East London (within the sound of Bow Bells).

Background

Grew up in the London Borough Of Waltham Forest and now lives in his families 15th century home in Beauchamp Roding, Essex.

Date of Interview

17th December 2020

“You hardly need to ask permission for all this as I wouldn’t have done it if there was any doubt, so feel free to go ahead.

Andy Thomson (24th January 2021)

Andy Thomson is a man who doesn’t take life too seriously which you will hear as he giggles his way through this conversation.

Andy is a Cockney (just) who ran a successful design business that stopped overnight when Coronavirus struck the nation.

We get some inside knowledge about the perils – financial and otherwise – of owning a 15th century cottage with a thatched roof.

Boyhood Christmases, holidays at Grandma’s in Deal, Kent, motorbikes, and, of course, Brexit, round off this jovial chat.

Interviewer: Carlo Harrison

Cataloguer: Fiona Quinton


HTML5 Audio Player

You can listen to the entire recording by clicking the start arrow or, you can move the slider to one of times shown for the headings opposite, they are a guide to the many things we chatted about.
Being A Cockney
00.45
Coronavirus
02.00
Coronavirus – Government Help
07.15
Pensions
10.00 
Coronavirus – Christmas
11.05
Government & Boris Johnson
13.05
Parents – Colin – Ann
15.50
Siblings – Steven & Susie
22.10
Childhood – Leyton
26.45
Thatched Roof
36.50
School Days
42.40
Christmas & Holidays – Deal, Kent
46.10
Married Life – Wife Janet – Ibiza – 2 Children
50.00
Working Life – Designer
55.00
Motorbike & Sculpting
1.00.50
Brexit
1.04.15

 

Please take into consideration when listening to these interviews that the meaning of language changes over time and that interviewees have not intended to cause offence by anything said which now may be thought to be unacceptable.

Recording this social history, chatting to different people about a whole host of subjects has been a real pleasure, such an interesting and I think worthwhile project for people to listen to both now and in years to come.

Thank you for visiting this website.

Carlo Harrison