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.

Ben Cowell 2

Born

November 1985, Nottingham

Background

Grew up in Lincoln and Newcastle Upon Tyne, Now lives In Wakefield.

Date of Interview

16th October 2021

“I would love to be involved, thank you for thinking of me”

Ben Cowell (11th July 2021)

This is the second interview with Ben Cowell, if you haven’t listened to the first one, I would urge you to do so https://back-chat.org.uk/ben-cowell

Having spoken frankly about his sexuality in the first interview Ben speaks now just as candidly about the journey he and his partner David took when they decided to adopt a child as a same sex couple.

There are so many things that I didn’t know existed as a part of the adoption procedure. Ben assured me that all the way through the adoption system his homosexuality was not an issue and did not affect the care and consideration they were given. 

Ben has worked for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service as well as being a Leeds Police Officer and is now employed by the ambulance service while training to be a solicitor.

A fascinating interview.


 
 

Interviewer: Carlo Harrison

Recording Editor: Carlo Harrison


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.
Homosexuality – Marriage
00.25
Adoption – Decision
01.15
Adoption – Same Sex Couple
04.00
Adoption – Administration
07.55
Adoption – The Child
12.50
Adoption – Meeting Theo
20.15
Adoption – Theo Comes Home
25.30
Theo Told He Is Adopted
27.10
Theo Having Two Dads – School – Other Children
33.00
Yorkshire Ambulance Service
37.05
Leeds Police Officer
40.25
Training To Be A Solicitor
43.05
Advice To Younger Self
50.20

 

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