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.

James Powell

Born

October 1955, Paget, Bermuda.

Background

Grew up in Bermuda, now lives in Ontario, Canada.

Date of Interview

13th May 2020

“Please fell free to use my interview in any way you see fit. I am honoured to be part of your work.”

James Powell (5th January 2022)

My connection with James Powell goes back 114 years and stretches all the way to Canada – all is explained in this delightful interview.

We get an insight into how the Canadian government keeps the roads open with two metres of snow each year and into the two Trudeau Prime Ministers and why the Canadians have a less than favourable view of our prime Minister Boris Johnson.

James was born in Bermuda and spent his childhood there before attending boarding school in Canada and settling in Ontario.

There are some very interesting predictions on how we will cope with coronavirus in the future and as the interview was recorded in 2020 was he correct?

We probably have to keep it a secret but I sent a 114-year-old acetate film in the post to James for the Ottawa Historical Society. If you know about acetate film, then you know why this should probably be kept as a secret!


 
 

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.
Coronavirus In Canada
01.20
Canadian Travel Ban & Border Control
09.55
Coronavirus In Bermuda
11.35
Pierre Trudeau – Bilingualism
13.25
Justin Trudeau Government – Coronavirus
20.15
Future After Coronavirus Prediction – May 2020
19.45
Boris Johnson & Brexit
28.35
Canadian Referendums
33.00
Parents Edmund (Merchant) – Patricia (Housewife)
34.40
Sister Suzanne – Fort Worth, Texas – Retired Interior Decorator – Hospitals
38.05
Growing Up In Bermuda
38.35
Canadian Weather – Snow
43.05
Private Boarding School
47.10
Wife Nicolle – Honeymoon In London
53.00
Son Andrew (PhD Student Studying Alzheimer’s) – Daughter Nea (Works For NavCanada)
54.00
Sending Photographic Film To Ottawa Historical Society, Canada – Investigation – Publication
56.10

 

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