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.

Ken Roberts

Born

December 1939, Larkfield Crescent, Rawdon.

Died

10th September 2021

Background

Grew up in Rawdon & Yeadon and now lives in Guiseley.

Date of Interview

28th November 2019

“Please feel free to publish my story if you still feel you want to.”

Ken Roberts (5th April 2021)

This interview with Ken Roberts covers a whole host of interesting subjects.

The deaths of his mother and then, years later, his first grandchild must have affected this quietly spoken man. We talk about Ken’s granddaughter and her passing in depth and I’m grateful to him for letting us share this tragic part of his life.

Ken was a key figure in Guiseley Operatic Society. He also spent two years on an archaeological dig; knew Barney Colehan and loved to sing – for which he was trained by a rather robust teacher!

He had a troubled life at times and was a victim of bullying in his youth. But this is a story to sit and listen to – a real piece of social history.

Interviewer: Carlo Harrison

Cataloguer: Fiona Quinton

Sound Engineer David Myers


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.
Family Life
01.40
Family History
04.20
Mothers Death
06.20
Wedding & Honeymoon
11.15
Guiseley Operatic Society
13.05
Barney Colehan
19.40
South View & Aireborough Grammar School
22.15
Bullied By A Gang
23.45
Crompton Parkinson’s
28.00
Singing – Cubs -Scouts
34.15
Archaeological Digs
40.50
Death Of A Grandchild
45.00
Brexit
52.00

 

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