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.

Richard Hayes

Born

July 1945, Wharfedale Hospital.

Background

Grew up in Rawdon, retired to Cyprus.

Date of Interview

10th July 2020

“Hi Carlo, You have my permission to publish”

Richard Hayes (23rd April 2022)

Richard Hayes’ life has been full of action with a career in the RAF as an Air Traffic Controller and retirement in Cyprus which is where I caught up with him for this Skype interview.

Richard has lovely memories of the original Benton Park School in Rawdon the new one was built in the 1960s.

His father, Thomas, was an engineering inspector at the famous AVRO factory in Yeadon during the Second World War.

We talk about Route 66 and the Oregon Trail as well as travelling as a passenger on container ships.

A very nice chat including a couple of things I didn’t know anything about Air Traffic Control and Cyprus.


 
 

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.
Cyprus – Coronavirus
00.45
Cyprus Climate – Air Conditioning
03.45
Cyprus – Government
08.15
Cyprus – Tourism
09.50
Cyprus – Greek & Turkish
12.25
Cyprus – British Settlers
14.05
Father – Thomas Hayes – Engineering Inspector the AVRO WWII. Mother Maggie (Dyson) Cotton Mill Worker (Lancashire)
14.50
Sisters – Barbara (Rawdon) – Margaret (Otley)
20.10
Cyprus – Retirement
21.25
School Days – The Original Benton Park, Rawdon
23.05
Wife – Yvonne Trimble – Married In Barbados
27.30
Children – Jeremy (Construction Project Manager) – Martin (Police Officer)
28.45
Career In The RAF Air Traffic Control
33.30
Model Aircraft
49.40
Historic vehicle Restoration
51.05
Route 66 – Oregon Trail
52.55
Passenger On Container Ships
56.00
Brexit
57.50

 

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