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.

Maurice Wray

Born

October 1934 in Chapel Allerton, Leeds

Died 7th May 2022.

Background

Grew up in Chapel Allerton has lived in Hunslet, Horsforth, Yeadon, Huddersfield and Cookridge 

Date of Interview

15th January 2020 at the Grove park Care Home In Meanwood, Leeds.

“Having discussed it with my dad, he has said ‘I’m happy for you to publish my interview and the photos that we have forwarded, on the Back-Chat website’.

Many thanks

Ian (Ian Wray 30th November 2020)

I interviewed Maurice when he was 85-years old and living at the Grove Park Care Home in Meanwood, Leeds. This interview is full of life from motorcycling to WW2 in Leeds; the Orient Express; movie making and an interesting view on Prince Harry’s plan to step down from royal duties.

Maurice suffers from Vascular Parkinsonism and his speech is measured and quiet, so you will need to turn the sound up to hear him but it’s worth it because his life story is fascinating, I am so pleased he was brave enough to let me and our sound engineer David into his room with all our recording equipment.

Sadly Maurice passed away on Saturday 7th May 2022 aged 87

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
00.50
Childhood – Chapel Allerton
01.20
School Days – Leeds
02.30
Working Life – Dentistry
04.05
Marriage
05.45
Working Life – GPO Engineer
08.00
Married Life
16.35
Motorcycling
17.40
Christmas
19.55
WW2 – Leeds
22.00
Evacuation – Nidderdale
27.40
Caravan Club
30.40
Photography – Film Making – Motorbikes
33.25
National Service – Royal Signals
37.40
Orient Express
42.10
Movie Making
44.00
Brexit
46.10
Global Warming
48.50
The Royal Family
49.15

 

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