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Guy Garvey: Recording Dad

Guy Garvey spent a decade recording his dad’s stories and now he wants you to do the same.

Guy Garvey spent a decade recording his dad’s stories and now he wants you to do the same. When Elbow singer Guy Garvey began to record his father Don's anecdotes, he already knew a lot of the stories he was capturing. What he didn't know was his father's childhood memories, his thoughts and feelings, the characters of long-gone family members, the stories which were much more touching and personal - or, as Guy describes it, 'the tales without a punchline'. Once he got his dad talking, a wealth of new stories emerged which helped Guy form a deeper bond with his dad and painted a vivid picture of a child in wartime Manchester. When Don died in March 2018, Guy realised how precious these recordings were - not just to him but also to his siblings and future generations of his family. Now he’s on a mission to encourage others to record their parents before it's too late. With contributions from Professor Catherine Loveday of the University of Westminster, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Technical Producer Sue Stonestreet, Paddy O’Connell and, of course, Mr Donald Garvey and his son Guy.

A Snoball production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4

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29 minutes

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