The podcast that keeps the memory of loved ones alive

As podcasts become more popular as a medium, families are using this format to remember deceased loved ones.

According to data from YouGov40% of respondents listen to podcasts for more than an hour per week.

Several companies in the UK now offer to record long audio interviews with a relative to create a keepsake for future generations.

Those who have explored this new medium have explained how the technology has helped them.

When Joanne Berry drives alone, she listens to her father tell stories about the birth of his children, his time in the military, and how he witnessed a plane being shot down during the Battle of Britain.

Bill Berry from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was born in 1933 and recorded his podcast at the age of 83. He died in 2020.

She said: “I love listening to my dad’s voice. It’s like he’s back in the room with me, telling us his funny stories.

“Hearing my father’s voice now that he has passed away is precious because it brings his story to life.

“It’s dad. It’s real. My sister mentioned how special it was to hear that her birth was the best day of his life.”

Mrs Berry feels she can now pass something on to future generations, such as her granddaughter.

“We talk to her about my father and she sees him in pictures, but having his story written down really brings him to life.

She will get to know his sense of humor. I look forward to future conversations about him.”

Syliva Richardson from Walkern, Hertfordshire, was born at Brocket Hall in 1940 while the mansion was being used as a maternity hospital during the Second World War.

This is one of the stories she told when the then 79-year-old recorded her story.

Her daughter, Julie Lucas, 56, from Stevenage, admitted she didn’t realise at the time how important the recording was.

She said: “I knew Mum’s memory was failing, but she wasn’t diagnosed with Alzheimer’s until six months later.

“I heard stories I had never heard before. I knew she had a donkey, but then she told me how she was picked up from school on this donkey.”

It was taken in August 2019 and she died in March 2021.

The finished product includes some of her favorite songs, such as “Peter and the Wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev.

“When you have access to these little stories, and you can just play them back and hear their voice again, you realize what a great keepsake it is when you’ve lost that person.

“Going back and hearing her voice is so moving for me and also for my children.

For her 100th birthday, Katri Hay from Brentwood, Essex, received a unique gift: she was allowed to record her life story as a podcast.

Born in 1919, the woman shared memories of the first commercial flights and gave advice based on a century of experience.

Patrick Hay, who now lives in France, admitted that he does not listen to the recordings because he prefers to remember her as a younger woman, but he believes the recordings’ value is important for future generations.

He said: “I think this is a new document of family history that will be meaningful to generations long after my mother, me and even her grandchildren.”

“I see it more as an opportunity for those who never had the chance to get to know her.”

One company that offers recording of loved ones’ memories is Life Story Recordings. They are based in Hertfordshire but operate across the UK.

Founder Dave Creasey was working as a radio producer when a friend told him that after her son died, she listened to his answering machine messages as a comfort.

He said: “I think audio is the most powerful and intimate medium there is. The sound of a laugh, the mispronunciation of a word, the really subtle but incredibly important details that make up a person.

“Podcasts are booming right now and many of us love to hear the life story of our favorite actor or singer, so this is a chance to experience just that, but for your parents or grandparents

He explained that people feel more comfortable and speak more naturally when they are not in front of a camera, which is why the podcast format works better.

“Thanks to today’s technology, we can all record our loved ones in some form and I would encourage people to do so, in whatever way they can.

However, I think people are starting to realise the value of having this done professionally and in a way that will last for many years to come.”