AN AUDIO archive has a new addition with tales of growing up in Guiseley and bushfires in Australia.

The latest recording has been put together for the Back Chat website by local historian Carlo Harrison. Mr Harrison set up the website as a free community archive. He is building up the number of recordings and hopes they will be entertaining and informative and will jog a few memories.

The public can listen to the latest interviewee John Wheatley and four more new narrators at https://back-chat.org.uk

Mr Harrison said:”John Wheatley is a Guiseley lad who emigrated to Western Australia. John talks about family life and childhood in Guiseley and the Coronavirus and bushfires in Australia.

“John was diagnosed with cancer and talks about his journey and treatment. It is interesting to see how a lad from Guiseley has settled into being an Australian citizen in his new home. He gives a surprising piece of advice for couples and families who are thinking of emigrating to Australia.”

Back Chat was set up in 2018 to record the lives of ordinary people, to give future generations a valuable insight into the past.

Mr Harrison is archivist at Aireborough Historical Society but this initiative is a private one. To date he has completed and edited 70 interviews.

He said: “My intention is to build an historical archive in an audio format that will appeal to followers of history now and become a fascinating insight into history spoken by the people who have lived it, to be listened to in say 50 to 100 years’ time.”

Subjects discussed so far include the Second World War, Yeadon Dam and Yeadon old brass band.