Birmingham care home residents’ ‘banter’ turned into podcast

Three care home residents in their eighties and nineties have launched their own podcast discussing how life has changed through the decades.

Doreen Lichfield, 92, Anne Borne, 92, and Maureen Ward, 88, had not heard of the concept before launching their own monthly show ‘Do You Remember the Time?’.

The idea was sparked during a reminiscence group at the Sutton Rose Care Home in Birmingham, when a staff member suggested the trio’s “banter” would make them ideal for the airwaves.

There have been no half measures. The home has invested in lights, cameras, microphones and even a custom sign to ensure the production is YouTube ready.

Ms Lichfield was born in Birmingham before being fostered at the age of two and evacuated to Staffordshire twice during the war.

The former financial agent said hosting her own programme was like “learning a new language” but it worked well due to the fact all three were “mixed characters”.

Ms Borne, a former bank clerk, and Ms Ward, a former insurance worker, agreed they “didn’t know what they were letting themselves in for”.

But the latter said it was just like having a chat over dinner.

“I hadn’t heard of [a podcast] either,” Ms Ward said. “It’s much the same as we do with our families and our friends here when we’re having a meal.”

The trio say each episode will feature candid discussions on topics like relationships, growing older, and the changing world.

The first sees them looking back at their school days, with Ms Lichfield reflecting on spending time in a village in Tamworth, Staffordshire, during the war.

The eldest of the three, she recalls the rigid formality of the olden days but still thinks her generation was happier than youngsters are today.

“We all talked,” she said. “When did you last see people talking in the street? When did you last see people laughing in the street?”

Rosie Boshell, a customer relations executive at the home, said residents had “incredible stories and wisdom to share”.

“The podcast gives them a platform to be heard,” she said. “It’s been wonderful to see their confidence and laughter grow with each recording.”