The Living Memory Association Podcast

The Living Memory Association

The Living Memory Association podcast showcases memories of days gone by, the past brought to life by the hundreds of people who have spoken to us over the years.

  1. 12/01/2025

    From the Beatles to the Boss - Gig Going Memories with Cammy Alexander

    In the 50th episode of The Thelma Tapes Cammy Alexander takes us on a magical mystery tour through his concert going experiences from the 1960s to the 1980s, from The Beatles, The Kinks, the Rolling Stones and Curtis Mayfield all the way to Bruce Springsteen with many more in between!   Many thanks to Setuniman for the intro music as sourced from Freesound.org

    46 min

  2. 10/21/2025

    125 Years of Glenogle Pool : Episode 1

    The 49th edition of the Thelma Tapes dons its swimming togs as we commemorate the 125th anniversary of Glenogle Swim Centre in the Stockbridge area of the city! Since opening in 1900 the pool has gone from simply being a place to bathe and get clean to a facility serving the community in learning how to swim, joining a swimming club, getting fit at the gym and even creating an outdoor garden! In this episode we hear from swimmers Brenda, Arthur and George and lifeguard Isla about their experiences and memories and what the pool means to them. The Living Memory Association would like to thank everyone at Glenogle Pool and Edinburgh Leisure for their involvement in this reminiscence recording. Thanks to shortiefoeva for their use of Water Drops - Hip Hop Track found on freesound.org Cover photo of Glenogle Swim Centre interior courtesy of Edinburgh Leisure.

    18 min

  3. 07/02/2025

    Our Working City : Episode 3 : Work life histories from The Pilmeny Development Men's Group, Part 2

    The 48th edition of the Thelma Tapes features two more working life histories from Leith's Pilmeny Development Project, an organisation which supports and assists senior members of our community who may be facing social isolation. In this episode we hear from Joe McAvoy and Fred Mackenzie (from 12min 36 sec) both of whom began their working lives as apprentices in local Leith industries.  The Living Memory Association expresses its thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council's Edinburgh 900 fund for supporting this particular podcast series. Thanks to Nancy Sinclair for use of their Dynamic Indie Spark tune found on freesound.org Cover photo of Leith Docks from The Living Memory Association archive on www.edinburghcollected.org

    22 min

  4. 03/10/2025

    Our Working City : Episode 2 Work Life Histories from The Pilmeny Development Men's Group, Part 1.

    The 47th edition of the Thelma Tapes continues with our series on working lives in Edinburgh's past, our contribution to the city wide Edinburgh 900 heritage project (see episode 46). In this second episode we hear from Charlie Holligan and Andrew Bell, two members of Leith's Pilmeny Development Project which supports, and runs activities for, folk in their senior years. First Charlie tells us about his 44 years' service with Edinburgh Corporation Transport (now Lothian Buses) and then we hear from Andy about his long employment as a stonemason. Both men begin their oral histories with the first ever jobs they had as youngsters. The Living Memory Association expresses its thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council's  #Edinburgh900 fund for supporting this podcast series. Thnaks to Nancy Sinclair for use of their Dynamic Indie Spark tune found on freesound.org

    16 min

  5. 01/20/2025

    Our Working City : Episode 1 Kenneth G Williamson's Work Life Memories

    In this 46th edition of the Thelma Tapes, we begin a new series 'Our Working City' as part of the Edinburgh 900 anniversary celebrating 900 years of the city. To complement the topic of 'City of Industry' one of the Edinburgh 900 themes, we'll hear from folk about their working lives, work practices and attitudes around work and the workplace through the decades. In the first episode Kenneth G Williamson recollects his upbringing in Granton and how his schooling lead to a 45 year career as a book keeper and Scots Law Accountant at a prestigious Edinburgh legal firm. The Living Memory Association expresses its thanks to The City of Edinburgh Council's #Edinburgh900 Fund for supporting this podcast series. Thanks to Nancy Sinclair for use of their Dynamic Indie Spark tune found on freesound.org

    24 min

  6. 10/10/2024

    Sikh Stories with Tony Singh - How Hip Hop Opened My Mind and Made Me Think

    Sikh Stories is a podcast series produced in collaboration with Sikh Sanjog, The Living Memory Association and funded by Awards for All Scotland. The project idea came from members of the Sikh Community after images of a Leith Sikh family were displayed at The Wee Museum of Memory. These podcasts highlight the commonality amongst cultures and people that cut across divides. Celebrating their individual experiences, from a love of house music, sharing food and drink with new found friends and embarking on a discovery of spiritual awakening. As a minority group within the wider minority communities, the Sikh community has a relatively low profile, yet has been a part of the fabric of Leith and Edinburgh since the 1940's. We will celebrate the Sikh community of Leith and Edinburgh increasing the understanding of the wider public of the Sikh community's experiences and contribution. Episode 45 of the Thelma Tapes was recorded in our Wee Museum studio by our friend Raj Singh and is a celebration of our partnership with Sikh Sanjog. Celebrity Chef Tony Singh, reminisces about the powerful impact Hip Hop music had on his early life and how this genre of music subsequently propelled him to exploring and delving deeper into race, history and class. The full series can be found on Spotify at: https://sites.libsyn.com/539422/site

    20 min

  7. 07/31/2024

    Pick 'n' Mix 3: From Across Time

    The 44th edition of the THELMA tapes, The Liming Memory Association Podcast, is a dive into memories of the 1930s through the 70s. They have been gathered from our collection of old interviews and features a miscellaneous assortment of stories that don't quite fit into our regular episodes. This episode goes from tales of a father's steam powered lorry, to working in sales in the 50's, to tenement life during the war, to working on a Portuguese cruise ship, touring Paris with boys in kilts, to a first visit to the library all the way down to having class with a bad teacher.

    16 min

  8. 07/15/2024

    Melvin Farquharson - A Life in Law

    In the 49th edition of Lifestory, at the age of 86, Melvin takes us through the ups and downs of his life. Starting with his childhood playing on the train tracks in his back yard, to his time studying Engineering at Heriot-Watt University. Later his time in the national service, and eventually his life studying and then subsequently practicing law, first with his father's law firm and later with British gas. Mel also tells the story of how he met his wife at the sailing club and about his life since retirement.

    1h 1m
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The Living Memory Association podcast showcases memories of days gone by, the past brought to life by the hundreds of people who have spoken to us over the years.

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