What Were We Talking About?

Cherie Gaites
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I’m Cherie, and this is my mum, Annie. We’ve been best friends for most of our lives. We’ve travelled together, seen countless shows, had plenty of adventures and talked about just about everything. Mum is living with a number of health issues, including dementia, which only became part of our story very recently. Each week we’ll have a proper chat about what’s happening in our lives, the world, family, memories, things that make us laugh and things that annoy us. No script, no editing. Just us, as we are, for an hour each week.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 9: Dad Forgot the Bung Again

    A week getting the boat ready, one day on the water… and Dad forgot the bung again. This week, Mum and I head back to our family holidays at Manning Point. There’s the boat that took more preparation than use, a paddling pool disaster, barefoot walks to the beach and the place forever remembered as “where Grandad lost his glasses”. Then we head to Sydney, remembering how getting lost led us to Star City, how Mum’s last $2 won us a trip to see The Lion King, and a spontaneous outing with Wayne to see The Addams Family. We also catch up on Mum’s week and introduce What Matters to Me, a conversation booklet inspired by her original funeral business booklet. We’re planning to try it together in a bonus episode. Recorded on Remembrance Day, with coffees, a dressing change and the usual interruptions. It’s our weekly chat, just as it happened.

  2. Nov 3

    Episode 8: Gizmo, Glamour and Mum’s Funeral Director Days

    Gizmo joins us for a late-night chat, makes himself comfortable on Nanny’s bed and helps himself to the biscuits. Mum’s won best dressed at the Melbourne Cup party and been out to see The Addams Family twice. Her first nighttime outings in months came complete with cocktails, sparkles and spiderweb makeup, thanks to the lovely staff who helped get her ready. We also get talking about Mum’s years as a funeral director in Tamworth. There’s building the family business, looking after families, making little remembrance cards and a hearse breakdown on a middle-of-the-night trip to Narrabri. I share what it was like growing up at a funeral parlour while being frightened of dead bodies. There’s a bit about the juggle of work and spending time together, plenty of interruptions from Gizmo, and coffee and fruitcake along the way. A heads-up: this episode includes conversations about pregnancy loss, death, funerals and Mum’s toe amputation and wound healing, plus some occasional swearing.

  3. Oct 27

    Episode 7: White Roses, Pouring Rain and a Stubborn Scooter

    We thought we’d squeeze in a quick chat between work and rehearsals. Nearly an hour later, here we are! This week, we catch up on Mum’s appointments, everyday life and our interview with the Leader. Mum shares childhood memories of England, family singalongs and the boy she remembers as Davy Jones. Then we revisit a Michael Bublé and Guy Sebastian concert that left us absolutely drenched, clutching white roses and stranded in a car park with a scooter that refused to come apart. We’re also trying out new microphones, so let us know how we sound! Hold Up the Sky
I’m one of the carers featured in this Carers NSW music film, created with 50 carers to celebrate 50 years of Carers NSW. Watch here:
https://youtu.be/e-wBihpi95Y The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy
I’m part of Tamworth Musical Society’s production. Find performance dates and tickets here:
https://www.entertainmentvenues.com.au/the-addams-family—a-musical-comedy Thanks for joining us for another week of What Were We Talking About? The Annie & Cherie Hour.

  4. Oct 17

    Episode 6: New Wheels, Old Friends and Mum on Google

    Mum’s got new wheels, a fresh hairdo and two more bingo prizes—and she’s looking pretty pleased with herself! This week we wander back to nights out in Newcastle, dancing at the Star Hotel, meeting Dad and the friends who turned up when we needed them most. Then I share what I found when I Googled Mum: dressmaking in Wellington, teaching herself computer programming, running a funeral business and finding herself on a movie set with Angelina Jolie. There’s plenty more to explore, but for today it’s tea, a few laughs and another chat together.

  5. Oct 11

    Episode 5: Microsoft, Movie Sets and Mum

    Microsoft, Movie Sets and Mum With cappuccinos beside Mum’s bed, we settle in for our Sunday chat. Annie shares her highlight of the week: a Nepalese festival full of colour, food and wheelchair dancing. Then we revisit some extraordinary adventures, from being treated like a superstar by Microsoft to meeting Angelina Jolie while filming Unbroken. There’s a lost iPhone, limousine rides and plenty of laughter along the way. We also talk honestly about missing each other, balancing work with time together, and why recording these conversations matters to us. Real conversations. Real memories. Just us.

  6. Oct 3

    Episode 4: We Got a Little Sidetracked

    This week, Cherie and Annie start with bingo, pancakes, singing, movies and life at Alblas Lodge before heading back into Annie’s younger years in New Zealand. We hear about her first jobs, meeting her first husband, leaving New Zealand for Australia at 21, and a few memories that neither of us was quite expecting to come up. Then a listener question from Ren takes us into another huge part of our lives: theatre. From our first Tamworth Musical Society show together to rehearsals, auditions, backstage memories and Annie’s lifelong love of the arts, one story quickly leads to another. And, true to the name of the podcast, we get completely sidetracked more than once. Real conversations, real memories, and wherever the conversation takes us. What Were We Talking About? — The Cherie & Annie Hour

  7. Sep 27

    Episode 3: We Went to Dua Lipa and Came Home with a Dog

    This week we’re sitting outside in the garden with coffee, a bit of wind and plenty to talk about. We catch up on Annie’s week before remembering the Sydney trip where we went to see Dua Lipa and somehow came home with Bowie. From there, the memories wander through Mardi Gras, spontaneous cruises, travel adventures and some of the funny situations we’ve found ourselves in over the years. Real conversations. Real memories. Just us.

  8. Sep 20

    Episode 2: Now, Where Were We?

    Mum and I are back with a cuppa, a few laughs and more stories to share. From bus trips and a funny lift mishap to childhood memories in New Zealand and Mum’s unexpected appearance on a record cover, we see where the conversation takes us. Along the way, we get honest about ageing, caring for someone you love and the difficult experiences Mum has survived. A few tears, plenty of love, and a reminder that there’s still life to be lived. Content note: Includes discussion of domestic violence and pregnancy loss.

  9. Sep 12

    Episode 1: The First Proper Chat 🎙️

    In our very first episode, Mum and I finally sit down and do something we’ve talked about for a while: start a podcast together. We chat about why we’re doing this, what life looks like for us now, some of Mum’s memories and, naturally, wander off in a few directions along the way. There’s no polished script and no need to get every memory exactly right. It’s simply the two of us talking, laughing, remembering and seeing where the conversation takes us. Welcome to our first proper chat. 💗 Real conversations. Real memories. Just us.

  • 9 Episodes

About

I’m Cherie, and this is my mum, Annie. We’ve been best friends for most of our lives. We’ve travelled together, seen countless shows, had plenty of adventures and talked about just about everything. Mum is living with a number of health issues, including dementia, which only became part of our story very recently. Each week we’ll have a proper chat about what’s happening in our lives, the world, family, memories, things that make us laugh and things that annoy us. No script, no editing. Just us, as we are, for an hour each week.

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