This month, The Talking Machine honours the bravery of all those who served, died and were affected by the First World War. As well as remembering one forgotten soldier, Herbert Ayriss... Paul has been researching his family tree which has led him to find some remarkable stories about his ancestors. On the Thiepval Memorial he found 'H Ayriss'.... . Just an initial and surname on a memorial that is dedicated to soldiers that have no known grave. Paul embarked on a long journey of research to find more about H Ayriss, not just his war but also his life prior to enlistment. The information Paul uncovered has given him an insight into his family life, occupation, the music he would have known, the village he grew up in and even his local pub. Herbert's story has now been recorded and follows his life from when he left school at 13 and began working on the farms around Cosby, Leicestershire. The Podcast follows him from childhood into work, enlistment and basic training around the South of England. The story then travels into Northern France and describes the experiences that changed a young country boy into a battle hardened veteran. It ends with his final action at the age of 19.

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The Tiger in my Family

True or False? It doesn't matter where in the UK a singer is from or how they sound when they speak, when the song begins the regional accent usually ends. Whilst British music has more than held its own on the world stage over the last fifty years or so, you have to admit that the range and breadth of British regional accents isn’t always represented in people’s singing voices. Adele, Cheryl Cole, Jamelia, Mick Jagger, Ozzy Osbourne, all of whom have distinctly regional accents but adopt an Americanised singing style. Or do they? The Talking Machine explores the use of British accents in music.

Word of Mouth

What do Grandfather clocks, patriotic songs of America and Old Testament have in common with British football? What are the songs behind the terrace standards like ‘you’re not singing anymore' and 'here we go here we go here we go', and what is the oldest football song in world? Paul and The Talking Machine explores the music behind the last modern-day oral traditions and dips into the deep reservoir of Folk poetry to find the origins of over 100 years of terrace song.

Shall We Sing a Song for You

Since Emile Berliner invented the gramophone in 1894, a colossal amount of creativity has been set to record. The Talking Machine celebrates over a hundred years of recorded music; anything from anytime in anyway will be played as long as it fits within the topic. It could be What gives you the chills? How do you play a gig in a war zone? Or how a grandfather clock influenced generations of football chants? The Talking Machine hopes to find the answers.

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The Talking Machine

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