The House I Grew Up In

Terry Waite


Listen Later

Born in 1939, he remembers the constraints of being the son of the local policeman, where any misdemeanour from a young Terry came under scrutiny. His father Thomas, a highly principled man, was also a disciplinarian, leading to an ambivalent relationship between father and son. His mother Lena worked hard to keep the family fed, especially at a time of post war rationing. Terry's parents used their large garden to sustain meal times and even sold fruit and vegetables to supplement a policeman's wage.

As a child, Terry failed his 11-plus and left school at 16. Being a loner and finding village life too confined, Terry was eager to see more of the world and applied to join the navy, but he was persuaded by his father to stay at home and continue his education through evening classes and college. The Church of England played a big role in his life. As a boy he sang in the church choir and even learnt large parts of the prayer book by heart and it was the rituals, language and music of his faith which he says nourished and sustained him while in captivity.

Terry Waite takes Wendy Robbins back to the home and haunts of his childhood.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The House I Grew Up InBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4

4

4 ratings


More shows like The House I Grew Up In

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,839 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,538 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,806 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,776 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,054 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,964 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

4,170 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,219 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

777 Listeners