My soldier dad's goodbye tape

Tricia Davies Nearn’s father was killed in the Vietnam War when she was just two years old. Growing up without him, she knew there was something missing, even with a loving family around her. Her mother, an ardent fan of musicals, was careful never to play music from West Side Story, for example. It was only as an adult that Tricia would discover an extraordinary archive of tape recordings that would help her to understand why, and to get to know her father better. This interview was first broadcast on 14th September 2020.

If you visit the famous Ritz Hotel in London, the first thing you hear is often the beautiful sound of a piano being played. The hotel's resident pianist is Ian Gomes and over the past 26 years he's developed a reputation for being able to play anything, from Tchaikovsky to Taylor Swift. Emily Webb went to meet him in May 2017 and he told her about some of his most high-profile fans.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Presenter: Emily Webb

Photo: David Davies
Credit: Tricia Davies Nearn