In response to being thanked for speaking on a podcast – Rachel McAlpine’s Learning to be old – the great Lois Daish expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take part saying that speaking on the podcast about the topic of food in older age had helped her clarify what she thinks. People often articulate this after recording an oral history interview, but seldom in the clear and direct words employed by Lois.

The podcast with Lois Daish is worth a listen, especially as it begins with an extended sound check. Rather than the usual, ‘what did you have for breakfast?’, Rachel asked Lois what she ate for breakfast as a child. Add those questions answered by the interviewer as well as the interviewee and you had an interesting little piece of social history. Right there in the sound check, the part of an interview often (regrettably) discarded.