Normally, I host a panel discussion in these episodes in which we explore all things political with a focus on life in Peterborough, Ontario & Canada.  But this episode is quite different.  Instead of a panel discussion about political issues, I’m going to indulge in a few memories. I’ll read an article from the Peterborough Examiner and tell you about the central character, a man I remember as “Uncle Percy”. He wasn’t really my uncle, and I explain all that in the article.

Perhaps it is because of when I grew up and who was around me as a child, or maybe it is just the time of year.  The fading daylight. Longer nights. The return of cold, bleak weather. Halloween.  The Day of the Dead.  Remembrance Day, November 11. A need to turn inward. A time to reflect.  The article is about a World War I veteran that I knew from early childhood, growing up in Montreal.  As a child, I often dwelt on the unimaginable fears and risks that my parents’ generation faced in World War II.  What would I do in a similar situation? Fortunately, I never had to answer that question, and as an adult, I never tried to find out. 

So this episode does not include any guests or any discussions about the political issues of the day. All you will hear is me reading an article, plus some sound effects and two pieces of pop music from early in the last century. A shorter version of the piece I read here was posted in The Examiner on November 2.  I’ve included a link to my writing portfolio below; this article is the most recent post to this portfolio. This episode was recorded on November 4th, 2021; it is just over 13 minutes long. 

Peterborough Examiner article: http://btwritingportfolio.blogspot.com

Music: Vera Lynn, “We’ll Meet Again”; John McCormack, “It’s a Long Long Way to Tipperary”

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/