We learn that Todd has made a film and worked for an insurance firm as a claims adjustor and that he wasn’t planning on becoming an academic. He talks about applying his philosophical work to the business world.

We find out how Todd got into wind surfing and the extent to which it might be construed as a counterpoint to the world of academia, and indeed whether Todd could be an academic without also being a sportsman.

We discover why Todd would consider himself to be a follower in terms of music, and the influence that ‘Quadrophenia’ had on him. We also find out that he got into breakdancing via his brother and later skate punk and then on to wrestling.

The conversation then turns to the Rodney King riots and his apprehension of LA, how Todd doesn’t see himself as either American or British and how when he more recently returned to LA he saw it as foreign. Todd discusses his experience of being Asian American and growing up in a racially charged environment.

Todd tells us which teachers inspired him at school and university and who and what made him write in a different way. We learn that Todd wanted to be a poet at one point and why he has been ‘shaped by opposition’.

We also talk about the different political sensibilities between the US and the UK and the differences in news journalism. We discuss religion too and how people’s views are often a reaction to something else, and Todd reveals how he responds when people ask him whether he is a theist or an atheist.

In the final part of the interview Todd explains why his memories, even the negative ones, are positive, and about how when he was young he wanted to be an FBI agent and why he is always looking for a sense of adventure through, say, rock climbing and wind surfing, and whether he prefers academia to rock climbing. Finally, we learn why, as Heidegger would say, looking back is his way of looking forward.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Todd Mei and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Helen grew up in Kingston, Surrey, and we discover that one of her earliest memories is cycling along the towpath near her home. She tells us that she has quite a visual memory and how, as a child, time seemed to move more slowly.

When growing up Helen was exposed to an eclectic range of music at home – everything from Motown to Handel’s Messiah, and she tells us why she felt especially nostalgic when recently listening to music during an episode of 'Derry Girls'. We also discover that Helen was really into 'Doctor Who' in the early 1990s at a time when it wasn’t cool and that Peter Davison, who played the fifth incarnation of 'Doctor Who', sent her a handwritten birthday card on her 13th birthday. The conversation then turns to what can happen if one is perceived as different to other children when at school. 

Helen tells us about why she enjoyed revision as a child and was discouraged by her school from studying Drama at ‘A’ level, wanting her to do English and History instead. We talk about the ‘value’ of a degree, and Helen tells us about the time she worked for an HR Consultancy before going to university. She also reveals why she has considered contacting her former teachers from school.

The conversation then moves on to her time at the University of Exeter where, as a Drama student, she wasn’t allowed to join any student societies. She talks about her apprehension of studying Samuel Beckett and how it can take a while to realize the importance of a module that was taken - decades later, sometimes. We also talk about diaries and Helen explains how and why she returned to writing a diary five years ago, and who it is being written for. We talk about the disconnect that can arise via a diary between the grand political events swirling around us and the way everyday life carries on. 

In the final part of the interview we learn that Helen’s memories are predominantly positive despite being quite a worrier from a young age, and Helen reflects on how she and her university friends have followed totally different life and career paths yet how there is something that holds them all together. As a child her dream was to be a serious actor and we learn why she feels that there are comparisons between performing on stage and being a teacher. Finally, we find out whether Helen is a looking back or a looking forward type of person and why she tries to live in the present.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Helen Brooks and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent. 

Srivas reflects on how a decade ago to study consciousness would have been laughed at as it was deemed to be so amorphous, and how and why that has now changed.

Originally from South India and born in Madras, Srivas talks about his scholastic education and how his earliest memories were very colourful and multifarious. He talks about his religious memories – his grandfather was a Hindu priest and religion was woven into the fabric of his life. He considers, though, how they have separated out somewhat since becoming an academic and Srivas talks about how he makes a mental switch when he returns to India.

As a child Srivas enjoyed reading and watching movies and was definitely not sporty. Regarding music, Srivas had a classical training and he talks about how the popular music he enjoyed listening to arrived 10 years after it first hit the UK, such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and the Alan Parsons Project – the latter is less well known in Britain than was the case in India when he was growing up.

We learn that the reason Srivas entered academia was down to a book he read that documented the oddities of the human brain, and we turn to the teachers who inspired him and the cultural shift that has taken place over the last few decades in universities. Srivas talks about what was going on in current affairs during the time he spent at Kent doing his PhD and how students are more political today than they used to be. More broadly, Srivas discusses some of the changes he has observed between India and the UK in terms, e.g., of diets.

Srivas speaks about how BBC 6 Music has been an important undercurrent in his life and about the time when he watched lots of Monty Python when he was living in Germany. More recently, his wife has introduced him to new comedy which has grown on him.

In the final part of the interview Srivas talks about why he would call himself a ‘sceptical rationalist’ and he reflects on how if he had stayed in India he would have lived a very different life to the one he is living now, and we learn what he thinks he might have been doing if he’d stayed in India. He uses the metaphor of ‘Sliding Doors’. We learn that he wanted to be a scientist when he was young and that his grandfather would have wanted him to become a priest.

We learn whether Srivas is still in touch with friends from his past, some of whom have heard him being interviewed on the radio, and he reflects on what he thinks his friends think of him and what he does for a living. Finally, we learn why nostalgia for him is neither positive nor negative and whether he is more of a looking forward or a looking forward sort of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Srivas Chennu and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Lawrence tells us why he doesn’t consider his native Guildford to be the coolest place in the country and we learn why his childhood was idyllic when growing up in the vicinity of Wookey Hole. We find out what his earliest memory was (involving grass and daisies under his bare feet) and Lawrence sheds insight on what it is that our apprehensions and expectations of a place come from.

The youngest of three children, and the only boy in the family, Lawrence played a lot in his own fantasy world as a child at a time of ‘Blake’s 7’ and ‘Dr. Who’ and we find out that Lawrence was quite ‘outdoorsy’. He grew up surrounded by lots of ‘whodunnit’ novels which he reveals he was afraid to read through fear that he would be murdered. He loved pop music , especially ELO and we find out why he especially related to ‘The Diary of Horace Wimp’. Lawrence thought that The Traveling Wilburys were gold dust but that his housemates hated it, and that his sister hated his love of Teardrop Explodes. We also learn about how he went through a phase of liking San Francisco acid rock.

We discover why Lawrence thinks that the Goombay Dance Band’s ‘Seven Tears’ is unspeakably bad and he reveals that he used to write down the charts every week (and we find out in a candid confession what it was that stopped him from doing so). He would know what was number 1 in the charts when his friends were born.

We learn how Lawrence entered academia and why he believes it is important not to censure people’s ideas. He was a film buff while he was studying Modern Languages at Oxford, from where he went to Bournemouth Film School which, as he explains, produced some very talented filmmakers. He also worked for BBC Northern Ireland and he tells us about his experience of sitting on the Berlin Wall in 1989.

In terms of politics, Lawrence’s family background is right of centre and Church of England, which he explains is not his ideology, and he tells us why he reacted against Thatcher’s Britain and about the time he went to church every Sunday but later grew out of it. We also discover why he was so disappointed when John Major won the General Election in 1992.

In the final part of the interview we learn why Lawrence’s memories are predominantly positive and why it is that going to boarding school at age 13 was a key experience. He believes that he has fulfilled the dreams he had when he was young and is more of a looking forward than a looking back type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Lawrence Jackson and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

We talk about how different it was to grow up in a pre-student loan world where we received grants to go to university, and how his parents sheltered him from financial anxiety, before discussing the various kinds of sports that Clive was into as a child. He used to play cricket and football and followed Liverpool FC, and we learn why he was once physically sick en route to a match. He also remembers the red velvet plushness of the Odeon Cinema in Liverpool.

In his teenage years Clive discovered the Times newspaper film reviews and he reflects on how he has been reading critical film reviews for 45 years.

Pop music was crucial in Clive’s upbringing, especially through Radio Luxembourg which he used to listen to under the bed covers. Through the grammar school system Clive was into classical music.

We talk about Clive’s Christian upbringing in the Plymouth Brethren and the skills it taught him and Clive tells us why he hated RE at school. Clive wanted to be an interpreter and initially planned to study German and Russian at university but ended up studying German and Biblical Studies at Bangor. He talks about how exhilarating it was to meet people there from many different Christian denominations.

Clive then shares with us his political affiliations especially at Oxford where he did his PhD, e.g. when he worked for a homeless shelter. Clive joined the SDP and later the Labour Party, and he reflects on how in the early 1980s you were irresponsible if you didn’t vote.

His memories are positive on the whole, but Clive discusses his awareness of how painful British society can be which belies the fact that he has made it to the top of his profession as a Professor. He talks about whether he has fulfilled the dreams he had when he was young, back when he had the desire to be a pathologist or a great cricketer.

In the final part of the interview we discover whether Clive, who has been in theological education for the last 30 years as a lay person, is still in touch with friends from his past and why he thinks that we will only do well in the future if we do some serious reflection on the past.

Please note: Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Clive Marsh and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Francis explains that she was drawn to Implicit Religion because of the fluid boundaries involved, and she talks about how in her research she has looked at how this is navigated via punk rock. Francis has written a wonderful book on this subject, called ‘Punk Rock is My Religion’, and in our interview she talks about her working class punk identity and considers the question of what she would consider to constitute ‘home’ and how her family have not always understood what ‘straight edge punk’ is.

Francis’ earliest memories involve a record player and a fireplace and her grandmother singing along to Boney M, as well as the ‘ring of steel’ in Belfast and the blockade where one would be searched. We discuss what it was like to grow up in this environment, and about how religion is used as a political tool in Northern Ireland, and how when she moved to England she was still in the mindset of being searched in, e.g., shopping centres. Francis grew up below the poverty line but had an enjoyable childhood, albeit against the backdrop of bomb scares.

Musically, Francis remembers the original vinyl of ‘War of the Worlds’ and remembers how she would jump up and down in her cot to Status Quo. She and her siblings would (literally) outplay each other’s music, and we learn that it was through John Peel that she originally got into punk music. We discuss the jingles that appeared in 1980s cartoons and how she remembers ‘Live Aid’ from when it was reported on ‘John Craven’s Newsround’.

We learn how Francis entered academia and that she was the first person in her family and the estate where she lived to go to university, and how she didn’t know what a PhD was when she was first recommended to do one. She ended up studying under Andrew Hass (a former Nostalgia interviewee) in Stirling.

Francis can remember the miners’ strike of the mid-1980s but reflects on how there was a lack of political engagement when she studied at university in the late 1990s. We talk about how more engaged students are now than they were in the past and the way activism has evolved over the years, and the conversation turns to the use of religion in superhero films.

In the final part of the interview we learn that Francis’ memories are generally positive and that she is by nature an optimistic person. We discuss how people can find meaning in trauma and Francis wonders what would have happened if she had become a tattoo artist as she had once wanted to be. We find out what would have happened if Francis had been told at the age of 15 where she would be now and we discuss how Facebook tends to reconstruct the definition of friendships. Finally, we learn whether Francis is a looking back or a looking forward type of person and whether we do really need nostalgia.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Francis Stewart and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Jo discusses how her earliest memories seem to be from photos and we learn that despite coming from a sporty family she isn’t sporty herself. We talk about where her flair for music comes from and how her mother loved listening to the radio. One of her earliest memories is of her mum listening to Terry Wogan (during his original 1970s incarnation) and the ‘Pina Colada’ song being played. This prompts a reflection about the days when listeners had to write in to BBC programmes to enter competitions.

We learn that Jo is more of a book than a record buying person but that the first record she bought was ‘Do the Hucklebuck’. We talk about the relative merits of reading for pleasure vs. reading for study and about her love of Ladybird books. Regarding film, Jo is a Cher fan and was really into Hollywood musicals as a child. We learn that the first 15 rated film she ever saw was ‘Witness’ and why it freaked her out. She had a dalliance with pop in the 1980s and we learn who her favourite artists were. We also find out whether Jo was a ‘Swap Shop’ or a ‘Tiswas’ person.

The conversation then moves on to why Jo chose to study History at Kent and why she was keen on the 18th century, and we discuss the skills that one can apply in later life from one’s degree as well as about the importance of attending degree congregations. At university, Jo was into Everything But The Girl and is now a huge opera person, which she explains she hadn’t come across before going to university. 

We learn whether Jo’s memories are predominantly positive and she talks about how lucky she was to have received free violin lessons until the age of 18 thanks to Staffordshire County Council, and ponders what might have happened if she hadn’t been successful in this regard. Jo reflects on whether she has fulfilled the dreams from when she was young and what might have happened if her dreams had been bigger and if she had travelled down the road not taken.

In the final part of the interview we learn whether Jo is still in touch with friends from her past, and the benefits of Facebook to this end, and we discover why Jo prefers to hedge her bets when asked whether she is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Jo Pearsall and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Abi, who was born in Canterbury and brought up in Whitstable, reveals that she once considered acting, and we discuss the extent to which the teaching profession could be considered a form of acting. Abi belonged to a drama club when she was young and played an orphan in the musical ‘Annie’ at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.

Abi reveals what her earliest memories are, which precipitates a conversation about the way in which holidays require us to navigate the break in our routinized lives.

Regarding musical memories Abi recalls how when she was ten years of age she went to Australia and remembers listening to a CD of upbeat cover songs. She has a genuine wish to go back to Adelaide and explains why she would have to manage her expectations if she did so.

Abi then tells us why in some respects she feels she missed out on the university experience due to not moving away from home and we discuss the relative merits of staying in the local area vs. going elsewhere. Abi explains why she cried after going to her first Logic seminar at university but which ended up becoming her favourite topic and which she now teaches.

In terms of filmic influences, we learn that Abi is not a fan of 3D, and we find out what her all time favourite Christmas movie is (clue: there are Muppets in it!) and why she unexpectedly found herself hating it when she went to a sing-a-long version of this movie and won’t now go to anything interactive. We learn what her favourite cinema experience is and why she enjoys using film in her teaching, e.g. ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ in the context of learning about conscientious objectors.

The conversation then moves on to how students have become more involved in politics now than was the case in the past, and Abi talks about how at a primary school where she once taught the pupils had a ‘Brexit Day’. She talks about how people don’t tend to simply vote in the way their parents did any more. We also then talk about the assumptions people make about why we teach religion, and the challenging occasion when she was once asked in a bar to explain what Philosophy is.

In the final part of the interview, Abi reveals how she always loved school, especially the pressure that exams give, and we learn why she feels she has fulfilled the dreams she had when she was young and why she is always wanting more. She explains why she is still in touch with her four best friends from school and we find out whether Abi is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Abi Hawkins and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

As a child, reading books from the library van was April’s passion. She also talks about being into the New Romantics, such as Ultravox, as well as Clare Grogan and Altered Images, and being a sucker for musicals. April sings to this day in the university chorus, and we learn whether April is a ‘Braveheart’ or a ‘Gregory’s Girl’ type of person.

April recounts what inspired her to go to university and she talks about her false start, having initially chosen to do English Literature rather than Language, and what happened during her first lecture. We then learn whether there were particular teachers who inspired her and how she learned the art of writing down sounds in a precise way. 

April grew up at a time when there was constant friction between London and Scottish politics, and in her first job at Cambridge she recalls giving a lecture on the day Margaret Thatcher resigned and how the students then stood up and applauded. We learn that April has never been a party member and will make decisions on the basis of the issues. April also talks about how her personal, Christian faith came along later when she was in her mid-30s.

Radio played a role in April’s growing up. In particular, she remembers listening to ‘Junior Choice’ on Saturday mornings and she did her school homework while Radio 1 was on in the background.  

In the final part of the interview we talk about how her memories are mixed due to her mother dying suddenly while April was at university, and, in terms of whether she has fulfilled the dreams she had when she was young, April discusses how she managed to get out of her more limited environment and how she is still in touch with her university friends.  We also learn whether April tends to look forwards or backwards and why she believes that there is no point in dwelling on times that weren’t good but that it is important to enjoy the present. 

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and April McMahon and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Jeremy was born in Brentwood, Essex, and talks about growing up in what was known as the ‘stab’ capital of the Metropolitan area and how Romford has changed in the decades since. We discuss why pubs are an important part of the British landscape and whether the demise of the pubs might be seen as an instance of secularization.

Jeremy’s earliest memories are from photos and he recollects how as a child he seemed to be outdoors all day. Football was a big thing for him when growing up, and he was also into sailing and swimming. We learn how music was also an important factor. Jeremy learned to play the guitar and piano and recorded the charts off the radio as well as TV themes. His favourite artists were The Smiths and The Cure and we learn that he grew up in a very musical house. Jeremy reveals what the first record was that he bought and we discuss why music has fragmented over the years. Jeremy reflects back on the tribalism of music in those days and how there would be fights in the centre of Romford between the ‘mods’ and the ‘casuals’.

Jeremy reveals why he became an academic and talks about his passion for writing stories. Jeremy remembers leaving football behind when he became an English and Drama student because it wasn’t ‘right on’ and he explains why he put on various ‘masks’. He then did an MPhil in Creative Writing at Trinity College Dublin and then a PhD on fictional technique and narrative methods. He talks about how one of the joys of his profession is that he is able to follow a research interest to the point of obsession and why he is in some respects at odds with current literary practice.

In the final part of the interview Jeremy discusses how negative experiences can contribute to making us the people we have become and we find out whether he has fulfilled the dreams he had when he was aged 15 and about the degree to which he is revealing anything about himself through his fiction. Jeremy also explains why he is an ‘aspiring, recovering nostalgist’ and how his whole attitude to the past has shifted on its axis since the birth of his daughter.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Jeremy Scott and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

William Price was born in Colwyn Bay and went to Lampeter in 1970 as a History lecturer, and stayed until 1997. He now lives in Wem, Shropshire. His father was a curate and William read History at Keble College, Oxford. In this hugely insightful conversation he talks about how he was attracted by Lampeter’s Anglican tradition and saw the job as a chance to revive his Welsh. We talk about how Lampeter is a unique town and William recounts how at one point he knew every academic colleague by name.

We learn what William’s earliest memories are, which include walking by the sea during the terrible winter of early 1947 and the birth of his sister. He also remembers his first day at school and he relays what he said to his mother at the end of that first day.

We find out why, at the age of 8, his village school said that they couldn’t teach him any more, and William talks about the role that piano music played in his youth. He also played the organ in church, and indeed sometimes still does to this day. He has no interest whatsoever in sports and recalls that TV was the main form of entertainment when he was growing up. His parents had one of the first TVs in the village and he remembers watching the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

Before TV, radio was an influence, and William discusses how he recently found an old diary from 1954 which recounts how he used to listen to ‘The Archers’ and ‘Dan Dare’ as a child. William was also keen on railways and enjoyed trainspotting. He also remembers travelling on the last train to go through Lampeter in the early 1970s.

At school, his History teachers inspired him and we learn why his ‘O’ level Art teacher summed up his ‘O’ level as the triumph of intellect over ability. At ‘A’ level William studied History, French and Geography and he tells us why his life would have been different if he had been two years younger as he would then have done Modern Languages and might have gone on to do French and Russian at University.

William read History at Keble College. In his first term at Oxford, in October 1962, there was the threat of nuclear war due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and William explains why his biggest University ‘hero’ (seeing him as a genius and a saint) was Austin Farrer. William discusses how he would like him to be commemorated in the calendar of the Church of England.

We learn whether William’s memories are predominantly positive and he discusses how he has ‘ridden two horses’ in the respect that for 25 years he held twin academic and clerical professions. William reflects on what might have happened if he had ridden just one horse. We learn which of the two professions he ultimately chose and why he has no regrets about the choices he has made.

In the final part of the interview we learn why if he had his time again he would make the same choices and we discover why William is mentally very curious, is a looking forward type of person and why his family is at the centre of his life.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and William Price and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Karen was born in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, and grew up in the Yorkshire Dales before going to university in London to study Nursing. She talks about her parents’ background, both of whom left school at 16 and were married at 18. Her father experienced redundancy and was involved in Trades Union activity.

We discuss some of the generational differences in terms of career opportunities and how it wasn’t until Karen did her ‘A’ levels that university became an option. She talks about how she didn’t really know anyone who had even been to university and how she is fortunate that she has been able to do the things she did, but that sometimes they are shaped by serendipity.

Karen has very strong early memories of Christmases including playing with boxes, and we learn that as a child she enjoyed ballet, wanting to be Margot Fonteyn, and tap dancing. She also played the trombone and loved horse riding. Musically, Karen used to love listening to and recording the charts on a Sunday, and we learn what the first record was that she ever bought.

We then discover how she ended up pursuing a career in Nursing and who especially inspired her at university (specifically, her ‘nursing hero’) and we learn about the wider student society interests around nursing and medicine that she pursued. Karen talks about how at university the combination of theoretical, practical and pastoral-based elements made for an excellent experiential learning opportunity.

The conversation then turns to how today’s politics is much more eclectic than it was when Karen was growing up in the 1970s, and we learn what her reaction was when she heard that Jim Callaghan had been defeated by Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 General Election.

Karen also shares her radio passions as we learn which station she prefers to listen to and who her favourite presenter is, and why she considers radio to be ‘a security blanket’.

In the final part of the interview Karen explains why she is more of an optimistic person and why her memories are predominantly positive ones. We also learn what she dreamed of doing career-wise when she was young, and how she still has dreams and takes comfort from thinking about what might be around the corner. Finally, we learn why Karen has been more in touch with old friends in the last 18 months than ever before and whether she is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Karen Cox and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Mark was the first in his family to go to university and we discuss our shared arts backgrounds. Mark reveals his earliest memory which is Christmas-related and we learn that he enjoyed going to the Imperial War Museum and the Tower of London when young.

Through his parents Mark developed a love of Frank Sinatra, especially his 1950s concept albums, and Mark can just about remember Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ from its original 1973 incarnation. He especially loves Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ and the memories it evokes as well as Spandau Ballet’s ‘True’. We also learn about the time that Mark encountered Chesney Hawkes on a plane and about the importance of film soundtracks in reunion films such as ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ and ‘Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion’.

We then learn what inspired Mark, who was the only pupil to take ‘O’ level Religious Education at his school, to enter academia and we find out that he is still in touch with his ‘O’ and ‘A’ level History teacher from school. At University, Mark was the Head of the History Society and organized various trips to quirky places in London as well as being a devotee of West Ham football club.

Mark shares his love of radio, in particular comedy shows such as ‘The News Huddlines', as well as ‘Yesterday in Parliament’, and he talks about being a fan of the jingles played on LBC. He also explains why he is misty eyed for Desmond Carrington and he reminisces about ‘Pick of the Pops’ with Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman.

In the final part of the interview, Mark recalls growing up in the 1970s, during the ‘doom and gloom’ of the Winter of Discontent but speaks about how he has happy memories of his teenage years. Mark also discusses how his Chrohn’s disease has taught him various lessons and how he is nostalgic for wallowing in solipsistic moments of teenage misery e.g. the music of The Smiths.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Mark Connelly and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Olly grew up in Lincolnshire where his father was an Education Officer and we learn why as a child Olly was frightened of ‘Scooby Doo’ and ghosts as well as what his reaction was when he had a ‘Dr. Who’ book signed by Tom Baker.

The conversation moves on to discuss the difference between public profile and personal personae with celebrities, especially in the case of those who have been discredited, and we learn about Olly’s nostalgia for the music of old TV themes.

Olly shares his thoughts about working in Higher Education and why he sees himself as an anti-hierarchical person in a profession which is quite hierarchical. He tells us why he’s someone who is uncomfortable with unearned respect and about how he is on a journey like his students, just at a different level.

Pop music had a massive influence on Olly when he was growing up, e.g. when watching The Boomtown Rats on ‘Top of the Pops’, and we learn why he’s into synth music and Dead Kennedys. Olly also reminisces about the time when he queued up in the rain for, and missed the beginning of, 'Planet of the Apes', as well as about how 'The Omen' made him rethink what he’d grown up believing in the Church of England.

In the final part of the interview we share our experiences of going to see Jim Davidson on stage, which leads to a wider discussion about prejudice and politics, and we learn whether Olly is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Olly Double and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Cecilia talks about the accidental set of circumstances which led her to where she is now. She used to play with a band and once hoped to be a singer when beginning a degree in Journalism and Social Sciences for a year, before transferring to study Literature. She then worked as a journalist for four years and from there became involved in film.

Cecilia remembers flash memories from her childhood e.g. buying lollies from the post office and writing the letter K, and we talk about the experience of learning English. She always liked writing and the theatre and was into Brazilian music but not the charts, and she recounts how her peers were more into contemporary music whereas she listened to the sounds of the 1960s.

Cecilia discusses how she never dreamed about becoming an academic and initially studied film as she was a film buff. We also discover which university teachers inspired her, why she wasn’t into clubs or societies at university but did bring her guitar to parties and used to tape tracks from the radio. We also learn why Cecilia stopped listening to new music.

Towards the end of the interview we learn that not all of Cecilia’s memories are positive but that it is possible to value the moments that followed something negative, rather than the negative experiences themselves. She talks about how she never has the same routine every day and why that’s refreshing, and we learn whether Cecilia is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Cecilia Sayad and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Dan is originally from Denver, and is of Hungarian descent, while Lavinia descends from an established middle class English family whose father was the lawyer of the Church of England. Dan talks about how he found out when he was in his twenties that he was the product of artificial insemination and how he didn’t have a good relationship with the man that he had hitherto thought was his father.

Lavinia relays her unhappy experience of going to a girls’ boarding school and how university was a completely different, liberating experience for her. We learn that from 1980-87 Lavinia taught Religious Studies at King’s School, Canterbury, where she was the only full time female member of staff. She later became a headmistress.

Dan talks about his experience of going to an ‘American Graffiti’-type high school and from there went to a small elite male-only college in Massachusetts. We learn why he found it to be so horrible and why he felt a sense of displacement. He later went to a rabbinical seminary and on to Cambridge to do his PhD which is where he and Lavinia met.

Lavinia reflects on having been an unmusical child in a musical family but is someone keen on opera and Anglican church music, and she relays her experience of passing her driving test by singing hymns – and how she invited the examiner to join in with her.

Dan talks about how he has a perverse fascination with films about dysfunctional families and he explains why there is something psychologically strange about the cathartic experience.

Lavinia discusses her reasons for writing ‘A Campus Conspiracy’, based on the way she and Dan have been perceived by colleagues over the years, and we move on to talk about how we have to deal with conflicts in all aspects of life. This leads us to the question of whether nostalgia can have a negative as well as a positive dimension. Dan and Lavinia share quite different perspectives here, with Dan fearing that nostalgia can blind us from facing the present while Lavinia’s family is obsessed with the past.

In the final part of the interview we learn whether Dan and Lavinia have fulfilled the dreams they had when they were young and why Lavinia is a looking back and Dan might be thought of as more of a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Dan & Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Taylor’s parents divorced when he was in kindergarten and he lived with his father who worked in a power plant as an engineer. He talks about the traits he inherited and shares some memories of getting into a fight when young and why he once claimed that the Devil told him to drop a boulder on his brother’s head. We also learn why, as an American living in the South, it was never possible to escape religion.

We then move on to talk about whether there is a confessional dimension to his studies and Taylor speaks about how he isn’t representative of most Baptists due to his liberal world view. He refers to the paradox of being radicalized by leftist intellectuals and how it has shaped his Christianity in a different way. We then discuss the value of education in overcoming ignorance.

Taylor reveals the music he grew up with and how he listened when young to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and we learn why he is now embarrassed to admit that he used to listen to particular forms of rap. He remembers playing video games with a friend, which for him is a bittersweet memory as the friendship didn’t last.

We then discuss why Taylor chose to go into academia and we learn about the particular teachers who inspired him as well as the extra-curricular activities that he was involved with at university, including the theatre, cross-country running and video games.

In the final part of the interview we learn whether Taylor's memories are predominantly positive, why he wishes that he could go back to his undergraduate days again, why his parents’ divorce was a character-building experience and how he wanted to be in the marines and even dreamed of becoming a rock star.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Taylor Weaver and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Will was born in Kent and grew up in Dorset, though his parents spent many years living in Kenya, where his older sisters were born. At University, Will studied French and Philosophy and we learn how he got into acting through the Theatre Society at the University of Leeds. We also discuss the perils of what happens when an actor falls ill.

We find out what Will’s earliest memories were, which include having his toe being nibbled by a duck, and how in later years he discovered that the boys prep school he went to was run by a paedophile. We also talk about why people go to the theatre in order to see people lose and how comedy happens when people fall over.

Will’s first record buying experience was at age 10 and we learn why, in the mid-1980s, he followed a different path to that of his peers by being into the Beatles while the music of the time passed him by. Will reflects on how his father had a passion for Charlie Kunz and medleys of piano music while his mother was into Burt Kaempfert.

Will explains how he came to the University of Kent and we discuss teaching dynamics, how to engage with students and what happens when we don’t always know our material.

Will has always been a big Radio 4 listener and we learn why he is nostalgic about radio and values the BBC.

At the end of the interview, Will explains why his memories are predominantly positive and we learn why he has trained himself to listen to the gut and not just the head, and Will gives an unexpected answer to the question of whether he considers himself to be a looking back or a looking forward kind of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Will Wollen and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Kyla comes from an evangelical background and her sexuality affected her entire family dynamics, especially after she came out as bisexual to her mother. We talk about how the experience changed her, and how she can now make a stand for causes she believes in.

Musically, Kyla reminisces about the boy bands she grew up listening to and how her musical tastes these days range from heavy metal to church music and how music is the most consistent thing in her life. She also explains why ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ is her favourite movie and we learn what happened when she once performed a scene from ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.

We learn why at school Kyla tended to avoid Religious Studies and how and why she subsequently found an unexpected way in to the subject. The conversation then moves to her experience of dealing with bigotry when it comes to gender and sexuality and to societal prejudices towards homosexuality.

Kyla reflects on why the bad things in her life might be thought of as stepping stones towards something more and, in the final part of the interview, we learn what is her biggest regret and why she is currently stuck between the past and the present.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Kyla Greenhorn and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Peter was born just outside London at the end of the Second World War and he talks about his passion when young for Latin. We learn that Peter doesn’t have especially vivid memories of the past and we discuss the interpretive nature of nostalgia, the co-relationship between the past and the future, and whether it is possible to be nostalgic about his four decades at the University of Kent. We cover the long hot summer of 1976 and discover what Peter was doing on campus when he learned about the death of John Lennon.

Peter discusses his musical influences, which include modern jazz and Indian music and, latterly, classical music and baroque operas, and we learn whether any film can be nostalgia-provoking. Peter tells us why ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’, for example, is such a moving film about coming to terms with one’s past.

We chat about whether it is possible to share one’s nostalgia with another person and why, for Peter, nostalgia is a Protean term. We discuss how grief is one of the most extreme contexts for nostalgia and whether nostalgia is cerebral or whether it is an emotion, and why mindfulness and Buddhism might be thought of as being the antithesis of nostalgia.

In the final part of the interview we discover whether there are any ‘what ifs’ in Peter’s life and we find out why Peter doesn’t consider himself to be an ambitious person as well as why he feels the past is sometimes best left alone.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Peter Moore and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Danny talks about his family background and how in the school he went to, where he was one of only three white pupils in the class, he was surrounded by religion – but the religions he learned about were Jainism and Judaism rather than Christianity. Danny discusses how for him faith is exotic and how, even when he was a student and was used to being around students who were mainly agnostic, the ‘numinous’ is something that he encountered at Canterbury Cathedral.

Danny was born in 1989 during the heyday of pop and he grew up at a time when the Spice Girls were everywhere. We learn how his parents’ musical interests have left a mark on him as well as how Danny owns vinyl but doesn’t possess a record player. Danny explains why older music has more of a resonance now than it did when he was younger.

We learn about the ‘Secret Cinema’ experience, which enables fans not just to revisit but re-enter the films from their past, and we talk about the resurgence of both secular and religious pilgrimages in the world today. Danny shares his experience of presenting on student/community radio and we find out whether Danny enjoyed listening to radio when growing up and the personal nature of the relationship between presenter and listener – ‘the radio as confessional.’

In the final part of this very energetic interview Danny talks about whether his memories are predominantly positive and whether it is possible to be nostalgic about negative experiences. Danny discusses how the way that we choose to remember changes us now. We also learn whether Danny is still in touch with friends from his past and whether he’s a looking back or a looking forward person (not least in the light of the Christian hope), as well as what he means by the notion of ‘walking backwards into the future’.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Danny Pegg and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Angela was born in Chiswick and grew up in Middlesex. Her mother was a district nurse and her father was an artist and art teacher, and Angela recounts how she was an unusual teenager in that she was obsessed with the Renaissance period and would drag her parents off to country houses every weekend. She wanted to have a career in music, which she studied at Leicester University, with an emphasis on early music. Angela discusses how she would be at home listening to Monteverdi while her friends were out at discos.

We then turn to the influences on Angela’s life, including astrology, and how that can be imparted through teaching, and the extent to which there is more to education than simply regurgitating facts. For Angela, transformative learning and personal testimony is integral to the educational process, and we discuss how that impacts on the way in which she writes.

We then move on to talk about what Angela did before her PhD and how she was fortunate enough in her employment to be surrounded by early music. Angela finished her PhD in 1992 and we discuss her bizarre, anti-climactic viva experience and how she subsequently felt that it was time to start a family.

Through the late Leon Schlamm Angela recounts how she ended up teaching at the University of Kent on the MA Mysticism & Religious Experience programme, and the conversation then moves on to whether Angela would consider herself to be on a spiritual path and how she has followed a very different route to the one her parents, who weren’t interested in religious or spiritual questions, might have envisaged. Angela explains why reading Plato’s analogy of the cave was for her a liberating experience and how it paved the way for her subsequent immersion in neo-Platonism.

At the end of our conversation Angela discusses how incredibly lucky she has been in what she has achieved in her life, notwithstanding inevitable emotional angst. We discuss how we have navigated our respective relationship paths and what we learn about ourselves when we undergo difficult experiences. Finally, we learn whether Angela is a looking back or a looking forward person and why she is always looking forward to the next phase of her life.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Angela Voss and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

David grew up in Gateshead and reminisces about the primary school he went to in the Yorkshire Dales where every child from the ages of 5 through to 11 was taught in a single room by one teacher. He went to grammar school in Nottingham where he developed an interest in French poetry, Dante and Conrad. We discuss how the best way to get people to read a text is to ban it and why being in a darkened theatre amounts to total absorption, as when he was once completely immersed in the experience of watching the silent film ‘Napoleon’ (1927) over several hours.

David, who came from a family of schoolteachers, explains how he ended up becoming a philosopher and reflects on how to this day he can remember what his lecturers said 50 years ago. We learn why Philosophy attracts a certain type of person and why, in his student days, there was a high dropout rate. We also discover who David’s biggest influences were.

We learn about David’s formative educational experiences and David shares a number of anecdotes regarding how, when he first started lecturing, academics weren’t taught how to teach or required to publish and essays were graded without there being a designated marking criteria.

David also talks about the wider cultural influences he was exposed to in Oxford and, in the final part of the interview, we learn whether there are any specific negative things about which it is not possible to be nostalgic (such as being humiliated or lonely) and, conversely, which hardships it is possible to be nostalgic about. We also discuss the analogy between Facebook and fruit machines and we learn about the concept of ‘retrospective enjoyment’ and whether David has any regrets about anything in his life to date.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and David McNaughton and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Milja talks about being an only child and reflects on the carefree and protected childhood in which she grew up. She has been living in the UK for 14 years which precipitates a discussion of what and where is home, including the possibility that home might be something one carries in oneself and that it comprises both embodied space and a part of our memory. We also consider whether one’s home can be a place you never saw.

Milja reflects on how she remembers her childhood as a series of fragments, in particular remembering Kintergarden, hospitals and the cinema which she ran away to at the age of 6 in order to see ‘Star Wars’ (leading to the police having to be called). Milja remembers watching the Eurovision Song Contest, especially when Johnny Logan won, and the influence of British bands such as The Clash and TV programmes such as ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and ‘Monty Python’ (in relation to which Milja recently met Terry Gilliam). A particularly strong musical memory for her is Opus and ‘Live is Life’ which she associates with eating ice cream in Belgrade in the summertime, and we also share Duran Duran memories.

Milja’s first degree was in Theology and Philosophy which she undertook in Belgrade. This leads to a conversation about her innate curiosity and the necessity to always ask ‘Why?’ questions. She sees writing, including her PhD, as psychotherapy and as autobiographical. We then unpack the term ‘impact’ and the degree to which it needs to be ‘authentic’ and what the future of HE might be like and what happens when we over-quantify ourselves. Milja also explains why interdisciplinary study is so important to her.

In the final part of the interview we talk about whether we can be nostalgic in the context of abusive and violent relationships and we learn whether Milja is a looking back or a looking forward type of person, and whether she believes the future is written or not.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Milja Radovic and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

We learn why Kris, who grew up in West London in the 1960s to parents who were refugees from Poland, is considered an exotic creature in the part of Scotland where he now lives. Kris remembers watching England win the World Cup in 1966 and reveals why the Kennedy assassination, when he was 5 years old, had a particular impact. He reflects on how the 60s felt like a time of optimism and that it felt like things were going to get better for everyone, especially from the point of view of his immigrant parents. Kris talks about the freedom of growing up and his memory of travelling by himself on the tube to see a football match at the age of 11 and about how the Second World War was an unspoken shadow looming over their lives and which spurred his parents and grandparents to make life as pleasant as possible.

Kris remembers Saturday morning pictures at the ABC Hammersmith and explains why cinema-going wasn’t an escapist endeavour. He talks about becoming something of a film buff, and the opportunity he had to watch groundbreaking French films, because of his father. Musically, Kris recalls being impressed by Roy Orbison’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ and we learn how he once came close to seeing ‘the Big O’ on stage, but did once meet Ray Davies.

Kris explains how it was an essay on spaghetti westerns that secured his passage into university as a mature student and how he has a fascination with films about America. He runs a film club with his schoolchildren, and we learn why his proudest moment is when he showed Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’. Kris also talks about why he shows ‘Pleasantville’ each year and the pleasure he gets from watching the kids’ reaction to it.

We learn why Kris has a problem with the word ‘deserve’, why he stresses the importance of resilience, why adulthood is about accepting compromises and why he considers teaching to be a noble profession.

In the final part of the interview, Kris explains why we need to take responsibility for our actions rather than blame somebody else and why sometimes we just have to say ‘I got it wrong’. Nostalgia worries Kris because it can seem more attractive than the painful present to which we cannot go back. We also learn why Kris considers himself to be both a looking back and a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Kris Jozajtis and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Andrew talks about his classic middle class upbringing and a childhood of stability and privilege in which there was no strong legacy of going to university, which he says was largely about bettering one’s parents’ standard of living. His father was an electrical contractor and Andrew discusses how he didn’t set out to have a career in academia.

We talk at some length about the role of music. Andrew identifies the extent to which popular music evokes memories, such that we are immediately drawn back to a certain era through the simple listening to a song, and how it can bind people together in a way few other media are able to do. Jazz was a particularly formative part of his young adulthood, followed by progressive rock and then classical music. Andrew’s latest project is centred on the relationship between music, spirituality and religion and culture.

Andrew introduces the concept of ‘superficial nostalgia’ and outlines how, when there’s chaos around, the calming effect of music can be requisite to one’s sanity. We learn why Andrew grew up listening to so much Joni Mitchell in whose music he has found a lyrical and poetic depth which is equivalent to the works of the best craftsmen.

We then move on to talk about how literature was the pathway into his present discipline and the intersections between English and theology. We discuss the consequences of pursuing an interdisciplinary agenda and Andrew outlines his hope that dialogue with musicologists can open up spaces which neither of them knew existed before.

We learn why those of us who work in Religious Studies might be said to be on a particular kind of journey that necessarily disrupts the kinds of presuppositions and inherited perspectives that were part of our early development. Andrew tells us why belief is irreversible and why he looks back on his early years with a sense of gratitude (as distinct from nostalgia) and he explains why he wouldn’t want to go back to that period of his life.

The interview concludes with Andrew’s assessment of whether he is a looking back or a looking forward person. Andrew discusses the circularity of time and the manner in which the present is always impregnated with the past but that the future is always now, such that we can conceive of nostalgia as being forward-looking.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Andrew Hass and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

The conversation then turns to the role and importance of music and Juliette talks about how she had a different taste in music to other school friends, and we learn whether she is a New Kids on the Block or a Pet Shop Boys fan and which of the two gave her a taste of the adult world. We then move on to discuss the work she has done presenting a request show on hospital radio in Edinburgh and the ‘pure joy’ involved in ‘pretending to be a DJ’ where everything was on vinyl. Juliette reflects on how she thinks of Lampeter and hospital radio in the same way as they are two things she chose to go and do of her own volition. We learn why Mark Radcliffe is Juliette’s radio hero and why she designates one stage of his career as being that of ‘an Olympic swimmer in a bathtub’. Juliette talks about what it is that singles an excellent DJ out from their competitors and we discuss why there wouldn’t be any sacrifice entailed in ‘giving up’ one’s Christmas in order to go on the radio.

Juliette refers to her time at Lampeter as one where she almost forgot about getting a degree as doing the course was more about the journey there. We then talk about some of the tutors who especially inspired her.

In the final part of the interview Juliette discusses how, generally, her memories are positive and how the first part of her life in particular was more uncomplicatedly happy. But, we learn why Juliette doesn’t feel that she has necessarily fulfilled her dreams and Juliette talks candidly about what she is missing and would like to do and why it is that she considers herself to be more of a looking back than a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Juliette Jones and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Reshmi talks about the influence of her aspirational parents. Her father was a survivor of the Partition and ended up doing an Engineering degree in Wolverhampton. She also discusses her own experience of an arranged marriage and we learn that her mother has just written a book at the age of 80 in the field of Religious Studies.

Throughout the interview we learn that Reshmi has often felt a need to prove something to herself, why she has often felt a sense of dissatisfaction and never really felt a sense of belonging. She discusses how fear has often prompted her to push herself forward, and we talk about the degree to which education can be seen as an enjoyable pursuit and how it might be possible to enjoy what one is doing in the moment without worrying unduly about the future. Reshmi reflects on how nothing in her life has been prescribed and how, once she has finished one project she has an urge to start something new, and we learn why she is not comfortable recycling old ground.

After a discussion about the extent to which teaching might be found to inform the best research, we move on to talk about Reshmi’s childhood influences and how the life journeys delineated in 1970s Abba songs were sources of fantasy in her conservative upbringing. Reshmi also discusses how she saw her university lecturers in the UK as her gurus and how coming to university gave her an identity which she didn’t have at the time.

In the final part of the interview, Reshmi speaks candidly about her experience of teaching in Category B and C prisons where her students were often inveterate and institutionalized prisoners. This has been one of the inspirations for her recent book on crime fiction, and Reshmi talks about her different apprehensions of working in male and female prison environments. We end by ruminating on whether it is possible to be nostalgic about negative experiences and how Reshmi didn’t have goals so much as a value system predicated on the importance of peace, security and stability.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Reshmi Dutta-Flanders and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Valeska was born in Germany but grew up in Namibia in southern Africa and later Venezuela while her father was a teacher who taught in German schools abroad. She has lived in the UK for 13 years which is the longest time she has ever been based in one country. We talk about how home for her has always been the people she has met and about her earliest memory which pertains to the day when her sister was born which, as we discover, she associates with eating cottage cheese. The discussion then turns to the notion of homesickness and how and why Valeska is homesick wherever she is. She explains why she has a frozen memory of the places she has lived, which always stays with her and hasn’t been spoiled by subsequent visits.

Valeska talks about her experience of finding African drums in Venezuela, which reminded her of her time in Namibia, and about her passion for music, which she considers foundational, and how she has adopted new tastes in the different locations where she has lived.

The conversation then turns to Valeska’s time in university in Germany where she found her degree to be creatively structured, crossing as it did several disciplinary boundaries and led to her broadening many horizons while she was able to create her own timetable. Valeska refers to the student protests that took place at the time, and we then move to discuss people’s ‘fear of the other’ in the context of the apprehension of strangers to her family’s different and exotic life story.

In the final part of the interview, Valeska shares with us why her memories are predominantly positive and why she has been doing creative writing in her spare time. Her ambition is to write and publish a book. Valeska talks about living in the here and now rather than looking back to the past or forward to the future and we end by considering the possibilities inherent in the notion of nostalgia.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Valeska Hass and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Anthony talks about the culture shock of leaving the island in order to go to university in England, prompting a reflection on the nature of home and belonging, and we learn whether Anthony feels an attachment to any particular place. The concept of 'neo-native Manx speakers' is introduced and Anthony discusses the benefits, based on personal experience, of understanding other people's languages and cultures.

Anthony grew up on an island with 80,000 people that had just one cinema and we find out why he was into The Cure and The Smiths when he was at university and we hear about some of the challenges involved in 'fitting in'. We discuss the grunge dimension of university in the early 90s and what led Anthony to march, during his undergraduate studies.

Finally, Anthony discusses why he doesn't look back on the past with regrets but has an urge to capture everything photographically, and we consider how and why photos are able to bring back more memories than we would otherwise be able to retain.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Anthony Manning and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Silvia talks about keeping a diary and she explains why she tries not to have any regrets in life. Her grandparents are a particular inspiration for her, and Silvia tells us the secret of why her grandparents’ chickens had to be spoken to in Hungarian. Her father was a professional volleyball player and Silvia talks about how she used to accompany him to matches. We learn about the type of music that her parents disapproved of her listening to, and she confesses to once having taped over her father’s beloved Pink Floyd cassette tape with Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’.

Silvia talks about the role that production and scriptwriting played in her degree and why she enjoyed standing in front of a class as it exposed herself to vulnerable situations which enabled her to ‘rise to the occasion’.

The interview concludes with some candid reflections on the role of activism in her native Romania and we learn whether Silvia is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Silvia Rasca and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Alan discusses the role that music has played in his life, principally in the form of ‘Bach, Beethoven and the Beatles’, and we learn which of the Beatles’ eras he considers to be ‘headache music’, and why. He also talks about why he returned to playing the piano in later years to grade 5 standard and how he has also recently accumulated around 10 hours of flying experience as a student pilot.

Despite having three degrees from King’s, Alan doesn’t see himself as an academic (leading to a riveting conversation around the theme of ‘imposter’ and ‘fraud’ syndrome) and never considered either ordination or even going to university until it was suggested to him by his school teachers.

Alan talks movingly about the death of his father, and how his ‘world totally collapsed’, which happened while he was in the midst of writing an essay during his undergraduate degree on the Resurrection, and which he refers to as a ‘deep, formative experience’. Then, in the final part of the interview we discuss the art of competitiveness and whether it is the process or the end goal that matters and the way in which he believes the past can be thought of as being reframed by the future.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Alan Le Grys and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Michael recalls his experience of watching the first ever 'Doctor Who' episode, starring William Hartnell, back in 1963, and we discuss a shared love of radio (Michael especially remembers 'Listen With Mother') and Saturday morning 'cliffhanger' cinema.

We then move on to discuss how, after doing a B.Ed., Michael returned to teach at his old school - which didn't turn out to be a pleasant experience. And we discover what happened when Michael then tried to change direction, ultimately leading to his decision to train as an English Language teacher, and the 'serendipitous' events that followed.

In the final part of the interview, we discuss the 'nostalgia-invoking' power of music and to his penchant for going around cathedrals and old chapels to experience the recording of live broadcasts of choral evensong. We also discuss the impact of social media in our lives, and Michael gives a surprise answer to the question of whether he considers himself to be a looking forward or a looking back type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Michael Hughes and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Graeme has experience of stand-up comedy and is a life member of Keele Drama Society, and we learn the lesson of what happens when one meets one's heroes. Graeme also discusses his Scottish ancestry and he lets us into the secrets of the 'wall of suspicious family rivalry'. There are anecdotes about his time working for the supermarket chain Iceland and the time when he was an NUS delegate and Graeme discusses the way in which a family member used to speak to him in the form of parables. This is then followed by a wider conversation about the extent to which the lack of religion was an influence on Graeme's life and how drama was an influence on his philosophical career.

Finally, Graeme reveals why he feels the need to be an imperialist when it comes to Philosophy and we learn whether, as a philosopher of time, Graeme is a backward-looking or a forward-looking type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Graeme Forbes and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

We talk about the peer pressure at secondary school in terms of learning about the latest songs, and Laura tells us where she stands on the 'Do you prefer Blur or Oasis?' question before discussing her experience of watching 'The Princess Bride' when growing up. Laura went to university as a mature student and she ruminates on the role that fate and luck played in whether or not she was able to carry out a PhD. We chat also about the role that inspirational teachers played in her life (and what happened when two of them, coincidentally, appeared at the till in Waterstones where she was working at the same time).

An instructive conversation then unfolds regarding why several female academics added 'Dr.' to their Twitter account name a few years ago, and the interview concludes with Laura talking about whether she has fulfilled the dreams she had when she was young and which decisions she wishes she had made differently.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Laura Bailey and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Simon talks about the influence played by game shows and 'Carry On' films and about his amateur dramatics predilections which have led to him playing the part of the Pantomime Dame. He makes a number of insightful observations regarding the 'performance' nature of lecturing and how it has much in common with stand-up comedy. Simon also talks about the influence played by his Religious Studies teachers at school and about why in his career he feels he is the 'cat that got the cream'.

The interview ends with some poignant reflections regarding whether we can ever be nostalgic about negative experiences and bittersweet experiences pertaining to romance and whether there might be certain past experiences that Simon would like to relive.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Simon Kirchin and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

What emerges strongly in our conversation is the role that passion plays in William's life, and how he prefers to see himself not as a lecturer but as a facilitator who is able, through dialogue and interaction, to elicit from students what it is that 'floats their boat'. William discusses the influence of Sartre and Graham Greene and the impact that 49p Penguin books - which kickstarted his belief that a book is 'a friend, a teacher and an antagonist' - that were sold in a bookshop near his school had a particular influence on him when he was growing up. The difference between his and his children's apprehension of music is divulged, and William speaks about the way The Doors, Led Zeppelin and Orbital have the power to transport, and how The Beatles have played a seminal role in family road trips.

My final question then catapults the interview down an unexpected path, and, although this interview is about 30 minutes longer than was originally planned, I was spellbound by the conversation that emerged on the problem across many spheres of life with simplistic and disingenuous binary models.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and William Rowlandson and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Montserrat relates the desperate urge she had to leave the village where she grew up and the way she was a trailblazer for her family in seeking an education, against the instincts of her father, and how she moved to London and ended up studying for her doctorate. She also reflects on the important role that cinema played in her childhood (especially 'The Life of Brian'), where she would often see three films in an afternoon, and how she felt about American films being dubbed and spliced.

The interview concludes with some very personal insights about the influence of religion in Montserrat's native Catalan as well as important reflections on the nature of belonging - where and how we belong, whether our understanding of identity changes over time, if we can ever truly escape our pasts, and the concomitant danger of looking back.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Montserrat Roser-i-Puig and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

From Dr. Who and John Peel to 'Minipops', to regrets about how he voted in the 1992 General Election, and his reflections on the role of religion in shaping his values and goals, this is a wonderfully frank and wide-ranging conversation about the way our past experiences impinge on our present and future hopes and predilections.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Paul March-Russell and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

Covering everything from The Spice Girls to Bryan Adams, Bobby Kennedy to Jeremy Corbyn, and whether David feels he has (yet) fulfilled the dreams he had when he was young, this is a real treat.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and David Walsh and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.