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And so what we have here is the first interview for Wiv Chat, a new show that is planned for the emerging Radio Wivenhoe. It’s a hit and miss affair - purely on my behalf, and nothing to do with the very generous time and conversation supplied by Peter Green, my first guest.

The plan is to hopefully record one of these per week, and then broadcast them on a Sunday evening on Radio Wivenhoe. There is also scope for weekday repeats.

The wonderful folk at Radio Wivenhoe are probably going to package the chat up slightly better than I am able to, or even have time to carry out. What I thought might work here however is simply to re-post the audio on m’blog as an extra archive source. I have broken the recording down into three segments so as not to make it too challenging on the ear.

I really want the ownership, of sorts, to be in the hands of the local community. I am such a great believer in oral history and collecting as many memories and conversations as possible.

The direction of the conversation is very much open-ended. Wiv Chat isn’t meant to be a Radio 4 quality style production - I’m not being rude when I state that I simply haven’t the time right now to work on these for any longer.

Peter Green proved to be the perfect guest. Born and bred in the town, the free fall conversation simply flowed, not necessarily chronologically, but I think that we just about get away with it.

The recording quality can be worked on, but there is something of a certain mood that I believe has been captured with the sound of the mid-summer rain bouncing off the conservatory windows at Peter’s home. The barking dog also gives it a certain individual ambience.

The story told covers five generations of the Green family living in Wivenhoe. We learn about Peter’s Grandfather and his time spent sailing professionally out of the Colne. Closure is reached with the tale about Peter’s Granddaughter, the captain of the England Women’s rugby team (blimey) returning to Wivenhoe and seeing how the town has changed.

I am incredibly grateful to Peter for helping me out with this first Wiv Chat recording. He was most trusting in allowing a stranger into his family home to ask personal questions and share his many local memories.

If you have a Wivenhoe story that you would like to be shared, then please do contact me at [email protected]. This is very much a make it up as you go along type project - I am open to new suggestions as to what might work for you.

We could record the conversation at my house, or at yours - or possibly even at a neutral public space somewhere within the town. As ever, I always offer up the right of deletion, should something be recorded that you are not happy with.

I believe so strongly in recording and archiving this hyperlocal material digitally. The technology makes it a relatively simple process; the true value may only become apparent in many years to come. We didn’t overtly mention this, but I got a strong sense that Peter also felt the same.

And so many, many thanks to the charming company of Peter Green and his barking dog. Hopefully this will be the start of a successful series of Wiv Chat, and maybe something far greater for future generations.