Jennifer O'Brien’s Post

When I was just a kid, my Grandpa George, a masterful storyteller, decided to capture his childhood memories from Rochester, Kent, England, and his life in Belfast, Ireland, on tape. He filled these mini-cassette tapes with stories of his early days, his journey to his adopted home, and little vignettes of my mum and grandma—all just for me. Maybe he knew that someday I'd grow up to love stories as much as he did, or maybe he simply wanted me to hear his voice whenever I missed him. Either way, it was a gift I couldn’t truly appreciate back then, back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, scribbling my own tales in a notebook. Now, having lost both my mum and dad, it’s never been more important to preserve these memories. Years later, these tapes hold irreplaceable pieces of my family’s history, and I want nothing more than to bring them into the digital world—to listen, to digitise, and to have a written transcript of the life he recorded. But there’s a problem. These are mini-cassettes, a rare format, and I’ve already tried two places that said they no longer have the equipment to play them. One provider suggested the National Film Archive, but I’m hoping someone here might have a lead. I have six of these tapes, and each one is precious. So here I am, reaching out to the LinkedIn community. If anyone has a lead, knows where I might find a recorder, or can point me in the right direction, I’d be so grateful. I just want to hear Grandpa’s voice again and honour the stories he saved for me. Thank you in advance for any advice or resources you can share.