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Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

By: Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy
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I have been running my Nostalgia Interviews podcast since 2018. Through over 200 one-to-one interviews with guests from a range of backgrounds and professions – some of the guests are people I went to school or university with, others are leading figures in broadcasting, journalism, politics, film, music and education – the aim is to find out what it is that inspires our interests and passions.

What is it that shapes us? How did we end up where we are today in terms of the music, books, films, sporting events, fantasies, tragedies and the relationships and family members that brought us to where we are now?

These interviews are unscripted and are inspired by the great radio interviews I grew up listening to when I was in my teens and early twenties. Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • 210: Stephen Willoughby

    210: Stephen Willoughby
    Jul 28 2025
    My guest this week is Stephen Willoughby, who studied Theology at Lampeter between 1984 and 1987. After university, Stephen’s path took a technical turn – he became a computer operator and later completed an MSc in Computer Science at Aberystwyth, a journey that reflects a broadening of Stephen’s skills.

    Stephen now works in quality assurance and holds a PhD in a related field. Originally from Orpington in Kent, he now lives in Derbyshire.

    Stephen has had a lifelong passion for radio, sparked on his 7th birthday when he received his first radio set. He was captivated early on by classical music and Radio 3, but it was Radio 2 in the 1980s that gave him a window into the wider world. He's steeped in the station's history and recalls listening to Alan Dell on Sunday afternoons, including the public reaction when there was talk of Dell leaving the airwaves.

    We discuss the magic of live radio, the days when Radios 1 and 2 shared the FM frequency, and the role of DJs like David Hamilton—who used to include the pop charts in his Tuesday afternoon Radio 2 shows.

    Stephen also shares which stations he listens to today, including Boom Radio, and reflects on whether he’s more of a looking back or a forward-looking person.
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    42 mins
  • 209: Cameron Tucker

    209: Cameron Tucker
    Feb 6 2025
    My guest this week is Cameron Tucker, Head of News and Content at KMTV.

    Cam and I begin by chatting about the BFI-funded series Generation Why that we both worked on in which we made sure young people from across the UK were fully represented. We find out why the series has been so transformational, and has helped us look beyond the world we know.

    We talk about how the world is both bigger and smaller, and we find out about Cameron’s love of travel. He was born in Manhattan but grew up in Hong Kong where his grandfather was a policeman. We chat about hybrid identities and one’s place in the world, including in the context of sport.

    Cameron talks about the records e.g. photos that he has from those days, and about his new role as a father.

    We discuss the importance of connection and the relationships we have with childhood friends, and how we continue from where we left off when we meet them, as well as the way places evolve.

    We then move on to reflect on the role of nostalgia in a changing world. Cam also talks about the role that music has played in his life, e.g. how he grew up listening to the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting.

    We find out how Cam ended up with KMTV in Kent, after previously working as a junior reporter in Hong Kong. He did work experience too during his degree in East Anglia. He has also done a great deal of freelancing, and has been at KMTV for seven years.

    We talk about the infamous ‘pot plant story’ when Cam was doing a report which appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Show in the US.

    Cameron talks about the role of negative experiences and the impact on nostalgia and answers it in relation to a wonderful Anthony Hopkins anecdote.

    Then, at the end of the interview, we talk about the role of authenticity in the way we project ourselves in broadcasting, and we find out whether Cameron is a looking back or a looking forward type of person.
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    58 mins
  • 208: Harry Bowles

    208: Harry Bowles
    Dec 30 2024
    It was a great pleasure for this week’s Nostalgia Interviews podcast to meet fellow podcaster Harry Bowles. Harry has been running his Nerds Against Normality over the last few months.

    We talk about how the podcast has evolved, and the reason for looking at the relevant algorithms. We find out about its reach, the prime time for podcasts and the right time to send them out. We find out what the format is for each podcast which will e.g. include a review of a film, and we discuss whether a film can be ruined by the way the film is dissected.

    We discuss too the concept of secret screenings and the films that Harry is looking forward to watching over Christmas, including Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

    We find out why Sonic is so important to him, with Sonic the mascot of Megadrive consuls. We find out how Harry’s love of gaming is now his main job selling retro video games. Covid kickstarted this adventure, and he gave up his secure job for the video game world, and he extols the virtues.

    Harry talks about why video games were his escapism when growing up, and how it led to him doing art. He even learned to read through Final Fantasy.

    We talk about the way gaming is so big, the role of obsession and what happens when we are told not to play the things we love.

    Then, at the end of the interview, we find out about Harry and Stacey’s Dragonball Z-themed wedding.
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    43 mins
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