A former radio presenter and Lancashire care home resident who hosts his own podcast has had TV presenter Richard Madeley as a recent guest.

Aimed at bridging Britain’s age gap, Alan Sykes' new podcast, ‘Talking Generations’ was produced after Abi, an activity co-ordinator at Lavender Hills Care Home in Ramsbottom was looking for an activity to motivate Alan.

Alan Sykes joined BBC Radio Manchester in 1971 as its first presenter, a role which took him across Europe interviewing music icons from ABBA to Bing Crosby.

He moved to Lavender Hills having suffered a stroke in 2019.

Although he has reduced mobility, his passion for presenting and storytelling remains strong, so he reignited his love for broadcasting and meeting people to host the podcast  Talking Generations.

Lancashire Telegraph: Richard Madeley Richard Madeley (Image: IMM)

The first conversation features Aland and TV presenting legend Richard Madeley sharing stories including one unforgettable interview with his hero, Don McClean.

Reminiscing on this early career milestone, Good Morning Britain's Richard shared that the songwriter walked out of the studio, refusing to answer the burning question about what the song American Pie was about.

Talking Generations is part of a wider campaign by Intergenerational Music Making, which aims to bring people of all generations together to share their experiences.

Speaking on the vast media landscape today, Richard described local radio as being “woefully underestimated” and shared his secret to social media is not taking himself too seriously, and advises people that don’t like opinions on Twitter to not look.

Richard also shared how his family have nurtured intergenerational connections, with the presenter sharing how he and Judy Finnigan developed a beautiful connection with their youngest granddaughter, Bodhi, from day one through living under the same roof.

Their daughter Chloe and her husband, rugby union player James Haskell, moved back into the family home while their home was being renovated when Bodhi was born.

Living together at the very beginning gave them all a wonderful opportunity to spend precious time together and begin a very special bond.

Richard said: “This is our fourth grandchild, so we are used to having grandchildren, but never before have we been present from a few weeks before until the birth itself and then after.

“So it’s almost like having a child of one’s own again, being able to watch this gradual progression from newborn to alert, very fast downloading three or four-month-old baby.

“It’s been a treat and we’ve got on really well. It’s been a joy and we are missing them now that they’ve moved out.”

Emily Abbott, programme director of IMM said: “It was so inspiring to see the care Abi at Lavender Hills was taking to find an activity that would inspire Alan, and we were thrilled to help bring the idea to life.

“We have loved working with her and Alan to create a platform for intergenerational conversation and to hear his memories of broadcasting, music and life.

“We are so grateful to Richard Madeley for giving up the time to have the conversation of the generation.

"IMM is on a mission to make Britain more intergenerational and conversations like these are the perfect way to share views and bridge the age gap.”

This episode of Talking Generations episode is available on Spotify from Monday, May 22.