Question 1

What actually happens? Is it a book, a podcast, a recording?

Accepted Answer

It's an audio documentary of your parent's life, in their own voice.

I sit down with your mum or dad for three two-hour conversations. Not a quiz, not a form. More like a long chat with someone who's very good at listening and asking "and then what happened?" Depending on the shape you pick, I also spend an hour with each of their children first, so your memories become my questions.

Then it all gets edited into chapters, with music, the way you'd hear a radio documentary. Your childhood memories, that special holiday, and that story you think they'll have forgotten. Your dad talking about the first car he took apart on the drive. Your mum explaining why she really moved the whole family to Australia.

Question 2

Is it private? Will other people be able to listen to it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's private. Completely.

People often hear "audio" and picture a podcast that strangers will stream. It isn't that. Your family's documentary goes to your family, and nobody else. It isn't published anywhere, it isn't on Spotify, and I never share a word of it without asking you first.

That's what lets people open up. Your dad isn't performing for an audience. He's talking to his children, with me in the room to keep the conversation going.

If you ever want to share a clip with your wider family, that's your call, not mine.

Question 3

Why audio, and not video or a book?

Accepted Answer

Because a voice does something a page can't.

Ask anyone who's lost a parent what they'd give to hear them again. Not read them. Hear them. The laugh halfway through a sentence. The way they said your name. As one client put it: "I can't wait to listen to these every year for the next 50 years. To hear his voice."

And what I miss most, after a hug, would be to hear my dad's voice. His stories.

Audio is also kinder in the room. There's no camera pointing at anyone, no worrying about hair or lighting. People forget they're being recorded within about ten minutes. That's when the good stuff comes out.

Question 4

Who is this for?

Accepted Answer

Usually it's someone in their forties or fifties who's noticed their phone calls with their mum or dad have shrunk to the weather and the boiler. They love them completely. They just realise they don't know their whole story.

Some come to me because a parent is turning 70 or 80 and they want to do something better than another jumper. Some come because there's been a health scare. Some have already lost one parent and won't let it happen twice.

It works for one parent or both, one child or five, close families and families with a bit of distance in them.

Question 5

Do you only do parents? I have something a bit different in mind.

Accepted Answer

No. Some of my most important work hasn't been a parent at all.

I've captured the life story of a husband and father, after he'd passed away, for the children who'll never meet him. I interviewed his wife, his two best mates, his parents and his brothers, and together they built a picture of the whole man.

For my sister's 50th, I created an audio documentary of her life through the stories of her childhood friends, her school pals, and the people who've played a special role in her life. She found it hard to describe how much it meant to her.

If what you have in mind doesn't fit a neat box, tell me about it on a call. Those projects tend to be the ones that matter most.

Question 6

My parent has already passed away. Is it too late?

Accepted Answer

No. It's different, but it isn't too late.

When someone's gone, their story doesn't disappear. It gets scattered. A bit with their sister, a bit with an old friend, a bit with the neighbour who knew them before you were born. I gather those people together and help them tell it.

In spring 2025, I was asked to capture the life story of a husband, brother and son, for the children he'd never get to meet. His wife told me afterwards: "No, this was real. He was real."

Memories fade and blur with time. A voice doesn't.

Question 7

My parent has dementia, or is unwell. Can we still do this?

Accepted Answer

Often, yes, and it's worth not waiting.

I've recorded parents after a stroke, and parents in the early stages of dementia. I go slowly. Shorter sessions, a morning slot with a cup of tea before they're tired, and more time with the people around them, so they're reacting to stories rather than having to drive every one.

We all have to be open about expectations, me included. Some days will give more than others, and that's fine.

The best way to find out if it will work for your mum or dad is to grab 30 minutes with me and talk it through. I'll be straight with you.

Question 8

I didn't do this with my dad. Did you ever get to know him better afterwards?

Accepted Answer

Yes. And it's the reason I'd tell anyone who's lost a parent that the door isn't shut.

After my dad passed away, I interviewed my aunt, my uncle and my godparents about him. They'd known him long before I did, as a brother, as a mate, as a young man I never met.

It didn't bring him back. But I'm still learning about him, years later, and I feel closer to him for it. That surprised me more than anything.

Question 9

How do I bring it up without it feeling awkward or morbid?

Accepted Answer

This is the question I hear most, so you're in good company.

The trick is not to make it about death, or "legacy", or "before it's too late". Make it about them. "Dad, you've done so much I've never heard about properly. I want the whole story." Most parents are quietly delighted that anyone wants to know.

Lots of families give it as a present, a card for a birthday or Christmas, so it arrives as a treat rather than a big serious conversation.

I've written the exact words families have used, with what to say if your parent pushes back.

The words to start the conversation.

Real scripts from real families, and what to say when they say "who'd want to hear about me?"

Question 10

My mum or dad is quite private. Will they even say yes?

Accepted Answer

Usually, yes. And the private ones often surprise everyone most.

There's a pattern I see a lot. The parent who's a closed book at home will talk to me for two hours straight. It's not that they never wanted to talk. Nobody ever made the space, and it's easier to tell a curious stranger than your own child across the kitchen table.

I always say: stories, not skeletons. I'm not there for secrets. They can say no to any question, and they'll stay in control the whole way. One son said of his dad: "My dad? Let's just say he was a little sceptical." Five hours later he was still going.

A lot of it comes down to how you first ask them. That's exactly what the "How Do I Actually Bring This Up?" playbook is for: the words that work, and what to say when a private parent says "oh, I don't think so."

Question 11

What if they say they've got nothing interesting to tell?

Accepted Answer

Nearly everyone says this. It's never true.

They'll tell you their life was ordinary. Then forty minutes in, they'll mention, as if it's nothing, that they went to Paris on their own at 13, or that the piano in the front room was an engagement present in 1902. Sometimes the biggest stories get dropped in sideways and skated straight past.

My job is to catch those and ask "hang on, go back. Tell me about that."

Question 12

Can I give this as a gift?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and lots of families do, for a 70th, an 80th, a retirement or Christmas.

I'll help you with a card that explains what's coming, so it lands as a treat and not a mystery. Then we set dates that suit everyone. Plenty of families tell me the gift starts working before a single recording, just from your parent knowing their children want to hear their story.

Question 13

How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

About 12 weeks from start to finish.

It moves at a pace that suits your family, not mine. Sessions are spread out so nobody feels rushed, and there's time between them for things to come back to people. You'd be amazed how often a parent rings their child the day after a session with "I forgot to tell Neil about..."

If there's a date you're working towards, a birthday or a family get-together, tell me and we'll plan back from it.

Question 14

What does the experience look like, step by step?

Accepted Answer

1. A free 30-minute call. You tell me about your family. I tell you honestly if I can help.

2. We pick the right shape. Just your parent, the family together, or each child on their own. We work out which suits yours.

3. A kickoff call. We set dates and I send everyone some gentle reflection prompts.

4. The children's sessions. If you're involved, I spend time with you first. Your memories become my questions.

5. Your parent's sessions. Three two-hour conversations, at their pace.

6. The listen. Everyone gets their edited chapters.

7. The wrap-up. The whole family, back in one room, talking about what you heard. That conversation gets recorded too, and it often ends up being the chapter people play most.

8. The handover. A final session to walk through what we've created, how to access it, store it, and savour it for years to come.

Question 15

Do we all need to be in the same place?

Accepted Answer

No. Most families are spread out, some across countries, and almost all the sessions happen online. Your mum can be in her own armchair at home while her son joins from the other side of the world.

I've recorded families across 13 countries. All anyone needs is a laptop or a phone and a quiet room.

Question 16

How long are the sessions? Won't it be tiring for my parent?

Accepted Answer

Each of your parent's sessions is about two hours, with breaks whenever they want one. It sounds long. It flies. Most parents are surprised when I say we're nearly out of time.

If two hours is too much for your mum or dad, we make the sessions shorter and add more of them. Their comfort sets the pace.

Question 17

What if there are things we'd rather not go into?

Accepted Answer

Then we don't go into them.

Before your parent's sessions, I'll ask you about any sensitive ground: a divorce, a redundancy, a falling out. You tell me whether it's off limits, or whether it's fine to touch on gently. Your parent sets their own limits too, and they can skip any question.

No one gets to 75 without a few knocks, and sometimes those turn out to be the stories that explain the most. But I'm never after a scoop. Stories, not skeletons.

Question 18

Can my brothers and sisters be involved? What about step-families?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and I'd encourage it. Hearing your siblings talk about your mum or dad is often the part people don't see coming. Same parent, same house, completely different memories. As one daughter put it: "I just loved hearing all three of our different perspectives on growing up in the same family, which was hilarious."

Step-families, half-siblings, a close family friend who's been there forever: if they're part of your parent's story, they can be part of this.

Question 19

Can the grandchildren be part of it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, even if they're too young to sit through a session.

The little ones record voice notes, a question or two for Grandad. I keep it secret, then play them to your parent live in the middle of a session. I've watched quite a few hard-nosed grandparents go very quiet at that point.

Question 20

What do we get at the end?

Accepted Answer

A fully produced audio documentary of your parent's life, in chapters, with music. Including your conversations if you're interviewed, and the family wrap-up.

Depending on which package you choose, you'll get some short audio and video clips you can share, and custom artwork. It's yours to keep forever, and to pass on.

But honestly, the families who've done this rarely lead with the recording. They talk about what happened along the way. As one son put it: "The audiobook is just a result. We've earned a connection that wasn't existing."

Question 21

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

It depends on who's involved: just your parent, or the whole family. Both parents, or one.

There are three shapes, Hero Story, Family Documentary and Full Chorus, and we'll work out on the call which one fits. I'll give you the exact price for your family then, in writing, with no surprises after.

If it helps, payment can be spread over three months.

Question 22

What if we start and it doesn't feel right?

Accepted Answer

Then I give you your money back in full.

If, after your first recording, it doesn't feel right for your family, I'll refund you completely, no questions asked. In 38 families it's never once been needed. But it's there.

Question 23

Can't I just do this myself with my phone?

Accepted Answer

You can, and I'd honestly rather you did it yourself than not at all.

The catch is that it's very hard to interview your own parent. You fall into old roles within minutes. You don't ask the follow-up because you think you already know the answer. And it slides down the to-do list. One family first contacted me in October to do it for Christmas, then looked up and it was summer.

If you want to give it a go, start with the questions I use. They're the ones that actually open the door.

The 107 questions I ask families.

Grouped by life stage, from first memories to the things they'd do differently.

Question 24

What questions should I ask my parents?

Accepted Answer

Fewer than you'd think, and more specific than you'd think.

"Tell me about your childhood" gets you a shrug. "What did your bedroom look like when you were ten?" gets you twenty minutes. Concrete questions unlock memories. Big ones shut them down.

A few to start with: Who was your best friend at school, and what happened to them? What did your parents argue about? When did you first feel grown up? What's something you've never told me because I never asked?

The questions are only half of it. How you ask them, and what you do when the first answer is "oh, I don't know", matters just as much. That's what the Conversation Playbook covers.

The Conversation Playbook.

How to ask, how to listen, and what to do when they go quiet.

Question 25

How is this different from a "tell me your story" book or app?

Accepted Answer

Those are lovely, and they work for some people. But most of them end up half-filled in a drawer.

One man told me his father tried to write his life story before he passed away. He wrote two pages about why he named the house, then stopped. Nothing from when his son was born to when he left for university.

The difference here is that someone sits with your parent, listens, and keeps asking. And the rest of the family gets pulled in, so it becomes something you do together rather than homework for one person.

Question 26

Who is Neil?

Accepted Answer

I'm Neil Taylor. My dad passed away before I'd asked him the things I wanted to ask, and I can't quite remember his voice now. My son was born six days later. They never met.

So I started recording other people's parents, beginning with three of my mates' dads. Since then I've spent 390+ hours with 38 families in 13 countries. I take on four families a month, so each one gets proper time.

I live near Barcelona, but my roots and most of my families are in the UK.

The questions families ask me

What this actually is

Who it's for

Bringing it up with your parent

How it works

Cost

Doing it yourself

About me

Still got a question? That's what the call is for.