Doreen is a world podcast star at 90

The former Fylde Council tourism officer has become a familiar voice to around 7,500 listeners in no fewer than 27 countries with her regular Monday with Milly podcasts.

They ran every Monday for 66 weeks up to Christmas and a special is planned for next month - after starting out as simply a way for Doreen, of St Annes, to keep in touch with daughter Kirsten and her family in Australia.

Kirsten,a radiographer, emigrated Down Under in the 1990s and Doreen has visited the family there nine times over the years.

On the weekly links, Doreen talks about growing up in the North West and her memories over the years and has been amazed at the response.

“I can’t believe how many people have been listening and in so many countries,” she said.

Phill, who gave the podcast its title, based on ‘Mil’ being short for ‘mother-in-law’, said: “I think the success of Mondays with Milly has to do with a shared fascination with social history..

“We all have older parents and relatives who we wished we’d listened to more about times past – usually when it’s too late.

“‘Milly’ happens to be a natural storyteller and she’s relatable. I’ve received a lot of messages from people who connect deeply and emotionally with the podcast because Milly reminds them of their mother or grandmother.

“MwM is a wonderful legacy for our family but it’s more than that because it forces us to think about life’s triumphs and challenges in a different way.”

Kirsten and Phill have two children - Flynn and Niamh, who both attended school at Mayfield in St Annes when the family came to Fylde for a sabbatical year 14 years ago.

Niamh, now 17, sings all the songs which introduce each episode of the podcast and more than 50 songs have been recorded for the project - all from different eras to match the subject matter. The 66 episodes span the 1930s to the present and can be heard online.

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