Military Histories · yorkarmymuseum

Family Life - Miss Lesli Speers

·15 min·1 clip
Leslie remembers being really happy growing up in Detmold, Germany, despite her mother calling it 'wet mould'.
An interview with Leslie Spears, who grew up as the daughter of a British Army officer in the 1970s and 80s. She shares memories of childhood in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and in a barracks in Germany, reflecting on the unique social world of army families, the innocence of not understanding her father's Cold War role, and the lasting sense of rootlessness after leaving the military community.

As heard by us

A military childhood told through camp routines, family memory, and everyday absences.

The episode sits firmly in family memory, with Leslie Spears recalling childhood around the Royal Dragoon Guards, from kindergarten runs in Antrim to the shifting mix of camps, school, and family homes.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want army life at kitchen-table distance, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on