Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe welcomes listeners into the warm and comforting world of the Vinyl Cafe. Each episode features stories about Canada’s favourite fictional family: Dave, Morley and the kids, narrated by the late Stuart McLean and recorded live in concert. For the first time ever, long-time producer Jess Milton shares rare, behind-the-scenes stories from her 15 years touring, travelling, laughing, and recording with her close friend Stuart. This is a world that is rooted in kindness ...
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We’re so excited to be back next week with Season 04 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe. Join us for hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories and inspiring scripts by Stuart McLean. Here's a sneak peek... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bonus Episode: The Boy Who Went Over the Falls
48:09
48:09
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In this bonus episode you’ll hear my conversation with Roger Woodward, the boy who went over the falls. You loved hearing his remarkable story in our Niagara Falls episode (back in October 2023) and wanted to hear more. Roger and I had a great time catching up and I learned so much more about that momentous day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva…
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By popular request, for our first bonus episode of season 3, this is part II of Stuart and I in studio, back in 2011, talking - and laughing - about some of his most hilarious bloopers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Summertime - Mexican Climbing Mint & Summer of Stars
48:40
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48:40
“There is nothing like a neighbour throwing money about their garden to make you feel bad about yours.” It's summer all the way on this week’s episode. In our first story, Mary Turlington unwittingly trips off a chain of events that get heated under the summer sun. And in the second, Sam and Murphy have the summer of a lifetime in Big Narrows, Cape…
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“It was Sam’s first year in high school. And it was not going well.” Sam’s turn this week: We have a story about Sam’s first job and about finding his passion. Plus, an essay from Stuart McLean about his first jobs. Including his life-changing experience at summer camp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Stephanie - Steph’s Statistics Exam & In the Weeds
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“How bad could it be? Statistics. That’s how bad it could be.” This week, two stories about Dave and Morley’s daughter, Stephanie – Stephanie at school and at work. Jess talks about Stuart’s goals in writing those stories and what they show us about success … and failure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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“Whenever the cat is around, things seem to go wrong.” This week, Dave discovers a stowaway on the family road trip, with hilarious consequences. And Jess shares two more of Stuart McLean’s Postcards from Canada: from St John’s, NFLD in the east and Powell River, B.C. in the west. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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“Not everyone in the world is cut out to be a school janitor.” We’re full of the milk of human kindness on this week’s podcast. We play Stuart’s heartwarming interview with one of our favourite Arthur Award winners and Jess awards an Arthur of her own – to a Vinyl Cafe character! Plus, a Dave and Morley story that you may not have heard before. Hos…
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The Promise of Summer - The Man Who Punched Trees & Rosemary Honey
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54:08
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“A hive of bees is like a harvest kitchen. They gather up the summer: the heat of the sun, the warmth of the rain…” This week on the podcast, two Stuart McLean stories to whet your appetite for summer. In the first, Dave remembers an incredible woodland encounter from his youth in Cape Breton; in the second, Eugene puts Sam and Murphy on the trail …
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Bucking Bronco (aka Mother’s Day) - Sam’s Underwear & Harrison Ford’s Toes
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59:51
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“It started like a sprint. One moment you were standing still, and the next you were running as fast as you could.” Hold on tight! On today’s show, in time for Mother’s Day, two Vinyl Cafe stories about motherhood. And Jess shares a backstory about her own experiences – cue the bucking bronco! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa…
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“It says it’s one of the most wonderful tastes in the world.” It’s a gastronomical episode of the podcast today. Stuart loved writing about his favourite foods – both in fiction and non-fiction – and Jess has gathered some great examples of both for today’s show. Plus a hilariously endearing story about Sam’s first passion. Hosted on Acast. See aca…
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The Cricket - The Cricket & I Need to Pee
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“He’s not well, Stuart.” We’re going way back today with two pieces from pre-Vinyl Cafe days! One is a favourite you’ve been requesting, back from Stuart McLean’s regular appearances on Peter Gzowski’s Morningside. (Spoiler alert: You’ll see what happens when two presenters get the giggles on live radio.) Excerpt from Morningside reproduced by perm…
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The Alchemy of Audience - Dad is Dying & Odd Jobs
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57:23
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“There are only so many holes a man can cut in his own house before he is told to stop.” Today on the show, two classic Stuart McLean stories, including Odd Jobs. That’s the one where Dave tries his hand at some home renovations, with hilarious consequences. And Jess has a backstory about the magic of Vinyl Cafe audiences. Hosted on Acast. See acas…
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“I guess I figured having a fish head could come in handy.” On this week’s episode Stuart celebrates the joys of birding and the Spring bird migration. And we have two springy stories, including a favourite from the Vinyl Cafe story exchange. To submit your short, true story to the Story Exchange, send it to vinylcafe@vinylcafe.com. Hosted on Acast…
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Marriage - Dave and the Duck & Margaret Gets Married
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“There is nothing like a wedding to addle people’s minds.” Today on the pod we have two hilarious stories about marriage and proposal. In the first, Dave loses his wedding ring and fears it may have been swallowed by a duck! In the second, Dave’s mom Margaret surprises everyone by agreeing to marry again. And Jess shares her own experience of weddi…
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Seeds of Hope - The Fig Tree & Morley’s Garden
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“Eugene’s fig tree is the best-known tree in the neighbourhood.” We’re all about gardening on the podcast this week, with two Dave and Morley stories about the act of faith and hope that goes into creating a garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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“It was 4:30 in the morning and Dave was having a nightmare about something that smelled bad.” On today’s episode we have a fragrant story from way back. And Jess chats in studio with Stuart’s old friends David and Elizabeth, who share how Morley got her name—and surprise Jess with some entertaining backstories of their own! Hosted on Acast. See ac…
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“It is the best maple syrup I have ever had, said Sam.” We’re celebrating one of the wonders of spring on the pod this week: Stuart waxes lyrical about his favourite tipple, maple syrup, then tells a story about the time Dave tried to make his own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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The Wisdom of Children - Annie’s Turn & Dave and the Roller Coaster
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55:38
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“The kids were always up to something in the Narrows.” This week’s episode is all about kids and what we can learn from them. The first story relates an adventure from when Dave was a boy. In the second, Dave’s adventures continue, with a little help from his son Sam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Literary Structures - Dave’s Inferno & Labour Pains
55:23
55:23
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“By the end of the first trimester, Dave had put on 12lbs.” A surprising theme links our two stories this week. In the first, Dave has a hellish trip to the grocery store—and Jess has a backstory about what shopping with Stuart was really like. Our second story takes us back to the early days of Dave and Morley’s relationship, when Morley is pregna…
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Trapped - Rat-a-tat-tat & Dave Buys a Coffin
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"He was about to climb in—just for a second, just to see…" Poor Dave gets himself into some tight situations in both this week’s stories. And Jess explores the snapshots of detail that enrich them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Glide - The Greatest Hockey Game Ever Played
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55:03
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“'They tried to stop us,' says the old man. 'But we kept playing.'” More about the joy of winter sports on this week’s pod. Including Stuart’s ode to skating from Jasper, Alberta. And a beautiful Big Narrows story about a memorable game of hockey from long ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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“It was the greatest skate of her life.” Love is in the air today on the pod, with a Dave and Morley origin story—the one about how they first met. For our second story, we’re bringing back the Vinyl Cafe Story Exchange, with one of our favourite listener love stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Occupational Hazards - Kenny Wong and the Tank of Tranquility & Tree Planting
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43:54
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“The secret to planting more trees, is to plant more trees.” We have two hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories for you on today’s pod. Stories of things that happen at work. In the first, Kenny helps Dave out with something at the store. In our second story, Steph experiences a summer job like no other. And Jess digs into the research process behind the sto…
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Stories Ahead of Their Time - Toilet Training the Cat & Dave Versus the Flu
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"Galway began flushing the toilet again in the autumn…" This week, two Dave and Morley stories that, in hindsight, seem strangely prescient. In the first, a fan favourite, Dave decides to teach Galway the cat a new skill. The second is a story that we haven’t felt comfortable playing in a long time. Jess explains why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com…
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Analog Dave - The Phone Message & The Razor’s Edge
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59:40
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"It began simply enough. It began with a phone call." On today’s episode, two stories about technical difficulties. In our first story, Dave attempts an inventive solution to an ill-considered phone message left for the Turlingtons. In our second, an electric razor causes him problems at the airport. And Jess shares some stories about Stuart’s habi…
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I resolve to organize upstairs. Welcome back for Season 3 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! We’re embracing the spirit of the New Year with a show all about resolutions and lists and getting things done. We start with an essay about Stuart’s fraught relationship with his to do list. And Jess has a backstory about her own relationship to lists and res…
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A New Year = A New Season of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! So join us next week for Episode 1. Hilarious stories by Stuart McLean. Entertaining backstories and more by host Jess Milton. Here's a sneak peek... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A Perfect, Imperfect Christmas - Christmas at the Turlingtons’ & Christmas on the Road
1:03:57
1:03:57
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“Family and friends, they sure mess up our lives…” For our final episode of this season, two classic Vinyl Cafe Christmas stories by Stuart McLean. Dave tries to make himself useful at Mary Turlington’s festive dinner party, with disastrous consequences. In our second story, the family experiences a very different kind of Christmas, special in its …
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May Contain Gravel - Rashida & Amir and the Great Gift-Giving & Polly Anderson’s Christmas Party
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“Come and get me, copper!” We’ve got to know Dave and Morley’s neighbours well over the years. This week, two stories about the neighbourhood at Christmas. Holiday gift-giving gets a bit out of hand in our first story, while a punchbowl mix-up livens up the party (for some) in our second. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Christmas Presents - Christmas Presents & Christmas in the Narrows
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49:50
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“I was thinking it would be fun if we made presents for each other this year” What’s the best gift you have ever received? On today’s podcast, Jess shares the surprising truth about her favourite gift, ever. Accompanied by two hilarious Dave and Morley stories about Christmas gifts and gift-giving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in…
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The Turkey Story - Dave Cooks the Turkey & Dave on the Roof
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38:14
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38:14
“Did you take the turkey out of the freezer?” Today is the day Dave Cooks the Turkey! Jess tells us why it gives her such pleasure to say those words on the pod today and plays the beloved turkey story that has become a Christmas tradition for so many. Also on today’s episode more of Dave’s festive shenanigans – in another hilarious story from the …
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“Jim never had any intention of having any pets at all” To be fair to the other household critters (and no, we’re not talking about headlice again!), last week was dogs, so today we have a story about cats. One of our favourite characters, Jim Scoffield, finds a new friend while caring for his cat Molly. And Jess gets into some of the practical and…
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Doggone It! - Stanley & Arthur Takes the Cake
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40:08
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“You know how loud he snores? Ninety decibels. That’s the equivalent of sleeping beside a pneumatic drill.” This week, two stories about dogs. Oh how we love them! Even if, like Stanley, they snore and have – um – “digestive problems”, or if, like Arthur, they add a whole new level of challenge to Dave and Morley’s important dinner party. Jess shar…
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“There’s something about the ghosts who live in the house where you live. Some kind of an inexpressible pull between the people who have lived and loved under the same roof as you have.” Today, a Dave and Morley story that is seldom heard: a story about place, about history, and about remembering and sharing those histories with the next generation…
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Finding Beauty - Dave and Tommy & Murphy Kruger, Philatelist
58:33
58:33
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“Our daughter is living with a man who takes pictures of roadkill!” We’re dealing with difficult and weighty matters on this week’s episode. Yes, this week is all about art and beauty. Dave is slightly perturbed and not a little afraid to receive an invite to an art exhibit about roadkill. The artist is his daughter’s boyfriend, Tommy. And Jess sha…
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“Let me state the case for Hallowe’en” The nights are getting longer, the air is getting colder, so this week on the pod, two stories about the season and about finding light in the darkness. In Halloween, Steph learns to trust her instincts (while Dave learns that a painted watermelon will never be a satisfactory replacement for a pumpkin); and in…
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“He was eye level with the falls…” This week on the show, something different. We’re playing one of Stuart McLean’s most requested stories and you might be surprised to hear it is not a Dave and Morley story. This week: the amazing and moving story of Roger Woodward, the boy who went over Niagara Falls. We play new music (that’s right – music!) by …
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The Truth is Stranger than Fiction - Shirts & Dave Crosses the Border
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50:29
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“That afternoon, in his first true act of citizenship, Dave wore five lacy bras across the border.” On today’s episode, Stuart tells two hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories about Dave’s encounters with deception. One of the stories ‘Shirts’, is an old one you may not have heard in a long time – but it is worth the wait! Dave’s favourite shirt goes missing…
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“When Stuart stepped off his bus and waved goodbye, he thought to himself: 'This guy deserves an award.'” Back by popular demand: it’s the Arthur Awards! You asked, we listened; so today on the pod, we’re delighted to share two of our favourite Arthur Award interviews of all time. Plus we’re reopening the polls for next year’s Arthurs, so start thi…
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The Beat and the Backbeat - The Lost Chords
32:35
32:35
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“Dave thought, 'It will never get any better than this. Some people have God, and some people have money, and some people don’t have anything at all. I have this. I have the beat and the back beat.'” This week, a story that captures the joy of live music and performance. Jess reminisces about two amazing experiences on tour with Stuart and the Viny…
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We May Not Be Big, But We're Small - World's Smallest Record Store
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32:55
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“He had, intentionally, set his bar low. Really low. And now someone was telling him he wasn’t even big enough to be small.” Today’s episode turns out to be a bit of an ode to record stores. Jess talks about her experience working at the record store Sam the Record Man and in our story, World’s Smallest Record Store, Dave’s young employee teaches h…
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Back to School - School Lunch & Best Things
48:35
48:35
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“Just one day, she wanted one of them to come home and say ‘Gee, lunch was good.’” On today’s episode, two stories about back to school: first a hilarious (and occasionally gross) account of a school lunch bag; then, in Best Things, a story from when Stephanie starts university and meets her boyfriend Tommy for the first time. And longtime Vinyl Ca…
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There's Something About Mary - Mary Turlington has Lice & Defibrillator
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56:31
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"The best time to share bad news is almost always never.” Welcome back to Season Two of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! We’re thrilled to be back and ready to kick off the new season with two Stuart McLean stories about Dave’s neighbourhood nemesis: the indefatigable Mary Turlington. This week Stuart tells two barn burners about Mary. First up, hypoch…
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Charge your AirPods. Get your dog ready for her walk. Because we’re back next week with Season 02 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe. Join us for a new season of hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories and back stories. Here's a sneak peek... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bonus Episode: The Long Suffering Story Editor
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28:42
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If you’ve listened to the podcast you’ve heard me talk about Stuart’s Long Suffering Story Editor, Meg Masters. I welcomed Meg into the Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe podcast studio for a chat recently and asked her the questions on all our minds: Why did Stuart call you Long Suffering? And just how badly did you suffer? So, on today’s bonus episode: …
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Bonus Episode: Postcards from Canada - Nelson & Danceland
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In today’s bonus episode, two Postcards from Canada. When people think about the Vinyl Cafe, they often think about the concerts we did across Canada, in big towns and small. Stuart opened many of those concerts with an essay about the place and over the years it has added up to quite a collection. Here are two of our favourite ‘postcards’: one fro…
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Something special for you for our first bonus episode. From one of my absolute favourite Vinyl Cafe radio shows, from 2011, this is Stuart and I in studio talking about bloopers! We laughed so hard recording this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Summer - A Letter from Camp & The Waterslide
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"This waterslide was the waterslide to end all waterslides” We are taking a break over the summer, so in honour of our final episode of Season 1 we’ve got two Vinyl Cafe stories for you about summer. If you listen carefully you’ll hear something unusual in the first, A Letter from Camp, when Stuart inserts a personal story from his own days at his …
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Is Everybody Here? - Field Trip & A Trip to Quebec
1:04:15
1:04:15
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“The Pensionne du Quebec was lit up like a party ship” Sam is apprehensive about Dave signing up to escort the school field trip to the art gallery. You’ll understand why. On this week’s episode, laugh along with audiences from across Canada with two stories about Sam’s school trips: Field Trip is one from the early days, while in A Trip to Quebec,…
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