Father + Daughter in the Belfast Telegraph

Last month myself and my Dad, Tony were interviewed by Belfast Telegraph. The theme of the article was 'personalities and their special family relationships in their lives'. We had such fun answering questions about each other and I wanted to share it here on my blog. 

Have a read!

Graduation July 2015

"Belfast dad and film-maker daughter share the special relationships in their lives

Veteran peace campaigner Tony Macaulay, from the Shankill area of Belfast, is author of the popular memoirs Paperboy, Breadboy and All Growed Up. He has two daughters with wife Lesley - Beth (21), a freelance film-maker, and Hope (19)."

Tony Macaulay, Author and peace campaigner

How did you feel when Beth was born?

The day that Beth was born was the happiest day of my life. It was a few days before Christmas and I remember feeling thankful for the most precious Christmas gift I had ever received. When I held her in my hands in the first few seconds of her life, I felt a deeper love than I had ever experienced before. I also felt a huge responsibility to keep her safe and to be the best father I could be.

What was she like as a young girl?

Beth had blonde curly hair and a gentle, sweet personality as a girl. She was almost perfect - between tantrums. She was shy and a little unsure of herself at times, so it's been wonderful to watch her grow into a sociable, level-headed and confident young woman.

Where did you raise your kids?

When she was a baby, we lived in Antrim. We moved to Magherafelt when she was two years old and then to Portstewart when she was 11. Beth found this move really hard as she didn't want to leave her friends behind. I felt guilty for uprooting the children, but they're grateful today, as the north coast has been a great place to grow up.

How was their upbringing compared to your own?

Beth never had the experience of having to go without, and thankfully she hasn't experienced the fear and heartache of growing up in the midst of a bitter sectarian conflict. She attended integrated schools from the age of four to 18 and, as a result, the old prejudices that I grew up with are completely absent in her. She has friends of all backgrounds and a lovely respect and appreciation for people who are different.

Is Beth your eldest/youngest? What is her relationship like with your other kid(s)?

When Beth and Hope were younger, there was the usual sibling rivalry and I had to do a fair amount of peace building in my own house. But at ages eight and 11, they became very close. Hope now has her own fashion channel on YouTube and Beth has filmed some of the videos. She made a film about Hope entitled 'Portrait of a YouTuber', which won a slot on BBC3 Fresh. 

When you began to write and over time become very successul, how did Beth react? Initially, Beth was pretty nonplussed about my writing. She would say, 'It's just dad going on about the olden days again'. Now, though, she comes to some of my book readings and has been with me on a few trips. She even made a film about my writing entitled 'The Books of a Belfast Boy'.

My latest book, 'All Growed Up', includes the story of how I fell in love with 'lovely Lesley from up the country'. When the book was published, I gave Beth a signed copy with the message 'How I Met Your Mother'.

Beth Macaulay, Freelance videographer

What is your earliest memory of your dad?

My first memory of my dad is of him standing beside me as we watched my mum come into the hospital room holding my newborn sister Hope. I was 2 and a half years old. 

What were you like as a teenager - and how did you dad react?

I wasn’t the stereotypical teenager who rebelled a lot. I did have the odd teenage strop but I was a very hard worker throughout my teenage years. I was very motivated to do my best in my schoolwork. This trait definitely came from my parents.

What do you feel about his literary career?

I am very proud of Dad for following his childhood dream of writing a book. Every time I’m near a bookstore, I always go on a mission to find his books and push them to the front of the bookshelf. I was recently working on a film crew in Derry\Londonderry and on my break I went into a book shop and proudly showed my fellow workmates where my dad books were sitting.

He travels an awful lot these days. Have you gone anywhere with him, and if so, what was your highlight and why?

I went to Edinburgh with my dad as he was reading at Edinburgh Book Fringe. I share his love for traveling and seeing new places. I also traveled to America where he spoke at Camp Friedenswald, Michigan and Le Heigh University in Bethlehem PA. This encouraged me a few years later to return to America and volunteer as summer staff at Camp.

What is your relationship like with your siblings and mum?

When do you all come together?

I have a younger sister Hope, who is also my best friend. She is currently studying Fashion and Textiles at University for Creative Arts. I always get excited to see her when she comes home for the holidays. My relationship with my mum is also very strong. She is a very supportive, positive role model in my life and she also has a great fashion sense!

What pastimes, cultural offerings etc bring you together. Your dad, for example, is a well-known Dr Who fan. Do you share that obsession?

YES! Where do I begin? I grew up with Doctor Who. As a child Dad would play the old black and white Doctor Who episodes in the living room and he taught me all about the different monsters and planets. Every year for Christmas, Dad buys me the latest Doctor Who DVD boxsets and this tradition has continued for the past 11 years, which also means I have 11 boxsets sitting in my bedroom. Every Saturday night we watch it as a family. We’ve been so many exhibitions together and also won tickets to attend the 50^th Anniversary in London.

What drew you toward filmmaking?

Doctor Who actually. As I have mentioned every Saturday as a family we watch Doctor Who and there used to be a programme on after called Doctor Who Confidential, which showed behind the scenes footage of how each episode was made. The directors, cameras and special effects always amazed me and after every episode I would say ‘I want to do that someday!’. 

What do you hope for your dad in the future?

I hope that one of my Dads book gets the opportunity to be made into a film as then we could collaborate on it together. 

Belfast Telegraph online article: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features

Thanks Belly Telly!

Beth