From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Bob Carlson, and this is Unfictional.

Unfictional is KCRW's program of stories and original documentaries. It's a part of KCRW's program of Stories and Original Documentaries.

It's a part of KCRW's Independent Producer Project.

And today on the program, looking through his grandparents old audio tapes and photographs, a man delves into the history of his grandparents'

life as massively popular mind readers on the radio.

It's a story from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about family secrets, illusion, and memory.

On KCRW's Unfictional, this is called Keep Them Guessing. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, we present the Pittington's.

Good evening to all, both at home and here in the number one picketly studio right in the middle of the west end of London.

When I first heard these recordings,

I remember being fascinated by the sounds of my grandparents' voices.

Just hearing them on these old tapes is pretty great.

But I was completely captivated by what they were doing on the radio

because their program on the BBC was a mind reading show. This is the voice of my grandfather

Sid. A large envelope will be taken down into the studio audience.

Each show was made up of a series of mind reading demonstrations.

My grandfather is preparing for one now.

It's all live, which is important. And he's asking the audience to place items in an envelope,

which he'll then try to transmit to my grandma in a moment.

We haven't got much time. Visualize a studio that sits over 150 people.

At the front of the room is a small stage and on it a big old-fashioned microphones with BBC

written on them. This is where my grandfather stands. He has a blackboard to one side of him and he's joined on the

stage by judges. There's a famous people. I'm delighted to be here and I can't

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