4.6 • 814 Ratings
🗓️ 29 September 2025
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Vamarr Hunter always felt a special bond with the owner of his favourite local bakery — but never imagined she could be his long-lost birth mother.
Vamarr loved to visit the bakery in his home neighbourhood in Chicago, enjoying the cakes, pies and cookies, but also the warm company of the owner, Lenore Lindsey.
Vamarr had had a tricky time growing up, and only discovered he was adopted when he was in his thirties. Initially he had no interest in searching for his birth mother, but years later a TV programme inspired him to start the hunt. He eventually got some help from a genealogy expert, who made an amazing discovery: his birth mother lived just a few blocks away.
Vamarr and his birth mother agreed to speak on the phone — but this was when things got truly extraordinary. Vamarr couldn't work out why the much-anticipated phone call was coming from his local bakery, and why he recognised the voice on the other end. It took a few seconds for Lenore and Vamarr to realise that they were mother and son — finally reunited after 48 years — and that they'd already known each for many years.
They instantly became very close, and Vamarr started coming round to the bakery after work to spend time with Lenore. He began helping out with some of the baking, and, after Lenore's health made it difficult for her to keep managing the bakery, took over running it for her. Vamarr discovered that he loves baking just as much as Lenore does.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Rebecca Vincent
Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Got a story to tell? Send an email to [email protected] or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | It's International Podcasts. |
| 0:09.5 | To celebrate, there's plenty to get stuck into on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:13.6 | From True Crying podcasts. |
| 0:15.2 | Hello, welcome to Murder They Rose. |
| 0:17.6 | To love stories. |
| 0:18.9 | Join me, Ryland, on How to be in love and from sport welcome to the way |
| 0:23.6 | new new show to music oh hello hello welcome to sidetracks and there's even more where that came from |
| 0:30.7 | discover your new favorite podcasts listen on BBC sounds it is a grandma's southern kitchen. |
| 0:39.9 | It is... |
| 0:40.5 | The baked goods are kind of like, you know, this is how your grandmother made it. |
| 0:45.0 | It's not like a cookie cutter, foo, fancy bakery place. |
| 0:50.0 | It is a down-home southern, man, I know this was made with butterplace. |
| 0:54.9 | Right, like when you walk in here, when you walk in here, you're going to smell the butter. |
| 0:59.3 | You know, even got the old school stove in here. |
| 1:01.9 | Lenore Lindsay and her son, Vermeer Hunter's enthusiasm for the kitchen is something to behold. |
| 1:08.7 | It's about cake, pastries and cookies, sure it is. |
| 1:12.4 | But more so, it's about a feeling, a feeling nurtured in their neighborhood bakery in South Shore, Chicago. |
| 1:20.7 | Verma is the boss now as Lenore's officially retired, but she still keeps an eye on everything. |
| 1:27.4 | This is our mess. It's a mess. Yeah, because you were baking. retired, but she still keeps an eye on everything. |
| 1:29.1 | This is our mess. |
| 1:29.8 | It's a mess. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.