Gareth's Story

“I only became a Calibre member in the last few months, after a friend recommended the service. Previously, I’d used commercial services such as Audible, but it can work out very expensive and those services don’t always have the same range of titles available.

“I’ve been partially sighted from birth, but my sight’s got worse as I’ve got older. At school, I could read enlarged print. Now I rely on being able to increase the font size on tablets and, if I can, changing the background to black. This is ideal for any reading I need to do in my job as a radio presenter, but it’s no fun for reading the novels or autobiographies I’ve always enjoyed.

“I probably only listen to about 30 minutes of an audiobook each day, but it’s part of my daily routine and it’s important to me. One of my favourite authors is Sue Townsend; I love her Diary of Adrian Mole series!

“I like the fact that Calibre offers a wider range of titles than most other audiobook services, thanks in part to the volunteer narrators who complement the commercially recorded catalogue.

“About two years ago, I had a stroke. I was fortunate in that it didn’t have any long-term impact on my speech or mobility. But it’s left me with much less energy. I had to switch from the breakfast radio show to an afternoon show, to allow myself more time to get going in the mornings. Depending on the sort of day I’m having, I like that I can mix things up with my reading and listen to an old favourite or a new biography, all through the Calibre app on my phone.”