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| 'I promised my father the world would hear our song' | 'I promised my father the world would hear our song' |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Karen Teasdale-Robson was always close to her father Brian Teasdale | Karen Teasdale-Robson was always close to her father Brian Teasdale |
| Nearly 60 years ago, when Karen Teasdale-Robson was just nine months old, her father wrote her a lullaby. | Nearly 60 years ago, when Karen Teasdale-Robson was just nine months old, her father wrote her a lullaby. |
| In a family burdened by violence, Brian Teasdale looked after her and sang Little Girl whenever she was sad. | In a family burdened by violence, Brian Teasdale looked after her and sang Little Girl whenever she was sad. |
| But, his daughter says, she thought she would never hear him sing again when an assault by his own son left him with brain damage. | |
| Brian Teasdale, left, wrote poetry and music throughout his daughter's childhood | Brian Teasdale, left, wrote poetry and music throughout his daughter's childhood |
| Life at home was not always easy, says Mrs Teasdale-Robson, who now lives in Newcastle. | Life at home was not always easy, says Mrs Teasdale-Robson, who now lives in Newcastle. |
| Her mother and brother had mental health problems and she says she and her father were on the receiving end of violence from them both. | Her mother and brother had mental health problems and she says she and her father were on the receiving end of violence from them both. |
| "My dad was the only loving person in my life then," she says. "He got me out of the house and took me out for walks away from the nastiness. | "My dad was the only loving person in my life then," she says. "He got me out of the house and took me out for walks away from the nastiness. |
| "I think he was bewildered by my mam's aggression. He tried to keep me out of it and make sure I felt loved." | "I think he was bewildered by my mam's aggression. He tried to keep me out of it and make sure I felt loved." |
| Mrs Teasdale-Robson believes her father worried his wife would get custody if the couple split up and so stayed for his daughter. | Mrs Teasdale-Robson believes her father worried his wife would get custody if the couple split up and so stayed for his daughter. |
| "Our whole lives were spent trying not to upset her," she says. | "Our whole lives were spent trying not to upset her," she says. |
| Mrs Teasdale-Robson says her father faced domestic violence at the hands of her mother, Isobel | Mrs Teasdale-Robson says her father faced domestic violence at the hands of her mother, Isobel |
| Mr Teasdale was endlessly creative, winning a poetry competition when he was eight and learning to play the guitar and "constantly" writing music, his daughter says. | Mr Teasdale was endlessly creative, winning a poetry competition when he was eight and learning to play the guitar and "constantly" writing music, his daughter says. |
| "He even wrote a song in memory of John Lennon after he died and sent a copy on vinyl to Yoko Ono." | "He even wrote a song in memory of John Lennon after he died and sent a copy on vinyl to Yoko Ono." |
| He did everything for his daughter when she was young because his wife was not well, she says, and it was during this time he wrote Little Girl. | He did everything for his daughter when she was young because his wife was not well, she says, and it was during this time he wrote Little Girl. |
| "He used to sing it to me and say 'this is your song, Karen'." | "He used to sing it to me and say 'this is your song, Karen'." |
| But, in October 2011, everything changed. | But, in October 2011, everything changed. |
| "My dad was assaulted one final time by my brother," Mrs Teasdale-Robson says. "He left my dad with a serious brain injury." | "My dad was assaulted one final time by my brother," Mrs Teasdale-Robson says. "He left my dad with a serious brain injury." |
| Her father lost the ability to communicate beyond one or two words at a time and could no longer write. | Her father lost the ability to communicate beyond one or two words at a time and could no longer write. |
| "He went from being a man who was a master of words - a man of intellect - to me teaching him to speak," she says. | "He went from being a man who was a master of words - a man of intellect - to me teaching him to speak," she says. |
| Brian Teasdale was a devoted grandfather to his daughter's twin sons | Brian Teasdale was a devoted grandfather to his daughter's twin sons |
| "They said it could take years to establish what capacity he had left but I knew he was in there somewhere," Mrs Teasdale-Robson says. "So I recited one of his poems. | "They said it could take years to establish what capacity he had left but I knew he was in there somewhere," Mrs Teasdale-Robson says. "So I recited one of his poems. |
| "My dad couldn't say a word, but he made sounds along with the meter of the poem. The neuropsychologist said she got goosebumps." | "My dad couldn't say a word, but he made sounds along with the meter of the poem. The neuropsychologist said she got goosebumps." |
| She bought children's books and read to her father every day. | She bought children's books and read to her father every day. |
| "The day he said my name that December was the greatest Christmas gift I ever got," she says. | "The day he said my name that December was the greatest Christmas gift I ever got," she says. |
| Mr Teasdale's grandsons would visit him at Chase Park brain injury unit | Mr Teasdale's grandsons would visit him at Chase Park brain injury unit |
| In 2012, Mr Teasdale was moved to a specialist residential brain injury unit, Chase Park, in Whickham, where his daughter visited him every day. | In 2012, Mr Teasdale was moved to a specialist residential brain injury unit, Chase Park, in Whickham, where his daughter visited him every day. |
| "He would say things like 'don't forget me' and 'I used to be clever'. It broke my heart," she says. | "He would say things like 'don't forget me' and 'I used to be clever'. It broke my heart," she says. |
| "I knew what it would do to him, not being able to write. The thought of his work being lost. I promised him there and then that I'd get his work seen." | "I knew what it would do to him, not being able to write. The thought of his work being lost. I promised him there and then that I'd get his work seen." |
| When, in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, Chase Park warned Mrs Teasdale-Robson her father did not have long left to live, she "panicked at the thought of him dying with people not knowing how talented he was". | When, in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, Chase Park warned Mrs Teasdale-Robson her father did not have long left to live, she "panicked at the thought of him dying with people not knowing how talented he was". |
| After her father's death, Mrs Teasdale-Robson discovered the original sheet music for Little Girl and a single he recorded to commemorate John Lennon's life | After her father's death, Mrs Teasdale-Robson discovered the original sheet music for Little Girl and a single he recorded to commemorate John Lennon's life |
| Not long afterwards, she was looking through an old briefcase when she came across an ageing, brown reel-to-reel tape-recording of her lullaby. A shop in the city put it on CD for her and she says it was "unbelievable to hear him singing again". | |
| But the recording had deteriorated and her beloved song was crackly and distorted. | But the recording had deteriorated and her beloved song was crackly and distorted. |
| She turned to BBC Radio Newcastle for help and her appeal reached one of the lecturers in Sunderland College's music department. | She turned to BBC Radio Newcastle for help and her appeal reached one of the lecturers in Sunderland College's music department. |
| Tony Wilson says when he played the recording to his students, they immediately wanted to re-record it. | |
| "The entire room was stunned by the sheer beauty of it," he says. | "The entire room was stunned by the sheer beauty of it," he says. |
| "It struck me immediately as being up there with those old classics from the American Songbook. It had a real quality of something like Somewhere Over the Rainbow or Blue Moon." | "It struck me immediately as being up there with those old classics from the American Songbook. It had a real quality of something like Somewhere Over the Rainbow or Blue Moon." |
| Music students at Sunderland College re-recorded Brian's song | Music students at Sunderland College re-recorded Brian's song |
| When Mrs Teasdale-Robson heard the new version she "couldn't stop crying", she says. | When Mrs Teasdale-Robson heard the new version she "couldn't stop crying", she says. |
| "I'd promised my dad I'd make sure people knew how talented he was and now here they were, texting in to say they loved his music." | "I'd promised my dad I'd make sure people knew how talented he was and now here they were, texting in to say they loved his music." |
| Still unable to visit her father in person because of Covid restrictions, she had to resort to asking his family liaison worker to play him the song over a video link. | Still unable to visit her father in person because of Covid restrictions, she had to resort to asking his family liaison worker to play him the song over a video link. |
| "He was pretty much non-verbal by that point but, when he heard that, he pointed at himself as if to say 'that's mine' and was miming the words," she says. | "He was pretty much non-verbal by that point but, when he heard that, he pointed at himself as if to say 'that's mine' and was miming the words," she says. |
| "It was an unbelievable moment. He knew I'd kept my promise." | "It was an unbelievable moment. He knew I'd kept my promise." |
| Listen: How BBC Radio Newcastle listeners brought my father's lullaby back to life | Listen: How BBC Radio Newcastle listeners brought my father's lullaby back to life |
| A few months later, in May 2022 and just after his 90th birthday, Mr Teasdale died. | A few months later, in May 2022 and just after his 90th birthday, Mr Teasdale died. |
| "I know people hearing his song was his dream come true," his daughter says. | "I know people hearing his song was his dream come true," his daughter says. |
| "But I still had this feeling there was more to do. We'd spoken about maybe one day putting the song into a teddy bear." | "But I still had this feeling there was more to do. We'd spoken about maybe one day putting the song into a teddy bear." |
| Not knowing where to start, she approached business advisor Brenda Wilson at Project North East who said Little Girl was "so beautiful, I had goosebumps when I heard it". | Not knowing where to start, she approached business advisor Brenda Wilson at Project North East who said Little Girl was "so beautiful, I had goosebumps when I heard it". |
| Now, two years later, Mrs Teasdale-Robson has her own business and 600 "Teasdale Teddies" to sell which play her father's song. | Now, two years later, Mrs Teasdale-Robson has her own business and 600 "Teasdale Teddies" to sell which play her father's song. |
| The teddies designed by Mrs Teasdale-Robson play her father's lullaby | The teddies designed by Mrs Teasdale-Robson play her father's lullaby |
| "All I was left when my dad died was the song," Mrs Teasdale-Robson says. "It's all I have of him. | "All I was left when my dad died was the song," Mrs Teasdale-Robson says. "It's all I have of him. |
| "If I can get this business to work, then I want to use the song and my dad's story to raise awareness of domestic violence towards men." | "If I can get this business to work, then I want to use the song and my dad's story to raise awareness of domestic violence towards men." |
| She hopes the lullaby could mean as much to complete strangers as it does to her. | She hopes the lullaby could mean as much to complete strangers as it does to her. |
| "So many people have heard the song, loved it, and then played a part in getting this idea off the ground," she says. | "So many people have heard the song, loved it, and then played a part in getting this idea off the ground," she says. |
| "I'd never have thought finding that old tape would lead us here." | "I'd never have thought finding that old tape would lead us here." |
| If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can access support on BBC Action Line | If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can access support on BBC Action Line |
| Follow BBC North East on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC North East on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. |