Singer O'Donnell replaces records lost in house fire

For most families, it is the little things that make a house feel like home, like a favourite record or something kept from childhood.

For Carol Squires and her family, those mementoes were among the things destroyed when fire swept through their home on Gorleston Road in Warstock, Birmingham.

They would never have imagined, as they catalogued their losses, that Irish superstar singer Daniel O'Donnell would step in to help.

The blaze on 13 August ruined six homes in Warstock and affected dozens of gardens.

Squires had grown up in the council property, where her 70-year-old father, William Lloyd, was living when the fire broke out.

He was evacuated from the house with the family dog, Annie.

"It felt like a horror movie... from what one of the neighbours said, within six minutes it burnt through the houses," Squires said.

The house, which had been part of the family's life for about 30 years, was left an empty shell, its windows charred and its roof collapsed.

But it was not simply a home the family had lost, but decades of memories.

A rhubarb plant given to Squires 48 years ago by her grandad was among items destroyed.

There were childhood treasures too, including a primary school Christmas angel.

"Bits and bobs of a life of five children, and that's what mum used to save, she would find found it hard to throw stuff," Squires said.

The fire also laid waste to items which had belonged to her late mother, who collected Kinder egg toys, gnomes and garden decorations.

Her sister Rachel Lloyd said: "Losing mum and then the house where she lived happily with the family within two years, it just still seems surreal."

Their mother's music collection had gone too, including vinyl records and CDs.

"She loved Elvis Presley and Daniel O'Donnell, so for her birthday we always bought CDs," Squires explained.

Among the songs that had meant something to the family was The Old Rugged Cross, covered by O'Donnell.

After hearing about what had happened, BBC Radio WM organised a video message for the family from the veteran Irish singer, who has sold more than ten million albums.

In the message he expressed his sympathy and offered signed replacements.

"I was sorry to hear of the traumatic experience you had recently with your house burning to the ground, and I hope that you're doing okay," he said.

The siblings said their father would "love" the gesture and they would cherish the replacement records.

"Even though she'd passed away over a year ago, he wouldn't touch [her things]. It was his wife, and he got memories, that's why he kept them," Squires said.

It brought back a small part of something they thought they had lost forever.

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