At first, Charlie didn’t want to move to Greystones. Two years later, he says it feels like home.
In this episode of Voices of Greystones, Terry meets Charlie Hess, the youngest guest on the series so far. Born in Germany, Charlie spent his first ten years in Berlin before moving to Greystones with his family.
Leaving Berlin meant leaving behind friends, a school where he knew everyone, and a basketball team he loved. Arriving in a new place where he knew nobody wasn’t easy. But Charlie began making friends, found a new team and gradually settled into life in Greystones.
Basketball is a big part of his story. Charlie first discovered the game after watching Space Jam, went on to play for Alba Berlin, and later joined the Greystones Sharks. He talks about the differences between playing in Berlin and Ireland, the coaches who have helped him improve, and what it was like for the Sharks to reach a league final at the National Basketball Arena.
There’s plenty more to the conversation, too: what Charlie misses about Berlin, the move into secondary school, sea swimming, and what he enjoys most about Greystones — its people, the sea and its atmosphere.
It’s an honest, easy-going conversation about growing up, finding your people, and discovering that somewhere new can become home.
🎙️ Voices of Greystones, hosted by Terry and produced at High Tide Studios in Greystones, County Wicklow.
Every stone has a story. What’s yours?
Have a story of your own to share?
https://hightidestudios.ie/voices
00:00 – Welcome to Voices of Greystones
00:33 – Charlie’s story: Germany to Greystones
01:26 – Sea swimming and basketball
02:12 – Discovering basketball through Space Jam
02:51 – Playing for Alba Berlin
03:20 – Basketball training in Berlin and Ireland
05:18 – Friends, teammates and leaving Berlin
06:47 – Moving to Greystones at ten
07:35 – Starting again without knowing anyone
08:32 – What Charlie misses about Berlin
09:23 – School in Ireland and starting secondary
10:36 – Finding his feet in Greystones
11:45 – Joining the Greystones Sharks
12:35 – Reaching the league final
14:58 – The coaches who make a difference
15:36 – When Greystones starts to feel normal
16:10 – What Charlie loves about Greystones
17:00 – What would he change for young people?
18:05 – Is Greystones home now?
18:22 – Outro and sharing your story
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