Undercurrent Stories

Would you like your audience to really absorb and remember the next presentation or speech you make?How often have you watched a presentation,  been overwhelmed with facts and figures and come away barely recalling anything about it?My guest argues that by incorporating a story into a corporate presentation for example, the audience is much more likely to stay motivated and the presentation  will leave a lasting impact.  He describes how he used 'The 12 Days of Christmas' in his end of year Finance presentation!My guest today is Jason Sinclair. Jason is  Group Finance Director for the ADS Group. (It's subsidiary runs the famous Farnborough Air Show). We discuss Jason’s very own example of the use of a bedtime story which he made up and used  to encourage his young daughters to fall asleep!  ' Weird Bob'  tells the story of a giraffe that is different from the rest of the herd. It left such an impression on his now grown up daughters, that they persuaded Jason to publish the story for other young children to enjoy! There is no doubt that the telling of stories can enhance our daily lives and those around us. I hope that you enjoy Jason’s own ‘story.'Jason's book is available below;https://www.authorhouse.com/en-gb/bookstore/bookdetails/851045-weird-bobQuestion or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

This episode features best selling and  award winning author Wendy Orr.Wendy’s many books for children have been published in 27 countries and won awards around the world. Prominent among them is Nim’s Island, which was made into the 2008 film of the same name, starring Jodie Foster; a 2013 sequel, Return to Nim’s Island, was loosely based on Wendy's book Nim at Sea.As well as discussing her books, a large part of the interview is devoted to understanding the craft of writing which will be helpful for both seasoned and novice writers.To learn more about Wendy please see link below;https://wendyorr.com/Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

Bill Cunningham, Historian and tour guide walks and talks us through the  streets of the historic county town of Oakham in Rutland, England's smallest county. Bill explains how Oakham has gained either fame or notoriety on a national scale due to its association with several prominent personalities including;Titus Oates (1649-1705), ‘the biggest liar in Christendom’,  Sir Jeffrey Hudson (1619-82), ‘the shortest knight in history’Lord Lonsdale (1857-1944), the ‘Yellow Earl’We also hear about Oakham's famous castle, it's court, (the oldest in the country) and we discover the town's macabre history which include a visit to the stocks and gallows.Join us on this live walkabout interview on a cold but bright February morning which ends by the fireside in one of the town's finest pubs!For more information please see below;Bill can be contacted @ williamcunninghammobile@gmail.comhttps://www.thestamfordtownguidedtours.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/groups/408182023445227/https://www.instagram.com/williamdavidcunningham/?hl=enQuestion or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

Today's show features the legendary Gary Moat who was best known as the drummer in the famous 1980s rock band Heavy Pettin.’  The band toured alongside Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Magnum and many more.Today Gary is the lead singer,  frontman and musical creator for rock band, Burnt out Wreck. Gary talks about his lifelong passion for music, how he started playing drums, his life in Heavy Pettin' and 'Burnt Out Wreck' the band he created in 2016.I would describe Burnt Out Wreck's music as unpretentious classic hard rock but with a raw freshness.If you haven't heard the band yet and like bands such as AC/DC  listen to the 3 albums,  'Swallow' 2017,  'This is Hell' 2019 and 2022's 'Stand and Fight.'I was introduced to the band earlier this year and it didn't take me long to get to know the songs and enjoy the cool guitar riffs and subtly clever song lyrics.Enjoy the episode!Gary's links;https://www.facebook.com/BurntOutWreckhttps://www.burntoutwreck.com/Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

In today's show we hear the inspiring story of  Rick Long. Rick was the most successful sidecar passenger in the Isle of Man TT’s history with eight victories in total.Then in 2008 at the legendary Hockenheim race track, Germany, he lost his left leg and his driver, Steve Norbury in a tragic racing accident.Following his recovery Rick tells the story of rebuilding his body, his return to racing, becoming a personal trainer and how he discovered his new found passion for competing in top level World Strongest Men competitions.It's incredible how Rick is top of his game in not just one but two extremely challenging sports. I asked Rick where he gets his determination to succeed from and if it is possible for others to learn from his example.Discover Rick's advice in this unique episode!Rick's Links;https://www.facebook.com/rick.long.37https://youtu.be/NvFr7y-KpFA ( Taking the double at the 2000TT 🏁)https://spinal-research.org/ (Rick's fundraising)https://www.acu.org.uk/ (Auto Cycle Union)Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

With it's haunting and mesmerising guitar intro many listeners will be familiar with the Thin Lizzy hit, Whisky in the Jar which reached no. 6 in the UK charts in 1973.My guest today is the legendary former lead guitarist and founding member of Thin Lizzy, Eric Bell.  As well as playing on that famous song, Eric recorded 3 albums with Thin Lizzy,  'Thin Lizzy,' ' Shades of a Blue Orphanage' and 'Vagabonds of the Western World.'In our conversation Eric talks about;1) His introduction to the guitar2) Playing in Irish Showbands3) How a chance meeting with Phil Lynott and Brian Downey led to the formation of Thin Lizzy4) How the trio wrote songs5) The story of how Whisky in the Jar was never intended to be a single!6) Reaching success and how Phil Lynott developed his enigmatic stage persona7) His career after Thin Lizzy, including playing with Jimi Hendrix's bassist Noel Redding8)The Eric Bell Trio9) Valuable lessons about performing for other musicians10) Eric's autobiography, 'Remembering'11) Songwriting  and much more.If you are a Thin Lizzy fan I hope that you will enjoy this episode and for those listeners who may not be too familiar with the band but would like to hear a captivating tale from a true gentleman and one of the worlds greatest  guitarists, this is for you. Enjoy!Eric's links;https://www.facebook.com/EricBellOfficialhttp://www.oftheedgeproductions.com/index.htmlQuestion or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

This episode of Undercurrent Stories features a conversation I had with Geoff Holt MBE.I first met Geoff in 1984 at Salisbury Spinal Treatment Centre through a mutual friend, Tim Clare.The episode is one of the most inspirational conversations that I have ever had.On 5th  September 1984 eighteen year old Geoff dived into an idyllic tropical sea and his life changed forever. A broken neck cut short a promising career as a yachtsman and left him paralysed, with his horizons reduced to an uncertain future in a wheelchair.On 5th September 2007, after a journey of 109 days and 1,445 miles, Geoff crossed the finish line in the Solent off England's south coast and reached the summit of his Personal Everest - The first quadriplegic yachtsman to sail single-handed around Great Britain!In 2007 Geoff became the first quadriplegic yachtsman to sail single handed around Great Britain.Since then Geoff has gone on to receive numerous awards, completed a sail across the Atlantic and formed Wetwheels, an organisation that takes disabled people to sea.For more information about Geoff and Wetwheels please see links below;https://geoffholt.com/https://youtu.be/1_RQqVX88M8Geoff is available as a motivational speaker.Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

This episode features Stephen Bentley, who tells the story of how as a young detective in the hot summer of  1976, he went undercover as part of a large UK national operation called Operation Julie.Under the pseudonym of 'Steve Jackson,' he describes his life as a dope smoking, hard drinking hippy with the aim of tracking down the hippies and scientists known as the 'Microdot Gang,' who produced and supplied massive quantities of LSD from their base in  Tregaron, Wales.In his rich and varied life since leaving the police, Steve describes his career as a criminal barrister and his work now as a successful author of true crime and crime fiction.Steve's links;https://www.stephenbentley.info/ IG https://www.instagram.com/author_stephen_bentley/?hl=enFcbk https://www.facebook.com/stephenbentley47/Steve's books available through this link: https://www.stephenbentley.info/books-2/Link to KM Weiland who provides help for new authors as mentioned in interview:https://www.kmweiland.com/about-k-m-weiland/Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

Are you thinking about retirement? Have you just retired? Are you already retired? This episode is for you.In today’s show I am joined by Cate Gregory. Cate spent over 20 years as a marketing professional in the corporate world and now works as a coach helping individuals reach their true potential, through her company, Attain. As well as coaching people to develop their careers, set up their own business and many other desired outcomes she also helps individuals think through and plan for their life after retirement.I really enjoyed this conversation with Cate. I share Cate's enthusiasm on how retirement opens up some truly wonderful opportunities!Cate's links;https://www.attaincoaching.co.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cate-gregoryFor more information about coaching;https://barefootcoaching.co.uk/Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

This episode  features one of Britain's greatest rock drummers, Clive Edwards. Clive is best known as a member of UFO, Wild Horses, ( Brian Robertson ex Thin Lizzy and Jimmy Bain ex Rainbow),  Back Street Crawler and many other rock acts. His drumming can be found on recordings with acts such as Phil Lynott, Pat Travers, John Cale, Lionheart, Toyah and many many others.The interview includes;The amazing story of how Clive first got into drumming from discovering his natural rhythm at school  and how he made his first drum kit by dismantling a banjo!How he developed his skill with many hours of consistent practice and how his playing was and still is, influenced by listening to a wide range of musical stylesFor any drummer listeners Clive talks through his current kit set upThe difference in approach from recording and playing liveHis latest project with Back Street CrawlerTo find out more see links below;https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085687968865https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_EdwardsTo listen;Spotify http://tiny.cc/6774vzApple http://tiny.cc/b774vzOr simply ask Alexa 'Play Undercurrent Stories'Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com