TALKING MATTERS WITH NICK HALKES

The final episode of this series covers multiple thought provoking areas. Oggi Tomic was abandoned as an infant with a potentially fatal health condition and spent his childhood in multiple orphanages during the Balkan civil war. After rebuilding his life in the UK, Oggi went on to become a double BAFTA-winning filmmaker, also receiving the BHFF NYC Award for his acclaimed documentary Finding Fami...

As Britpop exploded and Oasis became the talk of the town for the first time ,life was pretty good for Simon Mason who found himself moving in interesting and dynamic circles – whether backstage, on stage or at the after party. As time went by however he spiralled into crack and heroin addiction, he became homeless and hit rock bottom in the searing heat of Spain fearing that he was about to be mu...

From life as a successful globe trotting DJ/producer to bankruptcy and an incurable disease diagnosis Mark Wilkinson has certainly experienced some highs and lows. From rock bottom he embarked on a journey that would see him evolve into a very different phase as a life coach ,author ( do check out his Life Remixed ,Money Remixed and Personalities Remixed publications) and motivational speaker. We...

In our last episode I talked to someone who unexpectedly found themselves in a very challenging and life threatening physical environment. This time I talk to a record breaking and globe trotting explorer who has put himself in extreme environments by choice and dealt with more than one alarming set of circumstances. Whether it’s dealing with running out of food in the arctic ,getting robbed at gu...

Following some glamorous and colourful experiences working in the aviation industry Viv Bird and her fellow crew members experienced an air crash and 22 hours in freezing temperatures surrounded by icy tundra before they were rescued by the military. Viv's attitude to life surely helped her to cope with such a dramatic turn of events and perhaps there may be some useful aspects of this enjoyable c...

With significant experience working in some of the worlds most challenging war zones Paul Conroy has documented important stories with skill and bravery. His book 'Under the Wire' is a compelling read and the 2018 film 'A Private War' shines a light on his incredible work with the esteemed journalist Marie Colvin. In this conversation he recounts his dramatic escape from the besieged Syrian city o...

I found Jason Ardays story particularly inspiring. Unable to speak til he was 11, unable to read or write til 18 years of age, Jason was not a prime candidate for the extraordinary life which he has lived. Jason has enjoyed an amazing career in academia , currently holding the role of Professor of Sociology of Education at Cambridge University .As if that wasn’t enough he also tells us how h...

For some years Gian Power has been doing great work with his TLC Lions initiative who are on a mission to transform workplaces globally through the power of storytelling. His work around the areas of mental health is impressive and in 2019 he was the winner of the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Before that however he experienced the anguish of his father going missing in India before b...