The Next Chapter by Ellie Barker

Cathy Moseley grew up in Bethnal Green in London. She describes it as a true working-class upbringing with a proper, honest work ethic. As a teenager, Cathy was the only girl working on a big city trading floor with no experience. But she rose all the way to becoming the Senior Director of Trading, a job which took her all over the world. But she wasn’t happy, so one day she left. Cathy has since...

Have you come back from holiday and thought - I really don't want to live like this any more? Did you have one of those moments when you were on the beach and thought there has to be more to life? Gill Sherwin had exactly this - she realised life wasn't working for her and her husband so they founded the Best of British Beer. Here she explains how she turned a simple thought into her reality. To l...

Joe Sims grew up in Bristol in a home which - in his words - may not have had lots of cash but was filled with love. Thanks to his passion, hard work, a brilliant teacher at school and the support of his parents - Joe has gone on be an award-winning actor. He’s now on the board of The Bristol Old Vic, has appeared in many shows including Dr Who and the BAFTA winning Broadchurch – and he now has hi...

Amanda Prowse loved reading as a child. She was very shy and used to escape with her ‘friends’ in her books. She loved the idea of writing her own stories, but when a teacher told her at the age of 7, she’d never make it as an author - she believed her. But fast forward to today and well, if that teacher could see her now. Amanda has written 40 novels as well as novellas, non-fiction books and a c...

Cha Rajakaruna is a world-renowned heart surgeon. We feel so lucky that not only does he work here in Bristol but he’s also one of our very special friends. But Cha grew up in a whole different world in Sri Lanka. He came to the UK to learn medicine and had no idea he was starting a next chapter as he was going to meet his lovely wife Kate and begin new life here. Here he talks about the importanc...

Angela Marsons loved writing as a child but never thought she could be an author – but she kept writing and began submitting to agents – encouraged by her partner Julie who would leave out a pencil and pad for her. Angela (or Angie) had no idea it would take her 25 years of rejections before she found the right place for her writing. But what a place she found. Angela is now one of our biggest sel...

Clara didn't set out with a big plan for her life, but by listening to her heart, it's taken her exactly to where she feels she's meant to be.  Clara only started practising yoga as a way of coping with her busy life when she wasn't always the best at saying 'no.' She decided to learn how to teach it all around her job as a digital creator.  A chance conversation led Clara to creating Br...

Imogen Clark says she advises her children to create their own luck - and she leads by example - by following her own heart Imogen has done exactly that in her own life.   First she became a solicitor in Leeds, a job she loved, but left when she had her children. One day she had a dream about writing a novel – so she had a go, but had no idea where this would take her. Today she wri...

Farrah Storr has not only been the editor of Elle Magazine, she’s also been the editor of Cosmopolitan as well as launching Women's Health magazine too. She was listed as one of the 1,000 most powerful people in the UK in 2017 plus she’s won numerous awards including Editor of the Year. And now she’s changing the way we consume our media – as Head of writing partnerships at Substack. Farrah has al...

Tracy worked as a cancer nurse for 25 years - specialising in breast cancer and later becoming a Macmillan nurse. It’s safe to say Tracy has seen first hand how precious life is – and has spent many years with women and families at their most difficult times. But then Tracy had to make her own difficult decision to leave the job she loved and move back to Cornwall. It was as she navigated thi...

Today I’m going to share part of an episode which has had a big impact on many of my listeners. If you ever watched 60 minute makeover with Peter André you may remember a lovely carpet fitter called Dave Wilson. But what viewers didn’t see was Dave was hiding a drinking problem which had become out of control and was at one stage drinking a bottle of vodka a night. Today he is a Sobrietry Coa...

Mamma Mia! Here we go again! I'm so,so sorry but how can I resist this.  I love all my Next Chapter conversations but this is one which resonated with me such a lot - I thought I would share it with you again. One simple conversation and the story which would become one of our biggest musicals and Hollywood films of all time was born. Catherine’s work has received an Olivier award, a Tony awa...

As we head towards the summer holidays, you may be thinking what book to take with you to read by the pool. One of my very favourite authors is Jill Mansell and she came on the podcast back in series 6 Jill writes romantic comedies and has sold millions and millions of books - but before this she worked for 18 years in clinical neurophysiology for the NHS . Here Jill begins with the story of...

AJ says he was a really shy child growing up – he says he often didn’t feel very good at anything and wasn’t invited to parties.   However, as he got older and his confidence grew he became a broadcast journalist before spending 8 weeks in the Big Brother House.   But inside AJ was still struggling at the time. What he didn’t know then, was a woman had come to the live audience to cheer...

Anna Clements worked as a commercial lawyer but when she had young children and she realised her job didn’t suit family life.    She’d always loved interiors so she decided she’d give herself a budget and time limit and see where it would take her. Today her shop, Mon Pote, is hugely popular with thousands and thousands of followers as well as being community hub in Bedminster, the...

David grew up on a council estate in Chiswick in two rooms with his mum, sister, aunt and grandmother - plus a debt collector, Mr Butler, who visited most weeks. Despite having no money, he says it was a childhood filled with love.  But when he was a teenager David was attacked by a gang and he says he was never quite the same. David went on to work in the world of showbiz...

Ruby developed a love for make-up when, as a child, she’d watch her mum dress up for cocktail evenings and dinners where they lived in Nigeria. She later had pictures of models (not pop stars) on her wall – but back then she thought she’d be a doctor, just like her dad. A chance encounter changed everything. Ruby went on to become a leading make-up artist working with supermodels like Naomi Campbe...

Kylie Pentelow says she grew up in a big family which was filled with love and a strong hard working ethic.   This she says provided the foundation to her career as a journalist - and what a career. From the Bath Chronicle to the BBC and then to ITV where she not only presented ITV West Country’s 6 o'clock show but the national ITN news as well.    But when Kylie became a mothe...

Kathy had a huge job in advertising which took her all over the world. But behind the glamour and fabulous hotels Kathy was suffering from burnout. One routine trip to the doctors changed everything. This change she found was in vegetables .  Yes,  vegetables!  Gorgeous, colourful, wonderful veg.  Kathy is now a food writer and photographer. Her latest memoir, Rough Patch – How...

Louise Ross loved reading and storytelling as a child but she had her heart set on being a lawyer. She became a barrister and while she loved helping people -she started to feel it was time to do something else. Louise published her first book Holy Island with her husband James in 2015. Since then more than thirty of her novels have taken the no 1 spot on Amazon and she’s sold more than...

If you live in the West Country the chances are you know Kate. She’s been a weather presenter for ITV for more than 25 years. Her sunny forecasts have brightened our televisions, no matter what the weather is actually doing.   Kate has for a long time been interested in mental health, and a few years ago she started to train as a therapist. Her idea – you talk, she listens and together w...

Monty Saul says she had an idyllic childhood – she describes her roots as ‘working class and filled with love.’ Then one night, a drink in a nearby pub in Cookham, Berkshire changed everything. Monty was spotted by a photographer, and not just any photographer, a world-famous fashion photographer. Before she knew it, she found herself being whisked away to the world of Vogue and Dior. I’ll let Mon...

Victoria always loved books, she didn’t want to write them, she just wanted to read them. She worked in hotels after she left school, and then as a receptionist but it was when she had her daughter she started to wonder if there was a way she could make a living by reading books. The answer is yes. Not only that, Victoria had no idea how going to a live Big Brother eviction would change everything...

“I felt as a mother I’d failed.” When Sarah Lou’s daughter became unwell with her mental health, Sarah Lou saw there was no support for parents and family members in these most difficult of times. So, she founded Parental Minds. What started as a coffee morning has led to her and her team helping more than 1,000 families. If you have any concern for your child or anyone’s mental health in your fam...

What does it really take to create a great pub? Charlie Luxton had no idea a chance conversation would lead him to a job setting up Soho House - a super-cool private members club in the centre of London that would become a global brand. He also had no idea a chance conversation would lead him to create his own group of pubs and restaurants around Wiltshire and Somerset. The brilliant Charlie expla...