Undercurrent Stories

Ever wondered how the fading painted signs on old buildings tell stories of a bygone era? Curious about the hidden cultural narratives they hold? Join us on Undercurrent Stories as we dive into fascinating tales of ghost signs with Sam Roberts, an expert in the field. Sam takes us on a global tour, unearthing the history of ghost signs and how they've withstood the test of time in various par...

Join us on a journey through Elizabethan England with our guest and acclaimed UK author, Tony Riches.  He's here to unravel the narrative of his latest release, 'Penelope Tudor Baroness', the fourth installment in his captivating Elizabethan series. We explore Tony's meticulous research methods, including his fascinating visits to historical locations and his use of primary sou...

Unlock the power of lateral thinking with our insightful conversation with Paul Sloane,  a distinguished authority on innovation and creative thinking. This episode will guide you through the fascinating concept of lateral thinking, exploring its roots and its applications in diverse fields like business, public service, and the arts as well as our personal lives. We delve into real-world instance...

Strap yourself in for a sonic rollercoaster ride with the inimitable Steven Blush, the New York based  author, journalist, record collector and filmmaker who stands as a living monument to alternative rock, grunge, and all things hardcore. Steven navigates us through his personal pursuit of music and journalism, charting a course from the heavy chords of his first Led Zeppelin concert to the under...

Get ready for an intellectual and hilarious journey through the realm of reason and fallacy! I promise by the end of this episode, you'll have a solid understanding of how logical fallacies are woven into our discourse and how to sidestep these reasoning pitfalls. Join us as we chat with Jim Cliff and Mark Levermore, the brilliant minds behind the popular podcast Fallacious Trump. We explore...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to explore the world's wildest places and embark on life-changing adventures? Join us as we welcome Oli France, an adventurer, expedition leader, and speaker who guides teams through untamed landscapes with his company, Wild Edge. Listen in as Oli shares his incredible journey from growing up in a northern town to completing a degree in outdoor leade...

Ever wondered how music journalists navigate the world of interviewing rock stars and their infamous egos? I recently  had the pleasure of chatting with Claire Moat, a music journalist, teacher, and owner of five horses, who gave us some fascinating insights into her experiences in the music industry. Claire shares her organic journey into music journalism due to her love for literature and the co...

Join me for an incredible conversation with the legendary Ted Carroll as we journey through his 60 plus-year music career. From his start in the early 50s, listening to jazz and discovering Rock and Roll, to managing the band Skid Row, which included the talented Gary Moore, Ted's experiences in the music industry are nothing short of fascinating. Listen in as we reflect on the success of the...

Growing up as the daughter of notorious mafia boss Vincent 'the Chin' Gigante, Rita Gigante faced unique challenges that most of us could only imagine. What makes her story even more incredible is her journey of discovering her empathic nature and psychic gifts, which she now uses to help others heal. Join me in my conversation with Rita, an acclaimed healer, psychic, author, speaker, an...

Join me in a fascinating conversation with Rob Deeks, the CEO of Together As One, a youth-led charity working to bring communities together through training, youth work, and creative projects. Rob shares his personal journey and the life-changing work he's doing with the charity, which is  based in Slough in the UK. Through a combination of training, youth work, and creative projects they aim...

Ever struggled with making small talk at a networking event or social gathering?  You're not alone - but fear not, because today we're chatting with communication expert Debra Fine! As a sought-after keynote speaker and author, Debra has helped clients like Google, Hyatt, and the International Fire Chiefs Association hone their communication skills, and she's here to share her exper...

To celebrate 3 years of Undercurrent Stories we are re-releasing one of our most popular episodes! Ānḍārakārēnṭa sṭōrijēra 3 bachara udayāpana karatē āmarā āmādēra sabacēẏē janapriẏa parbagulira madhyē ēkaṭi punarāẏa prakāśa karachi! The story of how an Englishman visited India and discovered how his lifelong love and talent for art could help change and improve the lives of young people living on...

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  wil...

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...

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 (1...

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&apo...

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 ra...

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 B...

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 sh...

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,...

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 ow...

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 include...

Nestled safely behind  strong railings alongside the London to Edinburgh East Coast main line railway, just south of Grantham, lies a little known hidden treasure! In this on site live interview Dr Patrick Candler tells us the inspiring story of how 5 acres of woodland was transformed into an adventure playground . Once used as a source for local clay the land had been disused for a number of year...

In today’s show I'm joined once again by Quint Starkie. Quint is an English musician originally from Accrington, Lancashire now based in  Stockholm, Sweden. Quint is about to embark on a UK tour with Francis Dunnery's It Bites from 18th January '23. We talk about Quint's latest solo album, his recent UK tour with blues based Tombstone Dunnery, his musical career and how he ende...

James Cooper, a Christmasologist, (Yes there is such a word!), reveals the history of Christmas traditions in the UK over the last 1500 years. From the origins of the mince pie, the banning of Christmas and the secret of the mistletoe, James takes us on a journey of discovery as he shares the unexplained stories behind the celebration of Christmas. Find out more on James's website; https://ww...