Podcasts about Household Cavalry

Remove From Your Process as Often as You Add To It - Mike CohnCan you imagine being so angry about a team doing something wrong that you institute a rule for them to follow for the next 100 years? Literally 100 years.Queen Victoria was that angry.One day in 1894, the Queen went to the Horse Guards building expecting her Household Cavalry to be ready to escort her back to Buckingham Palace. She instead found the guards either asleep, drunk, or gambling.Infuriated, she commanded that an inspection of the Guards be held at 4:00 p.m. every day for the next 100 years.I'm guessing the Guards got the message to stop sleeping, drinking, and gambling on duty long before 100 years. The 4:00 p.m. inspection could have stopped after perhaps a year or two. Maybe sooner.Things that become part of a team's process sometimes stay there too long, like that inspection of the Queen's Horse Guards.This happened in a company that had a large database that was shared by multiple applications. When one team changed the database, they screwed up the change and left other teams scrambling to quickly change their code in production.They held a multi-team retrospective and agreed that each team would produce a Database Impact Report every sprint. The report would describe how a team's work would affect the database.This doesn't sound horrible yet, except it was rare for most teams to do any work at all in a sprint that would affect the database.These teams were still expected to complete a Database Impact Report each sprint that basically said: No impactNo impactNo impactThese no-impact Impact Reports were emailed to all other teams.After opening a PDF every two weeks that said “no impact,” recipients stopped bothering to even read the reports that were still being generated.Stop. Just stop.These reports were probably useful for a period. They may have helped identify a risk. They certainly made people more aware of the impact a database change could have on other teams.But after a while, they should have been removed from the teams' process, especially once the teams who actually did routinely alter the database had found better ways of communicating potential impacts.In retrospectives, it's always tempting to look for new things to add (“Let's start using AI to inspect our code!”).But make sure you also reserve time in retrospectives to look for things to remove.Unless your team members are all drunk, gambling, or asleep at 4:00 p.m., you can probably find something to remove from your process.A barely sufficient process with unnecessary actions and rules removed will help you succeed with agile How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Rachel is both a racing 'insider' and an academic - she has worked in horse racing for over 20 years and she obtained her PhD from the University of Bristol in 2023 for her work developing a racehorse welfare assessment protocol. This welfare assessment has been trialled by industry assessors to gather population level racehorse welfare data. The welfare assessment has also been used to monitor the welfare of Military Working horses from the Household Cavalry and racehorses in Hong Kong.  In this episode we talk about the practicalities of racehorse welfare assessment, the small changes that can result in big improvements, and the importance how young Thoroughbreds are managemed on stud farms to set them up for a good life in racing. Rachel is currently an Equine Technologist at CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland and is a post-doctoral researcher at University College Dublin (UCD).   Rachel's research output is available on ResearchGate  

Join us for an inspiring and heartwarming interview with a true champion, Corie Mapp. In this episode of 'Not Fazed With Faye,' Corie shares his incredible journey of resilience, faith, and determination in the face of adversity. From his experiences on the battlefield to becoming a European Para-Bobsleigh Champion, to being the first Barbadian to ride on the Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), Cori's story will leave you feeling empowered and motivated to live life as a champion. Reflecting on our conversation, I'm in awe of his strength as he not only overcame the difficulties of his accident, but succeeds in everything he puts his mind to. And his focus on faith and family aligns so closely to my own beliefs. I feel so honoured to have had him as a guest and to share him with you.Subscribe & share

Send us a Text Message.Marcus has many personal anecdotes to draw on for his writing career, from his 20 years as an amateur jockey.Winning the Grand National with Mr. Frisk Competing in the Velka Pardubicka in the Czech RepublicRacing in Russia in the early 90'sRecently covering The Derby and Royal Ascot he describes the influences on putting the articles together for The Daily Telegraph and how he has to react to events, such as the horses escaping from the Household Cavalry in Central London that day, possibly his biggest reach in readership for the year.Please follow our Facebook / Instagram pages @fromthehorsebox and we would love to hear any feedback on our email address fromthehorsebox@gmail.com what question would you have liked to ask?

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the resignation of Huw Edwards and how the BBC has handled this ongoing crisis – its PR, its strategy and the enduring power of the tabloids in this country to throw an incendiary device into famous places. They also lift the lid on the art of euphemistic spin and how the language of PR was used in the Post Office IT Horizon scandal - or should we say “anomaly”? And, runaway horses - how the Army responded to the surreal and shocking Household Cavalry rampage through central London and why you'll now find a significant number of former Army officers in PR.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

The BBC reported yesterday that four people were injured as 5 horses of the Household Cavalry threw off their riders and raced through London. A video of the incident showed one black horse and a white horse whose breast area was covered in a massive amount of blood, madly galloping over the cobblestone streets. The fleeing horses are just one more checkmark in the ghoulish nature of the monarchy and their penchant for medieval theater. In the Bible, the Black Horse represents famine or plague and the White or Pale Horse represents death. It is a meaningful coincidence when you take into account how those in power use symbology to get the attention of the minions. Tonight on Ground Zero (7-10pm, pacific time), Clyde Lewis talks about A HOOFBEAT AWAY. Listen Live: https://groundzero.radio Archived Shows: https://aftermath.media

Horses and people are still hospitalised after a number of animals belonging to the Household Cavalry ran through the streets of London.  Four of the seven horses threw off their riders after being spooked by a loud noise yesterday.  UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Andrew Dickens that they were right by Buckingham Palace, running through some of the busiest streets in the city.  He said that it frightened a lot of people, one horse crashing into a cyclist, another into a taxi, and a third into a double decker bus.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're talking to Paul Minter, ex of the Household Cavalry and veteran of five tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as founder of the Head Up Charity. Jo and Michelle talk to Paul about his experiences in the armed forces and what inspired him to found this charity aimed at helping both serving and former service people deal with the mental toll their experiences have had on them. We understand some of the themes in this episode may have caused some of you distress. If this is the case and you need urgent help and any further support, please contact the appropriate agencies urgently. You can find their contact details here: Emergency Services: 999 Samartians - 116 123 Mind's Info Line - 0300 123 3393 CALM - 0800 585858 Donate to Head Up here: https://www.head-up.org.uk/ Find them on Instagram: @head_up_charity Find them in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/headupcharity/  Everyone Active - everyoneactive.com Join us over on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.  

Craig Harrison is a former Corporal Of Horse in the Household Cavalry, and during his career as a sniper, achieved the world's longest confirmed kill in Afghanistan in 2009. Holding this record for 8 years came with its own challenges, resulting in death threats, being personally hunted by the Taliban, and left Craig fearing for his family's safety in the UK. Now the founder of the Maverick Survival School, Craig combines valuable survival skills and mental health support, with himself continuing to be on a rehabilitation journey for the severe PTSD caused by his service, and what happened after he made that record-breaking shot. Follow This Podcast To Be Notified Of New Episodes, Visit Our Social Media Platforms & YouTube Channel For More Bonus Content, And Listen Live To Our Radio Station: Listen Live: ⁠https://www.forceradio.live/⁠ Visit Our YouTube Channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@forceradiohq

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the first digital benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends on 20th December 2023. The winner will be contacted via Twitter.Show references: https://vacevents.com/THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER – QEII CONFERENCE CENTRE, WESTMINSTERhttps://vacevents.com/committee/ Bernard Donoghue OBECEO & Director, ALVA, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, Mayor of London's Culture Ambassador. Co-Chair, London Tourism Recovery Board.https://www.alva.org.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-donoghue-obe-0aa9b97/ Bernard has been the Director of ALVA, the UK's Association for Leading Visitor Attractions, since 2011 following a career in advocacy, communications, and lobbying, latterly at a senior level in the tourism and heritage sector. In  2017, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appointed Bernard to be the Mayor's Ambassador for Cultural Tourism and a member of the Mayor's Cultural Leadership Board. Bernard is Co-Chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board. He is also Chairman of LIFT, London International Festival of Theatre; Chairman of the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continually operating theatre in the English-speaking world, and also of the People's History Museum, the Museum of Democracy.  He has been a member of the UK Government's Tourism Industry Council since 2016.  Bernard was named by Blooloop in 2020 as one of the world's 50 most influential people in museums, and in July 2021 won the public vote for the COVID Special Recognition Award from the UK Museums and Heritage Awards for his service to, and leadership of the museums and heritage sector in the UK during the pandemic. Ken Robinson CBE FTS - Founder of VAChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-robinson-cbe-fts-bb811312/Ken is an independent adviser who speaks and writes on tourism topics.  As a "tourism enthusiast" he aims to be a pragmatic pioneer of new initiatives, strategies and solutions to optimise the economic, cultural and social benefits of tourism.   Ken's Consultancy companies completed over 1500 assignments, mostly in the UK but also several hundred international projects, beginning over 50 years ago, before the days of mass tourism.  He was a founding member of the Tourism Society and supported the formation of the Tourism Alliance, both of which organisations he has served as a board member and Chair, as he has on several other Tourism bodies. Specialising initially in visitor attractions, Ken initiated and subsequently chaired the National Visitor Attractions Conference, VAC, and has been on its Committee ever since.  In addition to many clients in the public, private and third sectors, he has advised the UN's International Trade Centre, on national and regional Tourism strategy development.  His current focus is to move the industry's thinking from marketing to the critical need to manage future tourism for the benefit of host communities, and to optimise tourist's experiences.  Ken was appointed CBE for services to Tourism in 1997, and an Honorary Doctorate in 2014. Paul KellyChief Executive, BALPPA, Chair of VAC https://www.balppa.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kelly-2714a922/Having been with BALPPA for 11 years and working with VAC for that amount of time as well, Paul started his career in the attractions sector at Thorpe Park in the 80's and then moved on to the London Eye for its opening around the millennium.  He has  always been involved with visitor attractions.  Several more years working within Merlin followed both in the UK and abroad, mainly on business development.  Being a BALPPA member for 30 years means, being Chair of the organising committee at VAC keeps Paul in touch with all aspects of the attractions industry. Liz Terry MBEManaging Director, Leisure Media Grouphttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizterry/ Janet Uttley Head of Business Transformation for VisitEnglandhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/janetuttley/  Transcriptions: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip The Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Season 5 kicks off today with not one, not two, but three excellent guests.On today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking to Bernard Donoghue, Paul Kelly and Ken Robinson, founders of the Visitor Attractions Conference. You also know Bernard as, Director of ALVA and Paul as CEO of BALPPA.VAC celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and I'm finding out where the idea for the event spanned from, how it's changed and developed over the years. And we take a look ahead to what 2024 has in store for the attraction sector.Unfortunately, fellow Founder; Liz Terry, the Managing Director of Leisure Media Group, and also Janet Uttley, Head of Business Transformation for VisitEngland, were unable to join us on this episode. But stay tuned for lots of insight and to find out how you can get your ticket for the VAC conference this year.Kelly Molson: If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue.Kelly Molson: Bernard, Ken, Paul, it is a treat to have you all on the podcast today. Thank you for joining me. I think this is the first time I've had three guests as well, so this could be interesting. Bernard Donoghue: And three men as well. I mean, it's like a really bad testosterone banana rama, isn't it? Really. Kelly Molson: I'm just a little flower in the middle of you thorns today. Yes, it's a real shame. So, unfortunately, Janet Uttley and Liz Terry couldn't make it along to join us today, which is a shame. But I'm sure that they will get lots of mentions as we talk through some of the things that we're going to chat about today. But first, as ever, I want to start with a little icebreaker. I'm going to ask you all the same thing because I'm intrigued as to whether you ended up doing what you thought you might. So, Ken, I'm going to start with you first. When you were at school, what did you think that you'd grow up and be when you were older? Ken Robinson: I didn't know. Kelly Molson: Had no clue at all? Ken Robinson: No, I didn't have a clue. I was lucky to have a good education. I didn't work at school. And then I got into a job, which was I was very successful at it and it was very boring. So I left. And when I discovered tourism and visitor attractions, it took me over. I didn't decide to do it. It told me that was it. Kelly Molson: Oh, I love it. It's like a calling. Ken Robinson: At the time it was, I was actually sitting in a turret room which had been vacated by Lord Montague. His desk used to face in and I liked that because I didn't have to look at the faces of the visitors going past who might complain, because in those days, buli was very expensive. And then one day I thought to myself, these people are investing their hard earned money and leisure time in making a decision to come here and it's our job to make sure they have a good time. And I turned my desk round and I looked at them all day long and the moment I turned my desk round, everything changed. Kelly Molson: I love that, because you could see the whites of their eyes and how they were engaging with the venue as they turned up. Ken Robinson: Well, it's just such a failure, isn't it? If you've got somebody who makes a choice and spends their time and money, a family decision for many people, and it should be a highlight. And if it isn't, whose fault is it? It's probably the fault of the visitor attraction, given that the person has chosen to go there in not communicating well enough with them about what they've got and what they would find interesting. Kelly Molson: This is such a brilliant story and that wasn't where I was expecting this to go either, Ken. I love it. Paul, what about you, Paul?Paul Kelly: Yeah, I mean, when I was at school, I was interested in sports and that was it, really, and luckily, that dragged me through the various places I went to. But what I was going to end up doing sports. I think once you get into sports quite seriously, you realise fairly quickly that actually you're not going to make it, so you have to find something else. So, laterally, I decided that business was a good idea. So I started doing business studies up in North Wales and for some reason were doing a sandwich course in those days, I think it was called that. One of those, I got placed at Thorpe Park. I don't know why particularly, so there's a group of six of us went down to Thorpe Park to work there and I actually started working on the rides.Paul Kelly: I'm not sure what it had to do with business at the time, but I'm glad somebody thought it did. And I couldn't believe that was a job that you could do, you could be paid for, because I came from the north at that point and there wasn't an awful lot going on in the 80s and actually be paid. Everyone enjoyed themselves, fantastic atmosphere, parties every night. I'm sure it's still like that. And it was just amazing. And from that moment on, regardless of what happened after that, including other colleges, other bits and pieces, effectively, I never left. Kelly Molson: It's always going to be in that sector. Paul Kelly: Yes. Kelly Molson: Excellent. Great. Bernard, same to you. Bernard Donoghue: Well, this may come as a surprise, but my grandfather was in the Irish Guards, my father was in the Grenadier Guards, my brother was in the Royal Marines, and I had a very large collection of action men. I genuinely thought I would probably end up in the army. And actually, I got an offer after university to go into the Household Cavalry. I don't think I've ever told anyone this before. Anyway, it just clearly I didn't pursue the application. It wasn't for me at all. Got really into politics. So I started working in the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and then I've just been in sort of lobbying, campaigning, political world ever since. But I still miss the uniforms. Can't deny it. Kelly Molson: I think we'd like to see you in that uniform, Bernard, if I'm not going to lie. So from the lobbying aspect, which is obviously a really big part of the role that you currently have, how did the attractions bit kind of slot into those? Where did the two join up? Bernard Donoghue: It's a really odd coincidence. I was trustee of a charity that Diana, Princess of Wales, was a patron of, and I was working full time for a charity that she was a patron of. So when she divorced Prince of Wales, now the King, she reduced her patronages down from 187 to six. And I happened to be involved with six of them. I went to work for her as a deputy private secretary, press secretary. But of course, the moment she died, which was August 31st, I had no job. Suddenly I was unemployed. And I got contacted by a woman who Ken will certainly know, probably Paul will, too, by Sue Garland, who used to be Deputy Chief Executive of VisitBritain, who'd heard me speak at something and said, "Well, we're just about to create this post of government affairs liaison. Would you be interested to working on the role while working on what you do next?”Bernard Donoghue: And that was in August 1997. And here I am still. Ken Robinson: But also, can I add something to that? Because I was lucky enough to be sitting in the room on many occasions when Bernard would give his briefing at meetings that were held by VisitBritain. And it was always a highlight of the day because Bernard, in those days, never pulled his punches. I'm not saying he does now, but he would just explain to everybody in the room what was going on with all of the political parties, which we never understood, and explain what we ought to be doing in order to best put our case. So it was really no shock when he turned up at ALVA, because I would say this if he wasn't here, he was the star of the show there, and that expertise that he showed has blossomed in the job that he's doing now. Kelly Molson: This is lovely, isn't it? Aren't you all nice? Bernard Donoghue: This is love in.. Kelly Molson: Probably why you all work together, right? You will get on so well. Right, back to you, Ken. Unpopular opinion, please. Ken Robinson: Most visitor attractions do not deliver full value for money to most of their visitors. Kelly Molson: Okay, Paul and Bernard, do you agree with this? Will our listeners agree with this? Is this an unpopular opinion?Paul Kelly: Did you use the word most, Ken? Ken Robinson: I did. Paul Kelly: I'll go for some, not most. Bernard Donoghue: Yeah, I'll go for some as well. One of my favourite programmes is Yes, Minister. And whenever you'd hear something off the wall, bonkers, they would say, that's a very brave opinion, Minister. That's a very brave opinion, Ken.Ken Robinson: Now's not the time to justify it. I'll do that on another occasion. Kelly Molson: Yeah, we will invite you back and we can do that one on one, Ken. Paul, what about you? Unpopular opinion? Paul Kelly: Well, I'm guessing that anybody that's worked in a theme park will probably have the same opinion I have. So I worked at Thorpe Park, which was 450 acres, two thirds of which was water. And at the end of the day, when you were walking out, and in those days, that could be 9, 10 o'clock at night, it was beautiful. On a late summer's evening, calm waters, walking through a park which had just been cleaned and tidied and ready for the next day. It was fantastic. And we all had the same opinion once were down the pub discussing the day. It's just a shame we have to let people into theme parks because it's the absolutely beautiful place without them there. So sometimes people let the parks down. Kelly Molson: That's a good one. That is a good one. Yeah. And you don't want to let them in to see the beautiful bit either, do you? Because then there'd be people there. It wouldn't be serene. Paul Kelly: No, I mean, those evenings, if there was still time, we'd go windsurfing on the lakes, cable water ski around the back. And it was just a shame that all these people came in every day and messed it all up. Kelly Molson: Yeah. Well, I'm pretty sure that most people who've worked in theme parks aren't going to disagree with you on that one, Paul. Good one. Bernard, what about yours? Bernard Donoghue: Even though I chair a theatre and I know how important the revenue is, I'm not a fan of selling drinks and food to people in theatres because they just make a noise. I can't bear it. I mean, it depends. I mean, it depends if it's a panto or something like that. Completely fine. Ken Robinson: Oh, no, it's not. Bernard Donoghue: It kind of allies to what Paul was saying as well, which was I don't know whether it's an unpopular opinion. I think it's probably a popular opinion. But visitor behaviour, whether it's in a theatre, a museum, an art gallery or wherever, has completely deteriorated post lockdown. Some people's behaviour is getting worse and it's very difficult to know what to do about it. Kelly Molson: Yes, agree. I don't think that's going to be very unpopular at all, actually, considering some of the things that we've seen recently. Thank you all for sharing. Okay, let's get back to the serious bit. The Visitor Attractions Conference. It's 20 years old this year. If you are listening and you're not familiar with it, one, why the hell not? And two, you need to grab a ticket today. It's the leading networking and learning event for visitor attractions across the UK. And I first visited in October 2019 and it was the first sector specific conference that I had been to. We'd been working in the sector for probably about three or four years, had never really at that point kind of gone all out on our like, "This is what we're going to niche and this is what we're going to specialise in."Kelly Molson: So I was kind of doing a bit of a fact finding mission really, and I came along and it absolutely blew me away. I think it was one of the friendliest conferences I've ever been to. I think you'd created an environment where everybody was really welcome, no stupid questions. Everyone from speakers to guests where kind of felt like they were all on the same level, really happy to answer questions that you had, really happy to talk to you. And I think that was for me. I came away from that event, I went back to my team and said, "This is where we should be. This is the event for us, this is where we should be attending, these are the people that we should be speaking to." And I've absolutely loved every minute of that. Kelly Molson: I mean, the next one I went to was a virtual one. So it was very different to the 2019 event, but still excellently organised. So firstly, thank you for making that happen. But where did the idea for the VAC come from in the first place? How did this come about? Ken Robinson: So we have to remember that the world was very different over 20 years ago. Really, really very different. Not just a question of internet or pre COVID and all those things and pre Olympics, but just very different. And attractions in those days thought and acted and communicated in their sectoral associations. Historic houses talked to historic houses, curators of museums talked to curators, bishops talked to priests, zoologists talked to botanists, but they didn't talk across the sectors. There were two exceptions to that. One was that in Visit England or English Tourist Board, there'd always been a committee there which was across the sectors, but the other one was ALVA. Now, when ALVA was formed, it was a 1 million visitors plus club for attractions, with 1 million plus visitors a year. Ken Robinson: Subsequently, groups of attractions, particularly English Heritage, National Trust, were involved originally associates, but it was a 1 million plus club and that's only 1% of the attractions in the United Kingdom had over 1 million. And it was very London centric. And ALVA had a five objectives, four of which were about government. And the interesting thing was that I was very good friends all through this time with Lord Lee, who know a very big part of the early success, pre Bernard of ALVA. I said to John Lee, “Look John, could you not change your name to ALVA and be involved with all the visitor attractions because they badly need something which glues everybody together and we need to get across this away from this sectoral stuff.” Ken Robinson: And everybody was talking about historic houses, talk about the house museums, talking about the continents of the museum but they weren't talking about visitors. They weren't talking about how you communicated with the visitors or what they were motivated by or how you could better manage things for visitors, give them better they weren't doing that. So John agreed with this and I've got the original papers here. I looked them out that I was asked first of all by ALVA in December of 2001 to write a paper on the future of ALVA which is headed: ALVA in the Future Representing All Visitor Attractions. Then after that the conversation went on and we realised that if were going to have some kind of overall event we couldn't do it without the National Tourist Board, we couldn't do it without Visit Britain, Visit England. We needed their input.Ken Robinson: We needed them to talk to DCMS and make sure it would happen. And also we wanted to do this not on a commercial basis but being by the industry, for the industry, run by the industry, not for profit. And that was a problem because we wanted to do it in the QE II Centre because we wanted to be in the centre of everything and that was going to cost an extraordinary sum of money and there wasn't that much money that could in that first year come originally from VisitEngland. So the partners in this, the partners being ALVA, BALPPA, Paul's organisation, Leisure Media the wonderful Liz Terry and her magazine which has forever been behind this event for no recompense whatever and myself put up 5000 pounds each security in order that the thing would happen. Ken Robinson: You said, "We'll stand the risk, let's do it.". So in 2004 I wrote the briefing of the first conference and I found from a 2003 the government asked for a list of topics that would be discussed in order they could work out whether or not they might like it and it's still here. What I like about it is it would do quite well for this year's conference. All those topics are still relevant. So that's where it came from. That's where it came from. We wanted it to have at the time the lowest possible attendance fee to get the highest number of people there. We wanted to involve everybody. Ken Robinson: And the cast list for that 2004 event, my goodness me, absolutely fantastic cast list in terms of the people we had for an initial event and you can imagine when it was announced and everybody was behind it ALVA was behind it. BALPPA, I should have mentioned that Colin Dawson, Paul's predecessor was an absolute stalwart of the conference in the early years he stood by know, when times were tough and that's where it came from. Kelly Molson: That is phenomenal. It was really putting your money where your mouth is, isn't it? By all of you actually personally investing in this thing to bring it to life. You don't hear many things happening in that way anymore, do you? It's all about getting investment and asking other people to make the commitment to it and take the risk. Ken Robinson: Well, we have a company now, I should say. We have a company called VAC Events, and we are all equal. The four of us are equal shareholders, that's to say, Bernard and ALVA, BALPPA and Paul, Liz and myself, for no benefit. Martin does it for us, but we are the people that carry the can, if you like, and I don't think we've ever had anything out of it apart from a nice lunch at Christmas, but apart from that, it's a great feeling of doing something. When you say everybody is very friendly and talks to one another. That's why they're all in the same business. Bishop, curator, zoologist person running a heritage railway, they're all in the same business. Kelly Molson: Obviously, the first event was a success. You've been on and you've done many, what, 20, 20 events since that first one. How have you seen it kind of change and develop over the years? So what did that first conference look like compared to what this year's will look like? And how have you kind of evolved it over that time to keep it relevant to your audience? Paul Kelly: Well, I think so. My involvement directly has been the last ten years, so I'm halfway through chairing for this one, but I was actually there at the early ones because I worked at that time. I was working at the London Eye, just across the river, and I was good friends with Colin Dawson at the time. I'd worked with him at Thorpe Park and he for some people, may well remember Colin as entertaining Princess Diana on a log flume in 92, 3 and 4. Paul Kelly: And I was there. It's hard to tell, but I was actually there. I'm not in any of the photos in Paris Match and all of those places. I have a couple of myself here. I didn't get anything signed by Princess Diana and sent over to you know, bitterness takes a while to and I've joked with Colin over this many years. Colin was there, but if you look closely behind the scenes, you'll find I was there too, but so I was great friends with Colin over many years and still am. He was obviously contacting everyone he knew about this conference. He was working for BALPPA at the time. I was working for the Two Swords Group, had the operational contract for the London Eye. Paul Kelly: So I went to the first one and I suppose my impressions of the first one was for somebody who hasn't been there before, the QE II is extremely impressive as a conference center. I don't go to many that look like that around the UK. Most of them normally the ones I go to are in attractions, they're slightly different so it was hugely impressive both on its location and what was across the road and how things went and I was a little bit starstruck I suppose, for the first one. Now I get the opportunity to sit on the stage and look out at everybody and have a slightly different view on it all, but still think it's an extremely impressive environment to do that. Paul Kelly: And I think the biggest change for me, and I think we may cover a little bit later, is how we've broken up the afternoons into separate segments and sections where people can go along to a smaller, informal group discussing a topic that they particularly want. And I think the thing I also like about that is the amount of people who want to go to more than one of them that are on at the same time and are almost complaining there's too many things to go to, which I think is hilarious, which means it's really good. And hopefully that means that next time they'll really think about which one do I want to go to, obviously I want to go to more than one, but I'm going to pick my best one. Paul Kelly: So I think for me, that's probably the biggest change over time. But what doesn't change for me is the team that we have putting these things together, which we're actually relatively slick at. Everyone gets the chance to put their opinions and I'm glad we don't record those meetings and it works out really well. And I think as a team, it's amazing how long we've stuck at it and stuck together. Kelly Molson: I'd love to be on a little fly on the wall for those meetings. Have you ever had a fallout about something? Bernard Donoghue: Yes, we're frequently violent. It's a visitor experience in its own right, I think. Kelly Molson: I'll pay for it. Bernard Donoghue: We reflect the madness that some of our visitors demonstrate on site so in that case I think we're rooted in the industry. The first one that I went to was in 2011, so I just joined ALVA at that point. And the first one I spoke, it was in 2012 and I've been doing the same kind of slot ever since. I do a kind of State of the Nation in the morning because ALVA obviously gets loads of data and information and we publish all of our visitor figures and all the rest of it, and actually we collect and commission much more data now than we ever used to. So I share all of that in the kind of Donoghue half hour copyright. Bernard Donoghue: What's lovely I mean, Paul's absolutely right is that over the last twelve years I think we've seen a real move from people desperately wanting to speak about their successes to being really open about what hasn't worked, which of course is far more interesting and useful. So there's been a really lovely shift from people saying, "No, I don't have to do the propaganda stuff.” Actually, I'm going to tell you what it was like, why it was a disaster and what we learned from it. And that's so useful. So you do get this real honesty coming from the speakers who know that's what they find useful too. So why not share it? I think the other one is I do a presentation about, is there core behaviours of successful visitor attractions regardless of type?Bernard Donoghue: And there are there's about ten of them, but one of them is the ability to foster creative partnerships with unusual suspects. So the presentations that are most fascinating for me is where a visitor attraction, it doesn't matter whether it's a cathedral or whether it's a museum or gallery or theme park, have teamed up with someone that you wouldn't expect them to team up with to tell the story of their people and places and collections in a new, innovating, exciting way. And those are fascinating, absolutely fascinating. So I love those. There's much more of that. Kelly Molson: Fantastic. Well, on that note, I want to know from each of you who has been the most inspiring speaker that you've had at the conference over the past 20 years. Ken, let us start with you. Who do you think would be on your list for that? Ken Robinson: I had a look through the programs going back to 2004 and came up with the following names which surprised me, actually. I think originally our first most inspiring speaker was Simon Jenkins, the columnist of the Times, who had very strong views, which didn't necessarily agree with what government and others were doing. He did give a very inspiring presentation and then there are some people who perhaps we would expect less. The most single most surprising speaker was somebody called Tristram Mayhew, who titles himself as the Chief Gorilla of Go Ape and in a room full of suits and quite smart dresses and trouser suits, Go Ape shambled onto the stage in a car key shirt and proceeded to explain how he'd done things differently. And frankly, it was riveting. We had a chap called Tony Berry from the National Trust who gave presentations. Ken Robinson: His first one was just stunnning, you know, in the days when HR was less popular, Tony Berry would tell you why you should be interested and he was absolutely amazing. And Sue Wilkinson, incidentally, of the National Trust, who was the person responsible really for dragging the Trust from its sort of old form to its new marketing orientated thinking about its supporters future success? She was terrific. And the other person I would mention another Tony, I don't know whether or Tony's there's Tony Butler from the Museum of East Anglian Life, who again, when Bernard was talking about people talking about doing things differently and it inspires you. Some of those examples are very interesting, but not easy to copy. Ken Robinson: In other attractions, we always look for things that do go across the piece, so anybody can learn from the lessons within the example that we're talking about. And incidentally, we do have arguments in meetings, it's about whether particular speakers and particular topics are the way of doing things. And generally speaking, when we all have a good go at it comes out better than it did when anybody said, “Well, I know what the right answer is. No, you don't. Let's all talk about it. So that works.” So you get these people that actually inspire and they light up the room, not because of clever graphics and not because of a forceful way, but they light up the room because of the originality of their ideas. Now, I'll come to my number one. Ken Robinson: I'm sorry about this, because he's sitting on my screen down there, and that's young Bernard, who since he joined our there you go. That's the top half that works. You should see the bottom half doesn't work. He's just had pins put in it. Kelly Molson: Just for our listeners here, Bernard is given a little muscle strong arm salute on screen here. Ken Robinson: Bernard combines the latest immediate knowledge of talking to people across the industry with an absolutely amazing gift of the gab, with a power of communication. And he's unstoppable. And we wouldn't have stood him for all these years if he wasn't. So of all the years and all the speakers, the consistent best is Bernard. But we have had other people, often surprising, who take know, you don't expect it, you think you're going to listen to ordinary session, all of a sudden it takes fire. Kelly Molson: Bernard, what have you got to say to that? Bernard Donoghue: What I say to Ken is there are packets of cash going from London to the south coast with immediate effect. Delighted. Thank you very much. It's really lovely, actually. I've tried to change things every year to do partly political, but also partly about good practice and who's doing what and who's interesting. I'll tell you what, one of my favourite speakers, and it was in a conversation, one of the things that we've introduced is a sort of conversation with slot, which works really well, actually, because a bit like this, you're off script, you respond to people. Liz chaired a conversation last year, so were in Birmingham last year and it was all about HR issues and of course, it know, coming out of COVID and cost of living crisis and recruitment challenges and all of those kind of stuff. Bernard Donoghue: And Tina Lewis is the director of people at the National Trust. National Trust, getting great repertoire here. She came out with an idea that they're doing at the National Trust and I've implemented it in the three organisations that I chair and it's made the biggest difference. So the National Trust, they will pay the rent deposit for your flat if you need them to. So if you're going through a cost of living crisis and you can't get up the cash to put down a rent deposit on your flat, they'll do it for you. You can't get up the cash to put down a rent deposit on your flat, they'll do it for you. That was such a transformational thing to hear. You could almost hear the gasp in the room of people going, "Oh, my God. Yeah, if we can, let's do that." Bernard Donoghue: And I've now introduced it. As I say in the organisations that I chair, not many people have taken it up, but the fact that we've said it has made such a difference to people. I mean, as it is at the Trust, actually, there's been a relatively small number of people at the Trust who've taken it up, but the very policy decision, the very communication of it, just spoke volumes about an organisation that cares about its staff, and particularly those staff who are on really limited budgets. So there's been loads and loads of speakers over the course of the last few years, but that for me was a nugget which has changed people's lives and has been implementable. Kelly Molson: I think that's the key to that part, isn't it, is that it's an incredible thing that they've done, but the fact that it can be implemented someone has listened to that talk. They can take that away, take it to their board, take it to whoever needs to okay that, and they can put that into action like that straight away. That's the power of a really good initiative and a good speaker to be able to deliver that as well. Paul, what about you? Please don't say Bernard. I think he's had enough praise today. Bernard Donoghue: No, keep going. Kelly Molson: No. Paul Kelly: You're OK, Bernard? We'll leave that one where it is, shall we? If we can squeeze Bernard into the room next. Right, so one special mention I wanted to give, actually, which is one of the years not too long ago, we invited Simon Calder to speak, the travel journalist, and I have to say I wasn't convinced, because clearly he's not working in one of our attractions and doesn't necessarily know the industry pretty well. But I have to say, he was hugely entertaining, had done his homework, was hugely knowledgeable, and so he was absolutely excellent. But I think the most important thing for me is that he left us and he said to me, “Enjoyed it so much, I'll come back later.” And I said, “Yes, of course you will.”Paul Kelly: So he went away and he came back at the end of the day to talk to all the people that he'd seen early in the day, because he loved the atmosphere and he wasn't required to do that. And he came along. And for that I have to put a special mention in one for myself to actually listen to the others when they say, “This will be good”, and secondly for him, for actually doing a bit and actually coming back later. And he was a fabulous addition and outside of our industry. So my inside the industry one is somebody I ended up working with because I was with the Two Swords group and then they were bought by Merlin with Nick Varney and his Merry Men. Paul Kelly: So Nick and his team had obviously been in the industry a very long time at this point, dipped in and out of theme parks and attractions. But Nick didn't actually do many talks. You wouldn't actually hear him speak about too much. I'd heard him speak over in the IAAPA trade show held in Orlando every November, and he was absolutely brilliant. And then Ken managed to get him to speak at VAC one year. And again, he was absolutely excellent. And this fits in nicely because now that he's retired from Merlin, he's speaking again this year. So I think that will be really interesting because he's absolutely excellent. Ken Robinson: And by the way, guys, just to show you that we know what we're doing here, this is 2004, okay? And it says here the recipe for success. Nick Varney chief executive, will talk about the components for commercial success. And that's before. So we've got him first and look what happened. Kelly Molson: I'm really looking forward to that interview, actually, and I think it would be really interesting to see how he differs now. He's kind of outside of the sector, and I think that the format that you've got him in. So that's the interview with Liz, isn't it? On stage? I think that's going to be a really great format as well. I've seen that work really well in the past where she's interviewed people and it just feels really comfortable and really conversational. I think that brings out the best of people. Bernard Donoghue: Kelly, do you want to know who's been of most variable quality? Kelly Molson: Oh, yes. Bernard Donoghue: Tourism Minister. I mean, without doubt. I mean, we've been going 20 years now, therefore we've had 20 tourism ministers, had one a year, like Christmas cards. And some of them have completely got the industry completely understood. It delivered a barnstorming speech, and then the next year you'll get the annual Tourism Minister pop up and they'll read something flat, banal, uninteresting. And we're so torched by the experience that we don't invite the one next on the year. So we're always banging on about this. Tourism is very good at job creation. In fact, we've created 20 Tourism Minister jobs in years, but they are of variable quality. Ken Robinson: The best we ever had, Bernard, I think, by far, was John Penrose, when he had completed his review of the industry and got very clear views, which he put to government. Unfortunately, government didn't do it, as they usually don't, but he was good and people liked him and gave him a high rating. I think the next best was probably Margaret Hodge, who was very good and spoke from the heart. But as you say, when we look at every year, we look at a rating of every speaker and the meeting after the event, we go through those ratings and decide, those that got good ratings, why did they get it? Was it intrinsic to their character, their nature, their topic? Was there something special? And those who didn't, why was that? Was it our fault? Ken Robinson: Did we not brief them properly? Or was it never going to be any better? Ken Robinson: And that way we managed to manage the conference. So know the attraction sector. We sometimes forget that over half of all visits to visitor attractions in the UK are free of charge. We forget that the majority of visitor attractions are medium and small businesses. We forget that there are charitable and commercial attractions. We must be able to bring this whole sector together and move our thinking forward in the way that Bernard has just explained in terms of what he does with ALVA. And the other thing that Bernard mentioned was ALVA's research now. Ken Robinson: 20 years ago, you had to wait until the annual book came out from Thames Tower and then eventually from the centre of luck look to page 16 and there would be numbers, but very little interpretation of what those numbers meant. Now, Bernard is behind much of the work that is done now with ALVA. But the key to it is it's not just numbers, it's interpretation. And because of the communication skills, when ALVA put out a message, it is interpreted. It says why it was a successful year or what was mitigating against that. And that's so important in trying to move our case forward. Kelly Molson: But it's important in improving the content that you give your audience at the conferences as well, right? If something isn't working and you've got a process of evaluating why that hasn't worked and how you improve on it for the next one. Let's just focus on why should people attend VAC this year? What is in it for them? What's on the agenda? What have they got to look forward to and how can we get them to book a ticket? Bernard Donoghue: I'll happily go first and go quite niche, actually. One of the things that I do now outside of ALVA, or because of ALVA is that I co chair the advisory board for VisitLondon. So essentially chair the London tourist board. And I do that with Kate Nichols of UK hospitality. And we created the London Tourism Recovery Group during COVID So my suggestion would be Sadiq Khan. So we've managed to get the Mayor of London to come along and speak at this anniversary conference. And it's not just because he's the Mayor of London and it's the 20th anniversary, but it's because he's the first ever Mayor of London that hazard one of his four political priorities, culture and tourism. That's number one. Bernard Donoghue: Number two is that he put his money where his mouth was and he funded the Let's Do London Recovery campaign, which was both domestic and international with the industry. We delivered it with London and partners, but he put up the lump sum behind it. And third, he completely gets that tourism and heritage and culture is both where you grow jobs and we're very good at it, but it's also where you grow people. It's where you grow people in terms of their cultural literacy or their sense of community or their independence or their sense of history. And therefore knowing where you come from enables you to be a better future citizen, if you like. Bernard Donoghue: So my quick blast would be we've got him doing a welcome, but also saying why visitor attractions and tourism are so important to him and to the economy and the politics of London. So that's not to be missed. Kelly Molson: That is a big draw. Absolutely a big draw. Paul, you mentioned earlier about the variety in splitting up that second session, that second part of the day with the seminars and the smaller talks that you do as well. That for me, as an attendee, is really valuable because you can kind of pick and choose what's relevant to you and go along and see lots of different talks. What do you think is the draw for people to come to the conference this year for you? Paul Kelly: Well, I was just jotting down, thinking about it's a little bit. An extension of what Ken was talking about is that it's the variety of what we do in one place is greater than anywhere else. And all the conferences I do because of the nature of what we do each end of the spectrum. So we've got talks about people who run charities to people who run hugely commercial operations. We've got people doing talks on which are free to get into those who are quite expensive, but focus on value for money. And you've got those that are indoor, those that are outdoor. When I spent my time business development at Merlin, they were always focused on a balanced portfolio. And a balanced portfolio meant making sure that right across your business, you have every aspect covered. Paul Kelly: So everything balances indoor, outdoor, UK, Europe, USA, whatever it is. And I think with our conference, that's what we try and do, we try and balance all of those types of different types of operations so that everything is covered, not to the point where it's too thin and you don't learn anything. And that's the key to it, is that we go into the depth. And the depth, I think, is greater now because we do those breakout sessions and we've got time to do in fact, we double up for those three different areas just for that afternoon. So I think those are the things, if anyone asks me why they should come, it's about the variety.Kelly Molson: Regardless of size of your attraction as well. And actually, from my perspective as a supplier to the industry, it's just as valuable to come along and learn and understand what's going on in the sector. You don't have to be an attraction to come along and take part and be educated about what's happening in the sector. What about you, Ken? Ken Robinson: Well, I think that those of us who have stood on the stage at the QE II Centre and looked at the people who have come can see that there aren't any slumbering faces out there. There are people making notes, people nudging the person next to them, people looking round when we ask a question. We now have a sort of red and green card system for, do you agree? Don't you agree? Which we sometimes use, which is very interesting, engaging the mood of the room. And I think that the thing about VAC is don't be lazy if we're going to come to VAC. Don't be lazy. If you're coming to VAC, l And jot down what questions you might like to ask those people or what you'd like to learn from that session. Write it down, don't think you can remember it at the time. Ken Robinson: Bring it on a note with you when you come and then you will find, and we all know this, that the networking that happens at the end of the day and in the breaks at VAC it's like a family wedding in a way. I mean, everybody wants to talk to everybody else and it's so valuable. I think everybody who goes away from VAC should have a good few things that day, which they say, “I wouldn't have thought of that if I hadn't been there”, or even, “I disagree with that”, but it's made me realise what my true opinion about that is equally valuable. But don't be a lazy attendee. Come and participate, come and enjoy, come and learn, come and take back benefit to everybody that works with you. Kelly Molson: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think that thing about not being scared to ask questions is really valid as well, Ken, because this happened to me, actually. I went to one of the seminar sessions, and this is back in 2019 and was really inspired by one of the speakers about it was Julez Osbek, who was at Continuum Attractions at the time, and she talked about marketing segmentation, but had a completely different perspective on it in terms of not doing it demographically, just talking about age brackets and things like that. And it was really interesting. I didn't get a chance to ask a question during the seminar, but I found her afterwards and she was very approachable, very happy to answer my question. And then I stalked her on Twitter and got her to come on to the podcast afterwards to talk about it. Kelly Molson: But that's for me, what VAC is about. It's the openness that people are really willing to share. So don't be afraid to go and find the speaker that you've been inspired by and go and ask them the question afterwards, because everyone's really happy to talk about their topic and they're really happy to help people. That's my little key takeaway from it anyway. Right, so it's going to be on Thursday, the 5th October. This podcast episode is launching on the 20th September, so you haven't got long to go and get your tickets, so make sure you do. It is the 5th October, the QE II Conference Centre in Westminster. The website address is vacevents.com. That's Vacevents.com and you can get your ticket there. All of this information will be in the show notes, so don't worry if you didn't get time to scribble that down. Kelly Molson: While I've got you all, though, because you all are in the sector and you've got lots of insights to share. I want to know from each of you what you think that attractions should be focusing on and what 2024 might look like for the sector. Paul, what about you? Start with you. Paul Kelly: So I've been chatting to some of our operators. We have some very large operators around the UK asking them how it's going? And unsurprisingly, you could have said the same question 20 years ago, what's our biggest challenge? It's the weather. It's not actually the cost of living crisis, it's not COVID you can put plans together for those things and you can work on it, but the weather always is a little bit of a challenge. So this summer inverted commerce has been quite hard to focus on what we can deliver when the days have been half decent. Actually, we've done quite well, we always do relatively well, certainly in our sector, I'm sure the others will agree, in a recession. Paul Kelly: So the key seems to be, and I'm going to put it out, I haven't quite found the right words for it, but I'll develop this once I've spoken to a few more. What every attraction for me has to have is an opportunity for people to downgrade what they did slightly. What they're doing is they're ringing it up and saying, "Can't afford to do this, have you got something that's almost like that?" But whether it's a slightly different experience, less time, one day less so whatever the packages are that people are offering, there has to be one rung lower than it was before to still encourage people to come along because they're not able to reach the same heights at the moment that they did previously. But they still want to have that family experience that day out, create those memories. Paul Kelly: All of those things are still relevant. And if you don't have that opportunity, then they'll either go elsewhere or they won't go. So, again, it's managing. So I'm not talking about huge discounts, I'm talking about being relatively clever in what you package and what you put together to make sure they still attend and they still get what they perceive to be value for money. But unless you have that option then I think they won't come. Kelly Molson: Really great advice, Paul. Thank you. Bernard, what about you? Bernard Donoghue: Like Paul, actually, especially since Lockdown ended, but actually for about the last five or six years I've noticed a particular thing which is where visitor attractions have got reserves, and that's a big if by the way, particularly in the course of the last couple of years. Actually, especially since Lockdown ended, but actually for about the last five or six years I've noticed a particular thing which is where visitor attractions have got reserves, and that's a big if by the way, particularly in the course of the last couple of years. So it comes back to Paul's point about kind of ensuring yourself against the excesses of the weather and making sure that you're still particularly a family attractive visitor attractions that'd be one. Second is cost of living crisis, certainly for the average customer, but also the energy costs for visitor attractions too. Bernard Donoghue: Just crazy amounts of money that visitor attractions are now paying i If you're a zoo or an aquarium you can't turn down the temperature of your botanics you're a living reef. So we're going to have to find some way out of that. And that means that actually for many organisations it's going to be as financially challenging over the next twelve months as it has been over the last two. And then I think the third, and this is a continual for me and Kelly, you and I have talked about it before, but it forms the last session of the day at the VAC conference which is diversity and inclusivity. And my feeling is that every visitor attraction should be critically honest about who comes, who doesn't, why they don't come and what are you going to do about it?Bernard Donoghue: And in particular those organisations who in receipt are government money or public money or who had COVID loans from the UK taxpayer. If their visitors don't look like the community in which they're housed, they have a moral question at the heart of their business. That's it. If you want to take public money you need to have an audience that looks like the diversity of the public. And that's a challenge. I get that, I completely get that. But I think that making sure that we are as accessible in every conceivable way, economically, physically. Accessible to people and that they see their stories and themselves reflected in their collections and people and staff and volunteers and board members, I think that's the biggest challenge of the sector as it is indeed to many other sectors. Bernard Donoghue: But I think we're doing some amazing things and we need to shout about it and we need to share and we need to learn from each other. Kelly Molson: Absolutely agree. And that session is going to be a really great session. That's one not to miss. Ken? Ken Robinson: Well, I would say two things. First of all, as far as our visitors are concerned, I think there is a bigger polarisation now than there ever has been between those who have money and can still afford to do things and are not much impacted by the current circumstances, despite everything. And those who haven't and those who haven't have got to find ways of saving money, getting more for their money. There are so many things they can do that are free and alternatives that charged attractions find it difficult. I think we have to remember that the biggest number of attractions in the United Kingdom are heritage based attractions and they weren't purpose built like many of Paul's members, the attractions are purpose built for entertainment. But heritage attractions have got a bigger responsibility or museums housed in historic buildings. Ken Robinson: And all the time they're having to cut their costs and finding life difficult. Money isn't going into maintaining that National Heritage. And that's a real big long term challenge, one that government can't ignore. So government has a vested interest in the health of our businesses because the more healthy they are, the less will fall back on the state eventually. One last thing, I would like to mention Martin Evans and the tourism business. Ken Robinson: For the last I don't know how many years, Martin has been the person who has put together this event for us. He has to do the heavy lifting. He is backed up by our conference organisers, who are also very efficient. And the other person that I wouldn't like to miss from this, because if she could have been here today, you would have got a different flavour, is the wonderful Liz Terry and the support that her organisation. That's Liz's Organisation, her hard work in Leisure Media Group. She publishes Attractions Management magazine. Ken Robinson: She has never asked for anything from this conference and she gives it great support, without which we wouldn't have made 20 years, as I said earlier. And also a big shout and a screen for Liz. Kelly Molson: That is lovely. Thank you. I'm sure Liz will very much appreciate that. We won't forget her. Don't worry, she'll be on the credits for this podcast. I always ask our guests to leave us with a book recommendation for our listeners. So a book that you've loved, a book that you've enjoyed as part of your career growth can be absolutely anything. So, Paul, what would you like to share with us today? Paul Kelly: Oh, I tell you what, books are a bit highbrow for me. Yes, Bernard agrees with that. So I'm from the north, so I used to travel a lot when I was working North America. Commuting a little bit. So I did read a little bit then, but I very quickly swapped over to podcasts things that I download. I watch Silent Witness from the 90's, early 2000s repeatedly. I like Meet Marry Murder, which is one of the cable channels, so I'm quite simple. So I don't really have a book recommendation. I think when I have time to read, I will look forward to reading what somebody else recommends. Kelly Molson: Well, I will take Silent Witness as a recommendation because I love Silent Witness, Paul. Oh, so good. Never miss an episode, ever. So, OK, they go I mean, I can't give it away as a prize, but go and check out Silent Witness if you haven't. Bernard, what's yours? Bernard Donoghue: Well, I've been on this before and I remember my recommendation and it sounds really facile, but it was absolutely true, was Ladybird Books when I was a kid, and then that's how I got into history and heritage and storytelling and absolutely loved them. And I've still got loads of them, which is a bit sad, actually. I'm currently confined to home with a broken ankle. So I've been going through my big Bernard book of books, of all the ones that I haven't got around to reading, and the one that I've enjoyed most and has really surprised me is Lucy Worsley's biography of Agatha Christie. Absolutely fascinating. I thought I knew her. I thought I knew all about her. I know all of her characters, I've watched every conceivable film and TV program, but what a fascinating woman. Bernard Donoghue: So that's the one that I've loved this summer. Kelly Molson: Great recommendation. Yeah. I wondered what were going to get from you, actually, because you've had a lot of time on your hands to go through that book pile. Bernard Donoghue: It was either going to be Agatha Christie or the Argos catalogue. Honestly, it could have gone. Kelly Molson: It's not Christmas yet. You only do the Argos catalogue at Christmas. Ken, over to you for our last recommendation. Ken Robinson: Well, the best book quite hard to get hold of now, but I can supply copies is Action For Attractions, the National Policy Document, written in 2000. But if you want something other than that, then I have just finished reading a book which everyone else read years ago called Sapiens, which is about this thick, that's to say two and a half inches thick. For those of you listening. It's by somebody, I've just had to look him up because I couldn't have remembered it, by Yuval Noah Harari. And it's entitled A Brief History of Humankind. And what's so interesting about it is it goes through segments explaining the great moves that have happened to us humans since we appeared on this Earth. Ken Robinson: And I found the whole thing fascinating to read in one go what took me a long time, particularly the last bit, which talks about how commerce has changed the world and what we're all doing, and that's, after all, what we're doing at VAC. We are engaged in the kind of commerce that is to entertain, amuse and give enjoyment to our visitors, and at the same time keep the heritage of the country going and keep an awful lot of people employed, so I recommend Sapiens. Kelly Molson: Ken, that's a great book. It took me a really long time to read as well, but it is an absolutely fascinating book. I would totally back up your recommendation there. Have you read the next one as well, Homodeus? Ken Robinson: No one a year is enough for me. Kelly Molson: Well, I've got a toddler, so reading doesn't come easy for me right now. But Homodus is next on my list to read because that's the next one on from Sapiens and it's supposed to be a really good read as well. Right, listeners as ever, if you want to win a copy of Ken and Bernard's book, retweet this episode announcement with the words, I want the Vax books and you will be put into a prize drawer to win them. And also, do go and watch Silent Witness, Paul's recommendation, because it is blooming brilliant. I love it. Thank you all so much for coming on to join me today. I've really appreciated it. It's been a fascinating kind of deep dive into the Visitor Attractions Conference. I genuinely love this conference. It is one absolutely not to be missed. Kelly Molson: I mean, there might be a speaker called Kelly at this one. This is so I'll be there. Come and see me too. But no, thank you. It's been wonderful. As I said, we will put all of the info in the show notes. We'll put all of the connections to Paul, Ken and Bernard too. So if you've got any follow up questions that you want to ask them, I'm sure they'd be really happy to help. But it's vapevents.com. Go and grab your ticket now. Thank you, guys. Ken Robinson: And I have to tell you, Kelly, we are going to spend our time at our next committee meeting thinking of impossible questions for you for when you're speaking at VAC.Kelly Molson: Oh, God. Do it. I love impossible questions. Put me on the spot, Ken. I'll enjoy it. Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast. 

Before the introduction of steam engines and tractors to work the land Shire horses were once essential for the farm. Today, however, these heavy horses are considered to be a rare and endangered breed. Caroline Evans visits a tourist attraction in Pembrokeshire, where the family have increased the number of breeding shires they keep in order to try and sustain the breed. Indeed, on the day Country Focus visits a new arrival has just been born! The Dyfed Shire Horse Farm in Eglwyswrw boasts royal links, providing horses to the Household Cavalry over the years, with Major Apollo, or Ed as he was known on the farm, this year leading the horses in procession for King Charles III's coronation.

On today's Zero Limits Podcast I chat with Simon Moloney former British Army Household Cavalry Regiment Formation Reconnaissance Sniper.Moloney was serving with the Blues and Royals, part of the Household Cavalry, on his second tour of Afghanistan when he was nearly killed in July 2013 in Helmand province. He was part of a 12 man troop flown into a Taliban stronghold to seek out insurgents. The sniper and a machine gunner positioned themselves on the roof of a building to provide a watch and cover fire. But an enemy sharpshooter picked him out and shot him through the neck. The bullet entered the left side of his neck, missed his trachea and carotid main artery and exited through the right side but luckily a medic was on hand to help Simon. He is now a trustee of the Heads Up charity, an organisation that aims to provide mental health support for UK veterans and Servicemen. It's safe to say Simon is truly inspirational and knows a thing or two about motivation. Listen in for more! Let's GO!Support the show - https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9LG48GC49TW38Website - www.zerolimitspodcast.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/zero.limits.podcast/?hl=en

Acts of terrorism, a pandemic and a war this week 20 years ago. It's a bad news trifecta!We also break down the friendly fire incident that took place on March 28 2003 in Iraq. An incident that saw the USA's 190th Fighter Squadron accidentally open fire on the United Kingdom's Household Cavalry. We get to play Roxette again and Michael Moore offends the academy at the Oscars.We have our best, worst NY Times Best Seller yet.And Mel calls in an SME to give her the DL on an NYSYCer who went solo and the conspiracy that set them up for failure.Plus loads more! Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.

It was a sunny morning in Hyde Park in London. On this morning in Hyde Park, the Household Cavalry were taking part in a changing of the guard ceremony. As they passed by a parked car, a nail bomb that was hidden in the trunk of the car was detonated. The bomb was made up of 11 kilograms of gelignite and 14 kilograms of nails which turned into deadly shrapnel upon detonation causing a scene of utter devastation. Just two hours later, in Regents Park, which was nearby, 30 military bandsmen of the Royal Green Jackets were getting ready to perform on a bandstand. Unbeknownst to them, a bomb was hidden underneath their bandstand which was timed to go off as they were performing. When the bomb eventually exploded, it turned the entire bandstand into deadly shrapnel which caused utter devastation to the men performing. In this episode, we will look into the two bombings which occurred on this fateful day in Hyde Park and Regents Park which would be considered one of the most devastating attacks carried out on mainland Britain in the history of the troubles.

Chris Finney is the youngest solider to be awarded the George Cross for his actions whilst serving in Iraq. Today Chris is a family man and entrepreneur with an enduring point of view of his heroic actions, his leadership and his legacy. The George Cross was created in September 1940 by King George VI and is ranked alongside the Victoria Cross. Chris joined the army cadets aged 13 and the regular army at the tender age of 16. He trained at the Army Foundation College in  Harrogate where by his own admission he grew up and started to understand what life without his parents would be like and how each day needed his full effort regardless of his personal levels of motivation as his life was now about discipline. Chris joined The Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corp which resulted in him being deployed to Iraq on operational duties at 18 years old. After only one week he crossed the border into Iraq and whilst on routine patrol Chris's armoured column was hit by what they didn't know at the time, was friendly fire delivered by an American A10 Tank Buster plane. During the ensuing chaos, breakdown of command and communications, Chris found himself in a life or death situation. Chris had been injured by shrapnel, his gunner had multiple injuries including being shot by a 30mm round, he was unable to get his rifle, his vehicle was on fire and others were now running for their lives as the plane began to come round for a second attack. Whilst Chris's actions saved the life of his gunner Alan, he and others also had to make the heart wrenching decision not to make an attempt to save another gunner as it was simply too dangerous at the time and they had to accept the loss of one life as opposed to loss of multiple lives . Chris was surprised to learn from his Commanding Officer that he was to be awarded the George Cross in recognition of his actions from her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIAfter leaving the military Chris had joined forces with Joe Calzaghe the former undisputed Middle Weight Boxing Champion of the World to raise funds for Help The Heroes. Today Chris is happily married with three children running two garden centres as an entrepreneur and business owner.  

As King Charles III was proclaimed the new monarch of the UK and the Commonwealth realms, we were left questioning if the era of deference is a thing of the past or if it does still hold some meaning today. In this week's podcast, we discuss deference. Do kings and queens deserve the level of deference they receive or is it an anachronism? We attempt to define the key components of deference, speculate on the differences between deference and respect, discuss the If-By-Whiskey fallacy, Robert Sapolsky's seminal study of savanna baboons, the Household Cavalry and of course, the Queen's funeral. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The origins of deference: When do people prefer lower status? https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-05214-001 - Prospect: How deference is smothering the conversation Britain needs https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/deference-smothering-conversation-britain-needs-monarchy-republic-queen-elizabeth-king-charles - The London School of Economics and Political Science: Representing (Ir) Reverence: what The Crown can tell us about our relationship with the monarchy today https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/researchingsociology/2018/03/21/representing-irreverence-what-the-crown-can-tell-us-about-our-relationship-with-the-monarchy-today/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

"a day of infamy – but also London at its best"

We hear from Mark Dollar, Robert Walker and Pete Hockenhull about the Household Cavalry's preparations for the trooping of the colour, the busy season of a top show producer and an insight Into thoroughbred breeding at Shade Oak Stud.Queen Elizabeth II is a rock for many traditions of British life and her celebrations gave us all a time of happiness in the capital and in our villages and towns. Thankyou, Mam.

Keith Bailey Joined British Army at 16 in 1973. He was recruited into the Blues and Royals, (Household Cavalry) and served in West Germany as a gunner in Chieftain tanks. However, he was keen to serve in the Royal Military Police and particularly 19 (Support) Platoon known as "The White Mice". Their role was to track the SOXMIS (Soviet Military Mission) in West  Germany. SOXMIS operated under a 1946 agreement where the Soviets, British, US and French agreed to exchange mission groups to patrol the opposing side's then zones of occupation.The agreement continued to 1990 and needless to say both sides bent the rules somewhat… Cold War history is disappearing; however, a simple monthly donation will keep this podcast on the air. You'll get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/If a financial contribution is not your cup of tea, then you can still help us by leaving written reviews wherever you listen to us as well as sharing us on social media. It really helps us get new guests on the show.I am delighted to welcome Keith Bailey to our Cold War conversation…Episode notes & photos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode241/Follow us on Twitter here https://twitter.com/ColdWarPodFacebook here https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Support the show

From the Household Cavalry to Hollywood, Ray Milland is without doubt one of the great treasures of British screen acting. We look at two defining moments of his career. First we discuss his Oscar winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's noir drama The Lost Weekend (1945). Next we look at his superb portrayal of the cunning Tony Wendis in Alfred Hitchcock's legendary adaptation of Frederick Knott's play Dial M for Murder.

Alex Owen served in the Household Cavalry Regiment. He is a veteran of Afghanistan, a historian, and now works at The Royal British Legion.His instagram is @major.historyLinks to Geraint's books are available at http://www.grjbooks.comAudiobooks available at: https://www.audible.co.uk/search?searchAuthor=Geraint+JonesIf you are a veteran struggling with mental health, or you just want a bit of help adjusting to civvie life, then say hello to the Royal British Legion at @royalbritishlegion or http://www.rbl.orgThank you to our sponsors! The show doesn't happen without them!Combat Fuel - www.combat-fuel.co.ukCombat Combover - www.combatcombover.comwww.theescapegames.co.uk Kamoflage Ltd - www.kamoflage.co.ukRite Flank - www.riteflank.co.ukZulu Alpha Strap Company - @zulualphastrapsFor clips and content from the show, behind the scenes, and photos and videos of the guests' time on operations, follow @veteranstateofmind on Facebook and Instagram, and go to www.vsompodcast.com for links to all the connected sites, and an online submissions form for sending in your questions to the show. Cheers!Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=Ea-uUc26ENbNBYWd6-2779MBUZrl6WymCW_b0GdibwrG6-xBlWcpjLS6osk9OqZFbR9wOm&country.x=GB&locale.x=GB)

Reducing Antibiotic use in Livestock - the Arwain Vet Cymru project has been training up a network of Veterinary Prescribing Champions. It's now set to be a blueprint globally to promote responsible use of antibiotics in livestock. Trying to refreeze the North Pole - the Bangor University scientists who've designed an ice machine which runs on renewable energy.  How Cowslips, one of our best-known spring flowers , are an important symbol of our once flower-rich meadows. See below for details of how to help the count. And the first mare from the Dyfed Shires Horse Farm in Pembrokeshire joins the Household Cavalry. It's a fond farewell to 8 year old, Willa Rose but they're looking forward to the return of Celt after 11 years as a drum horse.

The Queen has been forced to step in and mediate a family squabble over who wears what to Prince Philip's funeral.With one close member of the royal family no longer officially part of the British military (Harry), and another caught up in scandal (Andrew) the topic of who was and was not going to wear their military uniform was causing tension. So the Queen put her foot down.In a departure from royal tradition the Queen has declared that no family members will be wearing their military uniforms, instead they will don traditional mourning attire.The move was at least partly to do with a desire not to embarrass Harry, who was forced to give up his military titles when he retired from royal duties and moved to America with his wife, Meghan and young son, Archie.Sources say that Harry, 36, dearly wanted to wear the same Blues and Royals dress uniform that he wore for his marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018, but he is not entitled to wear it any longer.Harry was a serving member of the military for many years, and held the rank of captain with the Household Cavalry, so he would understandably be upset to be the only senior royal not in uniform at the funeral.The waters of family unity got even murkier when disgraced royal Andrew declared that he would wear an admiral's uniform to the funeral, despite making a decision to defer taking up a royal promotion in light of his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.Andrew has not been officially stripped of his military title and would technically be eligible to wear a vice-admiral uniform to the funeral. It seems that the royal family were aware than Andrew being allowed to wear the uniform, in spite of being embroiled in a scandal, while Harry could not, would send the wrong message.In order to present a united front, a request was made - and approved by the Queen herself - that the family would all dress the same in morning coats and black ties for the men and simple black outfits for the women.Royal experts point out that this will be only the second time in more than a century that the royal family did not wear their military uniforms to the funeral of a monarch.The funeral for Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be a royal ceremonial funeral, which is described as a little less fancy and grand than a state funeral but with many similar ceremonial elements.

Welcome back PLAYERS! In this episode we are talking with J. from Feral Games Inc. about his next Kickstarter: Ghost Ops Second Strike. We then hear Gaz get all flustered with the news. Big Jim talks about Collateral Damage during games and Marty talks about what is the best way to get new gamers? Bill finishes out the show with Convention updates.    In the News:  https://www.facebook.com/victrixlimited Vitrix are adding to their 28mm Napoleonic range with some cavalry options. This will allow you to build either British Dragoons or Scots Greys with the kit containing the different heads to do one or the other. Following soon we will see a trumpeter and an officer before they move onto the Household Cavalry. https://wargamesatlantic.com/blogs/news/new-set-announcement-boxer-rebellion?_pos=3&_sid=ec30d95b7&_ss=r https://wargamesatlantic.com/blogs/news/boxers-ready-for-tooling?_pos=2&_sid=ec30d95b7&_ss=r Wargames Atlantic is bringing the Boxer Rebellion to us as we see their new miniature line move into the tooling stage in preparation for production. https://www.facebook.com/mailempressminiaturescom Empress Miniatures are continuing to expand their Vietnam miniature range and are this time bringing some elephants to the table. https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/hmv?mc_cid=4c7ff28e74&mc_eid=9b7426eda3 https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/weapons?mc_cid=4c7ff28e74&mc_eid=9b7426eda3 https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/drones?mc_cid=4c7ff28e74&mc_eid=9b7426eda3 Spectre Miniatures have plenty of stuff back in stock from HMV variants, weapon enhancement for vehicles and drone options. http://kck.st/3qO1Epu Footsore Miniatures Savage Frontier Kickstarter FIW (meet funding in 90 minutes.   

This episode I talk to Darren who served in the army for 24 years. We chat about his tours, including Bosnia, Iraq, the Arctic circle, Antartica and the jungle to name just a few. We chat about his work in the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry escorting Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal family on ceremonial duties, including the Royal wedding of Prince William. Darren also chats about his incredible proposal to his now wife, Keryl. You definitely do not want to miss this!

"out of hundreds of London mews there are only three where you can..."

James Wharton is an author of 2 books. His first book “Out in the Army” tells the story of how he came out when he was in the Household Cavalry aged 19. This has been turned into a screenplay called “Posterboy” and it recently was previewed at the virtual Edinburgh Fringe. His second book is called“Something for the Weekend” in which James writes about his experience of the chemsex world. In this episode James talks about his experiences of growing up in Wales, coming out in the army and coming out to his family and friends. James has moved from London to the country where he lives with his partner Alan and their dog Lando. He divides his time between his work as a journalist and studying film studies at Warwick University. @jameswharton

AES International chief executive Sam Instone is kicking himself. Having shared a room with James Blunt while the two were both officers in the Household Cavalry, it is safe to say doubting Blunt's talents was not one of his best decisions. In episode one of Citywire’s new Advice Around the World podcast, Instone tells Ian Horne and Amelia Garland about some of his better ones too, though. As you will find out in the podcast, Instone is more than just the leader of one of the Middle East’s leading financial planning firms. He is also a magnificent storyteller. Where to begin? For a kick off, Sam is a former member of the Household Cavalry, the Queen’s official bodyguard. Staggeringly, he tells us in detail about the time he leapt into action to block a dangerous projectile, that had been hurtling towards the monarch. It a cracking story, quite literally. We also hear about his time spent serving alongside Blunt. Instone gives a privileged insight into the early years of the star's early musical career, as well as some of his reflections on getting to know the man himself. And yes, this podcast is about financial planning too. We ask Instone about financial advice in Dubai. Is it really the Wild West that many perceive it to be? And if so, is there any hope that unscrupulous advisers might be turfed out anytime soon? Tune in to get Instone’s take. All in all, an exciting start to the new series. Next stop, Australia.

Harry Wales is a former Army officer serving in 2 operation tours of Afghanistan. One on the ground in the Household Cavalry and the second as an Apache pilot with the Army Air Corps.  Since leaving the Army he has been a catalyst in the success of many military programmes developing the veteran community including the Endeavour Fund, Walking With The Wounded and of course, the Invictus Games.   He’s been an advocate for societal change regarding mental health supporting  - Time For Change, Heads Together and the upcoming HeadFIT project.   Harry is also a Team Rubicon UK (TRUK) grey shirt having volunteered in the aftermath of the devastating 2015 Nepalese earthquake.   This episode delves into the qualities of our veteran community and explains what TRUK and their veteran volunteers are doing right now to support the NHS and indeed society. @teamrubiconuk @declassnetwork Features Iris Audio Technology 

This year marks Lorraine Kelly's 35th year as a broadcaster and her 60th birthday. Born in the Gorbals to teenage parents, Lorraine took a job at her local newspaper instead of a place at university and, despite being sacked while on maternity leave, is now one of Britain’s best known television presenters. Her new book Shine shares her secrets for success. Amy Powney, creative director of sustainable fashion label Mother of Pearl, spent much of her childhood without mains electricity or running water when her parents sold their house to live off-grid in rural Lancashire. Despite being taken to school in a handmade trailer and having requests for tracksuits denied, Amy found that her parents approach to ethical living had influenced her when she began a career in fashion. Professor Adam M Hill MB PhD is a dual-qualified Clinician and Mechanical Engineer with a military background and a career built at the interface of industry, academia and health systems. Adam is the Chief Executive Officer at immuno-diagnostics company Oncimmune, a company who are trailing new ways to detect cancer, but he has previously worked for the McClaren F1 team and has served in the Household Cavalry. Carol Bates' mum Vivien Grant contacted us after hearing our interview with former footballer Casey Stoney, talking about her struggles to play the game she loved. Carol is from the generation of girls who weren’t able to play football at school or elsewhere and it wasn’t until she set up her own team at the age of 48, that she fulfilled her dream. For Inheritance Tracks this week, actor Toby Stephens chooses You Are In My Vision by Gary Numan and Tubeway Army and She Belongs To Me by Bob Dylan. Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland

The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom. The groom, Prince William, is second in the line of succession to the British throne. The bride, Catherine Middleton, had been his girlfriend since 2003. The Dean of Westminster, John Hall, presided at the service; the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, conducted the marriage; Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, preached the sermon; and a reading was given by the bride's brother, James. William's best man was his brother, Prince Harry, while the bride's sister, Pippa, was maid of honour. The ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, as well as members of foreign royal dynasties, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. After the ceremony, the couple made the traditional appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. As Prince William was not the heir apparent to the throne, the wedding was not a full state occasion and many details were left to the couple to decide, such as much of the guest list of about 1,900. Prince William and Kate Middleton met in 2001. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the 1981 marriage of William's parents. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding; organisations and hotels held events across Canada, over 5,000 street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom, and one million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions more around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with a total of 36.7 million watching part of the coverage. In 2001, Middleton and Prince William met while studying at the University of St Andrews. They began dating in 2003. On 16 November 2010, Clarence House stated that Prince William was to marry Catherine Middleton "in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London". They were engaged in October 2010, while on a private holiday in Kenya; Prince William gave Middleton the same engagement ring that his father had given to William's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales—an 18-karat white gold ring with a 12-carat oval Ceylon (Sri Lankan) sapphire and 14 round diamonds. It was announced at approximately the same time that, after their marriage, the couple would live on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where Prince William was based with the Royal Air Force. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thehistoryexpress/support

UNIVERSITY OF EXCELLENCE WWW.UOFE.ORG Prince HandleyPresident / Regent   HOW TO COMMIT MURDERTHE TONGUE AND THE TITANIC You can listen to this message NOW. Click on the pod circle at top left. (Allow images to display.) Or, Listen NOW >> LISTEN HERE   Email this message to a friend.   Subscribe to this Ezine teaching by Email: princehandley@gmail.com (Type “Subscribe” in the “Subject” line.)   24/7 release of Prince Handley teachings, BLOGS and podcasts > STREAM   Text: “follow princehandley” to 40404 (in USA) Or, Twitter: princehandley   _________________________________  HOW TO COMMIT MURDERTHE TONGUE AND THE TITANIC I want to talk to you today about How to Commit Murder - or - The Tongue and the Titanic. I used to live on my boat. It was a sloop and had excellent turning capabilities. Generally, the rudder of a ship should be 1/70th of the size of the hull. And, there is a formula used by naval architects to calculate the area of a ship's rudder: AR = K x LBP x d (m2). WORDS DETERMINE DIRECTION The rudder of a ship guides it through the waters; it determines the ship's directions. It is the same way with your rudder: your tongue. It guides your life and determines the direction you travel … plus it determines in great extent what comes into your life because you're passing through those charted areas you predetermIned by your speech. As a student of coastal navigation I learned to chart my sailing trips. In the same way you are charting your future – as well as the present – by what comes out of your mouth. The rudder of a ship is small compared to the overall size of the vessel; however, it turns the vessel wherever the captain of the ship determines. Our brother James tells us: “Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.” (James 3:4) King Solomon said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) “Death” words discourage: they are destructive and debilitating; they impair one's strength and make weak or feeble. “Life” words encourage: they minister hope and potential; they provide encouragement and a reason for continued perserverance. If you want to win in life, make a decision to live … and to help others do the same with your words! Your words influence direction for you … and for others. It has been said that a person has two voices: the one they use at home and the one they use with others. Example: Do you speak to your Rabbi or Pastor the same way that you speak to your spouse or your children at home? Synagogue and church gossipers can hurt others with their words. Here's another example: “Did you see what Melani wore last week?! She had 20 pounds of sugar in a five pound sack! And, did you notice the tattoo?!” April 14-15, 1912, the British luxury passenger liner, Titanic, sank en route to New York City from Southampton, England during its maiden voyage. The vessel sank with a loss of about 1,500 lives. It's rudder directed it into an iceberg. WORDS ARE LIKE FIRE Our beloved brother James – comparing the tongue to a ship's rudder – also tells us, “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles.” (James 3:5)Many times I have seen where thousands of acres of beautiful forest land have been destroyed by a small campfire. The word used for “fire” in the original Greek language is the word “pur: which means more than just regular fire, it means “lightning.” Your words have the power to burn people! In Psalm 52:2, King David shares, “Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.” In the Guiness Book of World Records – and confirmed by GPS – Craig Harrison of the UK’s Household Cavalry killed two Taliban insurgents from a distance of 2,474 m / 2.47 km (8,120 ft, or 1.54 miles) in November 2009. It took the 8.59 mm rounds almost three seconds to hit their targets, which were 914 m (3,000 ft) beyond the L115A3 sniper rifle’s recommended range. A third shot took out the insurgent’s machine gun. The rifle used was by Accuracy International. I mentioned this “sniper kill record” to let you know that your words can kill worldwide. Fire can hurt other than through your tongue – it can hurt people through your fingertips – for example, through E-mail or social media. WORDS MUST BE GUARDED Benjamin Franklin said, “Slip of the foot, you can recover. Slip of the tongue, you may never recover.” James also taught us, “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:7-8) I know what you're thinking. You're thnking, “Well, if the tongue cannot be tamed WHY are you teaching on this?” My answer is, “Because we can learn to discipline ourselves.” That's why James said that if we don't stumble in our words (James 3:2) we are mature and able to “bridle” the whole body – a bridle directs a horse like a rudder directs a ship like a tongue directs a life. Monitoring your words may seem difficult at first, but it will help you to progress in right living. Learn to speak well of others – even if they don't speak well of you – because: 1. slander issues out of demonic, worldly wisdom; and, 2. God is the Judge. I recommend you study my teaching, Don't Let the Little Dogs Bother You (How to Shake Off Liars and Gossips) because it will help you to see immensely the inner workings of such evil. Here are some keys to help you guard your words: 1. Learn not to speak rashly. Zip your lips! 2. Pick your battles. Know when to hold them and when to fold them! 3. Speak life. Be a minister of the sanctuary. 4. Sleep on it (even your emails). In the morning you may say: “Glad I didn't do that.” WORDS GO OUT INTO ETERNITY For several years during the early 1970's I lived a few blocks from Richard and Karen Carpenter – The Carpenters. One of my favorite songs they recorded was: We've Only Just Begun. (Listen to it in the podcast) We had a mutual friend, Jim White, who owned a stationery store where Karen Carpenter and I used to do business. (By God's grace, I led the owner of that store to Christ at the counter one day and he became a wonderful Christian.) Karen died at the age of 33 of heart failure caused by anorexia nervosa in the city of Downey (Los Angeles area) where I still have an office. She had struggled for eight years with chronic anorexia. Karen had been down to 79 pounds in weight, and started back up to 110, but died one year later. What most people don't know is this: A radio personality one time referred to Karen as “Richard's chubby little sister.” Those words went out into eternity with Karen. Words determine direction – they're like fire – and they must be guarded. Words go out into eternity with blessing or cursing … with life or death. CHOOSE LIFE! Below are some resources to help you as you learn to monitor your tongue for charting YOUR course in LIFE:   ACTION KEYS FOR SUCCESS HOW TO DO GREAT WORKS SUCCESS CYCLES AND SECRETS Search for other books here: Prince Handley Books Live a life of excellence! Your friend, Prince Handley President / Regent University of Excellence Podcast time: 10 minutes, 55 seconds __________  24/7 Prince Handley BLOGS, teachings, and podcasts Click the Dove above_______________ _________________________ Rabbinical & Biblical Studies The Believers’ Intelligentsia Prince Handley Portal (1,000’s of FREE resources) Prince Handley Books NOTICE Share as God leads you and partner with Prince Handley to help him do the exploits the LORD has assigned him. God will reward you abundantly on earth … and in Heaven!   Click secure DONATE button below. DONATE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT WILL BE SENT TO YOU ___________________________

Meet Major Richard Waygood MBE. Former Riding Master in the Household Cavalry and a 30 year career. Richard realised a lifetime ambition when he rode around Badminton and evented for Her Majesty The Queen.In 2009 Richard was appointed Performance Manager for The British Dressage Team (London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics) and in 2017 he was appointed Performance Manager to The British Eventing Team. Listen to Richard share his experiences on the #HorseHour Podcast. Richard is speaking at the International Eventing Forum on 4th February. Purchase your tickets here: http://www.internationaleventingforum.com/Join in the conversation on Twitter 8pm-9pm UK Time, just use #HorseHour in your tweets. Follow us @HorseHour on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and get more education, podcasts, pictures and videos at HorseHour.co.uk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Soldiers who served with Prince Harry in Afghanistan prepare for their role in his wedding. Read more >> https://ift.tt/2KUR4ZA

In Today's episode of the Mind Set Game Podcast, I sat down with Corie Mapp. He lost both legs in 2010 in an ambush in Afghanistan, while serving in The Household Cavalry. Today his only concern is to give something back, to inspire others. With roots in Barbados, Corrie excels at sport - he has played disabled cricket for Hampshire, was part of the Paralympic bobsleigh team - and it's been a key part of his physical and mental recovery. When he's back home in Swindon, he helps at the Royal Legion centre - assisting other veterans. He is a hero who is fiercely competitive...but a man who judges success not in medals, but rather in being an example to others. “If we sit at home, pile loads of weight on and feel sorry for ourselves, things go downhill. Sport helps me stay fit and competitive, and keeps me mentally sharp. Sport has been incredibly important for me, and for everyone competing in these Games. I desperately needed something to focus on during rehab. Sport fills a gap in my life that the Army had left.” For more information about Corie connect with his Twitter, and Instagram. For more information about Mind Set Game connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Chris Dean began his career as a boy soldier in the Household Cavalry. His first job as a freelance musician was playing lead trombone at the London Palladium so after he joined the Syd Lawrence Orchestra and he's been running the band for the last twenty years. 

Miles Jupp joins the Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir and shares his love of cricket, rollercoasters and why he is possibly the poshest stand-up comedian on the circuit. Lance Corporal Richard Jones from the Household Cavalry reveals how he combines being a magician alongside his military career. Plus a trio of extreme sports enthusiasts: Blake Aldridge on why he left the world of Olympic diving to become a cliff diver, Emily Guilding explains the appeal of wing walking and why she performs headstands strapped to the wings of a plane and Saturday Live listener Romy Shovelton who races camels in her spare time. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of the former head of the army Lord Richard Dannatt, High on a Hill by the Band and Bugles Of The Light Division and Highland Cathedral by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard. Miles Jupp's stand-up tour Songs Of Freedom starts on September 7th at the Stables in Milton Keynes, and continues around the UK finishing in February 2017. Richard Jones is starring in the Impossible magic show, at the Noel Coward Theatre in London until the 27th August. Romy Shovelton will be camel racing at Chilham Castle, Canterbury on 4th September. Blake Aldridge can next be seen diving in the UK at Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the 11th September. Produced by Claire Bartleet and Steven Williams Editor: Beverley Purcell.

In this episode, we find out about the Household Cavalry which is made up of two very famous Regiments - the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Their military role is with armoured fighting vehicles, but their special Mounted Divisions ride horses – and so these soldiers must be highly skilled equestrians as well as elite soldiersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news includes: The new season of Who You Think You Are? begins on 23 July on the TLC Network. Ancestry.com has recovered from the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on 16 June 2014, and Scott Sorensen, Chief Technology Officer, assures the public that no data was compromised. MyHeritage has made all of its World War I military records free to search through the end of July. They also will present their first interactive webinar highlighting their newly updated mobile app on Wednesday, 23 July 2014. RootsMagic has introduced its new Weekly Tips on their blog and, you can also see these by Liking RootsMagic on Facebook and Following them there. The British Newspaper Archive has recently added 240,000 new digitized newspaper pages to their subscription service. Blaine Bettinger has started a new website called "How-To DNA" at http://www.howtodna.com. The site will include short instructional videos for beginners as well as presentations and webcasts for the advanced genealogists, all created and produced by DNA experts. WikiTree has announced the DNA Ancestor Confirmation Aid, a tool to help genealogists confirm their ancestry. Findmypast.co.uk announced that it has bought Origins.net, the vast online subscription service with more than 156 million British, Scottish, and Irish records. Findmypast.co.uk announced that it has acquired Mocavo, the genealogy-focused Internet search engine. Drew highlights the new and updated collections from FamilySearch that have been added in the last month. The Georgia Archives, located in Morrow, Georgia, south of Atlanta, has announced that it has returned to a five-day operating week, Tuesday through Saturday. The South Carolina State Library is offering Digitization in a Box, a complete digitization solution, to the state's libraries to put their historic photos and documents online. The Library of Congress has collected more than 4,000 family records forms and registers. These are now being made available for free download, printing, and use at http://www.loc.gov/search/?q=+family+records+and+registers. The National Archives (TNA) in the UK has announced the release of digitized images for the following collections: Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force service records, 1899-1939; Royal Air Force combat reports, 1939-1945; Royal Air Force officers' service records, 1918-1919; Household Cavalry service records, 1799-1920. It has been announced that funding in the amount of £2.2 million is to be given to Welsh museums, libraries, and archives. Part of these funds will be used for archives to open up their collections and resources to the community. Ancestry.com and ProQuest have announced an expanded distribution agreement to deliver enhanced online solutions to and through libraries, including Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online. The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced that William (Bill) Forsyth of ProQuest is the recipient of the 2014 Genealogical Publishing Company award. Kirkus Reviews has named Out of Style: A Modern Perspective of How, Why and When Vintage Fashions Evolved, by Betty Kreisel Shubert as “One of the Best Books of 2013.” Gavin Laboski has shared news of a new iPad app called Timeline Builder, available at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timeline-builder-create-design/id733989611?mt=8. The Guys review two books of interest to genealogists: Drew discusses Mind Maps for Genealogy: Enhanced Research Planning, Correlation, and Analysis, by Ron Arons. George discusses The Family Tree Historical Maps Book: A State-by-State Atlas of U.S. History, 1790 – 1900, by Allison Dolan and the Editors of Family Tree Magazine. Listener email includes: Carole asks for advice about how to cite information about a child that only lived a few days and for whom there is neither a birth nor death certificate. Using the 1900 and 1910 censuses, she may be able to infer the child's birth, and The Guys provide some suggestions. Jenny wants to know how far out The Guys study and record collateral lines.

The Lane Fox family offer you a very warm welcome to the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials. This annual event is both an equestrian sporting event and a social event. George's eldest son, Nick, also served in the Household Cavalry for 10 years before a career in business in Leeds and London. In 1989 he married The Hon. Rachel Baring, eldest daughter of the 2nd Lord Howick of Glendale. Together they have 5 children. Following his mother's death in 1997, Nick and his family moved into the House and he took over the management of the Estate from his father. He has further developed and diversified the businesses of the Estate. In 1999, with a grant from English Heritage, he commissioned a Landscape Management and Conservation Plan, to serve as a guide for the continued restoration of Robert Benson's grand design. In 2003 the Leeds Rock Festival moved to Bramham, further enhancing the Estate and allowing the restoration of the Southern Parkland, which had been ploughed-out during World War II. Nick & Rachel continue to develop Bramham, the 10th generation of the creator's family, preserving it for its next 300 years.

This week we bring you an interview with James Wharton, a former soldier and author of Out in the Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier.  Joining the army at 16, James spent ten years in the Household Cavalry serving both ceremonially in the capital and operationally in Iraq. During his decade of service, He was instrumental in the change of attitude towards LGBT people in the British military, becoming the first ever gay person to appear on the front cover of Soldier magazine. To learn more about James Wharton visit his site www.jameswhartonwrites.com/ and be sure to purchase his book Out in the Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier available as of today in the United States thru our Amazon link at www.cocktailsandcreampuffs.com

The Lane Fox family offer you a very warm welcome to the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials. This annual event is both an equestrian sporting event and a social event. George's eldest son, Nick, also served in the Household Cavalry for 10 years before a career in business in Leeds and London. In 1989 he married The Hon. Rachel Baring, eldest daughter of the 2nd Lord Howick of Glendale. Together they have 5 children. Following his mother's death in 1997, Nick and his family moved into the House and he took over the management of the Estate from his father. He has further developed and diversified the businesses of the Estate. In 1999, with a grant from English Heritage, he commissioned a Landscape Management and Conservation Plan, to serve as a guide for the continued restoration of Robert Benson's grand design. In 2003 the Leeds Rock Festival moved to Bramham, further enhancing the Estate and allowing the restoration of the Southern Parkland, which had been ploughed-out during World War II. Nick & Rachel continue to develop Bramham, the 10th generation of the creator's family, preserving it for its next 300 years.

SITREP TRAIL 29 March How much trust is there between British and Afghan forces following the shooting of two British soldiers and what can be done to help prevent another attack? The Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond's surprise visit to Afghanistan What mistakes were made in the lead-up to the Argentine invasion of the Falklands Islands? And the preparations of the Household Cavalry as they get ready for a busy schedule this summer.   PRESENTER:  Kate Gerbeau STUDIO GUESTS:  BFBS's defence analyst, Christopher Lee Interviews with:Major Mike Minor on training of Afghan recruits.Major General Julian Thompson, commander 40 Brigade during the Falklands war.British Forces News reporter James Hirst from Afghanistan. ......................................................................................................................................You can listen on BFBS Radio 2 at 1630 (UK time) and on BFBS Radio 1 at 1830 (UK time)Alternatively listen again on the website.

SITREP TRAIL 29 March How much trust is there between British and Afghan forces following the shooting of two British soldiers and what can be done to help prevent another attack? The Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond’s surprise visit to Afghanistan What mistakes were made in the lead-up to the Argentine invasion of the Falklands Islands? And the preparations of the Household Cavalry as they get ready for a busy schedule this summer.   PRESENTER:  Kate Gerbeau STUDIO GUESTS:  BFBS’s defence analyst, Christopher Lee Interviews with:Major Mike Minor on training of Afghan recruits.Major General Julian Thompson, commander 40 Brigade during the Falklands war.British Forces News reporter James Hirst from Afghanistan. ......................................................................................................................................You can listen on BFBS Radio 2 at 1630 (UK time) and on BFBS Radio 1 at 1830 (UK time)Alternatively listen again on the website.

A historical military fanfare - composer unknown.

A historical military fanfare - composer unknown.