Podcast appearances and mentions of kingston upon thames

In this episode of Danny Hurst´s Unusual Histories Bridge Series, he reaches Kingston-Upon-Thames the location of two of the oldest bridges in London. As a bonus, he also tells you about a nearby bridge that is even older than the ones at Kingston. Danny reveals the connection the bridges have with salmon, witch trials, the incredibly violent traditional football matches, twin power stations, the oldest shipyard on the river, Braveheart and much more. If you can´t get enough of these podcasts, head to https://www.patreon.com/DannyHurst to access my exclusive, member-only, fun-filled and fact-packed history-related videos. KEY TAKEAWAYS Until Putney Bridge opened in 1729, Kingston was the only place to cross The Thames between Staines and London Bridge. The blue plaque on Kingston Bridge references one of the area's lost industries. The nearby Clattern Bridge is thought to be the oldest intact bridge in London. There has been a bridge in the area since Roman times. The original Kingston Bridge was made of cast iron. Kingston Upon Thames was where 7 Saxon kings were crowned, including one king that the locals mostly keep quiet about. Kingston was the first royal borough in England. The stone the bridge is made from is self-cleaning. BEST MOMENTS “The first power station closed in 1959 the second in 1980.” “The coronation stone stands outside the Guild Hall in Kingston and has a coin from the reign of each of those aforementioned 7 kings (crowned here).” “Clattern Bridge is thought to date back to around 1175 making it not only one of the oldest intact bridges in London, but also one of the oldest in England.” “While politicians filibustered (about replacing the bridge), nature intervened, and during a particularly intense frost in 1814 a whole section of the bridge collapsed.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.citybridgefoundation.org.uk Barnes Bridge episode - https://omny.fm/shows/unusual-histories/047-uh HOST BIO Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can. CONTACT AND SOCIALS https://instagram.com/dannyjhurstfacebook.com/danny.hurst.9638 https://twitter.com/dannyhurst https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-hurst-19574720

Eyecare Opticians (020 8549 0331) now has an in-depth guide into retinal detachment and why you shouldn't worry about uncomfortable diagnostics with optomap available at the Ham, Kingston Upon Thames clinic. Read the full guide at: https://www.eyecareopticians.com/optomap-for-retinal-detachment-diagnosis-treatment-how-it-works Eyecare Opticians City: Kingston Upon Thames, Address: 307 Richmond Road, Website: https://www.eyecareopticians.com/

In this week's episode of Sober Stories from Everyday People I am discussing all things sobriety with Penny in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Penny is an opiate recovery worker in Camden and has masters in public health. Penny is 130 days sober at the time of this recording.Penny describes a typical drinking life with minimal consequences until it started to affect the things she really cared about. She talks about hearing a voice inside which was trying to save her and how important it was to set a goal and get support.You can find Penny on instagram at @goodfridaze.

Libraries are about so much more than books. Just ask librarian for Kingston Upon Thames, Marion Tessier, who trained as a boardgame librarian. On National Boardgame Day, she gives us a fasincating glimpse into her job. 

Kingston Upon Thames's most innovative optician, Eyecare Opticians (020-8549-0331), is pleased to be at the forefront of good vision and eye health, and they encourage you to book your yearly check-up. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of 20/20 vision, go to https://www.eyecareopticians.com/. Eyecare Opticians City: Kingston Upon Thames, Address: 307 Richmond Road, Website: https://www.eyecareopticians.com/

On Monday 18 March 2024 Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB) launched their new Queen's Promenade recorded Audio Described Guide. KAB has been working for the past 2 years with VocalEyes to produce an interesting guide full of history, facts and descriptions to make the walk accessible and inclusive.  Through the new guide blind and partially sighted people will be able to stroll along Queen's Promenade beside the River Thames and listen to descriptions of historical buildings, local landmarks, and the Thames riverside ending with a chance to discover a new sensory garden too. Odette Batteral, Chief Executive of Kingston Association for the Blind explains to RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey about how the guide came about, a flavour of some of the 10 stop on the guide and how KAB hope the guide will open up the history of the local area to blind and partially sighted people. The Queen' Promenade recorded Audio Described Guide  has been made possible with grants from The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames and Sport England to encourage people to stay active and well while enjoying walking outdoors along the riverside. A big thanks for the kind support of the Kingston Historical Society, the Friends of the Queen's Promenade and KAB members who helped with the wonderful stories and testing of the audio tracks. To find out more about the Queen's Promenade recorded audio Described Guide and listen to the guide too do visit the following pages of the Kingston Association for the Blind's website - https://kingstonassociationforblind.org/advocacy/ (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

Nikita Sandhu and David Hossack discuss a recent Employment Tribunal case where it was found that the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames discriminated against a trans employee by “deadnaming”.

Nikita Sandhu and David Hossack discuss a recent Employment Tribunal case where it was found that the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames discriminated against a trans employee by “deadnaming”.

Ellesu (44-7946-878254) is offering to cater events of all sizes with their mouth-watering traditional menu. This case study recounting the success of a recent event showcases exactly what they can do! Learn more at https://redmarketingfirm.com/blog/post/ellesu-nigerian-food-catering-service-for-autumn-nigerian-traditional-wedding-in-kingston-upon-thames-uk Ellesu City: Waddon Address: 26A Fernleigh Close Website https://ellesu.com Phone +447946878254 Email info@ellesu.com

Welcome to episode 215 of The All Seeing Guys Podcast with Greg and Joe, this episode is a special one as the guys aren't on Skype, or around the kitchen table, but out! Down the pub in Kingston, no prep, just the Zoom mic, and a few beers.  The guys talk Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, Korn, and going out for dinner which sparked our own bad version of the Ed Gamble and James Acaster podcast 'Off The Menu' format where we discuss our ideal three-course meal, which goes into many food-based discussions and a look back at our cooking show idea 'Crikey That's Food'.  All this and much more 

Welcome to episode 207 of The All Seeing Guys Podcast with Greg and Joe. In this episode, the guys catch up, talk flat hunting, a Star Wars party, cows in stilettos, gravy in the bedroom, beef ballrooms, and other vagina slang before moving onto the eavesdropping segment, Geezdropping. The guys also talk Ted Lasso finale (spoilers), the woman who convinced her husband that Bigfoot got her pregnant, all this and much more. 

This week is a special one where I got to chop it and set the world to rights in person on the mean streets of Kingston-Upon-Thames with my good friend, Matt Wilcock of WEREWOLVES, THE ANTICHRIST IMPERIUM, ABRAMELIN and SHOTGUN MISTRESS. We discussed his current bands, his time in AKERCOCKE, what motivates him as a musician at this stage of his life and much more.PLUS - A review the new NECROFIER record, “Burning Shadows In The Southern Night” and a surprise guest joins me for my weekly news rant. ▶️SUPPORT THE BANDS FEATURED ON THIS EPISODEWerewolveshttps://werewolvesdeathmetal.bandcamp.com/ The Antichrist Imperiumhttps://apocalypticwitchcraft.bandcamp.com/ Abramelinhttps://abramelin1.bandcamp.com/ Shotgun Mistresshttps://www.facebook.com/shotgunmistress Necrofierhttps://necrofier.bandcamp.com/ Obsidian Shrinehttps://obsidianshrine.bandcamp.com/ ▶️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://youtube.com/c/IntoTheNecrosphere ▶️STREAM & DOWNLOADAmazon Musichttps://amzn.to/3epNJ4K Spotifyhttps://spoti.fi/3iKqbIP Apple Podcastshttps://apple.co/38wDYhi ▶️SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/intothenecrosphere Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/intothenecrosphere Twitterhttps://twitter.com/inecrosphere ▶️INTO THE NECROSPHERE MERCHhttps://into-the-necrosphere.creator-spring.com

When it comes to creating an extraordinary Nigerian culinary experience, ELLESU Restaurant & Catering Services (+447946878254) knows how to spice things up in the most delightful way. The autumn Nigerian traditional wedding in Kingston upon Thames is proof of that! To learn more, visit https://ellesu.com/ellesu-nigerian-food-catering-service-for-autumn-nigerian-traditional-wedding-in-kingston-upon-thames-uk-case-study/ Ellesu 26A Fernleigh Close, Waddon, England CR0 4RX, United Kingdom Website https://ellesu.com Phone +44-7946-878254 Email info@ellesu.com

Welcome to episode 192 of The All Seeing Guys Podcast With Greg & Joe, In this episode, the guys catch up, Greg has a pub trip to London and a wedding, Joe has a music/torture question that sparks a dive into the lyrics of 'Freak Me' by 'Another Level', before moving onto the eavesdropping segment, 'Geezedropping' with plenty more sent in by you lovely folk. The guys look at some examples of British culture from cups of tea to awkward greetings and always apologising, talk about the constant wet weather, and look at a story involving a group of 'homeless' artists who lived undetected in a shopping mall for four years.  All this and much more in between 

Doomed queen of Henry VIII, mother to Elizabeth I, the epic story of Anne Boleyn.Anne Boleyn was the most controversial and scandalous woman ever to sit on the throne of England. From her early days at the imposing Hever Castle in Kent, to the glittering courts of Paris and London, Anne caused a stir wherever she went. Alluring but not beautiful, Anne's wit and poise won her numerous admirers at the English court, and caught the roving eye of King Henry. Anne was determined to shape her own destiny, first through a secret engagement to Henry Percy, the heir of the Earl of Northumberland, and later through her insistence on marriage with the king, after a long and tempestuous relationship as his mistress. Their love affair was as extreme as it was deadly, from Henry's 'mine own sweetheart' to 'cursed and poisoning whore' her fall from grace was total.ABOUT THE AUTHORElizabeth Norton gained her first degree from the Universiy of Cambridge, and her Masters from the University of Oxford. Her other books include Jane Seymour: Henry VIII's True Love, Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII's Discarded Bride (both published by Amberley Publishing) and She Wolves: The Notorious Queens of England. She lives in Kingston Upon Thames.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio.

This episode will cover human-centred public consultation, a shout out to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and much more! Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things related to public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK. We'll have special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world! In this episode, Jonno's feature topic is human-centred public consultation and how it might affect the humanisation of the public consultation process. We also have our shout out, the tool of the month, and a new segment: the stat of the month (an homage to Stato). Plus, in the absence of a special guest, Wilson the tortoise makes his (or her) debut. 1. Feature Topic. What can we learn from human-centred design? What are your thoughts on applying concepts like direct engagement, context of use, and evaluation to the design of consultation projects? Do participant personas have more of a role to play? And much, much, more. 2. Shout Out. Hammersmith and Fulham and their new(ish) site Have Your Say has a great call to action and an excellent explanation for why people should register. 3. Special Guest. In the absence of a special guest, Wilson the tortoise stands in. Please let us know if you would like to be our special guest in a future episode by emailing us at. 4. Tool of the Month. Kingston Council's use of the ideas tool in their project focusing on community parks. Great job Kingston Upon Thames council! 5. Stat of the Month. A new segment where we'll highlight an impressive stat, in homage to Stato.

Welcome to Chapter 12 and happy sixth month anniversary to the Bookcast!I got to take the show on the road to Tulsa to talk with Victoria Moore, owner and curator of Whitty Books - a bookshop she opened in 2018 in the Kendall Whittier district in Tulsa. Since they opened, Whitty Books has been a community hub for book clubs, live music, black-out poetry, and other events. As curator, Victoria has a particular interest in small press titles and weird fiction, and is always looking for the next great horror novel. You can connect with Whitty Books on social media @shopwhittybooks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.In our conversation, we talk about the origins of the store, the role of bookshops in the community, and how they embrace their identity as Tulsa's “weird” bookstore. Our review for this episode comes from Jude Bayton. Jude is originally  from Kingston-Upon-Thames, near London in the UK and has also lived in Scotland, Wales, Africa, Yemen and Germany – but now makes her home in Oklahoma. Jude is the author of three  Historical Mysteries set in Victorian England: The Secret of Mowbray Manor, The Secret of Hollyfield House, and The Secret of Pendragon Island.  You can connect with Jude at Judebayton.com  and @judebayton on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.  Jude reviews The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz. Mentioned on the show:Mary Make N Do Arsenal Pulp Press Unnamed Press Rivers Solomon Queen of Teeth - Haley PiperStephen Graham Jones Literati Press Comics and Novels Coach House Books Silver in the Wood - Emily TeshDrowned Country - Emily TeshDr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall - Suzette MayrFever Dream - Samanta SchweblinThe Cipher - Kathe KojaMeerkat Press The Tommyknockers - Stephen KingEvery Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuireMusic by JuliusHConnect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | FacebookShop the Bookcast on Bookshop.orgMusic by JuliusH

Welcome to episode 173 of The All Seeing Guys Podcast with Greg and Joe. In this episode, the guys catch up on Greg's birthday, the sad passing of Ivan Reitman, before going into Geezedropping, which sparks a conversation about bent d*cks and which side you 'dress' to.  Greg and Joe talk about the Razzie awards in which Bruce Willis has his own category for 'Worst Bruce Willis film', family snooping on your Only Fans, a rather large pussy...cat, and we bid a fond farewell to the oldest pub in Britain, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks.  All this and much more.   

"Welcome to Stockport - Home of Stockport College" Mark Steel returns for a seventh series of the award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. In the first programme, Mark visits the Greater Manchester town of Stockport, once the centre of the hatting industry. He takes a trip on the infamous 192 bus, visits the world famous hat museum and tries to get to the bottom of how one of its suburbs ended up with an infestation of marauding peacocks. In this series Mark visits Stockport in Greater Manchester, Colchester in Essex, Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, Lynton in North Devon and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Written and performed by ... Mark Steel Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator ... Hayley Sterling Producer ... Carl Cooper A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2016.

Colchester - The oldest recorded town in Britain Mark Steel returns for a seventh series of the award-winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. "The oldest hot cross bun in the world was baked in Colchester" Mark visits the Essex town of Colchester and walks through the streets where 'Emperor Claudius once rode triumphantly on the first elephant in Britain', before Boudicca burnt the place to the ground, that was. He visits 'Jumbo', the town's iconic, Victorian water tower and he delves into the history of Colchester Zoo. Mark also discovers how several nursery rhymes have their origins in Colchester and he investigates the town's rivalry with Chelmsford. In this series Mark visits Stockport in Greater Manchester, Colchester in Essex, Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, Lynton in North Devon and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Written and performed by ... Mark Steel Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator ... Hayley Stirling Producer ... Carl Cooper A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2016. .

Mark visits The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. He takes a trip on a river boat, rides the longest single truss escalator in the world and spends an evening in and the suburb of New Malden, home to the largest population of South Koreans outside Korea where he samples the delights of Kimchi and sings in a Noraebang. Mark Steel's seventh series of the award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. Written and performed by ... Mark Steel Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator ... Hayley Stirling Producer ... Carl Cooper A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2016..

Positive peer pressure was a factor in Kim Bell's coming to trust in Jesus for her salvation. Listen to Kim and Taryn chat about how Kim came to faith, her love for teaching children the Bible, and how God has shaped and grown the ministry that brought her and her husband, Rory, to England where they produce both print and online Sunday School teaching materials.   EPISODE NOTES:   Positive peer pressure was a factor in Kim Bell's coming to trust in Jesus for her salvation. Listen to Kim and Taryn chat about how Kim came to faith; her love for teaching children the Bible and how God has shaped and grown the ministry that brought her and her husband, Rory, to England where they produce both print and online Sunday School teaching materials.   *** Kim Bell started trusting Jesus for her salvation when she was a teenager. Her love for teaching the Bible began shortly afterwards when she embarked on a theology degree at George Whitefield Bible College. Through student placement, she found herself teaching the Bible to toddlers and fell in love with littlies and with sharing God's Word. It is fitting then that Kim now assists her husband, Rory, who runs TnT Ministries - an organisation that produces excellent Sunday School teaching materials both in print and online. Kim and Rory and their three children, Emma, Aidan and Nathan, live in the UK and are part of the Cornerstone Church family in Kingston Upon Thames.   LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   George Whitefield Bible College TnT Ministries Mustard Seeds      SHOW SNIPPETS:   “I love the Bible and love children and thought why not focus on this (children's work) as a career move?”   “I loved every aspect of it. I loved building relationships with the kids. I loved teaching them the Bible. I loved everything about it.”   “As we left, I said to Rory, wouldn't it be fantastic if we could do this full time? … a number of years later, they took us out for a meal (and asked us to take over their ministry).”   “Within a week, all those obstacles were gone.”   “I was trying to hold it together, you can't fall apart with three little kids.”   “If it wasn't clear that the Lord had led  us here, I would definitely go home with you! … it was really hard!”   Can't see clickable links? Copy and paste this into your browser: tlpcwcw.podbean.com . . The Lydia Project: Conversations with Christian Women is a podcast co-hosted by Tori Walker and Taryn Hayes. It features informal chats with Christian women around faith, life, ministry and the ways in which God is shaping their thinking and their lives. The views of TLP guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts.  

In this episode, we are talking about the sixth form programme at KGS and all of the elements that come together to make this programme the whole package.  Although Sixth Form at KGS provides a strong academic programme with outstanding grade results, the programme also provides valuable life skills and experiences.    EPISODE THREE TRANSCRIPT SIXTH FORM AT KGS: THE WHOLE PACKAGE [00:00:00] Students: [00:00:00] I think to anyone, it can be quite daunting moving from GCSE to A-level looking at universities, but KGS has made that really easy. I quite enjoy having a smaller classes. And I think that really helps when you can work together as a class. For example, in politics, we do quite a lot of debates and it's quite interesting to work together and debates - you pick arguments and you write how you're going to speak… [00:00:24] …whereas in a bigger class, I think it'd be more difficult. And also you get more one-on-one time with teachers and you can just email them [00:00:30] and ask them questions if you have any queries. So it's quite good. [00:00:36] Narration: Hello and welcome to the Kingston Grammar School podcast. Throughout this podcast, we will be speaking with faculty and students alike about important topics surrounding the Kingston Grammar School or KGS community. I am your host, Shannon Vandermark and whether you are a present or future parent… [00:00:55] …or student or simply interested in KGS, you are very welcome [00:01:00] for any listeners new to Kingston Grammar School, KGS is an independent co-educational day school located in Kingston Upon Thames, England.  Officially founded in 1561, the school can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. KGS is one of the most successful coeducational schools in the country.  Inspirational teaching, and a deep commitment to pastoral care means that students grow in confidence and understanding and individual [00:01:30] talents and creativity are able to flourish. [00:01:33] In this episode, we are talking about the sixth form program at KGS and all of the elements that come together to make this program the whole package.  Although sixth form at KGS provides a strong academic program with outstanding grade results. the program also provides valuable life skills and experiences. [00:01:53] Co-curricular activities on offer are vast from KGS's renowned hockey and rowing programs to [00:02:00] a variety of choices in music, drama and community service, for example.  The school's motto of work well and be happy is keenly demonstrated through each student's bespoke sixth form experience. My guests today include Headmaster, Stephen Lehec, Head of Sixth Form Lecture Program Anna Edwards, Head of Upper Sixth. [00:02:21] Chris Wenham and Head of P S H E Maria Robinson. I am still conducting these interviews remotely for this episode, [00:02:30] but it looks like I might be able to record an episode inside the school very soon. My first guest was Headmaster Stephen Lehec, who I get to chat with every episode and is always a delight. [00:02:44] Shannon: Hello, Steven. Stephen: Good morning, crikey. I guess no one knows it's morning. Hello. Good day. Good morning. Good evening and good night. And were you I'm very well. Thank you. Shannon: Thank you for sitting down and talking to me about the sixth form program at KGS. [00:03:00] Why do you think the sixth form at KGS is the whole package? [00:03:04] Stephen: Oh, gosh, that's a really big question, but it's a really good one because I guess you could ask any school leader, you know, does your sixth home offer everything that you think it should? And they'd say of course, because to some people, it just really needs to be around your A-Levels or preview or IB, the traditional competing factors A-Levels and IB. [00:03:23] And people would say. We've got what you're going to need in terms of the quality of teaching and the facilities and the [00:03:30] resources. They're going to get you to the next stage of your life. Be that a fantastic career or university. And we say, Yeah, KGS. That is really true, but that's one sixth or even one seventh potentially of what your Sixth Form experience will be. [00:03:45] So you've got the academic package, which is going to get you to your next stage. You've also got your extended learning, which is not only going to get you to university, but going to get you to the best university or course that you want to be prepared for. This could be Oxbridge. This could be studying [00:04:00] Ivy league in the United States. [00:04:01] This could be Canada. This could be your, this could be studying photography at Falmouth. It's the best photograpy course in the country. Right. But that's super curricular as we call them. Plus, you're going to have co-curricular so many, six forms don't have co-curricular don't have sports for students at that age. [00:04:14] They kind of very much rely on them doing it outside school or college. Right. We have all the careers and education advice because we have dedicated people to do that. We have all the outward bound and the trips. So that's Russia, that's Germany. That's France. That's South Africa. And on top of that, we teach people how to [00:04:30] cook a meal safely without giving themselves food poisoning… [00:04:32] …we talked to them about how to iron a shirt for your first interview. We have a lecture program that we're going to hear about. And we've got lots of bits of education, lots of soft skills preparation for life. And because you're in a school that is the type of school we are, you have a really kind of wraparound pastoral care system. [00:04:47] So. You have a teacher group that's 10, 12 people, or studying similar subjects to you with a tutor that knows their subjects, knows what your aspiration is that makes you welcome. Whether you're, someone's been in the school for the last three, four, five years, or you're [00:05:00] somebody who's brand new to the school, who's got a buddy and a mentor and a tutor and the prefects. [00:05:04] And so actually. We offer the levels and the advice and the guidance, but we offer so much more. I can't think of anything else we could put in that would make the Sixth Form experience, more happy, more fulfilling, more rewarding. And that's why, I guess we feel it's really just the whole package. Shannon: And those two important years from 16 to 18, there's quite a few choices out there for parents and students. [00:05:27] Aren't there. How do you invite people to see what [00:05:30] KGS is all about for those two years? Stephen: We have open events around June and that's in the summer of their year 10, all schools deliver fantastic service in their own, right. Everyone has their own individual way of approaching things, but obviously we get a few hundred students who every year look to us and say, if I'm going to change, if I'm looking at a potential change for six form, if I want something different, what does KGS offer? [00:05:52] And if they're looking at us, they're probably looking at two or three other schools and colleges as well. We're not gonna pretend to be a college. There's certain subjects we don't offer. We don't do [00:06:00] sociology. We don't do media studies. We don't do business studies, our profile in terms of our subjects. [00:06:03] We've got nearly 38 levels, but they're pretty facilitating academic subjects. It's sciences, humanities. Maths is very strong. We do economics rather than business studies. We do sports studies. A-level rather than BTech. We want students to go to Loughborough, to Birmingham, to Oxford, Cambridge, to Harvard, to Yale or to wherever, you know, I'm most conscious of making sure I get an American reference in when I'm speaking to you, Shannon. [00:06:27] Shannon: Syracuse University - you want to get them in there. [00:06:30] Stephen: Absolutely. I was just about some tip of my tongue, that number three on my list, looking around. And then I think people are surprised by the package by how much is on offer at KGS. When people are looking around on wondering and thinking, can I fit my choices in and where am I going to get the most support to get to the best university possible? [00:06:47] Then we're obviously an option for people and we get so many applicants that we want to cherry pick those people that we think are going to make the most of it, but also those people who really want to come because they want to come. Not because [00:07:00] their parents have said they should come. It's about getting from those couple of hundred applicants, the 20 to 30 who are really going to make the… [00:07:07] …absolute most of being here because it's going to fuel their desire, give them extra bits of potential to succeed and absolutely become a Kingstonian because people that come to us in the sixth form get embedded within the school. They're not visitors to the school. They're members of the school. Shannon: I just wanted to ask you, I know that you've got two daughters, is that right? [00:07:25] And so the older one has only just started university. Stephen: Yeah. I [00:07:30] started in KGS in 2014 and she was just about 20 year nine. So she came with that and she loved it, did so well with a GCSE. And then I tried to that classic thing as a parent saying, these are the levels you need to do. Because I have this vision of you going to Oxford and she was like, dad, you know what you say, to all the other people about being their choice, not the parents' choice. [00:07:53] She said that applies to me as well. Well, good for her. I was like, Oh wow. You know, we've got the grandparents involved. She [00:08:00] ended up doing biology, which was the subject. She dropped him. Sorry to say, but she did plastics. She did maths. She did drama, which was her favorite A-level. And that was the one I was like, Why are you doing drama and she said because I love it. [00:08:13] And I'm good at it. And actually the staff here are phenomenal, both the theory and the practice. So what a great choice for her that was. So she ended up kind of coming out with three stars, which was amazing and an EPQ and a love of netball and rowing and sports and community [00:08:30] service. And she was a prefect and I stayed out of all of that. [00:08:33] I was kind of like, I don't want to know. Because you made your choices. This is your bed.  You're going to lie in it. And so I said to her, right, but you're on for really good grades. So I want you to think about Oxford again. And he said, Dad, you're doing it again. You're interfering. I've spoken to Mr. Cooper, the academic deputy, I've spoken to Mr. [00:08:49] Fitzgerald. Who's director of careers and universities. I've spoken to my teachers. I'm going to go and study liberal arts and natural sciences at Birmingham. And I said why? And she said, [00:09:00] because I want to study liberal arts and natural sciences. She's majoring currently in economics, which she didn't study for at A-level. [00:09:06] And she said, and that is the best university for that course. So that's the course I want to do. That's the best university for it. That's where I'm going to get into. And you can keep your Oxbridge, isn't your thing. And I was thinking, Oh no, my stats, my Oxbridge stats. [00:09:23] But that's the thing. We have students who make very informed decisions and we have to remember the, whether it's our own children or other people's [00:09:30] children, it's their choice. It's their life. So Alice was for me a great success story here, she did well,  she did her own thing, really proud of what she's doing. [00:09:39] She's now on the verge of completing her first year at Birmingham. Shannon: Wow. I can tell how proud you are of them and not just because of the stats obviously, but because they are making their own decisions, which you as a father and a headmaster have encouraged. Absolutely. Thank you so much for speaking with me. [00:09:55] Stephen: Not at all, not at all. And I apologize for rambling on about lots of stuff that I'm very [00:10:00] excited about and, um, Really, really excited for what the next few years hold once we can start meeting people again in person IRL, as people say, starting to have real life meetings, Shannon: hashtag IRL. Absolutely. And it's been lovely chatting to you again. [00:10:14] Stephen: Thank you. [00:10:18] Student: I came to KGS in first year. So I was 11. So I've been here the whole way through. I preferred the idea of going to a smaller school.  Sport was really important to me; I play netball and hockey and KGS [00:10:30] offers that as well. I was also interested in other schools that had a combined cadet force, because that's a massive part of my life here at KGS. [00:10:37] And then also just the subjects I wanted to take. [00:10:43] Narration: next. I was joined by Anna Edwards, who is head of the sixth form lecture program, and also head of the psychology department at KGS and his enthusiasm for the program was so tangible that made me want to attend myself. Anna: The sixth form lecture program is fantastic. [00:11:00] I absolutely love running it partly because I get to then listen to some of these fantastic lectures myself, which is a real bonus. [00:11:07] Each year, we have a broad range of speakers, so they can be politicians, novelists, academics, those just sharing remarkable life stories. They come and speak to our six form alongside more six form specific lectures. And the purpose of the program is to give our students a greater academic diversity and enhance the curriculum that they do. [00:11:29] And it [00:11:30] gives them access to speakers that they may not come into contact with. Usually. It's really important that they develop alternative perspective to some of the views that they've been exposed to. And this in turn helps develop their cultural capital. I'd like to think that all the students will have a lecturer too, that will stick with them and will be really memorable. [00:11:51] Shannon: What do you think it is about young people at this age in particular that is interesting to you and why are you passionate about supporting young people at this [00:12:00] age in their lives? Anna: Sixth Form is such a key two years. We often talk about the transition between primary school to secondary school, but this transition between six form and leaving home, it's monumental, it's huge. [00:12:13] They will have to develop a huge amount of responsibility over their own health, finances, wellbeing, and there's so many things to consider that we, as a school, have a responsibility to prepare our students on how to manage this. [00:12:30] And how to manage these changes alongside PSHE. We take them through a lot of these changes, these processes, how to apply for their UCAS, how to apply for student finance, how they'd go about applying for a universities, abroad, how to… [00:12:46] …keep themselves safe at university while on nights out when traveling festivals and also how to safeguard their own mental health. When they're at university, university is marketed as a really [00:13:00] exciting time for them, but actually it can be quite difficult. So if they know, and if we show them where there are student services, if they find themselves in a difficult position, we know that we are sending our students off with the best opportunity to enjoy their time at university or work. [00:13:16] Shannon:Right. You don't get training for other phases in life so much, do you? know, still, unfortunately, fortunately, sometimes Anna: there are stages in life where actually it would have been nice to when having children be handed an instruction manual, but we try [00:13:30] and do that for them as much as possible. Shannon: Why do you think it's so important for a student to present themselves as well-rounded, while they're leaving KGS or while they're leaving academia or moving into another phase? [00:13:41] What is the benefit of a well-rounded individual in your opinion? Anna: You've only got to think that the ever-changing job market means that you probably won't be in a job for life and your future jobs may involve a completely different set of skills. So to succeed in the future in potentially a fast [00:14:00] changing labor market, you need to be a lifelong learner. [00:14:03] You need to be comfortable with continuous adaptation and willing to move professions or even industries if your profession becomes obsolete. So. Right from the get go. Students need to be seeking opportunities to keep the interests and abilities, broad and honing all their skills included their soft skills. Shannon: I guess, historically, the options for work were a lot more finite, the train for [00:14:30] a profession. [00:14:30] You did it for life. Didn't you? So. The importance of being well-rounded has evolved, would you say, over time? Anna: Yeah. Yes, definitely. I mean, I'm here recording a podcast as a teacher. This was definitely not my intention, but jobs evolve. A lot of our students will be doing jobs that don't exist yet. So we need to prepare them with skills that they can transfer between professions and industries. [00:14:52] Shannon: It's really interesting. I have a, one-year-old you say you're far off thinking about these things, but as soon as you start hearing about this stuff, you just start going. [00:15:00] Yeah. I already want him to be listening to music and taking swimming lessons, and I know it's quite far off, but are these things that you start to think about even from a young age? [00:15:09] Anna:  It's so important that you have interests for life, that you may have an interest in sport. You may have an interest in theater. You might have an interest in music. And actually these are things that you take with you and are important in later life. Even if it's just socially. Even if you then later on when you're working, you find a recreational football team and you can make [00:15:30] friends and have a way of exercising. [00:15:32] It doesn't have to be a competitive thing. It can be more to help your wellbeing. Shannon: And it's just life experience, isn't it at any age. And I think as children get older, students get older. I can only imagine it gets harder to persuade them or suggest that they keep their options open. But this sounds like a great way to give them lots of experience. [00:15:52] Anna:  Yeah. I would echo that and I think as they start becoming teenagers and the social aspect does become important, it is important to keep [00:16:00] all those things that they. Enjoy, and that gives them lots of different outlets. Shannon: Okay. Well, thank you so much, Anna. I know you've got a lot to get back to and, um, I really appreciate your time. [00:16:11] Anna:  Thank you very much. Okay. Take care. Thank you. Bye-bye. [00:16:17] Student:  We've been doing some interview style stuff to prepare us for applying for jobs. And then also interesting lessons as much more of a lecture, kind of feel to them compared to GCSE is where you'll have to take notes and you can decide [00:16:30] how much extra work you would like to do. And you've got all this independence and you know that however much work you're going to put in, [00:16:36] You're hoping to get those results out. Narration:  My next guest was head of upper sixth, Chris Wenham. Chris is also a chemistry teacher at KGS and is so passionate about guiding students through this monumental phase in their life. Shannon:  Hello, Chris, how are you? Chris:  I'm very well. How are you?  Shannon:  doing good. Thank you. I wanted to just kick things off by speaking to [00:17:00] you a bit about your responsibilities as the head of upper six and what your role is there at KGS. [00:17:06] Chris:  My job is anything related to the upper six. So whether that's on the academic side, in terms of helping students making good progress, whether that's pastorally and various other bits in between at the moment with the upper sixth, a lot of planning going into the end of year events and making sure that, you know, after this disrupted season of COVID, we give them the sendoff that they deserve. [00:17:27] You know, that's a little bit of fun for me at the end of the year, kind of putting [00:17:30] together leavers' clothing, hoodies, putting together the yearbook, organizing their prom. That's a nice way to ground off that time. So yeah, the whole spectrum of different things. Shannon:  And how would you say the sixth form program at KGS differs from other schools in your experience or knowledge of other schools? [00:17:45] Chris:  So I think at KGS, what we really try to do is to provide a personally tailored education. We're not a one size fits all. So you have to fit in this box. Actually, you can pursue your passions wherever they take you. So if you are [00:18:00] a high flying academic, then we want to push you. We want to make sure that your curriculum is as challenging and stimulating as possible. [00:18:06] We want to encourage you to have the highest aspirations, but if you want more vocation in your plans, then actually our careers department is very set up for that. And our careers advisor is not kind of fixated on this one track. You have to do. There is something for everyone, whether you are a sportsman or woman, whether you are interested in the spheres of drama and music, actually, there are plenty of ways where we [00:18:30] just encourage our students to thrive and excel. [00:18:32] So the thing I love about KGS, we're not an academic hot house. We get excellent results and I'm very proud of what our students achieve, but actually that is in a whole range of disciplines and fields. It is not simply about grades at the end of two years. Shannon:   Right. And why are you so passionate about supporting young people at this particular phase in their lives? [00:18:51] Chris:   I think the sixth form is so important. It is the culmination of everything that has gone before years. One to five are very important in shaping boys and girls [00:19:00] into who they are going to be. But actually sixth form is the time where all of that groundwork comes to fruition in terms of them making their own decisions for what they want to do with their lives. [00:19:10] Beyond that, I've always found it incredibly rewarding, working with sixth formers. They are a fun, creative, exciting, engaged bunch of individuals and actually helping them make the decisions that will impact the rest of their lives is just a massive privilege. And no one day is the same and I absolutely love it. [00:19:28] Shannon:  It's such an interesting [00:19:30] age, isn't it? Chris:  Absolutely. There are so many options and things to discuss and things to work through. It's just lovely. When you see young people find their passions and actually want to pursue it. And it's like, yes, our job is done. You're ready to kind of spread your wings and fly. [00:19:44] Shannon:  Right. Wow. That's great. And do you have any advice to students approaching sixth form or to parents of children approaching six form in terms of A-level choices and so forth? Chris:  In terms of your A-level choices, obviously you can't try all the levels, you are narrowing down, but when reflecting on [00:20:00] the subjects that you want to do at a level, what is it that you enjoy most at GCSE that is going to be the thing that you're going to enjoy spending the vast majority of your school career doing. [00:20:09] So again, don't choose something which you think, or that'll look good on a CV, or that will help me get into that university. It's like, well, do you want to do that? That is the key.  Shannon:   A bit harder to swallow for parents, do you think?  Chris:   It can sometimes be hard can't it, particularly if there are things that have influenced you as a parent. [00:20:27] But I think on the whole, all parents want [00:20:30] their children to be happy, doing something that they enjoy and actually sixth form and school is a time where you can make mistakes as well, but it's a safe place to make mistakes. And if you end up doing the wrong thing, well, actually it's correctable and we can give them the support to move in the direction that they want to. [00:20:45] Shannon:  Is there any advice you have, particularly for parents as they're deciding where to send their children? Are there any words of wisdom? Chris:  That's a good one. I think we want to showcase ourselves and all schools want to showcase themselves as actually, you know, [00:21:00] being caring for the individual and looking after the best interest of your son and daughter, talking to staff, you know, I love this school. [00:21:07] I've been here for. 11 years now. And it's just been an awful lot of fun. So, you know, those interactions with staff and actually seeing what do they enjoy? What is the character, what is the ethos of KGS? That's really important as we'll be the ones who kind of have the day-to-day responsibility for looking after your sons and daughters. [00:21:23] Shannon:  But it's such an important phase of their lives. It's important that they do have the support that they need or that they can benefit from it. [00:21:30] It sounds like you give a lot of that out. Chris:  Totally crucial. It is just such a joy and privilege being in the position that we are as teachers actually, you know, this is the end, this is the culmination they're ready to fly and they're prepared for this and they're ready to go onto the next thing. [00:21:41] So, yeah, it's a great place to be. Shannon:  And this must be of unique ending of a term for you as you near the end with this group of students, you've all gone through quite a year, two years in there. Chris:  Yeah. And I think it's been hard for them, particularly this cohort. They haven't had the normal sixth form experience and the [00:22:00] normal rites of passage that you might hope for sixth formers. [00:22:02] But actually I think, again, it's the testament to the wonderful resilience of teenagers. They have rolled with the punches. They have taken onboard ever changing government advice and just got on with the job in hand. And just like, so we don't like it, but we've got to crack on and we've got to do our best. [00:22:16] And that's what I've loved this year. I found it hard watching sometimes in terms of, as they struggle with the uncertainty, but they have done so well. And with the right kind of guidance and support, what an amazing life experience to have in terms of building resilience [00:22:30] and flexibility, for sure. Yes. [00:22:31] Shannon:  They are going to be well prepared for anything that life throws at them after this. I'm sure. That's right. Well, thank you so much, Chris. And, um, I really appreciate your time today. No, it's been a pleasure speaking to you. Chris:  Thank you so much, Shannon. Narration:  Finally, I spoke with a psychology teacher, Maria Robinson, who is also head of P S H E - a remarkable and comprehensive program that really prepares students for life beyond KGS. [00:22:57] Maria:  PSHE is those I'm sure plenty people know what [00:23:00] it stands for, but it's personal social health and economic education. So it covers a very, very broad range of topics. My interest is primarily in mental health as a psychology teacher. That's where my interest as lane for many years. And that feeds into the PSHE program that I run here. [00:23:16] It's not just us talking about mental health. It's basically trying to equip our students for life in and out of KGS as well. So we look at skills like building resilience, in them. What we do is we try and give them situations that might arise so they can have [00:23:30] ideas about what they would do, what warning signs to look out for. [00:23:33] We can't stop trials and tribulations that are going to happen. We can't stop bad things happening, but what we can do is make sure they're equipped so that when things do happen, they've got some idea about how to cope with those situations. Shannon:  And what's an example of a situation you might be helping prepare students for. [00:23:49] Maria:   It could be something that they all go through, so it could be exam stress. So what we try and do is give them skills from very early on. So in the first year we have a be happy program, which teachers love going over [00:24:00] with them. So. We talked to them about keeping safe and keeping healthy, but we also say, what do you do in your downtime? [00:24:05] What could you do to make yourself happy? So we look at things like Lego. We look at gardening, mindfulness cooking as well. So lots of different things that they can try if they're feeling stressed. So in that situation, when stress does happen, we can't stop that. How are they going to cope in that situation, but also having outlets for it. [00:24:24] People that can talk to those people they can talk to in school. We obviously put them to outside agencies as well, if they [00:24:30] want to talk to them, Childline things like that as well. So it's just giving them options happen. Invaluable. When they leave us at the end of the sixth form, then they're gonna find it more difficult to access the sort of support they get at school. [00:24:41] I know that universities do strive to put support packages in place for them, but. Students are then expected to show a lot more independence and they may struggle when they're in an unfamiliar situation to ask for the kind of help they need. So what we want to do is prepare them beforehand, tell them how they can access support with us, and then when they leave us as well, and also to remind them [00:25:00] that when they leave, they can still come back to us. [00:25:02] They can still turn to us for support. What I do is I email them all in their first term, after they've left us. And I do that around about world mental health day. And just say, we're still here for you. If you need us, you know, look after yourself, look after your mental health. And we also point them to external agencies at university that they can get help with their, if they need us, that kind of support whatsoever left us. [00:25:22] Shannon: So actually the sixth form program at KGS extends past when they leave you. Maria:   Yes, that's it. They may physically [00:25:30] leave us, but they're with us. Shannon: That's wonderful. Why are you passionate about supporting young people at this particular phase in their lives? What is this phase that has caught your attention and your passion? [00:25:41] Maria:   I think as a predominantly a level teacher, this is the age group that I've been working with and I've had two children go through this stage as well. They're at university and beyond now, but that moved from being reliant on your family on school and to certainly send home friends. To then becoming more independent. [00:25:58] It's really exciting, but it's very [00:26:00] scary for them as well. They're expected to act like adults in some situations and in other situations they're being treated like children. So it's really important that they get good advice and support to help them with this transition. Shannon: Do you have any anecdotes or memories of when your own children were going through this phase that informs the way that you support or guide the students now? [00:26:21] Maria:   Well, I was developing the program when they were both in the sixth form, so it was very useful. I would talk to them about the lessons I was doing. They also [00:26:30] made me jump in there because we also do a sort of more fun side for the episode. Next we give, we talk to them about skills like washing, cooking, cleaning. [00:26:37] Yeah. Ironing. And I realized I hadn't taught my son to iron a shirt. So we very quickly had a lesson on that. It was about the support afterwards as well. When my son went off to university, he found his second year quite difficult emotionally, and he needed a support from us. So it was. Making sure that I knew where to find that support for him, explain to the students before they leave us that they may need the support. [00:26:59] So [00:27:00] we look at mental health in the sixth form of how to get help when you're with us and how to get help beyond when you were at university. So they know that there are people out there who are waiting to hear from them. If they need to help inform the program for me. And it made me realize that parents need PSHE lessons as well. [00:27:15] Shannon: I know you've got kind of a timeline of the program that changes when a student enters lower six than when they leave upper sixth. Can you run us through that timeline and how your support and the program evolves and changes with this? Maria:   Yes. So the government [00:27:30] starch tree program. Is only four years, one to five. [00:27:32] So when they go into the sixth form, we have a lot more flexibility. We are required to put on a program for them, but there's much more flexibility in what we actually deliver to them. So what we do is we have sort of three themes that run through each term with both the lower and upper sixth. And we're looking at being an independent and respectful citizen. [00:27:48] We look at preparing for life after school, and then we look at keeping socially and academically healthy. So the lower sixth, we look at simple things like how to make Cornell notes. Obviously they've learned how to make notes [00:28:00] lower down in the school. But as a meeting into more challenging lessons is how to keep them precise and how to keep them useful. [00:28:07] So just very simple skills like that. We also look at the start of applying to university. What sort of things do they want to consider? What courses, where they look at? What about the geographical location? You know, do you want to stay close to home or do you actually, is this your chance to break out and be more independent and go to a bit further away from home? [00:28:24] Volunteering and the role that we as a school play in our local community, we also [00:28:30] consider wider topics such as LGBTQ issues in society. And also we look at political influences, which is preparing them for when they go into upper sixth and they're going to be voting. Right. We then in the spring term, that's just one term in the spring term, we focus on safety for them. [00:28:45] So we look at personal safety and obviously as they're getting older, they're more likely to be out at night. So we look at safety around, um, being out of the house. Safety around drugs and alcohol, because that whole scene is going to change for them. When they leave home, we look at driving [00:29:00] because we're going to start seeing them taking driving lessons and driving tests. [00:29:03] And this year we looked at issues around masculinity, the concept of toxic masculinity, because we want to raise awareness with our students of what is happening currently and what may happen when they leave us as well. In the summer, we sort of continue a bit on that topic. We talk more about consent. [00:29:18] We talk about gender equality and we're taking part in the HeForShe campaign, which looks at building gender IQ and that's part of the UN movement for gender equality. So we're sort of getting involved in bigger campaigns. We fine tune their [00:29:30] personal statements. We look at interview skills, so some universities will still do into your practice, but others don't, but every student will at some time have an interview in their life. [00:29:38] So we practice some of those questions. We look at networking and personal branding. We want them to consider their online presence from a professional perspective, not just from a perspective of what their friends can see. We look at voting they're about to turn 18 or they may have turned 18. So we look at what happens, what a voting booth looks like, what would be expected of them, how [00:30:00] to search for details of their local MP and who they might want to pick for. [00:30:04] And then we also talk about trip planning, which is a nice way. We sort of spend Christmas looking at things that might go wrong. If you plan a trip abroad, you might go into ready with your friends, look at all these scenarios. What could you do in those scenarios? And then we spent the final term really preparing them for leaving us. [00:30:18] So that's what I was saying earlier. We talk about, you know, washing ironing, cooking, shopping, cleaning. We also look at their mental and sexual health and where they can get support for that when they leave us. Yeah. [00:30:30] University accommodation, student finance. We want them to be able to make choices with up-to-date information to hand. [00:30:36] Yeah. I think it's a reasonably comprehensive program, but there's always more that we can add. Shannon:   It's very comprehensive. Definitely teaching children to become functioning adults, which, being in the workforce and just being out in the world, you realize how few people have those life skills! Yeah. Great. [00:30:52] Okay. Well, thank you so much, Maria is really nice chatting with you. Maria:   Thank you, Shannon. Yeah. Narration:   Thank you for listening to this episode. [00:31:00] of the Kingston Grammar School podcast. If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming KGS sixth form live event, please check out the Kingston Grammar School website at www.KGS.org.uk. [00:31:14] Or follow KGS on Twitter @KGS1561 on Facebook @KingstonGrammar. Or on Instagram, KGS1561. If you haven't listened to our previous episodes, do check them out. [00:31:30] In the first episode, we spoke to various students and faculty about the school's pivot into online learning during lockdown and how the KGS community was looked after and continues to be looked after in these uncertain times. [00:31:43] In the second episode, we covered the hot topic of personal devices, such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones in the classrooms and why KGS sees these one-on-one devices as tools, not toys.  Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts [00:32:00] so that you don't miss an episode and take a moment to rate and review the podcast as it helps listeners to find us more easily. [00:32:07] Join us next time when we speak to some luminous KGS alumni.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Steven Lehec, Anna Edwards, Chris Wenham and Maria Robinson. Thank you also to Alison Williams, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Kingston Grammar School. This has been an Applied Reality Production, Executive [00:32:30] Produced by Shannon Vandermark, Sound Design by Alex Marcou.    

This episode is with Ian Thomas, the Chief Executive of the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. The interview is in two parts: A lot of the conversations I have had so far on the podcast have focused on “people” services (community care, social care etc.). The first part of today's interview is all about what makes Kingston a really exciting and vibrant “place” – the public sector infrastructure needed, the commercial vibrancy and the inward investment needed and the importance of attractive and safe public places. In the second part of the interview, we go back to Ian's previous life as the Director of Children's Services (DCS) in Rotherham. Rotherham was the scene of one of the most well know and horrific child sexual exploitation scandals this country has ever seen. Ian became DCS there in 2015 and worked with police and others to recover from this. Ian describes how this was achieved. I really enjoyed this conversation with Ian and I hope you get as much from it as I did.

I had an amazing time in the London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton, Kingston Upon Thames and Richmond Upon Thames, as well as broadcasting Live From The Digital Battle Bus on YouTube and Instagram! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below on our tour and whether you think it’s right that political campaigns are being silenced by the overzealous interpretation of guidance. We face dark times, and perhaps the most difficult crisis this city has ever encountered. Every borough in London has its unique challenges and your next Mayor of London must be on the ground to understand the issues you are facing, including how: Our economy is locked down Knife crime is at nightmare proportions We have limited affordable housing Air pollution is killing our children Our mental health is suffering Our transport system is bankrupt And our very democracy is under threat Londoners deserve better. We deserve a leader who cares about people, takes action and solves problems. Together I am confident we can make London a world-class city once again. Each day during our tour, we will be hosting livestreams, filming vlogs and inviting virtual Q&A questions. If you would like to submit a question please do so here, and you can watch more episodes of Battle Bus LIVE here.

I’m joined today by The Worshipful the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Councillor Margaret Thompson. Councillor Thompson qualified as a paediatric nurse and has held a variety of specialist posts in hospitals and in our community.  What’s unique about Councillor Thompson is her perspective on human resilience, having witnessed how - with the right support - looked after children can grow past their own difficulties. And be sure to listen to the end, where Councillor Thompson shares with us a line from a beautiful Dylan Thomas poem. So if you’re interested in knowing more about our current Mayor then I hope you enjoy this episode of the Inside Kingston™ Podcast.   ~ LINKS & RESOURCES ~ Mayor of Kingston upon Thames - Website   ~ YOUR HOST ~  Hi, I'm Amyr Rocha-Lima. I’m a partner at Holland Hahn & Wills, a financial planning and wealth management firm based here in Kingston. As an active member of our business community, I want to help other businesses get their story out there and see them succeed and flourish.   ~ HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ~ If you know someone who should be a guest on our show, and has a great story worth sharing, please feel free to get in touch. I would also love it if you would give us a review and a 5-star rating. We work hard to bring on some great guests, and getting a review from you is one way to help the podcast rate well, so others can find and enjoy the show.

This episode of The Body Knows Podcast is with Michelle Baker Jones. We met and spoke at her private practice in Kingston Upon Thames, London, where she works as an integrative psycho-therapeutic counsellor. Michelle is also a member of Imperial College's Psychedelic research team where she is a lead guide on their trials comparing psilocybin to anti-depressants for the treatment for depression. She also offers individual psychedelic integration for people struggling to process psychedelic experiences, and co–facilitates a monthly Psychedelic Integration group in London. This in-depth interview with Michelle explores her experiences on the clinical trials for psychedelic-assisted therapy, as well her personal experiences with psychedelics and her work in the integration groups. As one of the lead therapists on the trials she outlines their design and context in which the psilocybin sessions occur. We spoke too about the history of the trials, the qualifications for a psychotherapist to use psychedelics and how this transpersonal, and ancient and medicine, with its mystic, shamanic tradition of communion with nature, fits in to a Western scientific, positivist model. We also discuss methods used by the program for integration of the psychedelic experience. The subjects of state chasing and spiritual bypassing are also addressed, as is the need for an authentic, Western cultural container for the experience, equivalent to those found in indigenous communities. Psilocybin mushrooms have been part of religious rituals for thousands of years. The Aztecs of Mexico referred to the mushroom as teonanácatl, or “God's flesh”, in homage to its believed sacred power yet Psilocybin remains in the most restricted category today, which David Nutt, professor of neuropsychoparmacology at Imperial, and who is overseeing the current trials, calls “one of the most atrocious examples of the censorship of science and medicine in the history of the world”. The work Michelle and the Imperial team are doing is set to revolutionise the treatment of depression, if not the Western medical model its self, by placing the individual, and our innate propensity to heal ourselves, at the centre of treatment. LINKS Find out more about Imperial's ground-breaking work on Psilocybin for major depression at - https://www.imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre/ | For more information on psychedelic integration go to – https://integration.maps.org/ | Michelle's private counselling practice can be found at - http://mbjcounselling.co.uk/ OTHER RESOURCES – Michelle & Greg Donaldson at Breaking Convention - https://youtu.be/HKZywjeXKQc | Breaking Convention https://www.breakingconvention.co.uk/ OUR SPONSORS We're sponsored by Made by Coopers, a modern Apothecary, crafting products for your skin and soul. Head to their shop at https://madebycoopers.com/ and use BODY20 at checkout for a discount. We're running a competition to win Made by Cooper products, as well as ceremonial grade cacao for an online cacao ceremony run by Marcela to celebrate our launch. To enter subscribe on Apple Podcasts, download, rate, review and send a screenshot to contact@thebodyknowspodcas.com. Closing date Nov 30, 2020. THANK YOU Please share this conversation with someone who you think it would benefit. If you share on socials, please tag and follow us too on Instagram or Facebook @thebodyknowspodcast. Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed it, we'll be back every two weeks with more, and in the meantime remember, listen to your body because your body knows.

In my discussion with Ross K. Foad we talk about the entertainment industry and the way it deals with performers who have disabilities and how the industry seems to be making changes in providing more opportunity. Ross has also made a few web series so he provides us with some information on making a web series should that be something you are interested in doing. Ross K. Foad was born in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey. Both of his parents are actors, and his brother is an SFX make up artist. Born Autistic and Dyspraxic, he made his acting debut aged 18 months with an advertisement for Pampers, but would initially choose to pursue writing, becoming a published comic strip writer aged 14-years old. He would return to acting in his late teens when he joined the Penthouse Cabaret as a sketch actor and stand-up comedian. He would go on to garner experience in various mediums including short films, tv, web series, plays, radio, and video games. In 2017, he was one of only 30 disabled actors chosen by the BBC for its Class Act Training Scheme, an initiative to help increase disabled representation on screen. Outside of acting, he is a keen film maker, and has written over 150 shorts/features/and web series episodes. Find our more about Ross visit: Twitter: https://twitter.com/RossKFoad IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4593934/#self StarNow: https://www.starnow.co.uk/rkfoad YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_3HgWkRStQJSVvLMtlRMHg Web Series: https://seriesofmana.weebly.com/about.html --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unemployed-actor/support

Welcome to episode 112 of The All Seeing Guys Podcast with Greg and Joe. We talk our recent Dicerollers gig, seeing Hobo Johnson live in our town of Kingston Upon Thames and of course, our eavesdropping segment, Geezedropping. The last episode took a dark turn as we talked bodies found in odd places which ended up horrifying us, so we start this episode light & fun. We talk about something that is rife in our surrounding areas & can't believe we haven't discussed it before... we're talking about Dogging. We look at what dogging is, the rules & the Surrey hot spots. To finish the episode, off the back of the hot sauce interview format from Hot Ones we did for episode 100. We look to another less fun & interesting but very popular piece of pointless YouTube content to rip off. 10 things ‘usually an actor' can't live without. It's usually very un-relatable as it's rich actors and the things they usually can't live without are sunglasses, fancy earplugs, expensive kicks, air cleaners, Botox & Bentleys, basically, the idea is that its material objects. We couldn't pick 10 things, so we go with five. Actually gets a bit sentimental & serious... but not too much. Enjoy

Gin Walker is the Copy Genie, and she writes words that sell big-hearted brands at scale, allowing them to make the impact (AND MONEY) they crave. Our full conversation airs on Wednesday, July 10, and it’s damn fun. But first, Gin tells me about her first job slinging shoes at Freeman Hardy Willis in Kingston Upon Thames,...

Gin Walker is the Copy Genie, and she writes words that sell big-hearted brands at scale, allowing them to make the impact (AND MONEY) they crave. Our full conversation airs on Wednesday, July 10, and it’s damn fun. But first, Gin tells me about her first job slinging shoes at Freeman Hardy Willis in Kingston Upon Thames,...

INSIDE KINGSTON™ PODCAST   ~ INTRODUCTION ~ In this first episode, I introduce the concept of the Inside Kingston™ Podcast, along with a teaser of some of the first business owners and entrepreneurs I will be interviewing on my show.   ~ ABOUT THE SHOW ~ Inside Kingston Podcast™ is all about telling the stories of successful business owners, experienced professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders based in Kingston Upon Thames.   The aim of this show is to highlight these people, their businesses, and what they’re doing in the community – hopefully bringing you an awareness about what they do and why they do it.   In short, the goal is to strengthen the business community in and around Kingston Upon Thames.   ~ YOUR HOST ~ Amyr Rocha-Lima is a financial planner who specialises in helping successful business owners and senior professionals with their retirement planning.   He is a partner at Holland Hahn & Wills LLP, a financial planning and wealth management firm based in Kingston Upon Thames.

Josh is the Co-founder of the Integrative Wellness Centre, Irrefutable Health and the health restaurant called The Willow, in Kingston Upon Thames, London.  Irrefutable Health provides holistic healthcare services. In addition to relief care for injury, their practitioners look at how to strengthen the body, building physical, mental and social well-being with tailored interventions, health education and lifestyle support. We talk about the importance of integrating health practices, how food fits into a healthy lifestyle and a personalised approach to healthcare.

As families travel and gather together for Thanksgiving here in the United States, today, a conversation with two people whose interactions with genetic data bases led to revelations about their family that no one in the family had known before. The story of Lisa Welchman and Daryle Lowden is poignant and heart-warming. Daryle is in his forties. Lisa in in her fifties, and just last spring, they discovered that they are half-brother and sister. Today on Midday, we’ll hear their story and talk about how they came to know each other after decades of not having even the slightest inkling that the other existed. We’ll talk about what it has meant for them, and for the rest of their family.And we’ll also talk about the intended and unintended consequences of the fast-growing consumer genetic testing industry. When we submit our DNA to companies like Ancestery.Com or 23 and Me, do we retain control of how and by whom that information can be used? What is required of these companies when it comes to protecting the privacy of the millions of people who voluntarily share this private information? But first, the incredible story of Daryle Lowden and Lisa Welchman. Daryle Lowden had a 20 year career as a professional musician. He’s now working as a HR consultant. He lives in Kingston Upon Thames, England, just outside of London. He joins us from the studios of the BBC in London…Lisa Welchman lives here in Baltimore. She is a tech entrepreneur, who is considered the world’s leading authority on digital governance. She joins us here in Studio A.

The guys took a road trip to Kingston Upon Thames in southwest London to surprise Greg and Joe from The All Seeing Guys podcast performing as Dicerollers.   This episode was recorded in the car as we made our way to the venue, The Fighting Cocks, and features typically English conversations about the weather and other drivers. We also delve into Making a Murderer, Netflix's Marvel shows and work. Donald Trump and Brexit may also make a rare appearance.   Enjoy   Support us on Patreon Find us: Website - Anywhere But Here Twitter - @abhpod Facebook - Anywhere But Here Youtube - ABH Podcast     

The guys took a road trip to Kingston Upon Thames in southwest London to surprise Greg and Joe from The All Seeing Guys podcast performing as Dicerollers.   This episode was recorded in the car as we made our way to the venue, The Fighting Cocks, and features typically English conversations about the weather and other drivers. We also delve into Making a Murderer, Netflix's Marvel shows and work. Donald Trump and Brexit may also make a rare appearance.   Enjoy   Support us on Patreon Find us: Website - Anywhere But Here Twitter - @abhpod Facebook - Anywhere But Here Youtube - ABH Podcast     

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip! Episode 178 is standing outside your door this minute, so exercise politeness and cordiality and let it in won't ya - it's a goody this week, as Pip is joined by mighty acting talent Jonny Lee Miller!Undoubtedly you will know Jonny from the film which basically everyone must have seen by now (I mean if you were at an age suitable for the 18 rating) Trainspotting - and if not then good god fix that up already... He played the standout character 'Sickboy', and went onto revisit the character a couple of decades later in T2. These were naturally not the bookends of his career, as you will hear in this full on sprawling conversation - you'll get the inside scoop on his very early days, where he effectively bypassed the conventional acting route and did things in his own way, his Kingston Upon Thames (bigups!) days, his old skool days doing the UK actor thing by starring in The Bill, Eastenders and all the classics, and his giant leaps from the UK to the US, and LA to NY, from squandering roles after Trainspotting but clawing back a glorious career and ultimately starring as Sherlock Holmes in the huge US series Elementary - AND starring as Sherlock more than anyone else ever! Power moves from Jonny - get involved and brush up on your Jonny Lee Miller trivia! Huge. Enjoy!––––– ––––– –––––This episode's links:• JONNY LEE MILLER on TWITTER!• JONNY LEE MILLER on INSTAGRAM!• TRAINSPOTTING!• T2!• ELEMENTARY!• SCROOBIUS PIP on TWITTER!• SCROOBIUS PIP on INSTAGRAM!• SPEECH DEVELOPMENT RECORDS • DISTRACTION PIECES NETWORK on FACEBOOK• DISTRACTION PIECES NETWORK on INSTAGRAM• NEW LISTENERS TAKE NOTE!!! You can find the full DISTRACTION PIECES episode list HERE!• FOLLOW AND ENJOY!!! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not everyone appreciates the tonalities, lyrics or even the shrieky voice of Canadian artist and musician Joni Mitchell but in a dusty class room in 1971 Lynne Truss decided she loved the writer of Woodstock, Big Yellow Taxi and Both Sides Now. It was a bond forged in the face of the frosty indifference of fellow pupils in Miss Cheverton's music class at the Tiffin Girls School in Kingston Upon Thames. Even Lynne is slightly mystified when she was asked who was her muse that, as a person mostly famous for writing a book on punctuation, she replied; Joni Mitchell. Lynne explores why a series of albums from Ladies of the Canyon to Heijra taking in Blue, Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer lawns' has wrought such influence over so many. For her aficionados Joni Mitchell is more than a song writer. Lynne observes that for some the attachment goes beyond the personal; its a complete identification with the struggles of dealing with high emotion and how to cope. In the programme she speaks to the poet and playwright Liz Lochhead, the author Linda Grant, Elbow's front man Guy Garvey, her latest biographer the Syracuse University academic David Yaffe and Gina Foster the singer with the UK act Joni's Soul, which she insists is not a tribute but a celebration act. Lynne contends that despite at the time being overshadowed in favour of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and others Joni Mitchell will come to be regarded as the greatest exponent of the art of singer-song writer from that era and concludes that what makes her a muse can be found less in the brilliant lyrical summations of eternal questions like love, loss and freedom but more in her absolute commitment never to compromise her art - to remain true, above all else, to her own muse.

EPISODE 24 of TASG 'Our Ends, Kingston upon Thames & The Fallen Down Phone Boxes'. Firstly I apologise for sound quality not being as on point, it's not bad though & doesn't effect the show. Joe decided to eat the microphone so he's louder than usual at some points but I'm sure he's not sorry. We talk the fallen down phone boxes, a local Kebab award win, laser quest, a vicious attack on a police blanket, shops that have come & gone such as Books, Bits & Bobs. We answer the big question, is Kingston built over a hell mouth like Sunnydale in Buffy? How awesome would it be if we close the town & play paintball in it? & Whats this 'interested' bollocks on Facebook? We round up with looking at some spooky goings on & our Wankety Wank segment!

The pulsating movements of Louie Spence... The Colonel launches an appeal for the victims of the recent great floods in Kingston Upon Thames... find out what did Ronnie Kray do to Duncan Bannatyne... Don't listen to this whilst eating...