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Vierter Adventssonntag, Edinburgh: Die Luft ist klar und kalt, der Atem zeichnet kleine Wolken in den Princes Street Gardens. Lichterketten spannen sich durch die Dunkelheit, ein bunt leuchtendes Riesenrad dreht sich langsam, dahinter wacht das Castle über der Stadt. Weihnachtsmusik weht herüber, vermischt sich mit Stimmen und Gelächter. Edinburgh wirkt festlich, verspielt – und die Weihnachtsstimmung liegt spürbar in der Luft. In dieser Folge von BRITPOD – England at its best schlendern Alexander-Klaus Stecher und Claus Behling durch das Winter Wonderland der schottischen Hauptstadt. Sie lassen sich treiben zwischen Buden und Düften, staunen über vertraute deutsche Spezialitäten mitten in Edinburgh und blicken aus luftiger Höhe über die erleuchtete Stadt. Es geht um Weihnachtsmärkte, Traditionen, kleine Beobachtungen am Rande und um diese besondere Stimmung, die Schottland in der Adventszeit entfaltet. Auch in der St. Giles Cathedral herrscht eine ganz eigene Atmosphäre. Ruhiger, besinnlicher, aber nicht weniger eindrucksvoll. Mitten auf der Royal Mile gelegen, ist sie eines der bedeutendsten historischen und religiösen Gebäude Schottlands. Im Gespräch mit Cathedral Steward Robin geht es um die Geschichte der Kirche, ihre Rolle als High Kirk der Church of Scotland und ihre enge Verbindung zur Monarchie. So wurde im September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II. nach ihrem Tod hier aufgebahrt. Es ist ein stiller Ort mit ganz viel Geschichte. Ein absolutes Highlight ist deswegen auch das Adventskonzert der University of Edinburgh in der St. Giles Cathedral. Getragen von der besonderen Akustik und der Atmosphäre des vierten Advents ist dieses Konzert exklusiv in dieser Podcast-Folge zu hören - Weihnachtsstimmung, die man nicht nur hört, sondern spürt. Warum gibt es auf einem schottischen Weihnachtsmarkt Spätzle, Bratwurst und deutsches Bier? Wie fühlt sich Edinburgh im Advent aus der Perspektive des Riesenrads an? Und was erzählt die St. Giles Cathedral über Schottland, die Monarchie und Weihnachten, wenn man ihr wirklich zuhört? BRITPOD – England at its best. WhatsApp: Du kannst Alexander und Claus direkt auf ihre Handys Nachrichten schicken! Welche Ecke Englands sollten die beiden mal besuchen? Zu welchen Themen wünschst Du Dir mehr Folgen? Warst Du schon mal in Great Britain und magst ein paar Fotos mit Claus und Alexander teilen? Probiere es gleich aus: +49 8152 989770 - einfach diese Nummer einspeichern und schon kannst Du BRITPOD per WhatsApp erreichen. Ein ALL EARS ON YOU Original Podcast.
Christmas at Sandringham is set to look different this year, with familiar absences, softened protocols, and newer traditions taking hold under King Charles the Third. We run through who is expected, who is not, and how the day is likely to unfold from Christmas Eve dinner through the walk to church and the King's broadcast.We also look at the mood inside the family as the King continues treatment, the Princess of Wales marks her first Christmas since announcing remission, and the Wales family begins a new chapter at their new home.Plus, a report from royal biographer Robert Jobson claims the late Queen Elizabeth the Second was angered by Meghan Markle's sixty thousand pound Dior gown and later deeply distressed by the use of the name Lilibet, with contrasting accounts from Harry's side and other royal authors.Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
This episode of Go Fact Yourself is a real thriller!Loni Love is an Emmy-winning TV host, known for her over 1000 episodes of the talk show “The Real.” You can see her host The Rose Parade this New Year's Day. She's had an interesting career that included a poor-performing stint as an engineer.Nick Cho has made a name for himself on social media as “Your Korean Dad,” where he gives parental advice and insight to viewers. He'll tell us about how his kids encouraged him to get into content creation and why he's something of a coffee bean snob.Areas of Expertise:Loni: Michael Jackson, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, and how to pack for a cruise.Nick: 1980s arcade games, Asian-Americans in the media from the 1980s to 2000s, and Gen Alpha slang.What's the Difference: Advice ColumnWhat's the difference between getting advice and getting counsel?What's the difference between a column and a pillar?With Guest Experts:Siedah Garrett: Grammy-winning and two time Oscar-nominated singer and actor, whose career includes hit songs with Michael Jackson.Gedde Watanabe: Actor, whose career includes roles on Sixteen Candles, Mulan, “ER,” and more.Hosts: J. Keith van StraatenHelen HongCredits:Theme Song by Jonathan Green.Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!
What happens when curiosity, resilience, and storytelling collide over a lifetime of building something meaningful? In this episode, I welcome Nick Francis, founder and CEO of Casual Films, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, presence, and what it takes to keep going when the work gets heavy. Nick's journey began with a stint at BBC News and a bold 9,000-mile rally from London to Mongolia in a Mini Cooper, a spirit of adventure that still fuels how he approaches business and life today. We talk about how that early experience shaped Casual into a global branded storytelling company with studios across five continents, and what it really means to lead a creative organization at scale. Nick shares insights from growing the company internationally, expanding into Southeast Asia, and staying grounded while producing hundreds of projects each year. Along the way, we explore why emotionally resonant storytelling matters, how trust and preparation beat panic, and why presence with family, health, and purpose keeps leaders steady in uncertain times. This conversation is about building an Unstoppable life by focusing on what matters most, using creativity to connect people, and choosing clarity and resilience in a world full of noise. Highlights: 00:01:30 – Learn how early challenges shape resilience and long-term drive. 00:06:20 – Discover why focusing on your role creates calm under pressure. 00:10:50 – Learn how to protect attention in a nonstop world. 00:18:25 – Understand what global growth teaches about leadership. 00:26:00 – Learn why leading with trust changes relationships. 00:45:55 – Discover how movement and presence restore clarity. About the Guest: Nick Francis is the founder and CEO of Casual, a global production group that blends human storytelling, business know-how, and creativity turbo-charged by AI. Named the UK's number one brand video production company for five years, Casual delivers nearly 1,000 projects annually for world-class brands like Adobe, Amazon, BMW, Hilton, HSBC, and P&G. The adventurous spirit behind its first production – a 9,000-mile journey from London to Mongolia in an old Mini – continues to drive Casual's growth across offices in London, New York, LA, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Greater China. Nick previously worked for BBC News and is widely recognised for his expertise in video storytelling, brand building, and corporate communications. He is the founding director of the Casual Films Academy, a charity helping young filmmakers develop skills by producing films for charitable organisations. He is also the author of ‘The New Fire: Harness the Power of Video for Your Business' and a passionate advocate for emotionally resonant, behaviorally grounded storytelling. Nick lives in San Francisco, California, with his family. Ways to connect with Nick**:** Website: https://www.casualfilms.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@casual_global Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casualglobal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasualFilms/ Nick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfrancisfilm/ Casual's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/casual-films-international/ Beyond Casual - LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6924458968031395840 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson 01:21 Well, hello everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, that's kind of funny. We'll talk about that in a second, but this is unstoppable mindset. And our guest today is Nick Francis, and what we're going to talk about is the fact that people used to always ask me, well, they would call me Mr. Kingston, and it took me, as I just told Nick a master's degree in physics in 10 years to realize that if I said Mike hingson, that's why they said Mr. Kingston. So was either say Mike hingson or Michael hingson. Well, Michael hingson is a lot easier to say than Mike hingson, but I don't really care Mike or Michael, as long as it's not late for dinner. Whatever works. Yeah. Well, Nick, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Nick Francis 02:04 here. Thanks, Mike. It's great to be here. Michael Hingson 02:08 So Nick is a marketing kind of guy. He's got a company called casual that we'll hear about. Originally from England, I believe, and now lives in San Francisco. We were talking about the weather in San Francisco, as opposed to down here in Victorville. A little bit earlier. We're going to have a heat wave today and and he doesn't have that up there, but you know, well, things, things change over time. But anyway, we're glad you're here. And thanks, Mike. Really looking forward to it. Tell us about the early Nick growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to get us started. Nick Francis 02:43 That's a good question. I grew up in London, in in Richmond, which is southwest London. It's a at the time, it wasn't anything like as kind of, it's become quite kind of shishi, I think back in the day, because it's on the west of London. The pollution from the city used to flow east and so, like all the kind of well to do people, in fact, there used to be a, there used to be a palace in Richmond. It's where Queen Elizabeth died, the first Queen Elizabeth, that is. And, yeah, you know, I grew up it was, you know, there's a lot of rugby played around there. I played rugby for my local rugby club from a very young age, and we went sailing on the south coast. It was, it was great, really. And then, you know, unfortunately, when I was 10 years old, my my dad died. He had had a very powerful job at the BBC, and then he ran the British Council, which is the overseas wing of the Arts Council, so promoting, I guess, British soft power around the world, going and opening art galleries and going to ballet in Moscow and all sorts. So he had an incredible life and worked incredibly hard. And you know, that has brought me all sorts of privileges, I think, when I was a kid. But, you know, unfortunately, age 10 that all ended. And you know, losing a parent at that age is such a sort of fundamental, kind of shaking of your foundations. You know, you when you're a kid, you feel like a, you're going to live forever, and B, the things that are happening around you are going to last forever. And so, you know, you know, my mom was amazing, of course, and, you know, and in time, I got a new stepdad, and all the rest of it. But you know, that kind of shaped a lot of my a lot of my youth, really. And, yeah, I mean, Grief is a funny thing, and it's funny the way it manifests itself as you grow. But yeah. So I grew up there. I went to school in the Midlands, near where my stepdad lived, and then University of Newcastle, which is up in the north of England, where it rains a lot. It's where it's where Newcastle Football Club is based. And you know is that is absolutely at the center of the city. So. So the city really comes alive there. And it was during that time that I discovered photography, and I wanted to be a war photographer, because I believe that was where life was lived at the kind of the real cutting edge. You know, you see the you see humanity in its in its most visceral and vivid color in terrible situations. And I kind of that seemed like an interesting thing to go to go and do. Michael Hingson 05:27 Well, what? So what did you major in in college in Newcastle? So I did Nick Francis 05:31 history and politics, and then I went did a course in television journalism, and ended up working at BBC News as a initially running on the floor. So I used to deliver the papers that you know, when you see people shuffling or not, they do it anymore, actually, because everything, everything's digital now digital, yeah, but when they were worried about the the auto cues going down, they we always had to make sure that they had the up to date script. And so I would be printing in, obviously, the, you know, because it's a three hour news show, the scripts constantly evolving, and so, you know, I was making sure they had the most up to date version in their hands. And it's, I don't know if you have spent any time around live TV Mike, but it's an incredibly humbling experience, like the power of it. You know, there's sort of two or 3 million people watching these two people who are sitting five feet in front of me, and the, you know, the sort of slightly kind of, there was an element of me that just wanted to jump in front of them and kind of go, ah. And, you know, never, ever work in live TV, ever again. But you know, anyway, I did that and ended up working as a producer, writing and developing, developing packets that would go out on the show, producing interviews and things. And, you know, I absolutely loved it. It was, it was a great time. But then I left to go and set up my company. Michael Hingson 06:56 I am amazed, even today, with with watching people on the news, and I've and I've been in a number of studios during live broadcasts and so on. But I'm amazed at how well, mostly, at least, I've been fortunate. Mostly, the people are able to read because they do have to read everything. It isn't like you're doing a lot of bad living in a studio. Obviously, if you are out with a story, out in the field, if you will, there, there may be more where you don't have a printed script to go by, but I'm amazed at the people in the studio, how much they are able to do by by reading it all completely. Nick Francis 07:37 It's, I mean, the whole experience is kind of, it's awe inspiring, really. And you know, when you first go into a Live, a live broadcast studio, and you see the complexity, and you know, they've got feeds coming in from all over the world, and you know, there's upwards of 100 people all working together to make it happen. And I remember talking to one of the directors at the time, and I was like, How on earth does this work? And he said, You know, it's simple. You everyone has a very specific job, and you know that as long as you do your bit of the job when it comes in front of you, then the show will go out. He said, where it falls over is when people start worrying about whether other people are going to are going to deliver on time or, you know, and so if you start worrying about what other people are doing, rather than just focusing on the thing you have to do, that's where it potentially falls over, Michael Hingson 08:29 which is a great object lesson anyway, to worry about and control and don't worry about the rest Nick Francis 08:36 for sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, it's almost a lesson for life. I mean, sorry, it is a lesson for life, and Michael Hingson 08:43 it's something that I talk a lot about in dealing with the World Trade Center and so on, and because it was a message I received, but I've been really preaching that for a long time. Don't worry about what you can't control, because all you're going to do is create fear and drive yourself Nick Francis 08:58 crazy, completely, completely. You know. You know what is it? Give me the, give me this. Give me the strength to change the things I can. Give me the give me the ability to let the things that I can't change slide but and the wisdom to know the difference. I'm absolutely mangling that, that saying, but, yeah, it's, it's true, you know. And I think, you know, it's so easy for us to in this kind of modern world where everything's so media, and we're constantly served up things that, you know, shock us, sadness, enrage us, you know, just to be able to step back and say, actually, you know what? These are things I can't really change. I'd have to just let them wash over me. Yeah, and just focus on the things that you really can change. Michael Hingson 09:46 It's okay to be aware of things, but you've got to separate the things you can control from the things that you can and we, unfortunately aren't taught that. Our parents don't teach us that because they were never taught it, and it's something. That, just as you say, slides by, and it's so unfortunate, because it helps to create such a level of fear about so many things in our in our psyche and in our world that we really shouldn't have to do Nick Francis 10:13 completely well. I think, you know, obviously, but you know, we've, we've spent hundreds, if not millions of years evolving to become humans, and then, you know, actually being aware of things beyond our own village has only been an evolution of the last, you know what, five, 600 years, yeah. And so we are just absolutely, fundamentally not able to cope with a world of such incredible stimulus that we live in now. Michael Hingson 10:43 Yeah, and it's only getting worse with all the social media, with all the different things that are happening and of course, and we're only working to develop more and more things to inundate us with more and more kinds of inputs. It's really unfortunate we just don't learn to separate ourselves very easily from all of that. Nick Francis 11:04 Yeah, well, you know, it's so interesting when you look at the development of VR headsets, and, you know, are we going to have, like, lenses in our eyes that kind of enable us to see computer screens while we're just walking down the road, you know? And you look at that and you think, well, actually, just a cell phone. I mean, cell phones are going to be gone fairly soon. I would imagine, you know, as a format, it's not something that's going to abide but the idea that we're going to create technology that's going to be more, that's going to take us away from being in the moment more rather than less, is kind of terrifying. Because, I would say already, even with, you know, the most basic technology that we have now, which is, you know, mind bending, compared to where we were even 20 years ago, you know, to think that we're only going to become more immersive is, you know, we really, really as a species, have to work out how we are going to be far better at stepping away from this stuff. And I, you know, I do, I wonder, with AI and technology whether there is, you know, there's a real backlash coming of people who do want to just unplug, yeah, Michael Hingson 12:13 well, it'll be interesting to see, and I hope that people will learn to do it. I know when I started hearing about AI, and one of the first things I heard was how kids would use it to write their papers, and it was a horrible thing, and they were trying to figure out ways so that teachers could tell us something was written by AI, as opposed to a student. And I almost immediately developed this opinion, no, let AI write the papers for students, but when the students turn in their paper, then take a day to in your class where you have every student come up and defend their paper, see who really knows it, you know. And what a great teaching opportunity and teaching moment to to get students also to learn to do public speaking and other things a little bit more than they do, but we haven't. That hasn't caught on, but I continue to preach it. Nick Francis 13:08 I think that's really smart, you know, as like aI exists, and I think to to pretend somehow that, you know, we can work without it is, you know, it's, it's, it's, yeah, I mean, it's like, well, saying, you know, we're just going to go back to Word processors or typewriters, which, you know, in which it weirdly, in their own time, people looked at and said, this is, you know, these, these are going to completely rot our minds. In fact, yeah, I think Plato said that was very against writing, because he believed it would mean no one could remember anything after that, you know. So it's, you know, it's just, it's an endless, endless evolution. But I think, you know, we have to work out how we incorporate into it, into our education system, for sure. Michael Hingson 13:57 Well, I remember being in in college and studying physics and so on. And one of the things that we were constantly told is, on tests, you can't bring calculators in, can't use calculators in class. Well, why not? Well, because you could cheat with that. Well, the reality is that the smart physicists realized that it's all about really learning the concepts more than the numbers. And yeah, that's great to to know how to do the math. But the the real issue is, do you know the physics, not just the math completely? Nick Francis 14:34 Yeah. And then how you know? How are the challenges that are being set such that you know, they really test your ability to use the calculator effectively, right? So how you know? How are you lifting the bar? And in a way, I think that's kind of what we have to do, what we have to do now, Michael Hingson 14:50 agreed, agreed. So you were in the news business and so on, and then, as you said, you left to start your own company. Why did you decide to do that? Nick Francis 14:59 Well, a friend of. Ryan and I from University had always talked about doing this rally from London to Mongolia. So, and you do it in an old car that you sort of look at, and you go, well, that's a bit rubbish. It has to have under a one liter engine. So it's tiny, it's cheap. The idea is it breaks down you have an adventure. And it was something we kind of talked about in passing and decided that would be a good thing to do. And then over time, you know, we started sending off. We you know, we applied, and then we started sending off for visas and things. And then before we knew it, we were like, gosh, so it looks like we're actually going to do this thing. But by then, you know, my job at the BBC was really taking off. And so I said, you know, let's do this, but let's make a documentary of it. So long story short, we ended up making a series of diary films for Expedia, which we uploaded onto their website. It was, you know, we were kind of pitching this around about 2005 we kind of did it in 2006 so it was kind of, you know, nobody had really heard of YouTube. The idea of making videos to go online was kind of unheard of because, you know, broadband was just kind of getting sorry. It wasn't unheard of, but it was, it was very, it was a very nascent industry. And so, yeah, we went and drove 9000 miles over five weeks. We spent a week sitting in various different repair yards and kind of break his yards in everywhere from Turkey to Siberia. And when we came back, it became clear that the internet was opening up as this incredible medium for video, and video is such a powerful way to share emotion with a dispersed audience. You know, not that I would have necessarily talked about it in that in those terms back then, but it really seemed like, you know, every every web page, every piece of corporate content, could have a video aspect to it. And so we came back and had a few fits and starts and did some, I mean, we, you know, we made a series of hotel videos where we were paid 50 quid a day to go and film hotels. And it was hot and it was hard work. And anyway, it was rough. But over time, you know, we started to win some more lucrative work. And, you know, really, the company grew from there. We won some awards, which helped us to kind of make a bit of a name for ourselves. And this was, there's been a real explosion in technology, kind of shortly after when we did this. So digital SLRs, so, you know, old kind of SLR cameras, you know, turned into digital cameras, which could then start to shoot video. And so it, there was a real explosion in high quality video produced by very small teams of people using the latest technology creatively. And that just felt like a good kind of kick off point for our business. But we just kind of because we got in in kind of 2006 we just sort of beat a wave that kind of started with digital SLRs, and then was kind of absolutely exploded when video cell phones came on the market, video smartphones. And yeah, you know, because we had these awards and we had some kind of fairly blue chip clients from a relatively early, early stage, we were able to grow the company. We then expanded to the US in kind of 2011 20 between 2011 2014 and then we were working with a lot of the big tech companies in California, so it felt like we should maybe kind of really invest in that. And so I moved out here with some of our team in 2018 at the beginning of 2018 and I've been here ever since, wow. Michael Hingson 18:44 So what is it? What was it like starting a business here, or bringing the business here, as opposed to what it was in England? Nick Francis 18:53 It's really interesting, because the creatively the UK is so strong, you know, like so many, you know, from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones to, you know, and then on through, like all the kind of, you know, film and TV, you know, Brits are very good at kind of Creating, like, high level creative, but not necessarily always the best at kind of monetizing it, you know. I mean, some of those obviously have been fantastic successes, right? And so I think in the UK, we we take a lot longer over getting, getting to, like, the perfect creative output, whereas the US is far more focused on, you know, okay, we need this to to perform a task, and frankly, if we get it 80% done, then we're good, right? And so I think a lot of creative businesses in the UK look at the US and they go, gosh. Firstly, the streets are paved with gold. Like the commercial opportunity seems incredible, but actually creating. Tracking it is incredibly difficult, and I think it's because we sort of see the outputs in the wrong way. I think they're just the energy and the dynamism of the US economy is just, it's kind of awe inspiring. But you know, so many businesses try to expand here and kind of fall over themselves. And I think the number one thing is just, you have to have a founder who's willing to move to the US. Because I think Churchill said that we're two two countries divided by the same language. And I never fully understood what that meant until I moved here. I think what it what he really means by that is that we're so culturally different in the US versus the UK. And I think lots of Brits look at America and think, Well, you know, it's just the same. It's just a bit kind of bigger and a bit Brasher, you know, and it and actually, I think if people in the US spoke a completely different language, we would approach it as a different culture, which would then help us to understand it better. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, it's been, it's been the most fabulous adventure to move here and to, you know, it's, it's hard sometimes, and California is a long way from home, but the energy and the optimism and the entrepreneurialism of it, coupled with just the natural beauty is just staggering. So we've made some of our closest friends in California, it's been absolutely fantastic. And across the US, it's been a fantastic adventure for us and our family. Michael Hingson 21:30 Yeah, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the US, and I hear negative comments about one place or another, like West Virginia, people eat nothing but fried food and all that. But the reality is, if you really take an overall look at it, the country has so much to offer, and I have yet to find a place that I didn't enjoy going to, and people I never enjoyed meeting, I really enjoy all of that, and it's great to meet people, and it's great to experience so much of this country. And I've taken that same posture to other places. I finally got to visit England last October, for the first time. You mentioned rugby earlier, the first time I was exposed to rugby was when I traveled to New Zealand in 2003 and found it pretty fascinating. And then also, I was listening to some rugby, rugby, rugby broadcast, and I tuned across the radio and suddenly found a cricket game that was a little bit slow for me. Yeah, cricket to be it's slow. Nick Francis 22:41 Yeah, fair enough. It's funny. Actually, we know what you're saying about travel. Like one of the amazing things about our Well, I kind of learned two sort of quite fundamentally philosophical things, I think, you know, or things about the about humans and the human condition. Firstly, like, you know, traveling across, you know, we left from London. We, like, drove down. We went through Belgium and France and Poland and Slovenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, like, all the way down Bulgaria, across Turkey into Georgia and Azerbaijan and across the Caspian Sea, and through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, into Russia, and then down into Mongolia. When we finished, we were due north of Jakarta, right? So we drove, we drove a third of the way around the world. And the two things that taught me were, firstly that human people are good. You know, everywhere we went, people would invite us in to have meals, or they'd like fix our car for not unit for free. I mean, people were so kind everywhere we went. Yeah. And the other thing was, just, when we get on a plane and you fly from here to or you fly from London, say to we, frankly, you fly from London to Turkey, it feels unbelievably different. You know, you fly from London to China, and it's, you know, complete different culture. But what our journey towards us, because we drove, was that, you know, while we might not like to admit it, we're actually quite, you know, Brits are quite similar to the French, and the French actually are quite similar to the Belgians, and Belgians quite similar to the Germans. And, you know, and all the way through, actually, like we just saw a sort of slowly changing gradient of all the different cultures. And it really, you know, we are just one people, you know. So as much as we might feel that, you know, we're all we're all different, actually, when you see it, when you when you do a drive like that, you really, you really get to see how slowly the cultures shift and change. Another thing that's quite funny, actually, was just like, everywhere we went, we would be like, you know, we're driving to Turkey. They'd be like, Oh, God, you just drove through Bulgaria, you know, how is like, everything on your car not been stolen, you know, they're so dodgy that you Bulgarians are so dodgy. And then, you know, we'd get drive through the country, and they'd be like, you know, oh, you're going into Georgia, you know, gosh, what you go. Make, make sure everything's tied down on your car. They're so dodgy. And then you get into Georgia, and they're like, Oh my God, you've just very driven through Turkey this, like, everyone sort of had these, like, weird, yeah, kind of perceptions of their neighbors. And it was all nonsense, yeah, you know. Michael Hingson 25:15 And the reality is that, as you pointed out, people are good, you know, I think, I think politicians are the ones who so often mess it up for everyone, just because they've got agendas. And unfortunately, they teach everyone else to be suspicious of of each other, because, oh, this person clearly has a hidden agenda when it normally isn't necessarily true at all. Nick Francis 25:42 No, no, no, certainly not in my experience, anyway, not in my experience. But, you know, well, oh, go ahead. No, no. It's just, you know, it's, it is. It's, it is weird the way that happens, you know, well, they say, you know, if, if politicians fought wars rather than, rather than our young men and women, then there'd be a lot less of them. Yeah, so Well, Michael Hingson 26:06 there would be, well as I tell people, you know, I I've learned a lot from working with eight guy dogs and my wife's service dog, who we had for, oh, gosh, 14 years almost, and one of the things that I tell people is I absolutely do believe what people say, that dogs love unconditionally, unless they're just totally traumatized by something, but they don't trust unconditionally. The difference between dogs and people is that dogs are more open to trust because we've taught ourselves and have been taught by others, that everyone has their own hidden agenda. So we don't trust. We're not open to trust, which is so unfortunate because it affects the psyche of so many people in such a negative way. We get too suspicious of people, so it's a lot harder to earn trust. Nick Francis 27:02 Yeah, I mean, I've, I don't know, you know, like I've been, I've been very fortunate in my life, and I kind of always try to be, you know, open and trusting. And frankly, you know, I think if you're open and trusting with people, in my experience, you kind of, it comes back to you, you know, and maybe kind of looking for the best in everyone. You know, there are times where that's not ideal, but you know, I think you know, in the overwhelming majority of cases, you know, actually, you know, you treat people right? And you know what goes what goes around, comes around, absolutely. Michael Hingson 27:35 And I think that's so very true. There are some people who just are going to be different than that, but I think for the most part, if you show that you're open to trust people will want to trust you, as long as you're also willing to trust Nick Francis 27:51 them completely. Yeah, completely. Michael Hingson 27:54 So I think that that's the big thing we have to deal with. And I don't know, I hope that we, we will learn it. But I think that politicians are really the most guilty about teaching us. Why not to trust but that too, hopefully, will be something we deal with. Nick Francis 28:12 I think, you know, I think we have to, you know, it's, it's one of the tragedies of our age, I think, is that the, you know, we spent the 20th century, thinking that sex was the kind of ultimate sales tool. And then it took algorithms to for us to realize that actually anger and resentment are the most powerful sales tools, which is, you know, it's a it's something which, in time, we will work out, right? And I think the problem is that, at the minute, these tech businesses are in such insane ascendancy, and they're so wealthy that it's very hard to regulate them. And I think in time, what will happen is, you know, they'll start to lose some of that luster and some of that insane scale and that power, and then, you know, then regulation will come in. But you know whether or not, we'll see maybe, hopefully our civilization will still be around to see that. Michael Hingson 29:04 No, there is that, or maybe the Vulcans will show up and show us a better way. But you know, Nick Francis 29:11 oh, you know, I'm, I'm kind of endlessly optimistic. I think, you know, we are. We're building towards a very positive future. I think so. Yeah, it's just, you know, get always bumps along the way, yeah. Michael Hingson 29:24 So you named your company casual. Why did you do that? Or how did that come about? Nick Francis 29:30 It's a slightly weird name for something, you know, we work with, kind of, you know, global blue chip businesses. And, you know, casual is kind of the last thing that you would want to associate with, a, with a, with any kind of services business that works in that sphere. I think, you know, we, the completely honest answer is that the journalism course I did was television, current affairs journalism, so it's called TV cadge, and so we, when we made a film for a local charity as part of that course. Course, we were asked to name our company, and we just said, well, cash, cash casual, casual films. So we called it casual films. And then when my friend and I set the company up, kind of formally, to do the Mongol Rally, we, you know, we had this name, you know, the company, the film that we'd made for the charity, had gone down really well. It had been played at BAFTA in London. And so we thought, well, you know, we should just, you know, hang on to that name. And it didn't, you know, at the time, it didn't really seem too much of an issue. It was only funny. It was coming to the US, where I think people are a bit more literal, and they were a bit like, well, casual. Like, why casual, you know. And I remember being on a shoot once. And, you know, obviously, kind of some filmmakers can be a little casual themselves, not necessarily in the work, but in the way they present themselves, right? And I remember sitting down, we were interviewing this CEO, and he said, who, you know, who are you? Oh, we're casual films. He's like, Oh, is that why that guy's got ripped jeans? Is it? And I just thought, Damn, you know, we really left ourselves open to that. There was also, there was a time one of our early competitors was called Agile films. And so, you know, I remember talking to one of our clients who said, you know, it's casual, you know, when I have to put together a little document to say, you know, which, which supplier we should choose, and when I lay it on my boss's desk, and one says casual films, and one says agile films, it's like those guys are landing the first punch. But anyway, we, you know, we, what we say now is like, you know, we take a complex process and make it casual. You know, filmmaking, particularly for like, large, complex organizations where you've got lots of different stakeholders, can be very complicated. And so, yeah, we sort of say, you know, we'll take a lot of that stress off, off our clients. So that's kind of the rationale, you know, that we've arrived with, arrived at having spoken to lots of our clients about the role that we play for them. So, you know, there's a kind of positive spin on it, I guess, but I don't know. I don't know whether I'd necessarily call it casual again. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that or not, but, oh, Michael Hingson 32:00 it's unique, you know? So, yeah, I think there's a lot of merit to it. It's a unique name, and it interests people. I know, for me, one of the things that I do is I have a way of doing this. I put all of my business cards in Braille, so the printed business cards have Braille on them, right? Same thing. It's unique completely. Nick Francis 32:22 And you listen, you know what look your name is an empty box that you fill with your identity. They say, right? And casual is actually, it's something we've grown into. And you know it's we've been going for nearly 20 years. In fact, funny enough for the end of this year is the 20th anniversary of that first film we made for the for the charity. And then next summer will be our 20th anniversary, which is, you know, it's, it's both been incredibly short and incredibly long, you know, I think, like any kind of experience in life, and it's been some of the hardest kind of times of my entire life, and some of the best as well. So, you know, it's, it is what it is, but you know, casual is who we are, right? I would never check, you know? I'd never change it. Michael Hingson 33:09 Now, no, of course not, yeah. So is the actual name casual films, or just casual? Nick Francis 33:13 So it was casual films, but then everyone calls us casual anyway, and I think, like as an organization, we probably need to be a bit more agnostic about the outcome. Michael Hingson 33:22 Well, the reason I asked, in part was, is there really any filming going on anymore? Nick Francis 33:28 Well, that's a very that's a very good question. But have we actually ever made a celluloid film? And I think the answer is probably no. We used to, back in the day, we used to make, like, super eight films, which were films, I think, you know, video, you know, ultimately, if you're going to be really pedantic about it, it's like, well, video is a digital, digital delivery. And so basically, every film we make is, is a video. But there is a certain cachet to the you know, because our films are loved and crafted, you know, for good or ill, you know, I think to call them, you know, they are films because, because of the, you know, the care that's put into them. But it's not, it's, it's not celluloid. No, that's okay, yeah, well, Michael Hingson 34:16 and I know that, like with vinyl records, there is a lot of work being done to preserve and capture what's on cellular film. And so there's a lot of work that I'm sure that's being done to digitize a lot of the old films. And when you do that, then you can also go back and remaster and hopefully in a positive way, and I'm not sure if that always happens, but in a positive way, enhance them Nick Francis 34:44 completely, completely and, you know, it's, you know, it's interesting talking about, like, you know, people wanting to step back. You know, obviously vinyl is having an absolute as having a moment right now. In fact, I just, I just bought a new stylist for my for my record. Play yesterday. It sounded incredible as a joy. This gave me the sound quality of this new style. It's fantastic. You know, beyond that, you know, running a company, you know, we're in nine offices all over the world. We produce nearly 1000 projects a year. So, you know, it's a company. It's an incredibly complicated company. It's a very fun and exciting company. I love the fact that we make these beautifully creative films. But, you know, it's a bit, I wouldn't say it's like, I don't know, you don't get many MBAs coming out of business school saying, hey, I want to set up a video production company. But, you know, it's been, it's been wonderful, but it's also been stressful. And so, you know, I've, I've always been interested in pottery and ceramics and making stuff with my hands. When I was a kid, I used to make jewelry, and I used to go and sell it in nightclubs, which is kind of weird, but, you know, it paid for my beers. And then whatever works, I say kid. I was 18. I was, I was of age, but of age in the UK anyway. But now, you know, over the last few 18 months or so, I've started make, doing my own ceramics. So, you know, I make vases and and pictures and kind of all sorts of stuff out of clay. And it's just, it's just to be to unplug and just to go and, you know, make things with mud with your hands. It's just the most unbelievably kind of grounding experience. Michael Hingson 36:26 Yeah, I hear you, yeah. One of the things that I like to do is, and I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I am involved with organizations like the radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, which, every year, does recreations of old radio shows. And so we get the scripts we we we have several blind people who are involved in we actually go off and recreate some of the old shows, which is really a lot of fun, Nick Francis 36:54 I bet, yeah, yeah, sort of you know that connection to the past is, is, yeah, it's great radio. Radio is amazing. Michael Hingson 37:03 Anyway, what we have to do is to train some of the people who have not had exposure to old radio. We need to train them as to how to really use their voices to convey like the people who performed in radio, whatever they're doing, because too many people don't really necessarily know how to do that well. And it is, it is something that we're going to work on trying to find ways to get people really trained. And one of the ways, of course, is you got to listen to the old show. So one of the things we're getting more and more people to do when we do recreations is to go back and listen to the original show. Well, they say, Well, but, but that's just the way they did it. That's not necessarily the way it should be done. And the response is, no, that's not really true. The way they did it sounded natural, and the way you are doing it doesn't and there's reality that you need to really learn how to to use your voice to convey well, and the only way to do it is to listen to the experts who did it. Nick Francis 38:06 Yeah, well, it's, you know, it's amazing. The, you know, when the BBC was founded, all the news readers and anyone who appeared on on the radio to to present or perform, had to wear like black tie, like a tuxedo, because it was, you know, they're broadcasting to the nation, so they had to, you know, they had to be dressed appropriately, right, which is kind of amazing. And, you know, it's interesting how you know, when you, when you change your dress, when you change the way you're sitting, it does completely change the way that you project yourself, yeah, Michael Hingson 38:43 it makes sense, yeah, well, and I always enjoyed some of the old BBC radio shows, like the Goon Show, and completely some of those are so much fun. Nick Francis 38:54 Oh, great, yeah, I don't think they were wearing tuxedo. It's tuxedos. They would Michael Hingson 38:59 have been embarrassed. Yeah, right, right. Can you imagine Peter Sellers in a in a tux? It just isn't going to happen. Nick Francis 39:06 No, right, right. But yeah, no, it's so powerful. You know, they say radio is better than TV because the pictures are better. Michael Hingson 39:15 I agree. Yeah, sure, yeah. Well, you know, I I don't think this is quite the way he said it, but Fred Allen, the old radio comedian, once said they call television the new medium, because that's as good as it's ever going Nick Francis 39:28 to get. Yeah, right, right, yeah. Michael Hingson 39:32 I think there's truth to it. Whether that's exactly the way he said it or not, there's truth to that, yeah, but there's also a lot of good stuff on TV, so it's okay. Nick Francis 39:41 Well, it's so interesting. Because, you know, when you look at the it's never been more easy to create your own content, yeah, and so, you know, and like, in a way, TV, you know, he's not wrong in that, because it suddenly opened up this, this huge medium for people just to just create. Right? And, you know, and I think, like so many people, create without thinking, and, you know, and certainly in our kind of, in the in the world that we're living in now with AI production, making production so much more accessible, actually taking the time as a human being just to really think about, you know, who are the audience, what are the things that are going to what are going to kind of resonate with them? You know? Actually, I think one of the risks with AI, and not just AI, but just like production being so accessible, is that you can kind of shoot first and kind of think about it afterwards, and, you know, and that's never good. That's always going to be medium. It's medium at best, frankly. Yeah, so yeah, to create really great stuff takes time, you know, yeah, to think about it. Yeah, for sure, yeah. Michael Hingson 40:50 Well, you know, our podcast is called unstoppable mindset. What do you think that unstoppable mindset really means to you as a practical thing and not just a buzzword. Because so many people talk about the kinds of buzzwords I hear all the time are amazing. That's unstoppable, but it's really a lot more than a buzzword. It goes back to what you think, I think. But what do you think? Nick Francis 41:15 I think it's something that is is buried deep inside you. You know, I'd say the simple answer is, is just resilience. You know, it's, it's been rough. I write anyone running a small business or a medium sized business at the minute, you know, there's been some tough times over the last, kind of 1824, months or so. And, you know, I was talking to a friend of mine who she sold out of her business. And she's like, you know, how are things? I was like, you know, it's, it's, it's tough, you know, we're getting through it, you know, we're changing a lot of things, you know, we're like, we're definitely making the business better, but it's hard. And she's like, Listen, you know, when three years before I sold my company, I was at rock bottom. It was, I genuinely thought it was so stressful. I was crushed by it, but I just kept going. And she's just like, just keep going. And the only difference between success and failure is that resilience and just getting up every day and you just keep, keep throwing stuff at the wall, keep trying new things, keep working and trying to be better. I think, you know, it's funny when you look at entrepreneurs, I'm a member of a mentoring group, and I hope I'm not talking out of school here, but you know, there's 15 entrepreneurs, you know, varying sizes of business, doing all sorts, you know, across all sorts of different industries. And if you sat on the wall, if you were fly on the wall, and you sit and look at these people on a kind of week, month to month basis, and they all present on how their businesses are going. You go, this is this being an entrepreneur does not look like a uniformly fun thing, you know, the sort of the stress and just, you know, people crying and stuff, and you're like, gosh, you know, it's so it's, it's, it's hard, and yet, you know, it's people just keep coming back to it. And yet, I think it's because of that struggle that you have to kind of have something in built in you, that you're sort of, you're there to prove something. And I, you know, I've thought a lot about this, and I wonder whether, kind of, the death of my father at such a young age kind of gave me this incredible fire to seek His affirmation, you know. And unfortunately, obviously, the tragedy of that is like, you know, the one person who would never give me affirmation is my dad. And yet, you know, I get up every day, you know, to have early morning calls with the UK or with Singapore or wherever. And you know, you just just keep on, keeping on. And I think that's probably what and knowing I will never quit, you know, like, even from the earliest days of casual, when we were just, like a couple of people, and we were just, you know, kids doing our very best, I always knew the company was going to be a success act. Like, just a core belief that I was like, this is going to work. This is going to be a success. I didn't necessarily know what that success would look like. I just but I did know that, like, whatever it took, we would map, we'd map our way towards that figure it out. We'd figure it out. And I think, you know, there's probably something unstoppable. I don't know, I don't want to sound immodest, but I think there's probably something in that that you're just like, I am just gonna keep keep on, keeping on. Michael Hingson 44:22 Do you think that resilience and unstoppability are things that can be taught, or is it just something that's built into you, and either you have it or you don't? Nick Francis 44:31 I think it's something that probably, it's definitely something that can be learned, for sure, you know. And there are obviously ways that it can there's obviously ways it can be taught. You know, I was, I spent some time in the reserve, like the Army Reserve in the UK, and I just, you know, a lot of that is about teaching you just how much further you can go. I think what it taught me was it was so. So hard. I mean, honestly, some of the stuff we did in our training was, like, you know, it's just raining and raining and raining and, like, because all your kits soaking wet is weighs twice what it did before, and you just, you know, sleeping maybe, you know, an hour or two a night, and, you know, and there wasn't even anyone shooting at us, right? So, you know, like the worst bit wasn't even happening. But like, and like, in a sense, I think, you know, that's what they're trying to do, that, you know, they say, you know, train hard and fight easy. But I remember sort of sitting there, and I was just exhausted, and I just genuinely, I was just thought, you know, what if they tell me to go now, I just, I can't. I literally, I can't, I can't do it. Can't do it. And then they're like, right, lads, put your packs on. Let's go and just put your pack on. Off you go, you know, like, this sort of, the idea of not, like, I was never going to quit, just never, never, ever, you know, and like I'd physically, if I physically, like, literally, my physical being couldn't stand up, you know, I then that was be, that would be, you know, if I was kind of, like literally incapacitated. And I think what that taught me actually, was that, you know, you have what you believe you can do, like you have your sort of, you have your sort of physical envelope, but like that is only a third or a quarter of what you can actually achieve, right, you know. And I think what that, what the that kind of training is about, and you know, you can do it in marathon training. You can do it in all sorts of different, you know, even, frankly, meditate. You know, you train your mind to meditate for, you know, an hour, 90 minutes plus. You know, you're still doing the same. You know, there's a, there's an elasticity within your brain where you can teach yourself that your envelope is so much larger. Yeah. So, yeah, you know, like, is casual going to be a success? Like, I'm good, you know, I'm literally, I won't I won't stop until it is Michael Hingson 46:52 right, and then why stop? Exactly, exactly you continue to progress and move forward. Well, you know, when everything feels uncertain, whether it's the markets or whatever, what do you do or what's your process for finding clarity? Nick Francis 47:10 I think a lot of it is in having structured time away. I say structured. You build it into your calendar, but like, but it's unstructured. So, you know, I take a lot of solace in being physically fit. You know, I think if you're, if you feel physically fit, then you feel mentally far more able to deal with things. I certainly when I'm if I'm unfit and if I've been working too much and I haven't been finding the time to exercise. You know, I feel like the problems we have to face just loom so much larger. So, you know, I, I'll book out. I, you know, I work with a fan. I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic assistant who, you know, we book in my my exercise for each week, and it's almost the first thing that goes in the calendar. I do that because I can't be the business my my I can't be the leader my business requires. And it finally happened. It was a few years ago I kind of, like, the whole thing just got really big on me, and it just, you know, and I'm kind of, like, being crushed by it. And I just thought, you know what? Like, I can't, I can't fit other people's face mask, without my face mask being fit, fitted first. Like, in order to be the business my business, I keep saying that to be the lead in my business requires I have to be physically fit. So I have to look after myself first. And so consequently, like, you know, your exercise shouldn't be something just get squeezed in when you find when you have time, because, you know, if you've got family and you know, other things happening, like, you know, just will be squeezed out. So anyway, that goes in. First, I'll go for a bike ride on a Friday afternoon, you know, I'll often listen to a business book and just kind of process things. And it's amazing how often, you know, I'll just go for a run and, like, these things that have been kind of nagging away in the back of my mind, just suddenly I find clarity in them. So I try to exercise, like, five times a week. I mean, that's obviously more than most people can can manage, but you know that that really helps. And then kind of things, like the ceramics is very useful. And then, you know, I'm lucky. I think it's also just so important just to appreciate the things that you already have. You know, I think one of the most important lessons I learned last year was this idea that, you know, here is the only there. You know, everyone's working towards this kind of, like, big, you know, it's like, oh, you know, when I get to there, then everything's going to be okay, you know. And actually, you know, if you think about like, you know, and what did you want to achieve when you left college? Like, what was the salary band that you want? That you wanted to achieve? Right? A lot of people, you know, by the time you hit 4050, you've blown way through that, right? And yet you're still chasing the receding Summit, yeah, you know. And so actually, like, wherever we're trying to head to, we're already there, because once you get there, there's going to be another there that you're trying to. Head to right? So, so, you know, it's just taking a moment to be like, you know, God, I'm so lucky to have what I have. And, you know, I'm living in, we're living in the good old days, like right now, right? Michael Hingson 50:11 And the reality is that we're doing the same things and having the same discussions, to a large degree, that people did 50, 100 200 years ago. As you pointed out earlier, the fact is that we're, we're just having the same discussions about whether this works, or whether that works, or anything else. But it's all the same, Nick Francis 50:33 right, you know. And you kind of think, oh, you know, if I just, just, like, you know, if we just open up these new offices, or if we can just, you know, I think, like, look, if I, if I'd looked at casual when we started it as it is now, I would have just been like, absolute. My mind would have exploded, right? You know, if you look at what we've achieved, and yet, I kind of, you know, it's quite hard sometimes to look at it and just be like, Oh yeah, but we're only just starting. Like, there's so much more to go. I can see so much further work, that we need so many more things, that we need to do, so many more things that we could do. And actually, you know, they say, you know, I'm lucky enough to have two healthy, wonderful little girls. And you know, I think a lot of bread winners Look at, look at love being provision, and the idea that, you know, you have to be there to provide for them. And actually, the the truest form of love is presence, right? And just being there for them, and like, you know, not being distracted and kind of putting putting things aside, you know, not jumping on your emails or your Slack messages or whatever first thing in the morning, you know. And I, you know, I'm not. I'm guilty, like, I'm not, you know, I'm not one of these people who have this kind of crazy kind of morning routine where, like, you know, I'm incredibly disciplined about that because, you know, and I should be more. But like, you know, this stuff, one of the, one of the things about having a 24 hour business with people working all over the world is there's always things that I need to respond to. There's always kind of interesting things happening. And so just like making sure that I catch myself every so often to be like, I'm just going to be here now and I'm going to be with them, and I'm going to listen to what they're saying, and I'm going to respond appropriately, and, you know, I'm going to play a game with them, or whatever. That's true love. You know? Michael Hingson 52:14 Well, there's a lot of merit to the whole concept of unplugging and taking time and living in the moment. One of the things that we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, that we published last year, and it's all about lessons I've learned about leadership and teamwork and preparedness from eight guide dogs and my wife's service dog. One of the things that I learned along the way is the whole concept of living in the moment when I was in the World Trade Center with my fifth guide dog, Roselle. We got home, and I was going to take her outside to go visit the bathroom, but as soon as I took the harness off, she shot off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog. Asked the veterinarians about him the next day, the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and they said, Well, did anything threaten her? And I said, No. And they said, there's your answer. The reality is, dogs live in the moment when it was over. It was over. And yeah, right lesson to learn. Nick Francis 53:15 I mean, amazing, absolutely amazing. You must have taken a lot of strength from that. Michael Hingson 53:20 Oh, I think it was, it was great. It, you know, I can look back at my life and look at so many things that have happened, things that I did. I never thought that I would become a public speaker, but I learned in so many ways the art of speaking and being relaxed at speaking in a in a public setting, that when suddenly I was confronted with the opportunity to do it, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Nick Francis 53:46 Yeah, it's funny, because I think isn't public speaking the number one fear. It is. It's the most fit. It's the most feared thing for the most people. Michael Hingson 53:57 And the reality is going back to something that we talked about before. The reality is, audiences want you to succeed, unless you're a jerk and you project that, audiences want to hear what you have to say. They want you to be successful. There's really nothing to be afraid of but, but you're right. It is the number one fear, and I've never understood that. I mean, I guess I can intellectually understand it, but internally, I don't. The first time I was asked to speak after the World Trade Center attacks, a pastor called me up and he said, we're going to we're going to have a service outside for all the people who we lost in New Jersey and and that we would like you to come and speak. Take a few minutes. And I said, Sure. And then I asked him, How many people many people were going to be at the service? He said, 6000 that was, that was my first speech. Nick Francis 54:49 Yeah, wow. But it didn't bother me, you know, no, I bet Michael Hingson 54:54 you do the best you can, and you try to improve, and so on. But, but it is true that so many people. Are public speaking, and there's no reason to what Nick Francis 55:03 did that whole experience teach you? Michael Hingson 55:06 Well, one of the things that taught me was, don't worry about the things that you can't control. It also taught me that, in reality, any of us can be confronted with unexpected things at any time, and the question is, how well do we prepare to deal with it? So for me, for example, and it took me years after September 11 to recognize this, but one of the things that that happened when the building was hit, and Neither I, nor anyone on my side of the building really knew what happened. People say all the time, well, you didn't know because you couldn't see it. Well, excuse me, it hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. And the last time I checked X ray vision was fictitious, so nobody knew. But did the building shake? Oh, it tipped. Because tall buildings like that are flexible. And if you go to any tall building, in reality, they're made to buffet in wind storms and so on, and in fact, they're made to possibly be struck by an airplane, although no one ever expected that somebody would deliberately take a fully loaded jet aircraft and crash it into a tower, because it wasn't the plane hitting the tower as such that destroyed both of them. It was the exploding jet fuel that destroyed so much more infrastructure caused the buildings to collapse. But in reality, for me, I had done a lot of preparation ahead of time, not even thinking that there would be an emergency, but thinking about I need to really know all I can about the building, because I've got to be the leader of my office, and I should know all of that. I should know what to do in an emergency. I should know how to take people to lunch and where to go and all that. And by learning all of that, as I learned many and discovered many years later, it created a mindset that kicked in when the World Trade Center was struck, and in fact, we didn't know until after both towers had collapsed, and I called my wife. We I talked with her just before we evacuated, and the media hadn't even gotten the story yet, but I never got a chance to talk with her until after both buildings had collapsed, and then I was able to get through and she's the first one that told us how the two buildings had been hit by hijacked aircraft. But the mindset had kicked in that said, You know what to do, do it and that. And again, I didn't really think about that until much later, but that's something that is a lesson we all could learn. We shouldn't rely on just watching signs to know what to do, no to go in an emergency. We should really know it, because the knowledge, rather than just having information, the true intellectual knowledge that we internalize, makes such a big difference. Nick Francis 57:46 Do you think it was the fact that you were blind that made you so much more keen to know the way out that kind of that really helped you to understand that at the time? Michael Hingson 57:56 Well, what I think is being blind and growing up in an environment where so many things could be unexpected, for me, it was important to know so, for example, when I would go somewhere to meet a customer, I would spend time, ahead of time, learning how to get around, learning how to get to where they were and and learning what what the process was, because we didn't have Google Maps and we didn't have all the intellectual and and technological things that we have today. Well intellectual we did with the technology we didn't have. So today it's easier, but still, I want to know what to do. I want to really have the answers, and then I can can more easily and more effectively deal with what I need to deal with and react. So I'm sure that blindness played a part in all of that, because if I hadn't learned how to do the things that I did and know the things that I knew, then it would have been a totally different ball game, and so sure, I'm sure, I'm certain that blindness had something to do with it, but I also know that, that the fact is, what I learned is the same kinds of things that everyone should learn, and we shouldn't rely on just the signs, because what if the building were full of smoke, then what would you do? Right? And I've had examples of that since I was at a safety council meeting once where there was somebody from an electric company in Missouri who said, you know, we've wondered for years, what do we do if there's a fire in the generator room, in the basement, In the generator room, how do people get out? And he and I actually worked on it, and they developed a way where people could have a path that they could follow with their feet to get them out. But the but the reality is that what people first need to learn is eyesight is not the only game in town. Yeah, right. Mean, it's so important to really learn that, but people, people don't, and we take too many things for granted, which is, which is really so unfortunate, because we really should do a li
Who was Karsh and how did he become one of the most famous portrait photographers of the 20th century? How did Karsh escape from the Armenian Genocide as a child? What was the story behind some of the most famous photographs of Churchill, Einstein, Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Martin Luther King? Anita and William explore the fascinating life of one of the photographers of Empire, Yousuf Karsh. Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire experience with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Just go to https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/gifts And of course, you can still join for yourself any time at empirepoduk.com or on apple podcasts. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Producer: Anouska Lewis Assistant Producer: Alfie Norris Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Veroordeeld opruier en rechtsextremist Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, maar dat klinkt minder volks) heeft Jezus gevonden, zegt hij. Op een speciale demonstratie afgelopen weekend werden kerstliederen gezongen, met als doel 'Christus terug in Kerstmis' te krijgen. Zo'n duizend mensen deden mee. Een opkomst die tegenvalt vergeleken met zijn anti-immigrantendemonstratie van afgelopen zomer, waar meer dan 100.000 mensen op afkwamen. Wat zit er achter zijn flirt met het Christendom. Keir Starmer stelt lokale verkiezingen uit om het kiesstelsel aan te passen Britse extra virgin olijfolie Over Van Bekhovens Britten In van Bekhovens Britten praten Lia van Bekhoven en Connor Clerx elke week over de grootste nieuwsonderwerpen en de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Van Brexit naar binnenlandse politiek, van de Royals tot de tabloids. Waarom fascineert het VK Nederlanders meer dan zo veel andere Europese landen? Welke rol speelt het vooralsnog Verenigd Koninkrijk in Europa, nu het woord Brexit uit het Britse leven lijkt verbannen, maar de gevolgen van de beslissing om uit de EU te stappen iedere dag duidelijker worden? De Britse monarchie, en daarmee de staat, staat voor grote veranderingen na de dood van Queen Elisabeth en de kroning van haar zoon Charles. De populariteit van het Koningshuis staat op een dieptepunt. Hoe verandert de Britse monarchie onder koning Charles, en welke gevolgen heeft dat voor de Gemenebest? In Van Bekhovens Britten analyseren Lia en Connor een Koninkrijk met tanende welvaart, invloed en macht. De Conservatieve Partij leverde veertien jaar op rij de premier, maar nu heeft Labour onder Keir Starmer de teugels in handen. Hoe ziet het VK er onder Keir Starmer uit? En hoe gaan de ‘gewone’ Britten, voor zover die bestaan, daar mee om? Al deze vragen en meer komen aan bod in Van Bekhovens Britten. Een kritische blik op het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar het een race tussen Noord-Ierland en Schotland lijkt te worden wie zich het eerst af kan scheiden van het VK. Hoe lang blijft het Koninkrijk verenigd? Na ruim 45 jaar onder de Britten heeft Lia van Bekhoven een unieke kijk op het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Als inwoner, maar zeker geen anglofiel, heeft ze een scherpe blik op het nieuws, de politiek, de monarchie en het dagelijkse leven aan de overkant van de Noordzee. Elke woensdag krijg je een nieuwe podcast over het leven van Van Bekhovens Britten in je podcastapp. Scherpe analyses, diepgang waar op de radio geen tijd voor is en een flinke portie humor. Abonneer en mis geen aflevering. Over Lia Lia van Bekhoven is correspondent Verenigd Koninkrijk voor onder andere BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack en Elsevier en is regelmatig in talkshows te zien als duider van het nieuws uit het VK. Ze woont sinds 1976 in Londen, en is naast correspondent voor radio, televisie en geschreven media ook auteur van de boeken Mama gaat uit dansen, het erfgoed van Diana, prinses van Wales (1997), Land van de gespleten God, Noord-Ierland en de troubles (2000), In Londen, 9 wandelingen door de Britse hoofdstad (2009) en Klein-Brittannië (2022). Over Connor Connor Clerx is presentator en podcastmaker bij BNR Nieuwsradio. Hij werkt sinds 2017 voor BNR en was voorheen regelmatig te horen in De Ochtendspits, Boekestijn en de Wijk en BNR Breekt. Als podcastmaker werkte hij de afgelopen tijd aan onder andere De Taxi-oorlog, Kuipers en de Kosmos, Splijtstof, Baan door het Brein en Welkom in de AI-Fabriek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor cover-up allegations flare, Meghan Markle's Mother wins a lawsuit against a TV network, and King Charles is reducing his cancer treatment program. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Een extra lange Grote Vriendelijke Update om het boekenjaar 2025 mee af te sluiten! Kinderboekrecensenten Jaap Friso (JaapLeest.nl) en Bas Maliepaard (Trouw) praten over Jolabokaflod, Serious Request, tippen vier nieuwe boeken en nemen het kinderboekennieuws van november en december door. Uitgebreide aandacht is er voor de grootschalige inbreuk op auteursrechten van illustratoren door het Chinese e-commerce platform Temu. De GVP ontdekte na berichtgeving in de Vlaamse media dat er tientallen producten op de site werden aangeboden met afbeeldingen van Jip en Janneke, Dikkie Dik, Woezel en Pip en prinses Arabella, zonder dat de rechthebbenden daarvoor toestemming hadden gegeven of voor werden betaald. Ook staan we stil bij een kritische Facebook-post van griezelschrijver Paul van Loon over horror in kinderboeken. De GVP vond de auteur over wie Van Loon het geanonimiseerd heeft en vroeg hem om een reactie. Tot slot blikken we terug op 2025 en met audioboodschappen van Anna Woltz, Ted van Lieshout, Lies Lavrijsen, Wendy Panders en Kelly van Kempen vooruit op de opvallende boeken van komend voorjaar. Katinka Polderman sluit af met een column over een groot verschil tussen Bas en Jaap. Verwijzingen in deze aflevering Filmpje Serious Request Het filmpje over Freya die ondanks haar spierziekte ballerina wilde worden nadat ze 'Ballotje op ballet' van Yvonne Jagtenberg kreeg voorgelezen, kun je hier bekijken. Paddington bij de Queen De theevisite van beertje Paddington aan Queen Elizabeth II van Engeland bekijk je hier. Griezelen of gruwelen? Het volledige bericht van Paul van Loon en de reactie van Michael Reefs kun je hier lezen. Boekentips 'Ik ben Guusje' Anke Kranendonk Tekeningen: Marijke Klompmaker Querido 6+ 'De fantastische bus' Jakob Martin Strid Vertaling: Lammie Post-Oostenbrink Blauw Gras 6+ 'Reservekinderen' Joke Eikenaar Luitingh-Sijthoff 14+ 'Een beer genaamd Paddington' Michael Bond Vertaling: Arie en Lolita Storm Quokka 8+
Aliia Roza is a former secret agent turned women's empowerment coach, public speaker, and influencer with over 1 million followers on Instagram who specialized in seduction and psychological manipulation to dismantle human and drug trafficking networks for the Russian government. Born in Karaganda, Kazakh SSR, in the former USSR to a distinguished Kazakh-Tatar military family, father Colonel Timerbulat Roza of the KGB 1st Chief Directorate (retired FSB general-lieutenant), mother Gulnara Roza daughter of Red Army Colonel Khasan Timerbulatov (Order of the Red Banner, Berlin 1945); she was rigorously trained under a state program for officers' children in martial arts and psychological conditioning, later graduating from Russia's Military Academy of Internal Affairs and earning a master's in fashion from London's Istituto Marangoni plus certification in human sexuality from Kinsey University. Selected for elite KGB-style training, Roza infiltrated criminal rings to rescue underage girls from sex trafficking; during one mission she was abducted and beaten by gang members but rescued by a target who had fallen in love with her, prompting her final operation, witness-protection status, defection from Russia, identity change, and relocation to Europe. Since 2018 an ambassador for London's Best Beginnings Charity (endorsed by the British Royal Family and personally introduced to Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III), Roza founded the Roza Club, organizing 30+ humanitarian events backed by Cartier, Rolls Royce, Damiani, Roberto Cavalli, and House of Garrard to aid underprivileged women and children in London and Paris. A 2017 Miss Asia International Beauty crowned by Sushmita Sen, she earned Forbes Woman Empowerment recognition at Cannes and Venice Film Festivals (2019, 2022) and speaks at the United Nations and World Changers Summit in Vatican City. She co-hosts the podcast To Die For with Neil Strauss, has signed with Topic Studios for a life documentary, and is writing a book exposing KGB spy techniques to help readers spot manipulation in relationships and daily life; her column “How to Dress Like a Spy” translates espionage confidence into practical fashion and self-empowerment advice for women. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Get $10 Off @BRUNT with code SRS at https://bruntworkwear.com/SRS #BRUNTpod Head to https://lumen.me/SRS for 15% off your purchase. Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Check them out at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 20% off sitewide. Go to https://helixsleep.com/srs for 20% Off Sitewide Aliia Roza Links: Book Preorder - https://www.rozaclub.com/spybook IG - https://www.instagram.com/aliiaroza YT - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOlgX-RrnrBsbWpNhkGtd9w LI - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliia-roza-17710a39 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
King Charles and Queen Camilla have been invited to Washington, DC for a State Visit in April at President Trump's request, though the King's health may determine whether he travels. William and Kate are expected to visit the United States in July for America's 250th anniversary, while Harry and Meghan are not expected to take part in any commemorations. Questions are again being asked about royal finances as scrutiny turns to Prince Edward's long-term lease of Bagshot Park. Charles donates £50,000 of his own money toward urgent roof repairs at West Newton Church, a site closely linked to Queen Elizabeth the Second. A Brazilian self-styled “Living Nostradamus” offers dramatic predictions about royal health, family reconciliation, and even Meghan's relationship with Netflix. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor prepares for an eventual move from Royal Lodge and faces uncertainty over where the late Queen's corgis will live. Princess Anne hosts a Christmas tea for veterans, earning praise from guests aged 100 and older. And Mike and Zara Tindall shut down speculation about appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, confirming they'll instead spend Christmas at Sandringham — though perhaps avoiding certain family members.Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
Belfast man Colin Davidson is one of Ireland's most celebrated painters. Queen Elizabeth II, Bono, Ed Sheeran and Seamus Heaney are among the host of famous faces to have sat for him. Yet the Belfast-born painter regards his greatest work as a series of 18 portraits, which he did for free. In his new book, titled ‘Twelve paintings: Conversations with Mark Carruthers' the NI artist speaks to BBC Journalist about 12 of his key works about why he does what he does. Belfast Telegraph's Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride is joined by Colin Davidson and Mark Carruthers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
James I, Mary Queen of Scots, and the English Succession: Colleague Clare Jackson explains how James I managed the tension between his imprisoned mother, Mary Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I, noting James protested his mother's execution but prioritized his claim to the English throne, maintaining a compleTE correspondence with Elizabeth to ensure his succession. AUG 1932
Amateur detectives come in many forms. Owning a bookstore or a bakery, running a charming country inn, working in a library—even owning a cat or a dog—puts a character into the category of potential sleuth. But few creators of amateur detectives can top S.J. Bennett, whose Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series turns Queen Elizabeth II herself into a solver of crimes. Today we are discussing The Queen Who Came in from the Cold (Crooked Lane Books, 2025) The first three books take place in 2016, when the queen is ninety years old. Even these days, those don't qualify as historical fiction. But they set the tone of the series, which is at once respectful and warm, even charming. The mysteries are challenging, the queen's role believable, and the family relationships well portrayed. Certain constraints on the queen also appear here. For example, she can solve mysteries, but she can't be seen to solve them, because she is the queen. Similarly, she relies for help on other women, who serve as her private secretaries (a job that goes far beyond typing), because the men spend far too much time worrying about upsetting their monarch and far too little time trusting her to know what she needs and wants. Obviously, even if one is the queen of England, only so many mysterious deaths can take place nearby without raising eyebrows. So book 4, A Death in Diamonds, moves back in time to 1957 and a scandal possibly involving Prince Philip. The latest novel, The Queen Who Came In from the Cold (Crooked Lane Books, 2025), as the title suggests, takes place during the Cold War, specifically 1961, and involves Soviet spies and double agents, including the infamous Kim Philby. To say more would be to give too much away, but it's yet another engrossing tale with a twist at the end that turns the entire story on its head. And yes, there are Corgis—racehorses, too! S.J. Bennett, the author of the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series, has written over a dozen novels for both adults and children. She also teaches creative writing and, with her brother, hosted Prepublished, a podcast for aspiring writers. The Queen Who Came in from the Cold is her latest novel. C. P. Lesley is the author of two historical fiction series set during the childhood of Ivan the Terrible and four other novels. Her latest book, Song of the Steadfast, appeared in 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Join Suz and Rob this week for an exploration into the world of Lead! This strange metal has been used all throughout history, famously linked with the downfall of Rome, and has been a prominent ingredient in makeup throughout history! Listen in as we talk all things Rome, Queen Elizabeth and eye makeup! Let us know what you think!All our links here - https://www.linktr.ee/spookyafMusic: Dank Halloween by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amateur detectives come in many forms. Owning a bookstore or a bakery, running a charming country inn, working in a library—even owning a cat or a dog—puts a character into the category of potential sleuth. But few creators of amateur detectives can top S.J. Bennett, whose Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series turns Queen Elizabeth II herself into a solver of crimes. Today we are discussing The Queen Who Came in from the Cold (Crooked Lane Books, 2025) The first three books take place in 2016, when the queen is ninety years old. Even these days, those don't qualify as historical fiction. But they set the tone of the series, which is at once respectful and warm, even charming. The mysteries are challenging, the queen's role believable, and the family relationships well portrayed. Certain constraints on the queen also appear here. For example, she can solve mysteries, but she can't be seen to solve them, because she is the queen. Similarly, she relies for help on other women, who serve as her private secretaries (a job that goes far beyond typing), because the men spend far too much time worrying about upsetting their monarch and far too little time trusting her to know what she needs and wants. Obviously, even if one is the queen of England, only so many mysterious deaths can take place nearby without raising eyebrows. So book 4, A Death in Diamonds, moves back in time to 1957 and a scandal possibly involving Prince Philip. The latest novel, The Queen Who Came In from the Cold (Crooked Lane Books, 2025), as the title suggests, takes place during the Cold War, specifically 1961, and involves Soviet spies and double agents, including the infamous Kim Philby. To say more would be to give too much away, but it's yet another engrossing tale with a twist at the end that turns the entire story on its head. And yes, there are Corgis—racehorses, too! S.J. Bennett, the author of the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series, has written over a dozen novels for both adults and children. She also teaches creative writing and, with her brother, hosted Prepublished, a podcast for aspiring writers. The Queen Who Came in from the Cold is her latest novel. C. P. Lesley is the author of two historical fiction series set during the childhood of Ivan the Terrible and four other novels. Her latest book, Song of the Steadfast, appeared in 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/historical-fiction
Meghan Markle writes a letter to her Father, talk of Prince Harry moving back to Britain, and Queen Camilla visits the set of a TV show.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Labour zet plannen door om fors minder rechtszaken via juryrechtspraak te laten verlopen. De bedoeling daarvan is het fors terugdringen van de wachttijden voor rechtszaken, die nu soms jarenlang worden uitgesteld. Hoewel Britten steen en been klagen als ze opgeroepen worden voor een jury, dat kost je immers al gauw twee weken en het is geen aanbod dat je af kunt slaan, hebben ze het concept van juryrechtspraak hoog in het vaandel. Hoe werkt zo'n jury, en hoe gaat het voortaan werken? Ook in deze aflevering Dappere strijders gooien een toetje tegen een vitrine Over Van Bekhovens Britten In van Bekhovens Britten praten Lia van Bekhoven en Connor Clerx elke week over de grootste nieuwsonderwerpen en de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Van Brexit naar binnenlandse politiek, van de Royals tot de tabloids. Waarom fascineert het VK Nederlanders meer dan zo veel andere Europese landen? Welke rol speelt het vooralsnog Verenigd Koninkrijk in Europa, nu het woord Brexit uit het Britse leven lijkt verbannen, maar de gevolgen van de beslissing om uit de EU te stappen iedere dag duidelijker worden? De Britse monarchie, en daarmee de staat, staat voor grote veranderingen na de dood van Queen Elisabeth en de kroning van haar zoon Charles. De populariteit van het Koningshuis staat op een dieptepunt. Hoe verandert de Britse monarchie onder koning Charles, en welke gevolgen heeft dat voor de Gemenebest? In Van Bekhovens Britten analyseren Lia en Connor een Koninkrijk met tanende welvaart, invloed en macht. De Conservatieve Partij leverde veertien jaar op rij de premier, maar nu heeft Labour onder Keir Starmer de teugels in handen. Hoe ziet het VK er onder Keir Starmer uit? En hoe gaan de ‘gewone’ Britten, voor zover die bestaan, daar mee om? Al deze vragen en meer komen aan bod in Van Bekhovens Britten. Een kritische blik op het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar het een race tussen Noord-Ierland en Schotland lijkt te worden wie zich het eerst af kan scheiden van het VK. Hoe lang blijft het Koninkrijk verenigd? Na ruim 45 jaar onder de Britten heeft Lia van Bekhoven een unieke kijk op het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Als inwoner, maar zeker geen anglofiel, heeft ze een scherpe blik op het nieuws, de politiek, de monarchie en het dagelijkse leven aan de overkant van de Noordzee. Elke woensdag krijg je een nieuwe podcast over het leven van Van Bekhovens Britten in je podcastapp. Scherpe analyses, diepgang waar op de radio geen tijd voor is en een flinke portie humor. Abonneer en mis geen aflevering. Over Lia Lia van Bekhoven is correspondent Verenigd Koninkrijk voor onder andere BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack en Elsevier en is regelmatig in talkshows te zien als duider van het nieuws uit het VK. Ze woont sinds 1976 in Londen, en is naast correspondent voor radio, televisie en geschreven media ook auteur van de boeken Mama gaat uit dansen, het erfgoed van Diana, prinses van Wales (1997), Land van de gespleten God, Noord-Ierland en de troubles (2000), In Londen, 9 wandelingen door de Britse hoofdstad (2009) en Klein-Brittannië (2022). Over Connor Connor Clerx is presentator en podcastmaker bij BNR Nieuwsradio. Hij werkt sinds 2017 voor BNR en was voorheen regelmatig te horen in De Ochtendspits, Boekestijn en de Wijk en BNR Breekt. Als podcastmaker werkte hij de afgelopen tijd aan onder andere De Taxi-oorlog, Kuipers en de Kosmos, Splijtstof, Baan door het Brein en Welkom in de AI-Fabriek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this special crossover episode of Done and Dunne and Trashy Royals, Alicia introduces you to The Right Honourable The Dowager Lady Glenconner, Anne Tennant. Lady Anne's life is truly incredible – from a privileged childhood to being a lady-in-waiting attending Queen Elizabeth II through her coronation, these are only Anne's early years. Marriage and children follow in her life, with so many connected spiderwebs into the aristocracy, and our podcast journey. Continue your investigation with ad-free and bonus episodes on Patreon!SponsorsAura Frames. Get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code DONE at checkout at auraframes.com.To advertise on Done & Dunne, please reach out to info@amplitudemediapartners.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this special crossover episode of Done and Dunne and Trashy Royals, Alicia introduces you to The Right Honourable The Dowager Lady Glenconner, Anne Tennant. Lady Anne's life is truly incredible – from a privileged childhood to being a lady-in-waiting attending Queen Elizabeth II through her coronation, these are only Anne's early years. Marriage and children follow in her life, with so many connected spiderwebs into the aristocracy, and our podcast journey.Listen ad-free at patreon.com/trashyroyalspodcast.SponsorsAura Frames. Get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code ROYALS at checkout at auraframes.com.To advertise on this podcast, reach out to info@amplitudemediapartners.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
For years, palace insiders whispered that Prince Andrew harbored ambitions far beyond his station and that he quietly maneuvered to keep Charles from ever reaching the throne. According to these rumors, Andrew believed that Charles was unfit to reign and that the monarchy would be better served—meaning more tightly controlled—if the succession somehow skipped the heir and went directly to Andrew's preferred candidate: Prince William. These accounts painted Andrew as a behind-the-curtain operator, leveraging his mother's affection, exploiting internal rivalries, and feeding narratives that Charles lacked the temperament and stability to lead. None of it was overt, of course. Andrew was said to work in nods, whispers, and subtle pressure campaigns, all designed to chip away at Charles's inevitability.The speculation grew particularly intense during Queen Elizabeth II's later years, when Andrew—despite his spiraling scandals—seemed to position himself as a gatekeeper around his mother. Rumor had it he tried to control access, influence her perception of Charles, and push the idea that the monarchy's public image would recover faster under a younger, fresher sovereign. The irony was brutal: here was a man drowning in the Epstein scandal allegedly trying to steer the future of the Crown as if anyone still saw him as credible. In the end, the whispers amounted to nothing; Charles ascended, Andrew collapsed, and the schemes attributed to him now read like the last gasps of a fading prince who wildly overestimated both his pull and his relevance.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
Queen Elizabeth II made Britain's first long-distance automated phone call on 5th November, 1958 - when, from Bristol, she spoke directly to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, 300 miles away, without the need for an Operator. Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) transformed the telephone network, but was not without its challenges: automation brought efficiency but also led to job losses, sparking some labour disputes, and the roll-out was not completed for twenty years. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider why women were selected over men as telephone operators; track the evolution of phone technology through international calls and push-button phones; and propose a future role for the monarchy in testing out social media DMs… Further Reading: • ‘Caller, putting you through!' (Daily Express, 2012): https://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/334666/Caller-putting-you-through • 'Queen's first video call echoes Her Majesty's historic trunk call to Edinburgh in 1950s' (The Scotsman, 2020): https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/retro/queens-first-video-call-echoes-her-majestys-historic-trunk-call-to-edinburgh-in-1950s-2881983 ‘Queen Dials Edinburgh' (British Pathé, 1958): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfH0Xr1rIcY This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us! Join
Prince Harry takes a swipe at President Trump, Meghan releases her Christmas special, and Thomas Markle is rushed to hospital.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
When news broke that Prince Andrew would not only attend Prince Philip's memorial service in March 2022, but would also accompany Queen Elizabeth II publicly and be photographed at her side, the reaction was immediate and intense. It marked his first high-visibility appearance since stepping back from royal duties and losing his honorary military titles amid the fallout from sexual-abuse allegations and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. For many observers, the palace decision signaled an attempt to rehabilitate Andrew's public image, using the solemnity and sympathy attached to Philip's memorial to soften outrage. The optics were unmistakable: the Queen arriving arm-in-arm with Andrew sent a powerful message that she still supported him personally, even as the public and institutions distanced themselves.The backlash was swift. Critics argued that the move undermined the monarchy's credibility and disrespected survivors who had spent years demanding accountability. Commentators across political and media lines described it as a miscalculated public-relations gamble, noting that appearing with the Queen blurred the line between private loyalty and public responsibility. Many royal watchers worried that the moment reignited anger at a time when the palace was already fighting reputational damage from scandals and internal conflict. Even supporters of the monarchy expressed confusion and disappointment, questioning why Andrew of all people was selected to escort the Queen on such a high-profile occasion. For many, the incident accelerated the belief that the royal family was out of touch with public sentiment and willing to risk further backlash to protect its own.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
For years, palace insiders whispered that Prince Andrew harbored ambitions far beyond his station and that he quietly maneuvered to keep Charles from ever reaching the throne. According to these rumors, Andrew believed that Charles was unfit to reign and that the monarchy would be better served—meaning more tightly controlled—if the succession somehow skipped the heir and went directly to Andrew's preferred candidate: Prince William. These accounts painted Andrew as a behind-the-curtain operator, leveraging his mother's affection, exploiting internal rivalries, and feeding narratives that Charles lacked the temperament and stability to lead. None of it was overt, of course. Andrew was said to work in nods, whispers, and subtle pressure campaigns, all designed to chip away at Charles's inevitability.The speculation grew particularly intense during Queen Elizabeth II's later years, when Andrew—despite his spiraling scandals—seemed to position himself as a gatekeeper around his mother. Rumor had it he tried to control access, influence her perception of Charles, and push the idea that the monarchy's public image would recover faster under a younger, fresher sovereign. The irony was brutal: here was a man drowning in the Epstein scandal allegedly trying to steer the future of the Crown as if anyone still saw him as credible. In the end, the whispers amounted to nothing; Charles ascended, Andrew collapsed, and the schemes attributed to him now read like the last gasps of a fading prince who wildly overestimated both his pull and his relevance.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
From a twenty-foot Nordmann fir glittering in St George's Hall to recycled tinsel, charity stockings made from old Sandringham curtains and a special Radio 4 appearance by the King from Dumfries House, we take you inside the Royal Household's Christmas season. We revisit the royal family's Sandringham traditions, from Christmas Eve gifts and church at St Mary Magdalene to black-tie dinners and cards signed months in advance, and look at how King Charles the Third is blending sustainability with nostalgia. Then we track a busy second day of the German state visit, from quiet reflection at the Tomb of Queen Elizabeth the Second to Guildhall banquets, school visits and speeches at Westminster – a reminder of how royal Christmas pageantry and quiet diplomacy now sit side by side.Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin MBE is Bishop of Dover and Bishop in Canterbury. An utter trailblazer: she is the Church of England's first black female bishop, was the first female Chaplain to the Speaker to the House of Commons and a Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II. She is also the author of her autobiography – The Girl from Montego Bay – in which she shares her story with raw and unflinching honesty.For 'The Girl From Montego Bay': https://amzn.eu/d/8igCgq4 If you found this conversation interesting, Seen & Unseen, the creators of Re-Enchanting, offers thousands of articles exploring how the Christian faith helps us understand the modern world. Discover more here: www.seenandunseen.com Generosity changes things — in us, in others and in the world.At Stewardship, we help Christians give well and see their generosity make a real difference.Find out how a Stewardship Giving Account can help you give, grow, and live generously every day.https://stwdshp.org/re-enchanting Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the Big Rab Show Podcast. In this our 464th Episode we have another in our Meet The Band series, as we catch up with the folks at the Queen Elizabeth Pipe Band. This plus we catch up on Weekly Drones, and the latest news and views from around the piping scene. Don't forget we have lots of amazing backstage videos, and audio recordings, exclusive interviews, episodes of Big Rab Show Plus! and loads more to share with you on there, so click support and get your hands on all this extra stuff!! Email us now - bigrabshow@gmail.com Support us www.patreon.com/BigRabShow We are the show for the piping folk, reflecting everything to do with the bag piping world. Feel free to message us on Facebook and on Twitter and let us know what you would like to hear on the show, as well just to let us know that you're listening. Our live show continues to broadcast live every week on Fuse FM Ballymoney on Tuesday nights 7pm-9pm (uk time) be sure to check it out. Thank you to our very kind sponsors, G1 Reeds. If you would be interested in sponsoring the show, please do get in touch. Or help support us via our Patreon page. www.thebigrabshow.com www.facebook.com/TheBigRabShow www.twitter.com/bigrabshow bigrabshow@gmail.com
Het kan alleen maar dit Labour-kabinet overkomen. In de begroting van Rachel Reeves blijkt dat de overheidsfinanciëen er minder slecht uitzien dan werd gevreesd. Vanzelfsprekend wordt er om haar ontslag gevraagd in de media. Hoe zit dat? Al maanden worden Britten gewaarschuwd: het leven zou er niet makkelijker op worden. Belastingen moesten omhoog, geld voor voorzieningen omlaag. Allemaal om de gigantische overheidsschulden af te kunnen betalen. Nu blijkt dat die schulden niet zo groot zijn als gedacht. Ook in deze aflevering Een eenvoudig stappenplan om je miljoenenvilla in rap tempo minder waard te maken, en Rutger Bregman vs. de BBC censuur-afdeling. Over Van Bekhovens Britten In van Bekhovens Britten praten Lia van Bekhoven en Connor Clerx elke week over de grootste nieuwsonderwerpen en de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Van Brexit naar binnenlandse politiek, van de Royals tot de tabloids. Waarom fascineert het VK Nederlanders meer dan zo veel andere Europese landen? Welke rol speelt het vooralsnog Verenigd Koninkrijk in Europa, nu het woord Brexit uit het Britse leven lijkt verbannen, maar de gevolgen van de beslissing om uit de EU te stappen iedere dag duidelijker worden? De Britse monarchie, en daarmee de staat, staat voor grote veranderingen na de dood van Queen Elisabeth en de kroning van haar zoon Charles. De populariteit van het Koningshuis staat op een dieptepunt. Hoe verandert de Britse monarchie onder koning Charles, en welke gevolgen heeft dat voor de Gemenebest? In Van Bekhovens Britten analyseren Lia en Connor een Koninkrijk met tanende welvaart, invloed en macht. De Conservatieve Partij leverde veertien jaar op rij de premier, maar nu heeft Labour onder Keir Starmer de teugels in handen. Hoe ziet het VK er onder Keir Starmer uit? En hoe gaan de ‘gewone’ Britten, voor zover die bestaan, daar mee om? Al deze vragen en meer komen aan bod in Van Bekhovens Britten. Een kritische blik op het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar het een race tussen Noord-Ierland en Schotland lijkt te worden wie zich het eerst af kan scheiden van het VK. Hoe lang blijft het Koninkrijk verenigd? Na ruim 45 jaar onder de Britten heeft Lia van Bekhoven een unieke kijk op het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Als inwoner, maar zeker geen anglofiel, heeft ze een scherpe blik op het nieuws, de politiek, de monarchie en het dagelijkse leven aan de overkant van de Noordzee. Elke woensdag krijg je een nieuwe podcast over het leven van Van Bekhovens Britten in je podcastapp. Scherpe analyses, diepgang waar op de radio geen tijd voor is en een flinke portie humor. Abonneer en mis geen aflevering. Over Lia Lia van Bekhoven is correspondent Verenigd Koninkrijk voor onder andere BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack en Elsevier en is regelmatig in talkshows te zien als duider van het nieuws uit het VK. Ze woont sinds 1976 in Londen, en is naast correspondent voor radio, televisie en geschreven media ook auteur van de boeken Mama gaat uit dansen, het erfgoed van Diana, prinses van Wales (1997), Land van de gespleten God, Noord-Ierland en de troubles (2000), In Londen, 9 wandelingen door de Britse hoofdstad (2009) en Klein-Brittannië (2022). Over Connor Connor Clerx is presentator en podcastmaker bij BNR Nieuwsradio. Hij werkt sinds 2017 voor BNR en was voorheen regelmatig te horen in De Ochtendspits, Boekestijn en de Wijk en BNR Breekt. Als podcastmaker werkte hij de afgelopen tijd aan onder andere De Taxi-oorlog, Kuipers en de Kosmos, Splijtstof, Baan door het Brein en Welkom in de AI-Fabriek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, I'm throwing away toxic gratitude and playing Would You Rather because we all need some fun in our lives. I contemplate knowing when vs knowing how I would die, someone seeing all of my photos or all of my texts, and so many other ponderings. Key Takeaways: [0:28] Throwing away toxic gratitude and playing would you rather [3:17] See a little into the future or a lot? [3:53] The ability to read minds or move things? [4:25] Sing or dance to every song you hear? [4:45] Jail or coma for 5 years? [5:15] Chronically under or overdressed? [5:35] Lose my sight or my memories? [5:55] Universal respect or unlimited power? [6:29] No internet or no air conditioning? [7:09] Never be able to go out in the day or night? [7:30] Personal maid or chef? [7:46] Lead star in a movie that bombs or extra in an Oscar winning one? [8:34] Only text in emoji or not text at all? [8:47] Same socks or same underwear for a week? [9:04] Sing off with Ariana Grande or Rihanna? [9:25] Alone in a forest or a real haunted house? [9:52] Child every year for 20 years or no kids at all? [10:24] Gassy on a first date or your wedding night? [10:46] Hunt for your own meat or never eat meat again? [11:05] People spread lies about you or terrible truths? [11:58] Best at something no one respects or average at something they do? [12:42] Travel the world for free for a year or have $50,000? [13:27] Mullet for a year or bald for 6 months? [13:51] Go back to the past to see dead people or the future to meet grandkids? [14:05] Stay physically how you are forever or financially? [14:32] No phone for a month or no bathing for a month? [14:52] Change the outcome of the last election or decide the next election? [15:27] Lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak? [15:58] Beautiful and stupid or unattractive and smart? [16:25] Always stuck in traffic but find the perfect parking spot or the opposite? [16:57] Go on tour with Elton John or Cher? [17:20] Win the lottery and spend it in a day or triple your current salary forever? [17:52] Hear a comforting lie or an uncomfortable truth? [18:03] Someone sees all your photos or all your texts? [18:21] 4th of July with Taylor Swift or Christmas Eve with Mariah Carey? [19:13] Peaceful life in a small cabin or drama filled in a mansion? [19:35] Be invisible or fly? [19:50] Be the leader on Earth or start another colony on another planet? [20:11] Back to kindergarten with all my knowledge or know everything now? [22:04] Read minds or predict the future? [22:13] Be an unknown superhero or famous villain? [22:48] Have a third eye or a third ear? [23:13] Wake up naked in a forest 5 miles from home or in your underwear at work? [23:52] Be reincarnated as a fly or just stop existing when dead? [24:11] Close any open door or be unable to open any closed door? [24:32] Work alongside Dwight or Homer? [24:55] Punished for a crime you didn't commit or credit stolen for a major accomplishment of yours? [25:20] Celine or Eminem perform the soundtrack to your life? [25:38] Bathe in dish water or wash dishes in bath water? [25:50] Have your own theme park or zoo? [26:05] Know when or how you're going to die? [26:21] Home with no electricity or home with no running water? [26:43] Tea with Queen Elizabeth or beer with Prince Harry? [27:08] Live the same day over for a year or take 3 years off your life? [27:39] Finding balance, gratitude, and what would you rather? Connect with Barb: Website Facebook Instagram Be a guest on the podcast YouTube The Molly B Foundation
Comedians Clare O'Kane, Alex Ptak, and Jeremy Kaplowitz explore the mysterious land of Quora.com to answer life's questions. This week's questions include: What is typical jail food? If I sat down for dinner with Queen Elizabeth would she instantly know I was a common person by my etiquette? What would she notice first? Is France in decline? --- Watch Ella's show @ youtube.com/@goingdowntheshow Get even more Quorators when you support the show @ patreon.com/quorators Send quoras and qommunicate on our discord discord.gg/7pPYuKuYCr Watch the show @ youtube.com/@quorators
When news broke that Prince Andrew would not only attend Prince Philip's memorial service in March 2022, but would also accompany Queen Elizabeth II publicly and be photographed at her side, the reaction was immediate and intense. It marked his first high-visibility appearance since stepping back from royal duties and losing his honorary military titles amid the fallout from sexual-abuse allegations and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. For many observers, the palace decision signaled an attempt to rehabilitate Andrew's public image, using the solemnity and sympathy attached to Philip's memorial to soften outrage. The optics were unmistakable: the Queen arriving arm-in-arm with Andrew sent a powerful message that she still supported him personally, even as the public and institutions distanced themselves.The backlash was swift. Critics argued that the move undermined the monarchy's credibility and disrespected survivors who had spent years demanding accountability. Commentators across political and media lines described it as a miscalculated public-relations gamble, noting that appearing with the Queen blurred the line between private loyalty and public responsibility. Many royal watchers worried that the moment reignited anger at a time when the palace was already fighting reputational damage from scandals and internal conflict. Even supporters of the monarchy expressed confusion and disappointment, questioning why Andrew of all people was selected to escort the Queen on such a high-profile occasion. For many, the incident accelerated the belief that the royal family was out of touch with public sentiment and willing to risk further backlash to protect its own.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
Michael Elwyn is an Actor and Director best known for roles such as playing Marion's father the BBC's Robin Hood, Lord Simon Staunton in House of Dragon (the Game of Thrones prequel), Ken in Stella on Sky One and Charles Moore in Coronation Street, the Resident Chair of 'Stillwaters'. He is an accomplished stage actor and more recently, director. Out of the many shows he's performed in he is perhaps most remembered for playing Anthony Eden in the West End and Broadway productions of The Audience by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Daldry, alongside Hellen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth 2nd. Michael is the partner of the actor Alison Steadman.Michael Elwyn is our guest in episode 546 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With Megxit, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, two cancer diagnoses, and now the ejection of Prince Andrew, there has been something of a Royal reckoning in recent years.So is the monarchy losing its grip - and the public's support? Camilla is joined by seasoned Royal reporter Robert Jobson to discuss the state of the modern monarchy.He reveals the details of the late Queen's angry phone call with Prince Harry over money; his interaction with Fergie on Mount Everest; and why Prince William refuses to wear a kilt.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Lilian Fawcett and Georgia CoanSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Greetings, and welcome back to the podcast. This episode, we are joined by Mr. Grant Fagerheim - CEO of Whitecap Resources - a TSX listed energy company with a market cap of ~$14 billion. Mr. Fagerheim is President and Chief Executive Officer of Whitecap Resources Inc., a position he has held since 2009, and also founder of Whitecap Resources Inc., Kereco Energy Ltd. (Cadence), Ketch Resources Ltd, and Ketch Energy Ltd. He was appointed to the board of The Fraser Institute in January 2020. He has worked in both the Canadian upstream and downstream segments of the energy industry. His past directorships include both public and private energy producing and service companies.Mr. Fagerheim is an active member in the community in both volunteer and charity roles and has a passion for combining academics with athletics. He is a director of the Hockey Canada Foundation, serving since January 2008, has served as Chairman of the Foundation and was also a member of the Order of Hockey Canada executive committee. He also has served as Chairman of the Edge School for Athletes in Calgary. In recognition for his contributions to Canada to date Mr. Fagerheim was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal created in 2012 to honour the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Oil & Gas Hall of Fame in 2017 and was named Saskatchewan Oil Person of the Year in 2021.Among other things we learned about Dividends, Shareholder Returns & Why Canadian Energy Is Growing.Enjoy.Thank you to our sponsors.Without their support this episode would not be possible:Connate Water SolutionsATB Capital MarketsEPACAstro Oilfield Rentals Platinum EndeavorsTreeline Well ServicesSupport the show
De Reform partij van Nigel Farage probeert naar het midden te bewegen. Dat brengt wat problemen met zich mee. Niet in de laatste plaats is de nieuwe rol voor Farage, jarenlang dé politieke outsider, wat onwennig. Maar naar het midden zullen ze moeten, als ze de verkiezingen willen winnen. Ondertussen komt de partij voornamelijk in de media met zaken waar ze het liever niet over zouden willen hebben. Farage zelf vanwege vermeende racistische uitlatingen in zijn schooltijd, en voormalig leider van Reform Wales Nathan Gill moet jarenlang de cel in vanwege het aannemen van steekpenningen van het Kremlin. In de gemeenteraden waar Reform al aan de macht is gaat het ook niet soepel. De beloofde besparingen door het schrappen van ‘onnodige bureacratie’ zijn niet gevonden. De belasting moet omhoog in plaats van zoals beloofd omlaag. Ook in deze aflevering De vossenjacht is verboden. Een humaan alternatief is opmerkelijk populair. Over Van Bekhovens Britten In van Bekhovens Britten praten Lia van Bekhoven en Connor Clerx elke week over de grootste nieuwsonderwerpen en de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Van Brexit naar binnenlandse politiek, van de Royals tot de tabloids. Waarom fascineert het VK Nederlanders meer dan zo veel andere Europese landen? Welke rol speelt het vooralsnog Verenigd Koninkrijk in Europa, nu het woord Brexit uit het Britse leven lijkt verbannen, maar de gevolgen van de beslissing om uit de EU te stappen iedere dag duidelijker worden? De Britse monarchie, en daarmee de staat, staat voor grote veranderingen na de dood van Queen Elisabeth en de kroning van haar zoon Charles. De populariteit van het Koningshuis staat op een dieptepunt. Hoe verandert de Britse monarchie onder koning Charles, en welke gevolgen heeft dat voor de Gemenebest? In Van Bekhovens Britten analyseren Lia en Connor een Koninkrijk met tanende welvaart, invloed en macht. De Conservatieve Partij leverde veertien jaar op rij de premier, maar nu heeft Labour onder Keir Starmer de teugels in handen. Hoe ziet het VK er onder Keir Starmer uit? En hoe gaan de ‘gewone’ Britten, voor zover die bestaan, daar mee om? Al deze vragen en meer komen aan bod in Van Bekhovens Britten. Een kritische blik op het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar het een race tussen Noord-Ierland en Schotland lijkt te worden wie zich het eerst af kan scheiden van het VK. Hoe lang blijft het Koninkrijk verenigd? Na ruim 45 jaar onder de Britten heeft Lia van Bekhoven een unieke kijk op het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Als inwoner, maar zeker geen anglofiel, heeft ze een scherpe blik op het nieuws, de politiek, de monarchie en het dagelijkse leven aan de overkant van de Noordzee. Elke woensdag krijg je een nieuwe podcast over het leven van Van Bekhovens Britten in je podcastapp. Scherpe analyses, diepgang waar op de radio geen tijd voor is en een flinke portie humor. Abonneer en mis geen aflevering. Over Lia Lia van Bekhoven is correspondent Verenigd Koninkrijk voor onder andere BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack en Elsevier en is regelmatig in talkshows te zien als duider van het nieuws uit het VK. Ze woont sinds 1976 in Londen, en is naast correspondent voor radio, televisie en geschreven media ook auteur van de boeken Mama gaat uit dansen, het erfgoed van Diana, prinses van Wales (1997), Land van de gespleten God, Noord-Ierland en de troubles (2000), In Londen, 9 wandelingen door de Britse hoofdstad (2009) en Klein-Brittannië (2022). Over Connor Connor Clerx is presentator en podcastmaker bij BNR Nieuwsradio. Hij werkt sinds 2017 voor BNR en was voorheen regelmatig te horen in De Ochtendspits, Boekestijn en de Wijk en BNR Breekt. Als podcastmaker werkte hij de afgelopen tijd aan onder andere De Taxi-oorlog, Kuipers en de Kosmos, Splijtstof, Baan door het Brein en Welkom in de AI-Fabriek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Meghan Markle is accused of impersonating Diana, police are gathering evidence on Andrew, and The King's Trust celebrates its 10th anniversary.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Menu Holistic Wealth Trailblazers About Us About Keisha Blair Global Holistic Wealth Day Contact us Menu Podcast Quizzes Personal Financial Identity Quiz Aligned for Love: Relationship Readiness Quiz Holistic Wealth Teen Superpower Quiz – Discover Your Strengths! Services Holistic Wealth Coaching Program Resources Our Courses Student Portal My account Membership Holistic Wealth Podcast How to Cope With Grief During the Holidays: 25 Practical Tips (Holistic Wealth) Every holiday season carries a delicate mixture of memory, expectation, joy, and—for many—deep, private grief. This year, as the world faces increasing turbulence and communities like Jamaica rebuild after Hurricane Melissa, the theme of grief feels especially urgent.Support Hurricane Melissa Relief Efforts: To help families in Jamaica rebuild after Hurricane Melissa, you can donate directly through the official government portal: https://supportjamaica.gov.jm/In the latest episode of the Holistic Wealth Podcast, we explore a powerful, profoundly moving topic on how to navigate grief during the holiday season through the lens of the Holistic Wealth Framework. What makes this episode especially resonant is the discussion in personal history and loss—particularly the life and legacy of her father, Oliver Nathaniel Williams, a distinguished Jamaican soldier who met the Queen Elizabeth II twice and whose historic contribution globally continues to inspire millions through Keisha Blair's work.Her story serves as a reminder that grief is not merely a personal journey—it is also a pathway to understanding legacy, purpose, and the ways our loved ones shape the missions we carry forward.In this episode, Keisha shares vital components of the Holistic Wealth Framework—and especially in the 7 Components of Holistic Resilience, which guide this powerful grief episode.Resources Used in This Episode Holistic Wealth Expanded and Updated Book by Keisha Blair Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook by Keisha Blair A New Way to Think About GriefThis episode challenges the idea that grief is simply something to “get over.” Instead, it positions grief as a portal—a sacred threshold through which we access deeper purpose, connection, identity, and resilience.Through vivid storytelling, scientific insights, and compassionate guidance, Keisha reframes grief as a process of reconstruction, drawing from the extraordinary life and legacy of her father.Oliver Nathaniel Williams's story isn’t only preserved—it’s activated. It's a case study in how personal legacy fuels community transformation, how history echoes into the present, and how generational resilience is born. Topic: Workplace Wellness: The Holistic Wealth Pledge’s Impact TUNE IN: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | STITCHER What You Will Learn This episode delivers never-before-shared insights, deeply rooted in research, storytelling, and the Holistic Wealth philosophy. Here's what listeners will walk away with:How grief affects every dimension of your Holistic Wealth portfolioYou'll learn how emotional, financial, spiritual, social, cognitive, environmental, and physical resilience interact—especially during times of loss.Why grief during the holidays feels overwhelmingWith rituals, expectations, and memories activated, the holidays create a perfect emotional storm. This episode unpacks the psychology behind seasonal grief.Oliver Nathaniel Williams's powerful legacyKeisha shares stories of her father's historic life, how he met the Queen twice, and how his passing shaped the global Holistic Wealth movement. 25 practical, research-backed ways to cope with grief this holiday seasonNot surface-level tips—these are transformative tools grounded in the 7 Components of Holistic Resilience, including cognitive reframing, legacy rituals, somatic techniques, boundary setting, and resource mapping.How global crises—from hurricanes to personal losses—interact with griefListeners will gain insight into communal grief, climate trauma, and why resilience frameworks are essential for rebuilding nations and households.Why the 1 Billion With Holistic Wealth Mission is essential right nowGrief is a universal human experience. When unmanaged, it can erode communities; when transformed, it fuels generational resilience.How to turn grief into legacy, purpose, and personal leadershipKeisha explains how her father's passing ignited a global movement—and how your personal loss can become a source of strength and meaning. Featured on the Show: Feature One Holistic Wealth – Holistic Wealth (keishablair.com)Holistic Wealth (Expanded and Updated): 36 Life Lessons To Help You Recover From Disruption, Find Your Life Purpose and Achieve Financial FreedomCertified Holistic Wealth Consultant ProgramTrauma of Money Certification programHolistic Healing Certification programCheck out the new Global Holistic Wealth Day website: www.globalholisticwealthday.comBecome a Global Holistic Wealth Day Ambassador: https://www.globalholisticwealthday.com/become-an-ambassador/ Feature Two Order Keisha Blairs new book, Holistic Wealth:36 Life Lessons To Help You Recover From Disruption, Find Your Purpose and Achieve Financial Freedom.Visit www.keishablair.com and subscribe. Also check out our FREE financial identity quiz and online courses at the Institute on Holistic Wealth. Check out our signature program, and become a Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultant and help people build a life of Holistic Wealth. Check out our signature program, and become a Certified Holistic Wealth Consultant and help people build a life of Holistic Wealth. Feature Three Order my award-winning, bestselling book Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons To Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity and Happiness, and the Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook. Feature Four Follow me on Instagram and Twitter – and ask me your questions related to holistic wealth! Feature Five Full Transcripts are available on the Institute on Holistic Wealth website and are available to members of the Institute on Holistic Wealth (Become a member of the Institute on Holistic Wealth). The post How to Cope With Grief During the Holidays: 25 Practical Tips (Holistic Wealth) appeared first on Holistic Wealth Courses.
How to Cope With Grief During the Holidays: 25 Practical Tips (Holistic Wealth)Every holiday season carries a delicate mixture of memory, expectation, joy, and—for many—deep, private grief. This year, as the world faces increasing turbulence and communities like Jamaica rebuild after Hurricane Melissa, the theme of grief feels especially urgent.In the latest episode of the Holistic Wealth Podcast, we explore a powerful, profoundly moving topic on how to navigate grief during the holiday season through the lens of the Holistic Wealth Framework. What makes this episode especially resonant is the discussion in personal history and loss—particularly the life and legacy of her father, Oliver Nathaniel Williams, a distinguished Jamaican soldier who met the Queen Elizabeth II twice and whose historic contribution globally continues to inspire millions through Keisha Blair's work.Her story serves as a reminder that grief is not merely a personal journey—it is also a pathway to understanding legacy, purpose, and the ways our loved ones shape the missions we carry forward.In this episode, Keisha shares vital components of the Holistic Wealth Framework—and especially in the 7 Components of Holistic Resilience, which guide this powerful grief episode.Resources Used in This Episode Holistic Wealth Expanded and Updated Book by Keisha Blair Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook by Keisha Blair Why This Episode Matters NowGrief during the holidays hits differently. It's sharper. Louder. More reflective.But this year, for thousands across Jamaica and the Caribbean, grief is layered with climate trauma—physical displacement, economic uncertainty, and the emotional aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.Unprocessed grief can ripple through families and entire communities. Studies show that in post-disaster environments, unresolved grief can reduce community resilience by up to 20%, affecting recovery speed, economic stability, and emotional wellbeing.That's why the mission of 1 Billion People Living with Holistic Wealth is more urgent than ever. This episode offers a blueprint—not just for coping, but for rebuilding, redefining, and transforming grief into resilience and legacy.This episode delivers never-before-shared insights, deeply rooted in research, storytelling, and the Holistic Wealth philosophy. Here's what listeners will walk away with:How grief affects every dimension of your Holistic Wealth portfolioWhy grief during the holidays feels overwhelmingOliver Nathaniel Williams's powerful legacy 25 practical, research-backed ways to cope with grief this holiday seasonA New Way to Think About GriefThis episode challenges the idea that grief is simply something to “get over.” Instead, it positions grief as a portal—a sacred threshold through which we access deeper purpose, connection, identity, and resilience.Through vivid storytelling, scientific insights, and compassionate guidance, Keisha reframes grief as a process of reconstruction, drawing from the extraordinary life and legacy of her father.Oliver Nathaniel Williams's story isn't only preserved—it's activated. It's a case study in how personal legacy fuels community transformation, how history echoes into the present, and how generational resilience is born.What You Will Learn From This Episode
The last time the All Blacks lost to Wales there was no Harbour Bridge in Auckland, Elvis Presley hadn't released any music and Queen Elizabeth II was about to make her first visit to New Zealand. The Welsh will need to channel the spirit of 1953 - the year they beat the All Blacks 13-8 - if they want to taste victory once again. But do they have any shot at snapping this seven-decade streak? Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.
On this day in history, 19th November 1604, one of the most gifted churchmen of Elizabethan and early Jacobean England died - Richard Edes, Dean of Worcester, royal chaplain, poet, playwright, and one of the scholars appointed to help translate the King James Bible. Edes was only fifty years old when he died, and his death came just months after the great translation project began. He never lived to take part in the work that would define English religious life for centuries, yet his story opens a remarkable window into the world of late Tudor scholarship. In today's episode, I explore the life of this remarkable but often overlooked scholar: • His rise through Tudor academia • The plays and poems he composed as a young man • Queen Elizabeth's affectionate joke about her “three cousins” from the Isle of Wight • His church career and court connections • And the legacy he left behind at Worcester, Oxford, and beyond Join me as we remember Richard Edes, a man who stood at the crossroads of faith, learning, and language. If you enjoy discovering forgotten Tudor figures, don't forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history. #TudorHistory #RichardEdes #KingJamesBible #ElizabethI #JamesI #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles
***This show is brought to you by Quince. Go to http://quince.com/playonpod for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.*** Next Chapter Podcasts presents the complete Play On Podcast series, RICHARD III, in its entirety. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “RICHARD THE THIRD”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by MIGDALIA CRUZ. All episodes were directed by LISA ROTHE. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT. The cast is as follows: MATT FRASER as RICHARD THE THIRD MIA KATIGBAK as QUEEN MARGARET, CITIZEN and BLUNT HIRAM DELGADO as CLARENCE, DORSET, ELY and MESSENGER NANCY RODRIGUEZ as LADY ANNE, OXFORD, RIVERS and A MURDERER RACHEL CROWL as QUEEN ELIZABETH, NORFOLK, and MESSENGER SANJIT DE SILVA as NESS AQUINO, BUCKINGHAM, and A CITIZEN CHARLES DUMAS as EDWARD, HENRY the SIXTH, STANLEY & CARDINAL ANDY LUCIEN as HASTINGS, SCRIVENER, a MESSENGER and A MURDERER GABRIELA SAKER as CATESBY, DUKE OF YORK and A MESSENGER DANAYA ESPERANZA as BRAKENBURY, RATCLIFFE, LORD MAYOR, TYRREL, and RICHMOND ALMA CUERVO as DUCHESS OF YORK, SHERIFF & A MESSENGER ELIJAH GOODFRIEND as PRINCE EDWARD, A PAGE, and A BOY Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA. Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH Original music composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Composer, Producer, Guitars, Bass, Lead Vocals, Recording and Mix Engineer, DAVID MOLINA. EDWIN AYALA on Drums. Backup Vocals by MANUEL TRUJILLO. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES). Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND. The Play On Podcast Series “RICHARD THE THIRD” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare. Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “We are not safe”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Ridolfi Plot Explained He wasn't a soldier, a spy, or a nobleman, but a Florentine banker who nearly toppled a queen. In 1571, Roberto di Ridolfi masterminded one of the boldest conspiracies of Elizabeth I's reign, a plan backed by the Pope, Philip II of Spain, and Mary, Queen of Scots. His goal? To invade England, overthrow Elizabeth, and restore Catholic rule, all funded through secret banking channels. But one intercepted letter at Dover changed everything. Join me, historian Claire Ridgway, for the true story of The Ridolfi Plot, a tale of spies, Spanish gold, and the banker who talked too much. #ElizabethI #TudorHistory #RidolfiPlot #MaryQueenOfScots #TudorConspiracies
Meanwhile... Apple's overpriced iPhone holder went viral this week, bowlers in Pittsburgh can join a clothing-prohibited league, and Buckingham Palace is hosting a massive exhibit of the late Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe. Science-loving late night host Stephen Colbert presents the latest science headlines in his science-focused segment, "The Sound of Science." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bombshell allegations emerge that Queen Elizabeth knew Andrew brought prostitutes to Buckingham Palace for years but did nothing—as a Church of England vicar questions if she had a "blind spot" for her favorite son. Andrew spends his final Royal Lodge days "ranting to himself" while Sarah Ferguson drowns her fears in a purpose-built bar called The Doghouse, talking about "dark forces" targeting them. The disgraced royal must now bow to his own daughters and faces demands from Congress while making outrageous staffing demands before his Sandringham exile. Sarah reportedly considers selling Diana's private letters as a "secret weapon." Meanwhile, Poppygate erupts as Meghan attends a Kardashian party without a remembrance poppy while Harry wears one, sparking fury. William reveals Charles denied his request to scale back duties during "the hardest year" and feels betrayed by the Beckham knighthood timing that stole his Earthshot thunder. Plus: the floodgates open as palace staff come forward, Hollywood declares the Sussexes "hopeless," and Kate gets BBC name controversy at Remembrance service.Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
Queen Elizabeth's deep affection for Prince Andrew blinded her to his flaws and shielded him from the consequences of his own arrogance. From the moment he was born, Andrew was said to be her favorite—her “darling boy”—and that sentiment became a shield he would hide behind for decades. Even as whispers of inappropriate behavior, financial improprieties, and questionable friendships grew louder, the Queen consistently stepped in to protect him. She refused to believe the worst, brushing off concerns as gossip and assuming that the monarchy's institutional authority could outlast any scandal. When the Epstein connection surfaced, she leaned into that same instinct, surrounding him with the palace's most trusted handlers and instructing courtiers to minimize the damage rather than confront the truth.But that unwavering loyalty ultimately detonated in spectacular fashion. By standing by Andrew for too long, the Queen not only undermined her own moral authority but tainted the institution she spent seventy years preserving. The infamous BBC “Newsnight” interview—Andrew's catastrophic attempt to clear his name—became a global humiliation that exposed the rot her protection had allowed to fester. In the end, she was forced to strip him of his titles and banish him from public duties, a move that must have pained her deeply. Yet the damage was done: her favoritism turned into her Achilles' heel, proving that even the most revered monarch could be undone not by enemies, but by the blindness of maternal love.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
For years, Queen Elizabeth II acted as Prince Andrew's unwavering shield against the fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Even as allegations mounted, she reportedly resisted internal and external pressure to sideline her son, allowing him to retain royal privileges, honors, and public duties long after the public tide had turned. Her personal loyalty was said to eclipse political and institutional logic—Andrew remained a fixture at Balmoral and Windsor, even as palace staff urged the Queen to distance herself. Royal insiders and biographers have described her as deeply maternal in her defense of him, believing he was being unfairly vilified and refusing to entertain discussions about exile or disownment. This protective stance allowed Andrew to delay accountability for years while the rest of the royal household absorbed the reputational damage.But by early 2022, under overwhelming public and institutional pressure, even the Queen's protection could no longer hold back the storm. She reluctantly approved the removal of Andrew's military titles, royal patronages, and the use of his HRH style—a move seen as both a last resort and a symbolic cutting of ties to preserve the monarchy. Still, until her death later that year, she continued to privately support him, hosting him at Balmoral and reportedly helping fund parts of his legal settlement with Virginia Giuffre. It was the ultimate act of maternal loyalty—protecting her son from disgrace even as the monarchy fought to survive the wreckage his scandals had created.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors
In 1592, Queen Elizabeth's favorite, Sir Walter Raleigh, and her maid of honour, Bess Throckmorton, were sent to the Tower - not for treason, but for love. Their secret marriage scandalized the court and cost them everything. This is the story of their forbidden romance, their fall from favor, and the loyalty that lasted long after the Queen's anger cooled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For years, Queen Elizabeth II acted as Prince Andrew's unwavering shield against the fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Even as allegations mounted, she reportedly resisted internal and external pressure to sideline her son, allowing him to retain royal privileges, honors, and public duties long after the public tide had turned. Her personal loyalty was said to eclipse political and institutional logic—Andrew remained a fixture at Balmoral and Windsor, even as palace staff urged the Queen to distance herself. Royal insiders and biographers have described her as deeply maternal in her defense of him, believing he was being unfairly vilified and refusing to entertain discussions about exile or disownment. This protective stance allowed Andrew to delay accountability for years while the rest of the royal household absorbed the reputational damage.But by early 2022, under overwhelming public and institutional pressure, even the Queen's protection could no longer hold back the storm. She reluctantly approved the removal of Andrew's military titles, royal patronages, and the use of his HRH style—a move seen as both a last resort and a symbolic cutting of ties to preserve the monarchy. Still, until her death later that year, she continued to privately support him, hosting him at Balmoral and reportedly helping fund parts of his legal settlement with Virginia Giuffre. It was the ultimate act of maternal loyalty—protecting her son from disgrace even as the monarchy fought to survive the wreckage his scandals had created.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
Queen Elizabeth's legacy is complicated — not one of villainy, but of restraint taken too far. She wasn't blind to the troubles surrounding her son or the company he kept. Decades on the throne, surrounded by intelligence briefings and advisors, make ignorance impossible. But her instincts, shaped by a lifetime of protecting the monarchy, led her to do what she'd always done: contain the damage, preserve the Crown, and keep the family's troubles behind palace walls. It wasn't malice — it was control. Yet that control, in moments like these, came at the cost of transparency and trust.She wasn't responsible for the crimes of others, but she bore responsibility for how the institution responded. Her silence was a reflex born of a system that prizes dignity over honesty. And while that may have once seemed noble, the world changed, and silence began to look like complicity. In the end, she'll be remembered as both the monarch who held her nation together through eras of upheaval and the one who held too tightly when truth demanded release. Queen Elizabeth preserved the monarchy — but she also showed us the limits of what silence can protect.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
***This show is brought to you by Quince. Go to http://quince.com/playonpod for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.*** King Richard gets an onslaught of bad news as he prepares for battle in York's House Garage. The only glimmer of hope is the news that Buckingham's army was dispersed by floods and he was taken prisoner. Richard tells Stanley to muster men but to leave behind his son, George, so he can be sure of Stanley's loyalty. Stanley secretly sends word to Richmond that he will come to his aid once he secures his son's safety. Richmond rallies her army outside a “A Bus Named Larry” as Richard spends the night in an empty warehouse. Both leaders sleep and dream in their separate camps. Richard is haunted by the ghosts of the people he murdered, Richmond is blessed by those same ghosts. The moment of truth arrives when Richard meets Richmond in battle the next day. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “RICHARD THE THIRD”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by MIGDALIA CRUZ. All episodes were directed by LISA ROTHE. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT. The cast is as follows: MATT FRASER as RICHARD THE THIRD MIA KATIGBAK as QUEEN MARGARET, CITIZEN and BLUNT HIRAM DELGADO as CLARENCE, DORSET, ELY and MESSENGER NANCY RODRIGUEZ as LADY ANNE, OXFORD, RIVERS and A MURDERER RACHEL CROWL as QUEEN ELIZABETH, NORFOLK, and MESSENGER SANJIT DE SILVA as NESS AQUINO, BUCKINGHAM, and A CITIZEN CHARLES DUMAS as EDWARD, HENRY the SIXTH, STANLEY & CARDINAL ANDY LUCIEN as HASTINGS, SCRIVENER, a MESSENGER and A MURDERER GABRIELA SAKER as CATESBY, DUKE OF YORK and A MESSENGER DANAYA ESPERANZA as BRAKENBURY, RATCLIFFE, LORD MAYOR, TYRREL, and RICHMOND ALMA CUERVO as DUCHESS OF YORK, SHERIFF & A MESSENGER ELIJAH GOODFRIEND as PRINCE EDWARD, A PAGE, and A BOY Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA. Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH Original music composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Composer, Producer, Guitars, Bass, Lead Vocals, Recording and Mix Engineer, DAVID MOLINA. EDWIN AYALA on Drums. Backup Vocals by MANUEL TRUJILLO. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES). Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND. The Play On Podcast Series “RICHARD THE THIRD” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “We are not safe”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices