Steve Winduss
Chief Story Hunter
Hello, thanks for looking in. This is me:
I was born in 1964 in Bromley, London.
That was the year that UK Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas Home was making way for Harold Wilson at Number 10, while across the Pond, US President Lyndon B. Johnson had stepped into the shoes of the late John F. Kennedy, assassinated the year before.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev was deposed and replaced by Leonid Brezhnev.
We had no home computers or laptops, iPhones or iPads. No internet or digital cameras. Entertainment meant tuning in to BBC1 or ITV, and the idea of streaming your favourite show was as far-fetched as a trip to the moon (that wouldn't happen for another five years by the way).
There were no cash machines, GPS, LED lighting or flat-screen TVs.
But there was a lot of love. This was the swinging sixties when London became the 'capital of cool', the 'anything goes' era. Top of the Pops was first broadcast in the UK and The Beatles were becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
As for my small part in this unfolding tapestry, I have spent over thirty years helping small businesses to grow; sometimes my own, sometimes others'. I ran a small brewery selling craft beer in the late 90s and naughties, and since then have consulted for a wide range of other people's businesses.
I have spent the last 26 years helping my three kids to grow too.
Throughout all those business and family experiences, a common theme has been that of "storytelling". Successful businesses thrive on telling stories and children thrive on listening to them. In fact, stories are essential to us all.
In the Batting the Breeze podcast I talk to people with personal stories. They may be informative, amusing or thought provoking; they may provide a twist to popular history; they may stir the emotions or inspire, whether through triumph or tragedy.
In The Breezer newsletter, I take a look at a wide range of historical snippets relevant to the week following each Sunday morning’s edition, usually from the perspective of an individual. In other words - personal stories from history.
Incidentally, I decided that if I was going to ask people to share their stories, I ought to share one myself! Take a look at how I got on - Secondhand Embarrassment. What did you think?
If you’ve read this far, I think I can scratch an itch for you every Sunday. Why not give The Breezer newsletter a try, fascinating snippets of history you might never have come across, once a week in your inbox. It’s totally free and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Thanks again.
Steve.
