United Kingdom Episodes
Alex's Wish for Duchenne
Your son has a life expectancy in the 20’s. What are you going to do about it?
Today’s guest is the embodiment of triumph over adversity, as are her family. Emma Hallam’s life is marked by extraordinary resilience in the face of overwhelming personal loss, culminating in the diagnosis of her son Alex with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is a life-limiting, aggressive form of progressive muscle weakness. I’ll leave Emma to clarify exactly what that means for Alex and the family.…
Hurricane Michael and the Compassionate Captain
If I suggested that you spend nine months away from home and family and sail 32,000 miles around the world the hard way around (ie against prevailing winds and currents), what would you say? And suppose I then told you that eight of your crew had never sailed before and, by the way, Hurricane Michael would be waiting to greet you?
Well, that’s what happened to adventurer, author and - to some - mad person Manley Hopkinson. As one of the skippers in the 2000-01 BT Global Challenge, th…
The Khmer Rouge, Mr Clever and Me
In 1993, Chris Moon MBE was taken prisoner while clearing landmines in Cambodia by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the most feared and brutal regime in the country's history. No Western prisoner had ever survived. Chris managed to keep his emotions in check and used his early-life farming experiences, army training and plenty of guile to attempt to take control of a situation that was stacked heavily against him and his team. After trekking through the stifling, malaria-infested Cambodian f…
Twenty-two Black Arrows
In 1958, Sir Patrick Hine was part of a team of elite RAF pilots, the Black Arrows, who broke the world record for an aerobatic display manoeuvre that has never been equalled - and might never be. The Black Arrows performed a 22-plane loop twice in front of a euphoric Farnborough Air Show crowd. Sir Patrick later became Air Chief Marshal of the RAF and Joint Command of the British Forces in the 1990 Gulf War, but looks back at that 1958 feat with great pride and considers it one of his proud…
Grounded by an Autobiographic Memory
Do you pride yourself on your infallible memory? Well think again. Memories about ourselves and the events of our lives are nurtured by our Autobiographic Memory and, shockingly, it turns out that it is unreliable by design. Our story centres on Brian Williams, America's one-time No. 1 news anchor. He reported from the front line in 2003 at the start of the Iraq War when the Americans were hunting down weapons of mass destruction. He braved Chinook helicopter missions within firing dist…
Our Blue Planet Up Close and Personal
Documentaries such as Blue Planet and The Great Reef have brought new wonder and awareness into our living rooms. Former Royal Navy underwater bomb disposal expert turned submarine pilot Mark Taylor now explores the planet's oceans as an integral part of the subsea documentary filmmaking community. He has seen eels dip into lakes 750 metres under the ocean, witnessed mud volcanoes on the sea floor and come face to face with a giant squid 10 metres long with eyes the size of basketballs.…
Honeybees, Herbalism and Humans
If you have ever considered how you could reconnect with nature, here’s your answer – through bees. Have you ever wondered why bees make honey? What does a drone do all day long? Why should we care about the health of our bees? Paula Carnell is a bee consultant and honey sommelier looking to create a buzz about health. She says that bees are Mother Nature’s way of connecting nature with humanity, “What’s happening to the bees is inevitably happening to us as well”.
Paula called on he…
Curiosity Calls 1
What have a psychiatrist, a psychic medium, a bodyguard, a WWII survivor, a remote settler and a parliamentary candidate got in common? They all feature in today’s episode. The podcast has now passed 25 episodes, so it felt like a great time to look back. Check out this compilation of the best bits of some of our earlier episodes.
It was great fun revisiting some of the first episodes to feature in the Batting the Breeze podcast. I was delighted to reaffirm that the style and integri…
Access Denied: The Kursk Submarine Rescue Story
In August 2000, the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea, resulting in the loss of all 118 crew members. At the time, the UK Royal Navy's submarine rescue team was one of the best-equipped in the world, and they offered their services to help save the trapped crew. Access was denied. Today’s guest, Mark, was part of that team.
Mark has led a colourful life, which has generally involved putting his life in danger for a cause. He tells his story with unn…
Better The Devil You Know
Having previously spoken to near-death experience witnesses, I was keen to uncover how science viewed this extraordinary phenomenon. I tracked down data scientist David Gerrelli. I wasn’t expecting what I heard.
Personal comment:
Having spoken with Kathy McDaniel in 4. Misfit in Hell to Heaven ExPat about her personal near-death experience, I was seeking some form of confirmation that near-death experiences could be more than just hallucinations. David provided anecdotal evidence …
Edmund, Churchill and Thatcher
Have you ever wondered if Margaret Thatcher ever met Sir Winston Churchill? If you search, you’ll find that nobody really knows. However, one person does know; Edmund Murray, Churchill’s last bodyguard. Also, What happened when Winston Churchill demanded to see his bodyguard’s latest paintings?
This is the third and final part of the Edmund Murray trilogy. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. It started with some writing on a wall and led me down an amazing rabbit hole leadi…
Edmund, Churchill and Onassis
Edmund Murray was Winston Churchill’s last bodyguard and as such he witnessed situations and events like no other. What happened when Mrs Onassis, Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy ended up on the yacht Christina at the same time? What really happened to Churchill’s budgerigar?
This is the second of our Edmund Murray trilogy. This is the story that keeps giving. Reading through Edmund Murray’s autobiography - Winston Churchill's Last Bodyguard - is a pleasure. It’s packed with sto…
Winston Churchill's Last Bodyguard
Have you ever found a handwritten inscription behind an old bathroom cabinet and not stopped to read it? In that case, you may be kicking yourself by the time you’ve finished listening to the series of events which uncovered the life of one of Winston Churchill’s closest confidants - his last bodyguard.
Links:
Bill mentions below that he is currently Chairman of the Dartmoor Society. Why not take a quick look to see how one group in the South West of England looks to protect its l…
Secondhand Embarrassment
Have you heard of secondhand embarrassment? Imagine you’re sitting on a train next to a toilet with an automatic opening door. And then, for no reason, it starts to open. Think this could never happen?
If you’re going to ask others to sharing stories, then it is only fair if you share a story yourself. So, here goes - this is my first personal story on Batting the Breeze. I hope you like it.
Next week's episode
[Episode 12] Winston Churchill's Last Bodyguard - Ha…
A Holotropic Journey
In the 50’s and 60’s, a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland released the psychedelic drug LSD to encourage research of possible beneficial effects for psychological struggles or psychiatric illness. Psychedelic drugs were subsequently outlawed. Most people don’t realise that there is a legal, much safer option to achieve non-ordinary states of consciousness today. Neil Harris explains.
Neil has been a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst for over 30 years. It was fascinating to listen to…
Is Anybody There?
Have you ever visited a psychic medium? Perhaps you’re a little tentative? Or perhaps you think it's all hocus-pocus. You may be surprised on all three counts.
Thank Jules, for such an illuminating chat. You are a gem. It was a joy to hear these often misunderstood beliefs and happenings clarified in such a matter-of-fact way. Incidentally, if after you've listened to this episode you feel a need for some relaxation, then Jules can help there too - she's also a holisti…
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
My guest today ran for the UK parliament in 2019. Spoiler Alert - he didn't get in! That was the year when the UK was devouring itself on the subject of Brexit. Listen to his hilarious account of fighting to become an MP and find out what advice he would give to anyone thinking of doing the same. [WARNING: This episode includes 1 expletive at 06:57]
A big thank you to Edward, we had a scream putting this episode together. It just proves that you can inject humour into politics b…
A Child's Eye View of World War II
On the 3rd September 1939, Neville Chamberlain broadcast the news that Britain was at war with Germany. Accounts of war time have been well documented, but what was it like for the children living under the constant threat of German bombers?
Enid Bottle was five years old on that day. Now eighty-eight years old and living in the South of England, she recalls vivid memories as if they were yesterday.
This was a memorable episode. Partly because it was our first proper episode,…
Hello
Welcome to Batting the Breeze, the podcast for the Infinitely Curious!
This introductory episode provides a summary of what you can expect from our podcast. It's a place where we share stories, invite others to share stories, and sometimes just talk.
And that talk could be about anything. Quite often, there will be subjects you've never thought about thinking about. They may be relevant to a piece of history, stir the emotions, or perhaps bring a message of hope and…