Shows
Ed TalksProfessor Oliver Johnson & Rik UbhiProfessor Oliver Johnson (1992) and Rik Ubhi (2004) join Ben to talk about working together on Oliver's new book Numbercrunch: A Mathematician's Toolkit for Making Sense of Your World.
Rik is the Editorial Director of Hello (an imprint of Bonnier Books) and when Oliver's proposal came to him, he didn't know about the Old Eds link. A conversation about a mutual shared love of Aston Villa led to a conversation about their upbringings, which of course led them to realise they'd both walked the same corridors at King Edward's School.
This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for...2023-04-2835 min
Ed TalksCharlotte Gallant: Archiving the school's history for future generationsThis episode of Ed Talks is slightly different, as we're not talking to an Old Edwardian - but instead, someone who knows Old Edwardians rather well, both present and past. Charlotte Gallant is the Foundation Archivist, and her role is to preserve and curate the archives of all of the King Edward VI Foundation schools.
In this conversation, Charlotte talks about the kind of things that are in the King Edward's archive, but also about how she curates it - what will people like to look back on? What will give them a sense of what the schools...2022-07-1336 minEd TalksProfessor Howard Williamson: A career studying young people and issues affecting youthHoward Williamson (1972) is currently a Professor at The University of South Wales and has spent his career researching and teaching on the subject of young people and issues that affect them, from working as a lecturer to a government advisor in countries all over the world. Howard never had a plan for his career - opportunities have just presented themselves based around his area of expertise.
A thread that has run through his life, however, is his work with the Milltown Boys, who were the subject of his first book "Five Years" which was a groundbreaking study of yo...2022-06-2749 minEd TalksNick Varley: Creating the stories behind international sporting bidsNick Varley (1986) is the founder of LookUp Communications and former CEO and founding partner of the content agency Seven46.
Seven46 were known as the "bid specialists" because of their work helping countries to bid for major sporting events, and in this conversation Nick talks about his experience working with the London 2012 team to help them shape the story that won the UK the Olympic Games.
After the success of the London 2012 bid, Nick went on to work with the teams who won bids for Rio, Tokyo and Paris, and talks about what the awarding committee are l...2022-05-2340 minEd TalksNeil Moxley: Reporting on the world's biggest sporting eventsNeil Moxley (1987) is the Chief Sports Reporter at The Sunday People and has previously worked for the Daily Mirror and the Daily Star, covering sports events across the globe. In this conversation Neil talks about the play review he wrote at KES that sparked his passion for writing, and how his upbringing set him up to be able to feel confident in any situation as a journalist.
Neil writes about many different sports, but has a huge passion in particular for football. In this conversation he talks about how he has seen the game change over his thirty...2022-03-2241 minEd TalksJules Parke-Robinson: Blazing a trail by joining the militaryJules Parke-Robinson (1993) left KEHS and went on to Aberystwyth University, but from a young age knew she wanted to join the military. After completing her Masters Degree, she went to Sandhurst to train as an Officer and subsequently joined the Royal Military Police.
Jules stayed with the Military Police for 21 years, where she became Commanding Officer of the Special Investigations branch. She explains the kind of work she did, gathering evidence across the globe, and also why she decided to leave the military and work in the corporate sector (she is currently Global Head of Investigations at GSK...2022-03-1450 min
Ed TalksNisha Pillai: A career as an investigative journalist and rolling BBC News anchorNisha Pillai (1979) is a former BBC News presenter with over 20 years experience, including being a rolling news anchor for BBC World News as well as an investigative journalist for Panorama and The Money Programme. However, this wasn't the path that she set out on after leaving KEHS as a degree from LSE led to a short career within merchant banking before she realised that this wasn't her passion and became a financial journalist, the path that eventually led her to the news desk.
In this conversation, Nisha talks about her career as an investigative journalist and in particular...2022-02-1442 minEd TalksAnya Duxbury: A passion for Anthropology, the study of what makes us humanAnya Duxbury (2019) is a recent KEHS leaver and is currently in the United States studying Business at Alma College in Michigan for a year - however, her passion is anthropology, which is the degree she's taking a short break from before she returns to Queen's Belfast to complete it next year.
In this conversation Anya talks about the subject of anthropology itself, and how discovering it almost by chance set her off in a completely different direction with her life. Anthropology is, broadly, the study of what makes us human, and Anya is particularly interested in how societal...2022-02-0137 minEd TalksDr. Sarb Clare & Dr. Chris Duncan: Working on the NHS frontlines whilst writing a medical textbookDr. Chris Duncan (2009) and Dr. Sarb Clare have accomplished something extraordinary together: whilst both working on the NHS frontline of the COVID pandemic they have also written a medical textbook, published with Cambridge University Press, which could revolutionise patient care in the future.
The book is called Ultrasound for the Generalist which focuses on point of care ultrasound and the multitude of benefits that new portable ultrasound technology can provide in areas around the world: taking equipment to the patient rather than asking the patient to come in to hospital is just one of them, but one which...2022-01-2440 minEd TalksMelanie Etti: Following your passions around the worldMelanie Etti (2007) is a Fulbright Scholar completing a Master of Public Health degree at Harvard University. She spent much of 2020 working as a researcher in Uganda and will be continuing work within the field of global health during her year of postgraduate study.
In this conversation she talks about how following her passions has been the driving force behind her career decisions, rather than following a predetermined career plan. She talks about the importance of hard work, determination and tenacity, but she's also incredibly modest about what she's achieved - very few people are offered Fulbright scholarships, and...2022-01-1741 minEd TalksBeth Heaven: Working for the world's most recognisable brandBeth Heaven (2008) is Partnerships and Digital Senior Manager working at The Walt Disney Company's head office in London - and yes, characters do occasionally pop in to say hello!
She is currently working in the products part of the business, working with partners such as Lego and H&M who use the Disney IP as part of their own product lines, but she also talks about the other areas of the business she's worked in prior to this role (including a brief stint as a presenter on Disney's YouTube channel!)
Beth's journey to Disney has been...2022-01-1044 minEd TalksDuncan Grierson: Investing in the environmentDuncan Grierson (1987) is an entrepreneur with a track record of building cleantech companies, and in this conversation he talks about his most recent venture, Clim8.
Clim8 is a digital investment platform which empowers anyone to invest in green companies. Clean energy, smart mobility, clean technology, clean water, sustainable food and the circular economy all have a part in creating a greener and more sustainable future, and Clim8 hopes to build a community of investors who share its passion for the environment.
Duncan also reflects on the recent COP26 Conference which he attended in Glasgow, and talks...2021-12-0940 minEd TalksIan Metcalfe: The Commonwealth Games in BirminghamIan Metcalfe (1976) is the Chair of Commonwealth Games England and in this conversation talks about what an international event like next year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham does for a city like ours.
Ian is a proud Brummie, and came back to the city straight after university. He is a solicitor by training and had a hugely successful career with international law firm Wragge & Co (retiring as a managing partner), but sport has always been his passion - one which was very much developed when he was on the sports fields at KES.
Ian has always been...2021-12-0346 minEd TalksProfessor Marian Knight: Leading maternal and child researchProfessor Marian Knight (1986) is a maternal and child health researcher and public health physician and was recently elected a Fellow of the Academy for Medical Sciences. She leads @mbrrace and @NPEU-UKOSS and has spoken widely about Covid and pregnancy as well as ethnic disparities in maternity care.
In this conversation, she talks about these issues and the research these organisations have been carrying out, but she also talks about the role of the medical researcher herself, and the lifestyle that comes in a role where two of Marian's loves at school, maths and the sciences, are rolled in...2021-11-1947 minEd TalksHis Honour Nicholas Cooke QC: How the UK's judicial system has changedHis Honour Nicholas Cooke QC (1973) is a former Senior Circuit Judge at the Central Criminal Court, often referred to as "The Old Bailey". Despite retiring as a judge a few years ago, he is keeping incredibly busy - he was recently made an Honorary Fellow at Aberystwyth University, he's doing a Research Degree at Oxford, he's on the Development Board of performing arts charity Orpheus, and he's the Chair of Fields in Trust Wales.
In this conversation, Nick is incredibly honest about how he has seen the judicial system in the UK change over the course of his...2021-11-1241 minEd TalksJames Forrest: The full-time adventurer who leaped out of his comfort zoneJames Forrest (2002) was given the nickname The Mountain Man by The Sunday Telegraph, and for very good reason - he has recently broken the speed record for climbing the three British peaks unsupported, he's climbed every single mountain in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the fastest known time, and his book Mountain Man documents the first part of this journey when he climbed all of England and Wales' mountains whilst holding down a job and trekking in his spare time.
James is now a full-time adventurer, and talks about how he has turned his passion in to...2021-11-0544 min
Ed TalksTom Johnson: Writing crosswords for The Financial Times, The Guardian & The Daily TelegraphTom Johnson left school in 1965 and spent his career as a teacher. However, he always had a passion for crosswords and decided to take the leap and work as a freelance crossword compiler and editor, something the still does and loves to this day!
Tom has compiled and edited crosswords for The Financial Times, The New Statesman, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian amongst others, and recently had his first crossword in The Times. The Spectator also celebrated 50 years of its crossword recently - Tom has been involved for the last 40 of those.
In this conversation...2021-07-2350 minEd TalksJean Moule: The student becomes the teacherJean Moule (1973) is an incredibly well-known character in the hallways of KEHS... She grew up in Sandwell and attended the school as a pupil in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later returned to the school as a young teacher after going to Durham University for her undergraduate degree and Newcastle University for her PGCE. KEHS was her second teaching post after working for five years at a school in Birmingham City Centre, and it was never in the plan to come back - even when the opportunity presented itself, Jean wasn't confident that she'd got the job!
2021-07-1238 minEd TalksThe Student Callers: Giving up their time to benefit future generationsIn this episode of Ed Talks we take a break from the norm as instead of talking to an Old Edwardian, Ben talks to four current students - two boys from KES and two girls from KEHS.
Vedika, Jimmy, Alicia and Louis are all in their final year at King Edward's and are all Student Callers raising money for the Assisted Places Fund in their summer holidays. In this episode we talk about what it's like to be a Student Caller, why they do it, and the kinds of conversations they have with the Old Edwardians they speak...2021-06-2339 minEd TalksLindsey Davis: How a passion for writing became a full-time careerLindsey Davis left KEHS in 1967 and went to study at Oxford University. She had written stories since she was young, but never thought that writing could be a full-time career. Instead, she left Oxford and went in to a career with the Civil Service.
However, she became frustrated with her job when she felt as if people were being promoted into roles because of their gender, rather than their ability. She handed in her notice and began writing again - something which did become a full-time job as she is now the writer of many historical novels with...2021-06-1134 min
Ed TalksRobert Whalley: Rising to the top of the Civil ServiceRobert Whalley left school in 1965 and went on to study History at the University of Cambridge. He didn't necessarily know what he wanted to do as a career during his time in education, but upon leaving university he applied to be in the Civil Service and was posted to the Home Office, where he enjoyed an incredibly long and successful career.
Robert started his career in Northern Ireland, and in this conversation he talks about what it felt like to be in the middle of such devastation at such a young age - he'd be on the phone...2021-06-0854 minEd TalksLexi Willetts: From corporate law to a technology start upLexi Willetts left KEHS in 1999, starting her career as an intellectual property lawyer. Working as Head of IP for Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), during her tenure FIFA revolutionised their commercial programme by announcing two World Cup host countries at the same time. Some five years later and after completing a masters, she transitioned to consumer tech and is now the Founder and CEO of fashion-tech venture, Little Black Door.
“LBD”, the social wardrobe app, encourages women to wear and share their wardrobes with friends, followers and resale platforms. The app creates conscious fashion consumers by allowing women to di...2021-05-2840 minEd TalksThe Sehdev Sisters: Following your passion whilst positively impacting societyIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to four sisters who all went to KEHS - Gayatri Sehdev (2001), Sara Sehdev (2005), Jyoti Sehdev (2011) and Aarti Sehdev (2011).
Gayatri has an endless joy for learning and a desire to improve herself and the world around her. After studying Law at Cambridge, she went on to live in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, and in the latter which she completed her MBA at Wharton, where she graduated as a Palmer Scholar. Having returned to London, Gayatri is now fulfilling her ambitions of building a bridge...2021-05-211h 08Ed TalksGrace Gwynne: Working as a barrister during COVID 19In this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Grace Gwynne (2013), Third Six Pupil at No5 Barristers' Chambers in Birmingham.
Grace talks about her route to becoming a barrister, and how it wasn't always an easy journey - she faced a number of setbacks in her career journey and talks about how important persistence is when it comes to achieving your goals.
She also discusses how the courts are operating in regards to COVID and the backlog of cases that need to be heard as a result of shutting down in the UK's fi...2021-02-2236 minEd TalksProfessor Emma Rees: Gender and identity within modern societyIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Professor Emma Rees (1987), Director of the Institute of Gender Studies at Chester University.
Emma discusses a number of topics, from the work she does at the university around gender and identity to her published work. She talks about what it's been like to lecture through COVID and how her students have been faring, and also why she has her pronouns (she / her) on her email signature.
This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to us about producing a podcast for your...2021-02-1944 minEd TalksSumit Dheir: Dispelling the myths around investment bankingIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Sumit Dheir (2006), who since leaving university has worked in finance, first for an investment bank and now for a private equity firm.
Sumit talks about how his A Level Economics classes with Mr Mason inspired him to want to work within the field of finance, and how working within private equity allows him to use the principles he learned about with active businesses.
Sumit discusses how his role works but also about the wider economy, and whether it's a good or bad time to...2021-01-2837 minEd TalksRichard Wolffe: Reporting on decades of US politicsIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Richard Wolffe (1987), the US columnist for The Guardian.
Richard lives in New York and has been reporting on US politics for decades, including being one of only three journalists who followed Barack Obama's entire presidential campaign from start to finish as a writer for Newsweek.
In this podcast he talks about the Black Lives Matter movement and reflects on his experiences of racism when growing up in Birmingham in the 1980s. He discusses how Black Lives Matter affected the result of the US election, and w...2021-01-1952 minEd TalksLee & Andrew Child: The best-selling author who's handing over his legacyIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to the authors Lee Child (1973) and Andrew Child. Jim Grant (who writes under the Lee Child name) has achieved worldwide fame through his Jack Reacher series of novels, and is now handing the franchise over to his younger brother Andrew.
The Sentinel was published at the end of last month, and Ben talks to the brothers about how the handover in the writing process worked - but of course, also about their upbringing and Jim's days as a student at KES. They also touch on the subject o...2020-12-1453 minEd TalksResponses to COVID: Panel Discussion with Alexa Joyce, Malcolm Warr OBE, & Dr Hermine GrahamIn this episode of Ed Talks, Ben Anderson (2006) chairs a panel discussion with three Old Edwardians - Alexa Joyce (Education & Skills Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Microsoft Corporation), Malcolm Warr OBE (Chair of CNI Scotland) and Dr. Hermine Graham (Clinical Psychologist and Board Member of the UK Advisory Board for Safer Gambling).
The subject of this discussion is "Responses to COVID" - the panel talk about the impacts that COVID-19 has had on our society as a whole outside of the physical health implications, discussing digital transformations and other positive changes that we are able to take...2020-11-3048 minEd TalksHannah Proops: The impact of the arts in the development and mental health of young peopleIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Hannah Proops (1997), an Old Ed who is now the Director of Drama at KEHS.
Hannah talks about the reasons why she campaigned to get drama taught in every year group when she took over the role of Director of Drama, and how the subject has now grown to over 70 students studying GCSE Drama and 20 students studying Theatre Studies at A Level.
She also talks about TuneUp, an initiative that was created by Hannah and Kirsty von Malaisé (the Principal at KEHS) which gives schools t...2020-11-2334 minEd TalksElliot and Zander Weaver: How they produced, filmed and directed their first feature filmIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Elliot Weaver (2006) and his brother Zander Weaver (2009) who have both been working in the film industry since leaving KES.
Recently they have directed their first feature length film, Cosmos, which is available to stream now. They talk about what goes in to creating a film but in particular about the challenges that come with producing a "no budget" movie.
You can find out more about Cosmos at www.cosmosmovieofficial.com and see which platforms you can stream Cosmos on at www.cosmosmovieofficial.com/watch-cosmos2020-09-0142 minEd TalksDr. Seb Heaven: Working on the frontlines of the COVID 19 pandemic in CanadaIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Seb Heaven (2006) about his career as a doctor in Canada, and his experiences of being on the frontline during the COVID 19 pandemic.
This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to us about producing a podcast for your business - please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk.
The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our schools, their employees or constituents.2020-09-0136 minEd TalksDame Louise Makin: Being the CEO of a FTSE 250 company & the effects of redundancyIn this episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Dame Louise Makin (1978) about her career journey and her time as CEO of BTG PLC, a FTSE 250 specialist healthcare company which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2019.
She also talks passionately about the environment, she discusses what the effect of being made redundant had on her life and career, and she talks about how she now spends her time on a portfolio of other roles including charity work and mentoring start-up businesses.
This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to...2020-09-0132 minEd TalksNatalie Haynes: Combining your passions when carving out a careerIn the first episode of Ed Talks, Old Edwardian Ben Anderson (2006) talks to the author, broadcaster, comedian and classicist, Natalie Haynes (1993).
Natalie currently hosts a show on BBC Radio 4 called Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics and has been nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020 with her novel A Thousand Ships.
This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to us about producing a podcast for your business - please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk.
The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do...2020-09-0134 min