royal marines

“I was in a pub in Aldershot…a couple of the guys came in with the paper…and the general feeling was that we needed to get over there…and start kicking some arse.” This is the story of 2 Para, told through the eyes of Gary Steele, who Served in the battalion during The Falklands War. 

 “We needed to do something, and Goose Green was the something that we did. We set off at night, we left rucksacks behind, everyone was just loaded-up with as much ammunition as they could take…” 

Amidst the danger, British humour and stoicism played its part, “It’s a funny thing, being mortared…initially it’s just sheer terror…you’re lying face-down…you can hear shrapnel flying over you, you can hear the explosion; but after a minute or two, it gets a bit boring ‘cos there’s not really a lot you can do…so I got my little stove out, brewed-up some hot water, had a coffee, while we were being mortared.” 

The battle was brutal, “…The CO was dead, The Adjutant was dead…some of the best soldiers in the battalion had been killed. There were loads of people wounded. It was a pretty shocking situation…you really wanted to do your bit…you really wanted to get stuck-in and help” and that’s exactly what 2 Para did.

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“You’ve got the battles, then you’ve got the humanitarian side…It’s a strange thing is war…” This is the astonishing story of how a North Sea passenger ferry and her civilian crew, became a troop carrier, rescue ship and prisoner of war ship; in the thick of the firing, bombs and air attacks of The Falklands War. 

The entire operation would have been impossible without the merchant ships taken up from trade and requisitioned. But, how did they come to play critical roles in a war 8,000 miles away? We hear from Keith Thompson of MV Norland, who’s crew all volunteered to support the task force.   

However, they could not have foreseen just how dangerous it would get. The night before landing 2 Para on The Falklands, “…we had a message that Norland would go through first…the SAS had found mines…they decided to take the old ships through first…so Norland headed through, followed by HMS Plymouth, HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless…we were the first few ships through the minefield.” 

That was just the start. Norland finally got back to Hull on 1st February 1983, after 282 days at sea, “We were proud of what we did…we’d certainly do it again…but only on Norland.” 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“The First Sea Lord… decreed that HMS Hermes was under just 72 hours’ notice to sail…” It’s the day after the Argentinians invaded The Falklands and Margaret Thatcher announces that Britain would send a task force. Just a few days later, the task force was ready for war. This is the story of the dockyard workers who rose to that challenge, many of whom had just received redundancy notice. 

Flagship HMS Hermes was in a state of disrepair, “…an assisted maintenance period in Portsmouth Royal Dockyard. From the top of her main mast right down to her flightdeck, she was covered in scaffolding, much of her main machinery was ashore in the civilian workshops when the call came…” 

We hear accounts from two former Portsmouth dockyard workers who worked round the clock to achieve this enormous task, Clifford Ball and Mike Huitson. These are voices not usually heard but without whom, the task force could not have sailed. 

We also hear from Andrew Cave, who Served on HMS Hermes. He’s now working to ensure that the thousands of dockyard workers from across the UK and Gibraltar, are commemorated for their herculean effort in readying the warships, troop carriers and supply vessels to sail 8,000 miles and fight a war with no land-based air support, in just a matter of days. 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“For the last 40 years, (we’ve been) trying to get the truth told about what happened on the day that it all kicked off, 2nd April 1982.” This is that true story.
 
“…We didn’t just surrender as the popular story goes.” Ray Bloye was part of Naval Party 8901, the small detachment of Royal Marines on the Falklands at the time of the invasion.
 
The portrayal of NP8901 by the British press led to 40 years of hurt, “The Daily Mail headline, ‘Shamed’…The Sun, ‘Surrender’. Ray hopes that the record will finally be set straight, “What I want, is an acknowledgement from the MOD and the government that we did our job.”
 
Ray takes us through a blow-by-blow account of the first few hours of the invasion, including the attack on their barracks in the middle of the night, “3 o'clock… it was a very still, calm night and we could hear the choppers coming in… shortly after this, all hell seems to break loose…”
 
The Royal Marines, massively outnumbered and under attack by land, sea and air, defended the Islands without suffering casualties. Finally, Rex Hunt, Governor of the Falklands, ordered them to stop fighting and lay down their weapons as a truce had been declared.


Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

In this episode Gaz talks to Mike Bates who is a former Royal Marine, former counter terrorism covert operations leader, 2nd Dan BJJ Professor and is in training to row the Atlantic solo in Dec 2022.  Mike opens up regarding his formative years, the leadership opportunities he grabbed when they presented themselves to him, what principles he took away from the Royal Marines and how they helped him through his 16 years in his confidential MOD department career that followed.  

Mike now owns and runs Roundhay Leeds Gracie Barra BJJ gym which is the fastest growing in Europe.  A full contact sport and gym which he started in lockdown.  In his spare time he is training for the Talisker Atlantc ocean row event in Dec 2022 where he is hoping to raise over £100,000 for Leeds Children hospital.  

Gaz and Mike talk all things leadership, principles, goals, resilience...and life!

“…what has become my specialism, I think is… gritty, granular detail of the reality of war set in the broader context of important national events…”

Having joined the Royal Navy in 1985, Toby managed to pack-in trips round the West Indies, Australia, Hong Kong and Europe during his 10 years of Service.

His thirst for adventure remaining unquenched, he began a successful career as a journalist, becoming a foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph specialising in terrorism and war, “… as a journalist, generally speaking, you're sort of against authority, you're trying to find out things you shouldn't know, print things people don't want you to print, upset people and you're sort of on the side of the every man or every person...”

Toby’s tenacity and talent for investigation has also led him to write three non-fiction books, the latest ‘First Casualty’, tells the gripping and incredible true story of the six-day battle that began the War in Afghanistan with the response to 9/11, where Toby gained unprecedented access to the CIA, SBS and US Special Forces.

Listen on; and if you like what you hear, tune in our live online event where Toby will talk more about his experiences and he’ll answer as many of your burning questions as we can squeeze in!

Get tickets for Toby's live talk about First Casualty on 4th May 2022 at 1800 GMT

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

On today's episode we hear from a variety of veterans, and those involved with different forms of remembrance, to learn about what remembrance means to them, and how they honour the memory of those who have died in service of their nation.

If you start this episode at 0938 (GMT) on the 11th the last post will play at 1100hrs.

Thank you for listening.

We will remember them.

https://www.poppyshop.org.uk/

In 1989, just before training began, “I realised, that I'd bought this copy of the Radio Times because it had a picture of Michael Ball on the front cover and… let me tell you that 30 years ago, Michael Ball was quite hot property...”

 “…I thought well, ‘that's an incredible complication because in three weeks' time, I'm going to Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and that doesn't fit.’ But it just didn't seem relevant… the only people I thought might be gay were Larry Grayson and perhaps John Inman, and quite frankly, I didn't identify with those people. But what I did identify with was this amazing, exciting career that lay ahead of me… and I parked all the gay stuff and walked through those gates...”

 The ban on gay people Serving in the Armed Forces lifted in 2000. Several years later, ‘Fighting with Pride’ began as a book, “…I was concerned that the story of the amazing careers of the years of the ban were being lost, so I brought together a group of 10 people who all wrote a chapter… but when we… were ready to launch, we realised that… we were angry… about the fact that nobody has gone back to pick up our fallen, for those who have struggled in the years beyond the ban, and who live lives, which are not those that we would wish of any Veteran...” 

 Fighting with Pride charity was formed on the 20th anniversary of the lifting of the ban, “…And our journey is beginning to make a difference.”

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Jonathan Humphries is in conversation with Mark Hardie, Founder of Decision Point Ltd UK.
Mark has had an incredible professional life in the military. He started in the Royal Marines in 1998 where he earned his green beret, and spent the next 8 years in Operational Commando units in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and other places.
In this conversation, Mark reveals the challenges he faced in one of his toughest assignments as Lead Officer for the repatriation of fatalities, from a professional, and personal and emotional point of view. It was during this time, that he realized the importance of competent ethical leadership and discovered Stoicism. In 2010, he was awarded the MBE for his support to families of fallen marines.  Mark is an executive coach, a mindfulness trainer and he's involved in all aspects of Leadership and decision-making, 
Find out how helpful Stoicism can be  in leadership and decision-making:

• It embraces principles of what we have within our control and what is outside of our control.
• It's around dealing with matters like certainty versus uncertainty
• Differentiating between what is complicated and what is complex. 

These aspects all help us in framing our thinking in challenging and demanding times.

Join us for this enlightening conversation!
Follow our journey and our discussion with some of the most renowned and influential people of our time.

Subscribe to our channel, under HoCoSo CONVERSATION, on:
Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castro, Stitcher, Podcast addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen notes, Tune In, Iheart Radio, and many more...

Follow us on Instagram: @hocosoconversation and Linkedin: HoCoSo Conversation

“Being yourself at work…” as easy as it sounds? “…in the military, there is a stereotype of what a military person is… and over the past 30 or 40 years, we've made some changes.

So we've increased the number of women that are Serving… it's no longer illegal to be homosexual within the Armed Forces, we've got more Commonwealth personnel Serving with us. We are a very diverse organisation now, but some people still feel they have to mirror that stereotype… to get on in the world.

…I hid my illness for a very long time, because I was scared of what people would think of me. That takes energy. And that distracts you from doing what you we really should be doing. So if you can be your real self at work, you can bring your whole self to work, and you feel comfortable doing that… you're bringing your full energy to work, and you can commit to your job and be a better Service person.”

Kay joined the Royal Navy in 1992 as a student nurse; and, as a Medical Service officer, was medically discharged in March this year, “I'm at the point now where I'm disabled”, and now works as the Operations Manager for the Association of Royal Navy Officers and the Royal Navy Officers’ Charity.

We hear how Kay’s M.E., known to some as ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’, impacted on her Service life, along with mental health issues, “…there were a couple of incidents within my career… that a psychiatrist has confirmed they were the triggers and I was diagnosed with what's known as ‘High Functioning Depression’. Now, that pressure within the work environment did make that depression worse and made my anxiety worse, because my anxiety meant that I constantly felt I had to be achieving…                                           

…I know you've spoken to Bex (Fyans), she's obviously the Naval Service Woman of the Year this year, I was the one the year before because I was constantly doing stuff. You know, I was Patient Advocate for Admiral Marshall in the Disability Forum, I worked with the Naval Servicemen’s Network, with the Compass Network. I was always doing things for other people and I didn't really have that self-compassion in myself to step back and say, ‘Stop. No. I'm not doing this.’ And it was about performance and about how I wanted to continue in my career and prove that I could do it, even though I was ill. And I think that probably made the situation worse.”

Kay’s husband is her carer and looks after domestic life, “But he doesn't like to carry the title of being a ‘carer’. He's just, as far as he's concerned, a stay-at-home parent and a self-employed businessman. But actually, he does a lot more.”

“… people automatically assume that a carer will be a woman. They also automatically assume t

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Tornado Pilot, Mandy, Served for 17 years in the Royal Air Force. Yes, you know we can’t resist, “Highway to the danger zone…..” OK, Top Gun reference out of the way and onto business.

Literally, actually. Having left the RAF 10 years ago, Mandy runs her own business as a Motivational Speaker, taking lessons learned from aviation into businesses and schools.

Mandy‘s grandfather, a pilot in World War II, was her inspiration to fly fast jets; but she failed the RAF aptitude tests to become a pilot. However, she persevered and learned to overcome obstacles, “I aspire to achieve”.

Mandy became the second woman to fly Tornado GR4s on the front line and has become a strong role model for youngsters, inspiring them to aim for their dreams.

With the events and keynote speaking business shutting down, Mandy needed to find a new sense of purpose during Covid, so she and her husband are volunteers at the local hospital, laundering and folding the scrubs for the frontline key workers.

Having caught Covid early on, Mandy recognised two important things, resilience and purpose and how they are linked. Resilience “It’s about heading back to where you want to go” and purpose, “We need to have a point that we want to get back to”.

“If I could gift something to my children, it'd be two things, confidence and resilience. But you can't give them either of those two things. These are things that have to be built up… confidence is like a muscle, you know, we need to exercise it, we need to build that up. Resilience comes… often from overcoming hardships.”

Mandy’s experience and insight gained through the pandemic continues to provide a positive message for young people, “…They're going to be pretty resilient, because they've had to come up with new ways of learning, they've had to adapt to change quite quickly as well, constantly, with uncertainty.”

And if anyone know about dealing with change quickly, it’s a Tornado pilot.



Mandy's book is available on Amazon.

Follow Mandy on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.



Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Ma

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Links

1. "Neither Fish Nor Fowl Nor Yet Good Red Herring" - Joint Institutions, Single-Service Priorities, and Amphibious Capabilities in Postwar Britain, Dr. Ian Speller, U.S. Naval War College Review, 2020 Vol. 73, Nr. 4 (7).

2. Sea Control 189 - Amphibious Operations in the French & Indian War with Dr. TJ Linzy.

3.The Ambassadors: America's Diplomats on the Front Lines, by Ed Salo and Paul Richter, U.S. Naval War College Review, 2021 Vol 74, Nr. 1 (18).

4. Understanding Naval Warfare, Ian Speller, Routledge, 2019.

The Duratus Mind - A podcast exploring all things mindset and motivation.  Gaz, a former Special Forces Sergeant Major but now performance consultant, opens up his network to try and understand what motivates some to risk so much, why some are so driven, and what it really takes to achieve success in any sector.

This episode Gaz speaks to an old friend Ray Carole. Ray is a classic British ambassador who is authentic, unique and extremely diversified as he pushes the boundaries in life.

From Royal Marine to SAS Sergeant, North Pole to the South Pole Solo, Author, Mentor and fearless entrepreneur. Crafting a real-life story with no regrets has challenged his impulses and self-belief to enter unknowns. Ray’s life trajectory is good, bad and ugly. A genuine guy who believes in proving yourself right and wrong in life by simply daring to take the leap.

Follow Ray @ www.raycarole.com 
or instagram @raycaroleauthor 
His most recent book 'The Clinic' can be brought here: https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/crime-and-thrillers/the-clinic/  

Follow Gaz at Duratus UK (www.DuratusUK.com) 
instagram at Duratus_Gaz
Twitter at Duratus_UK
Facebook at Duratus UK

“The best bits of the Navy without the b******s!” That’s Bill’s take on the Royal Naval Association (RNA). 

From boy scout to sailor, for Bill it’s been “loads of ships and lots of people.” Having Served in the Royal Navy for 37 years from the age of 18 and now CEO of the RNA, Bill spent 20 years at sea and then found himself “in Army pyjamas as much as Navy uniform.” 

Bill likes a challenge and his latest is refreshing the RNA to help members through the pandemic and beyond and to get Serving people involved from early on during their Service, ready to support them when they become Veterans. 

We caught up with Bill just before Christmas and here’s what he had to say…


To get in touch with the RNA:

 Office phone: 023 92 723 747 

 Helpline: 07542 680 082 

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

The Vertical Marathon's reflections.  Gaz interviews Fergus Crawley and Jonny Pain 2 months after they had embarked on their epic quest of 32 ascents of Ben Nevis on 1/11/20 in aid of mental health and the prevention of male suicide.  This was to include; 42,200m elevation gain and 540km of distance travelled each.  ⁣⁣
⁣
Gaz digs deep on what they learned from the experience, what went well, what went really bad and what they've got planned for the future. 
 
#CLIMBYOUROWNMOUNTAIN​

‘JJ off Strictly’ joins us for our Christmas Special! …Once a Royal Marine, Always a Royal Marine. 

“Blown-up” while deployed to Afghanistan, JJ joined-up as a Reservist aged 17 and his attitude of “keep cracking on” helped him to go on to win a gold medal at the Invictus Games. 

JJ describes how life in the Royal Marines brings hardships and challenges as well as adventures, but the best part is “getting to go to work with your best friends.” 

We hear about juggling civilian life as a teacher with being a Royal Marines Reservist, “when you take your uniform off, your Corps values don’t change.” 

JJ talks openly about mental health and the difficulties following his injuries, “…it’s ok to put my hand up and say, ‘I’m struggling physically and mentally’” and we also hear about the importance of sense of purpose and recognising incremental gains on the road to recovery. Talking about this honestly, with JJ’s life now in the public eye, helps him to make a positive impact on people who are also facing challenges. A great role model. 

JJ chats about his Strictly journey and how his dance partner Amy’s words of wisdom, “don’t get bitter, get better” along with his Royal Marines training, provided a sense of perspective about loss and injury and the attitude “to get stuck in”. 

We also hear how “a lot of Royal Marines have a new found love and appreciation for sparkle and glitter” and how being in the Corps, 

“the greatest club on earth… quite simply made me a better person.”

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Here we are at the start of series 2 and we have a new level of Lockdown restrictions, ‘Tier 4’. 

The world has continued to be turned upside down by Covid since we chatted with our first podcast guest, Adrian Bell, CEO of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity; so, we thought this would be the perfect time to catch-up and find out what he’s learned since then and how the RNRMC is meeting the challenges of the pandemic heading towards Christmas.

We hear about the importance of not only tackling loneliness, but preventing it. We also address some big issues such as the role of the state versus the role of charities; and discuss the inequalities within society highlighted by the pandemic.

Finally, taking inspiration from an article featured in the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s (BACP) publication ‘Therapy Today’ we ask, ‘when this is all over, will we retain the pandemic as a bad memory and go back to the way things were before the virus, or will we learn from it…?’

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

The Duratus Mind - A podcast exploring all things mindset and motivation.  Gaz, a former Special Forces Sergeant Major but now performance consultant, opens up his network to try and understand what motivates some to risk so much, why some are so driven, and what it really takes to achieve success in any sector.

In this episode Dylan Hartley, one of the England rugby's most successful captains uncovers all he knows about making it in elite sport, what drove him, how he dealt with disappointment and his biggest challenges. This is a mindset and motivation masterclass.  

Follow Dylan on Instagram @dylanhartley
Twitter DylanHartley 

Follow Gaz on Instagram @Duratus_UK

Andy Halliday spent over 30 years working in the police and for the vast majority of that time was serving as a Specialist Firearms Officer (SFO) for the Metropolitan Police.  Experienced through thousands of criminal and Counter Terrorist operations as an SFO as well as an elite sport coach, he has a deep understanding of how individuals and teams function and learn. 

Andy was involved in a number of high profile events. None more so than in 2005 being  a member of the team who entered Stockwell Tube station in London where a Brazilian national, Jean Charles de Menezes, was fatally wounded.  

Andy and Gaz talk about taking opportunities, growth mindset, stress reframing, learning from mistakes and also the Jean Charles de Menezes events.  

This is a fascinating conversation with a man who has experienced, reflected and learned from a lot!