To read the full interview article, please visit: http://www.podium.ac.uk/blog/post/42/ben-ainslie-backs-further-and-higher-education-to-provide-a-springboard-to-success. In addition, to listen to the audio version of this interview, please click on the link below.

To read the full interview article, please visit: http://www.podium.ac.uk/blog/post/47/11-time-paralympic-gold-medallist-values-further-and-higher-education. In addition, to view more of Stuart’s work for Podium, visit the ‘Current Employment‘ section on his website.

The audio version of this interview can also be listened to below.

Bragg’s Cumbrian upbringing has and continues to influence much of his work. For example, he started to write the first novel of his Cumbrian Trilogy in the late 1960s.

“It was the place where I grew up and it inspired me. There are two sorts of writers, those who regret their background and create an image of something completely different, while others work up from their upbringing and out of it. I seem to be one of the second kind,” he declares.

Bragg was brought up in a working class family and revealed that the environment he was exposed to shaped both his life and career.

Melvyn Bragg (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

“I was born just after the Second World War in Great Britain and I remember the blackouts at night, and at that age, everything seemed strange to me. I mixed in a very powerful community and people used to do things together – socials, dances, clubs, jazz bands and choirs.

“Wigton was a small town, so as it was, you knew everybody. It gave you an extensive feeling of friendship and companionship. I lived close to the Lake District as well and I started to go there as a teenager.  I became besotted by the landscape and the poetry it inspired. One way or another, that place meant a great deal to me. When I started to write, it just happened that I recalled all of those experiences.”

Having found an early interest in writing, Bragg won a scholarship to read Modern History at Wadham College in Oxford.

“I started to write and construct short stories at college when I was 19-years-old. It was what I always wanted to do and then I turned them into short films. I also started to do some acting, write for the university magazine and move towards that area.”

Little did he know at the time, but his next move would have a big impact on his career.

“After my time at Oxford ended, I applied for lots of different jobs and I was lucky that I got a job as a trainee at the BBC. I worked on many different programmes, across various platforms. I loved it and after that I did not want to do anything else apart from write and make shows. That is the story of my career really.”

He then began to work on and present BBC arts show ‘The Lively Arts’, before becoming better known as a presenter for the London Weekend Television (LWT) arts programme ‘The South Bank Show’. The popular, hour-long programme, which combined interviews, high art and popular culture originally run from 1978 to 2010, but is due to return to our screens from May on Sky Arts.

“When we started the programme, we wanted to cover pop music, comedy and television drama to cover all bases. We thought that these subjects were every bit as important as what was being done in classical music and stage drama. We put them all in the same bag as it were (but not on an equal basis) and tried new things and plugged away for a long time.

“I have always had an amazing time doing the programme, whilst having the opportunity to work with some terrific people. I could not have envisaged a better way to spend a working life really, it was just terrific,” he added.

Bragg is also known for his work on BBC Radio 4, particularly discussion programme ‘Start the Week’, which he hosted for the best part of a decade from 1988. In addition, he also traced the history of the English language in the series ‘The Routes of English’ and he still presents historical radio programme ‘In Our Time’ today.

Whilst Bragg’s broadcasting capabilities are unquestionable, he has also turned many screenplays into biographical dramas with the late filmmaker Ken Russell.

“I have been able to do a lot of different things in my career and I do not mind them all being bundled up together. However, it is neater to describe me as a writer and broadcaster.”

Bragg, who is a Life Peer in the House of Lords and Labour Party follower, at the time of the interview, was working on what would become his 21st novel. However, he would not disclose too much about it and instead preferred to talk about the process he goes through to construct his work.

“It is the planning that matters when you are writing as you are trying to find something that is stored away in your mind. You hope you can do it,” he laughs.

With thanks to Stephanie Pochet from Directors Cut Productions for assisting in setting up the interview.

To listen to the full audio version of this interview, please click on the link below.

Chris joined up with England’s 2005 Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff to play for St. Lawrence College First XI against David English’s famous charity team ‘The Bunburys’. The exhibition match was held at the St. Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, home to Kent County Cricket Club, on Wednesday 21st September 2011.

Stuart would like to thank Bunburys legend and commander David English for helping to arrange the interview. David has raised over £15 million for charity over the past 26 years through his celebrity Bunburys team and details of the club’s fixture list/event calender for the 2012 cricket season can be viewed here: http://www.bunburycricket.com/pages/fixtures/fixtures11.html.

Stuart’s interview with Chris was published in February’s edition of The Cricketer Magazine. Please take the time to read the cricketing interview below:

Stuart's interview with Chris Evans featured in The Cricketer Magazine's 'Parting Shots' section

Stuart Appleby interviewing Radio DJ and Television star Chris Evans (Image courtesy of the BBC's Dusan Bozic)

To read the full interview with Charley, which was published in a freelance capacity, please click on the following link: http://www.shavemagazine.com/entertainment/Charley-Boorman-English-Television-Adventurer.

In addition, to listen to the full audio version of this interview, please view the link below:

Charley Boorman’s book Extreme Frontiers, Racing Across Canada from Newfoundland to the Rockies is out now and it is published by Sphere. The television series will be available to purchase on DVD from January 2012 and you can find out more information by visiting: www.extremefrontiers.co.uk.

Charley Boorman on his Extreme Frontiers expedition (Image courtesy of Russ Malkin, Emily Malkin and Nathaniel Jessel)

The talented Frenchman, who reached a career-high singles ranking of number five in the world, lost 6-7 (6) 7-6 (3) 10-8 (Champions Tie-Break) to the former Wimbledon champion.

Having also lost his opening AEGON Masters Tennis Legend’s group match to the big serving Richard Krajicek 6-4 6-4 a day earlier, Leconte needed to defeat John McEnroe in his final group match to stand any chance of reaching the Royal Albert Hall final.

As it was, McEnroe triumphed comfortably 6-3 6-1 and went on to lift the title in emphatic style over Cash.

Since retiring from the main ATP Tour, Leconte is often involved in the media and recently coached Frenchman Gael Monfils for a short period. He is also, of course, a regular on the ATP Champions Tour.

Henri Leconte is a former French Open finalist (1984) and Davis Cup winner with France (1991) (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The 39-year old, who was making his ATP Champions Tour debut in place of the injured Greg Rusedski, wowed the London crowd with his unusual style of play.

In his next match, Santoro lost to Britain’s Tim Henman 6-4 6-4 in an entertaining tussle, which ended his hopes of making the final.

Fabrice Santoro reached a career high of 17 in the world in singles competition (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Although the former world number four defeated Frenchman Henri Leconte 6-4 6-4 in his second match, any hopes that he might have harboured of making the Legend’s final were distinguished when John McEnroe rolled back the years to win their match 6-3 7-5.

Krajicek's greatest moment on a tennis court came in 1996 when he defeated MaliVai Washington in straight sets in the Wimbledon final (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Cash then went onto defeat John McEnroe 7-5 7-6 (10) and Henri Leconte 6-7 (6) 7-6 (3) 10-8 to reach the Legend’s final. Stuart interviewed Cash ahead of his final against McEnroe.

Having played three group matches on the bounce before being able to rest, Cash struggled with injury throughout the final and was outplayed by the American, losing 6-2 6-4.

Cash defeated Ivan Lendl in three sets to win Wimbledon in 1987 (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist went onto win the tournament and clinch his first ever title in London, having previously reached four Wimbledon semi-finals and three finals at the Queen’s Club.

Henman overcame Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist  6-3 7-6 (2) in the final.

The AEGON Masters Tennis title was remarkably Henman's first tournament win in London (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)