And what we can lean from them about life
. . .
Cole Moreton describes what to expect from this talk
I will start by listening carefully to what you have to say about the nature of the event, the people who will be present and what you would like to achieve. I am happy to tailor what I do to suit you, let’s work together on this. My aim is to entertain and inspire, sharing stories and encouraging those listening to share their own, celebrating the fact that human beings are better when we work together. If we listen carefully, pay attention and look around us we can see extraordinary strength, courage, patience, wisdom and beauty in each other.
I have learned so much about life from the extraordinary women I have interviewed and encountered during my work as a writer, broadcaster and interviewer for the Mail, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Financial Times, on BBC Radio 4 and as a regular contributor to Pause for Thought on Radio 2. Those I may talk about include the Olympian Nicola Adams, Shirley Ballas, Mary Berry, Baroness Karen Brady, June Brown, Dame Joan Collins, Kate Garraway, the neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield, Whoopi Goldberg, the artist Maggi Hambling, Scarlett Johansson, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Dame Maureen Lipman, Dame Vera Lynn, Oti Mabuse, Dame Helen Mirren, Mo Mowlam, Sinead O’Connor, Sharon Osbourne, Anita Rani, Dame Esther Rantzen, Angela Rippon, Anne Robinson, Susan Sarandon, Sandi Toksvig, Carol Vorderman, Dionne Warwick and many others. I’ll be talking about what it was like to meet each or any of these women, taking us all into the room to be with them and suggesting the lessons we might learn from them about how to get through life.
The story of taking my Mum to meet the late Queen could also be in there, featuring as it does a night spent in a haunted cell at the Tower of London. And some of the women I might talk about are not famous but have extraordinary stories or insights to share, including Juliana Buhring, who escaped and brought down a sex cult and redefined her life as an endurance athlete by becoming the first woman to cycle solo around the world; and Zahra, a refugee who made an incredible 7,000 mile journey to peace and safety that sounds like an epic folk tale and ends with her crossing the Channel on an overladen rubber boat at dawn one Christmas morning. There’s a twist in that tale that brings people to tears.
So does the story of Linda and Sue, whose lives became unexpectedly entwined in the most intimate way through their sons. Marc was a promising footballer in Glasgow whose life nearly ended because of heart failure. Martin was a cheeky, cheerful boy who sadly died suddenly from a brain bleed. They were both 16. His mother Sue had the courage to agree to his heart being used to help someone else, so it was rushed across country by police car and aeroplane and put inside Marc. It saved his life.
I will describe what it was like to be in a room with Sue and Marc many years later as they sat together on a sofa and she slowly, nervously shuffled up alongside him and put her hand on his chest. She was able to feel the heart of her own son Martin beating away inside this boy whose life had been saved and who had become a man. This was a deeply moving moment, which I recorded for the Radio 4 series and subsequent book The Boy Who Gave His Heart Away. Sue has become great friends with Marc’s mother Linda and their story is a great example of how human beings can find courage they never thought they had in the most demanding circumstances, as well as joy from sadness and strength in being together. It also demonstrates how the extraordinary can be found in so-called ordinary life, which is why I like to start with it. However, whether I do or not is up to you!
I may well also ask those present: “Who is the most remarkable person you’ve ever met?” The answer doesn’t have to be famous, it could be your Mum, a teacher, a friend who helped you out, a stranger who passed on wisdom, a colleague who was an inspiration, anyone really. I will ask people to share their own stories later, during questions, with each other or afterwards, depending on the nature of the event. Whichever way it goes, the stories I share will be warm, engaging, funny or moving and get everyone thinking about how we are better as humans when we listen, pay attention and work together.
Do feel free to get in touch with any questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.
‘A brilliant, sensitive storyteller.’
Anita Anand
’Cole proves how we all need stories in our lives. Proper stories, well told.’
Fi Glover
‘Everything is extraordinary and few things are more extraordinary than the remarkable encounters Cole recounts.’
Gyles Brandreth
‘Cole Moreton hosts a gathering of extraordinary people, some acknowledged everywhere, others whose extraordinariness goes unnoticed. He hosts with generosity, wisdom, candour and an enviable eye for detail.’
Richard Coles
‘Cole’s remarkable skill is to show us that when we pay attention in this life, attention pays us back. His stories catch glimpses of the luminosity, intimacies and significance of human experience, all reminding us that, when it comes to meaning, love is the only metaphor worthy of our pursuit. His fresh honesty never fails to open windows in the soul.’
Mark Oakley, poet and Dean of Southwark Cathedral
‘Cole has piled human story upon story, each one a shining, particular gem.’
Claire Gilbert
Cole Moreton 