Chris Wilkins is a political consultant, strategist and writer and co-founder of global campaigns & advisory firm the Hanwell Group.

Beginning his career as a political advisor to the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe in Westminster, Chris went on to become the youngest Director of the renowned Conservative Research Department (CRD) in over 30 years. He later served in the government of David Cameron before becoming Downing Street Director of Strategy and Chief Speechwriter to Prime Minister Theresa May.

Chris sits on the Board of Centrepoint, the youth homelessness charity whose patron is the Prince of Wales.

1. The music of Martyn Joseph: I grew up listening to Martyn’s music and have seen him in concert many times. He’s been described as the ‘Welsh Springsteen’.
2. Centrepoint’s 2037 ambition: I sit on the Board of the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. It’s our ambition to end youth homelessness by 2037 - and we have a strategy to get there.
3. The virtues of a Rhodia pad and HB pencil: I love nothing more than a Rhodia writing pad and a good HB pencil. But the real point of this is that it’s a reminder to step away from the laptop, stop worrying about the email inbox and to take time to think.
4. The joy of making music: I grew up learning to play instruments and played in various county orchestras and jazz bands. Every child should be able to do this.
5. Maya Angelou quote: the great American poet Maya Angelou once wrote “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
6. A Six Nations game in Cardiff: there’s nothing better in life than Cardiff on international day. The Principality Stadium, which my father helped to build, is the best rugby stadium in the world

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Actor Joseph Millson discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.

Joseph Millson has been a busy and well known actor for over thirty years, an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare company, he has won many awards for his work on stage and screen. His film and TV work includes Casino Royale, The Last Kingdom, Holby City, Banished, The Sarah Jane adventures, Peak Practice and many, many more. He has a masters degree in screenwriting and has written many films as well as for television.

His first feature film as writer/director 'Signs Of Life' won rave reviews and was released digitally and in cinemas across the world. The film won best feature film at the Berlin Indie Film Festival and the London Independent Film festival. Joseph’s memoir 'Work And Other Four Letter Words' was a number one best seller on Amazon, it was shortlisted for the 2021 Theatre Book Prize and received five star reviews in the national press and from renowned writers such as Irvine Welsh and Russell T Davies.

His new novella Miller Rose Roberts is available at https://dl.bookfunnel.com/gn9pyjqy4t.

1. The music of Peter James Millson, most of his albums were signed to reveal records, extraordinarily beautiful stuff. Try the album called ’the accidental’ as a gateway album. https://peterjamesmillson.bandcamp.com/
2. TV show, Babylon Berlin. Holy moly, I’m obsessed, it’s just brilliant! A prestige German TV series that ought to be better known here, do not even slightly worry about the subtitles it’s amazing. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/apr/10/lifes-no-cabaret-why-gritty-weimar-noir-babylon-berlin-is-wholly-compelling-tv
3. The RSPB centre in Sandy, Bedfordshire, known as The Lodge. Extraordinarily beautiful place, really, and only 45 minutes from london by train or just off A1 by car. https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/the-lodge
4. The Seven Days of Peter Crumb, book by Jonny Glynn. LOVE this little known dark comedy thriller novel. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2226570.The_Seven_Days_of_Peter_Crumb
5. Album Somehow it’s growing by Lilli Fichtner https://open.spotify.com/album/5kNnp8pKBfcqHnxtji8iNQ
6. Signs of Life: feature film. A beautiful film about grief and kindness. I might have been part of making it but honestly it’s a gem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enZuJmULTVU

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Rob Temple discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.

Rob Temple is a journalist and creator of Very British Problems. His @SoVeryBritish Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts have more than 5.6 million combined followers. He’s the consultant on the official Channel 4 Very British Problems series, producer of the Very British Problems Live Show, and a columnist for the Telegraph. His new book is A Very British Midlife.

1. Korean concept of Jeong https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/HonoraryReporters/view?articleId=198727
2. Personal space, especially in the supermarket https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/ndownloader/files/41507847/1
3. Up to Me by Bob Dylan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9KXxqmKQB0
4. Stamford https://stamfordnotebooks.co.uk/pages/about-stamford
5. Moisturiser https://bulldogskincare.com/blogs/news/the-benefits-of-moisturising
6. Jacket potato https://www.facebook.com/soverybritish/posts/jacket-potato-with-cheese-and-beans-for-tea-couldnt-be-happier-with-that/943907967555363/

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