Gone Workabout Gone Workabout

In this episode of Gone Workabout, practical philosopher Paul Baker shares some of the highlights of his life to date, spanning Ceramics at Eton, to attempting to teach Richard Branson to fly, to the Alexander technique and beyond.
Paul has a matter of factness about him that is both refreshing and charming. As his story unfolds, it becomes clear that it is all heading in one direction - a better understanding of people and how to support both individuals and groups to live life more lightly.
About the show:
Gone Workabout is a show where host Oliver Happy talks to people who move about the things that matter most. Each conversation starts with childhood origins, and evolves organically as we explore wide-ranging topics.
About my guest:
Paul Baker is a practical philosopher who started life as an awarded Ceramicist, who then opened the UK's first hang gliding school and later to explore hypnotism and therapy on his lifelong journey to help people live more lightly. Paul is a therapist, coach and trainer. He lives in the South East of England.
Email: Contact Paul Baker
Show mentions:
Life as a bit of an outsider and that feeling of never really quite fitting in, then realising I didn't really want toEton as a high school that has is very old, and has originated a large number of british prime ministers03:00 Eton as a high school leading to Sandhurst as a military academy for officers04:00 Eton hierarchy by age group and pupil / servants vs the Christian ideals underpinning the education.Dyslexia as a barrier to higher education and university.08:15 Hang gliding as a business venture and obviously the most sensible thing you could doStalling a glider as a means to surviving an almost 1000 ft drop on the first flight09:45 The high school of hang gliding as a business venture10:30 Learning to be an instructor being based on information in digestible chunks11:20 Hang gliding as a way to empower people.12:30 the best air is near the cliff and needs you to run off a cliff as fast as you canWhat feels dangerous can actually be really safe and what feels safe can be very dangerousYou can feel safe but it doesn't mean you necessarily are. And while heading to the edge of the cliff you can actually be very safe and on the right pathHow do our feelings and our thinking relate to the world around us?16:00 hang gliding moving to towing, moving to microlightsDesign principles as a source for designing hang gliding harnesses18:20 the emergence of powered hang glidersMy brother helped invent bungee jumping and the second bungy jump ever being off the golden gate bridge in san franciscoEnding up on the evening news as being in a light aeroplane (microlights) leading to an influx in people wanting to learnThe fundamentals of teaching people to fly light aeroplanes - understanding the risks and learning how to control themTeaching the marquis of Bath to fly (he wasn't a great pupil)Teaching Mike Oldfield and Richard Branson to flyRichard...

Music executive, entreprenuer and humanitarian Inma Grass provides Gone Workabout with a window into a music industry that has changed so much since the advent of downloading, iTunes and now Spotify.
Through sharing her story spanning southern Spain, to Ibiza, to America and back again, Inma shows how music has both driven her and has provided both meaning and an opportunity to give back via the Altafonte foundation.
It is rare to meet someone who has rubbed shoulders with such greats as Manu Chau, Manuel Garcia (and many others), yet remains true to the spirit of helping artists share their music beyond their borders - while getting paid fairly for it. From being credited with breaking Salsa in the 90s through to being at one point the fastest growing Spanish Hip Hop label, Inma has certainly seen it all.
From discovering a newly-arrived Seydu busking on the streets of Madrid, to helping him to a high-flying career as a percussionist and finally to supporting his Diamond Child School in his homeland Sierra Leone, Inma paints a humanist picture of the music industry and leaves you wanting to support your local indie artists.
Show mentions:
Altafonte: https://altafonte.comAlmashala yoga retreat, Portugal: https://almashala.com/Artist - Seydu: https://seydu.netDiamond Child Shool, Sierra Leone: https://pjhap.wordpress.com/tag/diamond-child-school/Artist - Kiko Veneno: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiko_VenenoArtist - Nano Stern: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano_SternArtist - Manuel Garcia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Garc%C3%ADa_(tenor)Artist - Craig Armstrong: https://www.qwant.com/music/artist/craig-armstrong
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About my guest:
Inma Grass is a Spanish-born music executive, entreprenuer and humanitarian who co-founded Altefonte - a heavyweight in the Latin music world. Interesting parents, a career in music, a lifelong practive of yoga and a husband who shares her fair share approach ensures that Inma's story to date has something for everyone.
Altafonte: https://altafonte.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inma-grass-420013b/
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Support the show on Patreon:
You can support Gone Workabout here: https://donate.goneworkabout.com
Book a yoga retreat at Almashala Portugal:
I highly recommend a long weekend or a week at the beautiful Almashala (https://almashala.com/) yoga retreat in an authentic Portuguese village on the coast near Lisbon. In our case, the week including delicious Italian-inspired vegan food, a wide range of yoga classes, meditations, a relaxing gong class, singalongs in the evenings, walking to the wild surf beaches nearby and a day trip to picturesque...

Recorded on location in beautiful Portugal, this episode of Gone Workabout features Permaculture expert Peppi Gauci. Peppi shares his story starting in Malta as a teen with wanderlust, to Australia and finally to Portugal.
He shares most importantly how following your nose can lead you to exactly the places you need to be.
In his case, to turning a plot of stony desert into a lush example of reforestation in Malta and to teaching Permaculture to help others regenerate what they find around them.
This episode is named in honour of Australian musician Paul Kelly (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kelly_(Australian_musician)) whose song by the same name inspired so many towards reconciliation with the Aboriginal people of Australia.
Topics covered:
What is Permaculture and how does it work?How the concepts of Permaculture apply to all relationships in our livesLearn to grow sprouts at home: www.peppizenglifestyle.comBahrija farm in Malta: www.bahrijaoasis.comAn extended working holiday in AustraliaSurfingYogaSong: Paul Kelly - From little things big things grow
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Contacting my guest:
Peppi's Permaculture training: www.peppizenglifestyle.comBahrija farm in Malta: www.bahrijaoasis.com
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Book a yoga retreat at Almashala Portugal:
I highly recommend a long weekend or a week at the beautiful Almashala (https://almashala.com/) yoga retreat in an authentic Portuguese village on the coast near Lisbon. In our case, the week including delicious Italian-inspired vegan food, a wide range of yoga classes, meditations, a relaxing gong class, singalongs in the evenings, walking to the wild surf beaches nearby and a day trip to picturesque Ereceira 15 mins away. They are doing something special here and it's well worth considering as a way to rebalance and recharge your batteries.
Social promo photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash


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Adam from Give Kefir shares a tale of global wanderings, packing up and living in a motorhome, thoughts on Consumerism and most importantly, how he and his family found themselves giving away Kefir in Siem Reap Cambodia.
The pre-Covid tale stretches from Montana to Hawaii, includes sleeping under the stars and living in up and up U.S. suburbs and covers so many of the dilemmas inherent in modern life.
About my guest:
Adam Close is a Social Entrepreneur and with his wife, is co-founder of Give Kefir. Give Kefir is a probiotic brewery and tasting room in Siem Reap, Cambodia offering probiotic teas,water kefir, kombucha and jun.
Give Kefir on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GIVEKefir/Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-close-6464386/
Show mentions:
Angkor WatSiem ReapArt with Hannah


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Continuing the life during lockdown series, Podiatrist and Small business owner Susan Kingi of Aotearoa (New Zealand) shares just what made the Kiwi response to Covid-19 so remarkable. Specifically, the way "Team Jacinda" communicated, what the rest of us can learn from this and most importantly, that there is a Jacinda Ardern in every country if we would only elect them.
Show mentions:
Jacinda ArdernTangis and the Maori approach to mourning


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In a life during lockdown episode, Jonathan Goodwin describes growing up in London, moving to France, the origins of RnB and of course, the English experience of lock down.
Contacting Jonathan:
Jonathan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangoodwin1/Jonathan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnygoodz07/
Show mentions:
Book - The meditations of Marcus AureliusMusic - Bob Marley, Sean PaulMusic: Davinia GoodwinInspired by Music recordsChoice radio London



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