Ed Talks

Old Edwardians (KES & KEHS)

Ed Talks is the new podcast from the Development Office at King Edward's School Birmingham and King Edward's High School for Girls in which Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Old Edwardians who have gone on to have successful careers in different fields. If you would like to feature on the podcast as guest or if you have news to offer one of the Old Edwardian's print publications, please email Adelaide Bailey at the Development Office - aab@kes.bham.sch.uk. This podcast is produced by Sound Rebel, a podcast production company who create podcasts for businesses, organisations and charities across the UK. If you would like to talk to us about producing your podcast, please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our schools, their employees or constituents.

  1. Professor Howard Williamson: A career studying young people and issues affecting youth

    06/27/2022

    Professor Howard Williamson: A career studying young people and issues affecting youth

    Howard Williamson (1972) is currently a Professor at The University of South Wales and has spent his career researching and teaching on the subject of young people and issues that affect them, from working as a lecturer to a government advisor in countries all over the world. Howard never had a plan for his career - opportunities have just presented themselves based around his area of expertise. A thread that has run through his life, however, is his work with the Milltown Boys, who were the subject of his first book "Five Years" which was a groundbreaking study of youth, poverty and crime in 1970's Britain. Howard talks about how he first met the Milltown Boys when he was a student, and also about the subsequent work he did with them in "The Milltown Boys Revisited" (published in 2004) and "The Milltown Boys at Sixty" (published in 2021). In fact, he describes his work with the Milltown Boys as a second education: "I have been immensely privileged in my life, largely from having two educations – one in an elite and prestigious secondary school, and one on the streets of Milltown."He talks about how he always had a rebellious streak as a young man, and how King Edward's School helped to "consolidate this rebelliousness" - he believes that going to the school gave him a confidence to approach any situation, and he's as comfortable in a government meeting room as he is in a local youth centre.  This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to us about producing a podcast for you - please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk.The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our schools, their employees or constituents.

    50 min
  2. Nisha Pillai: A career as an investigative journalist and rolling BBC News anchor

    02/14/2022

    Nisha Pillai: A career as an investigative journalist and rolling BBC News anchor

    Nisha Pillai (1979) is a former BBC News presenter with over 20 years experience, including being a rolling news anchor for BBC World News as well as an investigative journalist for Panorama and The Money Programme. However, this wasn't the path that she set out on after leaving KEHS as a degree from LSE led to a short career within merchant banking before she realised that this wasn't her passion and became a financial journalist, the path that eventually led her to the news desk.In this conversation, Nisha talks about her career as an investigative journalist and in particular, one story that she was at the forefront of - the Robert Maxwell case. She also talks about her career as a news anchor, and what it's like to be on screen when breaking news comes in - she was on air on 9/11, and had to both simultaneously process her emotions as a human being witnessing one of the most tragic events in our history whilst also being the calm and collected face of the BBC.She also talks briefly about the BBC as an organisation, and how she is proud of its history of impartiality. At the moment it feels as if the BBC is being attacked from all sides - and Nisha argues that this is exactly where the BBC should be.Nisha has now pivoted in her career again, and loves her life as a conference host, motivational speaker, and coach - you can find out more about Nisha on her website, www.nishapillai.com This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to us about producing a podcast for you - please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk.The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our schools, their employees or constituents.

    42 min
  3. Anya Duxbury: A passion for Anthropology, the study of what makes us human

    02/01/2022

    Anya Duxbury: A passion for Anthropology, the study of what makes us human

    Anya Duxbury (2019) is a recent KEHS leaver and is currently in the United States studying Business at Alma College in Michigan for a year - however, her passion is anthropology, which is the degree she's taking a short break from before she returns to Queen's Belfast to complete it next year.In this conversation Anya talks about the subject of anthropology itself, and how discovering it almost by chance set her off in a completely different direction with her life. Anthropology is, broadly, the study of what makes us human, and Anya is particularly interested in how societal structures can influence the behaviour of the individual (Anya applies some of her learnings to the context of KES and KEHS in a case study we can all relate to!)As you will hear, Anya is hugely passionate about the subject and has recently been appointed as the National Vice Ambassador for the UK in the Applied Anthropology Network of Europe. She believes that some of the character traits that were instilled in her at KEHS had a part to play in this appointment, and we believe these same traits mean that she has a fantastic career ahead of her! This podcast is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Talk to us about producing a podcast for you - please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk.The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our schools, their employees or constituents.

    38 min

About

Ed Talks is the new podcast from the Development Office at King Edward's School Birmingham and King Edward's High School for Girls in which Ben Anderson (2006) talks to Old Edwardians who have gone on to have successful careers in different fields. If you would like to feature on the podcast as guest or if you have news to offer one of the Old Edwardian's print publications, please email Adelaide Bailey at the Development Office - aab@kes.bham.sch.uk. This podcast is produced by Sound Rebel, a podcast production company who create podcasts for businesses, organisations and charities across the UK. If you would like to talk to us about producing your podcast, please email ben@soundrebel.co.uk. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our schools, their employees or constituents.