Andrew Marr is a retired Special Forces Green Beret, Warrior Angels Foundation cofounder, and the best-selling co-author of “TALES FROM THE BLAST FACTORY: A Brain Injured Special Forces Green Beret’s Journey Back from the Brink”. His book has been turned into an award-winning full feature documentary titled Quiet Explosions: Healing the Brain by EMMY and Academy Award winners.
Dr Mark Gordon is a pioneer in effective treatment for the impacts of traumatic brain injuries resulting from physical and non-physical events. His research is significantly influencing the approach to prevention and treatment around the world, particularly in contact sports such as Rugby and American Football and also in military personnel.
Keith served with The Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan. When he left he experienced mental ill-health and after attempting to gain help via conventional treatments, Keith travelled to Peru to seek a cure via psychedelics’. He now enables access to psychedelic therapy via Heroic Hearts UK and is also a personal resilience coach.
Andy McGrillen is the host of That UFO Podcast, which brings some of the best, most credible guests from around the world of UFOlogy, UAP’s & associated subjects. (No tinfoil hat needed).
John is a former paratrooper who now undertakes daring stunts to increase mental health awareness and inspire ex-military personnel. His most recent feat involved the world record attempt for the highest jump from a helicopter into water during which he suffered a fractured sternum, fractured coccyx and fractured wrist.
Biljana Hutchinson was a humanitarian aid worker when her team’s base in Kunduz, Afghanistan was attacked by the Taliban. Several people including Biljana were shot and injured and four members of her security team were killed, including former British paratrooper Shaun Sexton.
Dave Harding-Prior is the host of the Reorg podcast, which captures the combat experiences of former HM Forces personnel. He previously served in Afghanistan with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Nikki Scott’s husband Lee was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 while serving with the Royal Tank Regiment. Since Lee’s death, Nikki has established a charity focusing on the welfare of bereaved children of HM Forces personnel – Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
At 31yrs old, Aaron Bartle left a successful career in the oil and gas industry to become a submariner in the Royal Navy. He served on multiple boats including HMS Triumph. Following an accident at sea, in 2019 he was medically discharged and has since setup his own company – Intemperance Knives, specialising in making high performance blades for tactical application.
“Ebola” Ian Hancock began work as a microbiologist in the 1980’s with the Ministry of Defence. He is now a lecturer of infection control at the London Metropolitan University and is currently working in a Covid19 surveillance laboratory. Ian is also a volunteer with Re:Act Disaster Response (https://www.re-act.org.uk/).
Paul served 26 years with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and is now an expert in disaster response operations and disaster risk reduction, working as the Operations Response Manager at Re:act Disaster Response (https://www.re-act.org.uk/). In 2020, along with his colleague Lizzie Stileman, he was awarded an MBE for his support to the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Staff Sergeant Jamie Ferguson served as a combat medic with the British Army, deploying to multiple operational theatres including Iraq and Afghanistan. He also spent a significant period of his career supporting Special Forces. On 18th June 2020 he took his own life. His widow, Sammi, requested to appear on this podcast in order to help others avert, or cope with, the most severe impacts of mental ill-health.
Paul is a former Irish Guard and creator of the Grappling with Physio Podcast (formerly “Primary Physio podcast”). He is a keen BJJ practitioner and physiotherapist.
Simon Harmer is a former Combat Medical Technician who is now a freelance speaker, business consultant and co-founder of Mike Alpha – a company dedicated to helping the UK Armed Forces community learn digital marketing skills. During his military service he deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, the Congo and Afghanistan. He lost both his legs to an IED strike during his final deployment in 2009 to Afghanistan.
Charlie Guenigault GM is a Metropolitan Police Officer who was off-duty and returning from an evening with friends when he encountered three terrorists on a killing spree at London Bridge on 3rd Jun 2017. Unarmed, he fought the three men, during which he was stabbed in the head and back multiple times. He was awarded a George Medal for his actions. During their attack, the terrorists killed 8 people and injured 48 others.
James Hook is a former Welsh rugby union and British & Irish Lions player. Hook has won 81 caps for Wales and is Wales’ fourth highest all-time points scorer. Most often playing as a fly-half, Hook is known as a utility player, and has also played as a centre, wing and fullback. He began his club career with Neath, from 2004 to 2006 and also played for Gloucester, Perpignan and Ospreys. He is now retired from playing professional rugby and has begun authoring children’s books with a rugby theme. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasing-Rugby-Dream-Book-Kick/dp/0957507674
Gareth Walsh is a former member of The Parachute Regiment who formed the Sin Eaters Guild during his military service. He now dedicates his full time to promoting the brand and supporting the community of civilian and military personnel that has formed around it.
Chris Vosper served as a helicopter pilot, flying Apaches and Pumas for the Army Air Corps and Royal Navy, the former during Op Herrick in Afghanistan. Since leaving the military Chris has start up V-Force Training – a company which combines motorsport and extreme sports into one action-packed experience. https://v-forcetraining.com/
Tom was diagnosed with complex PTSD due to his service in Afghanistan with the RAF Regiment. Since leaving, he has become a successful journalist with the BBC and now a documentary maker, establishing his own production company – Dust Off Films. https://dustofffilms.com
THINGS ARE CHANGING – BUT WHAT YOU LOVE WILL STAY THE SAME…… Episode #100 is now online for my Patreon supporters, and there it shall remain. There has been a slight lull while we gear up for #101, which will mark a watershed moment in the podcast’s journey. Why? Because behind the scenes, lots of work has been going on to take the podcast up a level in terms of consistent audio and video quality -something which has on occasion been lacking during the formative episodes. Through an exciting partnership with Old Leamingtonians RFC, the H-Hour Podcast now has a physical, permanent home at OLRFC’s ground in Leamington Spa, at Hugh’s very own studio.
Although still in Phase 1 of a three-phase build, the studio is designed specifically for podcasting but with benefit to the community in mind. When ready, it will be made available to local schools to make their own productions, it will be made available to members of Old Leamingtonians RFC and also to the wider military community. It is still in build, but podcasts will resume albeit in “under construction” circumstance so the videos may not be perfect yet but they will certainly be better than they were!
The studio has only been enabled because of the support and generosity of key people and organisations who all represent the most amazing examples of support to the military community:
Kate Lawlor: for putting up with Hugh, encouraging him to take a break once in a while and for being perfect. Thank you.
All of my Patreon supporters: supporting the podcast through a voluntary monthly subscription via patreon.com/hkpodcasts, these guys and girls choose to throw some spare change Hugh’s way every month to help keep the show on the road. They are also becoming key in different decisions and directions that the H-Hour podcast and the Leading Minds Series may take, kindly providing their input to Hugh when needed. Through their subscription, they are also supporting military charities through the donations made each month by Hugh. Thank you.
Tim Ford: one of the H-Hour Podcast’s keenest and longest standing supporters and someone who over the years has helped a huge number of ex-military personnel both personally and professionally, thank you Tim – particularly for your heroic efforts enabling the Kajaki movie premier in the States of Jersey, supporting RIchard and Dawn at Holidays4Heroes and most recently for your introduction for me to Phil at Alfa Drop Box.
Phil Gibbs and the team at Alfa Drop Box: Phil has very kindly donated one of Alfa’s demonstration boxes which now houses the studio. His team delivered and fabricated the box in a rapid and professional manner for which Hugh is very grateful, particularly when Alfa have been flat out with their day to day operations during the pandemic, enabling mobile storage and operations solutions to the NHS and other organisation – thank you Phil and team.
David St John-Claire and the team at The Aardvark Group: these guys have been with the podcast from almost the very start and they have renewed their sponsorship for yet another year. Aardvark’s sponsorship of the show for over two years now has been critical to the podcast’s development and David’s personal support and friendship to Hugh has at difficult times kept things moving. Sponsor’s aren’t chosen lightly and given the life-saving operations that The Aardvark Group are involved in around the world, it is very satisfying to be able to help spread the word about this company and its people. Thank you David – for your support not only the show, but also to the military community.
Last but by no means least, Michael Vallance and Rugby4Heroes. Mike and R4H have also been sponsoring the podcast from the very early days and have renewed their sponsorship for yet another year. They have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to not only sponsor, but also provide advice and guidance on the sometimes challenging behind-the-scenes efforts that need to happen to enable the show to continue. In addition to their support of the podcast, Mike and R4H plough a huge amount of effort, every single day, into supporting the military community – from charity fundraising to business advice, emotional support to emergency support. Mike and R4H, since their inception in 2009, have helped hundreds if not thousands of people, connected with the military community (including Hugh) and continue to do so – asking for nothing in return. Mike is a welcome and key part of the H-Hour family and we hope that shall stay the case for a very long time! Thank you Mike.
Please feel free to connect with and follow all of those mentioned above – if you would like a direct intro just get in touch with us!
