Standing on the Shoulders: Incredible Heroes and How They Inspire Us

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Suicide and its reverberations is a topic in Standing on the Shoulders, and is also close to his heart, after the loss of his friend Gary Speed, who took his own life in 2011. After completing the “3 Dads” chapter in the book, about three fathers bereaved by the suicides of their daughters, and who walked across England to raise awareness of suicide prevention, Mr Walker took a six-week break from writing. It is a stark reminder of the very basic haircutting technique my mum employed for many years – a method that involved making a hole in the middle of a tablecloth and using that as the guide to trim our hair. In this case it was at a jaunty angle. Everyone in the family underwent the same tablecloth-on-your-head process. When you’re that age you’re oblivious, but for my dad, not so much.

It's not necessary to have read the first book, Remarkable People to get the most from this one. Dan does revisit a few people mentioned in the first book with an update on their lives since he last spoke to them and how they are progressing either personally with a particular cause. The new audiobook from the author of the best-selling Remarkable People contains a totally fresh batch of humble heroes whose actions, bravery and determination have helped shape their communities. AS WE are in the neighbourhood of scrutiny and criticism, would he be willing to dispel the confusion around his take on Genesis, and the Creationist label that some columnists have tried to attach? “No, is the answer to that question.”

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Headline has acquired two new books by broadcaster and journalist Dan Walker, star of the 2021 series of “Strictly Come Dancing”, following the success of Remarkable People: Extraordinary Stories of Everyday Lives (Headline) which published in 2020 and sold 50,000 copies across all formats .

What gets me out of bed in the morning is bringing out the best in others. I like to think I am still driven by the same things as that kid in the bad cardigan and jaunty haircut – all he wanted was to try to put a smile on people’s faces, enjoy the world around him and see if he could help everyone else enjoy it, too.Mr Walker’s favourite song is “Desperado”, by the Eagles. Beyond the piano solo that he longed to play as a child, are the lyrics revelatory about his stance on life? “‘Don’t your feet get cold in the wintertime? The sky won’t snow, and the sun won’t shine.’ It’s a long plod, life. I know that I’m valued; so I don’t take my value from what people say, write, or print about me; so I don’t get carried away by the praise, or dragged too low by the criticism.” Some (not all) of the stories are tragic and just so saddening but overall these are stories of optimism and hope and are uplifting and inspiring and show amazing strength of character. The subject of forgiveness in the face of such awful atrocity has its own chapter with Dan talking to people about their religious beliefs and why they have chosen to forgive rather than live a life of bitterness and hate.

This is an early school photo of a happy, well-fed child. I was eating a lot of sweets at the time, and ignorant of the fact that I had one of the worst haircuts known to man. Never feeling drawn to a position in ministry, Mr Walker wanted a career in teaching or sports broadcasting, and famously wrote to the Match of the Day presenter Des Lynam for advice on getting into television. Mr Lynam suggested a degree in history or English, and Mr Walker later read history at Sheffield University. Work in commercial local radio led to Granada’s regional news programmes, followed by sports presenting on the BBC, then BBC Breakfast presenting, and now Channel 5. Broadcasters know that Sunday working is off limits for Mr Walker. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find UsI think, like any relationship, it develops over time, because now I understand more now about the complexities of things you go through. There are phases in your life where you’re sort of more entrenched in certain opinions or ways of looking at things. As you mature, you develop your way of thinking and your way of looking at not only yourself, but the outside world as well. And I think that is the route that anybody who’s a Christian would take, and I’ve always felt I’m very tolerant and understanding of other points of view and differences of opinion.