Spellbound talks - testimonials

‘When tasked with providing some eminent speakers for our international festival, Spellbound Talks came up trumps, proposing fresh ideas and securing some household names who in turn delighted our audiences’.

'The two lecturers you have provided have been first class and I look forward to more next year'.

‘With her wealth of contacts together with her efficiency, attention to detail and reliability, I would have no hesitation in using this new service for my school, and wish Spellbound Talks every success in getting established’.

About Benedict Allen ...

'Thank you for your truly excellent lecture to the above association. It was most informative and extremely amusing in delivery. The buzz as members left the hall gave witness to how much they had enjoyed and appreciated the presentation'.

'Thank you so much for organising Benedict’s talk for us today. I cannot speak too highly of his talk or the way he interacted with the pupils, spending nearly an hour answering questions and signing books after his talk. It was a privilege to have him with us today and the place is buzzing!! I do hope very much that this is the first of many speakers that visit the School through Spellbound Talks.'

'We had a most fantastic evening with Benedict, he is such a natural relaxed speaker, and did the whole presentation without notes. His command of the subject and his relationship with the dogs was tremendous. I always feel the success of any evening can be judged by the wealth of questions raised and this proved the case. The Chairman had difficulty drawing the evening to a close!'

About Chris Bradley ...

'Chris Bradley produced an excellent, smooth and knowledgeable lecture. His presenting style was confident … he conveyed a clear picture and incite into the subject matter. A high quality presentation that would be ideal for all types of audiences.'

About Paul Deegan ...

‘Paul Deegan was superb when he presented his lecture 'Quest' at our club's new venue. His thorough research beforehand meant that he was able to tailor his talk perfectly. The result was a captivated audience.

'My daughter is still enthralled with your explorations and your presentation at Southbank. You were, in fact, voted the class' favorite component of their current curriculum'.

'The presentation 'Can you Climb Everest?' was exciting, stimulating and perfectly pitched to the age range of the pupils. I thought you used the children extremely well in the delivery and never gave them a moments chance to lose interest - they were absolutely captured by your enthusiasm and by the interactivity of the well structured and cleverly conceived presentation ... I would unreservedly recommend your talk in the most glowing terms to any school.'

'I just wanted to say a big thank you for your lecture today. Seriously inspiring stuff and delivered with great humour, modesty and professionalism. You will know from the applause what our students thought. There is no question that you have made a tremendous impression'.

About Dave Edwards ...

'Many, many thanks for your wonderful Montserrat talk yesterday at Hall Grove. The pupils haven't stopped talking about it all day! It was a fascinating insight into how so much physical change can happen in such a short period of time and how the community responded to the disaster. Your very personal take on the events made it all the more compelling. We'd love to have you back for one of your other talks!'

'The Head couldn't have been more complimentary about Dave's talk. He thought it was excellent, and Dave had a brilliant rapport with the kids. We would definitely like to book him again.'

About Alistair Fothergill ...

‘Alistair Fothergill succeeded in holding his audience, from six-year-olds to senior staff, absolutely spellbound for an hour and a half. His relaxed manner, his passion and excitement for his subject was palpable and infectious, and the pictures he showed us were simply breathtaking. The applause said it all... it lasted two or three minutes, and coupled with his warmth and engagement in answering peoples' questions, made it, in their words the best lecture that some of our senior students have ever heard'.

About Commodore Ian Gibb ...

‘Commodore Ian Gibb was a great success at our Ladies Lunch Club. He was very entertaining and all the ladies enjoyed his talk.'

About Richard Grundy ...

'Richard's talk on Friday was a great success. The students engagement was clear and I've had oodles of positive feedback over the last couple of days. Engaging and perfectly pitched.'

About Caroline Hamilton ...

'Caroline Hamilton was terrific and went down universally well.'

About Martha Holmes ...

'Martha was excellent and was really well-received by both the boys and the girls.'

About Freddie Knoller ...

'Freddie Knoller was tremendous. Quite an overwhelming experience and one deeply felt by the 180 or so who attended his talk and shared his experiences. After that the College seemed to go into suspended animation. I couldn’t pass anyone but that they would stop to reflect on what they had heard. No, we are not going to forget Freddie. One of life’s rich privileges to have been able to spend some time with him.'

'Freddie Knoller was really excellent. The students (and staff) were really enthralled by his remarkable story and he could have held their attention for twice the time. I'm sure that for many of them it will be an abiding memory of school.'

'Just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising the Freddie Knoller event. We’re filled with admiration for Mr Knoller a true inspiration to us all. It was a privilege to attend.'

'You gave a memorable address that was deeply moving and made even more poignant by your optimism for life that shone through not only in your words but also your demeanour. When looking around the very full Council Chamber you clearly had all the audience captivated.'

'Freddie was absolutely marvelous. He was the best speaker we have ever had. The students were mesmerized and really moved.'

'Super talk! Girls and staff were impressed and felt very humble. The talk was informative and thankfully not too upsetting. A real gentleman.'

'It really was a hugely memorable talk and your message is a vitally important one for the boys and girls of today's world to hear. Your optimism for life certainly shone through and it is a truly extraordinary and humbling story that you tell. You clearly held the pupils' attention throughout the talk and there were so many questions, which I know could have taken up the rest of the afternoon if they had the opportunity.'

‘It is difficult for me to put into words the impact of Freddie Knoller’s talk to the Upper Sixth Form at Repton School. His story told so movingly and with such humanity touched us all. Quite simply, it was unforgettable’.

'There has been an incredible response to Freddie's talk from boys and staff - a real sense that it was huge privilege to hear him and a deeply moving and humbling experience.'

About Rob Lilwall ...

'School schedules are busy things, but if you can find time to lift your students out of their normal day for just an hour, Rob Lilwall's stories will fill them with optimism, courage and self belief. Our girls, particularly in the senior school, were enthralled from start to finish – and left feeling empowered to pursue and to achieve their dreams. This, together with gaining a memorable lesson in geography history and humanity, made it an experience I wholeheartedly recommend'.

'Rob was great. His very presentable and easy manner kept the children enthralled. He arrived on time and was highly efficient about setting up and clearing up.'

'I've received great feedback from Rob's talk. The Year 10 pupils were thoroughly motivated and interested in his thoughts and ideas. It struck a real chord.'

'Rob Lilwall is an inspiring and thought-provoking speaker. Not only does he introduce us to his wonderful journey and opens our eyes to places we might want to visit, he makes us think about life and humanity. His stories about the people he met and the warmth and generosity of those in the most unlikely places were eye opening. He makes us reflect on life and challenges us to think without any sense of lecturing. My 150 sixth form boys warmed to him and were engrossed in his stories.'

'Rob Lilwall spoke to 130 of our Lower Sixth. He gave an inspirational, thoughtful and above all a very personal slant on his three years of travel by bike. Our Sixth formers were captivated and I would definitely recommend Rob as an excellent and very approachable speaker.'

'Rob's talk was excellent, the children were captivated by his story - most inspiring!'

About John Pilkington ...

'Another Spellbound success! John was a huge hit both backstage and onstage ... the audience didn’t want to leave!'.

About Geoff Somers ...

'He was absolutely fantastic. One of the best speakers we have ever had here. The audience was as mixed as I have ever seen it, ranging from children to the elderly, and everybody - young and old - equally loved the night.'

About Rebecca Stephens ...

'Rebecca captivated a four hundred strong audience of 11 and 12 year olds for over an hour. Her style was natural, warm, intelligent, unpatronising and utterly engaging. The follow up work we did in English proved that the boys had retained a wealth of information’.

'Rebecca Stephens was a sell-out success!'

'Rebecca was simply excellent last night. In your company's words, she was spellbinding. She is an extremely gifted and articulate speaker. She covered so much of deep interest that I could sit and listen to her for many a further session. '

About Lars Tharp ...

'Just back from hearing Lars. He was in fact quite superb and everyone said so too! So easy and friendly and chatted happily to us all at lunch. There must have been over 300 there …

'There has been nothing but praise for your performance … I now have in my possession several written notes ... all expressing gratitude for your very professional presentation … peppered with words like “memorable speaker”, “superb”, “broad approach”, “non-technical”, “top notch”, “held my attention throughout”. Clearly, you have made a lasting impression!



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