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

Product Information

History can be cruel and forgetful to those who don’t shout about their own success or good deeds, but Standing on the Shoulders is a beautifully-written and illuminating celebration of ordinary people and the extraordinary things they do. It is also a timely reminder of the goodness and positivity that drives us forward during challenging times. The new book from the author of the bestselling Remarkable People contains a totally fresh batch of humble heroes whose actions, bravery and determination have helped shape their communities. My mum and dad were very good at taking an interest in what I was up to and we’d always sit down for tea together. We often had lots of people in the house, crammed around the dinner table, but our parents were keen for the kids to be part of the conversation, too. We’d chat about serious stuff, but most of the time we’d be joking. I can only remember my dad losing his temper once. We were all arguing and throwing stuff, and he went, “Oh, would you lot stop it!” and banged a glass bottle of ketchup on the table, the contents of which went up in the air and landed on his head.

While Ms Smallman is prepared to forgive her daughters’ killer, who was acting out a satanic fantasy ( News, 9 July 2021), she positions the police officers who tried to avoid being held to account for their gross behaviour at the crime scene ( News, 10 December 2021) in a long line of white men perpetuating discrimination. “Forgiveness is a gift, but you have to be open to that gift.” 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. 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 a father of three children, I found that a taxing one, because it’s hard to think of anything else once you’ve written a chapter about three families that have been ripped apart by three young women who, for various reasons, decided they don’t want to be part of this world any more.” Because of my faith, I don’t work Sundays. It’s not something that anyone else has to adhere to – my sister is a nurse and works on Sundays all the time – but I’ve often worked hard the other six days of the week, and I want our family to be together on that day no matter what. Also, if I didn’t do that I’d be completely consumed by my job and probably wouldn’t have been married for 21 years. There are jobs I haven’t got because of that choice, but for every door that’s closed in my face, another has opened. 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. His subjects’ shared humility was another thread. “There are obvious things that resonate with me as a Christian: forgiveness, redemption, and sacrifice. There is a humility that flows through every chapter, which hits some of the tones the Christian story hits. I love talking to people who’ve been to some of the darkest places, and are permanently trying to find the light at the end of a long tunnel.”

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 Us Taylor said: “History can be cruel and forgetful to those who do not shout about their own success or good deeds, but Dan’s new book is a beautifully written and illuminating celebration of ordinary people and the extraordinary things they do, and a timely reminder of the goodness and positivity that drives us forward during challenging times.” As one of the UK’s leading journalists, Dan has made it his life work to focus on people who often act as the catalysts for change: the unheralded champions who frequently go without getting the recognition they deserve. You’ll find quite a joyful bunch of people who have a real sense of perspective. Above everything, my faith enables me to have a real sense of perspective in an industry where you’re constantly under scrutiny, and constantly criticised for what you say, what you do, what you wear, how you are, how you talk, what questions you ask, all these sorts of things.From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada:

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. Ms Pollard, on the other hand, sees the only route to peace as forgiving unconditionally, and letting go of what is fair and just. “Forgiveness is easy to admire, but it’s difficult to do in practice when it arrives at your own doorstep,” Mr Walker observes. 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.” I 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. 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.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.” 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. WHEN the TV presenter and newsreader Dan Walker was asked by his publisher to write an autobiography, he rebuffed the request with “Who cares?” Instead, he wrote about people who found a silver lining in the darkest of clouds — and the result is Standing on the Shoulders. “I just like telling other people’s stories,” he explains. About the Author: Dan Walker was born in Crawley in West Sussex in 1977. He is a TV presenter and journalist who recently moved to become one of the faces of Channel 5. Previously he presented BBC1’s Breakfast for six years and Football Focus for twelve years. Dan’s other books are Remarkable People: Extraordinary Stories of Everyday Lives, Dan Walker’s Football Thronkersaurus: Football’s Finest Tales and Dan Walker’s Magic, Mud & Maradona: Cup Football’s Finest Tales. He lives in Sheffield with his wife, three children and Winne the dog.