Hi John,

As I mentioned last week, the Hackney Half marathon took place with over 24,000 runners taking part.

I was part of the team organising both the start and finish of the event - no mean feat, I can tell you.

However, it isn't the runners that I want to praise, it's the team from St John Ambulance who provide first aid to exhausted runners. As ever, some people arrive at the finish completely spent, and simply collapse.

Having worked with the St John team for many years at many sporting events I can't speak too highly of them. They're nearly all volunteers and they truly understand the spirit of volunteering.

I was at one of the smallest (and best) pubs in the country this week - the Little Green Dragon Alehouse in Enfield. Ably managed by Enfield resident, pub and beer lover, Richard Reeve, it serves wonderful ale at a very good price and also puts on musical events.

I was there to see a singer-songwriter who first appeared in my web radio show in 2013, Amy Belle.

It was a wonderful evening, as Amy presented some of her own songs, and some well-known covers that we all sang along to.

Both Amy and Richard will be featuring in my radio show soon.

Amy once sang with Rod Stewart too...

I've just opened new registrations for my annual speaker coaching programme. Ten spaces only are available, so drop me a line today if you're interested.

My guest in the radio show this week is cider producer Tom Oliver.



As a producer he is a spearhead, driving the explosion of artisanal, low-intervention ciders and perries on both sides of the Atlantic. From his cidery, based on his family farm in Ocle Pychard—six-and-a-half miles northeast of Hereford—his modest team presses, ferments, matures, and blends juice from locally cultivated apples and pears into some of the most stunning alcoholic beverages available.

In his early 20s, he was the driver and guitar tech for the late James Honeyman-Scott, who Tom would part ways with when he joined The Pretenders.

Perhaps most famously, he has toured with Scottish rock legends The Proclaimers for the past 30 years. He is a fascinating and lovely man.

Hear our chat in the in the radio show.

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And there's a superb song from Jessica Lee Morgan

The MediaMug of the week goes to Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys.

He designed two video portals that linked Dublin and New York, so that people could see and hear each other as part of a crowd.

Can you guess what happened?

Social media videos from both sides of the artwork have appeared showing flashing various body parts.

One New York-based adult model saw it as her window for self-publicity. On Monday the OnlyFans star, whose video of surprising Dubliners has since gone viral, claimed responsibility for shutting the portal down as she revealed her breasts.

Oh dear. Who could possibly have expected that?

You probably saw Rishi Sunak standing in a downpour outside Number 10 Downing Street calling a General Election. He didn't look very comfortable.

I doubt if you'd ever stand in the pouring rain to speak, but there are still some things to consider to make sure you are comfortable when you deliver.

Firstly, make sure that you liaise with the organiser well in advance about issues like microphones, slides (if you use them), and the layout of the venue.

Secondly, arrive well in advance - the day before is ideal - and check out the room where you will be speaking. Look at the sight lines, test the audio and and projection of slides, and run through the first and last sections of your speech.

Rehearse your movement on and off the stage, especially if there are steps to negotiate. Check the room temperature in order to decide what to wear. Ask for room temperature water too - no ice. Don't wear anything new, especially shoes, as that could make you very uncomfortable indeed.

And don't ever stand in the rain without an umbrella - but you know that already.

Over the next six weeks, UK politicians will be avoiding eggs, whether literally dodging thrown ones, or metaphorically avoiding embarrassment.

Similarly, it's important for you to be confident in media interviews, and to make sure that you aren't embarrassed whatever question is asked of you. The unexpected question can throw you completely off your stride, making you look uninformed and ridiculous. You can prepare tor anything that is thrown at you if you get into the right frame of mind.

Here are a few things to remember:

• You are the expert on the topic under discussion
• The reporter will want you to explain, in simple terms, what is happening
• You don't have to answer every question in detail
• You can't be expected to know everything
• Your message should be simple
• You should repeat your message several times
• You should stay calm throughout
• You are allowed to pause before answering

As ever, it's about preparation. Have a run-through with a colleague, and ask them to deliver the toughest questions they can think of. Having gone through that, the real interview will be easy, and there will never be egg on your face. I can't guarantee that for electioneering politicians though.

I mentioned the Little Green Dragon Alehouse where I was a few days ago.

Despite being a tiny venue with room for only a couple of dozen customers, they've won awards year after year.

That's because they offer an exceptional experience, regardless of the number of visitors.

That's a great example to follow on social media. Some people don't bother to provide great or consistent content if they have only a few connections or followers.

But that's the time when you should be providing as high a level of service as possible, so that the word goes round about how good you are. Playing small is not about doing less, it's about doing more, and provided that unexpected level of quality that gets you noticed.

Every election campaign has its political gaffes. Here's a reminder of some past PR disasters.

Investing in a one-day course could save you a fortune one day. Just get in touch. 07986 852621

The information in this ezine may be freely re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line - "This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk."