PERSPECTIVES TYNE VALLEY
Previous breakfast speakers
Scroll down to view details of past breakfast speakers. If a video of the talk is available you'll find a link to view it. Or you can go directly to our YouTube channel by clicking here.
Paul Allen
Stepping out of the boat
Paul retired as a High School headteacher in 2010, became Harbour Master in Amble then set up the workshop at the Blyth Tall Ship charity. He and his wife Ros now run a social enterprise called “Ryehill Community Ventures” that provides retreat accommodation and a Community Workshop.
We met on Saturday 24th February 2024
A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel
Joe Beswick
Who am I?
Joe currently leads Eden Hexham, run by The Message Trust partnering with Hexham Community Church. Eden is an urban mission aiming to build authentic Jesus-centred communities. Joe is also a part of WEC International, functioning as a full time missionary, and has been involved in mission work for approaching 15 years.
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Prior to that Joe went to a Betel – a Christian drug rehabilitation centre in Derby – for help with his addiction. This was where he encountered the Lord, and he stayed in Betel Derby after his rehab programme, becoming a leader and then moving to Betel Hexham to lead the guys’ house. It was there he met his wife Anna, and they married in Betel Hexham.
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After training at Cornerstone Bible College in the Netherlands, and having plans to move to South Africa changed by COVID, they felt God directed them to work within the UK, working through the local church to do His mission.
Chris Curry
The changing face of funerals
Chris lives and farms with his wife, Helen, in Coquetdale, seven miles North West of Rothbury. Low Burradon is a mixed upland farm producing grain, sheep, pedigree Charolais cattle and ducks. They have a grown-up family.
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Almost twenty years ago Chris diversified and took on the role as a funeral director with William Purves when the company first expanded from Scotland into Northumberland. The intervening years have seen the company grow to become the largest independent funeral director in the county.
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The funeral industry has faced many challenges in recent years including Covid and tighter regulation. Chris will highlight some of the many options now available to bereaved families in this age of choice. He will also give a brief account of the company’s involvement in the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen last year.
We met on Saturday 2nd December 2023.
A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
Daniel Freyhan
Becoming a Vicar
more profitable than investment banking, more logical than mathematics, more attractive than football. How the Lord called me according to his own wisdom.
Daniel is Vicar at St Mary Magdalene Church in Prudhoe, where he lives with his wife Samantha, 7-month-old son Levi, a dog and 2 cats. His hobbies include football, parkrun, Pokémon GO and singing.
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Dan grew up in London, and after an academic schooling went to Oxford University to read Maths, where he became a Christian. After time as a Maths teacher, he felt called to ordination in a church which so desperately needed clarity about the grace of God. He served his curacy in Stevenage and moved to the North East (where his wife grew up) to take up his role in Prudhoe.
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Dan is passionate to see the church engaging with the world around it, sharing the message of God's grace with clarity, and not being boring!
Mark Nicholson
Figuring it out
Originally from Hartlepool, Mark studied at Oxford and worked in Bristol, Bedford and London before moving back home to the North East in 1997. He is married to Olwen - they have four grown-up children and a very cute cockapoo.
He's been a member of Jesmond Parish Church for over 25 years, and is currently involved in men's work and leading a home group.
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Despite studying chemistry at university Mark is now a qualified chartered accountant and is currently Chief Finance Officer at Newcastle City Council, where his chief role is to prevent the council overspending its budget! Mark loves watching / playing all kinds of sports, and is a season ticket holder at Middlesbrough FC. He's also keen on reading historical fiction.
We met on Saturday 30th September 2023.
A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
Bert Boonstra
The journey
Bert was born in the Netherlands and met Margaret his wife in South Africa where they started their Christian adventure, working together in their local church, and later attending Bible College in Durban.
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They pioneered/pastored churches in South Africa, England and the Netherlands. In the early 2000s, they both had the opportunity to upgrade their professional qualifications and worked successfully in the marketplace.
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They arrived in the Tyne Valley in September 2016, responding to a call to love and support the church in Prudhoe.
We met on Saturday 29th April 2023. A video of the talk may become available on our YouTube channel (technical issues permitting).
Mark Wroe
Herding cats and shepherding sheep
Mark is the Suffragan Bishop of Berwick in the Diocese of Newcastle.
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He was brought up in the North East, and served as a priest for more than 20 years before being appointed Archdeacon of Northumberland in 2019. He was consecrated as Bishop of Berwick in January 2021.
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Bishop Mark leads on the Diocese of Newcastle’s transformation programme, and is involved in a number of charitable organisations. He is passionate about social justice, and empowering church communities to ensure they thrive.
We met on Saturday 25th March 2023. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
Mark Townson
Good times and bad
Mark read Theology at Durham University in the late 1970’s. Then his first career spanned 14 years in street theatre and as a clown.
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His second career has been 30 years as a Chartered Financial Planner.
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Mark reflects on how God has always been with him in good times and bad times.
We met on Saturday 25th February 2023. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
Malcolm Warin
Surprised by God - He brought the world to my door
In the early 2000s, Malcolm was presented with a new challenge, working for Action Foundation, a charity based at City Church in Newcastle - where he founded Action Language, a volunteer-led language school for asylum seekers and refugees.
While working there he met thousands of asylum seekers and refugees from over 200 countries and recruited a team of several hundred volunteers who provided free language teaching in Newcastle and Sunderland, as well as collaborating with other projects in the North East and across the UK.
We met on Saturday 28th January 2023. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
Alex Duncan
A great adventure
Alex grew up in South-East London and studied medicine at Cambridge and the London Hospital in Whitechapel.
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After training as a GP he, along with his wife Eleanor, then spent 9 years working in Pakistan and a remote mountain valley in NE Afghanistan, where they set up and ran a rural health programme.
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They returned to the UK in 2008 and moved to Hexham in 2010. Since 2016, he has been teaching in a medical school in South India, training qualified doctors to improve their general practice. Alex and Eleanor have four children.
We met on Saturday 26th November 2022.
Ben Doolan
'Proclaiming the Gospel afresh in this generation'
Ben is leader of St Thomas’ Church, Haymarket, a Resource Church for the Church of England Diocese of Newcastle. Ben and his wife moved to Newcastle from York in 2019 with around 30 others, to redevelop the church.
The hope is to grow a Christian community which will bring renewed life to the city-centre churches, and which in turn will resource other forms of mission to evangelise, both in Newcastle and across the diocese.
We met on Saturday 24th September 2022. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
Brian Japes
A hand to the plough
Brian was born in London but moved north during the war. After school in Chester he worked on a large mixed farm before studying agriculture, then trained for teaching.
A career in agricultural education led to work combining lecturing and farm management, concluding as Head of Agriculture and Director of Studies at Kirkley Hall College. near Ponteland.
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Brian will speak about his long-held Christian faith, which has included some difficult times. He has held various positions within the Methodist church, including as a ‘reader’ for over 30 years. He also served as a Parish Councillor for nearly 20 years.
We met on Saturday 29th October 2022. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.
ALF STEPHENSON
MAKING IT ALL ADD UP
A “Geordie” born in Newcastle, Alf trained as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse and qualified in 1967. He was a partner in a local practice for 35 years before his retirement, combining working life with active involvement in spreading the “Good News of Salvation” contained in the Bible.
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In 1983 he became a member of The Gideons (now called Good News for Everyone) and in 2007 was appointed a Regional Field Officer for East Africa. For five years he travelled extensively there to promote and develop distribution of the scriptures. His desire is that we should be encouraged by what God is doing through his word and challenged about the need and urgency of spreading the Gospel message.
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He has lived in Corbridge for over 40 years.
We met on Saturday 30th April 2022. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.​
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MICHAEL SADGROVE
GROWN-UP CHRISTIANITY: WHAT I AM LEARNING
A Londoner, Michael studied mathematics and then theology at Oxford and has been ordained since 1975. He was Vicar of Alnwick from 1982-87, a Canon at Coventry Cathedral until 1995 and finally Dean of Durham from 2003-15.
One of his books is “Landscapes of Faith - the Christian Heritage of North East England”, and his interests include music, photography, literature, railways, and the history and culture of the North East.
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He is married to Jenny, a psychotherapist, and they live in retirement in Haydon Bridge. Michael retired from public church ministry in 2020, the year that he reached the age of 70. Two years on he offers us ‘a brief, personal retrospection, but not - I hope - in any self-serving way!’
We met on Saturday 26th March 2022. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.​
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PETE JORYSZ
FROM PLANNER TO PASTOR
Pete grew up in Leeds, and following university in 1989 worked in London and the south-east as a planning officer and planning consultant, moving back to Leeds in 1995.
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He then went to London Bible College to do his theology degree, leaving his career in 2012 to train for ministry at Moortown Baptist Church in Leeds.
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He moved to the Tyne Valley in 2015 to join Stocksfield Baptist Church as minister. Pete is married to Steph and enjoys mountain walking, electronic music, science fiction and good food (especially breakfasts)!
We met on Saturday 26th February 2022. A video of the talk is available on our YouTube channel.​
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CHARLIE BAKER
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN
Charlie is a Southern-speaking Northerner who worked in the Metropolitan Police for 30 years, specialising in vehicle forensics which he now does as a self-employed consultant.
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He was turned away from the bad company of his late teens when he was befriended by a police family at his local church, who helped him to find Jesus. His talk includes some humorous anecdotes and some serious stuff of his time in the police, all whilst trying to serve Christ in a very challenging environment.
We met on Saturday 30th October 2021 (available on YouTube)
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SIMON TUSTIN
WORKING IN CONFLICT
Born into an Army family, Simon became a Christian while an officer cadet at Sandhurst – helped by the witness of a fellow officer cadet.
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After joining the Royal Tank Regiment, Simon’s service included postings to three conflict zones: Northern Ireland during the Troubles, the Congo and Iraq.
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On leaving the Army, he taught history in schools in Bedfordshire and Cambridge. In 2020 he joined Anglican International Development (AID) where he is involved in projects in conflict-affected areas in South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya. AID’s work is about transforming lives for eternity through the good news of Jesus Christ, and by providing practical help for people in serious need.
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Simon is married to Francine and they live in Cambridgeshire.
We met on Saturday 29th January 2021 (available on YouTube)
SOME PREVIOUS BREAKFAST SPEAKERS
The information about each speaker is taken from our publicity at the time, so may not be up to date!
ALEX McILHINNEY
GIVING TO CAESAR, AND TO GOD
Brought up in the west of Scotland, Alex studied history at university. Switching later to law, he became an adviser in corporate and international taxation having worked first in HMRC, where he ended up in the Oil Taxation Division. For the next 25 years, he held posts as Director of Group Taxation for several UK multinational companies.
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Alex has been a trustee of many Christian charities, including Eothen Homes, based in the North-East. Most significant has been the J W Laing Trust, with which he has been involved for over 30 years, including time as Vice-Chair and Chair.
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To keep in touch with family (2 sons, 6 grandchildren), Alex and his wife Iris try to divide their time (COVID permitting) between Somerset and New Zealand.
We met on Saturday 25th September 2021 (available on YouTube)
GRAHAM DANIELS
GENERAL DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIANS IN SPORT
Saturday, 24th April 2021 on Zoom (available on YouTube)
Graham's vocation has been a combination of Christian ministry and professional football. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he played for Cardiff City both whilst at school and then while studying for a degree in philosophy at Cardiff University. In 1983 he signed for Cambridge United, and it was during this period that he became a Christian. Leaving full-time football, he completed a theology degree at the University of London in 1989, whilst playing for Cambridge City.
When his playing days were over, Graham managed local clubs Histon and Cambridge City during the 1990s, and from 2000-2012 was involved in youth football development for the Cambridgeshire Football Association.
Graham returned to Cambridge United in 2013 as Chair of the club's Community Trust, and was Director of Football from 2018-2020. He continues to be on the club’s board, and remains as keen as ever to integrate the Christian gospel with the world of sport.
Graham was interviewed by Lord Donald Curry.
LORD MICHAEL FARMER - HOW CAN A RICH MAN GET THOUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE?
Saturday 27th March 2021 (on Zoom)
In 2004, Michael Farmer was a founding partner of the Red Kite Group of hedge funds. He has over 50 years of base metals trading experience and has led two of the biggest copper and nickel trading companies of the last 30 years. He was appointed to the board of the Conservative Party in January 2013, as Treasurer of the party. He has been a Conservative Peer since October 2014, focusing mainly on social justice issues, especially in the area of preventing family breakdown.
Michael has been a trustee of various Christian trusts which included, up until 2014, being a trustee of the Kingham Hill Trust and on the Oak Hill College Council. He is also involved in the Academy Schools programme, being the founder sponsor for ARK All Saints Camberwell. Michael has been a Christian for over 30 years and was a warden of St Helen’s Bishopsgate for 20 years. He is married to Jenny and they have three adult children.
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MARK HARRIS THE SECRET OF TRUE POWER
Saturday 29th February 2020 - on Zoom (available on YouTube)
Revd Mark Harris is Chaplain to ‘Christians in Parliament’ an All-Party Parliamentary Group, which exists to support all Members and staff in their work in the Houses of Parliament. He is also Parliamentary Officer for Bible Society.
Mark holds Masters degrees in Theology from the University of Oxford and in Philosophy from King’s College London and is ordained in the Church of England. He grew up on a farm in Kent and worked in financial services in the City of London for 15 years before he began work in Parliament.
He is married to Louise and they have 3 small boys aged 6, 4 and 2, who keep them on their knees physically and spiritually.
SIMON CAUDWELL
MAKING FRIENDS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
29th February 2020
After a degree in chemistry & a decade in IT, Simon and his wife joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and worked in Ethiopia for 13 years – first initiating a project to translate the New Testament into one of Ethiopia’s 90 languages, and later as Country Director.
Returning to the UK in 2010, he still does training for Wycliffe and other agencies, but also lectures at Redcliffe College, Gloucester. He is Course Leader for the Leadership MA – an internationally-focused programme attracting worldwide students.
Simon and Lynn have two adult children and two grandchildren. Simon serves as a Churchwarden at Hexham Abbey while Lynn is now Curate at St Andrew’s, Corbridge.
DAVID KENNEDY
CUTHBERT & BEDE, SUPERMAC & SHEARER, FAITH, FOOTBALL & FUN
25th January 2020
David has been Vicar of Corbridge since October 2018. Born in Newcastle & brought up in South Shields, after university in Durham and training in Nottingham, he became a curate in Co Durham. He taught Christian worship and spirituality at Queen's College Birmingham, and returned to the North-East as Rector of a Darlington church in 1996.
In 2001, he was invited to join the clergy team at Durham Cathedral where he was ViceDean. David is a theological educator at Durham University and Cranmer Hall, Durham. He is married to Janet and they have three adult children. David's interests include football and cricket, music, walking, naval history and cooking.