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Sara’s Universal Soul Show – Chris Tarrant

Sara’s Universal Soul Show·35:59·3 Dec 2018·

Episode Summary

2018-12-03T13:36:37Z

Main Topics

  • Chris Tarrant discusses Railways of the Holocaust, a powerful new 90-minute film examining the role of railways during the Holocaust
  • Despite six years filming railways worldwide, Chris reveals he doesn't actually love trains—he loves how railways connect people and open up the world
  • Chris shares that his soul is fed by his woodland retreat in Berkshire, where he finds peace and meditation among nature
  • The broadcaster is recognized in over 100 countries, from Sierra Leone to Afghanistan, though rarely in the United States
  • Chris reflects on his journey beyond Millionaire and how railways have historically transformed connectivity and human movement across remote regions
  • He describes the Japanese bullet train experience at 208 mph and shares stories of trains as lifelines in places like Bolivia and India
  • The episode features 'New York, New York' by Frank Sinatra, one of Chris's favorite songs from his days as a DJ

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Full TranscriptWelcome to the Universal Soul Show. I'm Sarah Griffiths here with you for the next hour. As ever, I'm not going to be al...
Welcome to the Universal Soul Show. I'm Sarah Griffiths here with you for the next hour. As ever, I'm not going to be alone. I'm going to be joined by the broadcasting giant, Chris Tarrant. Well, we're going to be talking about his latest project which is a one off, 90 minute standalone film. It's called Railways of the Holocaust. It's a continuation of his Extreme Railways films which I don't know if you saw any. Absolutely brilliant. This is the most heart wrenching, poetry, poignant look at how the railways contributed to the Holocaust. It's really quite mind blowing. So really looking forward to talking to Chris about that. In a while we're going to be finding out, of course, the five things that feed his soul. We're going to catch up on life with him generally and of course, hearing some of his favorite music too. First of all, as ever, a huge thank you to all of you who've reached out to the show over the last few weeks. Really do love hearing from you wherever you are in the world, broadcast broadcasting globally of course, as we are here on women's radio station. So as ever, these are the ways. You can contact us here via email. We're on presentersomensradiostation.com on Facebook, the Universal Soul show and Twitter. It's womensradiosdn or UniversalSoulsh. Just letting you know, in the last part of the show, I'll tell you who's won those signed books that we had last week by Caroline Trowbridge. I Am Me, you, Us and we was one of them and Shooting Star was the other. That will be in the Best Things in Life Are Free. And I'm going to be sharing our new giveaway. We'll also be staying in the Literary Zone. This week I'm going to be giving away a couple of collections of poems by a poet said by some to be the seventh literary wonder of the world. When you read his work, it's really hard to believe that he was writing in the 14th century. Anyway, we'll hear more about him later. I'm talking about the Persian poet Hafiz. But in the meantime, well, my guest this week needs no introduction to our listeners. A colossus of a broadcaster. Do you like that word, Chris? I don't know what it means, but it sounds good. Do you know, I looked it up in case I didn't say your surname. So in case people just heard me say Chris. It is the one and only Chris Tarrant Colossus. Shall I tell you who you are? It said, transformation of body into a steel like substance. That's me. Granting superhuman strength, stamina, endurance and durability. Your additional superhuman strength is resistance to injury. Chris. That's me. I mean, it is really, it's me, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. My son has got a bulldog called Colossus which keeps farting. So, you know, it depends which way you want to be, of course. Is that you as well, Chris? Well, let's move on. No, it's not me. Let's move on. Chris, it's so lovely of you to come in and see us broadcasting globally as we are. You're one of those few people that when I say broadcasting globally, people know who you are. I mean, you know, but it's. It's extremely. These other stiffs you bring in. Well, exactly. You're a special. One show. 10 after special. Months ago, I was recognized in Sierra Leone. Wow. Which is one of the. I have to say, one of the worst places of really sad country. And this woman went, I know you. I know you. And I went, hello. What do you want? I know you. I said, and who Wants to Be a Millionaire with me doing it runs in Sierra Leone. Which is just surreal. I mean, I read over a hundred countries. I think 20, including, I think the most recent one I found this quite weird is Afghanistan, because you just can't think there's any normality in that poor country. And, you know, just the whole place, the war zone and people actually watch telly, maybe they love that as a kind of antidote. How does it make you feel when you're somewhere like that? Do you almost forget that they should know you? Is it surprising or are you. Yeah, it's weird. It's weird because they don't know me much in the States at all. I've done the odd thing in the States. There's so many people in America rather more famous than me. Yeah. Someone like South Africa or parts of Africa is nice, actually. And I was the host in New Zealand for quite a long time. I mean, obviously done from London. They took the British version. Okay. The Aussies had their own guy, a guy called Lock it in Eddie. Did they try and match the. Did they. Did they look for like Chris Tarrant clone me? But they all sort of kind of did. Some of them did my mannerisms. One or two. Hello. Did they pinch your catchphrases? Oh, all that. Did they? Yeah. So that went with it. Do you know, phone a friend? Yes. I mean, somebody said it this morning. I went from the corner, from my house In London. Hello. Good morning. Oh, God. Every day of my life, probably for the last 18 years. I started doing this three years ago. You're gonna have to think of something. Well, you have thought of something else, Chris. In actual fact, it's so profound, I don't think there'd be many catchphrases to it. But we're not going to talk about it in this first. No, we're not. We'll keep it mystery. I have a feeling once we get there, it's going to be very hard to leave it behind. But, you know, I'm just interested, Chris, this show, I tend to say to guests, what are five things that feed your soul? Just, I know it's a bit off the top of your head, but what are five things that, I don't know, make you tick in life? When you ended Millionaire and you decided there is life outside, I want to do something else now. What were you looking at? Having had the incredible broadcasting crew you'd have. I have a big, rambling place in deepest Berkshire. Oh, good. I can't wait for the invite. Yeah, well, you know. Well, that's a. That's a bit presumptuous, wasn't it? It was a bit. Seven minutes into the show, no chance. But I have these woods. I've always wanted a house with woods. And I've got this great big, thick wood at one side and I love. I know it sounds weird. I just love my woods. I love woodlands. They are so soothing. It's like a twilight over the top of them. I mean, literally, there's just a canopy of leaves and branches or whatever. Most of the. It's almost dark inside there all day. And the owls hoot all the time. Oh, I love owls. I don't know whether it's day or night, they just keep hooting. And I just find I've slept out in the woods. Even though, you know, I can see the house, I just sleep out in the woods. I love it. I love it. I can understand that. Talking about things that kind of connect people. It's almost like, you know, meditation doesn't have to be in any particular form. I think it can be football, it can be nature, it can be singing. You know, you kind of find your connection to the world in whatever way. Obviously, your. Your love of railways and trains, because that's, you know, this is kind of silly. I don't actually. Although I spent the last six years of my life filming railways and trains all over the world, I don't actually love trains much at all. Okay. I keep getting these letters from train spotters. I don't know. I don't know. Well, you've missed letters, Chris, with this series. It's misled me. I think you love it. No, I get trained spots from all over the world. Writing, asking me incredibly complicated questions about, gosh, that particular locomotive yesterday in Japan and Christian, I don't know whether four wheels at the front and two wheels at the back or whatever. Whatever. I don't know. That stuff I do pass on to the office and say they will of course reply and whatever. Yeah, I don't get off on trains, particularly. I like. I like some. The bullet trains in Japan were just unreal. I've seen those wonderful. We were going at. We put one of those speedometer apps in the carriage, 208 miles an hour and I was talking just like you and I told my mates and the rest of the crew were just chatting away, could hear every word we said. The coffee was just sitting there, absolutely stationary. No slopping around, slopping all over your trousers. Quite fantastic. No, I don't particularly like trains. I love railways. I love how railways. I think I do remember as a very little boy I got a sort of book from I granddaughter, something like, you know, the Big Book of Railways or something. And it was all this stuff about railways of the world. And one of the good things, that they're nearly all British, right. In the good old days when we had lots of red bits on the map, they were British. We built the railways 150, 200 years ago, whatever, and India and all over Australia, everywhere. The sort of British Railways. So much better than the current British Railways in Britain. But they. So I love the way that in places like the Congo, Bolivia, many parts of monsoon, parts of India, all over the place, the railways make the difference between people basically being born, living and dying in exactly the same place or going two or three miles down the road in their whole lifetime or traveling a thousand miles over the. Over the Atacama Desert in Bolivia. I mean, they had a sort of weird train that goes right up. Lots of problems with altitude sickness, but went right up over the Andes and drops down the other side now. And it's a sort of like a bus stop thing where people just appear and stick their hands out. Women with these sort of funny stovepipe heads on hats on heads, hats, heads, hats. And they would just appear out of nowhere with huge bags on their back, those great sort of mountains, like a giant blanket thing they carry. And they would have anything from potatoes, chickens, babies all inside these bags. So they stick their hand out, they get on the train and then you take them 50 miles and they just ding, ding. And they get off again. They could not possibly do. There's nothing else up there, no roads, no helicopters, nothing. So I'm fascinated by the way the railways have just opened up the world and the connectivity. I mean, in a way, if you look at how social media and Internet and connectivity in that way, it's almost like a literal sense of that on the ground. Yeah, very much. You mentioned not having done a huge amount in America, but we're going to go to your first song now, which is very jolly. So, New York, New York by Frank Sinatra. Why do you love that so much, Chris? It's a great song. I saw him live in the UK towards the end of his life. It was just wonderful just to be there. And he was still. He was slowing down, but he still had the voice. But also, when I used to do gigs, when I used to do discos as a dj, I used to take me pile of records. In those days, literally, records were talking vinyls. Yes. And I used to always leave a copy of New York, New York behind. So each gig cost me a record because it always seemed a great one to finish with. And when you say, that's it, Billericki, I'll see you next time, I'll leave you with the governor. You put. You put New York on and then disappear so you could get away. Record last for about four minutes. You could get away. I'd usually be in the car driving away with the good people of Billericki still, still inside enjoying Frank Sinatra going, oh, where's Chris going? And they wouldn't notice. You'd see it's not going to go up and give him pieces of paper and get dementias on the radio and get autographs till 3 o' clock in the morning. Chris, that's genius. So I would have gone, if only it was the end of the show. Now we need to do that and you'd be off. But it's the beginning. So you're going to stay with us. We're going to have a quick listen to this and then we are going to talk about your amazing new project that's coming up, Railways of the Holocaust. In just a second. Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a part of it New York, New York these vagabond shoes Our longing to stray Right through the very heart of it New York, New York I want to wake up in a city that doesn't sleep and find I'm king of the hills Top of the heap these little town blues are melting away I'll make a brand new start of it in old New York if I can make it there I'll make it anywhere it's up to you New York, New York, New York, New York I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps and find I'm a number one Top of the list King of the hill A number one these little town blues. Are melting away I'm gonna make a brand new start of it in old New York and. If I can make it there I'm gonna make it anywhere it's up to you New York, New York, New york. Chris Tarrant is staying with me. Lots more to talk about, including his stunning new program, railways of the Holocaust. So do stay with us. WRS women's radio station. Voice of women Worldwide. Sarah's Universal Soul Show. What does your soul or spirituality mean to you? Welcome to future classical woman awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Welcome back. I'm Russ Cain. You're listening to in conversation with on women's radio station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. And we're open. To see what other programs we have on women's radio station, head to our website, womensradiostation.com I'm Isabelle Manavie, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on women's radio website. Call me on 07-98-4422. Mirae B Limited. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar. We update your client database. We take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-86848, 9984 for further information. Mirabilimited Making the life of the business owner successful. Let women's radio advertise your brand or business. It's so affordable and effective. Reaching out to all Women. Call us on 020-743-7706, 66 now. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity. Helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, Trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to? We can help. Visit turntous.org.uk I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. And we're open to share our own personal stories dealing with life events. Staying positive through the tough times. Share your stories too. What worked, what didn't. Join us each week for open. We know you're going to love it. Women's radio station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. I'm here with Chris Tarrant. Before the break, Chris, we heard New York, New York. Why that song? After I'd been on Capital Radio for 17 years doing the rough show, that was the last record, 4,425 shows. I could hardly get out of bed this morning, Chris. I was so nervous coming into the station. I can understand. Thank you. That was the last record I played. They were sitting. What's the last record? I said it'd be New York, New York. That's it. I'll leave you with the governor and then good night, Billericky. And off you go. Isn't that wonderful? Can you sing? What? Can you sing? Yes, but not as well as Frank. That's a good answer. I dance really badly. Do you? Awful. Oh, but don't. I mean, don't do things. I used to get asked for years. You must come on strictly. I went, no, no. I don't want to be like jungle. No. Why would you? Exactly. Why would I want. I don't know. That's what I was checking. Exactly. No, I. I wouldn't mind all the eating bugs and all that stuff. I can do that because I'm a fisherman. I'm used to. I don't eat bugs, but I'm used to stuff worms and things and snakes and things. Can you fish? Do you have a river by your woods? I have two pools in the. In the lower pasture. There are two. Oh, how good. So you're lord of the manor? I am actually lord of the manor. I think it's marvelous. I am part of the village, though. I mean, I go in the same clubs and they all know me. But I mean, life after Millionaire, was it that you wanted to get back to the things you wanted to do? I mean, is there anything in broadcasting left that you haven't done, you'd like to do? Not after this show, obviously this is the peak. Oh, thanks, Chris. No, I've done it all actually. Yeah, I mean I keep getting offered, I keep getting offered reality stuff. Okay, you know, bless her, but I don't want to spend six weeks on a desert island eating no sugar with Kerry Katona. I don't know why. I can't understand why, Chris. I mean we'll, yeah, we must workshop this later. But yeah, I, I, this, One of the, one of the newspapers asked me a question a couple of years ago. Which reality show would you like to do, Chris, and why? And I went, if you ever see me on a reality show, come and shoot me. I just wouldn't do it. It's awful. It's awful. It's just the cheapest form of entertainment. And I just think, why? Because so much of this, what do you think it says about our society? The fact that so much of programming. Sad git. Well, fortunately, Jeremy Kyle, bless you. I know Jeremy very well. She used to work at Capital with me. I mean his show. Because you always think he must run out of these people. There can be only so many people in Britain with tattoos all over them, drugs and bad teeth. But he just keeps finding, he says every series when they advertise online, they're already full before they even go on air. Where do they find these people? And then they go on things like I'm a Celebrity. Gogglebox. Don't talk to me about Gogglebox. But it worries me more. She won. What did she win? I'm a Celebrity was won by somebody. Gogglebox. Basically somebody who watches telly. But don't you think it's a cry of humanity to matter? You get little bit of time, you get your. We know that, Chris. Crap. Let's talk therefore about the beautiful quality television that you've been making us. Because I have to say, I was in bits last night. It is a normal evening. I got in. You've made this beautiful one off, 90 minute standalone film looking at the part that railways had to play in the horrific event of the Holocaust. It's called Railways of the Holocaust. So obviously, you know, extreme railway films were what you were doing. But this is a standalone. Just tell me, how did the project come about? We were filming, I mean we've done about six years, I've done about, I forget now, 30 odd different railways around the world. And we were filming last year in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. And we were in Lithuania and there was this horrific, tiny, cramped cattle truck with a big in memoriam plaque underneath it with a Great long list of names. We said, what the hell is that? And they said, basically, that is a truck that used to take Stalin, used to take the Jews from Lithuania right up to the gulags in northern Siberia, or it's minus 60 degrees to exterminate them. And we just chatted. We filmed it and the cameraman and I got inside. I mean, how could you get 100 people in here? It's like unreal, you know? And most of them died. They were thrown out, the bodies into the snow as they traveled. One little bucket the crap in. It was just awful. And then we started talking about the Holocaust. And I said, I wonder if the railways are sort of. I mean, everybody sort of knows that train lines went into the camp. But, I mean, when we started filming, I didn't realize the scale of the amount of railway lines that were built to transport Jews and political prisoners, political prisoners, Gypsies, homosexuals, across Europe to be exterminated by the Nazis. It's just this massive network of rails. He built more and more and more trains to get them. None of them were in Germany. All the camps were very interesting. They did not want the German people to know what was going on. All the camps were mainly in Poland. Do you know what I think is phenomenal about this particular film, Chris? And why, even if people have seen a lot of footage of the Holocaust before or programming on it, which obviously everybody has, there's a rare combination. Firstly, it is the fact that because you approach it from the part railways had to play, you become almost. You are so faced with how complex the logistics were in order to carry out this, that then it shines an entirely different light on the scale of inhumanity that must have had to go in to work through these logistics. But then on the second side of that, to have somebody like yourself, and, you know, we haven't mentioned things like, Tis was. You mentioned. Tis was. Tis was, but that's it. We're not showing again. But, Chris, to have somebody like yourself, who I think. To watch something that horrific, but to watch it with almost somebody beside us that we feel like we know. I still miss you on a Saturday night. So does my mum. It's almost like we find it. Bless Julie, I. It is. It's not that it's more watchable, but it's. I think we. We accept it or we ingest it in a very different way. You have a wonderful warmth with everybody you interview. That's very man of the street thing that, like, he's just a normal guy, you know, as Opposed to some really heavy political correspondent from whom you'd expect. I don't know. I mean, you know, people sort of still think of me as rolling about in custard. And I really don't do that most days. If I haven't done that for a very long time, I'm throwing buckets of water over people. I also have a brain. Yeah. You know, and I also have a lot of sensitivity. And I'm thinking, I couldn't believe, you know, the stuff we found. There's one particular guy who's the sort of, you know, the mate We. We interviewed several survivors. See that in itself, the fact that people are talking to me on camera at the age of 90, because they have to be about 89. I mean, we're in the last days of it, aren't we? Well, when I talk to five about this, when we made the film, I said, look, we've got to make it longer. And they said, no, no, you've got an hour. I said, look, I'm sorry, but there's so much stuff here. And some of this stuff will never, ever be repeated. We'll never capture it again, because, bless them, they will not be here many more. It's now or never, you know. So they've extended it to a whole hour and a half, which is a massive program. And when you talk about some of the personalities that you actually spoke to me in, Eric, if you can imagine, I just put my little boy to bed, who was eight last night when I watched this arak at seven starting his journey. Well, by 11, the first. The first sort of work thing he got involved with, and he was only just 11, it was also quite small. He's quite a slight little boy. So this tiny little kid is. Both his parents have been murdered. I think before he was 8, both parents were murdered by the SS. Then by 11, he's in this. They call it a work railway. It's just the railway of death. All these people are being murdered around him. They hung them for the slightest thing. They were just hung people. You're staring at a guard hanging. And he said his main job as a little boy was a wheelbarrow, just going. Getting bits and pieces of human bodies off the lines and throwing them into a trench. He. A lot of them were hung by the guards there. And then a lot of them were also run over. They just threw themselves on the lines in front of the train. So he spent all day just scraping up bodies. So by the age of 11 and a half, he's in so many Dead people then moved him into a ghetto which was supposed to be where the Jews could live in harmony. They were just constantly being attacked. The ss. There's one horrific bit where there was a whole hospital area inside this ghetto. The ss, one day, for no reason at all, came in, took all the people off all the beds and threw the whole lot out the third floor window. And Eric remembers as a little boy looking up and going, what the hell's going on? And all these bodies are flying down and smashing to pieces on the pavement. They took them all away. I mean, it's just harrowing stuff. Do you know what's so extraordinary? Stunning. Watching you do it, though. Obviously, we're viewers in a way, as we all know, this is a story that must never, ever, ever be forgotten, and it must be something that everybody actually watches. But somehow, because you go out there and do the journey for us, if it is possible to make it more watchable, it sort of does. I mean, the way you stand there and connect with Eric, also with the two women, Zuzanna, that you talked to, and Helga. Helga. I mean, you know, phenomenal. Chris, we're going to listen. I mean, I don't know how you. How. Look, as a radio dj, let me pass it back to you. How do I now loop into saying we're going to. Now listen to Don't Worry, Baby by the Beach Boys. Chris, just link into your own song, will you? This is the Beach Boys with Don't Worry Baby. Oh, that's why he's a colossus. Beautiful. Beautifully done. Well, it's been building up inside of me for, oh, I don't know how long I don't know why But I keep thinking something about to go wrong but she looks in my eyes. It will turn out all right don't worry, baby don't worry, baby. I guess I should have kept my. Well, we've got more chat with Chris coming up in just a couple of minutes on Sarah's Universal Soul Show, WRS women's radio station, Voice of Women Worldwide. This is Amy Liu, Voice of China at women's Radio Station. Welcome to future Classical Woman Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte and Wonder Women's Radio Station. After a long day, I like to sit in my bath with a glass of wine and listen to women's Radio Camruss Kate, that you're listening to in conversation with on women's Radio Station. 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We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. I'm here with Chris Tarrant. We've been talking about Railways of the Holocaust which looks at the part Railways played in this horrific event in the history of mankind. Chris, your dad was in the war and fought right through. Was that another reason or how did that alter your perspective of looking at this period of time? Yes, I'm very interested in World War II because I wrote the book about dad after he died. I couldn't have written while he was alive. He'd never talk about it. And once I'd written it, it took me ages to piece it all together and meet lots of wonderful old soldiers. And I had so many letters saying just like my dad he'd never talk about the war. He never talked about the war. Eric, I mean, survived Auschwitz. I mean, it is the most harrowing story. As I say, Eric survived. He now lives in Leeds with a very nice Yorkshire lady. He's. He's 90 this year and. And he sort of like. Because my dad, I said to my mum once, I said, did dad ever have nightmares? Your father never had a nightmare in his life. He will have seen so much horror. He was at Dunkirk, he was at D Day. Right the way through the one. Probably the. If there is a good thing, and it sounds daftish, but. But in a funny way, dad was blown up right at the end of the war on a landmine. Gosh, yeah, he's very lucky to survive. I mean, otherwise we would not have this conversation because I wouldn't be here. His arm was all shattered, but apart from that, he was absolutely fine all his life. But it meant he missed the very end of the war. His regiment went into Belsen and I know some of those guys. I met them, you know, obviously when I was growing up and they just said the memories of what they saw in that camp and people, they had no idea of the evil that was being happening, that had been happening all over Poland and just these disgraceful people in the striped pajamas and all that. And my dad was an incredibly decent human being, a really kind guy, very funny man, a very kind man. But I honestly think if he'd gone into Belsen, he would have changed his whole attitude to Germans, certainly to taking prisoners of war alive. I honestly think there would have been massacres. And luckily, you know, historically, the war ended just a few days after they'd gone in. But I think otherwise a lot of people, once they'd seen it, my God, would just have gone crazy. But just the possibility of humankind being like that, it changes the word human. It has to become inhumane. I just wonder how people like Eric, how do they live with life now? Are they just relieved it's over? How do they process that kind of stuff? What do. Because there seems to be less and less space in the world now to process pain or feeling of anything. One of the people we interviewed, he was the only one who said, yes, I'll go back to Auschwitz, which is quite surprising, as I thought nobody would want to do that, said, no, I'll come back. But again, Chris, that's your very special. And I hope you are going to be, you know, even though I know you've got your lovely woods and you love your fishing, I Hope you will consider doing more of these projects because there is a humanity and a connection and an easy warmth that you bring. What would you like to do? I don't know what I. What I. I mean, I would say that it did quite beat me up. I've been filming since I've been filming in Vietnam. I just come back, and before that was in Ukraine. But making that film, actually, really, because we went through the. Obviously you go through the film again and again, editing and doing all the stuff, and it really hurt. There's one bit where I went into the gas chamber. And the only thing Eric wouldn't do, understandably, he said, I will not go into a gas chamber, he said, because I spent all my life not going to a gas chamber. So I'm certainly not going to be, you know, come into one now. And he had 30 years of nightmares. Just unreal. He never told his wife he married for 12 years. He never told her he was in Auschwitz. He wasn't ashamed. He said, I just didn't want to open that basket. Yeah, you know, she. She had. He had the tattoo on his arm and all that. He was just a number for years. And we were told by the. By the guys who control us said, you can go in, but if you want it completely quiet with nobody else around, you'll have to go in at half a six. So me and Paul, my cameraman mate, went in. We'd known each other for years. We didn't speak. We were absolutely silent. He was just filming me and looking around. I mean, he was in tears. And I just thought, I can't. Because there were, you know, the little shower heads they put on the ceiling and put your clothes down here and you'll come back in a minute. And it was the details you kept bringing up the organization, but also the psychological contortion and manipulation. The best thing of all is the scratches really high on the wall. And I said afterwards to one of the guys, said, what? What was that? And I said, well, it was people climbing over bodies. Everybody would have been screaming and gasping and dying. And it's people in just a panic scrambling up over the bodies, scratching the wall, trying to get some air from where the gas was. How does it make you feel about. As somebody that clearly likes people, connects with people, you know, is curious and interested in people and generous as a human being. How does it make you feel about humanity? I mean, what do you think soul is? What do you think happens to us when we can't believe? You actually couldn't believe. I Mean, I mean, I know over years we all do. We've read stuff about the Holocaust, we've seen stuff. When it actually comes to it, I mean, I'm not at all a Holocaust denier. Of course it happened. It was an absolute cast iron historical fact. But you just think, I can't really believe that people really did this stuff to men, women and children. Can they actually have done that? But you know, they did. And in. And on the scale they did. Yes, exactly the scale. I mean, the gas chambers, the high command in, in Berlin kept saying, more kill more, murder more. Every day, murder more. I mean, that's another thing. One of the graveyards we filmed in, the word murder was all over the head. That was amazing. I've never seen that anywhere else in the world, anywhere, you know, where there's been serial killers, whatever. In America you never see. And hundreds of these stones had so and so and so and so. Family murdered in Auschwitz murdered. Because that's what they were. What happened to those people at the time? You know, I looked up Eichmann after you've been on that, who I think was in charge of the l. Logistics of the transportation. And apparently at the end of his life he said that he would leap laughing into the grave because of the feeling that he had 5 million people on his conscience, which would be for him an extraordinary source of satisfaction. I don't know where we go from there. You know, in some ways though, Chris, I really want to thank you because I feel you have exposed something and a really different perspective on this subject that we all think we know something on and we've all seen a documentary on. I think it's a fundamentally, really important piece of television programming that you've made for us and you've almost gone on our behalf. I kind of feel safer because you take us there in a strange way. So will there be more things do you think you're going to make? I don't know. I mean, firstly, hopefully there will never be anything. That's why you should always tell this story. Holocaust story is just. It must be told and retold and retold. And there's too many sort of education authorities now going, oh yes, history. We don't want to do World War II. It's all too. It's because it's so recent. People who suffered are still alive. You know, it's a very. Fought with my father, one or two are still alive. We landed. You know, we've got. We must have precious window, Chris. And I'm so grateful to you for what you've brought in this film. Do you know when it's going out yet? Yes. Couple of weeks time. Couple of weeks time. And I will make sure that I reiterate to everybody on here when it is, so we follow obviously then it will be available on Catch up as well. Chris, thank you so much for making the film. Really something everybody should watch. So we never ever forget. Harrowing and yet totally necessary viewing your last choice of song, possibly quite aptly, let It Be by the Beatles. Because, I mean, actually, I must admit, when I sat down and thinking, well, I've got to have a beetle track. But in the end, it's like life goes on. Let it be, you know, and let's hope we never ever go, there's millions of people. Love did not go on. Absolutely. And we must never forget. Chris, thank you so much for giving us your time today. Thank you. Thank you. Pleasure. When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom Let it be and in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front me of of me Speaking words of wisdom Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be Whisper words of wisdom Let it be and when the brokenhearted people Living in the world agree There will be an answer Let it be for though there may be parting There is still a chance that they will see There will be an answer Let it be Let it be Let it be and let it be Let it be yeah There will be an answer Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be Whisper words of wisdom Let it be. Sam. Let it be Let it be Let it be yeah Let it be Whisper words of wisdom Let it be and when the night is cloudy There is still a light that shines on me Shine until tomorrow Let it be I wake up to the sound of music Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be Be oh There will be an answer Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be There will be an answer Let it be Let it be Let it be Let it be W. Big thank you again to Chris Tarrant for coming in and talking to us. The best things in life are free are coming up and of course, more things that feed your soul in just a couple of minutes. WRS women's radio station, Voice of Women Worldwide, Sarah's Universal Soul Show. What does your soul or spirituality mean to you? Welcome to future Classical Woman Awards with me Stefania Passamonte on Women's radio station. Welcome back. I'm Russ Cain. You're listening to in conversation with on women's radio station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. And we're open. To see what other programs we have on Women's radio station, head to our website womensradiostation.com I'm Isabelle Manavy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on women's radio website. Call me on 079-8442, 2171. I'm listening. Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database. We take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-868-48998 for further information. Mirabilimited Making the life of the business owner successful. Let women's radio advertise your brand or business. It's so affordable and effective. Reaching out to all women. Call us on 020743-7706 now. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntous.org.uk I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open to share our own personal stories dealing with life events. Staying positive through the tough times. Share your stories too. What worked, what didn't? Join us each week for open. We know you're gonna love it. Women's Radio station is a not for profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Well, coming up, we're going to have who's won the sign books from Caroline Trowbridge and our brand new giveaway. All the moon belongs to everyone. The best things in life, they're free Stars belong to everyone they claim that for you and for me Flowers in spring the robins that sing the Sunbeams that shine they're yours and they're mine Love can come to everyone the best things in life they're free Moon belongs to everyone the best things in life they're free Stars belong to everyone they glitter there for you and me Flowers, the spring the robin the sink sun beam to shine all the Y's and the my y' all Love can come to every one of Best things in life they are free all of the good things Every one of the better things Is the best Best things in life they. Thanks as ever to Sam Cook. Well, the winner from last week who won the Beautiful Skin Softening and Nourishing Oils was Steph Denny. Steph let me know. She loved the oils. So great news. Thanks, Steph, for letting me know about that. Now to this week's winner of the sign books, I Am Me, you, Us and we, and shooting star Caroline Trobrisch. The author very kindly said she'd personally dedicate them to whoever the winner wanted. So the winner is Dorotha Sirona. So well done, Dorothea. If you let me know, I'll let Caroline know and we'll get those signed and sent to you. Dorothy, by the way, liked our show page and often reaches out. So that's, in essence, all you need to do to be in with a chance of winning one of our giveaways in the future. Dorotha, I see your Facebook page has some little people on it. Not that little, but little people nevertheless. So maybe these books will be for them. In any event, if you let me know who you want them signed to, we'll get those to you as soon as possible. Now to this week's giveaway. Such a poignant show, I think you'd agree, talking to Chris Tarrant there about his latest documentary, Railways on the Holocaust. I've got two beautiful poetry books, poetry designed hopefully to uplift and restore the soul. I know many of you have talked about how poetry and language can really support you in some of the most challenging times. So they're collections by a great Sufi poet called Hafiz. The first is called I Heard God Poems of Hope and Joy. I love that title. And the second is called the subject tonight is 60 wild and sweet Poems of Haviz. So unbelievable when you actually read his poetry to think he was writing in the 14th century. They feel incredibly modern and relevant, exploring the subjects of love, wisdom, and really the kind of profound spiritual meaning that many have found in life in these particular volumes. Daniel Ludinsky, an acclaimed translator of mystical poetry, translates them really really beautifully. So as always to be in with a chance of winning, just reach out to us in whatever way works for you. You can like a post or a picture of the giveaway or you can send an email to presentersomensradiostation.com using the show name in the subject Facebook worthy Universal Soul show or on Twitter womensradiostn or niversalsouln. And as ever, if you feel you've got something that you'd like to give us rather as a giveaway, please also feel free to get in touch in the ways I just mentioned. Now, moving on, we've got some more of the five things that feed your soul. Thank you to Lorna Birrell. She says spending time with friends, cooking, listening to music, long walks in nature. Just like Chris said earlier about his woods being by the sea, especially at Waikiki Beach. How gorgeous. Jeanne Marshall says, my family, my fur babies, she sent me beautiful picture of them. Fury's 12 years old and Haze is six months old. Food, music, and Bamburi beach in Mombasa. She says it's her heaven on earth. Well, a huge thank you again to Chris Town, my guest this week. Don't forget to put it in your diary. It's going to be coming up in the next couple of weeks. Or of course, if you're watching after it's already been broadcast, you'll be able to get hold of it on catch up. So Railways of the Holocaust was the title of that. Interesting. Interestingly enough, talking to Chris about the inexplicable pain and grief just beyond any comprehension that he experienced and witnessed making the film. It's interesting. This week I've been touched by so many of your messages, sharing grief or pain that you might be going through at the moment and actually how difficult it is in a world that's sort of ever moving faster. It kind of feels to just make time or find a safe place, space to actually feel and process these things. So, you know, I think we all know life is challenging and can sometimes throw up emotions which are just too much to bear. And I think in some ways that often starts really early in our lives, you know, as children. So little by little, unless we're fortunate enough to learn it's okay to express them and have space to do that, we start to close down. It's almost an intelligent response to coping with whatever's happening. So it's always my kind of desire when we talk about the Universal Soul show to try and create a new shared understanding and compassion towards not only ourselves, but others so that we can almost try and stay curious towards this extraordinary and sometimes incredibly painful or challenging experience of being human and finding ways and finding things that support us to give us the courage to maybe soften and open where we've possibly closed down in the past to allow feeling to come in again. So lots of poets we've talked about do this. I think art does this for lots of people. Nature does this for people. Music, whatever your thing is that connects you, I think it's just really important to identify and make sure that we carve out time in our busy days to actually connect in this way. And I think it is the repetition, it's the discipline. It's almost like building in a spiritual practice, you know, Spiritual practice, I don't think has to be sitting there meditating. It doesn't have to be levitating, even if anyone's done that in their meditation. It doesn't have to be yoga. It doesn't have to be the traditional forms of meditation. It can be whatever makes you feel connected to this experience of being human and perhaps to the dimension of your spirit beyond your literal mental and physical being. Haviz this the Persian poet. That's our giveaway this week. He writes these words which I think are quite don't surrender your loneliness so quickly. Let it cut more deep. Let it ferment and season you as few human or even divine ingredients can. Something missing in my heart tonight has made my eyes so soft My voice so tender My need of God absolutely clear. Thank you to all of you for listening. Wherever you are in the world, I wish you all a gentle week and I'll be back with another show very soon. Until then, much love and bye for now. Those days are gone now the memories on the wall I hear the songs from the places where I was born. Upon that hill across the blue lake that's where I have a first heartbreak yeah I still remember how it all change My father said don't you worry don't you worry, child she ever got a plan for you don't you worry don't you worry now yeah. There was a time I met a girl of a different kind we rule the world I thought I'd never lose her Outside we were so young I think over now and then I started still hear the songs we're about to be On a friend. Upon a hill across the blue lake that's where I had my first heartbreak I still remember how it all changed My father said don't you want wor it don't you Wor it child she ever got a plan for you don't you worry don't you right now yeah. Shell's got a plan for you don't you worry don't you worry child Sheaven's got a plan for you don't you burn it don't you burn it down. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open as a trans woman living in the centre of London in 2018. The show's about all the barriers I face on a daily level, but it's also about our life stories, how we got to where we are, how we stayed positive in the face of adversity and being more than just a label. It's about finding one's true, authentic self. But it's also about your stories too. So send us a tweet. Send us an email. At present, at Women's Radio, the Voice of Women Worldwide. WRS Women's Radio Station Voice of Women Worldwide this is Amy Liu, Voice of China at Women's Radio Station. Welcome to future Classical Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. After a long day, I like to sit in my bath with a glass of wine and listen to Women's Radio. Kamross, Kate, you're listening to in conversation with on Women's Radio Station. To see what other programs we have on Women's Radio Station, head to our website womensradiostation.com do you need mediation? We are the A project charity. We provide convict resolution and community engagement services. Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family reaction for separate couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-868-48998 for further information. Mirae B Ltd. Making the life of the business owner successful. Would you like to host your own radio show? Would you love to be doing what I'm doing right now and be a radio presenter on Women's Radio Station? If you're passionate on your subject or topic, we'd like to hear from you, wherever you are in the world, about what's happening in your country, town or city. It's your station, your voice to women of the world. So contact us. Send an email to involved@womensradiostation.com. I'm Isabel Manavie, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 079-84422. I'm listening. Women's Radio Station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help.
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