Malcolm Castle Biography
Fireman, entrepreneur, adventure sports enthusiast, poet and professional speaker all in one! Malcolm Castle is prolific, intelligent, charismatic and funny – the ideal after dinner speaker.
Background
Born in Nelson Lancashire, Malcolm’s first year was spent on a farm on the moors above Rochdale. His move southwards to Shrewsbury happened when his father realised the farm couldn't support a family of four but teaching about farming could. Shropshire had an agricultural college and so it was here where he grew up.
Malcolm’s teenage education was at the local 'Secondary modern school for boys'. It was a rough, tough school which taught him more about life than academia.
Career
After failing to become a helicopter pilot, Malcolm happened across the fire service. Surprisingly, it seemed to fit. Malcolm had variety, adventure, camaraderie, more challenges than he could shake a stick at, time off, enough money and, most of all, the joy of looking forward to going to work!
His life away from the job has been guided by the maxim "If you're gonna be a bear, be a Grizzly!", so if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well. He has a love of adventure sports, and so far has spent varying numbers of years doing. . . .scuba diving, water skiing, snow skiing and snowboarding, paragliding, hang gliding, paramotoring, microlighting, sky diving, kite surfing, kite buggying, pot-holing, and rock climbing, with the odd bungee-jump thrown in for good measure.
Not content with adventure alone, Malcolm also enjoys the more artistic side of life and has had the pleasure of acting, producing and directing plays, playing the guitar, writing songs and poetry (funny poems!), ballroom and modern jive dancing, singing, and enjoying shows and musicals.
Malcolm has built a successful business which he has run alongside his fire service career for the last 30 years.
The aim of the business: to finance the adventure sports he so enjoys!
Malcom’s third book, Going to Blazes, has been commissioned, and the whole series has been launched in the US.
He has been recruited by the BBC as their ‘fire service authority’, and he has appeared on various TV shows, including a chat show about dealing with trauma.
Speaking Topics
Fireman, entrepreneur, adventure sports enthusiast, poet and professional speaker all in one!
- Inspirational
- Motivational
- Comedy
For further information or to book Malcolm Castle, call us at Speakers Corner on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Malcolm Castle Video
Malcolm Castle Speaker Showreel - Click play to watch a short sample video clip of Malcolm Castle. For more information on Malcolm Castle please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Malcolm Castle News
A selection of relevant news related to Malcolm Castle, After Dinner Speakers, Adventure Speakers, Sport Speakers and Teamwork Speakers stories. For more information on Malcolm Castle or details as to how to book Malcolm Castle for your corporate event, please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Debra Searle's Ice Mums
5th February 2013
Motivational speaker and awe-inspiring sportswoman Debra Searle has announced plan to take a group of mums trekking to the South Pole.
Dee Caffari Sails In Middle East
1st February 2013
Inspirational yachtswoman Dee Caffari has taken her success to the Middle East in the impressive position of coach and skipper of the Women's Sailing Team in Oman.
Ben Fogle Announces New Ocean Challenge
19th June 2012
TV adventurer Ben Fogle is taking on his most punishing challenge yet - by swimming to Cornwall across the Atlantic Ocean.
Dee Caffari: World Sailor of the Year Nominee
29th September 2011
Dee Caffari, motivational speaker and inspirational keynote speaker, has been nominated for the coveted ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award.
James Cracknell Introduces New Captain Scott Film
27th January 2011
Inspirational Olympic sportsman James Cracknell introduces a new film about Captain Scott’s ill-fated Expedition to the Antarctic of 1910, which ended with the death of Scott and four other crew members.
Richard Noble's 1000mph car on track to break record
24th November 2010
Richard Noble has confirmed that the project to develop the fastest car powered by a jet engine and rocket is on track. Work will start on the rear of the car in January next year, the world record breaking attempt due to be scheduled for some time in 2012 on a dried up lake bed in Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Ronnie O’Sullivan Wins Fifth World Title
7th May 2013
Snooker player, Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins to win the Betfair World Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Mike Forde Links Business to Football
18th April 2013
Business speaker and one of the UK’s leading sports executives, Mike Forde has compared the ideas and practices used in professional football to those used in business environments.
Anna Watkins Announces She is Pregnant
25th March 2013
Olympic double skulls champion and motivational speaker, Anna Watkins, has announced that she is pregnant.
Chris Boardman Supports Fellow Cyclist
4th March 2013
Olympic Gold medallist and motivational speaker, Chris Boardman, supported fellow cyclist, Martyn Irvine after his win at the World Track Championships.
Malcolm Castle Reviews
Malcolm Castle has spoken and appeared at a number of recent corporate events. Please find some client speaker testimonials and reviews for Malcolm Castle for a number of these events and conferences. If you would like some additional information as to how to book Malcolm Castle for your corporate event, then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Malcolm’s “larger than life” stature and personality come across in his highly entertaining and humorous talk on the lighter side of being a firefighter. He had his audience enthralled the whole time and I wholeheartedly recommend anyone to book him.
A wonderful evening, created by a talented speaker. All the delegates were surprised at the range of bizarre and hilarious jobs a firefighter can be called on to do, and the hoots of laughter which echoed around the hall at the stories were testament to how well Malcolm re-told them. I would happily recommend Malcolm to any group who are after an interesting, funny, and extremely satisfying evening.
Malcolm delivered an eye-opening insight into the more peculiar and humorous side of being a firefighter in Shropshire. We were entertained for over an hour with tales of the freefalling cat, the upside-down horse, and the heroic rescue of a teddy bear. A thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable speaker, and a very friendly and affable man. I have no hesitation in recommending him.
On behalf of the Shropshire Section of the Vintage Motorcycle club I wish to thank you for your very interesting and amusing talk on your experiences in the fire service given to the club on Wednesday, 26th March.
The Chairman has asked me to write to thank you for attending the Civic Dinner on 12th September as guest speaker. I am sure you will agree that the evening was a great success with your talk entitled “The lighter side of a firefighter’s life” being thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Q & A with Malcolm Castle
Malcolm Castle answered some probing questions for Speakers Corner. For speaking secrets revealed - read on! To book Malcolm Castle for your event, please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Speakers Corner: How did the corporate speaking start and can you remember your first speaking engagement?
Malcolm Castle: It all started 16 or so years ago, when I was approached by an elderly lady who was looking for a speaker for her 'Ladies circle' club. She asked if I had any humorous stories about the fire service which I could come and share with her "Ladies" on the following Tuesday afternoon. Now after 14 years of storytelling around the mess table at the fire station, I had lots of material from which to create a suitable speech, and did so with much enthusiasm. The afternoon was a roaring success, and so started the 'word of mouth' recommendations which has seen me speak to approaching 100 groups. These have ranged from three very elderly ladies sitting on a sofa in a tiny living room, with me giving my speech from a stool in front of the fire, to addressing the farewell dinner and dance of the South Shropshire Council, at a stately home in the east of the county.
Speakers Corner: And your last event?
Malcolm Castle: My most recent engagement was at a local women's club where I spoke to 78 ladies about the diversity of the call-outs we have attended over the past three decades. They all appeared to enjoy the 55 minutes I was speaking for and kept me there for a further hour asking questions over a cup of tea. It was the diversity which surprised them the most. In my introduction I say that if your problem is legal, you call the police, if it's medical, the ambulance, but for everything else, you call the fire service.... and expect us to know exactly how to deal with whatever we're presented with quickly and effectively.
Speakers Corner: Which event has been your favourite and why?
Malcolm Castle: My favourite event was the quarterly get-together of the North Shropshire Vintage Car club. They met in a function room attached to a traditional style pub, and as they had finished the business part of the meeting an hour or so earlier, I was greeted by a large room full of well oiled ('scuse the pun) enthusiasts, ready for a good laugh. I was pounced upon by the organiser who made a witty comment about my size. I continued the banter, and so the stage was set for what turned out to be an evening of fun, laughs, pathos, but most of all good natured interaction between them and me.
Speakers Corner: What can a typical corporate audience learn from your experiences?
Malcolm Castle: As I mentioned in answer 3, people are always amazed at the diversity of what we are called on to deal with. Audiences will leave having learned what it's like in today's fire service, how the variety of bizarre, obscure, interesting, hilarious and sometimes downright silly call-outs keep us on our toes, how we're allowed 33 seconds to get out of the station, on days, but when we're on nights and in bed we're allowed a little longer..... 53 seconds. They will also learn about team workmanship, individual strengths and weaknesses borne in mind to get the job done in the best way, thinking on your feet, having a good link between your head and your hands, and dealing with the emotional trauma of one job thus enabling you to be effective on the next one. All in all it's been my experience that the groups i've spoken to have had a good, fun, and interesting evening. I tell most of my stories from a humorous viewpoint, but when I tell a more serious one (when the occasion demands it) the effect is more pronounced and thus memorable.
For further information or to book Malcolm Castle, call us on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Other speakers you might like
Roger Black
Former Olympic athlete and gold medallist at the World, European and Commonwealth Games, Roger is now well known as a sports presenter on television and experienced motivational speaker
Chris Moon
Despite serious adversity in his life, Chris Moon continues to astound as he goes one step beyond perceived limits
Shaun Ellis
Shaun Ellis conducts research on wolves in a unique way – by living with the wolves becoming part of their world. He is a charismatic and inspiring speaker
