Latest news with #DerekThompson
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Derek Thompson bringing the curtain down on commentary career
Derek Thompson feels the time was right to end his commentary career, as he prepares to pick up the microphone for the final time at Wolverhampton on Tuesday night. Thompson is one of the most recognisable figures in the racing industry having spent time commentating on-course and for BBC radio, while also presenting for ITV, Channel 4, At The Races, and Sky Sports Racing during a nearly 60-year broadcasting career. The 74-year-old was even part of a three-strong party alongside Lord Oaksey and The Sun's Peter Campling that attempted to negotiate the release of Shergar after the 1981 Derby winner was kidnapped. He also enjoyed time in the spotlight when what became his famous catchphrase, "Are you well? I thought you were", appeared on Radio One courtesy of Greg James before going viral, as did an At The Races clip of him when he mistook a man for a woman during an exchange with Robert Cooper. But now 'Tommo' is taking a step back and Dunstall Park will be the last time he calls them home at a race meeting. Thompson said: "I'll be brutally honest, it's not going to be easy because I still love it to this day and I'm so proud that I'm one of about 20 people that do the race calling in the UK. "I've been doing it for so many years that it's time to move on. It's not getting any easier, but I still love it. I've been very lucky, I'm paid to go to the races. Other people have to pay to get in. I've got the best seat in the house. "I'm absolutely stunned by the amount of people that have come up — and that's not just older people like me, but younger people as well — and said can I have a selfie, can I have your autograph. It's just lovely. The messages I've been getting on social media, thank you so much, it's lovely, it almost brought a tear to my eye. It's very moving and it makes me feel very proud. While Thompson will be putting down his binoculars, he certainly does not plan to be a stranger to the racecourse and hopes to take his affable style around Britain. Thompson said: "I'll still be presenting at the racetracks around the country and hoping to organise a little tour called, 'Are you well? I thought you were', or 'It's a man actually, Derek', so we're hoping to continue the fun side of racing because I'm a great believer in enjoying racing. "The memories, and there's some great stories, many of which we can't tell, but the ones we can I'd love to, we're hoping to start a podcast. I will still be going (racing) because I enjoy working. I've been very lucky over the years, working with people like John Francome, Brough Scott." Thompson also famously once raced against the then future King in a charity event and remembers the race fondly. He said: "I beat him, Prince Charles as he was then. I rode a horse for Nicky Henderson called Classified and I beat him at Plumpton. "There were about 12 runners, it was a two-mile Flat race and it was incredible. "We occasionally have a chat at the races, Royal Ascot and stuff and we get together sometimes. "I always say, 'Sir, I'm sorry I beat you all those years ago and he says 'don't worry, I forgave you', but the (late) Queen goes, 'but I haven't, Tommo'. It was incredible." Reflecting on his illustrious career behind the microphone, one of Thompson's favourite memories was calling Frankel's racecourse debut at Newmarket when Henry Cecil's charge launched the beginning of an unbeaten 14-race career. And Thompson has fond memories of the late, great Cecil and the empathy he showed when he was dealing with bowel cancer in 2012. He said: "I did the first commentary on Frankel when he won at Newmarket — what a horse. "I used to go and sit with Henry Cecil on the gallops. I remember I had cancer and I was coming out of hospital and I was very weak and I used to go on the gallops at Newmarket. "I remember him saying, 'come on, sit down next to me', and we watched the horses because I could hardly stand up. It was just lovely and I remember watching Frankel coming up there and he was one of my favourite horses. I miss Henry to this day." Red Rum's first Grand National victory in 1973 will forever remain one of the fondest from the many commentaries — in this case radio — Thompson has done during his career. He said: "The 1973 Grand National, Red Rum and Crisp. I'm the youngest ever commentator, 22, of the Grand National. "There was Michael Seth-Smith at the first, Michael O'Hehir was at Becher's, I was at Valentine's and then I handed back to Peter Bromley and he did the best commentary I've ever heard on a race finish. "Crisp and Richard Pitman were 30 lengths clear passing me and Red Rum got up on the line to win. "Red Rum was probably the greatest horse of all time. There's so many — Frankel, Brigadier Gerard, Nijinsky, Shergar, I've been lucky enough to see all of those."
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Derek Thompson to retire from commentary today after 60 years behind the mic
DEREK THOMPSON will be hanging up his mic after 60 years today – and if there is any justice in the world it will be a 'photo!' finish. The legendary broadcaster, 74, will call the first three races at Wolverhampton this evening before retiring from the commentary box. 1 He will continue to work in racing, he just won't be calling them home anymore. He said: 'I did my first call at a point-to-point when I was 15 and started on radio in 1970. It's the right time to hand over the binoculars. I've so many great memories.' Thommo was part of the Channel 4 Racing team for nearly 30 years and has one of the most recognisable voices in the sport, with his calls of 'photo!' and 'that's one for the judge' his trademark. His career has also included a spell with the BBC, when he commentated on the Grand National at the age of 22, while he also worked for Sheikh Mohammed in Dubai and defeated the future King Charles III in a charity race. Two races have been named in his honour at Wolverhampton, the 'It's A Photo – Big Fella EBF Restricted Maiden Fillies' Stakes' (7.30) and the Thanks For Everything Tommo – Happy Retirement Handicap (9.00). After a tough day at Ayr in January, when he 'made a hash' of the finish in the concluding race, he received lots of abuse and soon after he decided to call it a day. He said: 'I shouldn't have gone to Ayr, I drove up there on the day and I was tired, I called the result right but made a hash of it. 'I was mortified and I got so much abuse when I was heading home. I put out a video message the next day saying I'd had a bad day and I got so much love and support, it was wonderful.' Of course, he gained widespread fame more recently when his 'it's a man actually, Derek' and 'are you well? I thought you were' clips went viral on social media. He added: 'I've had so much fun, Radio 1 DJ Greg James really helped drive it. I have a neon sign at home now which says, 'Are you well? I thought you were'. 'I'm a little nervous and sad it's coming to an end, but I'm hoping there will be five in a line at the finish so I can give it one last 'photo!'.' . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Derek Thompson to bring the curtain down on his commentary career
Derek Thompson believes the time is right to end his commentary career, as he prepares to pick up the microphone for the final time at Wolverhampton on Tuesday night. Thompson has become one of the most recognisable figures in the racing industry having spent time commentating on-course and for BBC radio, while also presenting for ITV, Channel 4, At The Races and Sky Sports Racing during a nearly 60-year broadcasting career. The 74-year-old was even part of a three-strong party alongside Lord Oaksey and The Sun's Peter Campling that attempted to negotiate the release of Shergar after the 1981 Derby winner was kidnapped. He also enjoyed time in the spotlight when what became his famous catchphrase, 'Are you well? I thought you were', appeared on Radio One courtesy of Greg James before going viral, as did an At The Races clip of him when he mistook a man for a woman during an exchange with Robert Cooper. But now 'Tommo' is taking a step back and Dunstall Park will be the last time he calls them home at a race meeting. Thompson told the PA news agency: 'I'll be brutally honest, it's not going to be easy because I still love it to this day and I'm so proud that I'm one of about 20 people that do the race calling in the UK. 'I've been doing it for so many years that it's time to move on. It's not getting any easier, but I still love it. I've been very lucky, I'm paid to go to the races. Other people have to pay to get in. I've got the best seat in the house. 'I'm absolutely stunned by the amount of people that have come up – and that's not just older people like me, but younger people as well – and said can I have a selfie, can I have your autograph. It's just lovely. The messages I've been getting on social media, thank you so much, it's lovely, it almost brought a tear to my eye. It's very moving and it makes me feel very proud. While Thompson will be putting down his binoculars, he certainly does not plan to be a stranger to the racecourse and hopes to take his affable style around the country. Thompson said: 'I'll still be presenting at the racetracks around the country and hoping to organise a little tour called, 'Are you well? I thought you were', or 'It's a man actually, Derek', so we're hoping to continue the fun side of racing because I'm a great believer in enjoying racing. 'The memories, and there's some great stories, many of which we can't tell, but the ones we can I'd love to, we're hoping to start a podcast. I will still be going (racing) because I enjoy working. I've been very lucky over the years, working with people like John Francome, Brough Scott.' Thompson also famously once raced against the then future King in a charity event and remembers the race fondly. He said: 'I beat him, Prince Charles as he was then. I rode a horse for Nicky Henderson called Classified and I beat him at Plumpton. 'There were about 12 runners, it was a two-mile Flat race and it was incredible. 'We occasionally have a chat at the races, Royal Ascot and stuff and we get together sometimes. 'I always say, 'Sir, I'm sorry I beat you all those years ago and he says 'don't worry, I forgave you', but the (late) Queen goes, 'but I haven't, Tommo'. It was incredible.' Reflecting on his illustrious career behind the microphone, one of Thompson's favourite memories was calling Frankel's racecourse debut at Newmarket when Sir Henry Cecil's charge launched the beginning of an unbeaten 14-race career. And Thompson has fond memories of the late, great Cecil and the empathy he showed when he was dealing with bowel cancer in 2012. He said: 'I did the first commentary on Frankel when he won at Newmarket – what a horse. 'I used to go and sit with Henry Cecil on the gallops. I remember I had cancer and I was coming out of hospital and I was very weak and I used to go on the gallops at Newmarket. 'I remember him saying, 'come on, sit down next to me', and we watched the horses because I could hardly stand up. It was just lovely and I remember watching Frankel coming up there and he was one of my favourite horses. I miss Henry to this day.' Red Rum's first Grand National victory in 1973 will forever remain one of the fondest from the many commentaries – in this case radio – Thompson has done during his career. He said: 'The 1973 Grand National, Red Rum and Crisp. I'm the youngest ever commentator, 22, of the Grand National. 'There was Michael Seth-Smith at the first, Michael O'Hehir was at Becher's, I was at Valentine's and then I handed back to Peter Bromley and he did the best commentary I've ever heard on a race finish. 'Crisp and Richard Pitman were 30 lengths clear passing me and Red Rum got up on the line to win. 'Red Rum was probably the greatest horse of all time. There's so many – Frankel, Brigadier Gerard, Nijinsky, Shergar, I've been lucky enough to see all of those.'
Forbes
15-07-2025
- General
- Forbes
To Drive Innovation, Learn to Show Up and Contribute as a Great Guest
Cheers. At the beginning of the year, my partner Nadja and I read a piece in the Atlantic titled 'The Anti-Social Century' by Derek Thompson. In the piece, Thompson lays out a powerful argument for why we're living in an Age of Solitude. Not loneliness, mind you…solitude. The distinction is important. Loneliness is the emotion you feel when you're alone and you don't like it. It's a helpful nudge that gets people off the couch to meet other people. A little loneliness is a healthy and normal thing. Solitude, however, is far more pernicious. Solitude is simply being alone. Coming out of the pandemic, too many of us are alone without feeling lonely. And so we stay at home on a Saturday night. We put off meeting friends. And while we don't feel bad, rates of anxiety and depression continue to rise in America. Nadja and I were shaken by the article. And we decided to do something about it. We resolved to host a dinner every month, where we brought together two or three other couples who didn't know each other. We adopted the framework of a Jeffersonian Dinner. As lore would have it, our third president was a preternaturally curious person. He was also hard of hearing. To accommodate both those needs, he'd bring together groups of no more than eight people to dine and have a single conversation where they could explore an idea. We've done the same. Our topics have included 'Where is technology taking us?' 'What gives you hope?' and 'When have you last experienced a moment of wonder?' Our goal is to learn and connect more deeply with interesting people. In our own small way, we hope to combat the epidemic of solitude. We've had such great experiences that we've started holding Jeffersonian dinners at Jump for our clients and friends. Because solitude affects how we innovate as well. At its core, innovation requires connection and collaboration. It requires exposure to new and differing ideas. It requires us to learn. Every gathering is a chance to do that: to listen attentively, ask a thoughtful question, or share a relevant story. A simple conversation over the table can spark ideas and insights that carry back into our daily work and relationships. It can even help us play a part in reconnecting our society. Of course, you may not feel ready to host a party of your own. Start by being a good guest. In this Age of Solitude, many well-intentioned people are out of practice with how to socialize. And while wonderful books exist on hosting (check out Priya Parker's classic The Art of Gathering), fewer guides exist for guesting. Yet, guests make a party successful as much as the host. For that reason, here's an imperfect list of ten ways to help ensure that you're a great guest. 1. Respond to the invitation. Bad guests receive a text, email, or Evite and then don't respond. This makes them look self-important or like they're holding out for a better offer. It also makes it hard for the host to plan. Respond to the invitation within 24 hours of receiving it, even if your response is only to say, 'Can I tell you by Friday?' 2. Follow any instructions. Bad guests ignore the premise of the party. This puts a damper on the festivities. If it's a costume party, wear a costume. If it's a book club, read the book. If the invitation says 'no gifts,' then don't show up with a present, no matter how perfect you think it is. 3. Arrive on time. Bad guests text the host after the party has already started to say they're running an hour late. This can disrupt whatever festivities have been planned. Show up on time. In the United States, this typically means between 15 and 30 minutes after the officially scheduled time. 4. Bring something easy. Bad guests show up empty-handed. Unless the instructions specifically asked you to come empty-handed, bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. But avoid 'white elephants.' Don't bring a side dish unless asked. Don't bring a fondue station that demands accommodation from your host. 5. Participate well. Bad guests say, 'None for me, thanks...' This, too, can put a damper on the festivities. If it's a dinner party, come ready to eat something. If it's a wine tasting, expect to imbibe. If it's a dance party, expect to spend at least a few minutes shaking your booty. That said, don't overindulge, drink too much, or dominate a party game with your pathological need to win. 6. Add to the vibe. Bad guests enter the party in a bad mood from whatever happened earlier that day. Leave the past at the door. It is your job to actively contribute to the sense of general bonhomie. Smile. Uncross your arms. Introduce yourself to people you don't know. Show interest in others and what they have to say. 7. Speak in paragraphs, not pages. Bad guests say, 'I hate to dominate the conversation, but…' before continuing merrily on with their oration. This puts the onus on your host to try and shut you up. If you think you're talking too much, don't apologize. Just stop talking. Better yet, ask someone else a question. 8. Don't litter. Bad guests consider every horizontal surface to be an appropriate trash receptacle. This adds to the work for your host. If you're done with an hors d'oeuvre napkin, don't leave it on a bookshelf. If you spill a glass of wine, wipe it up. 9. Watch for leaving time. Bad guests say things like, 'Hey, anytime you want us to leave, just let me know.' This puts the onus on your host to evict you. Notice when others are starting to fade or lose interest and promptly say your goodbyes. 10. Send a thank you note. Bad guests wake up the next day with amnesia. It's important to thank your host for the invitation and tell them one reason why you had a good time. For most parties nowadays, a simple text will do. For a more formal gathering, write a handwritten note. And of course, the ultimate thank you is an invitation to a party you've decided to throw. Most of us have violated these rules on one or more occasions. And while this list may seem obvious, the reality is that we're just out of practice. Years of quarantine and remote work have left us with social muscles that have atrophied. Moreover, it may be part of a troubling shift in how we see the world: not as active citizens but as passive consumers of content. As guests, we need to see ourselves as co-creators of an experience, not just consumers. Of course, the idea of being a co-creator of experiences applies at work as well. Too many ideation sessions and team workshops get dragged down by late attendees who show up unclear on the goals of the meeting or without prior work completed. Some just wreck the vibe for everyone else. This, too, seems to be happening more post-pandemic. In life and at work, innovation is social, and we're all out of practice. We need to make the most of our time together. Let's get back to being good guests.
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Abundance: the US book is a sensation among our progressive MPs. But can it spur action in Canberra?
'We should be able to argue that the clean energy future should be fucking awesome.' It's days away from the start of the 48th parliament, and if in Canberra there's one book that you must at least pretend to have read by then, it's Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Klein, a New York Times journalist and host of a popular podcast, produced the above quote during an interview in March, a couple of weeks after the book's release. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email With that kind of enthusiasm, it's no wonder that the book – subtitled How We Build a Better Future – is a sensation among progressives in America and around the world. Klein and Thompson helpfully distil the book into a simple idea: 'To have the future we want, we need to build and invent more of what we need.' Need more? At its heart, the authors are trying to create a more effective progressive movement focused on providing for people in ways that matter for them – from affordable housing and childcare, to key infrastructure, to cheap and clean energy. In Australia, Productivity Commission research has found that the construction sector is building fewer homes per hour worked than in the 1990s, despite adding more than 700,000 home building jobs. The PC places the blame squarely on a proliferation of rules and compliance that has slowed the pace of innovation and wrapped up builders and developers in red tape. Meanwhile, Deborah Cobb-Clark, an economics professor at the University of Sydney, at a conference last week highlighted survey data which showed 40% of young Australians think they might not have a comfortable place to live in the next 12 months. The pessimism runs deeper than housing. In 2022, 72% of all Aussies did not believe a child born then would do better than their parents – a 14 percentage point increase from the year before, and the biggest rise in the world. 'There's a lot of pessimism, and a lot of angst, and a lot of concern among young Australians about their place in Australian society,' Cobb-Clark said. 'For many outcomes it's perceptions of inequality that are more important than real inequality.' The answer, say Klein and Thompson, is a 'liberalism that builds' – a can-do government that is focused on outcomes. Klein elaborated on the Pod Save America podcast: 'The future is going to be defined on affordability'. 'We are in a period where the big economic problem for a long time is going to be: the things people need the most of, we just don't have enough of them.' The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is trying to sell us his own vision of a cleaner, greener and more dynamic Australian economy built on industries of the future. He sees a major role for the government in driving this transformation. So it's no wonder he has called the book a 'ripper' and said it is doing the rounds through 'a whole bunch' of Labor colleagues. Andrew Leigh, an assistant minister in the treasury portfolio, is a convert who has been – to use the term doing the rounds online 'abundance pilled'. Leigh, the author of a number of economics books and who has a PhD in the subject, even titled a speech in June 'The Abundance Agenda'. The chair of the Productivity Commission, Danielle Wood, has read it and found much to agree with; after all, finding ways to unleash the productive potential of the economy is her job. A little over a month out from Chalmers' economic reform roundtable, Wood has talked about how Australia must regain a 'growth mindset'. In the US, where Trump is reversing major spending bills for clean energy, the authors are arguing for no less than the dawn of a new political order to replace the tired neoliberalism that began its decline in the 2010s. Faith in government and its legitimacy rests with producing results for citizens, the authors argue. The collapse in Americans' trust in government to do the right thing, from 77% in 1964, to just 22% in 2024, is in part down to the incapability of politicians, to paraphrase, to get shit done. It's not a great leap to see this as a cautionary tale for Labor: reach the policy goals that matter for people, or risk a Clive Palmer running the joint. Australia is not America by any means, so the blockages identified in Abundance are not as daunting. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Our politics and people are not as polarised, our system not as litigious, our parliament not as sclerotic. Still, the challenge to pursue an abundance agenda is far from easy. It demands some uncomfortable debates within the left – between environmental groups, unions, and politicians. And when it comes to the clean energy transition, the bipartisan divide on green energy here is wider than in almost every other country. Edelman's global trust barometer report for 2024 found that 28% of Australians classified as on the 'right' reject green energy technology, compared with 7% on the left. Klein and Thompson say that in the US 'the government has taken on the task of decarbonisation and the responsibility of coordinating a once-in-a-century transformation of America's built landscape'. 'But it is doing so with laws and agencies and habits that are better designed to block green construction than to allow it.'There are obvious parallels with Australia, where opposition to huge green power generation and infrastructure projects is growing among local communities and environmental groups. Bob Brown caused a stir in 2019 when he opposed a major windfarm project on Tasmania's Robbins Island and criticised plans to lay transmission cable through the Tarkine forest. He likened the Robbins Island proposal to the thwarted plan to dam the Franklin River in the 1980s – a landmark victory for the nascent green movement. Nearly six years later and the renewable energy project remains in limbo. The then environment minister Tanya Plibersek delayed the decision until after the May election. Klein and Thompson accuse the environmental movement of 'trade-off denial', saying 'society has run out of time to save everything we want to save, and to mull things over for years'. 'Nothing about this is easy, and it is not always clear how to strike the right balance. But a balance that does not allow us to meet our climate goals has to be the wrong one.' There are plenty of other curly questions for politicians, even those fully on board with the so-called abundance agenda. As an example of the type of overregulation that slows down projects, the authors point to Biden's worthy $US39bn program to subsidise semiconductor manufacturers to set up factories in the US. Rather than a laser focus on how to get this done, applicants needed to answer questions about 'specific efforts to attract economically disadvantaged individuals and promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility'. Now consider Treasury's National Interest Framework to assess proposals under Labor's Future Made in Australia program: 'The government will also apply community benefit principles in relation to investments in priority industries. These principles will have a focus on investment in local communities, supply chains and skills, and the promotion of diverse workforces and secure jobs.' Klein and Thompson's comments could just as easily apply in the Australian context: 'Many of these are good goals. But are they good goals to include in this project? There is no discussion … of trade-offs.' There's no doubt that Klein and Thompson's book offers a manifesto that American democrats could take to the next election. It offers a lens for a new type of more effective progressive government. Leigh has called it 'progressive productivity'. So will the future be 'fucking awesome'? Let's hope so. The stories we tell ourselves are important, and a shift in mindset where the future is there to be won could help. One thing's for certain: it will take more than an abundance of rhetoric to get there. Patrick Commins is Guardian Australia's economics editor
