I simply cannot believe that the last “Conversations with Chris” podcast was broadcast in February 2020 - but then again, we have all been a bit distracted and busy haven’t we?

It would also be fair to say that the podcasting world has grown exponentially during 2020 and became a much favoured way of communicating in the year of Covid-19.

However, my ever-watchful support team (a.k.a. Phillippa and Rachel) decided it was about time I got back in gear with this and so booked an interview time in my calendar and ordered me to “go and get a guest”.

As always, this podcast is intended to be more of a hobby than an enterprise, more of a social experiment than a marketing device - and for that reason I want to get back into the habit of interviewing people who simply fascinate me.

So welcome a very old friend Dr. Simon Thackeray - a dentist whose reputation and reach have extended far and wide this year and on many different fronts.

I decided not to follow the usual podcast pathway of “tell us your life story” but just to jump in with both feet and talk about how Covid-19 has affected Simon and his business, as well as the wider dental community.

What follows is a conversation with no beginning, middle or end - just two old mates catching up and looking back, looking in the mirror and looking forward - I’ve even left in the gaffs 9as you will discover) as we aren’t trying to win a prize for podcasting.

Join us and you will learn:

• How Simon was one of the most popular panelists in our various lockdown and return to work broadcasts and how he helped more people in more ways then he may have imagined;
• A little bit about Mansfield, Notts (home of Thackeray Dental Care) - my own adventures with miners in a 1977 municipal sauna, how the town has changed since the pits closed and an overview of Simon’s patient database and core values;
• Why I got my Sarahs and my Saras mixed up;
• The two biggest lifesavers that kept Simon’s business afloat in 2020;
• Keeping a team together when they are “ragged and raw”;
• The shortage of dental nurses and what we have to do next;
• All “the other stuff” - the multitude of extra-curricular activities that Simon gets involved in - and why;
• Simon’s plans for 2021 and why he is confident about the future.

Enjoy listening to a man with opinions - that he isn’t afraid to share!