Highest Inn

Neil Hanson


Region:
Anywhere
Notice Period:
Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
Type:
Professional
Fee:
Paid: Negotiable
Category:
History
Updated:
15th January 2024

"Highest Inn" is the story of running the highest inn in Great Britain in the 1970s and 1980s. It was so isolated that its next-door neighbour was 4 miles away and so high above sea level that it had its own climate, with winds that could tear car-doors off their hinges, and winter snows that cut off the inn for weeks on end.

A hugely engaging storyteller, Neil Hanson’s account of his time at the inn, grappling with tight-fisted farmers, eccentric characters, bizarre local customs, naturist weekends, “lates and lock-ins”, police raids, rats in the attic, close encounters with magistrates and planners, and the shooting of a famous double glazing commercial, is suitable for all audiences.

  • ‘We have had such positive feedback about your speech and how much they enjoyed it. My husband laughed so much he was nearly crying!’ Sandy Rysiok, Society of Municipal Treasurers
  • ‘It really was a pleasure to host you. I have had nothing but positive responses since the dinner – you really hit the right note.’ Commander Andrew Coles, HMS Drake, Plymouth
  • ‘A brilliant talk, the best we’ve ever had.’ Leeds U3A
  • The best - and the best-received - of all the 100 events we have put on here.’ Ed Tracy, Executive Director, The Pritzker Library, Chicago
  • ‘Excellent, really enjoyable and entertaining.’ Lucy Moody, Head of Advertising, Everest Ltd.
  • ‘Your talk was very, very well received by our members - they loved it and are probably still laughing.’ Tarporley U3A
  • ‘A wonderful talk.’ Huntingdon U3A
  • ‘Superb, amusing and insightful.’ Yorkshire Countrywomen’s Association
  • ‘A great talk. Loads of compliments from people saying how much they enjoyed it! That’s unprecedented!’ Sheffield U3A
  • 'The talk was a huge hit with our audience, there have been a great many enthusiastic and positive comments.' Ilminster Festival
  • ‘An entertaining and masterful performance.’ Bradford U3A
  • ‘Best Speaker’ (vote by audiences), Brisbane Festival
  • ‘Fantastic, a tremendous evening.’ Amanda Lydon, New York City
  • ‘It was a joy to have you with us... your presentation drew raves.’ Eli Paul, Director, National World War I Museum, Kansas City
  • 'Great talk, we enjoyed it very much.' Graham Hastings-Evans, President, British Association of Construction Heads
  • ‘Wonderfully entertaining - will be live at the Apollo next!’ Audience member, Knaresborough Festival
  • ‘The best speaker I've ever heard.' Audience member, Yate & Sodbury U3A
  • ‘Neil Hanson was an outstanding speaker – warm, funny, humane.’ Stephen Brown, Chairman, Yorkshire Post Literary Luncheons
  • ‘Very amusing and entertaining. I’ve had some wonderful feedback from our members.’ Potters Bar U3A
  • ‘Very eloquent and very amusing talk. Everyone has said how much they enjoyed it.' Bramhope WI
  • ‘Such an entertaining talk. It was polished, professional and greatly appreciated by the audience who were totally involved and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.’ Swanland U3A
  • 'Thank you for being a wonderful speaker. Your humour, wit and entertaining ability kept a very diverse audience entranced.’ Janet Munro, Soroptimist International
  • ‘Such confidence and humour and such a variety of experiences has given you great entertainment skills.’ Kirkburton Probus Club
  • ‘Great to have someone who is so clearly at ease, not only with the subject, but also with presenting it.’ Holme Valley U3A
  • ‘I’ve been a member for 20 years and that was one of the best talks we’ve ever had.’ Cranleigh Probus Club
  • ‘Our members thoroughly enjoyed your talk and the fluency and clarity with which it was presented.’ Bookham U3A
  • ‘A huge thank you to Neil Hanson for doing such a wonderful event. It went down fantastically well.’ Director, Ilkley Festival
  • ‘The most entertaining speaker we've ever had.’ Sittingbourne Probus Club
  • ‘We were delighted with your talk, one member said it was the best she had ever heard.’ Combined Essex WIs
  • ‘A wonderful speech, thank you.’ Audience member, New Orleans
  • ‘The feedback we have had has been tremendous.’ Off The Shelf, Sheffield
  • ‘Extremely amusing and entertaining,’ Ilkley U3A
  • ‘We have had some excellent speakers over the years, but you were the very best we have ever had.’ Organiser, Rossett and Wakeman Lectures
  • ‘The audience loved it, as did we.’ Wendy Kent, Director, Knaresborough Festival
  • 'You were awesome.’ Thomas Power, Chairman, ecademy, London
  • ‘Thank you so much - your talk was brilliant.’ Meriel Jeater, Curator, Museum of London
  • ‘A spellbinding talk. Thank you.’ New Zealand Book Council, Wellington
  • ‘Neil Hanson offered the audience a great display of verbal pyrotechnics.’ Sydney Festival
  • ‘You were a star, everyone really enjoyed listening to you.’ Yorkshire Post
Views: 888 | Enquiries: 5

About Neil Hanson

In a long and very chequered career, among a bewildering variety of other jobs, Neil Hanson has been an Oxford graduate, a plasterer’s mate, an ice cream salesman, a holiday camp redcoat and - simultaneously - an art critic and a rugby league commentator. He’s edited the boozer’s Bible - the Good Beer Guide, ran and later owned, Britain’s highest inn, in a wild and remote corner of the Yorkshire Dales, and also went round the world twice and worked as a print journalist and radio broadcaster in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

He is now a very successful author with over 60 published books to his name. As well as his own work, he’s also a “ghost writer” for, among others, sports stars, showbiz legends, captains of industry, SAS men, pilots, a treasure diver, an explorer, a kidnap negotiator, an undercover investigator and a spy.

An award winning speaker, he has entertained audiences at every type of occasion - corporate events, conferences, festivals, luncheon clubs, dinners and banquets - throughout the UK and in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Kansas City, New Orleans, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland and Wellington


Send a message to the speaker

If you are interested in this talk and wish to contact the speaker, please complete the following form:

 
Please provide your contact name
 
Please provide the name of your group
 
Your phone number so that the speaker can contact you
 
Your email address so that the speaker can contact you
 
Give details about the event, time of day and location
Prove you are human please.
Use the slider to drag the puzzle so that the top and bottom are aligned , or use an alternate text based challenge by clicking here.
Which of seventy three, twenty four, 71 or 46 is the biggest?
 

Site Search

Search across all speakers, topics and tags. Put your search term in the box and press enter or hit search

Use quotes around exact multiple word searches, eg "winston churchill".