A Radio Interview with Martin Riley
Part 2: the personal side
by Peter Wilson of Eastbourne Radio
Peter Wilson: What I’d like to do is find out a bit more about you, the person. What star sign were you born under?
Martin Riley: I’m Aries.
And what does that star sign do?
Well it normally means headstrong, stubborn, very creative, very passionate – of course I’m none of those!!!!!
Where were you born and bred?
Well I was born in Richmond but I grew up all over the place. I spent from age 3 ½ to 7 ½ in Jamaica. I’ve lived near Liverpool. I’ve lived in West Sussex. I’ve lived in Manchester so I don’t feel that I’ve roots in any one place.
Can you remember your very first memory?
Well there’s a number that are vague, but one that I do remember vividly is the night that we landed in Jamaica when I was quite little.The heat at the airport when we got off the plane; then getting to a hotel which was so different to anything that I had experienced to that point in England – the balmy, hot, tropical night with the crickets,whatever crickets do – cricketing away in the background - and me being shown a little piece of grass that you could touch and it would curl up. It was all so different. The sound of the activity around the swimming pool, day and night, in the open air – they were very vivid memories.
And can you remember the first record you ever bought?
Well I’ve a feeling it was probably somebody like Rick Wakeman but more clearly I remember the punk singles that I bought - like The Stranglers.
And the first job you ever had?
Well I did some DIY decorating for friends and relatives to buy my first motorbike. I did work in a brick factory, which was incredibly hard work. That was my first proper paid job with a pay slip. - That was a Summer job which was very sweaty and dirty!
Now, a little-known fact about yourself?
I won a Blue Peter badge and I designed the first wavy handled toothbrush - which set the global trend in wavy handled toothbrushes!
Now, food and drink: what’s your very favourite food and drink?
Well I probably eat more oats than anything else in the world, so it must be a favourite staple - or it’s just easy and quick. I love red wine and I love coffee, so not terribly healthy.
Your favourite place in all the world?
I went to the Himalaya. I went to Nepal and took the Everest trail.On the route you can take a left turn before Everest base camp to some holy peaks called Gokyo Ri. It’s without doubt the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. There are black rocks, turquoise lakes, and as the mountains ascend in front of you there’s their black granite bases and the snow-covered peaks. It’s just unbelievably beautiful up there. I’ve never seen anything as peaceful or awesome or impressive in one go.
Now coming back home, where’s your favourite place in Sussex?
Well I love the beach in Bexhill – I’m often down there and I love the Downs. I love going up on the Downs – I think we’re very lucky.
Do you have any pet hates?
Bad drivers!
What do you do to escape the pressures of your business?
The Downs and the beach. They’re two very handy places to re-centre myself – I find them absolutely invaluable. I love being so close to the beach and being able to get up onto one of the ridges along the Downs – it’s just fantastic.
What did your mum and dad do?
Well my mum’s a fiddle player so I kind of grew up with music all around me. She then married my stepfather, a cellist. So that’s where I learnt the cello and then the double bass, and my dad’s an architect/ planner. So I grew up with an arts-based background.
What schools did you go to?
Well I went to a number of schools in Jamaica, Maidstone and Horsham. For my secondary school I went to Christ’s Hospital, a charity school - the blue coat school. Then I went to Manchester for university.
And do you have children?
Yes, I have a son who’s 10 ½ who’s fantastic and my daughter’s 9 –they’re just great and wonderful. Both very talented and fun.
Tell me about your brothers and sisters.
Well I’ve got a brother, a couple of years older than me – he was always a fiery hero of mine. I always got on very well with him we had a lot of fun together. He was always a bit of a challenge. I think we competed quite a lot and he always won, but I always admired and loved my brother very much.
What passions do you have in your life?
Well I love hill walking. I love getting out in nature so I like cycling as well and I love motorbikes, also the double bass. Not that I get to play that very much at all these days. I’m a little bit out of practice there.
Tell me about your greatest inspiration.
In truth, my greatest inspiration is a man called Joseph Campbell who was a mythologist. He was actually a mentor to George Lucas who did the Star Wars series. For me it was one of those books that I started to read, and for me, he suddenly explained life and the life journey in a way that made sense. He wrote a book called The Hero With a Thousand Faces, often simplified to mean the hero’s journey or the heroine’s journey, and he was the person who pulled all the great myths and all the great legends together. For me it all suddenly made sense. Until then I was always questing. Always wondering what’s life about.What’s the meaning of it and where are we meant to be going? He was the man who helped pull all of the pieces of the puzzle into place.
Tell me your most valuable possession.
Has to be my double bass - not in monetary terms but in the thing I own that has soul. I bought it when it was a hundred years old. It’s seen far than I have and it sits there with it’s own personality saying“why aren’t you playing me”?
Now, are you a movie buff? If so, what is your movie heaven?
Movie heaven. I absolutely love movies. A couple of favourites –totally un-PC is Team America which is quite outrageous and very, very funny.
A book that changed you?
Well, the one I just mentioned: Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying I also think is profound.
Can you name a person who really makes you laugh?
Yes, one of the characters in Team America, but he’s not real!
Tell me about the shop that you can’t walk past.
It would have to be Costa Coffee. For someone who tries to live a very healthy life I do enjoy a good cappuccino.
And finally, the best invention ever?
Hiking boots and wheels - because I do like motorbikes. I think part of my release is a little bit of speed now and again.
Now, what we need is your next piece of music.
That’s Chill Out, Things are Gonna Change by John Lee Hooker. Again it’s got Santana. Not that I’m a huge Santana fan but I think when he combines with other people he writes some fantastic stuff.
So why choose that?
Well a big part of getting more from life is actually accepting what you have now - and relaxing into the life you have now. If you’re stressed, it’s a little bit like trying to be open and creative when someone’s got a gun to your head. So I think a big part of life is actually learning to accept what you have and relax into where you are now. So I love the title and I love the music. The title Chill Out,Things are Gonna Change just for me sums it up.
How do we get in touch with you Martin, what are your contact details?
With my colleague Martin Pring (who works in Brighton and the Midlands), we have a freephone number: 0800 0787 244.
Or I can be contacted directly on 01424 730848
Email address:
martin.riley@re-bal.com or martin.riley@re-bal.com
Website address:
www.re-bal.com
Now what’s the main way of people contacting you?
Well, people can always call me.
Sometimes people are reluctant or unsure how to start a conversation with me so on our website we what we call an easy contact form. They can literally just put in their name, a phone number or an email address and we will get in contact with them.
I’m very happy to contact anybody and start the conversation because I do it all the time.
It’s been fantastic having you here today Martin, it’s been a great show.
It’s been my pleasure.
We just need the most important piece of advice that you can give our listeners.
Well I would say it’s about acceptance. Relaxing and the acceptance of where you are, what you have and really appreciating what you have. The thing that I think causes people difficultly and the most upset in their life is that they are at odds with the life they have now. The more that we can accept where we are now, to be relaxed and in the flow, it leaves us free to change or to have more of what we do want.It leaves us creative and open.
And your final piece of music?
It’s called Out Version from Mark Ronson’s latest album called Version. The reason I have chosen it’s because it’s just a very short piece with a great party feel. It’s upbeat and fun and I think sometimes we forget that in the end life’s a game. Life’s a game and we should remember to party.