Sir John Major, British Prime Minister from 1992 - 1997, is our guest today. In this deeply interesting, personal and touching conversation, Sir John talks to Gyles about his childhood in South London and about his unusual and inspiring family. Sir John's background is unconventional. His father had been a successful music hall artiste, and was a great storyteller, much older than the fathers of John's friends. His mother had been a balletic dancer, and was an extremely kind and selfless wife and parent. Both of them were role models to John; his love and admiration for them shine through in this conversation, and will move you. Sir John talks about their extremely humble home and lifestyle - the family fell into hard times and were poor - and about the anger he felt at his family becoming a subject of ridicule by the press in later years. Sir John talks about how he got into politics, about what he believes is missing from today's Westminster scene, and about how he met and married Norma. We're extremely grateful to Sir John for speaking to us with such candour, and for his delightful company, and hope you enjoy this. It really is worth your time. Sir John Major's book, My Old Man, which Gyles mentions, is available here. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 02:53 - Detailing father's early life and circus career 07:47 - Recalling father's later years 10:26 - Describing mother's life and family hardships 14:57 - Reflecting on siblings and moving to Brixton 20:51 - Sharing childhood experiences and early friendships 24:41 - Exploring the role of cricket and sport in life 27:51 - Discussing school years and early career 33:04 - Addressing media portrayal and political entry 39:20 - Recalling parents' deaths and meeting Norma 49:13 - Sharing personal anecdotes and reflections 57:11 - Highlighting moments of joy and regret 01:01:05 - Offering life lessons and concluding thoughts #gylesbrandreth #rosebudpodcast #celebritybiography #BritishPolitics #JohnMajor