The Harding family
We record just some of our background and other ad-hoc items of interest on this page. New material is being published here on a continuous basis.

Books and articles are published below

These are listed on the left-hand side of this web page in date order with the most recently produced shown first. Click on these links to jump down the page to the chosen article:

• Motivate me, motivate you - a self-help motivational book by Phil Harding (2011)
• Escaping the holocaust - Rolf Harding's escape from Nazi Germany - by Phil Harding (2008)
• Is over-population killing the planet? - Phil Harding's Observer Magazine interview (2007)
• The Environment Business interview with Phil Harding (2006)
• A Special Corps - The Beginnings of 'Gorkha' Service with the British by A P "Jimmy" Coleman (1999)
• Sit or Squat? Lessons from other cultures - by Dr Vicki Harding (1999)
• Are we being patientist? - by Dr Vicki Harding (1998)
• Margaret Thatcher reads speech written by Phil Harding...(1982)

Internet & Photography

See Phil's internet and photographic work (that supports his internet work):

Other items of interest

• Porthcothan Bay
• Coopersale Vicarage
• Hardings at the Palace

Motivate me, motivate you

 Printed version >>
 (most popular format; discount for multiple orders)
 
 Kindle edition on amazon.co.uk >>
 (costs less than the price of a cup of coffee out)
 
 Kindle edition on amazon.com >>
 (costs less than the price of a cup of coffee out)

In response to the huge success of "Resource Efficiency and Corporate Responsibility, Managing Change" (available free on www.oursouthwest.com) and to coincide with the milestone of having issued 200,000 copies, Phil Harding published a book on self-motivation "Motivate me, motivate you" that is available for purchase in printed format or as a Kindle e-book (costing less than a cup of coffee out). You can purchase this book by clicking on a link above.

If you don't have a Kindle reading device you can download free Kindle reading application software from Amazon for your PC, Mac, iPad etc.

Here are comments from UK and US reviewers of the book:
"This wonderful book is small but powerful!"
"I found this book immensely enjoyable and compassionate"
"Excellent, uplifting, easy to read"
"Well worth reading and giving as a gift to others"
"Helping me to think in a different way"
"Recommended for all managers and staff"

Escaping the holocaust

Phil Harding's father, Rolf Harding, was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1922. The son of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother, Rolf Harding (then Heudenfeld) grew up in Nazi Germany from where, in great danger, he escaped on the Kindertransport and settled in England. Some of his family were murdered in the Nazi concentration camps whilst others managed to evade capture.

You can read Phil's graphic account of Rolf Harding's early childhood, persecution, escape from Germany, arrest in England for internment when war broke out, expulsion on board the SS Sobieski to Canada for screening in a Prisoner of War (PoW) camp, and return to settle in wartime England.

Rolf Harding (then Rolf Heudenfeld) is pictured here at the age of 20 in England (1942). © Phil Harding 2008.

To read this unique story click the link below or Rolf's picture.

   'Escaping the holocaust' (pdf 1.6Mb) - an account of Rolf Harding's childhood and escape from Nazi Germany by his son Phil Harding. © Phil Harding 2008.

Footnote.
A printed copy of this biographical account of Rolf Harding's escape from Nazi Germany is also held by the Wiener Library (Institute of Contemporary History) in London. It is one of the world's leading and most extensive archives on the Holocaust and Nazi era. Formed in 1933, the Library's unique collection of over one million items includes published and unpublished works, press cuttings, photographs and eyewitness testimony.

Is over-population killing the planet?

Does it matter if people desire and purposefully plan to have more than 2 children? Can we find a positive way to handle this highly sensitive issue without telling people how to live their lives? Is the UK over-crowded already, with little headroom for the effects of climate change?

In August 2007 The Observer Magazine approached Phil for an interview to gain his personal views on population growth and its impact on the environment. His response shows how we should and can make progress to address the population problem. To ignore this important issue and rely on other nations to provide even more for our needs when they are facing similar challenges themselves is a dangerous strategy (or no strategy at all...).

To see the interview text click on link: 'Is over-population killing the planet?' (pdf 29kb) - by Phil Harding (2007).

The Environment Business interview

In February 2006 one of the UK's leading sustainable business magazines, 'Environment Business', published a short interview with Phil where Phil described his work and motivation concerning sustainable business and sustainable development in the South West. Phil said "We have inherited a wonderful environment but, in global terms, the human race is trashing it more rapidly than ever before and we are fast approaching breaking point".

To see the text from the published interview click on link: The Environment Business Interview - Phil Harding, 2006 (pdf 18kb).

A Special Corps - The Beginnings of 'Gorkha' Service with the British

- by A P "Jimmy" Coleman (1999)

The military qualities and exploits of 'Gorkha' (correct pronunciation of the anglicised spelling 'Gurkha') have received much well justified attention. However, information about the beginnings and early evolution of the Gorkha service with the British has been less well known.

This superb work traces the early recruitment of Gurkhas into the East India Company's Bengal Army and is based on sound research and documentary evidence, a significant part of which is published for the first time.

The author, Phil Harding's father-in-law, Captain A P "Jimmy" Coleman (1922 - 2000), served in the 1st King George V's Own Gurkha Rifles during World War II. It is the wishes of Jim Coleman's family that this important and scholarly yet highly readable work should be available for all to read.

To download the book click on this link: A Special Corps by A P Coleman, 1999 (pdf 6Mb) or on the picture of Captain A P Jimmy Coleman pictured left in his Gurkha uniform in Nepal during WW2.

Note. The proceeds from the published hard copy of this book (sold out in 2002) went to support the Gurkha Welfare Trust. GWT cares for ex-Gurkhas and their families and helps repay the debt of honour owed to the brave Gurkha soldiers who have fought for our freedom since 1815.

© All rights reserved. Estate of A P Coleman 2010. If you wish to reproduce or use text or extracts from this book for commercial purposes (publication, film, radio, etc), contact Phil Harding (email: phil@philharding.net).

Sit or Squat? Lessons from other cultures

Dr Vicki Harding's paper (1999) explores the very real health benefits from the practice in some cultures of squatting rather than sitting on Western style chairs or loos.

To see the paper click on link:
Sit or Squat? Lessons from other cultures - Dr Vicki Harding, 1999 (pdf 31kb).

Are we being patientist?

Dr Vicki Harding's paper (1998) making the case for replacing some more traditional language used by healthcare professionals in their approach to patients with chronic pain with a more patient-focussed language demonstrating understanding, care - in the real sense - and compassion.

To see the paper click on link:
Are we being patientist? - Dr Vicki Harding, 1998 (pdf 47kb).

Margaret Thatcher reads speech written by Phil Harding...

Mrs Thatcher and Phil Harding (and others!),
National Schools Energy Conservation Competition Awards,
Royal Institution, London, January 1982

"I don't need civil servants to write speeches for me!" - PM Margaret Thatcher, 27 January 1982

The most famous person Phil helped write a speech for, whilst working in Whitehall at the Department of Energy, Thames House South, Millbank, London SW1, was for Margaret Thatcher during her first term in office as Prime Minister in January 1982.

As she prepared herself to address the audience, to their amusement she dropped the speaking notes down onto the podium desk, looked up with an expression of disdain at the team of officials sitting together (including a young Phil - see top RH corner of photograph) and said "I don't need civil servants to write speeches for me!" We wish we had known that beforehand...

Her speech had taken many hours of careful preparation as this was before office computers and every revised draft had to be re-typed again and again by a long-suffering typist in the Department of Energy's typing pool. Every freshly typed version was re-proof read - you did not dare make any mistakes in Mrs T's speech! Phil had delivered personally the speaking notes to 10 Downing Street the evening before.

Having made that point she then gave an excellent speech about her approach to energy conservation based on the need for thrift during her childhood as a grocer's daughter. She only referred to the notes to read the factual parts about the winning teams and their competition entries; the parts written by Phil.