When Malcolm retired from his job as a Pharmacist in 2002, he turned his love of art and classical music into a series of lectures – reaching people right across the world, all from his home in Abergavenny.
“When I hung up my lab coat at 70, I thought ‘What should I do next?’ I started putting together lectures when I retired – but then, when the pandemic hit, I had to adapt; and that’s when I started using Zoom.”
A lifelong interest in classical music and art, Malcolm regularly gave talks on Chopin and Tchaikovsky using his trusty slide projector. After the death of his late wife, Malcolm joined the University of the Third Age (u3a) and discovered a new set of tools, that, unknown to him at the time, would see his lecture series reach far and wide.
“I’ve always been interested in classical music and art and started using a slide projector to give talks. On one occasion, someone came to U3A and gave a presentation using PowerPoint. I was amazed by how slick it looked and wanted to learn more. So, I got my laptop and a friend started teaching me.”
Soon after, Malcolm began presenting his talks on cruise ships and, together with his second wife, Valerie, he had to pinch himself at the idea he could carry all of his lectures in one small laptop bag.
Seven years later, and due to ill health, Malcolm was forced to retire once more, bringing his sea-leg adventures to a sudden end. Passionate and determined, he took his lectures to a new audiences – in care homes, hotels and local village halls.
But when the pandemic hit in 2020, Malcolm discovered a set of new tools that would see him reach a new world-wide fan base, and all from the comfort of his home in Abergavenny.
“Determined not to keep my talks in lockdown too, I started learning how to present online using Zoom.”
Like everybody else, it wasn’t long before Malcolm got the hang of video calling, finding people from across the world were tuning into his ‘world-wide webinars’. Presenting to his audiences, using lots of audio files and hi-res images, Malcolm needed a reliable connection – one that would give him and his audiences the best possible experience.
“When I saw Ogi coming to town, I knew straight away I wanted to switch. After all, why would they be doing all this work if they weren’t confident in their service?”
Offering ultrafast speeds, and support for his streaming needs, Malcolm signed up to Ogi 900 – with a 900Mbps download and 90Mbps upload as standard – helping him deliver his home-based lectures, without the worry that buffering would interrupt his delivery.
“Since having my Ogi service installed, I haven’t looked back. Ogi has given me such a trustworthy connection and I feel confident in the service. It’s been a weight off my mind and allows me to concentrate on my work.
“It really is the future.”
