I'm Rory Stewart and I grew up wanting to be a hero and I'm still fascinated by the ideas of heroism.

In my new series, I'm taking in the long sweep of history from Achilles to Zelensky and asking, what is a hero?

Simply doing your job, being a decent human being.

A true hero is someone who just kind of shines by

their own light and that light is to be recognized by others. The long history of heroism

with me, Rory Stewart. Listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.

Are you ready? Yeah, I'm ready. You don't look ready. No, I, podcasts. Are you ready?

Yeah, I'm ready. You don't look, really? No, I'm ready. I'm absolutely ready. I'm just... You're just distracted? No, I'm not distracted. I'm just using every minute that you're not filling up with witty banter to do my, just, you know, get me notes together. So, notes? You don't have notes, do you? It takes a lot of preparation to sound this unprepared, Simon.

Is that right?

Yes.

Okay, well, it's very nice to see you, Mark, and you're looking very, very mightily fine. Let me read my scripted response. And it's very nice to see you too, Simon. Why are you dressed as a child? Does someone else have to tell you to say that? That's right. Okay.

Written down. So Bruce Murray's been on. I'm writing to let you know about a Witter-related

coincidence and Toby Jones experience.

It was a nobie Toby last week, wasn't it? It was. Because it wasn't him. It was a random Austrian.

So while travelling on the Inverness to King's Cross train last Sunday, I've been enjoying

the lovely scenery and listening to the latest edition of the BBC's flagship film programme.

I'd reach my stop at Edinburgh, just as the podcast was wrapping up, and Simon was reading

a message from a listener telling about having not seen Toby Jones.

Just then I looked out of the window. That's such a wide-ranging category, isn't it? Right in if you haven't seen Toby Jones. Looking at the window at the folks on the platform waiting to get on, and imagine my surprise when I spotted the good man himself. It was Mr. Toby Jones. I'm quite sure it was him, although it could have been the ski instructor who disappointed last week's correspondent. I resisted the urge to shout my excitement as the

kerfuffle of boarding a busy train is bothersome enough without bringing awkward hero worship into it,

but the combined Donal Margot-esque coincidence and my very first non-know-by-Jones day was quite something.

Anyway, so Bruce amongst the many people who have both seen and possibly not seen.

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