Libby Purves meets educationalist Sacha Corcoran; film fans Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse; writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus and auctioneer David Probert.

Sacha Corcoran is the new principal of Dv8 Academy which opens later this year. Based in East London, Dv8 Academy will teach 16 to 18-year-olds - specialising in the creative industries such as music technology, performance, fashion and event management. After a difficult start as a 16-year-old single mother, Sacha turned her life around and has worked in education since 1994. She was awarded a MBE this year for services to education.

As children twins Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse began writing to Hollywood stars including Lillian Gish, James Stewart and Ginger Rogers. The twins began writing these letters at 11. By 18 they were visiting their favourite actors at home and this unique access captured a bygone age of Hollywood glamour. Their new book, I Used to be in Pictures - An Untold Story of Hollywood, chronicles the life they experienced with some of the greatest names in feature films. I Used to be in Pictures - An Untold Story of Hollywood is published by ACC Publishing Group.

Gideon Lewis-Kraus is a writer and journalist. Disillusioned with life as a Fulbright scholar in Berlin in 2007, he set out on three ancient pilgrimages. In his new book, A Sense of Direction, he recounts these journeys which take him from the Camino de Santiago in Spain to a solo circuit of 88 Buddhist temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku and finally to the tomb of a famous Hassidic mystic in the Ukraine. A Sense of Direction is published by One.

David Probert is an auctioneer. His career started at Hereford's Old Livestock Market which closed three years ago. David is featured in Chewing the Cud, a documentary about the historic market which features the memories of local people who used it over the years. Chewing the Cud is showing at The Courtyard, Hereford as part of the Borderlines Film Festival.

Producer: Paula McGinley.