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Apparently it's 30 years ago tonight that Fist of Fun first aired. And I've been a bit sick in my mouth. No way. Come on. It can't be more than a decade ago. Shit.
What's most remarkable is that a man said "Moon on a Stick" to me in the queue for coffee yesterday. That's a long memory.
Although we slept in a little bit, we had a strong plan for getting packed and out of Center Parcs and it seemed to work well. I got lots packed away whilst making breakfast and then we took the bikes back to the cycle hub and picked up the car and then had a full hour to load up and make sure we hadn't forgotten any chargers etc.
We were on our way to my great-niece's first birthday party in Cheddar and Catie had said she'd do a pass the parcel, so she was trying to get that done in the last fifteen minutes before we had to leave our lodge, but I had dealt with the rubbish, got the car parked, made sure the kids had their ipads. And we were out of the door at 9.59am, a full minute early.
Something was niggling at the back of my mind and once everyone was in the car I went back for a safety wee and to make one final sweep of the rooms. I'd done it four times. There was no way I could have forgotten anything important. I had my phone, my wallet, I was almost certain my laptop was in my back pack (yes I remembered putting it in), so I ignored the niggles and off we went.
It was only once we'd arrived in Cheddar an hour or so later and I checked my phone that I saw there was a notification saying my house keys were no longer with me. I realised that I'd left my fucking coat hung up on the coat rack by the door of the lodge. It was doubly annoying as my keys had been on the kitchen table for a couple of days, before I'd put them in the coat so I wouldn't forget them. What a fucking chump.
Look, this could have been a lot worse. When we'd left home Catie had said "I don't need to bring my keys do I?" and I'd agreed it wasn't necessary. So if we'd been heading straight home we'd have been at the door before we realised my mistake and not be able to get in (Catie's mum has a set of keys but she lives half an hour away).
I rang Center Parcs and they had already found my coat and I asked if it was OK for me to pick it up on our way back on Sunday. So aside from the inconvenience of going a long way round (and whatever Sliding Doors consequences that might have) it isn't the disaster it could have been. But still, I was pretty annoyed with my stupid self.
Usually we say "Phone, wallet. keys" before going anywhere. Why had I not put keys on my mental list today?
Anyway, we got to have a fun first birthday party in the garden in the hot spring sunshine. My baby whisperer skills abandoned me though as my Great-Niece cried when she first saw me and then pretty much every time we interacted throughout they day. Ernie tried to comfort me later on saying "She's just crying because of your ugly face, but it's what you're like on the inside that counts." He is a very funny 7 year old. But the joke's on him as he has my face as well.
Because of touring we haven't always had time to record a Book Club podcast, so decided to put up the bonus pods I recorded for Acast Plussers on weeks where we don't have a book club. I don't know why Chris Evans (not that one) decided to put one of these up today, as we actually had a Book Club recorded, but he is a maverick genius and so decided to go with me talking to a ventriloquist dummy instead.
Hope you enjoy it.Book Club will return next week!
