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With the kids at their grandparents I could get down to my proper holiday - nothing to do til late September, apart from move house (and maybe a few remote book club podcasts).
I had lots of jobs to do today. I wanted to finally pay in the last lot of coins from the Ball Back charity collection (a much easier job than it used to be as people don't tend to carry change any more so donations were either notes or online or non-existent) and go to the supermarket.
I parked in a free for 20 minute spot near the bank and thought that should be enough time. And indeed the bank was pretty quiet as it was early in the morning. I poured my first lot of coins into the machine (another godsend - reliable sorting machines- all those post gig hours I used to spend counting money out into bags). I had them in a small cardboard box, which helpfully fell to pieces after I'd poured a few coins out of it and so most of the £400 + I had in there went all over the floor. Maybe this would take more than 20 minutes.
I did a decent job of picking them all up (I handled a lot of coins back in the day and apparently also used to throw them on the bed and make love on top of them - amazingly this rumour has me in bed with someone else, but in truth I only did that alone). it was a irritating Frank Spencer start to the day - no good deed goes unpunished. But I got them all into the machine, apart from some that had gone under it. But I think I got most of those out, using the flattened cardboard box as a coin poker.
I might have lost a few pence, but that will be a nice tip for whoever cleans under the machine (a person who doesn't exist judging by the gunk under there). I think it's possible I actually made money on the deal. I bet I am not the only one to spill their bounty. If you're ever short of cash, get a ruler and get under the Natwest coin machine.
I managed to pay in my coins along with the old style twenty that someone had dumped on me and the 20 US dollars that someone else had donated. Both decent donations and both payable into your account.
All this money, of course, was immediately transferred to Movember. We raised over £6400 including the online donations - not much compared to the glory days, but still better than a kick in the ball.
You can donate here if you missed the chance at a show . Donate £20 or more and email your address to
herring1967@gmail.com and I will post you one of the rare physical programmes we had printed (only 200 in total).
I might not be able to find the box of programmes though, because I spent the rest of the day transforming my attic office from the messy snooker stadium cum puppet arena that you may have seen live-streamed into an elegant looking bedroom.
We are getting photos down for our new estate agent this week and the lady who we signed with said we should better show the potential of the attic to normal people who don't broadcast to the world, by making it a bedroom.
It was a fuck of a lot of work, I have to say and I'd done quite a bit already. But I pushed through and removed almost everything to a smaller guest bedroom and we moved the bed from the guest bedroom through to the attic. Even though this involved dismantling and rebuilding furniture, I managed it. I did foolishly attempt to move the desk that used to house all my streaming equipment on my own and the leg sort of bracket thing on that side fell off. I had constructed it myself, screwing on the legs, but the screws all popped out. Bad workmanship from me, or just stupidity trying to move it alone. Or I am Frank Spencer.
Luckily all the computer equipment was elsewhere by now. Had this happened during live streaming it would have made for some fun, but possibly crushed the Victorian Ghost Child to her second death.
My snooker board, my desk, my Champion of Champions Taskmaster trophy, my Hercules sword and my Other Boat Race oar, all ended up on a single bed frame in the spare room. Live a highlights reel from my career. And bound to scare any potential purchases when they see it.
The space looks phenomenal and minimalist now and I can't believe I managed to do it. It's a difficult space to photograph though so I am going to be annoyed if the photographer doesn't bother. But turning the top floor of the house into an epic main bedroom is enough to make me want to stay here. If only I could be this tidy and organised and determined for a house I am actually going to live in.
Another Edinburgh RHLSTP (this one recorded in Glasgow!) and a phenomenal guest who a few weeks ago (some time after the podcast was recorded) had a small heart attack, but that hasn't stopped her doing her Fringe show - Susie McCabe.
Listen here. 
