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Sunday 12th May 2019

6003/19023

I mean to be fair, he did predict a riot. I should have listened.

The drive home flew by and the sun shone and I was back with the family in time for a wonderful roast chicken lunch. Compared to the intensive touring of old this felt like luxurious and easy. I’d been away for 24 hours, but my reward was a glorious Sunday afternoon, playing football, blowing bubbles and then in spite of the weather, watching films. We saw Coco which we’d had one abortive attempt at before, but my daughter had found it scary (and that was before the skeleton people had appeared). This time we fought through her fears and I am glad we did. It’s a really beautiful film about family, love, betrayal and death. And how we have a second death when the last memory of us is also extinguished.
It seemed extra poignant as in her final months the only person who my grandmother remembered (and very fondly) was her own father Ernest and I am sure I’ve written before about the possibility that my own kids might be thinking of me and Catie in their old folks’ home in the 22nd Century (if there is one). And in the film the father’s continued existence depends on that now old lady still holding him in her memory. I may have cried. 
When so many adult films are now kids’ films, it’s bizarre that some of more mature films are actually kids’ films, but this one tackles big themes with humour and heart. What a rollercoaster for us all. Highly recommended if you want to stop watching stupid films about superheroes who can travel through time and want something more realistic about skellingtons that depend on you remembering them for existence.
Later we watched Wine Country which I’d really been looking forward to, mainly due to the calibre of the cast and the performances were indeed excellent and there’s much to recommend in the film, but it felt a bit plodding and obvious places and there was a borderline embarrassing scene about the fifty year olds moaning in about some cartoon character millennials (that just about rescued itself with self-awareness, but not entirely). Of course being the age of these characters made the film a little more poignant for me. There is something jarring and upsetting to see the music we listened to as teenagers being enjoyed by middle-aged people and then realising that those middle-aged people are us. Kids in America seemed especially upsetting. All the excitement and bluster of youth and we’ve blinked our eyes and the kids we were and the kids we imagined in America and Kim Wilde herself are racing towards the grave. 
But I loved all the performances and I love these brilliant actors who together have brought us some of the best sitcoms of the last fifteen years and helped to change the comedy landscape. It’s worth a watch, but only after you’ve seen Coco and wept.

Some more great RHLSTP guests announced
2nd June in Wakefield, Band of Gold writer Kay Mellor + TBA
10th June in Kings Place, London Russell Howard + TBA
17th June Kings Place London - heavy pencil on someone who was meant to be on before, but had to pull out. He will remain a mystery voice for now.

And Salford on 25th May is very nearly sold out, basically only restricted view seats left (but we're not planning on going to the sides of the stage so that shouldn't be an issue. Sarah Millican and Jimmy Cricket are the guests.

All tickets links for these gigs and the whole tour are here


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Can I Have My Ball Back? The book Buy here
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