I drove to Wells in Somerset with the comedian/magician/novelist
John Lenahan. I had no sat nav. I have bought a new one, but when I tried to download maps from the internet I somehow wiped the whole thing and have to wait til Monday to try and sort this out over the phone. "Shall I get my sat nav out of my car?" asked John.
"No, we should be OK," I said. "I know the way to Wells."
As it turned out though I only knew the way to Wells from Cheddar and even then, only by getting the 126 bus. I had the directions printed up, but John, who might be able to saw a lady in half, but doesn't seem to be able to navigate, couldn't follow them and we ended up on a little tour of the countryside around the Cathedral town, arriving just as the gig was meant to begin. I hope I can get the sat nav fixed. I am lost without it. Why does technology conspire against me?
Although I have met John a couple of times before - I believe I gigged with him at the Acton Banana in 1990, but may be wrong - I don't know him very well. I was going to be spending six hours in a car with him and sometimes with comedians this can be a bit much. Some are hyperactive or trying to be funny all the time or just odd. But John was very entertaining and interesting and the time passed very pleasurably. He has some great stories from his twenty three year career and as it turns out is also
a blogger and
has written a book that's coming out soon. He is also wearing a new pair of socks every day for a year (and then never wearing them again), like an eccentric millionaire. You've got to love that. If you click on the greatest hits bit of his blog you can read a funny story about a gig he did for Paul McCartney. Also if he gets a lot of hits in a day Sock Shop will give him a free pair of really posh socks made out of suede or something. So please go and visit his site today! Or at least send him some socks. Or if you want some socks that are slightly soiled by an American magician then pester him and see if he will send you some. I think he might end up writing about getting lost in the Somerset countryside with a Somerset man who thinks he doesn't need a sat nav, so it'll be interesting to see his take on it.
Thanks to some very generous late donations to
just giving page we have unbelievably hit the £4000 target. Thanks so much for that - especially given that some hefty late donations were not big enough to win first prize. You are lovely people. There's still a chance you might get your name in the programme if you donate in the next couple of days (though you will not be eligible for top spot in the unlikely event you have that kind of money to give away), but I am going to try and get the pages off to the designers asap. So donate now for your name to go down in history. I am so grateful for your generosity and I know SCOPE will be delighted. I am going back to
Ingfield on Sunday and it's very good news to take with me. I realise with a horrible start that I have to write not only the programme, but also the show, not forgetting a Guardian Guide to writing comedy, in the next two months. I am going to be a very busy boy.
