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The ghost may have followed us to the new house. The boiler stopped working this morning and it's up in an alcove in the attic. I hadn't been able to work out how to get the ladder down, but needs must and I finally managed to hook it. As I did I nearly took a step backwards and fell down the stairs, which would have been a good start (and end) to my stay here. I reset the boiler which had a familiar F23 fault that I will probably have to get someone out to look at. I also found out how to turn on the bathroom fan once I was up there, so solving problems!
I couldn't, however, get the ladder back up again and cut my fingers six times as it fell back on me, before giving in and leaving it down. That's just how we're going to live now.
I tried to clear my office space a bit and in the process found the box of videos that includes at least some episodes of Festival of Fun, so I might be able to upload that Moon Zappa interview at some point. I did manage to find a bit of our Festival of Fun stuff online and watched a few minutes. I am much more handsome than I remember being (the beard maybe got a bit more awful in Edinburgh) or at least intriguing looking. And I was surprised by how cocky and rude we were about other comedians. We were arrogant and yet self-derogatory so almost got away with it. In the Leah Thompson interview we are visibly annoyed at being messed around when we've been working so hard (ah poor little Rich and Stew having to do five days of slightly exhausting work whilst getting drunk and getting propositioned), but you can see how much Leah enjoys our interview technique and I am seemingly unphased by being in the presence of such a big star. Not everything in this hastily produced show stands up (though more so than most shows of this vintage) but I found myself laughing a lot at our bits. There's a chance that this was peak Lee and Herring - the rawness and silliness and hysteria heightened by the circumstances and less over rehearsed than Fist of Fun, where I just remember us doing so many retakes that it was hard to keep up the energy for us or the audience.
And find the other clips pretty easily too.
Anyway, I am keen to watch the rest so will get someone to convert them from video to digital at some point. Maybe as a secret bonus for badgers and plussers and substack paid subs!
I was unsurprisingly pretty knackered today and had work to do with a RHLSTP show. Timing could have been better for the move, but we'd anticipated moving in mid-August so it wasn't really my fault and it still wasn't as bad as having a new baby and puppy.
And what a tonic RHLSTP was. Two absolutely top guests and a sold out theatre (sales are pretty low for the rest of the run as you wankers goal hang for the biggest celebs, but hopefully they will pick up). Adrian Edmondson was an absolute delight. He's been reticent to appear on this over the years and I thought he might be nervous or tricky, but he's found a real peace within himself and was so relaxed and happy and funny. It was great to be able to thank him for they Young Ones after failing to do the same with Rick. Rick Mayall had been my teenage hero, but watching the Young Ones again I've realised how Ade was the best thing in it - so committed and berserk and funny.
Do read his book - it's an incredible piece of work.So what a relief that another of my heroes was so great (he even sang a bit of Keith Marshall and his musical anarchy).
And so lovely to see Michael Sheen again who I also love and am in awe of. He's so down to earth and kind and is at home talking passionately about politics as he is with indulging me talking about my cold, hairy penis.
I was worried about staying awake on the drive home, which was exacerbated by being stuck at the Q Park exit for 10 minutes as the car in front of me failed to exit and the A1 being shut again. But I didn't go to the wrong house. And when I got home it felt like home.
