6132/19062
Amazing news today as the hardback version of Emergency Questions (paperback with some bonus extras is out on October 10th) got to number 6 in the Amazon Toilet Training chart (
not the case as we go to press)
It's amazing that there is not only a chart of books to help with toilet training, but perhaps more remarkable that Emergency Questions is included. Did someone's finger slip when they were trying to put this in as a book for a toilet, or are my 1001 questions actually helping toddlers do their shits in the potty? Who knows? It's anyone's guess. But I sniff a possible award.
Down to Richmond tonight for RHLSTP with Tape Face and Nick Frost. Sales were a little lower than I had hoped for, but still a good 250 or more in and they were a high quality crowd.
I walked around the centre of this charming London suburb or borough or whatever it wants to call itself and thought about the old days. I used to hang around here a lot in the 1990s when I had a girlfriend who lived in East Sheen. She was an actor and worked at the Orange Tree theatre a bit and I, with nothing much to do (why didn't I appreciate these sprawling and empty and irresponsible days) would wait in the Railway Tavern and play Addams Family Pinball, racking up credits from my one pound and playing all day without having to pay more. I went to look and see if the machine was still there, but a quarter of a century later there was just a table there instead.
Another girlfriend in the early 2000s had lived betwixt Richmond and Kew so I'd spent time back in this area then and even earlier, when me and my friends lived in Acton we'd sometimes travel to Richmond Green to drink and play rounders. I pined for the past, but was equally glad that it had gone.
And I had played Richmond Theatre once before in an early Lee and Herring tour, where all I remember is Steve our tour manager getting a bit lost and missing a turning and angrily having to go round the one way system. It was unusual for him to make a mistake. The actual gig? I remember nothing.
The theatre felt vaguely familiar. The dressing rooms are pretty pokey and the toilets were separated from the small seating area by a curtain. Which is classy.
I sat and listened to Nick Frost's audio book and tried to write some jokes about Richmond and to shake off the exhaustion that has dogged me this week. Successfully as it turned out.
Two more podcasts in the pod bank and both good ones I think, with a spirited romp through Tape Face's fascinating rise to world domination followed by a more sober look at Nick's personal life and upbringing. He's a very good guy, funny and open and honest and he'd kindly given up his time despite having a young baby at home and an early call in the morning. He also gave his fee to charity. The man's a diamond.
These will be out in early 2020. It's worth coming to see the tour live as who knows if you will be alive by the time these are broadcast. Winchester and Exeter coming up - both selling well,
but some availability.
