Warming Up

What a load of plonkers we turned out to be for voting for Brexit. #wallies

I sure love podcasting, podcasting around. This afternoon I recorded my first bonus monthly podcast for Acast Plus in which Ally turned the tables on me and asked me some of my own emergency questions. He proved to be an adept interviewer and once again seemed to know things that I did not, which is a bit spooky. This isn’t staged by the way, but I guess it works a bit like when you know a fact, but can’t call it to mind and so try thinking of something else and so it pops into your brain. Still a bit weird though. I think he might be alive. 

The podcast will go up in the next few days, but only for Acast Plusser Plus Plussers. The Alan Davies video and backstage interview are up there too 

It’s an episode that has got people talking, very funny, but also very serious too, and you can of course listen for free wherever you get your podcasts.

We picked the kids up from school and headed for Somerset as we’re going to see my folks and celebrate my mum’s birthday. It’s a punishing journey though, especially on a Friday afternoon when the M25 goes into gridlock. We made it through in about four hours and the sat nav got us round most of the worst of it.

We were listening to Steve Wright as he announced that his show was being cancelled. He took it well and with class. I can understand why he is getting bumped - he’s been there a very long time and some of his stuff may be feeling a bit stale (I am not a fan of Serious Jockin’ or at least the persistence with the idea that it’s funny or indeed a “pun” to let him know what you’re doing and miss off the g and we used to take the Mickey out of his “love the show, Steve” letters) BUT Steve is an absolutely fantastic broadcaster and I listened to his show a lot when I was touring and was also lucky enough to be interviewed by him a few times. He is an utter pro and always does his homework and research so that you feel like he has some idea of who you actually are. Which believe me, is a very rare experience (for me at least) when being interviewed. He couldn’t go on for ever and it’s fair enough, as he admits, that they should give someone else a go (does it have to be Scott Mills though?), but it’s still very sad to see him go. I am sure there will be loads more work out there for him, if he wants it, but he’s been associated with that afternoon slot either on Radio 1 or Radio 2 for over 40 years so things will not be the same for him or us.

We were staying outside of Cheddar as my parents have a house full at the moment and we were taken a route that I’d never been down before. I thought we were heading down the gorge, but we took a left towards Draycott and went over the hill that way, to be rewarded with a view of the Levels that was breathtaking. Nyland stood out like an island (it was imaginatively named) and the sun shone down on a place that was familiar to me, but from an unusual angle. 

We found our accommodation. It was an Air BnB but because it was in the countryside they’d just left the keys in the door for us. We got the kids to bed with some difficulty, as they were understandably over excited and then for some inexplicable reason (I think it was because YMCA had been on the radio) we watched Wayne’s World 2, one of the laziest and most disappointing comedy sequels (and it has some strong competition for that). There were still a few laughs, but it had none of the spark of the original and was, alas, a soulless cash grab. My wife told me how the original had not been expected to do well and had an unknown female director who knew all about rock music, but she was bumped off the sequel and replaced by a man because of sexism and that’s what you get.

RHLSTP Book Club with Stephanie Merritt talking about her book Storm is now up in the usual places (though weirdly hasn’t gone up on the Apple podcast app yet). From next week you’ll also get the videos of these chats (if the author consents) on Acast Plus.