8576/21495
We walked up the Gorge with mum this morning to go to the nice cafe we found last time we were here. Ernie wanted to buy more fossils so we popped up to the Goughs Cave gift shop. One of the staff there recognised me, not from off the telly, but from having gone to school when my dad was the head. He offered us free tickets to the caves, which was very kind.
Last time we paid to go to the caves but the kids were too freaked out and scared to go in. Ernie is still very nervous about it. But we tried to cajole him with the promise of fossils.
The nice man got me a ticket that we can use tomorrow. We'll see if we get in this time.
Had my career gone differently then Cheddar caves might be even keener to give me free tickets. I have tried to write several sitcoms/comedy dramas about the place. Sadly charming Detectorists style sitcoms weren't in vogue in the 90s and I didn't get anywhere in my attempts to write a historical comedy based on Deadwood - 19th Century Cheddar was very much like the wild west. Richard Gough could be right out of a Western. I have also always loved loca Victorian eccentric Rowland Pavey.
If any of this stuff had come off it might have boosted tourism and maybe there'd be a little museum about whichever show had actually been mad.
Still one more shot with the Cheddar Beheader, but that's not so much about the Gorge and I am not sure that the caves will want to promote it!
Anyway, if the kids don't run away screaming it'll be nice to show them where I worked forty years ago before my life had begun. I remembered today that they had been pleased with my work in the few weeks I'd lived there and someone from Longleat had asked me about my plans and might I want to work for them.
It's unlikely I'd have given up my place at University, but in some alternate Universe maybe I had a bump on the head and said yes. I wonder what that life would have been like.
I am thinking probably not as good as the one I've had. But on plus side think of all the rent I would have saved living with my mum and dad!
