Try not to lick it

I hadn’t realised that the old idea that “[insert name of nearby metropolis] was a lawless place that should only go if you don’t mind being robbed/assaulted/killed” had become an actual Culture War thing.  Beyond parental concern for any trip outside of home, the first time I remember this happening was on a drive that … Continue reading That London 

So I’m working on being funny in the interests of my live shows with Sparky and with Cato. In particular, I’ve been interested in how to construct a joke. The book “unleash your comic genius” by Adam Bloom has been incredibly insightful and I’m conscious that I’m an amateur in a world of super-pros.  Saturday, … Continue reading Crafting a joke

I rarely do prep for holidays. Finbar and Claire will understand. Two days in Philadelphia seemed about right. We had libertybell/cheesesteak/rockysteps kind of locked in. Claire had a selection of cemeteries to visit. But I have one moment in my life that is indelibly linked to Philly. A night in 1985 when I watched Michael … Continue reading Sliding doors

It’s my 20th wedding anniversary today. But this is about something else, kind of. In 2013, our favourite landlady Karen asked if me and Sparky would play on the 27th December. She was quite open that it was the quietest night of any year, falling not only in the gooch between holidays, but also that … Continue reading Winter Cabaret X

In Bradford. Mad old Irish man in a beer bar, his mate leaves. It’s just us. He engages me in conversation and announces that the man he was speaking with used to work with him. Without a moment’s pause I shout back that I was in Cardiff last month watching rugby with my wife and … Continue reading Rap battle, beer style

Let’s not waste time. You know the basic recipe. Tonight, my shockingly bad cooking skills extended to using brisket in place of pork in my signature dish. Only problem is, I used one of Claire’s “mystery” chillis. Just one. A little one. A bit brown. No bigger than a button mushroom. My sense is. I … Continue reading Beef bastard

My lovely cricket team won a game this Saturday. We beat the top of the table team. In the absence of any League umpires, there was something of a kerfuffle, as happens frequently between amateur teams at our level. I’ll be honest; it baffles me. When we’re refereeing each other’s games, of course there’s a … Continue reading Cricket’s the winner

So. Last Tuesday I got a WhatsApp message from the captain of my cricket team. I had been selected as 13th Man for this weekend’s game. Quick cricket heads up: there are 11 players in a cricket team. I’d missed the pick for the Second team. I was the 24th best player at the club … Continue reading Time.

So obviously everyone’s talking about how we’ll never return to sharing offices and how virtual work is at least as good as sharing space, and without the commute, too. I’ve always been an advocate of people coming to the office, and at the start of this I felt like a dinosaur, having to learn the … Continue reading Not-so-splendid isolation

If, like me, you're thinking about losing that couple of extra pounds you've gained over the festive period, then this is the recipe for you. You'll recognise the basics from my pork bastard recipe in December. What we've done here is really dialled down the volume, but (I'd like to think) kept the flavour and … Continue reading New year, new you