My rambling blog posts!

  And thus, 2021 draws to a close! This is usually the part where I say I'm going to become a better person in 2022 or achieve a whole host of amazing happenings...well, I'm not...or at least to my knowledge I'm not.  Last year wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either - it was definitely an improvement on 2020 at least. It was a strange year again but I felt less worried than the year before, I have had all my jabs and the booster, I'm sensible in regards to keeping my distance and wearing masks, etc, and dare I say it - I felt a little tiny bit safer than the previous year. My mental health took a hit this year quite significantly but things are getting better thanks to my wide, kids and friends - all of whom I count myself lucky to know.  We had a few brushes with covid in our house which sucked, but ultimately everyone was ok in the end, (which sadly wasn't the case for a lot of others who lost loved ones, it's important to recognise our blessings ...

 I should preface this with a bit of an explanation; back in 2012 I made a bet to meet 12 of my comedy heroes for a drink and an interview, I was determined to do so, excited to do so in fact. I sent a load of e-mails out asking them directly and gota a lot of lovely replies, including a fair few who agreed. The first comedian I got to meet was the amazing Wil Hodgson, who had been a comedy hero of mine for quite a while after I'd seen him at the fringe and instantly became a fan. It was an eye-opening experience for me, seeing this comedian not only embracing their eccentricity but embracing it fully whilst also being genuinely hilarious of course.  So, it was all set, I headed off to Chippenham armed with a borrowed dictaphone, an old notebook with questions clumsily written down and it's fair to say - extreme anxiety, I was incredibly nervous, so nervous in fact that I forgot one vital detail - I'D NEVER INTERVIEWED ANYONE! Let alone someone whom I admired so much. In my...

  It is the time of year when all of the UK gutter press begin their annual sensationalist fear mongering. Over what you may ask, well, there are a few classics they go for each and every autumn/ winter; 1) Christmas is going to cancelled/banned.  This is a solid favourite of theirs, blaming other cultures, "political correctness has gawn mad!", the weather, turkey and toy shortages or just plain idle gossip. My thoughts are that if a worldwide plague didn't stop christmas, not a lot else will! For the record - nobody, (other than perhaps Oliver Cromwell back in the day), has tried to ban christmas celebrations, it is simply just a way to whip folks up into a frenzy by suggesting they won't be allowed to stuff their gobs with sprouts and turkeys as it may offend...nobody cares what people do on December the 25th.  2) Snowmageddon! That's right, the annual prediction that snow is going to overwhelm us all, traffic will come to a complete halt and life as we know it...

 As a species, humans are bizarre. I could end this blog post there as I'm sure not many of you would disagree with this sentiment. Just a quick check on any social media can instantly show you how odd we are in general.  I find my personal favourite odd trait is one of passive aggression, it always brings a smile to my face when somebody puts so much effort into trying to assert themselves without having to be remotely assertive. For example; I was told someone was ignoring me recently; (we had reviously had a disagreement many moons back, I will always maintain that I was 100% in the right, they probably feel the same way), the problem being that I was blissfully unaware, I don't know how long this person has been ignoring me, nor do I care, (we never did really get on, we had a tenuous link at best). The thing that pleases and puzzles me in equal measure about this is that I had zero idea, so they weren't even getting any kind of response from my end, surely that is mean...

  I get melancholy sometimes... It's not a groundbreaking or unusual feeling really, I'm sure billions of people feel the same way. I struggle with keeping the sad thoughts at bay, so I can be happy and smiling one second and spiralling into a self-induced gloom the next, I've always felt this way for as long as I can remember.  A doctor once diagnosed it as depression, but I dismissed this as, truth be told, I've known people with crippling depression and it felt almost disrespectful to place myself in that same bracket as them because whereas they struggle to even leave the house, I just feel intensely sad every now and then.  Since this pandemic began things have been significantly worse, I think this is the case with most people around the globe. We are living in very strange times indeed, so it's hardly surprising that it has had a knock-on effect with people's mental health and general buoyancy. I know I definitely took a hit in this regards, I have been f...

It's almost the end of August already, which means only one thing...the beginning of my favourite time of year - the "bers", (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER and DecemBER).  I can't ever put into words exactly why autumn and early winter are so special to me, but they truly are. It's hard to articulate why I start feeling excitable as soon as September the first rolls round and continues to bubble away until January-ish. Even stating that my soul feels "warm" at this time of year doesn't do it any justice. The best way to explain it is to equate it to the old Ready Brek advert from when I was a child, that 'glow' the kids had, it's like that but inside my body.  I could surmise it is because both of my children, my wife and I were all born within the "bers", or as an avid fan of horror films and general spookiness October/Halloween holds a special place in my heart, the carving of the pumpkins, the watching of horror films and Hall...

  Today was a terribly sad day for a lot of people, arguably one of the most brilliant comedians knocking about- Sean Lock, passed away from cancer. Not only is it a sad loss to fans of comedy but it is tragically sad for his family and friends, just heartbreaking really. He was a master of his craft, naturally funny and a terrific comedy writer as his sublime sitcom '15 Stories High' shows, a fantastically funny show. By all accounts he was a lovely chap to know as the many, many stories on social media from his fellow comedians show, there is a lot of love and affection for him which is heartwarming and indicates what I always assumed to be true - he was a lovely person to know.  Isn't it weird how certain "celebrities" deaths hit you harder than most, I think the five deaths that have affected me the most by far were those of Sean Lock, Rik Mayall,  Ian Cognito, Robin Williams and Neil Innes, all from the world of comedy and all were, (and indeed still are) an ...

 I can't sleep...or should I say that I have trouble sleeping but I fall unconscious eventually. I've had this issue for many years now, so I'm used to it but at the same time I wish I could get into bed and drop off instantaneously.  I also acknowledge that certain distractions, (such as checking social media, browsing online and even writing this blog), don't help. However it is these distractions that keep my brains infernal questions and criticisms at bay! I can honestly say that once my head hits the pillow each night my brain starts firing questions such as "why did that person not respond?", "have you done enough today?" or "why are wombats called that when they look nothing like bats?".  Another issue is my own self-criticism, I have a constant internal monologue telling me that I'm a bit rubbish, nothing major just a feeling of inadequacy, which generally speaking is always well-placed, (I hasten to add this isn't a self-pi...

 Let's hear it for friends!  30th of July, (yesterday as I'm typing this), was international friendship day, hence this blog post... For me personally, friends are very important, especially after the last year and a bit; I, like most people, had a rough time with it, (and I was lucky enough to keep working throughout, so my thoughts go out to those hit with financial woes due to the pandemic on top of everything else), I'm one of those who stick to social distancing rigidly, I didn't go on holiday or day trips, (I'm still not currently truth be told). I didn't see anyone other than my friends at work so, outside of work it has been fairly isolated.  Yes, I'm truly lucky to have Rox and the boys, but I'm also blessed to have some amazing friends who have been there for me throughout in various ways, be it a friendly chat, dropping off essentials, checking in on us all and even a few gifts, (unnecessary but greatly appreciated), just because they are natu...

 There are two subjects that we aren't meant to discuss - religion and politics, so let's discuss them... I know a lot of people, many of whom have differing views on both religion and politics, (and probably music, food, books, brand of washing powder, etc), and you'd be amazed how little it comes up. I know nowadays it's the done thing to argue and bicker about every single little thing but I'm genuinely tired of it.  When I was between the ages of 18 and 20 I desperately wanted to argue about anything and everything, I was an almost militant atheist, to the degree that if you were religious I would want to prove my opinion is more valid than yours. Similarly I would happily bicker with anyone who had differing opinions politics-wise, in fact this was a regular happening.  As I write this, I am 38 and although I am still very much an atheist and left-wing, there has been a definite shift... I don't like to argue about that stuff anymore, in fact - if somebody ...