Here I Am Again (22 years, 10 months and 18 days later...)
HEY!
Hi gang, it's me, writing to you on the internet without planning or thinking about what I'm going to write because to be honest I've been thinking about it for yonks and getting nowhere. For a good stretch of time (2003 to around 2007) I blogged nearly every. single. day. and I certainly did not plan what I was going to write about at any point(!) So I've decided that here in the year of our lord twenty actual twenty blimmin six to go back to the old ways and see what happens.
WHY
am I writing to you on the internet? Because the 'work' I was sneakily blogging from a hundred years ago is finally no more. Never again will you find me spinning round in a wheely chair ignoring a spreadsheet. About 18 months ago I decided enough was enough and that office life wasn't for me after all [it never was ~ Ed.]
No longer the hum of the horrible lights, the three screen set-up, the really trying very hard to do more with less and less. Jacked it all in, retrained as a tour guide. Yes it's an actual job! And I want to tell you about my actual job as an actual tour guide, and I'd love it if you came along for some walks with me as well. Each month [we'll see ~ Ed.] I'll drop you a line and tell you what I've got coming up, as well as what I've been enjoying myself lately, in case you fancy it too. If you subscribe to this newsletter - just hit the Join the Journey button - then I'll send you some behind the scenes fun times, promo codes, all that good stuff. Go on you know you want to...
THINGS WOT I HAVE BEEN UP TO LATELY:
Recently I've been guiding at Aldwych, Charing Cross and Baker Street with Hidden London from the London Transport Museum. I'm about to guide for them at a brand new (to me) location - Piccadilly Circus. I'll let you know how I get on!
I've been on some fab walks from Lambeth Guide Gail Golding, finding out how Streatham Hill 'goes the extra mile' and learning about the remarkable women of Putney - strong recommend so give her a follow.
I also took a trip with the Lambeth Tour Guides to find out what goes on at the British Interplanetary Society. How many times have you stared at it from the bus and wondered what goes on in there?
I asked if it was haunted (it is not) and if you can see it from space (you cannot.)
If you too would like to ask them daft questions then check out their membership options. If you are under 25, it's free! And also if you are under 25 then you can ask your dad who the guy is in the picture below as you read all about...
... EXCITING NEWS FOR YOUR EARBALLS FOLKS, I smashed out not one but two audio projects recently.
Firstly, after receiving approx. 4 million messages about this press release, an emergency Lovejoy Actually podcast meeting was called and Pol, Helen and I will be getting back together for some chats about the Lovejoy novels. Oh did I not mention? Yes I co-hosted/ edited/ produced popular TV recap podcast Lovejoy Actually a little while back. Here's a picture of me with loml* Eric Catchpole to prove it.
Admittedly when taking on the project in 2018 I fully believed there were roughly thirteen episodes of the beloved BBC comedy drama.
There are in fact, 71. SEVENTY ONE.
So it took a while but hey, it got us through lockdown and I did get to meet just one of very many loml*s, the inimitable Mr. Chris Jury. Devastated to reveal that Eric Catchpole does not appear in The Very Last Gambado, which I have just finished reading in order to blether on about it for our new project. How do I feel about that...? You find out by searching up Lovejoy Actually wherever you get your podcasts, or on our resurrected website.
Secondly, in other Earball news, Morley Radio have invited me back for some LIVE Doing Lambeth Walks shows which I am so excited about - because LIVE shows mean we can actually play some music and you know how I feel about music gang [she likes it ~ Ed.] I'll be chatting to other guides, local experts, Lambeth royalty - the lot! Delighted that Tracey Gregory of Loughborough Road Histories agreed to be my first guest, you can enjoy her episiode here.
So, right, phew - this is why I'm never around for a quick catch up. Who would have thought quitting a twenty year career would make me so blinkin productive? NOT ME! I'll be back soon(ish) to let you know everything I get up to in May/June, including how Piccadilly Circus went, and in the meantime... I guess I should post on Instagram? I'll be brave and give it a try soon. Promise!
Well that wasn't so hard was it? 2003 me would be impressed. Now if this is the kind of thing I've written for any old bean to read, wouldn't you like to see what I write for my secret special friends? Course you would, sooooo:
*loml = love of my life (but you knew that...)