Life with Nat - EP155: Tony talks #13 - Tony's influencer aspirations

Episode Date: September 24, 2025

Nat and Tony are back! How does Tony feel about the live show? Is he ready for stardom? He might be setting his aims pretty high even just for his instagram following... and he's even back answering building questions. A bit of difficult chat about loss and tragedy in the middle of the ep, do skip forwards if you're not in the headspace for that. Otherwise - enjoy!! Please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. xxx You can find us in all places here; ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/lifewithnat/view⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INSTA: @natcass1 We're also on Facebook too: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/lifewithnatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SHOW INFO: Life with Nat - it’s me! Natalie Cassidy and I’ll be chatting away to family, friends and most importantly YOU. I want to pick people's brains on the subjects that I care about- whether that’s where all the odd socks go, weight and food or kids on phones. Each week I will be letting you into my life as i chat about my week, share my thoughts on the mundane happenings as well as the serious. I have grown up in the public eye and have never changed because of it. Life with Nat is the podcast for proper people. Come join the community. ♥️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are here today for you, and I'm with Tony. It's a Tony Talks. How are you? I'm all right, how are you? Yeah, I'm good. I'm all right. Excellent. A little bit overwhelmed.

Why's that? Just a lot going on. Yeah. But it's good. If it's positive a lot going on, it's good. Yeah. If it's negative, it's not. No, I'd say it's positive, but there's coursework to go in for the documentary I'm doing.

And, Tone, I haven't studied ever. What this has made me realise is I never did anything. Never did any schoolwork. I never did anything. I did the old project, you know. Yeah, got away were murdered, yeah. What, sticking some stuff together, like toilet rolls and things and painting them green. That was your education

It really was And suddenly I'm there with sort of Proper pens Pens and highlights Highlights yeah Yeah Textbooks Yeah

Can you find stuff out on the internet It's just made me realise How much Schoolwork I missed Which is mad really Yeah well you were sort of working Most of it, aren't you Yeah and I loved it

As much as I fell into it I really enjoyed it And I sort of knew that that was the direction I was going in Yeah But yeah, going back to it has been hard I have to say Yeah, I bet it has But yeah, apart from that

All is good And we've got some news Go on, is it good or bad Clapham Grands Clapham Grands 7th of December You are joking me, aren't you? Tickets are out People are buying them

Are they? Yeah Really? Of course. Wow. Amazing. How do you feel about being in sort of a theatre of 700 people? I think it depends who's in the 700 person audience.

If they're quite nice, then it would be all right. If there's a few hecklers and stuff, I'm going to, might have to bring me catapult, take them out. What would you put in the catapult? Little lead shot. Oh, okay. Yeah, sort of right between the eyes. It's stun them.

But, um... Well, enjoy the show, everyone. Tony and his catapult. Well, it's a bit daunting. I've never been on stage really, so. Oh, I know, but you're a bit of a performer. Well, that's as may be, but... We're going to have a great time.

I'm sure we will, yeah. All of us together, it's going to be great. I'm sure it'd be good. I'm sure it'd be good, yeah. Because of the voice thing, I am thinking about you sort of... I've got an image of you being in sort of a booth. Yeah.

A little DJ booth. Yeah, yeah. and sort of introducing everybody interjecting and sort of being quite a large part of the present inside of the show

as well as the conversation I don't mind I'll do anything man yeah yeah I don't mind if there's some sweeping up to be done I'm happy to do that yeah we'll all be doing that after

that'll be all of our jobs but yeah well it's yeah I mean it's quite daunting really but yeah let's give it a go But isn't it good? Yeah, it's amazing. Isn't it lovely to think how far it's come?

Yeah. From sitting here having a chat to then sort of selling tickets for a show. Yeah, yeah. And people wanting to see me and the family. Yeah, yeah. Which is so good. Yeah, it is brilliant. Yeah, brilliant.

Yeah, I'm blown away, really. I mean... We'll have a good time. We'll have a laugh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, something I wanted to ask, because I haven't really seen you much. in the last couple of weeks, but am I right in thinking that you have been telling people to put a sugary alcoholic drink on your stainless steel?

Is that right? Did you mean WD 40? I did. It's been a large topic of conversation tone. Right, okay. You know I'm not down with all the stuff and whatever. So Mark showed me to use WD 40. Right.

I've got a WD 40 story, by the way, which I'm going to tell you in a minute. Brilliant. but he got a bit of tissue and whacked on the WD 40 and it came up like a dream on the stainless steel fantastic even it's good stuff

even a sort of supportive not supportive what am I thinking of a film yeah sort of a film over the stainless steel yeah just brilliant

comes up brilliant and then me and Linny did a pod and I called it WKD right okay so people are pouring alco pops all over they're staying there still.

It's a possibility that could have happened. I don't want to think about it. No, no. I did nip it in the bud. Right. But there are some people that have said... That have taken it literally. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. What's your WD 40 story? Well, I don't know if it's true, but I believe it might be. Go on. So, when Dad lived in Lincolnshire... Yes. He played golf of a man who was a retired engineer used to work for Rolls-Royce.

Yes. And he told Dad that he invented WD 40. You're joking. No, this is true. And if anyone out there knows to the contrary, then please let us know. And he said for a couple of years he was trying to come up with a spray or a compound that would release rusted bolts and nuts and also get rid of damp and water in components. So WD stands for water dispersal.

Yes. and faulty stands for the number of times it took to get the right chemical reaction and chemical components to make it work so he had 39 failed attempts and he was happy with the 40th attempt and that's where WD40 comes from well this is very very interesting

because Mark has a story in which he says it is from oh shit I can't remember everyone's going to have a right for all of you avid listeners you'll know but I think Mark said it was from something to do with astronauts and space well certainly this guy was involved in

every invent he was involved in developing it so if he was an engineer working for an aeronautical company or Rolls-Royce who was supplying and they might be supplying stuff whatever I don't know but he was adamant that he was heavily involved in or developed WD 40, yeah. Oh, it's an absolute game changer for staying the steel. Yeah.

It also really works well on a number of things, but if anyone's got UPVC windows that are those dark wood look windows? Yes. You know, like a walnut-y colour or whatever. A lot of new houses in the 80s were built with UPVC with dark wood effect. Yeah, mahogany or walnut or walnut core, WD40 brings them up lovely. Really? Yeah, spray that on it and get.

give them a good old rub down and, oh, really, really does, yeah. Because I always think of WD 40 to be for squeaks, if something's squeaking. They do use it for that, but it's more of a corrosion inhibitor and stuff like that, I think. It's there to protect against water, I think. Yes. Which is the whole point of it. But also, if something's rusted up or whatever, you whack a bit of WD on it and that helps to free it up and whatnot. I mean, so at times if I'm working outside, I might be doing some external lighting or something like that.

And it's a bit damp, and my pliers, they might go a bit rusty and they're really difficult to use. You know, they rust up a little bit in the middle. I just put them in a little bowl and loads of WD 40 on it, leave it 10 minutes. And you see all the rust basically disappearing, and then they become like, no. So rather than squeaks, I think it's more for rust and stuff, you know, and freeing stuff up that's rusty. It's quite a miracle product, really. Do we know what's in here, WD40? No, I'd imagine it's quite closely guarded secret, like, like,

Diet Coke or Coca-Cola or WKD. Yeah, or Colonel Sanders is 46 different flavors or whatever it is, you know, they're all very tightly controlled. Marmite. Marmite, yeah, yeah. Do you like Marmite? Not sure, actually. No, that's madness.

I'm not sure. That is the work. I like Bavreel. No, no, no, no. You either love it or hate it, don't you. I don't actually have an opinion on it because I can't remember ever eating it. You're the first person ever.

genuinely that I've ever met that doesn't know if they like my might or not. But I am unique. You are unique. I'm unique in my own way. So there you go. That's proven. It's a very, very savoury, tangy.

Well, I'm going to buy some tomorrow. I'd like you to. I'm going to buy some tomorrow. You need to really, I think... Is it a spoonful of it? No, no, no. I think if you don't. mind doing it

I think you have to have a piece on toast right okay quite a thick layer a bit of toast butter a thick layer

of marmite and that will that will judge if you enjoy it or not right I'm going to give it a go then because then you can

get marmite crisps marmite mac and cheese marmite you know yeah I'm not interested in all that

now I want the purest form that's in a small jar isn't it where marmite written on it am I correct

That's correct Yes, okay Well, I can't go wrong on that score Would you be able to Do the test Even if it's a teaspoon of it And do a little video for me I can

For Tony Cass 68 I can do that Please Yeah To my 2,119 followers Well, we need to talk about that Don't we I am very proud of you

Thank you very much For starting it Yes, a little I'm not really in my comfort zone I am very very proud of everybody Lily's done it you've done it

I like the fact that I want everyone to get on board and I know that it's hard and everyone's at work whatever but over 2,000 followers is extremely good

I don't know I wouldn't have a clue I know Christiana Rinaldo's got about 57 million so I'm sort of judging myself against that really I don't think we should talk about Cristiano Ronaldo

who's the most followed person Oh I didn't know I thought everyone got 57 million I didn't No, he's sort of One of the big guns Right, okay All right, fair enough

I mean I've got just over half a million Oh well yeah I mean small potatoes really in it It really is small potato No it is Honestly I sort of look it and go Oh

Only half a million Well I don't Not in a bad way But I think Oh come and come up a little bit Yeah, that's right Yeah Loads of people have got over a million

Who I think I'm sort of On a part with Yeah Yeah I even did a post this week Very unlike me And I said I'm stuck here on

532K Give us a follow I'd like to get it up a bit I don't know You do it, I don't know No I don't know You can buy them I don't want to do that

No shit I would never do that No But I do think There must be people Who buy a lot of them Yeah I don't I don't really understand.

No, I don't either. Technology thing of it. But I get quite a lot of sort of spam messages saying if you pay me this. Oh, yeah. I'll get it up to $10 million. Yeah, whatever it is, yeah, yeah. So I do wonder if people do that. Yeah, they must do, mustn't they?

Yeah. I've had a couple of comments from people. Oh, yeah. So my architect, I used Mark, I phoned him up about something the other day, and he just straight away went to me, how's the kitchen going? Oh, yeah. And I went, how'd you know? And he said, I have got Instagram.

I'm not, you know, I'm not on a complete dinosaur. Yeah, yeah. So that was all right. And also one of my bricklayers, Sean, he said he was scrolling through some bits the other day, and he saw my ugly face. And he went, oh, I know that bloke. So, yeah, there is odd ones, people seeing it and stuff. But I still don't understand the sort of, like, Instagram protocol.

I don't know if someone messages you, do you reply or do you like things? I haven't got a clue. The way I go about Instagram, and I don't do it in a professional manner, either. No. I just sort of post when I post. And there's been loads of people lately and I think it's really important to say I am just so busy

and I've got loads of people saying oh, really miss your sort of videos about toenails or not washing your knickers or really miss you and I promise you it's not on purpose I'll promote the pod and then I promote this and promote that but my normal stuff doesn't happen

because I'm not at home because I'm really busy Yeah, it's all over the place All over the place. Yeah. But you'll get to grips with it. You've just got to do what you want to do. Yeah, I don't want people to think I'm being rude by not responding to things.

But I have been told that I mustn't respond to personal messages, for instance. No, I don't think you should, but hearting a message. Yeah. You know, you've got the little heart. Yes. Just if you double click on that, people just know that you have recognized it. Yeah, you've read it and you've recognized them. Okay.

I can heart loads. Oh, okay. I'll heart stuff. I'll sit there sometimes and I'll just heart it. So they know that I've seen it. Right. And I think that's enough. Yeah, I think that's, yeah.

You cannot start going into... No, no, no, no. I don't want to. I just, like I say, it's sort of, as I say, it's sort of, um, Instagram protocol. I'm not sure about that, so. Well, I'm being told that I need to go on TikTok. Well, I've been, some people have said the same sort of thing.

I can't do it. I don't even know what it is. I cannot. I can't get on board. I've got it. Downloaded it. What is it? I'd look at it.

Imagine Instagram on speed. Oh, God. I'm struggling with Instagram. It's mad. Oh, God, no. And I just look at it and I've tried it. No, I wonder everyone's off their head. Honestly, I've got an account on it.

Yeah. I just can't. I haven't got time. No, no, no. I suppose it's one of them things. If that's all you do, it's all right. Or, you know, like one of your name things. Everyone said, oh, you've got to go on TikTok, you've got to do this, you've got to do that.

I just have not got the patience. No. So unfortunately. But Instagram for me, I feel very happy with. I can do that, you know. Because people, a few people says to me, oh, you know, you end up with endorsement and I think, and I don't think you do, you know.

Well, it all depends. Well, it all depends. Or people might, you know, get something out. I'm not really doing it for that. I don't think I'm really doing it for that as such. But people say to me, oh, they, you know, my game in the building game, oh, they know people that, someone said to me the other day, they know a firm that does it,

and they get so much, off of their posts and they get tools and materials and money or something that they can go in and basically do jobs for virtually nothing and still earn money at it which I find very hard to believe

but I don't know if that's a thing or not, I'm not really sure I think people talk a lot of bullshit I think there is a lot of old cobbler I have to say yeah I agree yeah what I'm really interesting and I haven't really spoken about this

so this is good actually people were saying oh you've got to have a free holiday and I say what you mean? Oh you can get holidays and you've got to just post loads and for me I just think people work really hard

right? I know what you're going to say they work their bollocks off I know what you're going to say all year round to have their two week holiday right why on earth would someone want to see me

get a free two-week holiday and then do all the pictures and go this is gifted and this is amazing how does that make people feel when they've worked all year round I earn enough money right this is my thing I earn enough money to be able to afford

a beautiful family holiday that I can then pay for that I've worked for that I then take pride in and I go away and I'll still say this holiday company have helped me

and they're brilliant not an advert and people really appreciate that and I can honestly say I've had the odd breakaway maybe a couple of days where people want a little bit of advertising because of my position

I can do that and that's lovely but in terms of a full family two week holiday I genuinely couldn't do it I couldn't morally I don't want to have a free two-week holiday what do you think about that

do you think I'm mad yeah I think yeah chuck it at me I'll have two weeks in Portugal for nothing all day long you must be joking I think what it is when you say what do people think about it I think it's a detached world for the majority of people

that look at it yes so if it was an issue and a problem, no one would follow anyone on Instagram and look at their stuff because they would be so pissed off that these people who are already quite wealthy and are doing

well, we're getting stuff for nothing, that would really get on their nerves, but that's not the case. So I think what it is, it's a detachment of the people that, the majority of people looking at it know they're never going to be in that position and know, so they just enjoy looking at the pictures or looking at what people are doing or where they are.

No, I disagree with you. Okay, well, that's my... I don't know, I'm guessing. No, I'm just... No, we will agree. I have to... It's our first podcast argument, by the way. Argument continues.

Okay. I disagree to disagree, go on. I will agree to disagree because I think people like celebrities and they like looking at their lives. Yes. But when they see a two-week holiday in the middle of the summer, when they can't go on holiday, because they can't afford it,

and a celebrity is living their best life and it's gifted I think that is I think that's really bad for mental health I do and I know they might be looking at it but it's only through algorithms and because they follow them

but I don't think that does anyone, any favours I know they like looking at the pictures and looking at the place they're at and all of that but I don't think that is good and I want to stay true I know it sounds but I do

I want to remain true to the people that follow me and so yeah I'll get the odd cream or an odd drink and I'll say that's gifted and I really like that and yes I've been paid for an advert

and yeah every now and again that happens and that's brilliant but for a family holiday that people that's their life working all year round and looking forward to that

to get that for nothing and then go on Ryan and say this is absolutely amazing five-star Dubai, whatever I don't agree with it I just don't that's fair enough that's fair enough

if anyone wants to give me two weeks in Veldar Lobo for next year I'll take it I'll post whatever you like I'll sell a kidney if you like so yeah I think we've got diametrically opposed views on this

I like the fact we'll agree to discreet for months in our lives. Oh, don't. Hi, Nat. Just on a dog walk listening to the pod, I'm one with Tony, and Sharon gives him topics to talk about.

My eldest son, he's 11, and he's just started secondary school this week. And just wanted to sort of ask, obviously Tony's gone through that. You've gone through it with one of yours, with the lives going to secondary school but the change

going from primary school or junior school to secondary school for a child let alone a parent I just think it's crazy I wasn't prepared for it and I would just be interested

to know your thoughts on that I'd like to keep it up I'm so so sorry I did not get your name when I transfer these messages into groups and sometimes I just miss the name so I'm so sorry

but that was such a lovely message and a brilliant Brilliant, brilliant conversation. Yeah, yeah. It is mad. It's mad. Well, do you know what I can liken it to for me? Go on.

Both when I went from primary to secondary and when my kids went from primary to secondary, it's like living in a little village for seven years, right? And then being forcefully moved out into a big city somewhere. That's what I can liken it to. Because you're in this little village atmosphere where everyone knows everybody.

You know, what's really, I found really telling as a parent is that when you're at primary school, everyone knows everyone, everyone goes out, we go for a drink three times a year with other parents and they'll become your friends and then the kids fall out and you fall out with them and you're going to fight the bad and whatever. But it's all very linked together. It's all, you know, it's all quite, not incestuous is the wrong word, but it's very, it's very, very, very, everyone's close and everyone knows everyone.

But it's very tweet. Yeah, and everyone knows everyone. And everyone, you know, there'll be a barbecue or golf day and all the dads go on a golf day and whatever. Yeah. Secondary school, I don't think I've ever met any other, I never met any other parent apart from, like one of Evie's music concerts

or like James might have been doing something for sport. And I might have nodded to a couple of parents. It's just completely, totally different. What I would say to our listener is I found it so hard because they change overnight I know what you're saying I know one minute

you've had this amazing six week holiday they guess they're growing up but they still need you they're dependent and they go to secondary school and within three weeks they just don't want to know you they've got this whole life and it's like oh my God

what has just happened I can't believe it and honestly it's heartbreaking so I promise you that isn't going to change that's only going to get worse for you what will happen

is you will logically you're going to just digest the information that you've had see what's happening and learn how to deal with it well I mean Harry Enfield famously

and captured you wanted it were covering the teenager absolutely perfect it's perfect yeah yeah like just perfect yeah yeah they go to bed and they go I love you mummy

yeah and they wake up that's right they wake up the next morning as a teenager and they want to burn the house down absolutely right and it's so true but it's hard

it's a hard stage and we may make fun of it but I've found it really heartbreaking Eliza going to secondary school and that changing just you've not got your little person anymore you've got to sort of go oh got to let them go a bit let them go a bit

I found myself being um really strict I don't know if you did this but I wasn't handling it well so I found myself being really strict and annoyed and weren't their fault I was annoyed that time was passing but then you sort of ease into it and get used to it and then you start enjoying the latter years Which takes a long while, a couple of years, actually, I'd say. Yeah. But then you start appreciating different stages of life. It's hard, really hard.

Yeah, and also don't forget, as they're growing up, then all sorts of other stuff creeps in that you never thought about, which is probably a different, like a pod on its own. Yeah, yeah. The temptations and the friendship groups and the illicit parties and all the rest of it and staying over where they're not supposed to be

and someone telling this one that the other ones at their house and vice versa and all that goes on and I think as parents all you can do is just hang on in there and just try and make sure

you're not you're not having a wall pulled over your eyes and you know what they're doing that's what we try to do just try and make sure you know where they are and what they're doing and don't just don't be too detached from them

don't just let them get on with stuff and think it's all going to be all right because it's probably not going to be. I would say your advice over the last sort of five years has resonated with me so much because I lied to mum and dad. Oh, no, that, yeah. Well, let's not go down that route.

No, I'm just saying that I did. All I'm saying is they were protective, so protective to the point where I had friends' mum saying, I'll lie for you because they felt sorry for me because they were so protective, so strict. So now I suppose I'm the other way. Yeah. I'm not saying I'm overly lenient in sort of awful ways.

No, no. But if Eliza comes to me, I've been really proud in the last few months because she'll come to me and say, well, I'd like to do this. And I think, Jesus, I would have never ever ever have asked my mum that. No. So then I have the respect to say, yes, you can do that. Yes, you can go on a train. Yeah.

As much as I'm absolutely shitting it, I go, yeah. Yeah, well, you do have to, there's a difference between knowing what they're doing, being close to them and trying to guide them and make sure they're not making bad mistakes and trying to put them in a cage for five years. There's a big difference. You've got to give them a little bit of headway. You've got to give them a little bit of leeway.

You've got to give them a little bit of life. Let me see a little bit of life. It's a very, very, very delicate balance. I said to my two, don't take me for a mug. Yes. And I'm sorry, but, I mean, and people won't agree with this. I said to them... I've done everything you've done, yeah.

Not quite everything people do, but, you know, I'm not a mug and don't treat me not. I will know if you've done X and Y. Yeah. I've done this, taken that, like that. I'm going to know, I'll give you one chance. If you made a mistake, that's fine. But after that, there's going to be repercussions. And I was very determined.

It wasn't an ultimatum or, you know, it wasn't like that. It was, for me. For you, it was a Bible. They needed to know that there were ground rules. And they probably, don't get me wrong, they probably did flout those rules at times and did stuff I didn't know, but I understand all that. But generally it's worked because they've grown up into two very, very, very good human beings. So hopefully it was right, but it could have been wrong.

Listen, you can only do your best We had a Well, this is a little bit You know, it's a little, it's late now, isn't it? It's a late night for us, isn't it? But we had some terrible news That someone allowed that my son went to school We've died suddenly a few weeks ago.

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. No, no, it was like, you know, we knew the family and we didn't go to the funeral I didn't want to go. I just can't be dealing with females I haven't got to go with. We weren't super close, but it was still a terrible shock. But apparently there were other issues involved, not going to go into it. And I sort of sat there and just thought, I think God, it's not me.

So there is a lot of luck in parenting as well. Yeah, there is. If you've got kids that are risk averse, if you've got kids, you know, that don't want to go down the route that other kids do, then you're lucky. I know some very good parents and some really lovely people that just couldn't control their kids Absolutely

So there's luck involved as well Very interesting I'd like to mention Ian Russell His daughter Molly Russell Took her own life at 14 And Ian knows Mark Right He's in the industry

And what you don't realise is I think Sometimes you can stereotype type people. Yeah. And you think that's never going to happen to them. And what Ian has done, Ian Russell, he's trying to sort of educate.

And you may have seen Ian on the news and he's trying to get out Molly's law, which is about social media and stuff. But he was a middle class man, a professional man, and his wife was a professional lady with a family. And he went up to a bedroom one morning and his daughter was dead

sorry, ice got heavy but I think what Ian is trying to do and I'd love to get Ian on the pod to talk about it but he said you think you're doing your best and you don't know what's going on you don't know what's going on you never know what's going on

and the point that's the point I was making is that there is an element of luck involved there is and there's no right wrong who you are No. What you're doing. No.

There's this sort of stereotype of, oh, you know, if you're working class and not at home, your kids are not being looked after. And it's all rubbish. It's all rubbish. I have seen that actually. I mean, that's all to do with social media and stuff. Yeah, it was. I mean, yeah.

And I mean, it's massive. And I haven't, I touch on it sometimes. I'd love to touch on it more. I think, if I'm honest with it, what I was talking about was peer pressure. Yeah. You know, getting in with the wrong crowd, getting in with the risk takers and people don't want to push boundaries and whatever. That's what I tried to impose on the kid or let the kids know that I'm going to know. Yes.

You know, because I've led a bit of a life and I'm going to know. As far as what happened to that poor girl and her family, you're in the lap of the gods. You are, yeah. With that. You can't influence it. You can't, unless you're going to take phones away. It never works because then they're isolated and they're equally as, you know, at risk of not having any friends.

And it really is, it's very difficult. It's very difficult. It's really hard. And that's a terrible story. But I think laws are changing. Normally, if I'm honest with you, can we digress? It's only when someone who is of influence has a family member died as laws, change.

But it's the same as traffic. I will say it. I've got roads where I live, which are ridiculous. Oh, they're dangerous. No, no, no, it's ridiculous. It's like a single track road with no warning. Yeah.

And honestly, every time I go up it, I think, well, in a minute, I'm going to die. I'm going to die, yeah, yeah. Because you've got to go slow and they go, oh, well, until 15 people have died on that road. That's not, sorry, I am generalising, you know. For conversation. Oh, it's okay.

If six people die, then we'll put a sign up. Yeah. And you go, why is that then? Why has that got a happen? At my road, I live on a hill. Yeah. And I've got, we've got all these blokes in high-powered cars driving around, thinking they're on the fast and furious.

Yeah, they think they're wonderful, yeah. And they'll come up to the roundabout just down from where we are, and they boot it up the hill, and the hill's got a hair pin bend at the top, and it goes quite, you know the hill. I do know the hill. I know exactly where you mean. And it's quite narrow. Yeah.

And I think we've had, like, four cars have ended up in gardens in the last 10 years. So, like, someone is going to die. But it takes that. And we've written to the council, like, as a group and whatever, and we've said, we need some traffic calming measures. We need something done. And the council have literally said, well, until someone dies, we're not going to do anything about it. No, I know.

It's always after the event. No, they need a mortality to then put up a sign. These people are incapable of saying, no, this actually is wrong. And we should talk this out now before someone's dead. It's absolutely mad. It's mad. But getting back to what I'm saying about, it's only when someone of influence dies. So we're going to be as quick as I can, a bit boring, but for many years, electrical work wasn't required. It was required to be certified, but it wasn't legally required as such. So the regulation said you should do a certificate and blah, blah, blah, and it should be done to the regulations. But no one ever did it, only on industrial and commercial jobs, not on domestic jobs. When I went to college, the first thing they gave us was a load of newspaper clippings where about 10 people a year, babies, children, blokes doing it themselves would die of

electrocution. Yes. Right? For years and years and years and years. This happened. And it was only when the niece, I think it was a niece of a lord. Really? Who had had a new kitchen installed.

Fucking hell. Right? A new kitchen installed. And they'd put a cable not deep enough and it wasn't protected. properly and they put a utensil rack on the wall. The utensil rack became live. She touched that in the fridge at the same time and she died. And it was only when that happened, did the government get involved and they then made

the basically electrical work part of the building regulations, which means it was legally enforceable to do it properly and it was against the law, you know, it was actual, it was actually illegal to do it wrong, whereas before it was sort of, well, were you supposed to do it but so it took as i understand it was someone of of influence to be killed which was terrible i'm not saying it that i don't mean no i completely get it but literally i completely get what you mean we had when i was at college there was a hundred paper clippings yeah of babies dying by sticking their fingers in plugs or a fridge had become live where it wasn't earth properly or whatever it might be someone getting their falking yeah yeah exactly yeah forking whatever it might be

and it was only when this particular situation happened that it ended up being enshrined in law and that's the point I'm making is that if you have influence you can change you can change stuff or if you have enough influence things get changed

so with a lot of things until it's someone of influence or their family or someone they know dies or of interest to the public yeah until that it's public interest

someone of influence that's what I'm saying so if someone who dies of that particular issue you know probably 50 people might have died before it yeah anyone goes oh well it's all right

because we don't know them they're just normal people and I'm sorry but that no yeah I think it is a thing it really is yeah I was going to end up talking about that tonight oh there you go

there we are it's been quite heavy tonight yeah but sometimes you have to do it yeah during the Volvo Fall Experience event discover exceptional offers and thoughtful design

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Going back to kids. Hi Nat. Just saw your Insta story about the kids going back to school. I thought I'd share what a shocker I've had with the back to school thing. Took my youngest to primary school Tuesday and he's all excited

only for all the gates locked as I was a day early I've got to stop there and say I've done that Really? Yes When it's in set down Take the kids to school

All uniforms on Walk up the school Closed You're not the only one I promise you Wednesday We try again Drop my eldest at high school And my youngest at primary

That was thankfully open I then get a call from the secondary school saying it was only sorry to laugh that it was only for year sevens today and my son was in year eight and could I please come and get him what an ass

I also got the day of my parents staying over and the scout starting back wrong my kids laughed at my stupidity and now every time I say anything they chime in with this statement may be true or maybe not true can only get better I suppose

Well, what I would say is it'd be very easy for her husband or partner to buy her a Christmas present She needs a calendar She needs a calendar and a pen She needs a file of facts Yeah, true We're going back to last year's

Last year's Christmas presents Yeah Yeah But it is hard Calendar and a pen But honestly, Keeping up with everything is hard Calendar and a pen

Sharon says to me I got a right on my calendar She's got a calendar It all gets written down doing a podcast if I'm going here or doing that or the kids are doing that

or James is going to play golf or he's going to the cricket or he's going to such and such all gets written down only half the years of getting things wrong you have to write it down yeah

and for me it needs to be written down in pen and paper yeah I can't do the phone we spoke about this before yeah I can't do it yeah I can't do that digital stuff I like that I like to yeah I'm going to read another message out.

Right, go on. Hi Nat. My name is Gemma and I live at the top of the Lake District with my amazing wife and a deaf Jack Russell. I started listening to your podcast back in March this year when I was signed off work with a suspected autoimmune disease. I found your podcast relaxing and a great way for me to pass the time. Some six months on, I've now been diagnosed with two.

autoimmune diseases, and I'm unable to walk and a full-time wheelchair user. A very stark difference from being a fit and healthy 34-year-old. I just wanted to thank you for all of your content in your episodes. I found them a real comfort during my time off, and I look back on them fondly through some particularly dark days. You never know what's around the corner, and you'll be surprised at the spaces that can help you along the way, Health is wealth.

Keep doing all that you do because the impact is far greater than you'll imagine. Isn't that lovely? Yeah, it is, yeah. What a hard time Gemma's been through by the sounds of it. But I really appreciate the messages like that

because sometimes you sit here and you think, oh, what am I doing? You're nagging away and is it worth it? And I don't know. Do you know what I mean? Just go, we're sat up here and we're doing this and... Well, I said, didn't I? When we met, you know, we did the family pod for the 100, didn't we?

Yeah. And you said to me, what, you know, what's the best thing about doing it? And it's definitely that. It really is. I mean, with... I show people the messages sometimes and they sort of go, oh yeah, whatever. But when you've got people that are lonely or they're not well or whatever, and they find even a crumb of comfort

in what we do, that is truly amazing. I agree. No, it is. I mean, you're talking to a normal blokey. I'm just a builder. I go to work every day. And if doing this can help one person,

then I'm amazed that it can and I'm really glad that if you can help anyone in any way, it's really, really good. It's good, isn't it? Yeah. I agree. Joe from Swansea messaged She said hi Nat

Auntie Natt's nieces Uncle Tony Mark and the gang Just a quick one to say I love the pod I started listening to it this year And I'm all caught up now It's my favourite pod

And can't wait for Egypt You're all so grounded and welcoming Easy to listen to Funny and a breath of fresh air And I want to say thank you I'm building up the confidence To voice note And I will do one day

soon. As a disabled mum of two, who lives two hours away from my big close immediate family, you all give to me what I miss by listening to the pod. I feel like you give me friendship, even though I don't know any of you, and I've never

met, comfort, love and hope. And that's just something magic, not everyone can do. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much. Hopefully you'll hear from me soon. That's what Joe from Swansea said.

Wow. What can you say to that? Isn't it amazing? Thank you, Joe. Honestly, it's so lovely of you. And in fact, in our messages, tone, you've just put, wow, that is wonderful when I sent it to you. Yes, yes, yes.

What I would say, there is a little, I've got a little tiny bone of contention. Oh, yeah. So it's crept in, and it's funny because other people call me this. Oh, yeah. But Uncle Tony has crept in. Oh, it has? And I'm not your own.

uncle. No, so Uncle Tony comes from that sneezes. I'm sorry, right, okay. See what I mean? Yes. So Maria and Elia, always say Uncle Tone. Yeah, gotcha. So it all sort of links up in some way.

I've gotcha. Because I've had people, believe it or not, this is a bit strange. No, go on. I've had customers who've had children while we've been working from. And then I've gone back, like, you know, six months. months later and the baby's grown up a bit. And they open the door and they go to the baby, oh, it's Uncle Tony.

Yeah. Which is a little bit strange. Nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I've had other people call me Uncle Tony, even though I'm not their uncle. So I don't know if I should just be Uncle Tony and be done with it. Funny, isn't it?

Yeah. No, I'm not ever going to call you Uncle Tony. No, that's good. No, you are my brother. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, Uncle Tony is from Maria Nils. Yeah. They'll say our Uncle Tony's on the pod.

Yeah, yeah, I've got to. So again. Right, so I'm sorry about that. That was just a little aside there. Well, look, we'll go back to the start. Okay. Because you are a builder. Allegedly.

And a pro. Allegedly. We've got a message here from Kat. Okay. One for Tony. The mortar versus brick debate. Please help. My husband wants to know, is it best to drill into brick or mortar?

he's putting up a small lean to with a plastic corrugated roof with a max of 5 to 10 kg weight should he bracket it to the brick or mortar of our house this is a conversation we are currently having whilst having a rare child free night discussing it over an espresso martini would really appreciate tony's view on this still loving the pod by the way you're overdue an episode by yourself i love the last one from Kat. Kat, I promise you, a solo one is definitely due. I've just enjoyed seeing everybody.

But Tone, how lovely that, can you know, they're sat there, husband and wife, they've got a night out. Yeah, yeah. They're talking about you over an espresso martini. Fabulous. Nice, isn't it? Yeah, it is, yeah. Yeah, fabulous, yeah.

What is it then, brick on water? Generally brick. Yeah. And I say generally brick. It does depend on the house, how old it is, and what it's constructed of. So for instance, if you've got Victorian property that's probably like in our area it will be made with like a stock type brick

and the mortar tends to be very soft so it would be lime cement mortar back then so it literally, it doesn't the households itself together virtually without the mortar if you've ever repointed a Victorian property you can the mortar you can pull out with a pencil literally

right. It's so soft a lot of the time So if it's a softish brick and a softish mortar then I would say at a house of a certain age I would say the brick but then there are other houses that are newer than that so I would say sort of 70s onwards where again generally the brick but the bricks are some of them

are got hollow insides and they shatter when you drill them so and then sometimes the mortar can be easier to drill than the brick so what I would say is is I would say find a bit of brick and a bit of mortar on the house where it's not going to notice give it a drill

have a go give it a drill and see what you think is the best one is but it is normally the brick I would say I mean yeah it's

it's quite rare that mortar is strong enough to take you know to take a decent fixing so do you know something I'm going to say it

go on I've really miss you talking about building oh have you yeah I really like sitting here and, I don't know, it just calms me down. I enjoy talking about it.

I know, but I get why fans enjoy your voice. Because when you're talking about mortar and brick, I've got to be honest, I couldn't give a fuck what you can drill into, what tool you're using to drill into it, or what material it is. But when I hear you talk about it, I just sort of go into a lovely, oh, it's lovely. I get, I get, I get the thing. Really? Yeah.

I feel really sort of contented. Okay, all right. It's lovely it is. If you say so. Can you end on something calming for everyone? I don't know. A little fact or a nugget of advice from Tony. Okay, well, you're all going to be busy doing your stuff and kids and life and whatever.

So I think I'd like to paraphrase caps in so. to say if you have a bad day go home and look at it and say tomorrow's going to be a better day and on that note time thank you thank you love you love you too love you too