Life with Nat - EP249: Scraping the Barrel #49 - honouring the craft

Episode Date: July 26, 2026

Marc and Nat return to packing Alan Carr in Joanie's suitcase, some summer of sport debriefing, and the joy of our favourite creative mediums.Get in touch with Nat, buy tickets for upcoming live shows and link to Patreon, all the family's Instagrams, and more: ⁠⁠⁠lifewithnatpod.komi.io⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, Natasha from Essex. I'm a newbie podcast, actually, and I've discovered you. You are my first. And after listening to some of your recent ones, I decided, no, no, nah, nah, can't do it. So I've gone all the way back to the beginning. And I'm starting right back, right back all those years ago. And I'm just on episode 12, and you're shocked at how many newbies you had coming in them and saying how that people after years join in on this like podcast or series or something.

And I just wanted to let you know you're still getting people to join into your little world. And I'm absolutely loving it and I'm binging the hell out of you and laughing my head off while I'm doing my work as a cleaner, my headphones on, well away. And yeah, thoroughly enjoying it. Keep up the good work. Bye. Isn't that lovely? I love it when I hear new people.

And she's gone back to the beginning. I wonder what makes people want to do that? Just... Uh, completeness. Or is it where we're talking about, oh, do you remember that thing? No, surely not. I think people, I've been a little bit like that. I've started listening to things.

I think, oh, this is really good. And then you realize you can go back to... I did it with Chatterbigs. Chatterbigs? Yeah, I didn't go... They've got about 10,000 episodes. No, I didn't go right back, but I, always dip.

It's perfect because you can always listen to it. What's matter? Just my mention. You've been away? You've been alive. Okay. But yeah, there's always, I do like going back, but it's a lot to go back to the beginning of this. Well, of this, yeah.

It's quite a lot now. I might do that and just see how it compares. I did think about doing that, listening to the first couple, but I think it would make me A bit icky, isn't it? Is it? Yeah. What do you mean? I don't know.

Maybe there's no difference at all. I don't. I don't know. I think you're reading into that a little bit. It would be interesting to see what I was like. I remember feeling very nervous. Right. Now I don't feel nervous.

No. Well, there you go. I wonder how many other people have done that lately. Text in. I think I've got a... I've got a little message later about it as well. But yeah, it would be lovely to hear what everyone else's thoughts are, whether they just dip into it or...

Because some people I think they hear me on other pods and then they think, oh, she's all right to listen to. And then they might pop mine on. But I wonder if they stay. It'd be good to know, wouldn't it? You could maybe do, like, some sort of special sort of mash-up episodes for Patreon. Yes. You could like blend some, you could do like a little best of, one of your little strands.

Lovely. I have a heart attack. If you don't mind knocking through those and getting five minutes out of a few of those, quite a lot of work, isn't it? I was going to text Emma, actually, because Jimber and we did the anniversary pod and she gave me some facts and figures. Yes. I'd be quite interested in some of those now, like how many hours. Would be good.

All of that sort of stuff. We didn't do that, did we for the two years? If you put it on, how far could you travel? Do you remember we did that? Yeah, that was good. We worked out a few places. I kind of know what it was now. What do we do?

We looked up something or other. You could walk to... I mean, it's useless, isn't it? I can't remember what it was. No, I know. But that kind of thing. Yeah. Might be quite nice.

So, welcome to scraping the barrel today. You've very tanned. Oh, as are you? Well, I'm not. It's been a bit sunny over here, isn't it? I had a little base colour before going to Tuscany, you see. Mm-hmm. So that does help a little.

But what makes me laugh is you stand in it for an hour and you're browner than me. This is mainland. This has got nothing to do being in Tuscany. Do you think so? Yeah. You burnt a bit, actually,

on the first day. I did my shoulders, yeah. Well, I fell asleep in a swimming pool. I know, which is a strange thing to do. Bobbing around. You wasn't bobbing around. The next one I was snoring.

No, you were, face down in the water. You were lent on the edge. You might have been drugged. No, you were drunk, maybe. I wasn't drunk, thank you very much. Not that day. You had a couple of prosekos in you?

Not on that day, no. But your arms were, You were like this? Yeah. That's exactly what I just described. Leaning. He wasn't bobbing around. You were quite still.

Well, funnily enough. It's quite dangerous to do that. May I just put a caveat in here? Well, you were monitoring me, weren't you? I was monitoring you, yes. Yeah. I kept sort of poking me. It was so relaxing, wasn't it?

It was just lovely. It was a great time, wasn't it? Really good. Going to go into that a bit more of Auntie Lini and the girls. We're going to sort of go into a bit more detail. But what was your favourite bit about the trip? Um, oh That was nice

Because you're only there for two days That nice meal we had Yes That was nice That was really lovely I joined you for What else was good I quite enjoyed the Uber journey

On the way to the place Quite enjoyed the scenery And I enjoyed seeing Joni She seemed to miss me And Eliza Yes That was nice

At least someone did It was good What does What does that mean I missed you No, you didn't Oh, I was so pleased to see you, it was lovely you were turning up Absolutely nonsense

It's true Not bothered in the slightest That's not true I was having a cracking time Exactly But when you turned up it was lovely I was quite enjoying being at home To honest

It's quite nice Got to watch like I watch YouTube Yeah Watch like a steam railway thing On the big telly in the living room It's brilliant Why are you saying that as if you don't do that anyway

Well, I do. But, you know, I felt I could do it, you know, about being moaned out. There's some mosquito there. Where? A little one. Do you want to get it on mic free? See what you've got to say? No, I don't.

No. I can't see it. Okay. I wonder if there's a thing, if you've been bitten a lot, then there is something about you which attracts them more to you. Does that make sense? Maybe. I don't know.

Blood? Maybe. I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to jinx myself, but... I can't believe it. Well, you get bit all the time. But not only am I bitten.

I then scratch them and then I brew this. That is probably your main problem, actually. Mm. The scratching. Possibly. Anyway, there we go. Yeah. I've tried everything.

I've got everything. Bodomis cream. The jungle formula, strength five, that it's meant to be good for Mozambique when you're in, you know, in the middle of jungles and... Madagascar and nothing works

so I don't know what to do Marmite maybe eat Marmite I like Marmite I'll eat more of it Yes that's meant to be good Isn't it? Is it?

Yeah I love Marmite On a bit of seeded bread Of course you like that You've got a very funny set of taste Haven't you Like if it's a little bit like

Ugh You know what I mean If it's a bit like awful Yeah Like weird, you know, if it's an organ from an animal, oh, you love it. That's not true. Like basically, I'm not keen on sheep's intestines. Because I do those in Italy.

Yeah. I don't really like those. No, I like a little bit of liver and bacon at time to time. A couple of stuffed pigs hearts every now and again. But you don't really get them unless you go to somewhere like St John in Newzlington or, you know, it's not. I wouldn't say to you that's my favourite. It's not my favourite. Just lost about 12 listeners there.

Well, possibly. A few vegans have gone. I don't go crazy. I don't pick the weirdest thing on the menu. If I'm out, it's something I probably wouldn't cook at home. Yes, I understand that. However, it doesn't surprise me you like Marmite. Kind of fits for, I don't know, maybe not.

Why don't you like my mate? I just absolutely don't like that kind of malty sort of... Bovril? Never had it. No. Do you like... Yeah, you don't like awful. You don't really like crustaceans, do you?

Fish with heads on and things. No. Then you've got better with that. What'd it mean? Well, if we go out and you order a piece of fish... Oh yeah, that's fine. You're all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's right.

We get them to do it for you, don't we? Debon it for you. Yeah. Like a little baby. Actually, the ones that I've had filleted have been sort of fish that, they would normally do that as part of the theatre in the restaurant, actually. It's true. Not that I'm a baby.

But that's all right. If you want me to take that, I'll wear that, yeah, I'm a baby. Because, of course, the person next door, having exactly the same part of the service done when they're having the fish served, what have they been? They're not the baby. Fair enough. No, it is true.

It is a theatre of it usually. Yeah, I mean, I don't go to Captain Cod, do I, and demand that he's going to, like, cut it open and sort it out of me. Oh, dear. Now, before we carry on, we must mention lovely James, who is your friend from Moores Valley. Yeah.

And he listens to the pod all the time. To Mark and Natalie, I know you probably won't make it to Cornwall this year, so here is something that I knew you would enjoy. from James. And he sent us a bottle of lovely wine from the Trevor Ban Mill where we go and Cornwall. Yeah.

That is so thoughtful. It is thoughtful. Really thoughtful. Really nice thing that. So thank you James. We've not had it yet, have me? No, standing by, ready for a special occasion. Been quite busy.

Yes. And it's not something we're just going to sort of glug down. No, absolutely not. It needs to be looked after and, you know, save it. I love that. A little bit of a thought that goes into that. Very good. I'm a big fan of Vibbon. Do you know what?

We've sent people there even. There are people I work with who have gone there. Yes. On the back of us talking about it. The apple dessert one that they do is unbelievable. It's like apple crumble, isn't it? It's really good. Really good.

I do like going there. It's nice. We've been there a couple of times, haven't we? Yeah. Get a cab there and buy some wine. When I was talking to you on holiday, and I think it could be a wedding very. venue for us.

Yeah, maybe. Could be. Yeah. And I am sad, James. I'm sad we're not going to make it. We were talking about that, won't we? It's a funny old year. It's lovely, but it's weird to have not gone to Cornwall this year.

We're going to miss it. I think so. As always next year. There is. Need to book it, though. I know. It all gets so booked up in the summer holidays. Anyway, talking of holidays.

Hi Nat and Mark, first time messaging. Lots of those lately as well. First time voice notice. It's nice to hear. First time messages. It's very good. Hats a message about your discussion about packing. I'm 100% with you, Nat.

I hate it. I get so stressed doing it. But your comment about a box with everything in duplicate just to make packing easier, I have to say, it's totally not extravagant and I've actually started to do this. Not clothes and makeup, that's a bit too much, but toiletries, hair stuff, medicines, chargers.

I have a box with separate mini duplicates in toiletry bags and I just top them up each time I go away. Helps me remember what I need to take. I've gradually done this over a few years and now I just have bags that I can grab and go. So yes, do it. It will change your life. Lots of love from Laura from South Staffordshire. Well, there you go, Laura. But the thing, you've got to go away quite a bit, though, surely, to just justify that.

Or things will be out of date, surely. You've got. Really? You've got aftershaves in there? Yeah. That you've had since before I met you. There's aftershaves in there that probably, I don't know. But you know you can't use them.

I can? No. I can and I do? No, they'll all smell the same. Oh, quite like it. They go off. Oh, people compliment me on them, so. It's unbelievable.

When perfumes and aftershaves go off, darling. Okay. So then they just smell the same. Maybe that's the answer on the mosquitoes. Because I'm right, aren't they? Maybe. Maybe it's some sort of special alexia. Possibly.

Or elixia. What's the word? I know exactly. Elixir. Elix. Something. E-L-I-X-R. Elix.

El Y-X-I-R. If someone's got this, it's not fine. from saying Alexa, is it? No, of course not. That's a funny one as well. I was thinking about that the other day. Yeah. When you hear people now,

yeah. I've heard someone say, Alexa, I think, fucking hell, what a name to have in this day and age. Oh, really? Yeah. I didn't know what you meant.

As in like a name of a child. Child, human being. Well, hopefully it does answer you back. Maybe that's the thing. Mm. Or maybe, maybe the child doesn't answer back. Like the Alexa we've got downstairs It's a little bit old now that one

It is yeah Not a fan of Alexis I think it's very I mean someone's listening in No No No okay You don't think that feeds into suggestions

You don't think it listens out for words And If you talk to it Same as your phone Phone listens all the time Oh yeah that's true Do you think so? Absolutely

Do you know they've built Up at the 18 You know, near Chesent? You know they started those film studios? Yes. And they've just been left. Yes. Around the back there, apparently Google

have bought loads of land. Oh, right. And they've just built massive, massive big buildings or whatever. I don't know. But it looks quite sort of factory-like. Yeah. But that's all for data, apparently. It's the way forward, unfortunately.

Did you know, someone said this to me the other day, I don't know if this is true. Mm-hmm. But you know how to use so much water. for cooling these AI data centres. Yes. Apparently, for every search you do on chat GBT, it uses like a little bottle of water.

Yeah, the world's fucked. Okay. It's completely ridiculous. How very profound? We're doing chat GPT, and I'm doing it. We're all doing it. Water, water, water.

And I can't use my hose in the garden. I said, yeah, meanwhile, the tomatoes are shriveled. That's not good enough. That wasn't a euthanism. It's not right, is it, that we can't water the garden. Yeah, AI sensors are taken up. No, I don't think it is. It's a strange one, strange times that we're living in.

It's out of order. So all of our ground and lovely produce can be barren. Yeah. But we can, meanwhile, carry on with the AI. Anyway, back to packing up stuff in a special standalone bag. Yeah. How on earth? We just segwayed into...

Power the pod. Power of the pod. And I do think it is a good idea, and I did have that. I was thinking about it, actually, when I was packing the other night. Yeah. And did think it would be a good idea. To a point. But it's not like we go away all the time.

If you were like a frequent flyer, frequent traveller... Oh, you're getting quite good at it. Yeah. But still, really. No, I don't think it, I don't think it warrants it at the moment. Okay. Joni was brilliant. She did all her packing. Oh, actually.

Talking of that. Oh, talking of that? Yeah. There's a few people have asked. About Alan? You did hear. Listen to this. Matt and Mark, just been listening to your pod.

Great, really funny. Did make me laugh when you said about Joni and her favourite for um what's his name oh i've forgotten now um but it did make me laugh um i do watch that myself i did like miranda and um oh i've forgotten his buddy name now it's gone now wow it's crazy anyway love the pods keep doing what you're doing it's great um i hope you have a great Friday and I look forward to listen to your extra Patreon one with Tony tomorrow on my walk in the morning and no I will not be eating at that point but sounds like it's going to be a good laugh have good day gal from much Adam and I just remembered sorry Alan of course how can I forget

Alan Carr that's the name I did before it just wasn't on the tip of my tongue but for now. The thing is, Gail, you called Amanda Miranda. I was going to say, Alan and Miranda. That's a new one. There you go. That would be quite a good show. Miranda Hart?

Yeah, I can see those two working, actually. I could see that working. So I messaged Alan Carr on Instagram because every now and again we might send a very odd DM. And I message him. Sorry, I've got to ask on behalf of everyone listening. An example, perhaps. What's an odd DM?

It's a weird thing, really, celebrity. because you can just message people and it's a weird one. I feel like, I don't know. We get back to each other and it's sort of, you're acquainted, but you're not really. Yes, I know what you mean. I've messaged quite a few times in the past. Don't let us down now. Quite a lot.

Come on. The last one, well, I message him, obviously. I mean, you'll have about 15 million messages, but I loved it. Well done, how amazing. Yeah. So that was nice. And then, what did it? He sent me one a little while back.

Oh, Natalie, love, you have cheered up a gloomy day in Mexico. Me, Ross and Lee are sitting on the balcony. Grey clouds. And then I see your lovely voice note. Yeah, I'm not telling everyone my messages from Alan. Okay, well, I was interested. I don't know people listening would have been interested in that. But I sent a video to Alan of Joni's case.

and then showed him the picture. Yeah. And just said absolutely, she's absolutely obsessed with you and I just wanted you to know. And he sent a lovely little video back saying this. Are you Joan? It's Alan Carr here. Now I hear you're going on your holidays to Italy, Tuscany. Oh, I wish I was coming with you.

It sounds fabulous. Well, listen, make sure you wrap up that photo of me. I don't want to getting smashed when it's in the plane, love. have a fantastic holiday and I wish I was there with you. M'uah, look after Mummy. I hope she doesn't drink too much rosé. So there we go. Well, I'm pleased.

So kind of. I didn't ask for a video. It's just really nice. What did Joanie say to that? She was a bit nonplussed about it. I was going to say it. She sort of watched it. I thought she was going to be ecstatic.

Oh. She sort of went, oh, I think it was a bit overwhelming. I said, is it a bit funny? I think she found it a bit funny because she's been watching him so much. Lovely message here. Hey Nat, hope you're all having a great holiday. Just thought I'd say your pods are brilliant.

I listen to them on my drive to and from work as I'm up early and don't want anything overstimulating. Oh. At that as a review of the podcast is probably the best one I've ever heard. Your pod sound like having friends. friends on the phone. The only disaster is I'm up to date and don't have any more to listen to until the next episode comes out. Love Sophie from Surrey.

Don't have to get, no. Honestly. Don't worry about it getting overstimulated. There's going to be no... That is what we are. We're a family. It's a cup of tea with friends. There's no overstimulation here. It's a cup of tea with friends. I went to an ACAST, um, Acast or a company who sort of sell adverts for the pods and all that sort of stuff, listeners.

And I went down to London today and I did a little interview and a chat. But it was lovely. They had a big screen and they'd done a bit of hope. You know, they had a slideshow and all of us came up on the screen and then some messages from listeners. And you were very, just so you all know, very much part of my chat because it's a very, very strong community that we're building. And that excites a lot of people because it's...

Or stimulates them. Well, you're a reason. Stimulated, aren't you? Yeah. Oh, going back to Island Carl, something for you and Mark to watch. Traders Canada on BBC Eye Player, apparently. All right.

Oh, my God, some fab characters. I'm obsessed with the full franchise. Great TV, Lisa from Hull. So, there's not a lot on at the moment, really. No. Although we've got rivals to watch. I just think it's so weird you've said that. We saw Dominic, didn't we?

Yeah. Dominic is the... the big cheese. The writer slash executive producer, one of which, yeah. Great to see. Scraw, screenplay, isn't he? That's a screenplay.

Great to see people do well. Lovely to see him. Would you be up for that? Watching a Traitus from Canada? I mean, I take my hat off to you, if you feel that we've got time to watch anything on television. I can't tell you. I know.

Well, no, I can tell you. The last thing I watched on television was like 16mm railway ramble on YouTube. Sorry. Mosquito's back. I don't think it is a mosquito. I just can't afford to get bitten again. Carry on.

I think it'd be alright. Carry on. I said what I wanted to say now. I wonder what you were going to say because I was away for four days. I didn't know what was going to come up. The last thing you might have watched on the telly. Nothing popped up.

I was just watching railway stuff on YouTube. dokey. What are you trying to insinuate? Nothing at all, darling. Nothing at all. How's it, Nat? I'm just busy listening to, I think, the latest, scraping the barrel. When you're talking about packing, and you said it would be extravagant to have a separate set of things. Well, we have a beach cottage. We live in South Africa, so it's not as big a deal as it sounds. It's not as fancy as it sounds. Anyway, we go there often.

and I have all of our toiletries. I have a set there for my kids, for me, for my husband. It's all there. So when we pack, I don't have to pack anything like that. And it's not extravagant because you would take your shampoo there and you would use it. And then you would bring it home and you would use it. And that shampoo would get used up. Those things don't go off if you use them often.

So I don't think it's extravagant to have a separate set that you keep. in your toiletry bag all packed and ready, your makeup all packed and ready. You could have quite a few. I mean, even if you bought an extra hair dryer and that's not, I mean, a massive expense. So I would wholeheartedly suggest that because when I pack, I pack for five people. And that makes my life so much easier. All we have to pack is clothes. I've got extra, well, you wouldn't need that, but extra food stuff there as well of

non-perishables that aren't going to go off so I don't have to worry about that. It makes life so easy and it makes going away so pleasant. So I would definitely recommend it. There we go. Well, that was like an instant reply to what I said. Yeah. I mean, it's a fair point. At this event today, that was at.

They had cupcakes on the table. It's like you've, it's really weird, by the way. several times during this recording, it's like you've read my mind. It's really weird. Really? Really. That's happened more than usual.

Sorry to interrupt. It's okay. But there were cupcakes there. And on top of the cupcakes, there were little squares. And basically they had the thumb-nows of the podcast that they look after. Sounds a bit gritty.

There was my little face on there with my pink jumper on. with a dark green background, my life with Nat. Yes. But it was a bit weird watching people eat me. That's funny. Wouldn't you find that funny? If your face was on a cupcake and someone was eating your face?

It's a bit strange, yeah. I don't know what's so funny. No, I don't know. I don't know. I just don't get it. Just like tackling to myself. No, it is a bit strange. Yeah.

It would be weird if it was like more of a model of, you know, like a... Do you know what I mean? No. It's just an image, wasn't it? Yeah. Did you sort of look at the cell who's selected, you know, was there sort of... I have to be honest. Was there some favouritism?

I have to say, I think because I was in the room, people were diving into me. Okay. Were you the only person there out of the... Yes. Oh, I see. Apparently not a lot of celebs do them. Yeah. Fair enough.

You know me. Like a chat. I'll go anywhere, me. Anyway. They were lovely. Lovely little cakes. The green and pink, it looked good. I think I chose well on the colours, you know.

I do. What Wimbledon colours? Yeah, we've got a message here. Look, I was thinking the Wimbledon colours are like the pod colours too. Your colours always reminded me of something. And when Wimbledon started, I thought that's it. Loved Wimbledon this year, some great matches. Love a little backstage story too from Mark Verity.

So, yeah, she noticed the colours as well. And Verity, in real life, much, much more on brand to my eyes. It's much more. On camera, it doesn't quite translate the same. But it does by eye look exactly the same. It feels like ages ago you did that. Tell me about it. Why is that?

Well, because you've been on holiday for a week since. A Wimbledon Cup? Yeah. I've got this last year when you were working at Wimbledon. What, that big cup? Yep. that you're holding, which is green and cream. Yes.

With a straw out of it, with a pink logo. Yep. I did that for the majority of people listening to it. Yes, that's true. I'm so sorry. I beg your pardon. Yeah. Well, there you go.

You didn't really watch any Wimbledon this year. I tried to watch as many as I could, many matches. But it just doesn't seem to happen. They're on all day. You can't sit down all day. I'd love to do that. You know, just thinking about talking about old sporting events, that have long since expired

and people aren't probably interested in. The football. That was a shame? It was. Yeah. Oh, it's a shame, wasn't it? Get all that way. What was funny was when Spain won.

Oh, I was so happy when Spain won. I was with the National Spanish Orchestra. They must have been so fuming. They were on stage. So I went to go and, I normally popped out in backstage. Yeah. Around the back of the thing. and I ran to the Lou, and quite a few of them were watching on a phone.

I bet. I'm watching the football, and then they went back out to the concert. Oh, my God. But how funny is that? But they would have, they would have been finished. I think they went to the bar after, and I would imagine we would have watched it. Yes. A nice fix.

They must have been ecstatic. They've done a lovely orchestra. They're really happy to be there at the Albert Hall. And then they've gone to the bar for the last party, and they've watched their country win the World Cup. A lovely orchestra. Do you mean a lovely orchestral performance? Yes Yeah

But yes Brilliant You know what I mean I bet they were a bit Oh hard Well a conductor went a bit quicker In the second half I did think about you doing that prom though

And if England were in How many people might not have been there But I think it might be a bit of a different audience Maybe Possibly Well the conductor came on At the very end with a football scarf An England one

No bizarrely enough A Spanish one. Oh, sorry. Because he was a Spanish conductor. That might have been a little bit old. No, I thought you were talking about a different person. Another person, come on. Or a bus conductor.

No, I thought maybe it was a different conductor for different sets. No, it was the same orchestra for the whole night. Oh, dear, they must have been furious. No, they weren't furious. They were, what a lovely orchestra. They were so nice and friendly. Spanish for you, isn't it? Really good.

Hi, Nat. It's taken me an embarrassingly long time to message you because I'm always covered in clay when you read out the number. So I've always missed it. It's Libby. I came to your book tour ages ago last year and gave you a couple of mugs because I always listened to you when I'm making my pottery in the studio. And I finally got around to watching your carers program. And I couldn't believe it. You were carrying one of my mugs and then carried on watching.

And then you were using the other mug and putting in the digital shirt. So thank you so much for actually using them. I kind of just thought, oh, it was a nice thing to say thank you to you because, yeah, I'm always listening to you in the studio. I've always covered in clay, so I've never been able to do a voice note. And I'm not very good at doing voice notes anyway. But yeah, just wanted to say that the carers show was just amazing and, yeah, really loved it, love lifting to your pod.

I'm sure I think of more interesting things to say, but I just want to say thank you so much for using them. It was such a nice surprise. and I will carry on watching the show, still haven't finished it yet, and I'm so behind on all your pods, but I will be getting making and carrying on listening. But yeah, life's been busy, as yours has as well.

But yeah, lots of love, Nat. Have a lovely summer, and I hope Joni's all right with her arm. Yeah, it makes me feel sick even thinking about what you must have felt when you got that call again. I've got two little ones, so, yeah, just, yeah, such a ride.

Anyway, lots of love. Have a great holiday as well. Bye. voice note and so happy she messaged because that mug is my favourite mug now for a cup of tea. I thought she was going to say, you should be put in dishwasher. No. Obviously it's all right. But my favourite mug for a cup of tea now.

Oh, there you go. It is a nice mug actually. It's lovely. When she said I'm always covered in clay, firstly I thought of those things, you know, like the wrestling, the mud wrestling. No, that's mud. Clay, muddy, okay. And then I thought, I wonder if she's got like, equivalent of like Patrick Swayze,

sort of, you know, sitting behind sort of doing the modelling. Okay, dooke. No, I was just listening to the message that she sent about making me a mug. Have you ever seen the film Ghost? Yes. You know what I'm talking about? I do. I think it's pretty cool, isn't it?

I'm not doing the old... I'm so cool, being a potter. Yeah. sat in her studio all day doing pottery. Well, I haven't got a mug, have I? It'd be nice. There were two, I believe. She said there were two, but...

I thought there was only... I think there was only one. I think I know about both of them, and I think... Where's the other one? I don't know. I only used the blue... Don't say that now. She's seen it.

She's thinking you've broken it now. No, I'll have to go and have a look in a minute. Sounds like me. I try to find something at... Don't. But no, that's that is nice, isn't it? What a nice thing.

What a lovely thing. And then she spotted it on the telly, her mug. I'd like your details, actually. Send me a voice note so I can pop a picture of your mug up if you've got an Instagram account or what have you. And then I can pop it on for people because honestly they're the best mugs ever. What would be your dream job?

To me, that's a bit of a dream job being a potter. I just feel like going. into a studio, not so much, maybe not pottery, but art, if you're that way inclined to sit in a studio, it basically reminds me of Henry Moore. Yeah. When you go to Henry Moore's house and he was a sculptor, obviously. But it's not far from us, is it? No.

And you walk around his house and then look in his garden and his workshop, I would love to have had that life. Did he actually make any money? Like, in his lifetime while he was alive. I don't know about that. It was a very interesting character, though. It's not loads of, I mean, there are people. There are artists that have done very well. Barbara Hepworth.

Did she? There are a lot of artists that died never knowing, obviously. A lot of retrospective stuff happened. Look at Caravaggio. Unbelievable, his life. Lost his mum and dad very, very young. Right. did some painting

went to art school that was very, very obstinate bit of a character liked to fight quite violent a little bit arrogant by the sounds of it but was a genius

and then got into some sort of scuffle didn't he in Rome where Tamassi I think his name was he was dead so he got exiled

is that what they call it maybe yeah oh kicked out of Rome kicked out the country. Well, they say he killed them. I'm not sure. Right. There was a scuffle of some kind, but the other guy died.

And then he ended up going around and he went to Malta. He did a lot in Malta. But what I mean is, I like art because you can just look at a picture. Or if you start actually looking into people's lives, there's a lot of characters knocking about a lot. A lot of creatives are very interesting, aren't they? What really impressed me was, I hate to go back to it, but at Wimbledon,

the lady that looks after the press, came up to us and said, there's some seats, like, near one of the cameras. She said, oh, I've got a very special person who's with us. And it's a photographer called Andreas Gerski. Right. And he is very well known for doing sort of plate photography, shooting like massive great big wide shots basically full of detail

and he uses very clever camera, very expensive digital camera which is like they use these cameras for sort of surveys so they're so detailed. Right, okay. And the chip sizes, anyway, really interesting. So he came up and he's just sat there with a camera on a little monopod. And he came up about four, five, six days over the tournament, just sat there in like a press. He had a press thing on, press pass.

And he'd been invited and he went to come. And if you just look into him, like into the detail about him, he obviously is still alive. Yes. He is renowned for selling the highest grossing photograph ever sold at auction. Really? How much was it? Millions. How much?

I can't remember. I don't want to Google it. Anyway else can go and Google it or whatever. But it was a lot of money. And you just think, wow, that is amazing. I mean, he's sort of sorted, surely. But from that point onwards, I mean, you can do a wedding and charge what you want. But he probably doesn't want to do that.

I doubt he would do that. But it just is it amazing? And he was sort of taking these images. But is it the image that people have bought? Or is he a famous photographer? I've never heard of him. That doesn't mean much because I'm not. massively into photography.

But if you say to me, photographer, I'd go, Annie Lieberwitz, David Bailey. I looked at the images and I, honestly, some were familiar. Right. I'm not just saying that either. No, no, no, no. And it is sort of a style. Yes. It's an interesting one.

Interesting. He's made a career from it. And, yeah, it made some amazing images. Worth looking up. Andreas Gerski. But going back to what I was saying about, kind of me wandering out into kind of a having a greenhouse with vegetables in it

and then going into my workshop to paint or whatever, you know. What would your dream job be? Oh. Would it be kind of a big workshop? Oh, I don't know, you know. It changes that. I like having the flexibility

of deciding what I want to do and when. So for example, doing some sort of DIY type activity. Yes. Where maybe I'm doing it over a week period. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened. And I've quite enjoyed the fact that I can do the school run and I can kind of go off and do that and I'll go off and do this.

And I'm kind of at control of my own schedule and I quite like doing what the job I'm doing and whatever. I like that. And I also quite like having the time to properly dedicate to either restoring things. or yeah, I mean, I think that's something that I could have done. Maybe not, yeah, I'd be a bit more specific. I wouldn't just be repairing any old things, but I think there'd be something, no, you know what I mean?

I'd probably specialise a little bit. Are they all specialise in certain things all of them? Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I don't know what necessarily, but something more. Surely restoring steam engines of some kind. Possibly, that kind of thing. Like your garden one? Yeah, maybe.

yeah. I mean, to be fair, it's something I can potentially do, isn't it? Well, you don't do that. Yeah, it's having the time. It's just having the time to do it. No, but you'd have to make a choice, wouldn't you? Yeah, and I do also really enjoy my job, so it's a tricky one. But should there be a time that my job gets replaced by robots or AI, or shall I say, say, when the time comes,

then, yeah, I've got a fallback plan. I mean, I don't know what state The old I mean, try to get a bag of coal At that time, it'll be interesting It's hard enough now, let alone Let alone in however many years' time But, who knows?

Don't know, do you? No. I just, I feel like I could have, I don't know, write poetry. I would have loved to have worked in radio. That's what I'm talking about. Not necessarily on it. but I do get excited listening to good radio

so do I like the atmosphere of it I do and at the moment for me I'm sorry but Greg James probably is the best I would say Greg James is the best I've got a lot in common with Greg James yeah

both from the area of Kent yeah same place both know Dave Bowden yep both did work experience at the BBC really close to each other. I mean, we all know who did the best out of that, didn't we? How old's correct, James?

Our age? My age? My age, yeah. See? Is he your age? Mm. It's a bit younger than you. I'm bump into him, did I?

Shame. No. No, never mind. I think he's brilliant. I really do. I can't believe you just said that. A bit of a laugh, isn't it? That's hilarious.

Have you seen his wife? No. Bella, Bella Mackey. No. She's a writer. Right. Runner. Beautiful couple actually.

Got a lot on common with you, is she? No. Nothing at all. She's absolutely stunning. And their dogs are also stunning as well. So just a great family, really. Right. What do you think about?

So I went and did a radio. Didn't I? I did Virgin. Did one stint. Yes. And a lot of celebrities now just are on the radio. Yeah. Like I'm saying I don't like them.

For me, Ramesh on a Saturday morning is excellent. Yeah. But again, it's a craft. It's a skill radio. Yeah. I know where you're going to this, I think. No, I'm just, all I'm saying is, for someone like Greg James, who started, he did a hospital radio.

That's why he's obsessed with Alan Partridge, isn't it? But he's done everything. about it. Yeah, it's his vocation. It's his vocation and he's a craft and he's worked for how many hours on the radio to get as good as that. Do you think someone like him

resents people who just step into kind of a really good slot? I don't think he does because he's also the nicest person I've ever met. I think being careful what I say here, it's very similar in a way to putting in a face, a known celebrity

into like a drama. When maybe their main skill isn't acting, but it draws an audience. Yeah. There are programs like that, aren't there? So similar in a sense. And I understand why they do it. But what's brilliant is coexisting in that you've got people who are, you know, they do radio and that's what they're known for doing. Which I think is absolutely brilliant.

And actually, in a funny way, especially when you're talking about some of these big radio stations, the audience's drawn now. I mean, they're huge audiences. Massive. Compared to TV. Did you see Zoe Ball's gone over to Greatest Hits Radio? Yeah, they're getting a collection, aren't they of ex-BBC? They really are. Presenters there.

King Bruce, is Leaser going to turn up there on a Saturday night? Because I'll cry my eyes out. I'm waiting. Possibly. I'm waiting. Genuinely, it makes me, please. You are good on radio, though. No.

You were good. Thank you. Again, I just felt out of place. I can't explain it. I want you to get a, I'd like to... I know. I can come and work experience then. I think if it was the middle of the night, genuinely, if someone

said to me, you can do, I don't know, whatever. I'm not saying I'd like to do kind of, I don't know, Radio Bedford or something. But if it was in the, if it was a late night slot. Yeah. And I could be a bit funny on it. I'm sure you could do that a normal one? I couldn't. I don't, not in the daytime.

I don't deserve to be there. Maybe fair enough. That's just how I feel about it. But also, I should probably go to Radio Bedford. Because I'm saying that. and then I'm like, well, I don't want to do that. So that means it isn't a vocation of mine. Do you see what I mean?

Yes. See, I would do that. I know. I would be quite up for that. We've got a really lovely listener. I met her brother today, actually. Yeah. And she has a radio show that she wants me to go on.

Oh, right. It's like a local one. Yeah. So we should get in touch with her and maybe go down there or something. Yeah, brilliant. We're well up for that. Did you know, Gabby Roslyn said that I could go and do work experience with the I'd sit in.

Gabby would do that for you. I know, she said that. She was like, yeah, come along. Yeah. Just come and sit in if you want. I was like, I should do that. I'd find that really interesting. I'd just do it interesting.

That's no different. Your passion for radio. Yeah. You should go and sit in. It's no different to me going to a certain office for the day, which I won't talk about on air, but sitting and watching all people do their jobs, which is mind-blown, absolutely mind-blown.

But people actually have jobs to do. No, but people. But I'm watching things unfold that I'd never get to see. I know what you mean. Anyway, all I'm saying is there's some great radio about. And some people are very, very, very good. Some people are very, very good at it. I think Ramesh is excellent.

Rachel Johnson on LBC. Oh. I don't know. I mean, when I first heard her on there, she sounds like a lovely lady. Mm. But firstly, she used to have all sorts of abuse from people phoning up about her brother.

Just about her brother, just like her brother off. I'm not used to think, going to hide into nothing there. So going back to your original point, how has that happened then? She's Boris Johnson's sister. But what does that, why does she get a job presenting the radio? No, she might, listen, I don't know her career. And I'm not now going to waste a bottle of water on it. I'm not going to do that.

So That's quite interesting Is she not a journalist Is she not a writer? They've all been educated well So I'm sure she's got Lots behind her belt Behind her belt

That's behind her belt What's on her belt Under her belt is the usual Thank you Turn of phrase yeah Lots under her belt It's 11 o'clock at night again people Fuck me

Well it's been a lovely time I've had a great time tonight I think it's been I think it's been thought-provoking. Stimulating? No, I think it has been quite stimulating. Okay. I think since the message,

which is not a bad one, because that's why we hear to sound like friends, to have a laugh and a cup of tea, and be your company. But since we heard that, we sort of went into a little bit of, you know, creative stuff.

Had some photography, some art. It was all planned. It was going to happen anyway, regardless of the message. We did not talk about the photographer or Caravaggio. I just threw that in. But, you know, the other arty stuff we were going to talk about, no? No.

Oh, I thought you had all planned on your phone. No. So what you've been doing and like texting on there? But all of it. What you've been on your phone for? I just got all the voice notes on when to play them in. I thought you had it all planned out on there. What, just reading what I'm saying?

Oh, that'd be a good pod. No, but I thought you had like a running order. No, roughly, but things have come up that. Well, it's supposed to come up. Don't we know it. Anyway, we're ending here. Right, I. Thank you.

You're more than welcome. Thank you, everybody, for listening. Please send us your voice notes and messages on 077-8-1919. There's some cracking stuff on the Patreon. You've got four or five now bonus episodes of lots of different bits and pieces over there. So if you can, and if you fancy, and if you want more of us, head to Patreon.com forward slash Life With NatPod

and you can find more of us over there. Remember to grab your tickets for the live shows at the end of the year and you can catch all of that. If you go onto my Insta, click on the bio there, the Comeo and it's all there for you. Thanks very much. Lots of love

and thanks for listening. Cheers. Hello, Nat and Mark, it's Jordan otherwise known as Ruby Slippers, listening in to your scraping the barrel and you were just talking about acronyms and I remember once I was on a tour It was a Christmas tour in the pantomime

and I remember getting really upset seeing my name, Jordan and then in brackets, F-A-T, close bracket. And I thought, gosh, is the company manager being really personal? There was two Jordans in the cast, so I thought, it's one way to identify us on the call sheet. So I went, so excuse me,

why have you called me fax? And he started laughing. I said, no. I said, I've found you quite rude. And he went, no, George, love. He went, it's F-A-T for first aid trained because, you know, on the cast you are the one that's first aid trained? I thought brilliant, so I've got really upset.

I think it'd be calling me fat. And actually, it wasn't. It was just stating the fact that I was the one that was first aid trained on the cast. But hope you're well. Hope you're looking forward to your holiday. And I've got to say, I am loving all the bonus episodes on Patreon. So for anybody that is thinking about actually joining Patreon, do it because you'll never be bored. There's lots of group chats going on.

There's bonus episodes and I'm really looking for the one with you and Tony talking about toilet. Toilet humour. I wonder how well that will go down. I'm sure it will be all flushed away. But I'm just currently relaxing in the hot tub before tonight's gig.