Life with Nat - EP40: Nagging with Aunty Linny

Episode Date: September 4, 2024

Nat and Linda take moment to catch up. What’s happening in the family as they dash around both being busy working mums - we’ll there’s Els bels baby due very soon, there’s the ongoing lack of lamps, and there’s even some podcast reflection. 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 now 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Visit BetterHelp.com today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com. Hello and welcome to Life with Nat. I hope you're all really, really well. Tonight I am joined by Aunty Linny, my sister-in-law Linda. We haven't got together for a little while and all of you have been so kind about me and Linda's relationship and you really have enjoyed listening to us. So tonight I've got no correspondence, no voice notes, and we're just going to have a little catch up because I haven't really spoken to Linda much recently, which is very odd behaviour. How are you, Lin?

I'm fine. Hi, everyone. Yeah. It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, a while for this. For us. I've not spoken to you all week. No, but life is busy, as we keep saying, and your life is particularly busy well no and yours oh yeah but that's standard it feels weird without deb's here i know it does actually i just thought it would be nice for you and me just to have a little family natter of course lovely you look well mind you oh thank you you just done your walk i've just done my walk done my nine hours sitting stint at work

An hour's walk And I've rushed over here And happy to have a little chat with you And over a glass of wine Well, I'd like to talk a bit about your walking Because it's very important to you, isn't it? Oh, I love it I'm so jealous that you get to walk all the time

That's one thing Well, look Instead of coming straight here after work I had to do my walk I love It gives me an had to do my work. I love, it gives me an opportunity to see my friend Tina. Yep. And what we do is I meet her from, she gets off the train from London because she works too.

And I meet her at the station and we do a good hour, if not slightly longer, every evening or at least four out of five. Oh, that's brilliant. sunday mornings we do a couple of hours and we it's lovely i mean the winter's gonna make it really challenging but i i just love it natalie but you know i always loved my sport even as a young girl yeah of course i just feel like clears your head i'm sitting on my backside all day i'm talking all day yeah it's just nice to get out talk a load of rubbish just be out in the fresh air get your movements, good for you

your bones and it's an exercise you can do at my age that hopefully won't hurt you and is good for you I know but even, I'm 20 years younger than you but I love walking I love it

well I'm 20 years younger than you, but I love walking. I love it. Well, you had to get that inch 20 years younger than me. Well, you know, I'm only just saying. No, but when you're saying about damaging and all that rubbish, it's a lovely thing to do if you have the time. I think, like you say, physically good for you, but for me, mentally. Yeah. Just clears the cobwebs away. I mean, I'll even walk, if she can't walk, Tina can't walk,

I'll stick my airpods in now or one in i feel a bit uncomfortable putting both in because i like to have my wits about me but um and take myself off that is i think very brave i when i was training for the marathon obviously it was a quite a you know a few years ago and i used to go up to the river in broxbourne and do the whole river the stretch of the river lee go all the the river in Broxbourne and do the whole river stretch of the river Lee go all the way up and then turn around and come all the way back but during the day but I would be on my own and I didn't feel uncomfortable really but as I've gotten older I'm much more aware of being on my own walking well even during the day, daylight? Yeah, on my own.

It's horrible, isn't it? Well, as you know, where I live, there's an alleyway. I get nervous walking through that alleyway, even in daylight. If someone's walking in the opposite direction, I sort of get my phone out. And isn't that terrible? And there's no reason to feel that way. Well, there isn't, but I think it is very true that as a woman yeah you feel more nervous than the man and it shouldn't be the case

really shouldn't be i mean we do that even if i've got tina with me if there's a man walking behind us i tend to look around and make a point of looking around i do feel like and again it's awful to have to say this but i feel men should be more mindful and perhaps they should just maybe cross the road or not i feel close to you i feel intimidated if someone is walking behind me yeah i get nervous like i feel myself clutching onto my mobile getting closer to tina yeah and it's a and unfortunately that's something that you know i think absolutely you can't control that it's built in built into you but definitely it's i guess you've got to have your wits about you you can't be too complacent absolutely but still it's something that i don't want oh it's lovely i would i really want to do more walking when are you going

to get the time to well hopefully next week i've got a day or two where i'm maybe at home i was just me and sophie like a walk during the day you know and i've said to her i can't wait we've got to try and just get one in but i would love to do three or four regular walks it's never going to happen at the moment but i need to use that peloton downstairs so that's now sitting in your house doing nothing which is kind of what I predicted. I know, but I am going to do it. I'm going to get back on it. It's just, do you know, whatever you do, it's all about structure, isn't it? Yes. It's about making something part of your routine.

Absolutely. It's no different to getting out of bed and making your bed. You would do that religiously every day. Or coming downstairs and having a cup of tea. It's no different. And then what happens is once you make it part of your routine, you feel guilty when you don't right it's no different and then what happens is once you make it part of your routine you feel guilty when you don't do it yeah and the habit what do they say i can't remember someone will message in but if i google it that it takes a

certain amount of time for something to become a habit i don't know if it's you know 28 days or you know this but it's true and it becomes a habit and then it's in you like you say and then you feel guilty if you don't do it yeah you have that guilt and it's yeah and it's important exercise is so important so important yeah i've got to get back to some exercise but it's always the thing that drops off for me if i'm busy of course that's always the first thing to go which ain't good because this is very important for you but the things that are good for you as a person on your own always go first and that's why this is the one thing i try as you know i'm you know i don't want to bore everyone that's listening but as you know i'm running around after children grandchildren full-time

job running your own but the walking is something i try not to compromise on. No, I don't think you should. Because it's kind of the only thing I feel like I do for me. Yeah. And I love it. Yeah. I really love it. And in fact, to be honest, if I had more time, I would like to go back to doing a little competitive sport, a bit of badminton.

Yeah, you've said that to me. Yeah, I love something. I love because I'm very competitive. But it's just, again, time. Time and having someone to do it with. Yeah, and also frightened of having an injury you know fortunately at our age bones and stuff it's all starts you know i've never been been through the menopause i'm not taking hrt i think i'm probably paying the price a little bit

for that so you kind of got to be a little bit careful in terms of pushing yourself too much but i'd love to do that yeah digressing a little bit yeah um i must bring up a couple of things that i'm just listening to your pods with my daughters and general yeah well firstly the ones about the girls i'm i mean i'm learning so much about them maria's getting on step frame dolls on extensions and putting my grandson i mean i was quite i was quite alarmist i don't think they realized that you know you sort of sit here and you chat away you forget who's listening you think your mum's listed and not only the world but you know how funny so yeah and um also you know the one you spoke about

i don't know why you got onto this subject about leaving stuff in your car boot yes yeah yeah putting leaving the suitcases in the boot before you go on holiday. Yeah. So do you not remember when we, I can't recall, I reckon you were in Broxbourne. Yeah. And we were going away, the girls, me, all my family, and you said to us, girls, I've got a load of summer stuff.

Why don't you just take it all on holiday use what you want enjoy it and then just bring it back to me so i took all these bits that you gave us can't remember can you not costumes wraps all sorts all summer stuff yeah suitcase full of gear which we took on holiday probably barely wore any of it and it came back with us i've washed it ironed it put it came back with us. I've washed it, ironed it, put it all back in a suitcase. And I thought, I must get this back to Natalie. You don't remember any of this? No. That's fine. That's good.

Memories shot to pieces. Well, I went, I must bring this back to Natalie. And I had, I was going on a course for work for the day and I thought, I'm going to finish early tonight. So what I'll do is I'll put it in the car. Yeah. And at the time I was driving a company car. So I put it in the car the night before

because I didn't want to be late in the morning to go to where I had to go, blah, blah, blah. That morning, got up. And I think Dominic was going to Ascot with all his friends. He was still living at home. I got into the car and noticed that my glove compartment was open in my car i thought that's weird i didn't leave that like that this is ringing a bell now there was an empty bar of chocolate a wrap out on my on the passenger seat

and i thought what i don't haven't had any chocolate in the car and i didn't keep any i didn't keep anything in the car because it was a company car and they used to change them regularly. So you never made it your own? No, because otherwise I would be permanently forgetting and losing stuff. Question Dominic said, Dom, did any of your friends, because they picked up the coach from mine or a limo, I can't recall. I said, did any of your friends messing around with my car this morning? He said, no.

I said, oh, that's weird. But anyway, thought nothing of it. Went to the course, finished about half past four, drove to yours. You said, oh, that's weird. But anyway, thought nothing of it. Went to the course. Finished about half past four. Drove to yours. You were living around the corner to me. Pulled up outside your house. Went to the boot.

Opened the boot. And the suitcase had gone. I do roughly remember this. Full of your stuff. I bet I wasn't bothered, was I? No. I was very bothered. But how random is that? Very strange. The one time you leave something in the boot of your car,

and my car, it didn't appear to have been broken into. Someone had just sat in there and ate a bar of chocolate. Well, I think someone must have got into it, looked inside, couldn't find anything. Had their snack and took the suitcase. And then flipping around a suitcase full of bikinis. I'm just surprised that never came up in your diary. No, absolutely, but I really, yeah.

It's so weird. How you forget. I've got a very bad memory. Have you? I truly believe it is down to learning lines from a very young age and i learn something and then and then i throw it away right so so you i'll learn four scenes do them then they go then i've got another lot to learn i would love if anybody you know is scientifically you know anyone has any information on this and how this theory but is there certain muscles that you can strengthen more than others my short-term

memory is great but long-term i only remember very significant things and i throw i think i just do stuff and then it'll just i'll chuck there must be inadvertently something mechanically that you do. I think so. I think I erase stuff. But they do say even with people that have strokes and aneurysms, things like that, they're subject to what part of the brain gets affected. Yeah. They might remember something they did 60 years ago and yet won't remember

something they did six minutes ago i guess it's which part of the brain well also there's so many part i mean the brain is so complicated look at alzheimer's and dementia absolutely but it's weird at your right i've you know obviously it naturally happens with age your memory deteriorates again the i mean that's one of my things with menopause for me, the brain fog. Oh, my goodness. Really? I could be talking and I just can't. The word just doesn't come out.

You start doing the old hand actions. Sounds like charades. Yeah, it's horrible. It's horrible. But then on the flip side, when I think of how much I do during the course of the day, how many people I speak to during the course of the day. And things you have to remember with keys and numbers and addresses. Oh, phenomenal.

Or my colleague will say, oh, I went to such and such a property. I go, I watch Joe Bloggs' property and I go, God, you know that every landlord. And I think, yeah, how do I remember that? Some different parts of the brain. Yes, and crazy stuff. It's amazing. And then you could be having a conversation and you can't think of what a table's called.

Or what restaurant you went to last week. Oh, my goodness. But I do that now. I do, yeah. I don't know. It only gets worse. Also, I think we have a lot to do. I do, yeah. I don't know. It only gets worse. Also, I think we have a lot to do.

So I've done this campaign with Maltesers. Oh, yeah. It's the first campaign I've ever done. I saw you put something up on social media. Yeah, yeah. So it's a little video. But the whole campaign is about lightening the load for working mums. Oh, okay. So it's about, it's called The Real Ooh.

So basically out of office, you know, when you do an email, you're out of office. If you could be really honest, what would your out of office say? So they've got some lovely ladies on there, you know, women, working mums. So one will say, I'm really sorry that I'm not going to make today's meeting but my three-year-old is having a meltdown in the kitchen because he doesn't want to eat you know and it's about yeah and it's about oh you know I've really worried because my daughter's got a temperature of 40.2 and I need to get her a doctor's appointment

whereas women we're heroes we've got to do everything we've got to do all the work be really cheery never never be late, get everything in on time. And the fact, it is actually unbelievable, 80% of people, working mums, say they wish that their colleagues or boss understood the out-of-hours work that you do as a working mum. And the other fact is that once you have done your day's work if you have small children etc or whatever people are clocking up an extra eight hours of work at home before and after work which you can quite believe can't you absolutely so that's what the

campaign is about lightening the load it's about talking to people telling your boss how you feel and just trying to get it out there to say look we're not all heroes it's hard talking to people telling your boss how you feel and just trying to get it out there to say look we're not all heroes it's hard hard going to work hard being a mum but what but i thought in today's world yeah that is something women can do well i mean i mean yeah well this campaign i was just about to actually say please don't be offended because i haven't mentioned working dads and obviously grandparents that look after children it's just the campaign i'm doing is about working mums but you're right every aspect of people working do you know what i mean it's you know what i'm saying you know my again as a nan yeah i have the kids on a thursday yeah i'll have them

for nine to ten hours well they got dropped off at eight yesterday. The last lot left at quarter to eight. Yeah. I literally had something to eat, logged on, cleared some emails because I'm then at work on Friday and I'm trying to play catch up. But I'm very honest. We have a morning meeting on a Friday and the team will say, how was your day off? And I go, no, it wasn't a day off.

It's not a day off. It's not a day off. It's not a day off. Hardest day of the week. I've done X, Y and Z. Yeah. Yeah, but I think you've got to be honest. Nothing to be ashamed about. I'm not claiming to be a hero.

No, but there are still a lot of people in an office environment, I believe, kind of from the research and what have you. Again, please, 07788 201919, let me know. But they feel if there aren't many mums or dad you know just not parents they can't be seen to be saying oh you know i just feel really tired because of that because it's kind of no one gets it because i haven't got kids and i think if you haven't got children if you're honest with yourself before i had children i would go oh god she's going on about her kids again yeah if you're honest yeah of course so again but i think again it's everything's got

to be a balance you can't be going to work every day going oh i've been up all night my baby screamed for five hours and then i did this and that because your colleagues are going to be like well you know yeah yeah yeah everyone's got their own. Stuff going on. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. I think it's to do with that you feel like you're failing in every aspect. You want to do everything right, but you can go to work and feel tired and feel like you're not doing your best there.

Then you're getting home and you're coming into the witching hour and the kids are screaming you think i've only seen him for an hour and that was terrible so you know all your aspects the one the one thing that's apparent to me and it'd be interesting to see any other grandmothers out there if they agree yeah the pressure that parents put themselves under now to ensure that you're ticking all of the boxes i just blows my brain yeah i feel you put yourselves under so much pressure but i kind of get it because i i even do it on a thursday yesterday the kids were really content at home but i was like no come on we're gonna go to the park you've not been to this park you're gonna love it it's got the massive lake it's got x1 when really they probably

would have been really happy just being at home but you constantly feel that they've got to be doing you've got to be doing things with them stimulating them yeah well this summer I'm very much someone who likes my kids to be indoors but you can't go out every day enjoy being at home play with your toys and whatever. But this summer, I feel like they've done so much each week. And also the cost is astronomical. Insane. It's ridiculous.

Even just for cinema, hot dog, having a walk around, you know, you're doing 60 quid, 70 quid. Yes. It's crazy. People talk about the festive period being expensive christmas being a pressure but i think summer is getting the same these six weeks of like you say having to do stuff or extra child care because they're not at school you know all the football clubs and tennis clubs that parents have got send their children whatever they've got to do. It's a lot, isn't it? It is a lot.

But equally, you see when you're out and about, you do see so many grandparents with their grandchildren. Well, because they're helping, because their daughters, sons, they can't afford childcare. But they're very fortunate to have these people. Yeah. Because I never had that. No, no, I didn't either.

But also, you do have more support than that, to have these people. Yeah. Because I never had that. No, no. I didn't either. But now how, but also you do have more support than that. Like all the extra school hours, three hours now that they're giving. Yes. Parents. We didn't have that in our day. No, no.

So there is, and the morning club, you know, the breakfast clubs, the after school clubs. But it's all extra money. It's all additional money. But I agree with you.

Things are changing. Oh, massively. But I still think there is a are changing. But at least it's so massively. But I still think there is a long way to go. The working from home. Yeah. I mean, that's got to be a godsend for a lot of working parents. To not go into the office five days. To not waste potentially two hours a day travelling.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's, yeah, I mean, there's swings and roundabouts in terms of what's been offered now and what was offered 30, 40 years ago. But I feel like you can only do your best and people can't put pressure on themselves. They do, though. We all do. I know, I know. I mean, I've been super busy doing this Channel 4 documentary,

which is brilliant, but it's travelling around. Where have you had to travel to? I've been to Sheffield. I've been to Norwich. And then the next block we do, we're not, you know, there's going to be a couple of local ones I did as well that week. But the next block I do is in a couple of weeks' time, but they've just said I think all five days we're not sure where you're going to be.

You could be away for the whole week. You you know it's very unlike me to be away from the house for five days you're a homebird aren't you so i'm already kind of thinking right i've got to get things in place telling eliza you've got to be responsible i don't want arguments with your sister if laura's here she's got you know but i can already see on your face you're finding it quite overwhelming and daunting the fact that you're not going to be around. Yeah, but I think that's an element of control because I'm a bit of a control freak, but only in a good way. Do you feel you're working longer hours now than you were

or when you're at your extenders? Or is it the not knowing what hour? No, it's very different, very, very different, because I do feel a tad more organised because sort of dates are in a bit earlier. Right. So that's quite nice. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, I mean, the documentary is quite a long day, seven,

usually finishing about six. So same sort of day, but sort of the travel is very different. But, again, that's just this job, and I felt that it was an opportunity that I couldn't say no to absolutely so another string to my bow and how much variety of work you've got how lovely is that it's really nice

you're doing a varied selection of different jobs, roles it's amazing it is really good you're very lucky very lucky yeah and just embrace it, enjoy it Natalie the kids will be fine of course they will and you're very lucky very lucky yeah just embrace it enjoy it natalie the kids will be fine of course they will and you're fortunate to have the nanny yeah that you know yeah and the kids love her yeah the kids are still in their own routine completely so i'm very lucky

yeah you're very lucky yeah talking of nannies go on what about our l's bells gonna be having babies oh my god not long now baby shower next weekend oh that's going to be lovely well before that we've got Alfie's party this weekend yeah we've got Alfie's party this weekend

I mean it's yeah Gemma's texted me actually tonight oh is she the lady that's doing doing all the balloons oh excellent how many clusters do we want

how many tables oh I'll give her a lovely shout out because they're absolutely brilliant I'll put photos a lovely shout out because they're absolutely brilliant I'll put photos and that on Instagram but they're a lovely it's a daughter

mother set up absolutely lovely softies play and party you can find her on Instagram but yeah she's doing all the

Batman balloons she's such a good girl yeah that's so lovely and then she's doing balloons for Ellsbell oh she's doing

Elliot's the baby shower balloons. Oh, God, so we're keeping her busy. Yeah, so we've got that happening next week. That's not extra at all, the baby shower. It's very low-key. Low-key? Yeah.

Low-key for you, mob. Oh, goodness me. Obviously at mine. Be nice, though. What's the weather looking? Oh, it's changed it looks like we're gonna have rain which is really annoying i've got 40 plus women coming and oh that's not um earlier it's marquee no i know natalie but still your brother's saying your brother's jet

washing the garden cutting grass having he's doing all sorts i don't know and we'll be lucky if we're out there yeah it's annoying's annoying, the weather, isn't it? But, yeah, and then, of course, I haven't really, it's gone so quick. I feel like it's gone so quick. I feel like it has flown by. And there's so much going on. And it just sort of dawned on me today. As I was driving here, I thought, I'm going to be, I'm her birthing partner, along with Jack.

Of course. And the last time I did that was well this week yeah well yeah five years ago wow how are you feeling about it maria's was well maria's as you know the day was amazing wasn't it we had fun because we facetimed you and it was the i've never experienced a i've never experienced someone else giving birth and B. she had the birthing pool which I've never experienced that because it wasn't around in my day

so the whole day was just sad that it just all ended not great. No, no. It was all a bit traumatic in the end But everything was fine? No, the outcome after was fine albeit Alfie, yeah it ended up in Nicu, didn't it, all a bit traumatic in the end. But everything was fine? No, the outcome after was fine. It would be Alfie.

Yeah, it ended up in Nicu, didn't it, for a bit. But it was, you know, it's all good. So do you feel, do you just want it to go smoothly? I just want to, I just want to, because obviously Ruby's birth was the polar opposite to Alfie's, but that was through COVID, so I couldn't be there for that. She nearly had her in the car, so that went really quickly, didn't it? It was me trying to keep her at home. I would have been delivering her if I'd had my way.

Yeah, I just would like to experience something that just runs smoothly, but Elia can't even get her legs waxed without passing out. No, the pain threshold's not... It's not great. I mean, I can't say a word. No, yeah, she's you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm a bit nervous.

I don't know. Jack and I haven't even spoken about it, because obviously we're both... I don't say a word. No, yeah, she's you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm a bit nervous. I don't know. Jack and I haven't even spoken about it because obviously we're both, I don't know how he feels about me being there. I don't know, but he's going to be. What will he be doing? What's he going to do? I don't know if he's going to, it'll be one or two things. I think he'll be absolutely useless where he's so worried about Elia

and the baby or he's going to all becomes blazing like right you know like i need this i want this we're doing this like i think i think he'll do a bit of both but when i say useless i don't you know what i mean no he's either yeah panic and yeah all sort of just standing overwhelming you know or um oh yeah he's gonna be jack as in the jack we know that like he's project managing the whole upstairs. And he just gets on with stuff. He's unbelievable. Or he'll be doing the Del Boy with the gas and air and all that.

I don't know what's going to happen. He'll end up passing out. I don't know. He's going to be in all sorts. But I want at least a 10-minute flashback. If it's anything like Elliot's birth, when I had Elliot, it was a comedy sketch. Why? Because it was just, had Elia, it was a comedy sketch. Why?

It could be because it was just, well, they're comedy. No, it was madness. Go on. Well, she was baby number three, so obviously I knew what I was doing. It was the same midwife that delivered Dominic. I was delivering Elia. They were only 14 months apart, so she remembered me. I bet she did.

I bet she went, what are you doing back here? Yeah. I had obviously not a great time with Dominic because I was induced it was horrible so I was

high risk with Elia and yet it was just I had a trainee doctor yeah a bit like

a bit like when when I had Joni bearing in mind she was a planned C-section because I wasn't going through what I went through with Eliza again. Yeah, that wasn't great. And they come in and they went, oh, just so you know, do you mind if the trainee does a few bits and pieces today?

And I went, no, no problem. I was nearly paralysed. Mark fainted nearly. That was like a comedy sketch and that was a planned c-section he went all pale I don't know

I can't remember if he was sick we'll have to ask him whether he was threw up or he nearly fainted because he said all I could see

was her doing this what's the epidural and all I could see was this huge needle and her just like stabbing it in your back like a pincushion and at one point

my leg went I was like ah and apparently this in your back like a pincushion. And at one point my leg went, I was like, ah. And apparently this woman was behind me pulling faces, going, she just, she's not in the right position or whatever. Never, I personally, I know that trainees are really important and I'm probably going to get told off. But just say no. Sorry. The thing is, I had a trainee midwife with Maria.

She was my first. Yeah, but midwife's different. But again, every time I was examined internally, which is quite painful when you're in labour. You've got to do it twice. You're doing it twice. I know, I did that as well. So that's not great, especially when it's your first.

But I just was, you know, I didn't know any different. I was just like whatever they said I was doing. Dominic's was a disaster because I was induced. But Elliot's, because it's your third, and she's a trainee doctor, I thought, oh, it's my third, it'll be fine. whatever they said I was doing. Dominic's was a disaster because I was induced. But Elliot's, because it's your third. And she said, trainee doctor. I thought, it's my third. It'll be fine. I know what I'm doing.

But she was a liability. Why? What was she doing? Well, between her and your brother, they nearly got sent out. No, the midwife nearly chucked them out. She went, if you two, at one point, I had the mask. In those days, you had a mask with gas in it. I mean, I make making myself sound 110.

You keep going on. So I'm taking the gas in it and I've got the mask and I'm doing the whole inhaling. I'm thinking, it's not working. We've looked around. Your brother's got the hose in his mouth. And I've just got the mask. Truly, there's no lie. Then at one point, they're trying to examine me and you hear this crash and dave's head butt in the light that they put over me because he's in

the way i'm i'm having full-blown contractions and the midwife the the trainee doctor's saying could i just take your address please mrs cass. Cassidy? Could I have your postcode? No, it was honestly, I'm sitting down on a chair and she's gone to me and I'm having the contraction. She's gone to me, come on, you've got to get up and walk. And then the midwife, the proper midwife, she's going to me, Mrs. Cassidy doesn't want to walk. Mrs. Cassidy doesn't have to walk. And this is how the whole thing went on. And it went on.

It was, you know, and you're in pain so what their their behavior is just frustrating you to a level of course because you're in pain and i'm just thinking please just go away and this poor midwife said i can't i was going to leave you she said but i don't think i can because between the two of them then in the end i've gone the baby's coming i could tell and she's gone to the she said do you mind if she delivers the baby i said no whatever by this time i really don't care she's gone i can't remember the trainee doctor's name she went i suggest you go and wash your hands so she's walked i'm i'm now the bed is facing the sink she's walked over to the sink she's got her

back to me she's scrubbing her hands and her elbows and all up her arms. I think she even done her armpits at one point. She's turned around. She's come back and there's me with the baby in my arms. No way. She went, oh, I missed it then. Honestly. So, Elia arrived.

You know how Elia is, 100 miles an hour? It was 100 miles an hour. Yeah, it was the funniest, funniest delivery, truly. So I kind of hope Elia's is like that. So at least we can have some fun along the way. I hope so. And hopefully we can do what we did. Yeah, you can video and stuff.

We can FaceTime you and you can sort of be there. Yeah, I hope so. Desperate to break in, really, be there myself. Perhaps we can all be there yeah i hope so but desperate to break in really be there myself perhaps you can all be there we could do a pod me like that that's a great one always working always thinking absolutely i've just earlier spoken to you about uh she's just i just feel like she's been had a lovely pregnancy so far i feel like she's really calm um yeah i just think she's can't wait i think she's waiting for a long time and it's time isn't it yeah um she sounded exhausted tonight i think she's getting to a stage where

she's really tired but they are doing a lot of work at home. I mean, it's crazy. It's mad. Isn't it? She's going, oh, hello. I'm just calling regarding the installation of the headboard. And then the phone goes, Jack, they can't do the 11th, but we've got so-and-so coming in to do this.

And then we've got, well, he's painting the hallway. And the carpet's going down. And she's sending us lights. And what do you think of these lights? And what do you think of these handles? You need to help me with my lights. I've still got no lights downstairs. Steal those lights.

Please. I mean, listeners, please. Can you help us with some lights? No, you can help me with lights. I mean, how have we not got lights in your lounge? No, it's really bad. You're going to do another Christmas with no lights in your lounge. No, I can't do that.

I can't do that. But you're overthinking this. No, I can't find any. One of the ceilings is higher isn't it doesn't matter no but i've got to have two different lights kind of the same i know but they could be in the same family you say family i've looked and i don't know what i'm looking for you said like a big round thing i just did you slim and a bit like maria's are you talking about because yeah well natalie there's so many options.

I know, but I can't do it. I'm not good at it. I have no interest in it. Well, what about the old Nat's nieces? I would have thought Maria would have been on it. They're busy. Yeah. I did message her the other day,

can you just help me a little bit? Because I thought maybe we could go a little bit, I don't know, we could either go fabric, but then there's a lot of colour on my curtains and stuff. So do we just do like a natural bamboo-y type wickery thing in there? I think it needs to be natural, whatever you put up there. I think it's got to be neutral tones. I wouldn't start doing colours.

No, definitely not. Because you have got a lot going on in the curtains. And with light things, you don't want them to be what... But I could go brass. You could go brass. Because I've got the brass radiators. Absolutely. Because I do quite like...

And you've got height in that room, haven't you? I have at the back. Not at the front so much. No, the front needs to be small. And then the back, you could have a chandelier, which would be nice, I think. I'll go online and have a look. I promise I'll do it. I can't...

How long have you not had lights? When did the lounge get done? You've got to say about two years now, aren't you? Yeah, it's a good two years. Is it really? Yeah. And see how you learn to live with stuff. Well, I don't because I sit in them and I can look up.

Does it bug you? Yeah. Abby and Rachel were actually going to buy me lights for my birthday and just say, and then you have to put them up because we've bought them. Yeah. But luckily they didn't do that because that would be awkward, wouldn't it? When you hate the lights.

You don't like them. Yeah. It's such a personal thing as well. I think lighting is so important. I've got an old lamp that I've had for 12 years in the, shoved in the corner. I'm just really bad at finishing rooms. And it's a lovely room.

It is. So you do need to complete it. I want to have a nice sideboard as well. I'd like a little sideboard, which is different. Not this, you know, just a little wooden something. And then I think, should that tie in with the light maybe? But it don't need to, does it? No, things don't have to.

I think you're right. I think I overthink it, but. Yeah, but you do when it's your own, because you don't want to get it wrong. No, and I don't want to spend a load of money. No, and you don't have to anymore. No, no. But the one thing you do have to get right is you can't have a tiny little light you that's a big room so your lights have got to be a

quite a grand size yeah which is why i would keep them quite simple yeah yeah because they need to be big so that's that's a big area you're covering you have a little look in a minute just have a little look before you go yeah we'll go we'll go on when we go down we'll have a little look before you go. Yeah, we'll go on. We'll go on. When we go down, we'll have a quick look. Yeah. Your rooms. So we've spoken about Linny's cleaning, obviously, which, again, more than happy to answer any more cleaning questions if you want to send in a voice note for Auntie Linny

or you want to send in a little question about it because her cleaning is immaculate i do actually have people ring me now and ask do your friends bring me up and say just wondered i've got black bits coming out of my washing machine do you have any idea what it is and what i need to do you say you've got to clean all around the rim because it's thick with dirt and put it on a very hot wash, ideally with a washing machine cleaner. Yeah, it's funny, isn't it? But no, I was going to say your interiors, you and Maria, it comes very naturally,

it's your sort of talent because you walk into your house now and it's still not dated. And when did you do it up? Over 20 years ago. It's mental. It's mad. Is it not dated?

No. No, because I'm desperate to refurbish no but it isn't yeah i understand you want to but that's again that's the technique because when you are spending because as you know when we did it we did it you know my kitchen was a lot of money so you have to try and go with pieces that are timeless yeah yeah don't date like at the moment everyone's doing gray and it's lovely but it will eventually unfortunately day which don't get me wrong if you haven't spent a lot of money that doesn't matter does it but when you know you've fought out loads of money yeah don't really want to be having to well that's why i'm happy to you know i'm happy to get a

really lovely light but i want it to be right because i always feel like i just go on rush things and go that'll do yeah but you don't know but you've done the right thing here you've not seen anything you like so i haven't done it which is a progress for me yeah whereas elia and jack are just the rooms are being completed to the final ornament if you like oh yeah but again that's like nice thing as well wasn't it but they're But they're both on it. Yeah. You've got both. Jack's worse than Elliot.

Yeah. He's chosen all that bathroom. No, he's incredible. I hope he can come around here and choose my bathrooms. No, it's impressive. Because I don't want to do it. That's really, and it's really hard. But they look really good.

No, he's, yeah. Very good. He's got an eye. Yeah, very much so. And a lot of this you're doing online. Yeah, see, again, I'm not an online shopper. No, I've struggled with it. How many people out there like online shopping?

Genuinely, I'd love to know. Because I know that the business is huge, but Lynn, I can't buy clothes online. I'm the same. I don't like buying presents online. I don't mind the presents. I want to walk around the shop. See, I don't mind the presents. I want to walk around the shop. See, I don't mind the presents.

I can do that as clothing. And to buy furniture online without going. But then look, Maria does it all online. I know. All her furniture. I know, it's true. It's crazy. But see, even your generation, I would have said,

it should just come natural to you. My generation, we went to shops. We walked around John Lewis. But I still do that because I'm old. Old school, yeah. Weird, isn't it? But there is nowhere now, Natalie. That's the problem.

There's nowhere to go. Which go? Not for light. I always remember a great big shop driving back from your house when we lived in Islington when I was little. And you'd drive and you'd turn right. You'd come off the A10 and you'd be coming into kind of Archway or somewhere. Yeah, more your way.

More my way. Yeah. And there was a big lighting shop. Absolutely. I remember driving past there. I doubt it. These places can't survive now, because everyone's doing it online. It's sad, really.

All my furniture was from Clement Jocelyn in Bishop's Stamford. I remember you always loved that lovely chair beautiful shop doesn't exist anymore it's not there anymore if you do all the house up and that and you don't want that chair i love it i love that chair you kill me i'll buy it off you and that but i love it you don't need to buy it um but. But, yeah, so it's, yeah, different type. Was that Bishop Stortford? Yeah. Isn't that funny?

I remember you saying Clements Johnson and the shop was miles away. Yeah. We did, we bought so much, well, all our furniture's from there, literally. The salesman, he was brilliant. I bet he was. He had it right off. He probably was on commission, wasn't he? Yeah, of course.

And he came round. So he actually came round the house to advise me in terms of whether the furniture I was buying was the right size for the rooms. Yeah, yeah. And your brother made him stay one night. He said, why don't you stay? You can have a bit of dinner with us. Because he'd been round a couple of times. He was lovely. He ended up sleeping.

No, he didn't. He got so drunk. He ended up staying the night. mean who does that did he get up in the morning go your beds are okay but i feel that i have a better one in store i mean what a service oh that's brilliant yes but even my lights i did go to a place i remember you saying yeah they were brilliant they'd come around they measure the rooms and they tell you what size light being yeah that's so lovely i know you pay that premium but i think some people are really really good at it when they you know like you say there's so many shops now wayfair dolls where you can get such lovely things which you did and we did and we did you didn't have that before no no this is. This is what I mean. This is why I said earlier, you don't actually have to pay a phenomenal amount.

No. It's like clothes though, Natalie. It's no different to clothing. Yeah, I agree. Back in my day, it was very, you know, remember if you could afford to buy designer, you were kind of buying designer. But now you go to Primark, you go to H&M. Tesco's.

They've got some lovely bits in Tesco's at the moment. Natalie. Honestly. No, I know. I know. But I think you can mix and match. Completely. Clothes-wise, you can buy different things, supermarkets, wherever.

But I think if you've got a nice pair of shoes or a nice pan bag, you don't matter. Yeah, it's about knowing how to put nice pieces together. No, absolutely. you don't have to River Island are lovely at the moment are they they've got nice bits

yeah have they really good and for your age do you feel yeah well these River Island all River Island

yeah jeans nice shirts nice got some really nice leopard print stuff for Christmas yeah

leather jacket out of there was lovely they've treated me to a couple of there was lovely they've treated me to a couple of bits have they've been really kind i went in store because i'm doing this documentary right and madeline who works there has been so kind and we went in and yeah i got to pick some stuff oh and i put it online put it on um online put it on instagram and said thank you to the pr girls and i did have

a couple of messages saying oh from people saying oh brilliant someone who earns loads of money getting free clothes oh dear so what i would say to that and i understand that comment is it's because i'm doing a television program so it's almost like you're you're buying a costume so some stores then want you to wear their bits because you're going to present in almost like you're you're buying a costume so some stores then want you to wear their bits because you're going to present in them or you're going to do you know what i mean so it's like having a bit of a wardrobe you know as well as it being every day do you get negative feedback based on very very rarely do you that's good i think um how do you feel when you get that sort of feedback? Does it upset you?

No, I usually respond though Good And just say thank you for your message, but this is why And they'll come back and go, thank you so much for responding Oh really? Yeah, thank you, I see you now I understand But I'm not someone who gets a lot of hate

Which is hot again And a lot of hate Which is hot again And a lot of people do Well sometimes you read Yeah on social media And you just think Crikey Loads of people It's terrible

But I think it's just because I Say it as it is I'm not saying other people don't You know I don't know I don't know why Maybe because people have grown up with me Yeah

I guess I don't know Girl next door Yeah And as you say You say it how it is know why maybe because people have grown up with me yeah you're very i guess i don't know girl next door yeah and yeah as you say you say how it is oh and i don't dress myself up with staff all the time i'm never looking perfect all the time no yeah you know but you know ultimately whatever job you do subject to what that career is you there might be privileges there for you absolutely i mean i've never had a company car, for instance, in my life. Yeah, exactly.

So I'm never going to get a nice car that you drive about in and just get your petrol and that's all. I don't know. Some people, I don't know, might get lots of paid holiday or they fly somewhere with their company and get an upgrade because they work for Virgin. You know, like you say, everyone's got different things got different perks from the jobs they do so yeah absolutely but i know i'm bloody fortunate and it's a lucky job it's hard work as well oh yeah that's apparent yes we don't hear from you anymore

well you make your own luck don't you say don't know yeah and natalie you work hard it's all about you know and and granted there are many people, I think we've said this before, haven't we? Yeah. There's people that do work hard and still struggle to maybe get to where they want to be at. Absolutely. So it is an element of luck of the draw.

Luck of the draw and then you've got to keep it. That's what I say. We can all be lucky getting a job, but then you've got to stay there no different to you you've got the job you got but you haven't been sacked after a year no you've done the best you can and you've created something that is now really partly yours do you know what i mean it's just yeah so you can have the luck yeah but then it's the professionalism Yeah, of course And the eagerness and your talent Well, look, even this pod alone, you had no idea, did you? No

How it was going to go Not at all But it's fantastic and the feedback I get from people about you and the pod is lovely But it's a lot of work It is You know, you're having Well, I have to think about it and but it's interesting because michael said to me michael who helps me with this and keep it light media michael said

don't panic about what it's going to be i'm sure you remember me telling you that what it what each episode's going to be and how it's going to turn out he said'll just, it'll all happen. Organically. And suddenly you'll go, oh, for instance, Nat's nieces, that just runs itself now. Me and Mark, people love it. It just runs itself. You coming on, Tony coming on. And suddenly I have the odd guest on, which is nice, or I do a bit of correspondence with Emma, which is just chilled.

And suddenly you've got it all. And don't get me wrong. Michael said, this is lovely. He said, in a year's time, it won't look like this. I said, won't it? He went, in a year's time, you'll probably have a few more different regulars or a spot that you do something. He said, but you can't plan it.

It'll just all happen. You've just got to let it happen organically. And don't be a perfectionist. Just get them out. People like to listen to you, hopefully. But you know what I mean? And just get them out. Don't overthink it. And just get on with it. And you enjoy hopefully. But you know what I mean? And just get them out. Don't overthink it and just get on with it.

And you enjoy this. You're enjoying it. I would do this all day, every day if I could. Would you not? Yeah. That is the aim. Really? I would like to do a few of these a week and not my chills.

It's lazy, isn't it? But you'd be at home. It's the work-life balance thing. These. Obviously, I've got the Off the Tele pod with Jo as well. It's lovely. Watch a bit of telly. Go and see her.

Did that today, earlier today. And then the odd bits are like the panel shows and being a guest on them. But who knows what's around the corner? None of us do. We don't know. No. And going back to this pod. Yeah.

The one you, you know, I've been meaning to say this to you for ages. Oh, yeah. You know the one you did about, was it using words in the wrong context or pronunciation of words? You do it. You do one. Go on. So.

Mark says to me, I do it all the time. Like what then? Well, I don't know. What does that say? I don't know. What, using the wrong words? Yeah, yeah. then? I don't know. Using the wrong word? Yeah, yeah. No, you pronounce a word.

So, I can't speak. Go on. The word turn. Turn? Yeah. You say turnt. Turnt. Yeah.

Who's that could see at the end of the word? If you're from Islet and you say turnt. Every time I hear you say that, I've got to pull her up on that. I turnt round. I turnt round. I turnt round. That's it, I turnt round. I Googled it to see if it was a word.

No, that is an incident, not a London thing. Is it really? It's like going to bed. I say I'm going to bed, it drives Mark mad. Going to bed. Going to bed. You're going to bed. I'm going to bed. I say I'm going to bed. It drives Mark mad. Going to bed. Going to bed. You're going to bed. Yeah.

I'm going to bed or I'm going to work. It's all sort of one phrase. Yeah, I kind of get that a little bit. Well, how about Mark the other night? Go on. Pass me the cold sore. I said, excuse me? It's cold sore mate Stop it

On my life I said cold sore Is a form of herpes That I get regularly On my lip I don't want to eat it Pass me the cold sore What and he meant it

Yes And you've never heard Unless he was joking But he's so dry I don't know He's brilliant on the pot What about his little experience At the old pub restaurant that he went to? I love that one.

That was so, I would love to have been there. Oh, can you imagine? But I've, yeah, it's not right, is it? No. It's not right. He handled it very well, but yeah. We've had some. I've got a cracker.

Go on. While we're sat here. Go on. I'm going to make you laugh laugh this will end the pod nicely Selfridges in the little bar me and you ordering some bits

and he went oh you've ordered a lot do you remember him go on I can't remember see you can't remember no I remember you in Selfridges going

we shopped to make people move out the way. Because they wouldn't move. We'd shopped all day. We were gasping. Oh, we went to... Gordon's. Yes.

We were gasping and we'd not eaten all day long. And you ordered a load of picky stuff. All picky bits. And he went, oh, you've got a lot. I went, yes, we haven't eaten all day. We're starving here. I lost it, didn't I? You did.

What did I say to it? But you, you went to me, I'm going to wet myself. You need to stop. Poor son. He probably just meant, oh, you're ordering a lot. You took great offence to that, didn't you? I really did. Because I thought, what are you trying to say here?

None of your business. Very rude. I want to order that. And again, I'm going to order it again in a minute as well. Double of it. There's people sitting there in the bar and they're just having a little olive. Chewing on that. Olive and a little cocktail.

And I was like, we're having the genies. We want the croquettes. We want the cheese. We want the bread. We want the... It was quite a lot. It was a lot. I ate it all though.

Oh, goodness me. And you and Els couldn't even have a drink, I guess, on Wednesday, could you? No. I had a... A sip. No, I had a crisp glass of wine. No, but I was driving. Oh, you drove?

Yeah, I drove up. And, well, yeah, it was really nice. Really nice. I saw her last day out before. We've got a pram in the car and she's got to stop and feed the baby and all that jazz. All back to that. Oh, my goodness me. Not long now.

Not long. How life changes. And then before you know it. What is it? Christmas. And then Annalisa will be. Oh, my goodness me. I can't believe this, can you?

Family's growing, Natalie. You might want to get a bigger house. What are we going to do for dinners and that on Sunday? It's too much. No, it's too much. The children need to just sit on the floor. We need to get a nanny on that day and say, here are all the children.

Yeah, split it all between us. It's a lot, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, I'm coming out of it. I know, I know. I've just got different stresses, but I'm coming out of the baby stage. And I feel, and I'm the nan, and I feel like it's happening to me. I feel like now I've turned a corner. Because, like, next week I've got the girls are at nursery alfie's at school yeah so i've got

a whole two hours in the morning to myself before i pick up amelia and then i go and pick up the other two at three so it's all a little bit easier they're a little bit older it's just all becoming more manageable not anymore and then i going to go back to square one. Oh, gosh. Oh, dear. It'll be fine. It'll be fine and it'll be beautiful. Yeah. And they're all going to grow up together.

So how lucky. It's really good. How lovely. So, so lovely. Yeah, really is. Oh, it's been really nice having this impromptu chat. It's been lovely. Thank you so much for joining me as usual.

It's been a pleasure. We'll do it again soon Send your correspondence in for me and Linny specifically because I'm now sort of organising myself so I know where everything is so anything specifically for me and Linda's pods let me know 07788 201919

Thanks so much for listening. Have a brilliant week or weekend, whatever you're up to. And I'll speak to you really soon. See you later. And thanks, Lynn, again. A pleasure. Bye, everyone. See you.

Hi, this is Chris McCausland. And this is Diane Boswell. And we've got a new podcast, haven't we, Di? We do. What's it called? Winning. Isn't. Everything.

Every week, me and Diane are going to be having a little catch-up on the back of Strictly, aren't we, Di? We are. I've missed you, Chris.

I've missed you too. We're going to talk some nonsense, so why not tune in? Available everywhere you get your podcasts.