Life with Nat - EP83: Nat & Em catch up

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

We give another pushback against the January blues with lots of correspondence. Featuring superstitions, some very laboured puns, and fashion befuddlement 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

Get groceries delivered across the GTA from Real Canadian Superstore with PC Express. Shop online for super prices and super savings. Try it today and get up to $75 in PC Optimum Points. Visit Superstore.ca to get started. do you know that this is episode 83 m that's that's big numbers we're rolling through it's quite a lot really isn't it yeah we're not far off 100 not to jump ahead of time but i was thinking about that yeah i need to time it out because knowing my luck we'll be on episode 100 when it's sort of the live episode of eastenders and i'm really busy yes um well what is it so 17 episodes divided by two roughly 8 weeks 8 weeks yeah

we'll be well clear interestingly I think it could fall 100 eps year anniversary 104 eps because 52 52 eps a year

alright Carol Vorderman yeah oh yeah but roughly you know yeah yeah roughly yeah yeah which is nice

you know yeah well I'd like to get us all together yeah I'd like to get us all together

but do a pod obviously let's not waste the moment yeah I was talking to a mate of mine Adrian down at Soho Radio saying i want to find a room you know with a big table so i can do celebration but we've all got a mic and it can

be filmed and he said he's you know el alpas oh lovely yes yeah yeah yeah that'd be nice um welcome everybody i hope you're really good i hope you've all had a lovely weekend i feel like we haven't done in correspondence for ages emma. You good? Everything good? Yeah, everything's good. I think we did one just after Christmas, did we? But then that's, yeah, that's been a, I mean, that's a while now. Yeah, all good. Busy. Lots happening. I've just had a very quick chat with my mate and she was like, what's going on? I was like, well well i've got a

new car a new phone boyfriend's potentially moving in at the end of april with all this all this going on it's all trying bloody tastic yeah so lovely spring is springing spring isn't that lovely new you know relationships things change i feel like spring's so lovely. It does bring hope, joy, new stuff. It's great. You know, it's going to be a really exciting time, I think. Smaller heating bill. It's cold. It's cold, isn't it, right now? It is chilly, isn't it? Yeah, but... I haven't got the radiator on in here, Em. It's cold in here, but when I'm on my own i feel like i can

just get on with it and it can get a bit stuffy yeah heat the person not the room yeah yeah and you know i have had the chat about the thermostats in the house mark you know mark just turns everything down he tricks me so yeah you know what can you do? Yeah, I set it to come on in the morning and a bit in the evening and then I've basically on to nothing, like sort of very low. But then heated blanket is the game changer. That's the game changer for most of it. I got into bed last night and I put my hand near Mark's leg

and you looked at me as if I was going to say something else. Oh no, I was wondering if you were the ice cube or he was. No, I was the ice cube.

I was the ice cube. I really feel it's like icicles. It's so, my hands are so cold. The extremities of my body, I've definitely got something wrong with me. Circulation wise. Oh's so, my hands are so cold. The extremities of my body. I've definitely got something wrong with me.

Circulation wise. Oh, oh, okay. Yes. And that. Cheers. Vicky has messaged in and Viennetta salted caramel is on at £2.30 in Tesco's at the moment. Don't buy it. That is very pricey. It's very pricey.

Yeah. Very pricey. Twice as much as we want to be spending. Absolutely. I know we haven't got a farm foods nearby, but you could get two for that. Yeah, that herring foods. Just hang on in there.

Herring, that's it. Herring as well. Yeah, that's what we want. Is it worth a trip? Should we do that as just a pod celebration? Just drive up north. Just get to a Heron. Just, and then that's it.

That's it. Come back. Just like a booze cruise, but for Viennetta. Yeah, I like that idea. It is quite a good one. Just get a little pod bus. Just fill a minibus full of like freezer boxes full of VNF. Loads of them.

I mean, I'm sure it wouldn't go past, like wouldn't upset Mark to have a freezer refilled with just... I can imagine the bus now and we'd have Mark absolutely in his element, really happy. You'd be smiling. Maria and Elia would be disgusted at the thought of this trip because there's no glamour, there's nothing interested in it at all. And I think Linny will just be up for a walk and a bit of a clean somewhere. And Tony, I think Tony wouldn't mind a slice of Viennetta.

He's quite easygoing. And GK Barry will be going, who? Who? I don't understand any of what's going on. Who is it? Who is it? The amount of messages I got saying that people spat their coffee out at Viennetta. Who is that?

Lots and lots of messages from people, so thank you. I have to say, this is a Nat and Em catch-up, of course, because we love a chat, but I do have to get through lots of correspondence because i've had so so much um as we've spoken about the viennetta i would like to play this message from lovely kelly hi now it's kelly from mansfield i've been to see adam kate and i in nottingham with my friend friend Jane came back to her house after and she offered me some pudding and lo and behold she brought out a salted caramel viennetta wow they are still available she got it from Tesco for two pounds what a bog two pound yeah I mean it's approaching the better price it is Amy but unfortunately it's not a barg.

But I'm pleased that you cracked it open after a nice comedy night out. The perfect evening. Hope it was a good show. Adam Kay and Vionetta. Perfect. Dream. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

I got this from Laura, our delivery driver friend. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. You know, lovely Laura has been so busy over Christmas, who drives. And it's in response to me and Tony talking about January. So have a little listen to this. And Laura, I hope you're really, really good. Hi there, it's Laura from Essex. I'm just responding to your response to my little voice note that I sent about January.

And I want to say thank you to you and Tony for putting life in perspective. My life isn't that bad. I have got a few stresses in my life at the moment that will get resolved, but they are playing very, very hard on me mentally so with that on board um I have decided to go and get my hair blow-dried after work because I think I work bloody hard I work six days a week um run a house I've only got one child to look after but I still have to run around after my son and I just think no I am going to take a little bit of time out for me and try to take the stresses of um what I've got in my mind out and and just have a bit of me time which I hope is is going to do me the world of good but I did want to just say thank you so much for yours and Tony's advice um I am loving the pods and to be honest you just make me smile every time

that I listen to your your pods whether it be with Tony, Linny, your nieces I love you all and thank you for being a massive part of my life thank you speak to you soon ah that lovely yeah and there's also when I'm struggling with you know the old uh happiness and stuff there's also a little bit of the conversation of in perspective other people have it harder and stuff like that then then you get into a spiral of beating yourself up for even feeling like that so again you know it's all justified how you're feeling is how you're feeling yeah i agree with you but hopefully we can all sort of ride it out get get through you know it's it's about finding something to look forward to blow dry a little bit of joy

a little bit of joy going to get your hair done making yourself feel that little bit better giving you half an hour 45 minutes of your time can i pick you up on the fact that you've just got only got one child parenting is hard doesn't matter if you've got one five ten again it's not a competition yeah and emma's i think you're so right there, Em. We can do the, oh, I don't feel great. And then you go, oh, but there are loads of people worse off than you, which is good sometimes. It does sort of make you feel grateful and have a look. But you're absolutely right.

Whatever you're going through, it doesn't matter what makes you feel bad. It doesn't matter. Don't feel guilty for feeling the way you do. That's the way you feel. And you've got to get through that whatever way you want to um so I do you know January is a hard month and we do talk about it but we're nearing the end I feel like the light's changing I feel like the air's changing a bit I can hear more birds singing when I wake up at half six in the morning you know I can feel it coming and um I do hope everyone's had a really good start to the new year you know and let's just look forward really but let's not wish it away either because um time

does go really really quickly i've got a message here about january hey nat love um so a couple of things first of all why does everyone known about January and that is so long we should be bloody lucky to be living every single day and I know that sounds really corny but we have made another year we should live every single day and you know what I bloody love January honestly one of my favorite months because you know what it's reset there's no plans I get when people are very busy with work I'm also very busy with work I do work full-time but I just mean that whole like when you're not working you can just be at home you can cook you can drink you know you can just do whatever there's just no rushing around it's just reset

and loving life well that's nice isn't it she reminds me of alice from the vicar of dimly oh i'd like her to be my friend yeah there is something about the hibernation of it that takes out the external pressure a little bit but then i mean people are doubling down on the social media of the here's everything i'm achieving here's everything i'm doing it's yes again most of this is just comparison to each other and trying to do what we think we're expected to do yeah versus just what you want to do being ourselves josh Josh Widdicombe, I listen to parents in hell, and Josh had a terrible week last week, absolutely awful week.

Everyone was ill. I won't go over it, but as a fan, felt really sorry for him. He stopped taking his medication for three days, so he had a panic attack. He felt really awful. He had a really, really terrible week, and he's not had a shower for seven days. And I said, I think it's amazing that you're having a shower now, mate,

to be honest, after the week you've had. Don't beat yourself up. Yeah. You know, everyone goes through different things and just got to get on with it. There isn't a right or a wrong, is there, to things? It's all relative. It's all relative to what we're doing.

I've felt really overwhelmed, really overwhelmed with work at the moment. And I feel like I've kind of been in this space since last summer, really. Kind of since starting the pod, I have been so busy trying to do everything at the same time. And I'm really, really busy at EastEnders. Obviously, everybody knows I'm back there now so I can talk about it. But it is really gearing up and it is getting really really busy um and there's lots of emotional stuff so it's

quite draining throughout the day and yeah i do just need to for me how i deal with that is just taking it day by day i don't i can't look ahead and think what have I got to do in the next 10 days yeah because it blows my brain too much too much so I just have to think about what have I got to do today and what do I need to prepare for tomorrow and that's about it really and also what I do which is quite nice em is instead of thinking of all the work that i need to do in 10 days time if i do have a little window i've been having a chat about me and mark maybe going away for a couple of nights lovely let's organize the family summer holiday so little pockets of really nice things to look forward to i feel help in the stressful moments as well yeah big time it's about prioritizing i mean that's self-care that's just self like as much

as it feels like a luxury holidays and stuff like that it's it isn't when you're working 25 8 you're doing it all the hours all the you know and it and again it's all relative it's all within our own means of you know living within our means of our power, our energy, our everything. But we all need a break. We all do need breaks. Stop sitting on your aeroplane points and get big savings. So you can be somewhere you actually want to be like on a beach right now you can save up to 25 in aero plan points when you book a trip to one of 180 plus air canada

destinations worldwide so stop sitting on your next trip and start saving on one don't miss out your chance to save in points ends february 23rd book at aircanada.com. Conditions apply. Here's a lovely message and it's from Susie Kinraid and it's a new subject that I thought we could touch on because it's really nice. Hi, loving the podcast. Bit of a random subject, but I'm from the Isle of Man and it's considered bad luck to say the word rat. Alan Carr was over a few years ago doing a show and it was absolutely hilarious when one of his jokes was about rats and the whole audience started whistling at him.

Listen to this. This is what we do when someone says the word. Have you ever heard of this? No. This is what we do when someone says the word. Have you ever heard of this? No. This is the Isle of Man. You can't say rat. And if you say rat, they whistle at you. Incredible.

He then had to finish his joke or routine using the word long tails. He said he felt like a pirate. I'm just wondering, are there any words or superstitions that are considered bad luck from where you grow up or live? P.S. We do have a fairy bridge that you have to say hello to the fairies every time you pass it. Sounds crazy, but I'm pretty sure everyone from the Isle of Man does this. Firstly, 07788201919, if you're from the Isle of Man, is this actually a thing or is it just Susie's family winding her up as she's grown up?

Well, imagine because the audience, everyone in the audience joined in the whistling. Yeah, that is true. Where are other people there? Yeah. I can't really whistle, but I can it's a lot that superstitions so i thought we could talk about superstitions i really like this one um i when growing up i was told never to stir with a knife stir with a knife causes trouble and strife if i see someone

get grab a knife and stir with you know a cup of tea tea bag whatever i scream i'm like no put the knife down and everyone's like what's going on i'm like it's bad luck yeah no i haven't heard of that one i don't think one. I don't think I've got any. New shoes on the table? No. Not heard of that? Can't put a new pair of shoes on the table. I've heard of that one, but I haven't. I don't care. I don't do that.

You don't partake. I don't like walking under ladders just because they're a bit, if they fell, then, I mean, I've watched too much Hobby City and Casualty and all those sort of programs. They're constantly tumbling down, aren't they? just because they're a bit if they fell then i mean i've watched too much hobby city and casualty and all those sort of programs they're constantly tumbling down aren't they that's walking over three drains that's another one isn't it fine by that again well i i don't like it because it feels like the integrity of the the road isn't great and i'm a bit um sinkhole phobic yeah that's that again pops up in too many of those sort of casualty yeah anatomy kind of ones where suddenly there's a sinkhole and yeah but i did think that

was a really good subject um and if anyone's got some weird superstitions i mean saying the word rat i would like also why is this where does this derive from i'd love to hear more about it um but 0778 2019 19 have you got any weird household superstitions that you were grown up with or towns you know weird things counties i don't know but i think this could be a really interesting and fun subject to touch on. I like to try and thwart the big ones. One of my mates did have the three drain panic and I'd walk over it just to prove a point. But then saying things out loud that I hope are going to happen,

I'll go, oh, I've jinxed it now. You know, it's that whole... Yes. Oh, yeah. Well, that's supposed to happen like there's a constant kind of well i said at the beginning of the episode uh the boyfriend's supposed to be hopefully moving in in april i mean yeah everything's working that way oh fingers crossed fingers crossed yeah or maybe potentially you don't want to say it out loud in case it doesn't happen yeah and all of that i think that's fair

enough though i don't you know i don't think that is a superstition i just think that's cautiousness yeah a little bit of cautiousness doesn't hurt anybody but i would have loved to have seen alan carr's face when he said rat and the whole bloody routine was about a rat and he just had to keep going, oh, long tails. Long tails. Long tails. I can imagine him now. Loving it.

Have you seen Alan Carr's show? No, but what the... On ITVX. Oh, The Changing Ends? The Changing Ends. Highly recommend it. I haven't. I need...

It sounds good. So, so clever. Set in the 80s. I haven't. I need, it sounds good. So, so clever. Set in the 80s. Alan is little. The boy who plays Alan Carr is absolutely outstanding. And it's all about Alan's life growing up. But Alan also pops in and talks to camera about his life and sort of jumps into scenes.

It's really sweet really good and it has been commissioned i think they've filmed it but i'm so pleased there's another series just really lovely watching he's so clever i highly recommend it em good oh definitely yeah gonna i need a series at the moment so i'll get that yeah get that in ahead of the the next well you said it's been commissioned it probably a little while off the next one coming out. It might even be on soon. You know, I don't know. I'll have to look it up.

But it's really good fun. Really, really good. He seems like a good egg. Yeah, he does, doesn't he? Yeah. I don't know him much. You know, I've met him. But he's not one that I DM or...

He's liked a few pictures on Instagram before hearted them no not really heard from many comedians of late no Josh keeps in touch Joe obviously and David but no new ones no I need to poach a couple of new ones

collect some new ones in yeah yeah but I'm doing a comedy night I need to poach a couple of new ones. Collect some new ones in. Yeah. Yeah. But I'm doing a comedy night. Fashion Loves Comedy down at the Bedford in Ballam, which is on the 7th of March. And I'm hosting the evening. And I think lovely Alison Spittel's down there. Oh, she's brilliant.

She's brilliant. And lots of comedians. And I think tickets are about 20 quid-ish. But you can find it on my Insta page. But that's going to be really good fun. And, you know, I'm hosting a little something, which is, again, something new. I'm quite nervous about it, but it'll be great. Now, are you hosting or are you comparing?

Are you going to be doing some silly jokey stuff in between? What are you doing? What are you thinking? Well, I don't really know the shape of the evening yet i think it's up to you a bit i think it'll be kind of hosting but you've got to have a laugh you have a giggle in between right yeah well that's that's that's it i mean it is it's an mc and it's a there's a all of the above yeah yeah i'm looking forward to it and it's a lovely venue the bedford oh lovely isn't it and i'm looking forward to it. And it's a lovely venue, the Bedford. Oh, lovely. Isn't it?

And I'm looking forward to testing the water a little bit, being up on stage with an audience, being myself type thing. You know, it's good prep for live pods. Yeah. What do you reckon? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll put it to test. You're going to come down, aren't you?

You're going to come down? Yes, definitely. Yeah. Oh, I've got to, I've got it got it yeah brilliant good incredible night and it's for choose love the charity which is absolutely amazing so i had to do it i said i'm coming i'm on my way also the wonderful donna ashworth has invited me to a women's international Day lunch. Oh! So it's to celebrate women, and she's invited me to lunch with some other people,

and that's on the same day, so it always falls. But that's going to be a lovely, busy, uplifting, soul-feeding day. So looking forward to that. Beautiful. Oh, 7th of March is going to be your day, big time. Yeah. Until I remember it's someone's birthday. Someone listens to this and they go, oh, by the way, you were meant to be doing this.

But there's nothing in the diary. I'm quite an organised person with a diary, so hopefully it'll be fine. See them on the 8th instead. It's fine yeah yeah I had a lovely message from a lady called Kylie

who looks after Ireland's kind of travel PR and stuff like that oh yeah and she sent me a lovely message on the pod chat and she said absolutely love you started the pod heard that you and Mark had a great time in Ireland

we would love you to come back and try another part of ireland so i'm talking to her so me and mark can get a couple of nights away on our own do a little poddy out there yes that's really exciting as well so that's going to be really fun oh yes a little scraping the barrel on location scraping the whiskey barrel scraping the guinness barrel guinness barrel scraping all the boozy barrels scraping the irish barrel irish barrel just generic irish all of the all of the uh barrels of ireland why not oh that'd be fun that'd be good wouldn't? Have you got any breaks lined up? You doing anything?

Have you got any little bits to look forward to? Pockets of joy? I'm doing a couple of nights down in Eastbourne for Valentine's. How lovely. That'd be nice. Little trip away. Off to MacArthur Comedy Festival again this year, which I'm sure I've butchered the pronunciation of. Mac Comedy Festival's amazing. this year, which I've just, I'm sure I've butchered the pronunciation of.

Mac Comedy Festival is amazing. I have to say, Donna Ashworth's pod went down a storm. And I've had lots of people say, you know, listen to this. This is from Heather. Wow, Natalie, what an amazing ep with Donna Ashworth. I've always been a bit meh with poetry. What do you think of my pronunciation of meh? Meh.

Yeah, meh. Is that right? Meh. Meh. You can't really say meh without looking meh, can you? Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh.

I've always been a bit meh with poetry, but this could be a switcheroo on that front for me. Straight after listening to the ep, I've ordered a copy of the journal and one of Donna's books, a bit meh with poetry but this could be a switcheroo on that front for me straight after listening to the ep i've ordered a copy of the journal and one of donna's books the power of the pod eh i've been listening to the pod since day one i ruddy love it can't really express it in words keep on doing the do mrs lots of love to you and yours heather thank you for that that's really really kind and i'm pleased you've bought her stuff i've not started the journal yet i'm buying emma one which i haven't done yet forgot didn't i anyway i am going to do that and then we're going to start it i'm not going to start it until you

start it all right and talk about it yeah um and then i got this lovely message also hi nat your podcast with donna ashworth really resonated with me. Having been through breast cancer and returning to work, working from home, experiencing imposter syndrome and other anxieties in the last year. And then I recently lost my dad. The feelings and emotions are off the scale, but your honest and down to earth conversation was a pure tonic. I'm now following Donna on Facebook. I've been following yourself on Instagram before your pod started you were my first pod and I love listening to them keep up the good work Nat you feel like a friend so thank you so so much for that message for some reason your name's not on it and I haven't made a note so I'm so sorry but I hope you're feeling better and I hope you continue to enjoy the pod and I hope you have a fantastic 2025.

Joe from Balham said, thank you for bringing Donna into my life. Journal and Growing Brave arriving today and I've joined the journal club. How have I not come across this lady before? Well, there you go, Joe. This is what it's nice to introduce people to people that I really like. And I know some, I've had quite a lot of messages saying don't really enjoy the guest ones just want your family on but you know me there'll be another load of messages that I get where people say I absolutely love the guest ones can you just do more of them so it's a real mix for me and that's why I love doing what I'm doing because well I can do what I bloody want and I have what I want yeah and that's what I like about it you know it's a slice of your life

like all of this is a mixture of people your influences and your family and you know all of it so yeah we're getting everything we're getting all of you all of your facets so I mean there's plenty from the guest ones that will filter back into the other conversations and backwards and forwards. And that's what I really like as well. I think over time when I start talking to Mark about something, that kind of feeds then into something that me and Maria and Elliot might talk about or you and I would then have a chat about. And it all just comes together. And it's sort of in a great big, it's in my great big nuts pot of stuff and I just want to keep filling that pot this year with more fun and more conversation so let's just

hope everyone keeps listening and please can you subscribe and download because it really makes a difference and please tell your friends. Lots of people getting excited about doing a live show. Yeah. There are a lot of people getting excited about it. I loved this message. Listen to this. This brought me a lot of joy.

Good morning, Nat. It's Mel. And I am currently sat in my car. It's 10 to 6. And I'm sat outside the gym waiting for it to open bloody hell if I don't go early I won't get it done but I'm trying to continue being active in 2025 and um it's going okay so far but you we'll see. But I wanted a message because, first of all, I want to say thank you for all the lovely podcasts over Christmas. And the start of the new year really kept me going. And I was just listening to you, Mark, Scraping the Barrel number 13 on the way to the gym. And I will listen to it in the gym.

I used to listen to just music, but now I like a podcast in the gym too. So it varies though. But anyway, I wanted to message because you were talking about doing like a tour or some nights doing like some shows and you're probably going to do it like near where you live. And I've already had the conversation with one of your other active listeners which is Naomi who's one of my very best friends who lives in Liverpool and I live in South Wales and we are prepared to travel we've had the discussion and we will go wherever you go so we're very excited and it sounds like lots of other people are too and it'll be great fun to get people together if we can get tickets obviously you might end up having to do the o2 at this right i think so many people are going to want to go but anyway really excited and looking forward to um hearing more of all

your podcasts and love to all and take care have a good day bye oh mel thank you isn't that so nice that people are prepared to travel that's why it'd be nice to do it just where it's easy for people for the train and whatever but I do

I don't want to kind of make anyone not come because it's too far so I would really like to maybe do you know one in Scotland

one in Wales one in Ireland it would be so nice to just do even if it was like that like four four or five yeah wouldn't it i am getting really excited well we you know the first one will be the first one it'll be somewhere if we you know everything again i don't want to jinx it by saying it out loud but the i hope will be to keep doing them yeah you know work away around and go other places you know while you're doing your little trip to ireland you may as well scope

out some venues oh yeah i could didn't i scope a few venues out just start chatting in a pub you know see who's gonna listen in live show ad hoc you know it will yes there'll be there'll be there'll be stuff we'll make space we'll make time i do feel like i would like to see more though because i've never been to see a live pod myself ever so i think i need to do a bit of homework me and roe were talking about it i'd like to go and see a big one a little one kind of ones that i don't know because I do want to make it worth people's well you know worthwhile I do want people to buy a ticket and get a little bit more than just me sat on a sofa talking to everyone you know I would like a little bit of something else in there and I was thinking as much as the show would be brilliant if we do a little venue I would really like to sort of come out to the bar after and see everybody.

Because I just think that's so nice. You know, if people have taken the time out to come and see me, that you actually get a bit of time with them. And it is this community we're building. So I think it would be really lovely to do that. Yeah, big time. Really exciting. We came up with a couple of chats about kids, kids and travel. I think it was Mark and I.

Yes, because you were talking about Eliza was out and about. She was out with some friends, but you had driven her. That's right. And you were wondering when to let her on the train on her own. I was on the train really young on my own, I'm pretty sure. We were on the bus to train out. Yeah. I'm pretty sure we were going into London with mates before I moved house.

So I would have been 13, 14. Into Stevenage, into Hitchin, then up to London occasionally. And maybe not London on our own until I was maybe 15 or 16. But yeah, we'd go into the big towns by bus or train. Well, I've got a lovely message here from Naomi, actually Mel's best friend. Oh, lovely. Who's going to travel. Kids on transport.

So funnily enough, I have a 14 year old niece and we've just been having this conversation. She lives in Aylesbury and we are in Liverpool. And she's been asking her mum if she can get the train to see us for the weekend which is so lovely she wants to do that anyway we have agreed that if her mum puts her on the train in Milton Keynes she can sit on it for two hours and I'll meet her off of it at Liverpool we're doing it for the first time in Feb really good kid really mature and our mum has a tracker on her phone, so we feel she's ready to do that. London Underground, probably not yet. It's just not the age, though, is it? It's the kids and their maturity.

I completely, completely agree with you, Naomi. And I would absolutely put Eliza on a train like that. That's very, very different. Putting her on a train for a few hours up to a relative. I think that's doable. One train, one straightforward, sat on a seat, you're staying put. The underground, I think kids who've grown up in London

and have had loads of school trips around, you know, I used to sit all the time, daytime on the tube, they were bringing on school, like classrooms full of school kids you know interesting yeah it's like we've planned it it seamlessly goes into the next message seamless public transport age hi nat regarding what age you should let your child on public transport my son passed his 11 plus but didn't get into the grammar school that runs a coach from our local area he got into

one that is a 15 minute train ride and then a 20 minute walk from the station at the other end i appealed it and the local authority said it was the only thing that they could do and to suggest paying for a private taxi company which obviously couldn't afford can you imagine doing that every single day yeah so she had no choice she packed her 11 year old child on the train by himself to an area he didn't know he's now 14 still doing his journey every day it's all been fine but at the time i was so worried i didn't even leave him alone at home at this age however he's now super independent and not fazed by it so some people don't have a choice it's all very well going oh what type what when should I put my kid on the train?

You know, needs must. Of course people use public transport to get around, which I completely understand. Yeah, we were definitely doing this 15-minute walk to the school bus stop and all of that every day or walking all the way home from school. I was doing that when I started. We had a weird thing where I was primary, oh i know yeah middle school and all that yeah middle school so that was what year five so you're 10 11 years old yeah you know we do that but it's scary but it

you just do what you do you know what you know yeah don't you that's what i think the the kids in who have grown up in london who are just then used to the tube and and have had these school trips out and stuff yeah you just get used to it and you get trained up on it and you know but i think yeah as a as a trained up on it oh sorry honestly you're, you are a one. But keep this on track. Nah. Don't start going off the rails. Don't be busting my balls on it.

I think it's probably what's right for your kid at the time and what's, you know, needs must. The other message I got from a lovely girl called Jessie, you've also now just mentioned at what age do you let the children travel on their own? I know I'm still very much in the toddler world, but the whole idea actually terrifies me. Now, that is a whole episode that we will do, because I'm telling you now, Eliza was free about two days ago.

And you never ever think, you don't understand the concept of them being independent and doing stuff on their own absolutely terrifies you. And then you turn around and you're messaging her saying, are you going into Tesco's? Could you get me some chicken breasts? You blinked one day and 20 years happened. I don't know what happened. Seriously. Yeah. It is so quick.

Don't be terrified. We all go through those feelings, but it naturally happens. It naturally evolves. They get that little bit older and you find new things exciting things enjoyable things to you know share with them I'm really looking forward to there's a exhibition on at King's Cross M that I've seen and it's an immersive a bit like frameless you know the um there's an art exhibition um down by Marble. It's called Frameless and you go in and it's all art. Is it Van Gogh at the moment or something?

Yeah, I think so, but they change it and it looks really good. I want to go there. But there's a Vogue exhibition all about Vogue magazine down at King's Cross. And I saw it and I thought, oh, Liza will love that. So, you know, you do new things. You say, right, I'm going to, you know, when I'm not too busy, me and you, the little one will get babysat or whatever. You know, if Mark's not at work, she'll be with Mark, with Daddy, Joni, and I'll take her out and we'll get the tube and we'll have some lunch and we'll go to that. And, you know, that's really lovely as well. So I am talking to myself as I say this, but it is heartbreaking them growing up, but at the same time, it's really exciting

and we do grow these humans to be independent and on their own. That's what we want. We want them to be able to be on their own. Yeah, if you've done it right, if you've done it successfully, you want them to be able to be their own human people in the world. You know, that's what you're aiming for. That's the big achievement is for a child to become someone who can contribute to society in a meaningful and positive way. So, yeah, it's exciting.

They become their own fully formed human. Yeah, I was so proud of Elizaiza she did a debate at school this week she was debating and she got picked to do the debate and she worked so hard and they didn't win they didn't get through and she was really cross about it but the effort she put in um and i even had an email from my teacher saying the effort they all put in and they should have won. Um, but yeah, you know, all these different things you watch them go through and you're so proud and, you know,

it's all these little either achievements or little knockbacks and all these things make, you know, they make you the person you are, you know, it's, it's lovely to watch. Yeah.

And she's a pain as well at times. Oh yeah. But that's, that's the important part of it as well, you know. Yeah. Let's finish on Bex. Yay! Lovely Bex, but this did make me laugh.

We definitely need to meet up. Now, honestly, every time I listen to a pod, I feel like more that we live parallel lives. I also only listen to Parenting Hell in the car. I listen to Youg on my dog walks. And I listen to the Chatterbix boys when I'm doing housework because it feels like they're just chatting along and it's nice and gentle and funny and yeah.

And also, I absolutely love Donna Ash ashworth i cannot wait for the next pod anyway happy monday cheers bexy boo we are very similar you haven't let me know if you liked donna ashworth's episode yet which i hope you're all right haven't heard from you for ages not that I'm needy or anything but just saying you look glowing you look really happy Em can I just say you do your skin looks gorgeous

it's still a filter it's still a bit of a filter is it a frock or a top it's a top it's annoying it's one of these ones that sort of goes off shoulder oh I hate

I don't know how to deal with this. The ones that go off shoulder and show the bra straps, I haven't really got shoulders. I'm really rounded and it just constantly flopping down. So I'm just, what do you do? I'm going to try and maybe get, can you buy straps that go behind, that hold it up, but then it'll be too much. No, you don't want to do that.

I don't know. You look like you're a baby in a harness want to do that i don't know i just need a baby in a harness when you do that don't do that i don't yeah i need to ask the nieces really fashion fashion is yeah i think so it needs solid straps i need to stop buying these pretty pretty sleevy ones that they're just there's no what you could do because of the puff on the sleeve yeah it's got a lot of extra material so you could get someone to take out some of the puff to make the sleeve tighter even i've got ones that are straight like without the elastic and they will just slide down as well it needs to be i don't understand yeah i need it

i can't i just don't even got shoulders i'm just put a t-shirt on it's the answer i'm just wearing a t-shirt yeah i know this is why i haven't worn this in ages i was like oh what's but it's really nice and it's a nice color on you and it goes with your eyes so i think you should find a way to salvage it yeah yeah it's just I just would let it fall down. Let it fall down. Show your sexy shoulders off. Get your tits out. Happy days.

There you go. Perfect. Perfect. And on that note, I'll hear from you again on... No, you won't. You'll hear from HR on that note. I'm telling you. Telling on you.

Get your tits out. Oh, don't. You're offended. Third party offended and all that your cat's absolutely fuming in the corner gonna make a complaint yeah yeah yeah yeah striking the pussy again i'll speak to you on thursday i'm getting away from this filth thank you bye away from this filth. Thanks, Em. Thank you. Bye.

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 here 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.