Strangers on a Bench - EPISODE 40: A Seal Called Noon

Episode Date: June 16, 2025

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song: 'A Seal Called Noon' by Alice BoydStream it here: https://ffm.to/asealcallednoonListen to all end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist:https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram: @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, sorry to bother you. Can I ask you a slightly odd question? I'm making a podcast called Strangers on a Bench, where essentially I talk to people I don't know on benches for that? Do you want to give it a go? Is there a day of the week that you favour? I quite like Sundays. Sundays are quite relaxed, yeah. What is your kind of ideal Sunday? My ideal Sunday? Lived on this funny earth? On this funny earth? Usually I'm in London on a Sunday. I have friends who work in a market so I go see them. But before that I go to a 12-step meeting in the mornings, chatting with people. And

then I go to the market, have free food, get free kimchi, socialise. And then I might head off either home or wherever I'm staying on that day. So yeah, it's just a day filled with speaking to people I enjoy being around. That sounds very nice. Do you feel like you don't get to do that enough? I mean is that kind of why? Yeah. I like my own company a lot. Yeah. I tend to just be with myself a lot more than with other people. So yeah, it's nice to just have a day where I see lots of people and then... Kind of get it done. Yeah. And you feel like, yeah, it's nice to just have a day where I see lots of people and then... Kind of get it done. Yeah. And you feel like,

oh, that's my people time. Yeah. How do you feel at the end of that day? Does it kind of exhaust you? No, it's quite good. Oh, I see. You feel really good, but then you choose then not to do it again. Well... Or again, but in a week's time. Yeah, in like a week's time because it's just nice to be there for other people for a bit. Then afterwards I, in like a week's time. Because it's just nice to be there for other people for a bit. And then afterwards I can think, yeah, I was present for someone's life and their story.

So that was nice. And then I go back to myself. What is it, I mean this is a big question straight off the bat, what is it like being with yourself? With myself? Oh, well, it's challenging. Wow. Yeah, I change a lot.

So I feel like I'm different people Any kind of opportunity, but yeah, what does that mean? It depends how I'm feeling really sometimes I can be really creative Yeah, I can be making loads of things and sometimes I'm not creative at all and just want to sit and do nothing Sometimes I'm cooking and that's something I do with myself Yeah, or I'll go for a walk and sit somewhere. So yeah, I guess I'm different people depending on the situation. How do you, you know, if someone was listening who wasn't so good at being with themselves, I think there is a bit of an art, like some people are just really bad at it, right, and they just need any constant something around them or something to bounce off or this kind of stuff. But how do you get good at it?

Well, you need to like yourself first. I think if you don't like something you're not going to do it. So you need to find something about yourself that you enjoy or that you want to work on and then you've got to do it and do more of it. Simple as that. Did you always like yourself? No. No okay. No yeah. Can you tell me about the time you didn't or when how that shifted? I guess I just spent a lot of time alone with myself and I didn't like it when I was younger. In my late years, late years, in my teenage years I chose isolation from people just because it felt easier, just because I didn't know what to do with other people or how to be with other people.

It was just easier not to So yeah, it's not easy to like things about you, but you get there eventually What was a kind of turning point then for you? I kind of just realized what am I living for if I'm not living for myself? Like why do I dislike myself and then all these questions kind of led to some internal reflection, a lot of internal reflection. And it came to you like, oh, it's because of this or this or this. And it's like, oh, these are all things that I can change.

So why don't I? And yeah. What was your first port of change? As you know, what was that first one? The first change? Yeah. Probably just showing up for myself, doing things that would actually benefit me

rather than keep me held back. But it wasn't something I did alone. I had my older sibling really forced me into these kind of, these self-reflection groups. Is this good? Are you happy they did that? At the time I was like, leave me alone. Now I'm like, okay, I'm thankful for the intervention. It did help me out.

So now do you thank the sibling? I do, but pride holds me back. Oh really, you haven't? I do. I have thanked them, but part of me is a bit like, no, I'm not going to thank them too much. I'll thank them enough. Just a really tiny thank you. Yeah. Thanks for that. Thanks for that. You mentioned 12 steps.

What's that? It's like a spiritual programme. It's like 12 steps to recovery. There's a lot of like alcoholics anonymous and narcotics anonymous that follow Tony A's 12 steps of recovery and it's just like basic kind of guidelines and how to become accountable and responsible for yourself and how to just be a healthier and happier person. What were you recovering from I ask? I didn't get into drugs alcohol crazy but, there were some things that I went through when I was younger that I just never worked through, just kind of ignored.

And yeah, it's not good to ignore things like that because they just stay with you and unless you do something about it, they'll just, it just keeps being there. Was there a kind of low moment that forced your hand? I think, yeah, when I moved in with my older sibling, because I moved out of my mum's place and I moved into my siblings place and that was troubling in itself because we had a very odd family dynamic. But yeah, it was just that kind of thought of I'm just going from place to place and not really feeling like I belong anywhere.

It's getting really deep, but yeah. It's like, I need to make a place for myself and I need to be someone for myself. So let's do that. So you didn't necessarily have like that bigger issue with drinking drugs. So it's as much about personal accountability. Yeah, because, well, it's just my opinion of it.

But I feel like if you are abusing drugs or alcohols, you can abuse other things, really. Cool, yeah, I see. Things like dissociation and fantasy or unhealthy behaviors just stem from wanting to not be present. Yeah. So I wasn't present in a lot of other ways, but it wasn't drugs and alcohol. Any of the steps? We're like, no, I don't like that step.

Yeah. For sure, for sure. Which ones? There's step four. What's the one with step four? Step four is you make a moral inventory. So you kind of make a list of people you've harmed and how you've harmed them. And there's the idea that you make a moral inventory. So you kind of make a list of people you've harmed and how you've harmed them. And there's the idea that you make amends.

Yeah, yeah, you get there eventually. So you, what you say if you, I don't know, you stole some sweets from a shop, you have to go visit that shop and say, look, it was me, I'm really sorry. I don't think you need to go to that extent. But it's more like for me personally, there was someone who I, in school,

I kind of joined in with bullying. So I reached out to her and I said, look, I'm sorry for that, that wasn't cool. And I know I hurt you and I apologize for that. I don't want to show up like that anymore. So if you would like to be friends, I'd love to get in touch and yeah, just start again. She didn't want to be friends anymore.

Well, anymore again, which is fine, I understand. But I went and said, I'm sorry for that. How did it feel sending that message? Oh, it felt terrible. Because you're kind of admitting that you did it. As in it's not just saying sorry, you're saying you're holding it out. It's like, oh, I was a mean person and I was probably someone really horrible to you And it's just admitting that I hurt somebody else, you know, that sucks

Because I don't think I personally kind of I never want to hurt people, but I know my actions sometimes do What was going on with you at that time that made you that kind of person? Oh, I just didn't want to be seen just went along along with the flow. And then the friendship group I was in, they were like, oh, this person's weird, let's just make fun of them and pick on them. And I was like, OK. Yeah, sure, let's do that. So yeah, I don't think anything was wrong with them personally. I quite liked them. Yeah. Yeah, it was just the, I don't want to say something different to the majority,

so I'll just go along. And so, were there other instances of sending people messages? Did any of them go particularly well or badly? Most of them actually just got ignored. So, I think only one person came back to me and said, oh wow, thanks for that, and yeah, I hope you're okay. And then we kept in touch. And yeah, I hope you're okay. And then we kept in touch. And yeah, still keep in touch. Even now and then, yeah.

But how about you say you didn't like this step? I didn't like it, no. But do you see the worth in it or did you not see the worth in it? I did see the worth in it, but. It was just painful. Yeah, because it takes a long time, you know, because it's everything, not just people,

but like structures and things. So it's like things you have resentments towards as well And yeah, I had a lot of resentments for everything, everyone What were these structures? Oh like school Or like class systems, anything really even like I resent this person for having a really nice fridge Even like, I resent this person for having a really nice fridge. Because I never got- Classic fridge resentment.

Yeah, never bought a fridge. Just, you know, anyone who can buy a fridge for themselves, I resent you. What kind of fridge do you get most resentful of? The big like double ones. Double doors. Like the double doored ones with like ice or water. Oh yeah. Yeah.

Just a big fridge, you know. And it really gets you going. It kind of does. I'm like damn these people have a better life than me. I really value fridges. What structure makes you most angry? Apart from the fridge structure. Apart from the fridge. Oh this is something to think about. But yeah I'm just looking at that seal as well that's popping up. Yeah it's really popping up isn't it? Yeah. This is the first seal sighting we've had on the podcast. Oh wow. So it's a momentous occasion for everyone.

Yeah if only they could see what we see. Can you describe what we can see with the seal? Well, the seal just keeps popping up in different places, but it's in the same kind of, I don't know, 20-metre vicinity, but it just pops up for a few seconds then goes down. And it's just its head. What would you call that seal? Well I've been on this beach for a couple hours and it was at noon that it popped by so I'm gonna call

it noon. That's a really nice name, noon the seal. Yeah. It's a lovely name. Yeah. What's the last thing you named other than noon the seal? Oh don't know. You must have named something. I named something but all I can think about is the cat but I named him a while ago. Okay what did you name the cat? The cat is called Aswang. Aswang. Aswang yes. It's a Filipino word and it means like monster or like goblin. As for short? Ass man. But his street name is Young Milk. Cause he's a white cat. Young Milk, I love that.

Is it your cat? It's my brother's cat. Okay, but you named it? We named it collectively, yeah. How's your relationship with your brother? We get on? Yeah, we get on now. It's tricky. It's tricky. Why?

We're half siblings, so we have different dads. Yeah, dysfunctional family, all that jazz. I'm also half sibling, so I sympathise with the half sibling camp. Yeah. But I didn't know they were half my... they were my half sibling. Oh! OK. I just assumed they were my full sibling for a really long time. Okay, how long were you talking? My mum never said anything until I was like probably eight, seven or eight.

And so at what point did she whip that one out? She didn't. It was my older brother kept telling me like, we're not even real siblings. And what did you say to that? I would just cry. I'd be like, why would you say that? That's so mean! Like, I didn't understand, like, what that meant. And then I just asked my mum. And she was like, oh yeah, you have different dads. And I was like, oh.

What was this? This is a lie! This is like, she's just like casually, oh yeah, you have different dads. And then I just accepted it and was like, okay, sure. And then I'm guessing later on down the line you had more questions? No I never really asked my mum any questions. Really? Really yeah. Even now? Even now I don't really speak to my mum now but yeah I just accepted whatever answer she gave me but she never I never knew who my half-siblings dad was until I found him on Facebook and I was like oh I think this is the guy.

How did you, was it an easy find? I don't think it was an easy find we have a big family like my mum's from the Philippines so she has a massive family and just friends with all of them on Facebook even though I don't know half of them. And then there was like all these mutual friends and then from what she told me there were like certain people at the time who knew who my sleeping dad was so I was like I'm gonna look on them. I was like a proper like investigator stalker when I was like 10 on Facebook. And then you found him? Yeah. And once you found him, what happened then?

Nothing. I just found him. I found him and I was like, okay, that's nice. Then I let it go. That was enough. You didn't have any questions? That was enough. No, I didn't have any questions. You've not met this person? No, no, I haven't met them. But my older sibling has met them. Oh, okay. Yeah. So that's his real dad. Real dad, yeah, you met him last year. How did that go?

Yeah, he just said, surprisingly, they're alike, despite the fact that neither was really present in each other's lives. But there's that familiarity, yeah. It's funny, DNA stuff. It is, isn't it? Oh look, there's some swimmers swimming closest to noon.

Yeah, I don't know if... Do you think noon's going to be a concern? I don't know if noon is okay. Because it's just been popping up for a while. I think they'd like to come and say hello to seals, don't they? Maybe. That thing? What's your connection like with your father? Oh, no connection. Oh, none?

No, not anymore, no. He's not a very good man. OK. He's not a good good man. Okay. Yeah, he's not a good guy. Oh dear. When you say that, what kind of thing are we talking about? You don't mind me asking?

Hmm. No clue? I'm wondering whether or not this is a no question or if it's a yes question. Is it just not being there? Is it the action? No, he was there for some time. He was just an abusive man. OK.

Yeah. Yeah. And when was he not part of your life? When I told my mom. So probably since I was 12. Yeah. Yeah. So probably since I was 12, yeah. And so now you don't also get on with your mum? No.

Right. For other reasons. Despite her beliefs, I don't blame her for what happened with my dad, but I do blame her for the things that happen afterwards. Yeah. But yeah. And is that reconcilable?

Is that, what do you think? I mean, do you want it to be? I don't really know. I've, I've, I've not lived very long, but I've lived for a long time without her. So I don't feel the need to have her in my life. There's, I don't feel like there's anything she can give me. Yeah.

She's just very wounded. And I, I kind of, I'm not in a place where I can deal with that. So I'd rather not. She's holding on to a lot. And there's just kind of expecting someone else to fix it. That's not how it works there. Did you find that looking inward yourself made you more aware of some of her issues? Yeah, it made me aware that I was exactly like her. I didn't like that. I still see it sometimes. I'm like, oh, that was a very mum-like reaction. But it's hard when you've

been raised by people and they are in your DNA. You kind of you kind of are like can you think of a your last mum like reaction? I was getting annoyed with a friend of mine actually because they were like quite clingy Just like doing anything to get my attention when they try to see you on a day. It wasn't Sunday. Yeah What are you doing? This is actually is the day I do my it was on a Sunday What are you doing? This was actually- Sunday is the day I do my talking. It was on a Sunday. But yeah, they just kept going on and on and on.

And I just felt like I was getting annoyed at them and just wanted to dismiss everything and just like, ugh, leave me alone kind of thing. And I realised like, oh, that was a really mum reaction. Because when I was a kid and I would act like my friend was acting like being like really just happy and wanting to share all this stuff, my mum would just dismiss it and be like oh you're too much now like go away or like oh I don't have time for this like just

stop and I I could hear or I could just like feel myself wanting to do that and I was like wait no that's so mean if I don't have the capacity to listen to this person I'm just gonna kindly let them know that it's a bit much for me right now. Let's just be silent for a little bit and then we can get back together. How quickly did you realise that that was a mum reaction? Not very quickly actually. It took me a while in my annoyance and then my friend did ask me, are you alright? Because I was just silent and I was like, you know what, I think I just had a mum reaction.

And then we talked about it but yeah. Do you feel like... ...that any part of you needs any kind of that parental figure that isn't there? Mmm... yeah. I definitely need a parental figure, but I can't really expect other people or other things to be that for me. I kind of have to be that for myself. Yeah, that's it. I see. Other people may be that though at some point. Yeah.

It's a danger, not to get too kind of pop psychology type here, but is it a danger that you choose a romantic partner based on like that space becomes a factor? I imagine that would be, but I have not chosen any romantic partner ever because of that fear, actually. Oh, okay. Yeah. When you say ever, does it mean people choose you

or you just don't like romantic partners? No, I don't ever, yeah, I just don't entertain romance. Oh, this is so bad, yeah. yeah I mean I'm working through it now. What does that mean you don't entertain romance? I mean as soon as someone kind of tells me they like me I'm like no absolutely not I'm so sorry but no I'm not ready yeah but then I keep saying I'm not ready and I'm not ready and then I don't do anything about it. Yeah So have you turned away people you actually like? Yeah, I've really liked a lot of people What's that like to do that? I mean it sucks because then the relationship never the same Yeah, we just end up not staying friends and just drifting and it's like ah damn Guess that's sometimes been really hard when you feel something surely meant to then

kind of actively push that away. Must be quite wrenching for you. Yeah. Or maybe not. I don't really know. I don't know if I'd see it that way. It's more like maybe I'm just continuing to punish myself by not allowing a romantic relationship. But for me, I'm like, I'm saving you the trouble of being in a relationship with me.

I like, I'm saving you. Yeah, go on. This is a service. Let me save you by not. This is a kindness. Yeah. Why are we talking to this person? Yeah.

But it's, it's just that fear. What do you envisage a time? I mean, can you see a time when you're not scared of it? No, I don't think the fear is ever really going to go away, but I can do more with the fear than just let it be there. I'm always going to be scared of a relationship, really, but I think if I'm communicating that, and at least just allowing other things to happen instead of fear,

then... What are you mostly scared of, would you say? Probably abandonment. Just like once I really give myself and I'm really like into the relationship and then they just leave, that would like break me completely. Yeah, I'm just afraid of being hurt. completely. Yeah, I'm just afraid of being hurt and of just like being known by somebody and like knowing someone else and not showing up for them because I've done that. I've like cared for people and then at a time they've needed me I've just not been there for them so it's that as well. What's the fear about

being known? Because a lot of people, for them, that's their kind of pinnacle to be known. Or that's kind of what love is in a way. Yeah. Or can be. But what's the fear for you? Just the vulnerability.

Being vulnerable in front of someone else. Someone knowing me that much is scary. Because I don't really know oh the moon is really close oh wow but yeah the moon's come right up yeah gosh noone's gonna be beached it almost looks like it's not real you know but obviously it is but you know what it is that someone could have like in a... A government machine. It's the government. They've upgraded from pigeons.

Yeah, exactly. Seals now. Oh wow, there we go. It's a Nifkan, noon moment. Mm. But what were we saying? People knowing you. Oh yeah, the fear of that. Why is that scary? There's quite a leap between that and noon. Yeah. The sea was closed on every inch of the earth. I say he. Why are we gendering the noon as a man? Who is the person you feel that knows you? I mean, have you encountered a person that you felt known by? Gosh yeah, there's one person. I met them quite recently but we speak a lot and he's

like he's kind of become my mentor in some way. Okay, when you say mentor, why do you say mentor? I mean does that mean it's like a friendship or like? Yeah it is a friendship but I definitely come to him with a lot of my emotional problems and he has a lot of experience and he's a psychologist so he just tells me my brain and I'm like wow thank you. What is this person illuminated for you? He kind of illuminated my lack of self-worth. Yeah he kind of just pointed out that I have a punishing view of myself often.

So this is via the 12 steps? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you get given a mentor? Is that how it works? No, you kind of just pick someone. You pick them up. Which one of you is a psychologist? Any of you are a psychologist? I have you, thanks. Yeah.

Is there anyone in your life that you would, you know, if they did walk past here, they said, you know, proposition to you in a kind of romantic way. Are there anyone that you would consider? Do you have people floating around? No, I don't have anyone floating around. Yeah, it's because I don't put myself out there. You know, I have like, I have been asked by people,

it's fine, I've had many a musician. Are musicians? Yeah, but they're all emotionally unavailable. I try to keep in contact with a few of them, but they're just all over the place and it doesn't really work out. Why do you film musicians as a other, or they come to you? What is that? I look pretty cool, I think that's why. I I'm not gonna lie, I look cool, yeah. Actually this is quite funny, can you just kind of vaguely describe

your general appearance? Vaguely describe, all right, I'm quite ambiguous with my Asian-ness. Don't think you know which Asian I am, but I am one of them. But I'm also mixed, so it's like, oh, what flavor? You guessed British, It's not. Yeah, I've got classic facial piercings. Goodness.

What's the thinking? What's the thinking? I mean, I just got them because I used to have such judgement on people with facial piercings. Oh really? Yeah, when I was younger. But this is something I picked up from my parents. They were like, oh, they're punks. Or like, oh, they're dirty for having facial piercings. And then, yeah, part of me just kind of thought, actually, why don't I just get one? Was it an act of rebellion a little bit then? A little bit, yeah.

Or just like to test myself. Like, why do I have this opinion? And it's like, it's not really anything. What was the first one? My first one was my septum piercing and then I got my lip piercing but I had to take it out because I was going to an interview and then it healed but I did get the job. Oh there you go. Yeah. What are you like at jobs? What am I like at jobs? I've had loads of jobs. I got my first job when I was 12. Really? What was that? Yeah, I used to do the paper rounds in my town, my tiny town. Any great moments from that, the abiding memory?

Any great moments? Well, I had four paper rounds. Oh wow, so you had to call out to memorise. Yeah, but then on Christmas I would get money from every, like most people anyway, would give me money, so it was like £10 or like £5 for any people. I'd get money from every like most people anyway would give me money So it was like 10 pounds like 5 pounds for any people I get I get bank on Christmas Yeah, oh yeah, because I did four so let's say one paper and got me like 60 pounds times Yeah, and then I'd also get like a box of chocolates from the post office like celebrations for each like a box of chocolates from the post office, like celebrations for each paper round. So they'd give me four. But then after the first year, they were like,

we're not giving you four. I was like, what? We realized we made a clerical error. So that started your being good at jobs. Yeah, I guess. What does it take to be good at a job, do you think? You just have to be an immense people pleaser. You've got to be good at working in a team if your job involves a team.

I've only mainly worked in customer service kind of jobs. So you have to have that, like, oh yes, I'll do absolutely anything for you. And like, oh yes, you're right. You're absolutely right. I'll get right to that. And like, yes, let me check in the back. It's not in the back Well, hold on one minute. Let me fix this machine that I've never seen before Yeah, you just have to be really nice

Usually if you're nice people just let it go or they forget their anger for a bit and they're like, why am I angry? There's nice person. Yeah, it's great. It's good tip for just life in general. Yeah. I might just start saying let me check in the back. I'm having a difficult conversation. Look let me just check in the back. I'll get back to you once I've checked in the back. If you didn't have to work, imagine I just gave you all the money you needed for the rest of your life. Here it is in a box. Yeah. Noon popped out for that.

Yeah, Noon was like, yeah, that's a great question. Someone said money back. Yeah, someone said set up for life. Here he comes. Yeah, so if I have the money back, how is your life different, you know, after that moment? I've thought about this question many times. Have you? Yeah, I've actually been asked this. People just come up to you like, hang on, have you done all the money? Yeah, they see me, they're like, you clearly hate what you're doing with your

life, so if you had everything, what would you do? So what's your answer? What is my answer? I would go somewhere and grow my own food, have a little farm, have some chickens, try and be sustainable, try and live off the land for as long as I can. I really wanna build my own house one day. That looks fun. Like out of clay and hay.

Clay and hay. Classic old house. And it doesn't have to work, but I just like to build, like the opportunity to grow stuff. Oh, there was this book I was reading called Braiding Sweetgrass. It was a really good book. It's about like indigenous living in America before. And the three crops that would grow really well together, I think it was corn, beans, and like pumpkins or squash, the corn or the stalks, and then the beans would grow up along the corn, and then the pumpkins or the squash would just keep the pests from getting up into

all these things, and then the pests wouldn't really eat the pumpkin because of all the leaves and everything, and I was like, oh, this is how agriculture is supposed to be, I guess. You work with the plants rather than spray, spray, spray. I suppose you want your own spot. That's the dream. Rather than to like work on farm. I wouldn't mind having like a community space, like a community living, like tribal mind living kind of thing. You live in a community and you all grow

and you all have animals and you just take care of each other's things and you take care of each other and you work together. Like I don't think I could do it alone. I'm sure my ideas are probably for a more warm climate than the UK. Yeah, I hope it happens. Well, thank you.

Would you like a light question or a heavy question? If heavy is 10, light is 1. What are you feeling like? An 8. What unexpected thing would you like to happen at your funeral? I've never thought about my funeral. I don't know, I always have this funny idea that I don't know if this is unexpected, but I wanna bury my bones or have my bones buried.

Bury your own bones, it'll be complicated. It'll be really complicated. Well, I'll have my bones buried in some random place and draw a treasure map. Oh, that's fun. If I was a rich woman and had a will, a substantial will with a big inheritance, I'd have my lineage go on some kind of treasure hunt to find the biggest bone

and whoever gets the biggest one gets all my stuff. That's quite fun. Yeah. So, unconventional thing that would happen at my funeral, I guess. Someone would announce the treasure hunt and yeah. I back it it's good to make relatives dance you know especially if they're that concerned for the money they should have to work for it. Yeah I want some kind of treasure hunt I guess. Are there any traditions that you started that you really like that you're keen to? I don't think I have any traditions.

Oh. No. I think they're a great idea. I really back them. It's nice to have things to return to. Like little rituals. Yeah. Yeah.

Maybe you can start a tradition tomorrow. Maybe I can. Can you think about what it might be? I'm thinking now, I think I might have a tradition. Oh, one's come. Yeah. What is it now then? I think at least twice a year I'll go to some sort of live concert music orchestra thing.

You say music orchestra thing, like as in like, is that a famous band? I think it's more like an orchestra. Yeah. Which bit of the orchestra would you be in if you could? Oh, probably someone who's on the little like chimes or like a little bell or a triangle, just ding, ding. That's quite fun fun I like bells any kind of bells as soon as I hear bells in any kind of music I'm like yes oh I think I've got a bell on my keyring that's how much I like bells

can you um oh I got a lot of things on my keyring Oh yeah, there it is! A bell! It's quite fetchy. Yeah, it's a Chinese bell. Lovely. Yep, that's my bell. Does that mean people hear you coming? Yeah, I just...

How do you see a couple of people? I don't. I used to have so many like rattly things on me. Yeah. You're a very rattly person. That's why I've got so much stuff on my keys just because it rattles. I really like that. I remember now actually my mum, she was a big key rattler. You know those people who rattle quite a long way out? You know like most people get to the door and like door in you

know? She was like a real pre-rattler like it would be almost like coming into the block of flats where we lived like I would hear her rattling around It's my still announcement of like I'm on my way. I'm here, I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm not far away. Whatever you're doing if it's bad stop it now, I'm coming in. Stop it now, stop it now. It's a pre-warning you know. It is, is that what you have yours you just warning people or you're announcing your presence? Yeah I think I'm announcing my presence. Rather than warning. I used to have bells on my bags and coats and stuff. Oh, really? Yeah, I just like to jingle. Really?

Yeah. I've also got a pocket full of rings just so it jangles. A pocket full of rings? Yeah, so I can just... Oh, that's fun. How many rings have you got? Oh, I've got quite a few. Yeah. They're just in my pocket. At all times? Yeah. So it's the first person I think I've ever spoken to who's like in multiple jangly effects on their person.

Mm. Amazing. Is there anything you'd like to ask yourself if you have anything that's bringing you to mind? Do I have anything? Well, I'm holding a book. I was reading this book when you came up to me. Morning Star? Yeah.

My question is about the book. Am I enjoying this book? I am enjoying this book. It is breaking my heart. It broke my heart two books ago. I'm still reading it. Hang on, so again, it broke your heart two books ago? Yeah, so this is the third one. Oh, this is the series, sorry, got it now.

So I was really, that was my slow motion there. I recommend. And that's the third. Yeah. Why is it good? I guess so many bad things happen. In the book? Yeah. And that's good? And then they just bad things happen. In the book? Yeah.

And that's good? And then they just keep going on. It's like that. I did the bad things or the people? The people. They're like, oh it's bad but... They just keep struggling on. It's that idea of like bad things happen but people still carry on and they find other

ways and still do what they need to do even though things go bad. It's like, whoa, okay. Are you like that? Um, no, I kind of give up but it's inspiring I suppose to be like oh I guess I should try it out yeah. What does reading mean to you? Oh it used to be my escapism it kind of still is but it used to be my mega mega escapism like oh I need to be in another world right now this is a good good shout. Now though it's just yeah I

enjoy I feel you get a lot of emotions from reading reading books yeah it's nice to just feel all these things sometimes. Do you have places where you normally read? Oh no yeah I usually read on the beach. Otherwise, I'll read at home. There's, like, a plant corner in my living room where all the plants are at the moment. Nice. And there's, like, a little chair there, and it's like, oh, yes, I'll just read over here. Oh, that's sweet.

Are you a good plant person? I never used to be. It was actually very bad. I killed every plant I had. I killed my housemate's plants and I was so... Deliberately? I didn't mean to. I just didn't know how to take care of plants. I felt really bad about that. But then after that I was like, you know what, I'm gonna get some plants so I can learn how to take care of some plants. And then I did and now I just have loads of plants.

Now you figured it out. What is the secret? What is the secret to plants? Don't water them too much, don't water them too little. They'll tell you when they need water for sure. Or when they need things they'll definitely show you. Maybe dust them a few times, move them around. Do you talk to them? A little bit, I guess. There was a little delay there, something like delay, what you thought about when you talked to them.

I sing to them. Or like I'll be singing while doing things around them. What's your singing voice like? I sing... No. That's a no-go. What do you sing to them? I sing Phantom of the Opera to them quite a lot.

So it helps them... It helps me. So as long as I'm helped, they're probably helping me. If it helps you, then it helps them. Yeah helps me. So, as long as I'm helped, they're probably helped. If it helps you, then it helps them. Yeah, energy and all that. So it kind of does work. I give them good vibes. What passages in particular do you go for? What songs from?

Oh, there's one. It takes place in a graveyard. Yeah, it's like wishing you were somehow here again. It's quite sad, but I'm like but I'll sing it with all my heart to my plants. Are you concerned with achieving things, whatever that means? No, I used to never really have any ambition. And now I'm kind of thinking it's not so bad to be ambitious about stuff

but I don't really know what to be ambitious for. That's interesting. I quite like that as a progression of you know you start off going oh okay it's not so bad to have ambitions and then but they'll come as they come. Yeah yeah. And you see what they are. I think I need more life and then I'll find some ambition. I'm ambition. There's a guy. Quite a lot of old men kicking around. Yeah. Where are the old ladies?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe they're at the sewing club. There's a sewing club down the road. Oh, is there? Yeah. So you go-by-go? Almost joined. Oh, almost?

Almost. You like peeped around the corner? Yeah. I peeped in and I was like oh and then I was like oh no I'll just go somewhere else. I'll start with my own at home. I have a sewing machine I just can't be bothered to use it half the time. Oh it's cool you know how to do it. Yeah yeah. Well that's the stuff you know how to do. Yeah I'm very creative. Yeah. I make things out of clay as well. What kind of things? Anything I just did a workshop recently for bells actually. Clay bells.

Clay bells of course. And they're drying and going to be fired soon and I'll get them. And you'll have your own bells? Yeah, I'll make my own bells. I'm so excited for your bells. I'd say just ring them out. Maybe that's tradition, like every Monday morning you just ring all your bells out the window. Someone might complain

People come from bars around It could be nice. Oh my gosh. I used to do bell ringing. I used to do that when the church Oh, you left that late. Yeah. I just remembered why didn't I ask that as well? Oh, yeah, is it one bell? Is it like you're all around and you have one? Are you? So there's the church bell that we would ring and there's actually like handheld bells and We'd have to follow music sheets. How many bells would you be? Two. I only had two. Who had the main one? Not me Someone else. Why did they never give you the main bell? I was always too eager. I actually have no rhythm or concept. How did you manage that?

I don't know. But you can ring bells? Yeah, I think I was so into it though. I was surprised they managed to get you off them. Yeah, gosh. I remember seeing how they'd packed the bells and where they'd put the box and I was like, I could take that. But I was like, I should have, but have been a criminal at such a young age.

That would be another one of your apologies you need to say. Oh yeah. I'm sorry I'm taking all your bells. I don't think you'll meet anyone else who's quite as interested in bells. I don't think I will. Well thank you so much for talking to me. There's one more question which is the same question I asked everyone at the end. Well, we don't have to end it like that. Maybe the bells can ring us out.

That would be nice, wouldn't it? So you can answer the question, then maybe after you've answered the question, you just ring the bells. Do you want to do that? Yeah, sure. Do you want to get them ready? Should I? All right. Bell in hand. Okay. What are you going to do next?

What am I gonna do next? Good old melody there. Hmm? That's a nice melody. Oh, yeah. What am I gonna do next? What am I gonna do next? What am I gonna do next?

What am I gonna do next? Da da da da da. I'm quite musical when I wanna be. Yeah. What am I gonna do next? That was also said quite musically. Yeah. You're now like want to be. Yeah. What am I going to do next? That was also said quite musically. Yeah. You're now like talky in melodies.

Yeah. Well we all do. This is true. Well I can only think about what I'm going to do next like presently. That's fine. Yeah. I'm probably going to finish this chapter in my book. Maybe go for another walk and then go home and water my plants, feed the cat, maybe read some more, maybe not, maybe I'll watch something. Yeah, catch up with a few people even though it's not Sunday. And then, yeah, that's it. That's it. I say don't go, please stay a while or two

Oh no, no need to say a word I heard You like the sound of solitude And spending time with friends who like it too Oh no, oh no On a Sunday morning Somewhere down the line Let's meet at the market If you have the time We'll listen to some music, read books upon the peach, Say bye to our Sunday, repeat in each week, oh noo Why does it have to be so hard? I want to let you win, but where do we start? Oh no, there's nothing left to do But build a home, live off the land See our boats here in the sand The only one who gets my plan is you

Oh noo, oh noo Thanks for watching!