The Frank Skinner Show - Things To Do In The Black Country

Episode Date: April 13, 2026

We’re joined again by Johnny White Really Really in today’s episode! Does Emily own an elephant? The builders at her house seem to think so… Johnny learns that Prince Edward exists, and Frank realises he has more in common with Julie Walters than he thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uh, where are my gloves? Come on, heat. Any day now? Winter is hard, but your groceries don't have to be. This winter, stay warm. Tap the banner to order your groceries online at voila.ca. Enjoy in-store prices without leaving your home. You'll find the same regular prices online as in-store.

Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary. In communities across Canada, hourly Amazon employees can grow their skills and their paycheck by enrolling in free skills training programs for in-demand fields. Learn more at aboutamazon.ca. It's Frank. Frank's going to podcast, don't you know. Good, rich and thick, a milk chocolate brick. York is a mighty big mouthful. Good rich and thick.

That's my ideal man. York is the way that real meal chocolate ought to be Anyway It still exists, Yorkies I believe so but I would imagine We're not accidentally advertised something We haven't been paying back I think they do you know

Yes but I imagine the branding has been dialed down a bit to make it How can we say this? Less aggressively masculine May it has, yeah You know, the lorry driver Have they done that with have I got news for you? Yeah No, they've yet to do that on that show. That's still very much in the Yorkie.

I'm going to call it the other manosphere. It's still technically in the manosphere. Yes. Okay. So this is Frank Off the Radio. I'm joined by Emily Dean and Johnny White Really Really is with us today. Follow the podcast on X and Instagram. You can email the podcast via Frank Off the Radio, Avalon, UK.com.

And If you want Talk about sonnets A high coo So free verse So bullets If you've ever been Given someone else's

A World Trophy Then you should message 0745 741 776 9 I actually love that Could you get me a copy of that Because I would play that in my car

Honestly He might Tell the man Oh god I forgot which one I'll press now Do you like that, Johnny? I love her. Very nice, yeah. Yeah, tranquil.

You should do one, Johnny, you're a music. Yeah, yeah. I love to, yeah. That'd be great. Johnny White really, really did that jingle for our Watson. He's too good for us. He's won awards with clowns and things. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, but he wrote, Johnny wrote, that's one of his. If someone said, I'm a songwriter, What have you written? And they went, I didn't write that. I wrote the middle eight. The bit that goes,

da, da, da, da, da da da da da. That's one of my favorite midlates. It's a bit, what I like is it's very performatively dramatic. It's quite Vagnarian. In the middle of this lovely happy tune. It's like Linda's bit in Live and Let Die, if I may.

What does it matter to you? Linda doesn't sing that. That was Linda McCartney. wrote that and I really suggested it going, some people don't like that bit. I know, I like it. Do you know what it's called that bit of music? What? Middle-Aid. But I know you will.

Well, there's a comedian huge Davis who has a, does a thing about it, but it's called the entrance of the gladiators. It's like, oh yes, I did know. Gladiators, that's a bit silly and babyish but gladiators. Well, originally it was just da, da, da-da-da-l-l-l-l.

I often like a mid-light better than I like the main melody. Do you? Yeah, I know what you mean. The middle eight of the Congo. It's like they've got a bit experimental. It's like the studio theatre is surrounded on both sides

by the main populist auditorium. But they're allowed to have a little experimental bit. I like the drama. They say who they truly are and what they want to be, but the audience is making them. and go, but their soul is da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da. One of the best middle eight is we can work it out, the Beatles.

Oh, yeah. Life is very short, but there's no time. The squeeze song, Call for Cats, has got a kind of ridiculous middle eight. Just kind of breaks down to sort of like a bit of, just sort of funk with a few piano riffs, and then it just kicks back in. It's sort of like a different song.

I know what? Just like you just get a breather for a second before the good bit comes back in. Okay. Anyway, that's an off about middle-aid. We've already lost. We've lost our reform people again. I think they would have gone out instantly

when I mentioned the Manosphere because they would have thought I was being critical. No, they would have thought they were rot their hands. Thought they're talking my language. They would have turned around to their wife and said, We'll regret this when they're in power. They would have turned around to their wife and said, this is a bit of me, this podcast.

Got any nuts, love. That is a direct quote from what a 1970s man said to my mother once, shouted into her in the kitchen, yeah. Not any nuts, love. Oh, dear, and her a trained actor, it's all wrong. The 70s men, they didn't know. Well, what was rather brilliant was they were discussing Jermaine Greer and feminism, the six men sitting around, the post-literary men.

and then when my mum came in. He was in your house, the guy. Yeah, he was in our house. I thought he just shouted from... No, no, this was a friend of my parents. This is how friend spoke to us. He was out of our house. No, he was in our house.

He was an invited guest. He had a burglar in his house, trapped in his house. It had got a not allergy. And he was trying to defend his wife and children. He was a very prominent academic, I think. Oh, that would explain. know the type, Frank. Yeah.

Yeah. And they were discussing Germain Greer. My mom said, well, I think, you went, got any nuts, love. Oh, no. Of course, it was Jermaine Greer. I think she shouts that as quite a lot of people. And then she decides whether to speak to them or not.

Exactly. Yeah, whether they qualify. Yeah, I can't remember when she was like, you know, the alternative. I don't want to take your. territory, but the alternative, Johnny's Mr. Alternative. Was she on Big Brother once?

Germainwright. Was she Frank? I think she was. Did she leave early? Well, that sounds about right. I think she did, yeah. Yeah, I interviewed her. I met her. How did you find her? I liked her. She was, you couldn't quite decide whether she would go

with a gag or whether she would go a guinea. But she was all right. She was that sort of spiking Australian. Yes. type thing. I used to have it. It was an article she'd written sort of, it was like a review of Stratford upon Avon as a place,

and she was very damning about it. And for some reason I cut it out and put it on my wall. I don't know why. No, no. There's my interaction with Jermaine Greer. That's an odd thing to put, how many articles are on your wall? So hang on,

you had the world map on your duvet and then the Stratford and Aven negative reviews, TripAdvisor. A Stratford upon Avin, Diss. On the wall. talking about the lamp post on the high street and she wrote one of which stood awry. Strange rat battle. Strap on Aven.

Oh, you like the terminology more? I just thought it was an odd thing. She just seems to have a... She just seems to be annoyed with the place. I don't know. I'll see if I can find it. Well, it can't be that hard to find it on your wall. This is my wall as a child.

Oh, well, that'd be hard to find. Is it still around your wall as a child? Well, it is, but I don't... Well, I'm not there anymore. That's in Sheffield. I know someone who was taught by Jermaine Greer at Warrant University. And he said she came in late one day. You know the kind of thing, John.

Oh, stop. Shut up, Frank. You make me sick. She came in late one day and said, I'm sorry. She apologized. Oh, Frank. She came in, she said, I'm sorry I'm like, I couldn't get Jimmy Hendrix out of bed this morning.

She didn't. Yeah. Okay, that's amazing. And it wasn't a joke. It was like. I'm obsessed with her. I mean, no. It's a brilliant thing.

That's really good. That's really good. Okay, that's fair enough. I shall have to give her everything. Imagine waking up to that. I'd much rather wake up to. What if you had a copter? And he went, oh no, somebody's nick in my car.

Frank, would you like to hear from some of our listeners? Oh, always. So Ruth Jordan, she's one of our regulars, Johnny. She was with us in the radio era. As they say on Love Island, she's very loyal. Okay, nice. She's very loyal. She's highly prized value in people.

Yeah, they love, they're big on loyalty, Frank. Did you know that in Love Island? Yeah, they talk about loyalty as some sort of a currency for them. Really? Yeah, it's interesting the way loyalty, the thing we find about me is I'm really loyal. I don't know if they quite understand what it means, but there we go. No, that's not. That's made me feel better about Love, I've never seen Love Island.

I watched like five minutes of it. And somebody I thought was being a bit beastly to this young woman. But if loyalty is at a premium, that makes me think it's a nicer and viral. It's absent from so many TV shows these days, as we know. It really is. This quality, yes. Oh, yeah. were you thinking of the cheaters?

Well, yeah, just in general, or the apprentice or it's about outwitting the professionals. Yeah, but what about Tess Daly leaving strictly when Claudia went? That was loyal. That's loyal. That's loyal. That's a major error, but it was loyal. Oh, thank.

There's loyalty so often it is. Ruth Jordan has got in touch. Hyal, just in case you missed out. Hyle, did you say? No, high comma, all. Oh, sorry. I honestly thought she said Hile. It sounded a bit like that, we're saying.

Blondie. She's changed. Blondie was the dogs. I think we've got the reform guys, Matt. Sorry, I was just going off this. Frank Skinner's gone a bit woke karate, but now Hiles come in. Do you think they think,

I think they've gone woke karate, Frank, don't they? I have gone a bit woke-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-. Do you know what I used to love him? He's really gone off the boil. with his wokeness. A bloke said that to me there, didn't you? You're doing a show, aren't you?

And I said, yeah. He said, what's it like? I said, you know, funny. You said, you're not doing any of that woke shit. Oh, yeah.

Oh, what do you say? I'm doing a bit. Oh, I hate that work shit. He's just carried on on his wife. Oh. Yeah. What can you do, Frank? Anyway, back to,

with Jordan and Heil. Highall. Yeah. Just in case you missed out on the Queen Elizabeth the second 10th sovereign coin Yeah I did

I'm afraid Which is, you just want to Phil Donnie? Well I've missed the introductory offer Yeah You can get a 10th

sovereign gold coin With Queen Elizabeth The second Is it one of those coins That's worth five pounds? You see them out Twice on TV It's 199 pounds

I think The introductory Ongo A 199 pound coin So Ruth So can you spend No

It's not what That's what it costs It's called I think you'll find It's called A commemorative coin. And the idea is that one day it might be worth something. But that was the introductory office, so don't build your hopes up.

Ruth Jordan continues, I just wanted to let you know that I saw Michael Burke on TV today. Michael Burke, always the former newsreader. This is his retirement gig, I suppose. I saw Michael Burke today on TV advertising a prince and princess of Wales, 10th sovereign coin. What's interesting about this is apparently, it's not the wedding or anything like that. It's to celebrate 25 years since the day they met. Nice.

Which, you know. But if you're in the commemorative coin business, I mean, you must be doing a lot of date juggling. I mean, I think this kind was the Queen's Hondra's birthday. Yeah. But this is very random. The day they met, who can be sure? I'm lovely, though. It's a nice thing.

Well, they all know. It was a very bitter divorce and it ended in tragedy. Oh, it's not that, Prince. It's not Charles and Diana. Well, it's 25 years. Maybe you're right, Frank. I've read that wrong. I thought it was Charles and Diana.

Now, they wouldn't bring out a coin of Charles and Diana. I genuinely thought that's right. Charles on one side of Diana on the other thing. You make your decisions. You flick it in the air. And it's good luck or bad luck. I wondered why. You're absolutely right.

I've gone red with embarrassment. No, I think God bless her, but I think her coinage days are behind it. Also, I was thinking it was really sick to do, let's celebrate the day they met. Do you mean sick as in brilliant? No. You're absolutely right. It's the Prince and Princess of Wales.

That is nice. So that's William and Kay. It's still a bit... Which would have been some random party at St Andrews University, wouldn't it? Well, it might have been a history of art seminar. Introductive. They had a break, didn't they?

They did. And do you know what she did, Frank? She showed him what he was missing. Oh, did. I ate it when they did that. Yeah, she was pictured out on town and hot pants. I know, but don't assume that you're missing it. Well, that's true.

Introductory offer of 99 pounds is on until six-cent-cent-law. That's exactly the same as the Queen's Tenth Sopper. So you've got a bit of time. How many more of these treats does Burke have up his sleeve? So are they both on it? They're both William and Kate are both on. They're on the same side? What's that?

Well, that's a big question. Not on the Megan debate. Actually, they probably are on the same. Do you think they are now? Yeah, I think they probably are. Oh, well, that's not, I absolutely thought I got the wrong... You got the wrong Princess Way. I know what you mean.

There are some people who take that title and then, you know, that... The Duke of Edinburgh now is Edward, isn't it? But there's only one Duke of Edinburgh for us. Yeah. Oh, you're so right. you? Oh, yeah. See, you're doing it now. When I hear people say the queen turned up, I think,

shit. What? That must have been terrified. And then, of course, I forget there is a queen that's alive. You know, the alive queen. If you call it the alive queen, it's like when it says, it's like when you look at the BBC app and it says, Arsenal 7 Man City 3, and you think, what?

Fucking. And then it's like, the women's. super, it's like that. Anyway, Frank. Not that I'm disappointed by that. I just want to say I'm confused. If you want to get investing,

now is the time. I'm staying away. Because, you know, I think this is the equivalent of my parents' friends used to buy us limited edition stamps, Royal Mail stamp collections

were younger. You would get Beatrix Potter stamps and, you know, there's lots of literary-themed things. And I thought, I mean, you know, I've been knocking around a while. You'd think they'd be worth for something, nothing.

But it seems to always just be the ones that have sort of printed with errors on them that become really expensive. They're worth less than they paid for them back then. Yeah. Yeah. What I'd like is an argument going on somewhere in California.

Yeah, you're not even on a fucking coin. You fucking loser. Where's your coin? They could bring a coin to celebrate in the day he turned his back on his duties. as a royal. A coin but with no one on it, just a blank. Maybe on the back they could have Edward.

It's the two forms of Mrs Simpson and then Megan they could have to celebrate running, walking away, I didn't say running, I'm sorry, walking away from the monarchy. You could have the Prince Andrew coin with both dates on because Prince Andrew has ended. That run has ended. It's a long western run.

Let's now finish. So you could have a Prince Andrew coin and he's not even be involved. That's a good point. He's not going to sue anyone at the moment. Who is Edward, by the way? Who is Edward? Isn't he the Duke of Edinburgh? But who is, who is, who is he?

That's a philosophical question. He's the brother of Charles and Andrew. I didn't know about this guy. What do you mean? You didn't have it as a Prince Edward. Prince Edward? Yes, don't you know about him? No.

You've never heard of Prince Edward. No. How could you not hear of him? I heard of him. What I like? What I like? What would Edward sturt and say if you had someone say, I've never heard of this guy.

Prince Edward? Have you heard of Sophie Wessex? Yeah. Of course he hasn't. He's not heard of Prince Edward. No, he might have phoned. You know, he likes the girls, Johnny. I've never seen that man before in my life.

What? Prince Edward. He's quite famous. He was the TV producer. Was he? Is the Queen's younger son? Is he the voice on Big Brother? No.

He was more of a show... He's the most showbiz royal, wasn't he? He was the vice on Little Brother. He wouldn't be a big brother's little brother. That's what he was. He was. He should brought out his own show with that on. Yeah.

But yeah, he was... And he's now the Duke of Edinburgh. He's the Duke of Edinburgh. He's the Duke of Edinburgh. And Charles is obviously final boss. a final boss, as we know. Johnny White, really, really. It's never heard of Prince Head.

They should make a coin to commemorate me learning about Prince Edward. Yeah, they should. And on the other time, he should have Lindsay Lower, smog shop, which just rocks off. I love that you didn't know that. It's extraordinary. There could be an entire format built around you. Yeah.

There should be. I don't know about this guy. This episode is brought to you by FedEx. These days, the power move isn't having a big metallic credit card to drop on the check at a corporate launch. The real power move is leveling up your business with FedEx intelligence and accessing one of the biggest data networks powered by one of the biggest delivery networks. Level up your business with FedEx, the new power move. 97-3s payroll payout, make up to $500 an hour. Sign up, listen for your name and call.

Call us back when you hear it. Hey, roll payout. Approved by Alpine Credits. Own your own home and eat alone. Elpine Credits can help. Visit alpinecredits.credits.cad. Can I tell you both about something that's happened in my life recently? Absolutely.

I've had a builder in doing some essential maintenance repairs on my roof. He asked me, he's called Michael, he's charming. I have a great relationship with him. He asked me if he could remove some overgrowing iron. Because much as I... But forward. Frank. It's a bad time of the year.

I know. Out with the old. Yeah, on with the bikini. Yeah. Much as I love that sort of crumbling Miss Havisham Gothic mansion. Not that I live in a mansion. But you know what I mean?

I like that look. I like overgrowing. I don't like manicured properties. Which is why I love yours so much, Frank. Because I don't like it when it's too new. Do you know what I mean? And so I can see that it's invasive Ivy, very invasive. It's also toxic to dogs.

Did you know that? The problem with Ivy as well is that snails like it. Do they? And rats like snails. Oh, Frank, that's put them so really. He knows my gardens. My wife was in a, she's got a little room that she, like an office in our house where she does her stuff.

And she always has the window open. like heating on windows closed. And the Ivy comes into her office and she loves that. I love it. Yeah. But one day a rat just appeared on the windows. And they are, so they are attracted by the snails. But what, didn't you have?

You had, wasn't, we're talking about rats a few months back? Yeah, well, Kat thought there was a rat. Oh, yeah, a mouse. He has a lot of running. He sat on her a bread. She was making bread. A rat on the bread. Who can forget that moment?

So anyway, I spoke to Michael. We've agreed it's all got to go. So as I'm talking to him, he says, yeah, I think, you know, he said it is very invasive. He said, so what I'll do? I'll cut all the ivory from the top. And once I got rid of the ivory, then that'll be gone. She's got an elephant as well, John.

And I thought it was the slip of the tongue. Yeah. He does a lot of piano refubs. Then I realised he said it twice And I thought No this is a genuine commitment To the word ivory This isn't a mistake

Yeah But it's not a slip of the tongue He knows he's saying this And I said something I went Frank Skinner I thought I've got to confront him over this Oh dear Is it worthy?

Well yeah because he's so nice I thought he'd be all right And I did it in a playful way I said Michael can I just ask you something Is there a reason you call Ivy ivory Could you have been sort of joking Well, that's what I thought. But we were saying it very seriously.

You know where people call the Guardian, the Grownia? Yeah, instead of picturesque, picture skew or something. Yeah, he could have been doing that. It was too serious the way he was saying it. So I said, can I ask you something? I said, you keep using the word ivory instead of ivy. Is there a reason for that?

He said, oh, it's just something I've always done. Oh, okay. I said, yeah, to be honest, he said, I just prefer it. It's just one of those things. I've always liked saying it that way better. Okay. So I said, okay.

So then it was quite weird, and I quite liked it in a way. Then his brother, Dean, came the next day to sort out my cabling. And Dean was charming. What did he call cabling? Dean was sorting out the... Cobbling. They're twins. They came from the same movie.

Very good. So Dean starts saying, well, now that... Michael has removed all the ivory. I went to hold on a minute. Wasn't your dad called Michael D? Yes, I've just realised that. These are some are weird going on here? Are these guys off...

Frank, I've never thought about that. There's some are very odd going on here. I think they're meant to be in my lives, these builders. That's so weird. Banquo's ghost. Oh, that's really spooked me out in a lovely way. Anyway, I said to Dean, he said, look, you've got to have to get rid of, Michael's got rid of all the ivory.

I said, hang on a second. He said it as well. He said it as well. I said, Dean, I've got to say something here. I'm sorry, I've got to say something. I could have left it, Frank, but I couldn't do that to you. I said, I've got to ask you. I said, Michael calls it ivory as well. I said, is there a reason why you both say ivory? He said, to be honest, it's just how we've always said it. So they knew it was wrong. I said, do you think maybe you have a family member who said it? Oh, is it?

And he went, could be a family trait. I said, traits. Could be a family trait, yeah, could be a family trait. It's a genetic predisposition. He said, but we both say it. I mean, it's all right. If you lived in a Gothic ruin, you could see, but how often does Ivy crop up in normal? Well, now, Frank, I've started calling it ivory because they're working.

What do they call ivory? I mean, maybe they never prefer. Well, do you know what I think is going to happen? And this is how language evolves, Johnny. This is how language changes. What if they met a woman called Ivy, would they call her ivory? What do they call that? What's that best John, the Ivy?

Yeah, they call that the ivory. They just mix it all up. They said, no, but I actually like this. I thought it was very James Joyce, because I feel that they're electing to change language. Do you know what I mean? It didn't feel like, it's not really a malapropism, because irritating pedants like me have pointed this out to him numerous times.

Who they know it? They know it and they say it's a family trait. And I quite like the idea that they're electing to change the language. Why not? If I'm saying the word garlic to Zoe, my girlfriend, I was called it Gralic with a G, with an R after the first G. Oh, really? Just because I quite like saying it like that.

But I wouldn't say it to, I wouldn't unleash it on the wider world. But I suppose it's probably the same thing. I just enjoy saying garlic rather than garlic. So you've got your own ivory then. Yeah, yeah. That's true. I would say garlic. I'm very obsessed by the fact that one is called Michael,

because Franks, that literally only just occurred to me. One is called Michael, one is called Dean, and I've had a kind of a literary issue with them. Yes, this is very strange. The thing is, if I had a signature mispronunciation, which I thought made me sound interesting and a colourful character, who had an individual turn of mind

and wasn't pressured by the herd. Yes. I might pick something I said more often than Ivy. I'd say things like Walden for Wooden. Yes. You know, you could marry that man and never know that that was his signature thing. That's his whimsy badge.

I love it. It's never been, it's never come out. But you can imagine how delighted he was to take on this job, Frank. He's not, stop saying ivory. And it was so great, but it was rather sweet when he said, I've just always said it that way. I think they've spotted your house and said, there's a place with ivory.

There's a place with ivory. Dean says, it's all right, you can say Ivy when it's just me and you. There's a place with, you're right, Dean, there's a place with Ivy. We'll go in. I'll tell you what, let's adopt the name to form the name of her father. So subliminally, she likes us. Then we can work there. We can drop ivory like this now tomorrow.

Frank, it did make me like them more, I think. I just realised why they've got my dad's name. It's all very spooky. But I do, yeah, I think, to be honest with you, I'm getting on board with ivory. He said it again the other day. And even when I laugh, now I'll say, he'll say, well, because we've got rid of the ivory and I'll go,

like we've got a share joke, but he won't laugh at that. He doesn't laugh. He's saying it's not funny, nothing to see here. No, I can see that. Ebony and I thee. That is... I congratulated myself recently in that a woman I was talking to, a woman who I know, well, used the phrase tender.

I was on tender hooks. Tender hooks. Instead of tenter. That's an easily made mistake. And you know what? didn't say anything. And I thought, well done you, because normally I would drag someone over what I like to call the calls. Actually, being dragged over the calls would be a great phrase for being like cool.

Or be made to be cool. Cooled across the calls. Yes. Well, yes, she didn't want to wear that jacket, but I made her wear it. I dragged over the calls. I love that. Brilliant. And was this person someone that you would think would normally?

would be quite precise with language, the person who said tender hooks. I can't think of anything else she says, which has caused me to bulk. No. But then I watched Celebrity, a thing from Celebrity Traitors. And Celia Imrey said, I'm on Tender Hooks. And there's obviously a lot of it about. Yeah. Yeah.

I suppose I think I'll say tender because it makes me feel more modern and compassionate. I don't know if they do. Whereas Tenta, there will be, I don't really know. Is it from Tent? I'm not sure. I'm not sure where it comes from. It's nice, though. I don't want to, I like Tenta.

Yeah, Tenta hooks. Tenta sounds like the name of Emily's pet elephant. Come Tent, come Tenta. I found out, Frank, it originates from 14th century textile manufacturing Tentah hooks, where wet cloth was stretched. Oh, it had to be stretched. It was stretched on frames called tenters using sharp hooks. Wow. Hush my mouth.

So, yeah, commonly used as... And now you can tell them that when they say tender by mistake. And you can start banging on about 14th century textile manufacturing and you'll be the most popular man in the room. Yeah, maybe I'll stage an exhibition. I've got the Senate House library. See if anybody turns off. We've got some...

Another thing I wanted to share with you from the outside world. It's not a hypodermic needle. No, Frank. Our readers aren't like that. I just got a thing about sharing them. Good day, Mr Skinner, MBE, Miss Dean, and Associated Artist.

That's you. Longtime reader Dave here, 229. Reef Frank's regret of not continuing with his stair jump there. Oh, yes. Disturge on there. What I did is, like, it wasn't actually a dare. I was on my own. I was a quite lonely child.

Lots of friends in school, not outside. I could explain that, forget it. And so to kill the time one day, I decided I would jump from, I think I started on the second step. And I did that a few days. And then I went up to the third, jump from there. Then I got to the fourth. And, you know, life got in the way, Johnny.

And I was just thinking if I'd carried on now, how exciting to get to the top of an escalator? And then just think, I don't need this, just jump to the bottom. That'd be brilliant. Dave continues. Frank's regret of not continuing with his stair jump there. Reading chapter one of Julie Walter's autobiography. She describes growing up in smet. Julie Walters, can I say, that she and.

got our freedom of Sandwell Awards on the same day. What's that? Sanwell is, it comprises West Promitch and Albury and, um, I didn't know, is she from Birmingham, Frank? I think you're about to say growing up in Smethwick. Well, yeah, growing up in Smethwick. I didn't even know she was from Birmingham. That's terrible of me.

She describes growing up in Smethwick. Not actually Birmingham. Is it not? Is that Black Country? Yeah. Okay. I don't know the difference, but we'll let it pass. What is the difference, Frank, Black Country in Birmingham?

Well, Black Country is to the west of Birmingham. And it was the very centre of the heavy industrial. They had stuff like chains and nails. Is that where you're from? But, yeah, Birmingham was a bit, it was more light engineering. Jewelry was one of their specialities. Well, it sounds a bit more me, but no offence. We used to see Birmingham as the big city, you know, bright lights thing.

I think I would have, do you think Birmingham would have been a bit more me? Well, there's a guy at West Bram, I used to call me at me at the football. And if I sort of talk down the rivalry between Albion and Wolves, which is called the Black Country Derby and all that. He'd say, well, it's how you going to mean so much to you? Because you're one of them old two-woners, are you? And 021 was the dialing code for Birmingham. And if you lived close enough to Birmingham,

you got that dialing code, and then you were a non-person. Oh, was that the equivalent of a yuppie or something? Yeah, to the deep black country man, that was unacceptable. Oh, you're an 02-1. One of them, oh, 2-1ers. I'm going to start using that as a random insult and see if anyone picks up on it.

Oh, my God, you're such an O2-1. I think that would do well, Frank? That would be someone who's pretending a sort of earthly down to, you know, who's actually a bit city. And they're pretending to be a bit alternative. Be like Johnny and he's clowning. Anyway, Julie Waters describes growing up in Smedic doing the same, although she did two, then three, then four.

Oh, because she was doing the same. Before managing to beat Frank's record and jump five. Was this a common practice in the West Midlands? And is it too late for Frank to beat Julie Walter's record? Well, I think I did beat it, but I was in fearful flight from a sexual predator. Frank, oh my God. I really didn't see that coming in.

It's really taken, the things are very dark. direction. I know. Well, I'm just trying to show that I did beat her record. But obviously, I can't go into the Olympics and expect them to pay the flight for a sexual predator. So, yeah. It's really dark. I know, it is dark.

It's my story, all right? But isn't that extraordinary that both you and Julie Walters? Could we have been doing it at the same time? She's a little bit, quite a bit older than you. I would say she. I don't know why she was doing it. She could have been in her 30s. Yeah, she's in her mid-70s now.

She's about 76. Oh, she's not that much older than me. Well, she is. And she would have been, yeah, I presume she was a young child. But anyway, isn't that interesting, Frank? Both of you. That is weird. I love the way.

That's the first person I've heard of who did that. And they're in Smedic, which is literally where I, Oldbury Smed it, where I was right on that border. That's so sweet I loved how you amused yourselves Yeah This is not saying a great It's not an advert

Is it for things to do In the black Things to do Yeah Did you play jump step? Yeah What did you do I mean my school

My kid goes And I say Oh yeah We went to Maldives And I did Well I jumped off the step I mean While you were doing that

My parents were taking me To Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane. I know, well, we're all different. Anyway, thanks for coming. Thanks for having, how are you guys. Lovely. By the way, a brand new series of Frank Skinner's poetry podcast starts on Wednesday,

the 15th of April. What about that? Now it's also available on BBC Sounds as well. And this week, it's about the sheer deep joy I get from wallowing in a poetry anthology, just a big fat and just sitting for hours and turning the pages, discovering new stuff. Love it.

It's the Frank Skinner podcast. A new winter change is blowing. It's the Frank Skinner podcast. I'm not totally sure how it's going. Thanks for listening to the podcast. Make sure to like and follow

so you never miss an episode. And if you want to get in touch, you can email the podcast via Frank Off the Radio at Avalonuk.com.