Warming Up

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As expected today was a bit of a wash out in terms of work and after caring for my daughter in the morning I sat like a placid zombie for most of the afternoon, before giving up and reading more about Jimmy Savile (which can at least be considered as a kind of research for my chat with Louis Theroux on Monday).

I was interested to be sent this blog about Richard Herrings throughout history this morning. Estelle Hargreaves has searched the archives of local newspapers for references to Richard Herrings from the past and come up with an interesting ragbag of rogues, criminals and clock makers. Two of my Richard Herring forbears ended up dead in a well and I am not going to make that one follow the rule of three so I will be avoiding wells from now on and only getting my water from taps.

I have some sympathy with the 1881 Richard Herring who is described as “very angry with the Post Office”. If you needed any evidence that time travel will become possible at some point then look no further. Like Doc Brown it seems I will head to the 19th Century to search for happiness and harangue Queen Victoria.

It’s surprising that so many people have shared my name in history and that so many of them were criminals - but all of them caught for their crimes, unlike the mysterious Pick n Mix bandit who so far no one has ever identified. But there seems to be a possibility of a Gormanesque show called “Were you Richard Herring?” or a TV spin-off called, “Who Do You Think You Are? Richard Herring?” I mean you could even do it with people who weren’t called Richard Herring, but it obviously wouldn’t be as good.

Some of these people might be ancestors of mine or related to me somehow, but it doesn’t matter that most of them aren’t. There’s something weirdly connecting about sharing a name. It’s so personal to you, but then to find that other people also have it is somewhat discombobulating. It feels like me that was watering down the milk or falling into two wells or looking for a clock making apprentice. Obviously it was me going on about the Post Office. Or it will be. In the future past.

I also got distracted by Estelle’s interesting article about Josephine Joseph. Some good detective work there too.

Good news for monthly subscribers - as well as the backstage interview with Bob Mortimer we’ve put up the pilot episode of the panel show we discuss (that Bob has forgotten about), “Bob Says Who?” with it’s one-off crossover with Reeves and Mortimer and Lee and Herring. It’s interesting and has some good moments, though Bob feels uncomfortable reading our lines (and sounds in places like he’s reading them for the first time) and I am not surprised that it didn’t get a series (though have a feeling that might have been Bob’s choice rather than the BBC’s). Favourite question was “Who was the most unpleasant person to present Top of the Pops?” which would be even harder to answer now, but still pretty prescient. You can listen to this (and loads of other cool extras) by paying a pound or more a month here. You also get a monthly newsletter with more exclusive content (this month I sent out the first chapter of “I’ve Wasted My Life” an afterlife novel that I never got round to finishing), entry into the monthly draw and a badge. And your money goes towards making more internet comedy. If you think this blog (and all the other podcasts and stuff) are worth 3p a day, then why not bung us £12 a year. And thanks to all those of you who are doing so already. I hope we can start using your money for something excellent in 2016.  It’s slowly building up into a usable budget!

And don’t forget only two more chances to see Lord of the Dance Settee on tour (plus a final swan song back at the Leicester Square Theatre in September). I am in Ullverston on 20th and Hebden Bridge on the 30th. And then it’s onwards to Happy Now? You can already buy tickets for Chorley and York. I suspect there will still be tickets left next week if you can’t buy them straight away.The full list of tour dates will be announced soon. It's a slightly shorter tour next year, playing mainly the places that I do well at. And remember I won't be doing the show at the Edinburgh Fringe first, so you will have to catch it on tour.