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Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening.
I had to pick my moment for the evening dog walk, to ensure I wasn’t killed by a bolt from the blue (actually from the electric grey). It was still drizzling but the danger of being eradicated by electricity from the sky was minimal. No doubt if I am ever killed by the sky some will speculate that it’s God’s retribution for Christ on a Bike (though if that happens, I was very supportive of Jesus, so it will actually prove that God is not a Christian). Why it takes God 20+ years to formulate revenge is a bit beyond me, but I guess there’s a long waiting list of blasphemers and God can’t be in two places at once.
What a way to go though.
The little stream in our village was about three times wider than usual and gushing brown water and the little path by which I usually exit my secret second stone clearing field had become flooded and was impassable as water spewed out of the small usually stagnant pond beside it.
Wolfie wasn’t put off by the strange conditions and still jumped into the river with the hope of catching a duck. She has luckily never caught a duck. Though she ate a mouse the other day and has managed to catch a rabbit and a pheasant before now. We do feed her. But she loves to hunt. Usually wildlife can get away from this huge lumbering force (a duck is much better in a swirling river than Wolfie and also has the secret power of flight) so it’s a surprise when she succeeds.
I got home alive, though a little damp from the rain and with a dog wet from the cascading stream. Too many people in front of me in the lightning queue. But God will find a way to kill me eventually, without giving me the firework style excitement of his bolt-shooting fingers.
Otherwise I spent the day reading a book for a last minute Book Club that I am recording on Friday - I have been embargoed and can’t tell you who I’ll be talking to, but it’s none of your riff-raff. I am managing to get quite a few episodes done in advance and have been recording a couple of episodes a week whilst RHLSTP isn’t happening. It so happens that all the guests have been men so far, but will attempt to balance that out for the rest of the series. There’s been some really great chats though (and there will be more Ball podcasts coming soon too).
And I got on with trying to book the new run of RHLSTP - I now have three of the four guests for the sold out New Forest Arts Festival sorted out, and thankfully one guest for each of the first three shows at the Leicester Square Theatre. Badgers and Plussers can find out who in their secret areas. The rest of you will have to wait a couple of days.
It’s absolutely the hardest part of doing this podcast - both in trying to get in touch with the people I want, getting them to reply AND trying to keep the line-ups balanced, whilst also giving us the chance of selling some tickets. I am hoping we can return to the days where we’d always be half full regardless of guest fame. Though it’s good to see that on the road the podcast sells on its name, not on the guests. Watch out London. I might take this away from you permanently! We’re planning more gigs on the road in the autumn/spring.
Very pleased with the confirmed guests though.
Keep an eye out here. Don’t forget you can see me talking to John Robins in Wells at the end of the month too - still a few tickets.
