Everyone I speak to is reminding me that we’ve had 50+ days of continuous rain in Britain. What a way to find out it’s not normal for it to rain everyday in Britain. Like when someone famous dies and you’d bet money they were already dead anyway. I’m looking at you Cher’s Mum.
Having said that, I am bored to the tits of grey days, muddy boots and the rise of fascism. I’m very ready for spring and I think it’s sneaking in. My creased and chapped face has had some sun on it in the last fortnight and my rescue chickens are pumping out so many eggs we’ve run out of people to give them to. It’s rare to come to our house and not have a box of eggs forced into your hands but we’re running out of visitors. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some Jehovah’s Witnesses so I can free up some work surface space.
I love Spring and it’s cold sunny days and flowery outbursts. It’s a good reminder “This too shall pass” and the “this” is Welsh Winters. It’s a good time to be thinking about changes and fresh starts because, despite my protestations, I am writing new jokes and I am approaching the feeling of missing doing stand up. I’ve got some WIP shows at the Glasgow Comedy Festival later this month and I’m now actually looking forward to them. If you want to come and see if I was right to look forward to them; Saturday is sold out but there’s still tickets left for Friday the 20th of March if you fancy it. Hilariously I just checked the website and there’s a bit where you can list any content an audience might need to know about and give them a heads up. I only have “swearing” in mine because when I submitted this I didn’t - and still don’t - have even a vague idea about what the show will be but I do know it will have swearing in it.
If this works and I’ve pressed the right buttons you’ll be getting this from my new Substack. I’ve soft launched with a nice wee article about Welsh words but who knows, I might get hammered and end up publishing a list of predators in comedy for the clicks.
At the moment everything on my Substack is free but I am going to build a paid bit, I’m just getting my ducks in a row. If you’ve followed me or what I do for any length of time you’ll know I don’t usually paywall stuff but I wanted to lay out what I’m doing and why there will be a paid subscription element. Firstly, if anyone wanted a paid subscription but their circumstances mean they can’t pay, all good, we’re setting it up so you can just email and we’ll give you a free one.
In the paid bit I’m going to be sinking a lot more time and resources into, including longer video content which at the moment looks like it will need a specific producer/editor. As my industry is in free fall paid subscriptions would help cover that cost cos it’s not my vibe to ask folk to work for free, it also would hopefully mean that it secures the future of what I’m doing at the frequency I want to do it because sadly I’m at a point that comedy can’t do that anymore. I’ve been chilled by the amount of chats I’ve had with other (female) comedians about quitting a retraining in something else. Award winning, critically acclaimed, tv named comics looking at starting over because the industry as it is has eroded their choices. Anyway, that’s another article for another day, perhaps? A big reason for having a paid subscription bit is a friend saying to me “It’s ok to expect to be paid for the work that you do”. A reminder I need at least monthly. I’m sure other people with jobs in the arts, deemed non essential and “fun” struggle with how to value themselves or their work, throw in a complicated relationship with money that defines most my earliest memories and you’ve got an absolute headfuck. The fact I’ve written all this when “I’ve got a paid subscription starting, how cool is that” would have done sort of tells you everything. Well, everything but the fact the paid subscription will have far more about my personal life and home on it by nature of what it covers and there’s a not small part of me that wants to hide that a little from weirdos and enemies.
Here is a little list of things I like at the moment.
Here’s a little corner I have to talk about things I like or am excited about.
Normally this corner is me recommending things from people I don’t know, and has nothing to do with me, but full disclosure I sort of have skin in the game with all these recommendations.
To Read - The Coastal Almanac.
I’ve preordered two copies of this because I want to keep one and give another as a gift. Also, as the author is my pal, Jess Lea Wilson, I know how preorders are really helpful to authors so on to the pre order link we all must march.
I’ve never seen Jess be involved with anything that isn’t thoughtful, fair and brimming with good taste. She’s worked so hard on this book, her third, and I can’t wait to read it cover to cover. I have some shelves in my library (a room with a bookcase in) just for books my friends have written and it gives me so much joy to see what a talented bunch of people I have in my life. I can’t wait to hold Jess’s Coastal Almanac in my hands and to finally understand what an almanac actually is.
To Eat -
This is exciting, I have a discount code for you! Maggie who runs Maggie’s African twist is a real Superwoman. Not only does she have a super talented son, who’s an amazing bilingual rapper - check out Sage Todz - she’s also a really cool chef who makes banging sauces and seasoning, always champions global majority producers and makers and has written some really great cookbooks.
She knows my partner is obsessed with her hot sauce so she sent me a discount code for it and said I can share it with you guys. How does she know he’s obsessed? Well, last year I bought him a litre bottle of it from her after seeing her at a produce fair and he finished the bottle in three days. Wild behaviour from a man I have to share a toilet with. I asked him for this what his top 3 bits are and it’s: The original chilli sauce, Naija This and That spice and Maggie’s Hot and Sweet African sauce.
Anyway, I’ve just bought a load from her, it’s also great as gifts and everything is packaged in glass and tin so recyclable. The code is KMAT10 if you’d like to treat yourself and support a fantastic Welsh business. For the record I’m not getting paid for this, just sharing the love (but I have already used the code. Twice.).
To Listen to - The Anglesey Vampire Killer, BBC Sounds.
Now, weirdly it’s rare that I listen to true crime, it’s a bit of a busman’s holiday for me and I think there’a lot of very unhelpful, bigoted stuff out there with a real lack of morals. However, Meic, who made the incredible Crossbow killer for the BBC, is not that kind of cowboy. He’s local, diligent and really sensitive. I pop up in this series but I’m amazed they use our chat where I basically grilled him on whether or not the podcast was the right thing to even do. Meic’s work is always authentically North Walian and done with loads of integrity. I’ve really enjoyed - not the right word - the first two eps and I hope you do too.
I bloody love a podcast recommendation! Thank you 😊