My Favourite Podcasts

I love a good podcast. Some people work better with music in the background but I work better with chatter going on. If the radio is boring me, on goes on a podcast. My phone is stuffed to bursting point with them, to the point where I've had to delete scores of them, but these are the ones that have remained untouched.

I love 'em.


Answer Me This

Um, it kinda does what it says on the tin. Helen and Olly (and Martin the Sound Man) answer questions that listeners send in. There's a certain amount of etymological discussion and myth busting but there's even more utterly random stuff. Just as a quick example, the last episode featured the British Museum, crayon eating, the optimal marshmallow to hot chocolate ratio, Dragon's Den and the painting of the Kennedy kids in Neighbours, plus the usual amount of awesome jingles. It's always funny, often rather rude and sometimes a bit bonkers. As I discussed with Sophie last week, it clocks in around the 30 minute mark so it's the ideal soundtrack for one of my rowing machine or swimming sessions. Can't get bored with exercise when you've got something to keep you amused! Although it's maybe better suited to rowing than swimming as snorking with laughter in the pool tends to make you look like a bit of a weirdo...

(If you're wondering how I listen to stuff when swimming, it's courtesy of the best gadget in the world, my waterproof MP3 player. Honestly, everyone should have one)


Kermode & Mayo's Film Review (aka Wittertainment)

Oh I love these guys. They've been doing film reviews and discussion on BBC radio for over ten years now and this is basically their Friday afternoon Radio 5 show, with some podcast extras (hello Jason Isaacs!) chucked in for good measure. It's a fairly simple format - discussion of the UK box office top 10, interviews about upcoming films and then reviews of this week's releases - but it works perfectly. I think you do have to like a film critic to listen to them this much and I love Mark Kermode so I'm quite happy, but he may irritate you. Or you may be like my friend Lee who finds Simon Mayo so annoying he's had to stop listening. But hopefully you'll enjoy the bickering and the truly epic film ranting.


Empire

This belongs to the film magazine of the same name. You may well ask why I have two very similarly themed podcasts in my top 5. There's only so much you can say about films, isn't there? Well, no. They're very different beasts. Empire is a bit geekier and has a slightly more sci-fi bent than Wittertainment, plus they do talk about tv shows a bit as well. The benefit of it being a podcast rather than a podcast of a live radio show is that they can get away with being swearier and indulge in random discussions about general film related stuff. Thoroughly good fun!


The snappily titled DBSA podcast

This features Sarah from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and Jane from Dear Author talking about books. Specifically romance books. If you don't like them then this probably isn't the podcast for you, but if you like books and you're partial to a bit of romance, I'd encourage you to give it a try. These two seriously know their stuff and the episodes that feature reader questions and Sarah & Janes's suggestions and recommendations are excellent. So are the rest of them though! Lots of interviews with readers, authors, editors and publishing types as well as much general book chat.


A Good Read

If you've read any of my Blogging Good Read posts then this podcast will seem very familiar to you. The host invites two different guests every week and they each pick, read and discuss a favourite book. YAY BOOKS! Literally the only bad thing about this is that it's not on all the time. As with a few Radio 4 podcasts, they share it with another show on a similar topic and although it's also about books and therefore still good, Open Book is just not as interesting as A Good Read! My favourite episode is from a couple of months ago where These Old Shadesgot chosen. I literally squealed with glee when I heard two big manly sports journalists/comedians discussing how much they loved Georgette Heyer.


So those are my top 5. I listen to flipping loads of others but I'm always on the hunt for something new so if you have any recommendations, let me know!

Bed and Blinkbox

I have a funny attitude to technology. I either scorn it or entirely fail understand the appeal of it and it takes me a long, long time to eventually join in with the masses and become hooked on whatever it is. Mobile phones back in the day, iPhones more recently, then Kindles, Twitter and now iPads. I'm suprised I ever managed to get my head around blogging.  I'm still about the only person I know who's never been on Facebook.

Anyway, I was jamtastic enough to get an iPad for Christmas and I love it. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone that has one but it's just so useful! I wasn't quite expecting it to be so good. It's like my phone but bigger and therefore a million times better for entertainmenty type things.


I love it so much I bought it this pretty polka dot case.

I've turned into quite the gamer since I got it. Newsflash: games are better on an iPad than an iPhone. I'm now mildly obsessed with Hay Day and Mirrors of Albion.

But it's also super useful as a portable mini tv and I've finally discovered the joys of being able to watch tv online. I've got the BBC iplayer app, the ITV one and the 4OD one. I even have Sky Go on there courtesy of my excellent brother and his generosity when it comes to his Sky package. It's much easier to curl up in bed with my iPad than it is to do battle with the shit tv in my room. Honestly, it drives me mad. It never bloody works. I'm going to end up throwing it out of the window one day, rock star style.  It's much, much easier to tap on an app and have the programme of my choice up on the screen within seconds.



Blinkbox very kindly gave me some free codes to try out and review their service and I rubbed my hands together with glee. It runs via tvs and computers as well but I think we have established that I like using my iPad, haven't we? Once I'd decided whether I'd rather try out tv or film (tv won, just) I set about the tricky task of deciding which episodes and shows I wanted.

The winners were:

• Private Plane from Blackadder Goes Forth because Lord Flashheart drawling "well this isn't a reasonable use of my time and resources but I'm gonna do it anyway" is one of my favourite lines of all time.
• Noël from series 2 of The West Wing because I adore Josh, the cello music is stunning and it all makes me cry.
• Winter Is Coming, the first episode of series 1 of Game of Thrones. Mostly because I really love the books and have been avoiding watching it in case it ruins them for me, but I can't hold out any longer.

They're happily living on my iPad and I can watch them whenever I want, even with no wifi. Hurrah! I also succumbed to the lure of their cracking Movie Monday offer and bought Jackpot for 99p. I missed seeing it at the cinema and although that 99p hasn't bought me the film, it's got me a 30 day rental and that's a bargain as far as I'm concerned.

There was nothing else to do but make myself a cup of tea and a fishfinger sandwich, then curl up under the duvet for a warm, snuggly evening of bliss and excellent tv.

December Frolics

This month is always hectic. Big events at work, lots of shopping to be done, parties, ridiculous amounts of baking, meeting up with friends... It's rare that I have any free time during the majority of December. I'm permanently knackered and skint and my body and bank balance don't thank me for it!

But I finished work on 14th December and all of my Christmas stuff is DONE. I can now breathe a huge sigh of relief and enjoy myself until 7th January when I go back to work.  It all starts today as I have a quick jaunt down to London planned to watch the showjumping at Olympia.  Exciting!

December hasn't been all rushing around madly though.  I did manage to squeeze in some fun, relaxing stuff as well.

I was invited along to a preview of the new Lush spa last week.  Now I'm not the sort of person who tends to indulge much in makeup and beauty related stuff, but I am a big fan of Lush so I had a whale of a time there!  The shop is huge compared to the last one and the shelves are positively groaning with delicious goodies.  You may be shocked to hear that I headed straight for the massive pile of Snow Fairy scented stuff (top right in the above pic).  Yes, I know it's pink and I am notorious for loathing the colour, but I adore the smell.  It's in my top 5 smells list (FYI, the others are freshly cut grass, blown out matches, bread and JPG for men) so I just shut my eyes and wallow in deliciousness.  

The spa is gorgeous too - sort of Alice in Wonderland meets English country cottage.  Just a brief wander around it to look at some of the treatments left me feeling utterly blissed out so I can definitely see myself venturing back there in the New Year for an early 2013 treat.  Which treatment to pick though?  Decisions, decisions...

I also ventured into the unknown for the third time this year and booked some tickets to an evening of secret cinema with Reel Unknown.  The previous two films were Con Air (complete with Vegas style set-up in the Kazimier) and The Goonies (which was in the Williamson Tunnels and was fricking awesome).  We knew this wouldn't be Christmas related, but the only clue we had was to meet in the graveyard of Liverpool Cathedral one cold December evening.

Can you guess what the film was?

Young Frankenstein of course!  Oh it was brilliant - I've never seen it before and I laughed my (odd) socks off.  Could they have picked a more perfect place than the Medical Institute to show it in?  I don't think so!

Then last weekend it was time for tea:

Afternoon tea at The London Carriage Works to be precise.  We had a mini Liverpool tweet-up and jolly nice it was too!  I always feel terribly ladylike when finger sandwiches and mini cake are involved.  Weirdly, whenever I go anywhere with bloggers and other internet folk (who you'd expect to be more forgiving of my habit of taking photos of my clothes), I never remember to take any outfit photos.  So there are no pics of me looking terribly ladylike, but I wore my River Island London print frock and StylistClick sparkly shoes.  It would have been a pair of my finest Irregular Choice heels but Liverpool is a city built on a whopping big hill and I can't hike in heels!

I'll save them for Christmas Day when I'll be doing nothing more tiring than tottering from house to car and back again.

 

What I Did In November

It's been a busy old month, and December is set to be even more hectic.  Fun though!  Here's what I've been up to recently:


- Tried Dining in the Dark

I was invited along to The Living Room in Liverpool earlier in the month for an evening with a difference. We were sampling mini versions of the food and drink from their new menu and playing guess the ingredient, but with our eyes closed. Well, with blindfolds on, to be precise. I learned that my taste buds are Not Very Good - I think I got 14.5/40 or something shocking like that, although weirdly I did guess all the cheeses correctly and I don't even eat cheese.  Anyway, the main discovery to come out of the evening was not my hitherto-unknown cheese-guessing powers, but the fact that The Living Room is really lovely.  I'd always associated the Liverpool one with footballers and gorgeous girls on nights out rather than delicious food, and I was super-impressed with how good everything on the menu was, as well as how nice and chilled out a venue it was.  Shall be heading back there soon!

- Watched American Idiot The Musical

Which was fab!  I had a slight fear that it would be clunky but it all fitted together rather well and the cast were great.  That album is very tied up with memories for me but I blocked that out and enjoyed it anyway.

- Got excited about Christmas at work
 

We've busted out the Christmas cd collection already.  In our defence, pretty much everyone is finishing on 14th Dec cos we've got so much leave left to take, so we're allowed to start the festivities in November.  That's our excuse and we're sticking to it.  Plus we have a house and a flipping big tree to decorate!  I was teetering on a ledge about 6 inches wide (if I tipped forwards I went into the tree, if I tipped backwards I crashed into a historic painting) and dancing to Jingle Bell Rock whilst making the tree looks fancy.  It looks ace, even if I do say so myself.

- Visited the cinema quite a bit

Seriously, how much good stuff was on this month?  I didn't even get round to seeing Argo, The Master or Rust and Bone.  Sad face.  The four films I did see were all wildly different but very good.  And who knew Bradley Cooper could actually act?

- Went to see Ben Folds Five

What a pair of fitfaces we are.

I'm not very musical. I don't spend a lot on music, or going to gigs, but I am a total Ben Folds fangirl. I went to see him on the (solo) Lonely Avenue tour a couple of years ago and as soon as the announcement went out that the band were reforming and touring in the UK, I pounced on the tickets.  Ffion and I had a bloody marvellous time last night in Manchesterville.

- Got quite a lot of shopping done.

Nothing in there but moths and a Tesco clubcard now.

I know, I know, it's only November. But I have to be super organised with presents for the people from work - I don't see most of them after 9th December - and then various friends are moving mid-month or generally just away, so I have to get started early. And I have two Secret Santa parcels to put together, plus a load of giveaway packages to organise! December is officially the month where I have no spare time. I'm totally calling on Parcelforce to send all my packages safely around the country. They pick them up from you! I can't face Post Office queues at the best of times and the thought of standing in line in December makes me shudder to the core.

- Tried opera. Cosi fan tutte to be precise.

Hark at me!  I think my pal Lee is just trying to convert me into a complete culture vulture.  He's already got me watching ballet (although not modern dance which tends to bore me to sleep) and he persuaded me to try a £5 ticket to the opera.  I rather surprised myself by absolutely loving it.  More please!

- Sorted out a great big pre-Christmas giveaway

Watch this space tomorrow!

Culture Vulture

After the craziness that was most of October, it's been a relief this month to take some time to do fun things instead and, if it doesn't sound too wanky and pretentious, to recharge my cultural batteries a bit. Ok, that does sound quite wanky, doesn't it? I just think writing the novel sapped a lot of my creativity and it's been nice to sit back and soak up other people's creative efforts a bit. So here's a mini round-up of things I've done/seen recently:

Cinema

The Ides of March


Is this where I finally get on the Gosling bandwagon? Possibly, although I didn't go and see it for him, nor for George Clooney. I went because I am a political nerd and The West Wing is probably my favourite drama series of all time. When I say that this was like a decent episode of that programme, that's a compliment. I like political intrigue and shenanigans and the fact that no-one is actually a nice person. Shades of grey, not black and white. It was good. Not outstanding, but good.


Weekend


Word of warning: don't go and see this with your dad. Even if he is quite cool and liberal and hippyish like mine, it's still a tad uncomfortable to sit next to him during gay sex scenes. That aside, I really liked this film. I'm very pleased it got a decent cinematic release as the subject matter isn't usually considered mainstream enough to get shown outside LGBT festivals (don't even get me started on how criminally underrated A Love To Hide is). It was just very honest and real. A little bittersweet, but isn't that how life is?


Immortals


In 3D. Uck. I hate 3D. Not only does it not work properly with my eyes (and having to wear two pairs of glasses is never a good look), I massively begrudge having to pay inflated ticket prices, especially when it's a film that's been retrofitted and wasn't even meant to be in 3D in the first place. Grrr. But such is my devotion to Henry Cavill. I kinda dread the new Superman film coming out because he'll be all mainstream and I have had a crush on him for YEARS don't you know? Um yeah, the film... Entertaining enough I suppose but not that good and also quite a lot gorier than I was expecting! He's beautiful though so I don't really care.


Theatre

Star Quality by Noel Coward


Fun, fun, fun. I do enjoy a bit of mid 20th century drama - the dialogue is generally very snappy and witty and that, my friends, is just my cup of tea. It's a play about a play and I always think that's good fun if done well because there's so much potential for bitchiness and melodrama.


Lovesong by Abi Morgan, performed by Frantic Assembly



People, go and look at their list of dates for the rest of the tour. If they're performing near you, go and see them. Please. I've been going to see them since 2006 when my friend Lee took me to see pool (no water) and haven't missed a show since, even if (as in this case) it means going to Leeds to watch them. Not that I have any object to Leeds you understand, it just adds to the cost of the day when you have to buy train tickets as well.

Anyway, the play! Superb. Frantic Assembly put on the most stunning pieces of physical theatre I've ever seen. This play perhaps doesn't have quite so much of it but that's due to the age of two of the four actors and when it is done, it's brilliant and perfectly in keeping. The play is about the beginning and end of a relationship and all I'm going to say is that there wasn't a dry eye in the house when it was finished.


Comedy

Jack Whitehall

Oh Jack, how I love thee. I went to see him in London last year when I think he was working on the beginnings of this show so I'd seen bits of it before but I still bloody loved it all. I thought Lee and I were safe sitting in the front row with Jack not being the sort of comedian who pokes fun at his audience...yeah, he asked us a question, didn't he? I had to very bashfully squeak "we're not a couple, we're best friends".


Milton Jones


I'll say it straight off: I like comedy but I don't like one-liner merchants, I prefer story tellers. So why did I go and see him? Um, cos someone else bought me a ticket? He was great though. Yes, it's a constant stream of one liners but it's surreal and really cleverly done wordplay rather than just reeling off joke after joke after joke. His warm-up act was dire though and would have completely died on his arse had he not involved some audience members.


Mitch Benn


This was a bit of a speculative one to be honest. I've heard him on The Now Show (Radio 4 FTW!) and I love this song so I thought it was worth snapping up a ticket. I honestly didn't expect it to be as good as it was. He absolutely rocked through two full 45 minute sets of fricking hilarious songs. I thoroughly recommend going to see him.

So that was the cultural month that was. Do you have any recommendations for me?

A Dash of Red

It all went a bit wrong on the picture front today. I'm in fat ghost mode in all of these - I swear the flash kills any slight colour I might have in my face. I know I'm pale but I'm really not that pale!

Sashay!! (Actually, I was walking perfectly normally towards the camera to find out why the self timer wasn't working. I really didn't know I did such weird things with my arms. The flash must have startled them.)

Dress and bag - H&M
Pumps and scarf - Dorothy Perkins

I also wore my newest creation - some chunky knit wristwarmers. I knitted them myself!! I don't care if no-one else is impressed by this. I'm bloody pleased with myself. It must be the world's easiest pattern because I'm really cackhanded with a pair of needles but I did it, wahoo!!

I went to see Love And Other Drugs tonight which I really enjoyed. I'd have liked it even more if I hadn't been surrounded by the most atrocious group of stupid teenagers I've ever seen. Not only did they eat vile smelling food and talk and text all the way through it, they kept asking really loud and deeply ignorant questions about all the characters, squealed and shrieked through all the sex scenes and then topped it off by actually laughing at the people in the film who had Parkinsons disease. Words fail me.

I'm not going back to the Odeon if that's the sort of audience I'll have to be part of. It's back to FACT for me - it's substantially cheaper and the sort of people who go there are a) grown up and b) intelligent. Plus almost of all of them pass the Code of Conduct. I'm there tomorrow to see The King's Speech followed by a satellite Q&A with Colin Firth. Hopefully it will make up for the unpleasantness of today's cinema trip.

This Week

I have been:

Organising:

My tights. Due to my fairly large sock collection, there is no room in the drawer for any tights. I decided to make my little weekend case earn its keep and shoved them all in there. I seem to go more for colours than patterns...

Watching:

Restrepo. Which I thought was very good. I love war related films and books but as good as some of the fictional ones are, they're never going to convey the same sense of realism as a documentary. This was really powerful stuff, very honest and very moving, especially when it came to the reactions of the soldiers to the things they've seen and done.

Buying:

Nothing! So poor.

Painting:

My nails in Barry M Emerald Green - isn't it pretty?

Making:

Some tweaks to the blog in terms of sidebars, changing my profile pic etc. Still need to get to work on the header though!

Baking:

Chocolate cake in a cup. I just fancied a little something this evening and remembered the post I'd seen about it on A Thrifty Mrs. Yum!

Discovering:

That the makers of artificial sweeteners are BAD PEOPLE. For some unknown reason they almost all put milk in their little round sweetener tablet things. Muggins here didn't know (the powder version is fine, I didn't think they'd be different!) and has been accidentally poisoning herself whilst enjoying coffee.

Deciding:

How big Oscar is. Well you did ask! I would say he's on the large end of the cat scale but he's quite slim, so not one of those massive cats who have bellies that practically drag on the floor.

(shouting at me as I arrived home from work)

Welcoming:

My new followers - hello! I'm thinking that now might be the time for a little "about me" post. I have no idea where to start though. The Girl has just done a very interesting Q&A couple of posts, so I'm going to shamelessly pinch her idea and ask you to ask me a question (or two, should you so wish) each. Is there anything that you're desperate for me to talk about? Anything you really want to know? Ask away...