First Look Gnomes
Two Dad's doing Silly Things.
Everyone wants to learn something new, but only some people want to sit down and read a bunch of nonsense - so why not listen to some instead? Chuck in some random facts and a couple of Dad jokes, and you'll be full of (potentially useless) knowledge in no time.
Whether all of it is true is part of the gnomery.
Join Cornishman "Walliams" in the shed at the bottom of his garden in Cornwall and Wulfrunian (a man from Wolverhampton apparently) "Mr Hodgkiss" from Belfast as they take a "first look" at the relatively unknown, learn some stuff and chat about life as Parents.
Dive into the First Look Gnome Universe every month and learn about random things you didn't even know you wanted to learn about! Fill some of your day with something interesting, engaging, and funny.
Welcome to the bottom of the garden.......'But what about the Gnomes?' I hear you cry!
Good things come to gnomes who wait. And ones that rate, review and subscribe :)
First Look Gnomes
Surprises, Sips, and Sweet Goodbyes
Ever wondered if your favourite radio hosts look the way you imagine? Join us for a whimsical and heartfelt episode where we ponder this very question as we announce our exciting new availability on YouTube!
Alongside humorous chats about Henry VIII's fishing tackle we share listener feedback and muse over whether some surprises are best left to the imagination. Our nostalgic journey continues as we navigate the adventure of building our show's website, reflecting on memories and the unexpected twists of podcasting.
Craving the perfect beer and food pairing? We’ve got you covered with a lively discussion on everything from pairing lagers with KFC to enjoying stouts with bacon sandwiches. You’ll even hear our humorous debate on the merits of various combinations for those with dietary restrictions. Whether it's a Five Guys burger with a pale ale or a domino’s pizza with an amber ale, we share our personal favorites and some amusing experiences, ensuring there's a delicious option for everyone.
But it's not all fun and games; we also share the emotional journey of saying goodbye to our beloved pet, Russell. Through the stages of grief and the tough decisions that come with being a pet parent, we offer our heartfelt insights. Lightening the mood, we provide tips for dads, praise home improvement shows, and revel in the charm of local events like duck races for charity. With playful jokes and a special guest appearance by "The Gno-It-all Gnome," this episode promises a blend of laughter, nostalgia, and heartfelt moments that you won’t want to miss!
Join us at the bottom of the garden for a First Look at;
- A gift box of Thirsty Firsts! ,
- Saying goodbye to the family pet (Russell the Pug) ,
- Home Improvement TV Shows ,
- The Local Charity Duck Race! ,
- The Duck and the Lemonade Stand ,
And the usual 'Tips for Dads' and 'Pond of Feedback' !
Click here via your Mobile Device to send us a message!
Please Subscribe , leave a 5* Review, Follow, Like and Share this Podcast to show your support for more episodes.
Help grow the show !
I'm.
Speaker 2:Henry VIII if.
Speaker 1:I am, I'm Henry VIII if I am. I got married to the widow next door. She's been married seven times before Everyone's got a memory she wouldn't have a widow or a son. No son, I'm Henry VIII if I am. I'm Henry VIII if I am. Is that an actual song? That's an actual song. I didn't. I remembered it Well, I forgot I didn't. I remembered it well, I forgot about it, but then remembered it. My grandparents used to sing it a long time ago, when I was a wee, a wee little kid.
Speaker 1:I'm Henry VIII, they are to be honest, I did a quick google of songs with a number 8 in it and then I clicked play on a Henry VIII and oh yeah, I remember this. Wow, well, it was a beautiful and then I clicked play on Henry VIII. Oh yeah, I remember this. Wow, well, it was a beautiful rendition. It's basically about a chap that married a woman next door called I don't know what she's called, but she's a widow and she only ever married people called Henry.
Speaker 2:Well, there you go. Everyone's got their preference Some like blondes, some like brunettes, some like people called Henry. Well, there you go. Everyone's got their preference Some like blondes, some like brunettes, some like people called Henry.
Speaker 1:Henry was, yeah, not a Willie or a Sam is one of the lines.
Speaker 2:Not a Willie or a Sam. Yeah, I mean you can't move in Northern Ireland for Willies.
Speaker 1:To be honest, Lots of Willies and Billies and Williams Willies and Billies, willies and Billies and Williams, willies and billies, willies and billies and Williams. Season two episode eight.
Speaker 2:Hi everybody, grab your tackle, grab your tackle, I'm grabbing it hard, william, grabbing it hard, grab it hard. Is yours still a worm or a fly?
Speaker 1:It's a I don't know what tackle. What type of tackle are there? Can I have a maggot? A maggot, a maggot fly worm? What did I used to use as a kid? I can't remember. Probably a maggot, probably a maggot, grab your maggots grab your maggots off to the fish pond of feedback. So, like I said, we had a feedback of please do a euro special, so I don't have to listen to it.
Speaker 2:Um, future tiredness is bollocks, and that was from the wifey wife to the point, to the point I like it.
Speaker 1:Georgie other exciting news, mr hodgkiss oh yes other, exciting yourself.
Speaker 2:So you're uh, you're the gnome in charge of building the website it's coming on very well I actually didn't look in this week because it's been almost a year since I registered the domains. They're up for renewal. I was like it's never been a year since. I Money well spent Money well spent. So I've rented a few domains and none of them are currently being used properly. They asked me if I wanted email added and I was like we need a simple splash page or something I will get around to it.
Speaker 1:Or a redirecting event.
Speaker 2:I actually do want to build a website. I think it'd be a good place to go for some people to find the episodes and learn more about what we do and actually make proper suggestions and give proper feedback, because nobody uses email these days. So I'd like to. I'd like to do that, but we don't really promote the show either, do we?
Speaker 1:it's more for it's more for our benefit rather than anybody else's we don't, but we're out there public to listen to everyone, from any country or continent, apart from Africa.
Speaker 2:I was going to say no Africa.
Speaker 1:yet no, listeners no website no. Africa, but exciting news, exciting news. Obviously, you can listen to us in many places, but we are now on YouTube.
Speaker 2:We're on YouTube. Youtube podcast Don't panic.
Speaker 1:I'm not recording. There's not videos of you if of your top off or anything like that. Good job um we're.
Speaker 2:We're actually on um youtube podcasts and that's because of google, I'm guessing, counseling, and we've had about three views um we've had three views on youtube already, but, um, yeah, so, yeah, so it's not.
Speaker 1:It's not the platform of choice for listeners. Um, it's a platform to watch, but, um, if you want to listen to us on youtube, you can by searching for first lip names.
Speaker 2:That's exciting do you think if we did a video podcast like recording?
Speaker 1:ourselves special ones we could record, do you?
Speaker 2:think people have ever been interested in watching us record this? No, probably not. Do you think that would do? You think people have ever be interested in watching us record this? No, probably not. Do you think that would do? You think I would also like ruin the mystery. I remember seeing, I think if we had a special guest.
Speaker 1:I think um oh yeah yes, then then yes, um, but I think it might be a bit awkward with the um to know or known. To be honest, I don't.
Speaker 2:I think it's a bit shy well, he can wear a mask or something. It's fine. I remember, um, I remember I used to, back in the day, I used to listen to radio one a lot. Well, I'm talking like when chris malls was still on it and I'd never seen chris malls and when I did see him for the first time it was such a, it was weird, because obviously you paint a picture of what people like yeah, a lot of radio presenters well they're saying face radio as well isn't there.
Speaker 2:But yeah, and then you see they're like oh okay, you're not what I expected. I think the same had the same kind of effect with um simon, um scott, not simon, because yeah, scott mills, it was the same thing as oh, you don't look like I expected, but yeah, so maybe, maybe we just stay behind the microphone and never come in front of the camera.
Speaker 1:We've got faces for podcasts we do have faces for podcasts. No, we don't. Other exciting news you can contact us on firstletnames at outlookcom, or you can DM us on Instagram at firstletnames, or if you click in the bottom of the description of the podcast at Outlookcom, or you can DM us on Instagram at First Look Notes, or if you click in the bottom of the description of the podcast, you can now send us a little text message. So if you want to send us a little text message, you can send us a little text message via the description on the episode. That's good to know. So to send whatever message you'd like, please, no profanity and rudeness, no profanity or rud. So to send whatever message you'd like please, no profanity and rudeness, no profanity or rudeness, please. New listeners. None in Africa, still listening, none in Africa. But we have new listeners in Fort Worth, texas.
Speaker 2:Fort Worth, texas. Woo, everything's bigger in Texas.
Speaker 1:Mould, flintshire, wales, oh hello, hello Wales. Victorville, california. Victorville, california, nice and uh, clunellie, clunellie. Is that Clunellie, clunellie, clunellie, clunellie. More people inellie, is that Clunellie, clunellie, clunellie?
Speaker 2:Clunellie More people in Wales.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, yeah, so Wales and America.
Speaker 2:Growing the Welsh audience. Welcome, welcome, you are very welcome. Hmm, sweet, I was going to say, is there a thirsty thirst?
Speaker 1:but you're already halfway through a beer in Wales I halfway through. Well, I'm already on the beers, but shall we get stuck into my first look, shall we?
Speaker 2:yeah, let's do it, wals cool.
Speaker 1:So my first look is a box of beers, a box of. Oh, have you signed up to one of these things? No, no, I've not. So on my doorstep yesterday, so it was my work anniversary. So there's my 12, 12 year, which is silk, apparently. So there's my 12 year, which is silk, apparently no way 12 years at my current employment and I've got a box of beers for my anniversary very good various firsty firsts.
Speaker 1:I've already cracked on this one, which is a bitter and twisted golden ale, which is a little mouse of a little trident, that's lovely artwork.
Speaker 1:It was lovely artwork, actually crafted in scotland. Zesty, aromatic and citrus. That's a little thirsty first there. So you've got a selection of a selection of beers. Um, and I got a little beer mat as well, because why not? And on the beer mat. So I've got a little beer mat on the beer mat. It gives me some beer and food pairings, ooh. So I thought I might test you, mr Hodgkiss, to see if you can get a five out of five. Yeah, so next time we meet up we should do this. We should go through the, the different uh levels of uh beer and um, complement it with the appropriate food.
Speaker 2:What that would be that sounds like a wonderful idea. However, I'm guessing none of these foods are really kidney stone safe, are they?
Speaker 1:well, that's it. You can let us know. So this is an educational podcast, so we'll go through perfect beer pairings and you can supplement it with is it kidney stone safe, Lovely.
Speaker 2:I hope you're going to put some music over overlay, some lovely background music over this about quizzes and beer, Of course.
Speaker 1:Always, always. So we're starting our evening with a blonde beer or a lager. Oh, and a lager, or and a lager. What would you say goes with a blonde beer and or lager? Wasabi peas wasabi peas incorrect so we would start off with a bucket of KFC. So a blonde beer or a lager goes well with chicken salads, salmon, seafood or hot dogs.
Speaker 2:Now, that was not what I was expecting at all. Like I assumed they meant additional pub snacks. Like my options are basically wasabi peas, dried or soggy peanuts either, or ash tray fodder, pork scratchings, big D-nuts.
Speaker 1:No, we're going full on like proper meals here full on proper meals.
Speaker 2:Okay, alright, I've changed it, so we start our evening.
Speaker 1:We've got our lager and we've got our bucket of KFC okay, so chicken and what was it?
Speaker 2:chicken salads and stuff no, no.
Speaker 1:so your chicken? There's not. There's not a full meal, it's a chicken, or salad, or salmon, or seafood or hot dogs. Okay, you can combine them all if you want to, I suppose, why not?
Speaker 2:Seafood hot dog yeah, why not?
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right. So that's what I recommend to have with your blonde beer or lager. All right. But for the kidney stone safe people out there, yes, I would be going for the seafood.
Speaker 2:I love the seafood. Seafood's pretty, it's good. Gallstone's safe, generally not like kippers and mackerels, not really oily fish, but like salmon, whitefish, trout, all good. Good for your kidney stones as well, as long as you don't add loads of salt to it. Prawns are a no-no for kidney stones too much salt, too much salt, are they Pretty? Much salt. There you go. I mean, if you soak them in water first to try and draw the salt out, maybe not so bad and not every so often.
Speaker 1:But yeah, well, there you go, right, miss Hodgkins, get to the bar for the second round. Let's get some IPAs in. Oh, ipas, and what are we?
Speaker 2:So, if I'm going with an IPA. It's got to be a burger.
Speaker 1:No, incorrect. So with an IPA, we're getting in a vindaloo. So we're getting in a vindaloo. No, so strong spicy food no, it's a classic with a curry or a mild blue cheese.
Speaker 2:Right? No, I've got a problem with that. I have got a problem with that. You do not drink.
Speaker 1:So IPAA?
Speaker 2:I would have said lager, lager 100% if you're going to have a like an IPA. I'm drinking IPA tonight. I'm drinking. I am drinking Maggie's Leap, formidable IPA. Listen to other episodes. I talk about Maggie's Leap and Whitewater Brewing Company a lot.
Speaker 1:It is a fantastic have you tried a mild blue cheese a bit.
Speaker 2:No, because this is such a heavy-tasting beer anyway. There is so much rich flavour in an IPA you do not want to mix a vindaloo with it. A vindaloo goes well with an ice-cold something like a rock shore like a lighter lager or a kingfish.
Speaker 1:I've not tried that. I think I've not tried it.
Speaker 2:So no, I'm calling BS on that one, sorry well, you can, we can have a little break.
Speaker 1:You just had a KFC bucket, so that's yeah and it's all subjective, I guess it's all subjective, it is right. So I'm going to get a pale ale. So I've got some pale ales. What are we eating with our pale ales? Oh, pale ale.
Speaker 2:Fish and chips. I'd have gone with fish and chips with pale ale.
Speaker 1:No, the Five Guys burger, so the Five Guys burger.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know what? Yeah, I was going to.
Speaker 1:Meat pie, british cheese, smoky barbecue the best paired with a burger.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I could go with that. Yeah, you know what? That's fine. Yes, I'm not going to argue with that one too much. You're happy with that, right? I wouldn't say I'm happy with it, but you know. I mean, have you seen the price of Five Guys burgers, for a start? Well, that's true I mean do you love this beer?
Speaker 1:McDonald's Quarter Pounder anyway, get to the bar massage.
Speaker 2:Get us a amber or a brown ale please okay, by this stage I'm getting starting to get pissed anyway. So again amber or brown, ale.
Speaker 1:So that see, that's quite heavy as well so I've just phoned in our order you phoned in our order yeah, it's going to be delivered shortly okay, so we've got a couple of brown amber ales.
Speaker 2:What are we eating with that Ding dong See, ding dong See in that?
Speaker 1:kind of situation. Just open the door. Oh lovely, thank you. Two Domino's pizzas have just arrived.
Speaker 2:Domino's pizzas.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't have gone for Domino's pizzas, yeah pizza Pizza, I'd have gone for chicken, ke pizza, steak, pork, seafood again, or spicy food for an amber or a brown ale nah chicken kebab and chips, garlic mayo, extra vinegar oh, dear right, you're a bit piddled, but I'll get one for us, one for the road, one for the road. It's my round isn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah sure, why not I?
Speaker 1:think it's my round. I't it. Yeah, sure, why not? I think it's my round yeah, lovely. Thank you, mate. Can you get us a stout and or a porter? We do like a porter a stout and a porter?
Speaker 2:we do. We are both guinness drinkers. We are. Have you tried the new brew, dog guinness take um maybe terrible beer. What's good I can't even remember, even though I said it's great marketing. It's like. I think I have oh, click, mate it's like it's not, yeah, anyway. I won't go into it um, what are we drinking with that?
Speaker 2:we are drinking we are drinking with a after a see, now I'd say pizza. Yeah, I want pizza with my Guinness. Well, no, we just had that. Okay, so actually with Guinness, because Guinness is quite heavy actually. So maybe just a pack of pork scratchings. Forget a meal.
Speaker 1:We've just eaten quite a bit. Let's get a bar of Cadbury's chocolate. So it goes chocolate, chocolate, salty foods, bacon, a bacon sandwich, red meat or charred fish alright, no, okay, fair enough, so I reckon yeah.
Speaker 2:Guinness with chocolate or bacon or kidney stone sufferers.
Speaker 2:No, no yeah, none of that is safe food. To be honest, apart from the seafood, there's not much safe there. The curry, potentially, depending on how oily it is, charred fish charred fish yeah, charredfish would be good. Yeah, yeah, there you go. We said we're going to open a restaurant called Stoned or Stoned, where it's all just kidney and gallstones safe food. That's a niche market. It is a niche market. But you know, again, northern Ireland, there's a lot of people stuff with gallstones and kidney stones in this country. Yeah, be nice. Healthy food made healthy way, let's do it, let's do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I need to find someone to fund this thing. And what do us Brits love better to pair with our beers? Oh pie. As well as a packet of pork scratchings oh we love nuts.
Speaker 2:We love crisps, nuts, crisps, scratchings, crunch yeah, wasabi peas. What else do we like? Chips?
Speaker 1:The British love a British pub quiz. Oh, we do. Yes, we love a pub quiz with a beer, so also my little box of beers, of beers. I got a little pub quiz. I'm not going to go through all the questions, but I thought I'd uh, select eight because it's episode eight of season two. Um, and test your, test your knowledge. Obviously listeners join in as well.
Speaker 2:Um, I will leave a gap before I answer, not because I'm thick and don't know the answer clearly, just to give you all time to answer. Yeah, of course.
Speaker 1:Of course, prize. What's your game for Eight questions?
Speaker 2:What score do you get when you play at home? Eight it depends on the rounds. Wels, I'll go halfway. I reckon if I get four out of eight I'll be quite happy.
Speaker 1:Okay, same for more than four out of eight. Question number one. Question number one Located in Leicester Square, Britain's biggest candy store is dedicated to which brand of sweets?
Speaker 2:I know this one M&M's Correct, correct.
Speaker 1:Question number two.
Speaker 2:Question number two.
Speaker 1:Who is the only non-European football manager to win the Premier League?
Speaker 2:The only non-European football manager, the only non-European football manager To win the Premier League. That is a tricky one Really tricky Non-European football manager.
Speaker 1:Non-european football manager.
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to push you. Yeah, I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass. I'm guessing it's either an American or an Australian, don't know the answer is Manuel Pellegrini.
Speaker 1:I'm guessing Sanchez.
Speaker 2:I thought he was Italian. Let's see what I know.
Speaker 1:One out of two. Question number three. Question number three Adding what to a croque monsieur sandwich makes it a croque madame.
Speaker 2:Mayonnaise. Incorrect, it's a fried egg. Of course, it is One out of three. Question number four One in question number four Sinophobia.
Speaker 1:C-Y-N-O-phobia Is a fear of what Domestic pet.
Speaker 2:Um, there aren't that many domestic pets. Really are there. So I'm going to go for. I'm going to go for the humble Bunny rabbit Incorrect it's dog.
Speaker 1:No, so I'm going to go for the humble bunny rabbit. Incorrect, it's a dog. No One out of four. Question number five. Number five there and Back Again is the alternative title for which children's fantasy novel.
Speaker 2:Can you repeat the question there?
Speaker 1:and Back Again is the alternative title for which children's fantasy novel.
Speaker 2:I'm going to guess Chronicles of Narnia or Land of the Witches and the Wardrobe. Incorrect the Hobbit oh.
Speaker 1:One out of five. That's a children's book. Really, you need to get the next three right to get your four.
Speaker 2:Well, I've got a feeling, Walliams, I'm going to get a fat one out of eight here, but it's taking the part that counts.
Speaker 1:It does. It does Exactly. Listeners, if you get more than this, please let us know. Yes, please write and let us know what you scored. Question number what did I say? Six, number six Stanley Matthews, Kermit, the Frog Red Rum and Barbara Windsor have all switched what on?
Speaker 2:The Christmas lights in London.
Speaker 1:Close the Blackpool Illuminations.
Speaker 2:I've got a question for you, williams. Based on that one though. What's green and smells like Miss Piggy?
Speaker 1:I don't know, craig, no, miss.
Speaker 2:Finger. Hey, one for the dads, one for the dads, one for the dads.
Speaker 1:Question number seven. Question number seven To try to get some respect back now. Where would you find the Serpent Sea, the Sea of find, the serpent sea, the sea of showers and the lake of hope?
Speaker 2:oh, bloody hell, wally I'm so don't know when I'm gonna. I'm real thick on this, though I um italy the moon oh for goodness sake, of course it is here we go, final question.
Speaker 1:Final question to get two out of eight. The Nags Head Pub features, in which how do you call someone else's? Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay. Two out of eight.
Speaker 2:Two out of eight Halfway to where I wanted to be, you didn't win.
Speaker 1:But there you go. That was my first look. Hope you enjoyed that Very enjoyable William.
Speaker 2:Have you got another one lined up?
Speaker 1:I do.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I have two, so we can either keep the mood quite light or we can go to a place of more reality. Williams.
Speaker 1:We should do a Shakespeare, shall we? Shakespeare was renowned for. What was it called? You have the highs then you go for the tragedy and then you go back up to the high again, and then you finish with tragedy.
Speaker 2:We're going to do some tragedy, I'm afraid, and, williams, this is going to be news to you, uh-oh. So I think on the last episode we talked about the fact that this we were talking about the listeners of this podcast and, williams, you said to me most of our listeners are mums and people in America and our basic description of this podcast is two dads doing silly things. So we often talk about we're dads, we do silly things. We are dads, but we are dads, you know, we are dads who do silly things. So sometimes dads have to do things and make decisions and stuff that are difficult.
Speaker 2:So we had a first look this this week and it is genuinely I'm not even taking the mickey here. It is a bit this is a bit of a sad subject, but I thought, as we are, we're almost a public service, we talk about things that dads do, um, so we had our first look this week at saying goodbye to a pet. Oh, no, yes, we had to say goodbye. We had to say goodbye to our beloved companion Russell. We had to say goodbye to him, but our beautiful little doggie has been suffering with a thing called myopathy for the last several months, which basically means his little legs have not been working as well, so it means he's with his spine in between his discs. He was leaking fluid, so he's been going. He's been getting less and less stable on his legs. Now it's not a fun thing to watch him go through because he wasn't that old, he was only 10, coming 10. He hadn't even reached his 10th birthday, but it's quite a common thing. So our dog, russell, was the loveliest little dog you could ever meet and he was proper, cute, proper character. And, yes, we got the diagnosis of myopathy last September and we knew the writing was on the wall then. Really sad, because we're like, well, what can we do for him? And when a dog gets, when pug myopathy in particular, it can be treated with an operation if it's caught early enough and they're young enough. But our vet said to us because because of his age, because of the cost involved and because of the therapy that's needed afterwards, um, which is like hydrotherapy, they said they wouldn't really want to operate on him. So we're like, okay, so what do we do? And the basic advice was to us was to manage it as best we could.
Speaker 2:But it did get to the point where, unfortunately, he wasn't able really to move. So he was, he was. He struggled to get out of his bed. He couldn't even walk. We tried to take him outside and he couldn't really walk on his back legs. Anyone who's had a pet and anyone who's been through this I'm sure will understand how horrendous it is to see a pet of yours not very well, but at the same time he was like it was very difficult. I want to talk about it because it's quite it's. It's one of those things you've got to do as a dad of the house. You've got to make those kind of big decisions and you're kind of conflicted. So during the grief process I've been going through all the stages like guilt and sadness, obviously, and almost the feeling of betrayal. So I thought it's worth talking about because it's not a nice thing to do, and I was actually glad of the wise old nun's words on resilience, because we're like.
Speaker 1:what is resilience? The middle of the known?
Speaker 2:The middle of the known because we've got, obviously you know it's. I have had pets before and been through this, but this is the first pet that I've been responsible for in the past. My parents have all made the decision, so this is the first one I've had to kind of say look, I think it's time. So it's not fun because in his head he was still a little puppy, like yeah, we talked about this. We're like all dogs are they never grow up.
Speaker 2:They never grow up that's why you get so attached, because, like with a child, you see them grow and develop and then mature. With a dog like Russell, still the same as he was when he was you know, he still wants to play, but he, just his little body like as much as his mind wanted to. His little body couldn't, so we had to make the call. He still wants to play, but he, just his little body like as much as his mind wanted to. So we had to make the call. So um spoke to the vet and you know we went through it all, um, and we decided it was it was the right thing to do. And then we had to make an appointment for him last weekend, um, and uh, yeah, take him, and we wanted to be with him and stuff. So it was one of the worst things.
Speaker 2:Like it's not that we've ever had to do it, but it was one of the worst things we've ever had to do, like it literally broke our hearts and we stayed with him while it all went through and everything. But then obviously, as a dad, then we have to tell that story.
Speaker 2:So then you've got to. So we, we and I thought this would be useful because I was like, well, think about this, like we got through it as I know what, how have we managed to get through it? And I've written down a few things. Like friends, like I've had, you know, there was obviously my work colleagues. Mostly I didn't kind of it's not, it's not something. You kind of go and tell everybody, oh, we've had to do this, we've had to do this, because then it just goes down. But we have been very lucky that, you know, with work and things, people understood what we're doing and have been very helpful and obviously family around and the vets as well. We're very lucky we're having good vets. So we've had lots of support.
Speaker 2:And then with brayden, we knew it was coming so we'd arranged with grandparents from to go and stay over, uh, the night before, um, so that we could kind of do our morning a little bit or kind of, yeah, so that was hell brayden, then you know we wanted to be kind of breathing, yeah, we wanted to let him be upset, rather than him thinking, oh, flip me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know parents upset and telling the child that you know russell know Russell's been here longer than Brayden. Russell came first, so telling him about it was quite difficult, but you know he got upset as you expect, but he was a trooper, so it's just. Yeah, it's one of those things we kind of said to Brain. Look, the only reason we're sad is because it was so lovely to have him for so long be part of this family. Yeah, so you know, and it's incredible how much people love their pets and how much they love their animals, and it's just one of them things you have to do as a family. If you choose to bring a pet into your family some of them, some eventually you might leave only russell before the wife, your wife. Yeah, well, that's it. You know he's proper little dude. Um, and for us it was a. It was a big step getting russell as well. It was a big kind of family moment. Yeah, it was one of those like we want.
Speaker 2:I'd always love pugs, always love pugs. All the best character traits were there for everyone to see as well. He was so lovely. Yeah, I would. I would always love pugs, always love pugs. All the best character traits were there for everyone to see as well. He was so lovely. I would. I would always say to people pugs are incredible, dogs, all dogs are incredible. And, um, you know, just while you have dogs or cats or fish or bunny rabbits or whatever pet you have, love them and look after them. And if you do, unfortunately get to the point where it's time to say goodbye everyone does.
Speaker 2:There are again like the like, the no one. I'm said that speak to friends, speak to family. Don't be afraid to feel emotional, because it's quite a, it's very sad. You're only sad because it meant so much. So, yeah, bit of a sad one this week, gosh.
Speaker 1:Tone officially lowered.
Speaker 2:Well, I thought it was a good subject to talk about.
Speaker 1:It is a proper first look. It's a proper first look.
Speaker 2:I've never gone through this before as a dad. You can probably hear me choking up what I'm talking about. I'm trying very hard not to, but it's so emotional, it's really, really.
Speaker 1:You know you, you were effectively it must be strange doing that, because, um, imagine as, when you were a kid, your parents told you about one of the pets yeah, for the first time I remember suddenly you're now, that's you well it was when your parents make the decision.
Speaker 2:You have no responsibility when you choose to take your dog to be put to sleep which is what we did and you stay with him as you put him to sleep. It's that. It's that kind of like we are. You have so much guilt. You have terrible guilt because you're like well, why are we doing this?
Speaker 1:but you know you're doing the best even though you're doing the best thing, it's still going to be yeah, because you're the one making that decision still is exactly.
Speaker 2:You can't ask the dog how do you feel about this choice? There's no, there's no kind of um, there's no kind of like well, are you ready? It's just, we've decided you're ready. We've decided you can't carry on. We're going to do it, um, and you know. But it's done out of kindness, because I think, like russie would have just carried on like he was, he was unhappy and he was sore, but because he, because he was instinctively behaving the way that dogs do yeah, he like, when we're coming from, say we've been at work and we've come home.
Speaker 2:Even though we couldn't physically do it, he like, when we're coming from, let's say, we've been at work and we've come home, even though we couldn't physically do it, he'd still try his absolute best to drag himself and see. Yeah, there was a couple of times that we noticed that we took him out and like he'd kind of he'd go off his legs and he'd pull himself to hide like under a tree or something.
Speaker 2:We're like that's obviously an instinctive thing, kind of I am vulnerable here, I need to get under thing and we're like he. You know he's. He's stressing out about this. We're gonna help him out. So it's a very sad first love but I'm gonna end it in a positive. Like anyone's got pets, you're only. You're only sad because how amazing they are. Pets is the absolute best. They are awesome thingsets are just the absolute best. They are awesome things to own, awesome blessings to have as part of your family. So here is to all. Here's a first, a big cheers to all of the pets out there. Yeah, to all the pets.
Speaker 1:To Russell, to Russell, oh bless him.
Speaker 2:So what's your next first look, mr walliams?
Speaker 1:bring us back up where on earth do I go from there?
Speaker 2:just to warn you listen. Before the show. I said to walliams I've got one that may or may or may not go down very well, but I thought I wanted to talk about poor russie, so yeah, no, it's a good one.
Speaker 1:Well, actually, no, it's our new segment, so it's uh, it's tips for dads tips for dads tips for dads get your tips out for the dance. And someone wrote in said don't feel like doing anything, then don't just lie on the floor and the kid or kids will have good fun for a good 30 minutes just climbing away over you. That's very true tips for dads.
Speaker 2:Tips for dads tips for dads so, as we're moving house now, we've got fully into the home and this is the first look at all the home improvement shows. Oh, all the home improvement shows where we are now, if we have a free half an hour. It's which home improvement.
Speaker 1:She's watching um.
Speaker 2:Uh like stacy solomon, were they well, so this is the one I want to talk about Stacey Solomon Yay.
Speaker 2:That's exactly the one I want to talk about. So Stacey Solomon for those who know I was never a fan. I was like she's like what, stacey Solomon? She's just like famous for being a fan. I like Stacey. And then we started watching Stacey Solomon's Renovation Rescue and I'm now actually In love with her. She's so nice and she's so Hands on and it's actually as someone who's looking for inspiration. It's actually really good, because a lot of these renovations that we're watching Are a bit like oh, come on, there's a load of crap, but the Stacey Solomon Renovation Rescue is one of the good ones. So I'm going to give you some names of other ones. So if you are looking at homes for inspiration or decoration ideas or different areas, these are the ones that we've watched that I'm actually like I don't actually mind these ones too much. First one Stacey Solomon Renovation Rescue. I've actually been quite impressed. It seems genuine. It's a nice show Love it or list it with Kirsty and Phil Love.
Speaker 2:That show Always enjoyed love it or list it Well worth a watch on Channel 4OD, your Homemade Perfect, which is a BBC One One. You can access that on Prime. I think it is at the minute with I'm trying to think of a name. Oh, flipping heck Irish lady, something scan, scan. Just search for your homemade. Perfect, it's very good. I mean it's a bit long and there's a lot of, but it's it's alright. If you fast forward the rubbish bits just to see the finished product, it's pretty good and then love your garden.
Speaker 2:People do with our podcast like people do with our podcast and love your garden, which is a titch marsh one about gardens, but we've been watching all of the home improvement shows and stacy soderman, you have impressed me. I like your show. I like how hands-on she is and how how much man skill she has.
Speaker 1:It's scary, isn't it from the stories? Um, I mean, georgie watches all the episodes. I've watched dog bits, but it's scary the the stories and it's crazy. There's people out there, these cowboy builders that sort of come in heartbreak half the job and do half the job badly and then just disappear and just leave them with nothing an absolute mess and you're talking like, like it's.
Speaker 2:It's so poor. Like you can understand why people are so skeptical and cynical about hiring people to do work coming in like oh yeah, it's five thousand pounds. Like, is it yeah is it really? It's a bit like there's certain things isn't there. You want to find a good mechanic who you trust, a good builder who you trust, a good dentist who doesn't rip you off. You just want to.
Speaker 1:Get plumbing sorted. Yeah, you need to find.
Speaker 2:Everyone needs plumbing Wiles.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You need to find a good plumbing, you need to find a good plumber. We have found a good plumber here, actually Plumber. We found a good plumber. We found a good electrician, we found a good mechanic, oh good, so we're almost there in our kind of supplier list. But yeah, go and watch renovation programs. Anyone who's moving house or has a wife, you know like. Do you remember the song? The Farmer has a Wife, the farmer wants a wife, the farmer wants a wife, the farmer wants a wife. You know, ideally, the farmer wants a wife, the wife wants a child. And it goes through. No, you don't remember that one?
Speaker 1:Yes, no, I do, but only because you're telling me your trip's home with your dad, or something.
Speaker 2:Oh no, that was a different one Was it.
Speaker 2:Oh, that was okay. So that was. She'll be coming around and on to Monty Pond, they're singing songs, but then other versions of those songs. So, oh, she's got a lovely bottom set of teeth. She's got a lovely bottom set of teeth. Oh, she's got a lovely bottom, got a lovely bottom, got a lovely bottom set of teeth. And then followed by oh, she's got a lovely country house in Kent. Oh, she's got a lovely country house in Kent, and so on and so on and so on.
Speaker 2:The innocence of youth. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm going to get Brian to do, anyway. So, yes, but no, the farmer has a wife we are currently in. The wife wants a kitchen mode. Never mind, the wife wants a child, the wife wants a kitchen. Hence why we're watching all of these things for inspiration, that the good wife can find a kitchen and buy a kitchen and make a kitchen, and she hates every kitchen we've ever had. They have never been right. There's always been a cupboard. That's a waste of space or you know something. That's just. Why have they put that there, or what's that cupboard doing?
Speaker 2:so this next place that's gonna be your forever home, then it's uh that's exactly it, I've said too I said you can have what you want, but we take our time to pick it. We're not just going out on a saturday and that'll do. I'm like, no, I'm not, I'm not doing all this work and then having you moan about it's not what you want. You want a kitchen, you're gonna a kitchen, but when you've got the kitchen, make sure it's a kitchen you want. Then don't moan about it.
Speaker 1:That's what you want the next 30 years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, make sure it's one you like. So, yes, so all of the renovation shows and, yeah, the wife wants a kitchen.
Speaker 1:The wife wants a kitchen. My first life, I suppose, isn't it?
Speaker 2:That's as well as I've been in done, I think.
Speaker 1:So last Bank Holiday, monday, big occasions. Obviously, we've got the Euros coming up, the Olympics coming up, we've got Wimbledon. Oh yes, we've got Wimbledon coming up. But last weekend was the first look at my local town's annual duck race.
Speaker 2:Wham Quack quack.
Speaker 1:So I went to that organised by my dad and his colleagues at the Rotary Club. And yeah, just a local river at Cornwall gold. It's a very, a very cornish days. It's a place where there used to be a tin mine and a tin uh tin mining sort of um area and um, yeah river.
Speaker 1:About a thousand ducks were chucked down a river you could buy a duck or buy a quack pack of ducks and raise lots of money Unbelievable. And our son he's like I mentioned before in the podcast. His first word is duck and he's absolutely fascinated by ducks at the moment. Any particular thing if it looks like a duck, duck. So ducks are a big, a big thing in our, in our world, at the moment.
Speaker 2:Is that why your dad set up?
Speaker 1:this duck race because of logan no, no, no, just coincidence, and um, but uh, actually we went around there the the day before and um, he was. He had the box of ducks out, and so logan was how, as one year olds, do they pick up something? So in this case a duck. They move it from one room to the other room, tunnel back to the room, pick up a duck, tunnel back to their room and there's about 1,000 ducks and he was getting quite frustrated. He's like stressed and busy doing what he was doing. I don't know what is in his head, but he's moving the duck from one room to another room and then taking it back again.
Speaker 1:He's practically a race, Trying to achieve whatever he was doing, but he was probably just trying to work out which duck was the winning duck. But yes, that was a big event in our town, the Red Juve annual duck race. So I've got so event in our town, the Red Truth annual duck race.
Speaker 2:So and I've got so I mean so many questions.
Speaker 1:Oh really, I didn't know. We had so many questions.
Speaker 2:So a thousand ducks.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Not real ducks.
Speaker 1:You have basically buckets of ducks.
Speaker 2:So explain this.
Speaker 1:Each duck has a marker pen number on it.
Speaker 2:Are these real live ducks? No, plastic ducks, plastic ducks. You didn't make that very clear.
Speaker 1:Rubber ducks, rubber ducks. What do you think? Everyone would presume a rubber duck, not a live duck. No, why would you assume you?
Speaker 2:mean an actual mammoth, like a proper duck, a thousand ducks. It was when you said Logan was picking them up and moving. I was like he doesn't mean real ducky, does he? They must be made of something else rubber ducks rubber ducks. Like you put your bathtub, the old rubber ducks, so the other ones, a thousand rubber ducks yeah, a thousand rubber ducks in boxes chucked onto the river and is there like a finishing line to collect all these. So each one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so there was a. Sorry, I'm just going into the thirsty fridge for another beer. It's a Double Dragon ale. I'm fairly nice. So you've got ducks with numbers on them. Okay, you chuck them over a bridge into a river. At the end there's some other um volunteers that have basically put a um, a makeshift barrier to stop the ducks going out to sea. Basically good, um, because otherwise I have problems with chucking out plastic to see. But yeah, yeah, so each one. So it's um a very humbling sort of day where you've got um, I mean, the Rotary Club.
Speaker 2:The average age is probably 70, odd um, basically, whatever got to the end first won the race and I'm assuming there was copious amounts of insurance in place for these 70 year old men wading through the water picking up ducks.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I should have this publicly spoken about.
Speaker 2:The reason was just we need to raise some money for charity. What can we possibly do? We'll do a duck race.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Well, liam, I would say, only in Cornwall. It's probably all over the UK, but for our American listeners, this is the kind of crap that local small towns get up to. We're like what should we do this weekend? You know what sounds like a good idea? We'll do a duck race, it sounds like, and you know what? I bet it was amazing and and.
Speaker 1:Going back to logan, obviously, like I said, he's fascinated by ducks. Yeah, and his first bird was duck, but his little face when he saw all these ducks going down the river. He was like no, no, no, no. His face was amazing.
Speaker 2:That's class. What a great first look. That sounds like a brilliant day.
Speaker 1:I've got a little joke for you. I haven't had no jokes yet today.
Speaker 2:I'm going to try and confirm it's finger one.
Speaker 1:A duck walks into a bar and asks Ouch. A duck walks into a bar and asks Got any bread? The barman says no. The duck says Got any bread? The barman says no. Duck says Got any bread. Barman says no, we haven't any bread. The duck says got any bread? Farmer says no, we haven't got any bread. The duck says got any bread. Farmer says no. Are you deaf? We haven't got any bread and if you ask me again I'll nail your dang beak to the bar, you irritating dang duck. Duck says got any nails. Farmer says no. Duck says got any bread oh dear, have you seen?
Speaker 2:that you must have seen the song about um the little duck. Uh says, um the lemonade stand. The little duck and the lemonade stand no okay, so this is another first look, so look for now. Logan will love this and it'll do your tits in, but look for the little duck and the lemonade stand song um any world is a look for the little duck and the lemonade stand song um any world is away.
Speaker 2:Well, the little duck and the lemonade stand yeah, just go on youtube where you can find our podcast. Search for it. You'll know it when you see. It's terrible animation. But brain love that song, um, and I imagine if logan is with ducks he will also it. I will send it to you after this and we will add it to the description of the podcast.
Speaker 1:Yes, very good. What do you call a duck on drugs?
Speaker 2:I don't know what do you call a duck on drugs? A quackhead, a quackhead, oh dear.
Speaker 1:That was my first look at ducks. Very good Question for the note or name.
Speaker 2:oh, you know what that's funny. He's about. He's about, he's about. He's been. He's very upset. He's been lying over there. He's been listening to this podcast being recorded.
Speaker 1:He's over there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, say hello hello, he's a bit sad because England lost he's been watching the football he's questioning everything he knows right now. Do you want to come over? Do you want to come over and speak? Do you want to come and speak to Dan? Hang on, he's coming. Hang on, let me give him his chair hello.
Speaker 1:Hello now, orno. Just a quick question. One of the listeners wrote in. He said um, I'm curious as to the shade of your hat and whether you wear trousers in the garden oh well, that's a very personal question, but uh, I'm, I'm an open book and I'm happy to share that.
Speaker 2:My hat is a lovely shade of burgundy, burg Burgundy. It's a lovely burgundy hat, burgundy hat. And as to the question about trousers, it really depends on the weather. Some days I like to be free and let it all hang out. On a nice warm day above 17 degrees, I will not wear trousers. I cannot be constrained. And you will find me shaking my tail feather down the end of the garden at the passers by whilst I look on in amazement. Under 16 degrees or 16 degrees below, you will generally find me, yes, wearing trousers, because, no matter how wise you are, cold weather no bottoms does nothing for you a double dragon hair was quite nice, by the way, just to let you know sorry.
Speaker 1:It was quite nice, by the way, just to let you know Sorry. Anyways, thank you, net, or no. Goodbye, that was it Much appreciated.
Speaker 2:Have a lovely evening he's not himself. Today he's not himself.
Speaker 1:That's the end of the podcast, I believe so. Email in to firstsuitnames at outlookcom. Send usa DM message. Send us a little text. Someone send us a little text please on the description listen to our podcast on YouTube. If that's what you listen to, podcasts, I doubt you do, but send us a little voicemail it's always nice to hear from people yeah, yeah, if you're from Africa, let us know.
Speaker 2:I do have a few friends from South Africa. They live here now. Oh, do you?
Speaker 1:Tell them when they go back on holiday. Download my podcast.
Speaker 2:Just to give us an application that we've had someone from Africa listen. Yes, yes, yes, okay, all right, well, I'm going to do a piddle. What I'm going to go and do? A piddle. Oh, I have a lovely piddle. Yes, I'm down with a beer. For those who listened two episodes ago, I'm talking about an actual piddle.
Speaker 1:On that note, thank you everyone. See you next time. Bye, bye, thank you everyone.
Speaker 2:See you next time, bye, bye. Oh she's got a lovely bottom set of teeth. Oh she's got a lovely bottom set of teeth. Oh she's got a lovely bottom. Got a lovely bottom. Got a lovely bottom set of teeth. Oh, she's got a lovely country house in Kent. Oh she's got a lovely country house in Kent.
