From AI to Steam Power: Sora, Cornish Engines, 90s Car Rallies & LEGO Tips for Dads | First Look Gnomes Podcast

Step into the workshop of wonder with First Look Gnomes! In this episode, we explore the power of innovation — from the cutting-edge AI Sora to the roaring nostalgia of Cornish steam engines and 90s car rallies. Join our gnome hosts as we uncover how creativity connects generations — including fun, hands-on LEGO building tips for dads and families.

Discover how technology, engineering, and imagination come together in this feel-good mix of old-school mechanics and futuristic thinking. Perfect for makers, parents, and curious minds who love learning something new every week.

Two dads tumble from 90s nostalgia into a candid look at AI’s new power to fake reality, then anchor back to earth with a steam rally, a heritage train, and practical Lego tips for parents. Trust, patience, and small rituals tie it all together with humour.

• MTV and VH1 memories and how music TV changed
• Sora’s photoreal text-to-video and why it unsettles us
• Deepfakes, verification limits, and trust erosion
• Simple heuristics for spotting AI content and their expiry
• Creativity, ethics, and AI relationships in the real world
• First Bite: 'The Curators" - Pork puffs verdict and nutrition chat
• Steam engine rally, 90s “classic” cars, and feeling old
• Heritage museum trains, gnomes, and hands-on charm
• Lego skyscraper build, organisation, and patience
• Tips for Dads! Parenting tip: praise effort over outcomes

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Chapters

• 0:00 Cold Open, Banter, 90s Nostalgia
• 2:36 MTV, VH1, And Music TV’s Shift
• 7:29 Ringtones, Theme Tunes, And Memory Lapses
• 11:54 Naming OPM And Media Throwbacks
• 12:58 Main First Look: Sora And AI Anxiety
• 22:20 Deepfakes, Trust, And Verification
• 28:05 Spotting AI: Teeth, Text, And Time Limits
• 32:20 Creativity, Ethics, And AI Relationships
• 38:16 Pints And First Bites: Pork Puffs Review
• 41:28 Steam Engines Rally And 90s Cars

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Welcome to FirstLook Gnomes. Your go-to podcast for dads doing silly things. Share tips with dads. And of course, the dad jokes and the bad jokes.

SPEAKER_04: 0:11

But most importantly, we're here to share our first looks.

SPEAKER_02: 0:15

Don't forget to send in your feedback to our fish bond of feedback.

SPEAKER_04: 0:18

And share your thoughts, questions, and own first looks with us at firstluckgnomes at outlook.com.

SPEAKER_02: 0:29

I died before episode eight. At least episode seven, I can skate. Cause right now I know I can't do jack. Without the man up on my back. At least seven four season four, episode seven, we can pod.

SPEAKER_04: 0:49

Way! I thought there was gonna be something else there. I thought you were gonna go into the whole like No verse.

SPEAKER_02: 0:57

Very good. Who sung that song? Uh I can't remember now. Is uh nineties, what is it? 90s, 2000s. Yeah, die before a week.

SPEAKER_04: 1:08

Talks about Jesus doing these balls.

SPEAKER_02: 1:10

I can skate. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 1:12

I can't remember who sung that. Usually I'd be able to get that, but I can't remember. Weezer? Weezer? Is that right? No, it wasn't Weezer. No. Ah, we'll remember. Some point over the next couple of episodes we'll just out. Oh, it was such and such. Do you remember?

SPEAKER_02: 1:27

Another throwback to the nineties, like the last episode.

SPEAKER_04: 1:30

We did do a lot of talking about the nineties last time, didn't we?

SPEAKER_02: 1:33

It's been a while since the last episode. Because I was a bit a bit poorly, wasn't I?

SPEAKER_04: 1:38

Oh, you were poorly sick. It cancelled on me, ladies and gentlemen. We were meant to be doing an episode.

SPEAKER_02: 1:43

And I was a bit poorly. A bit poorly.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46

How are you feeling now? Are you back to full strength? Well no.

SPEAKER_02: 1:48

What was a weer? Just a bad cold. And or maybe the vid, who knows? But uh yeah, so I lost my voice a little bit. Then I got better, but then like two days ago, my cold came back really badly.

SPEAKER_04: 2:04

Now I'm still a bit throat, but I don't know. You still got a bit of a throat. Imagine imagine you losing your voice. Usually you're so chatty most of the time.

SPEAKER_02: 2:13

Yes, yes. I also I also have a con condition where I can't stop telling airport jokes. My doctor says it's terminal. But I sent you a nice voicemail, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 2:26

You did you sent me send me one of those ones where you sound all sexy? Like, hello. Hello. Um Williams, you mentioned the 90s. Did you see the news that MTV has like they've did they've axed all of the shows in the in the UK, all the channels in the UK now? Wow.

SPEAKER_02: 2:44

So at the end of this year, it was massive, wasn't it? I mean music videos were massive.

SPEAKER_04: 2:49

They were. Do you remember like I remember when we were like teenagers just sitting and watching like the box and MTV and it was all like Britney Spears and Destiny's Child, just music videos, and then they started going off piste a little bit and started doing cribs and all that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_02: 3:08

Yeah, Pit My Ride. Yeah, Pit My Rides, and then the basically wasn't music anymore, was it? It was just No TV.

SPEAKER_04: 3:16

So that's what they're still gonna do. So the MTV is staying with all the reality TV, but all the like MTV dance, MTV hits, they're all disappearing. Outrageous decision. I mean, saying that I haven't watched it in years, because I guess we're YouTube and V is it vivo and stuff. People people can shoot music videos different these days, don't they?

SPEAKER_02: 3:37

What was the other channel that was a bit more older audience, but kind of V at the same time? V E V V Oh Flip Me. It was one of those like an MTV which was like the where we were cool young teenagers. Oh, what was it? It was like the older ones. It was a V VH VHS.

SPEAKER_04: 3:59

It was like it was like VHS, so like VMA or something. I've got it, VH1. VH1, it was VH1.

SPEAKER_02: 4:06

I don't know, VH1. VH1, not VHS. Yeah, as I say, yeah, I'm thinking of VHS, but yeah, it was V1. You were close though. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 4:11

VH1, yeah. VH1, UK and Ireland.

SPEAKER_02: 4:14

Was it VH2 as well?

SPEAKER_04: 4:16

There there probably was. Yeah. Now, who sung the song gripping content as a first of those? Yeah, sorry. Okay, here we go. Do you want me to tell you who it was?

SPEAKER_02: 4:31

We're dove and more from first looks to nostalgic uh content, aren't we?

SPEAKER_04: 4:36

Just two old guys chatting nonsense about the good old days. Oh, back in my day. If you wanted to watch Britney Spears, you could text the number and you get this crazy frog on your phone. And then you'd be able to watch and then you'd be able to watch Destiny's Child in standard definition. Oh I remember we went to good old days.

SPEAKER_02: 4:56

We went on another lads on the Telerife and we did karaoke, and then I just started doing the crazy frog. I doubt you remember that, you don't remember last episode.

SPEAKER_04: 5:06

But I I remember I do remember because sometimes you there was a lot of times we'd be out and you'd have one too many and just start making noises. I mean, you were the original crazy frog.

SPEAKER_03: 5:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 5:18

You just evolved.

SPEAKER_02: 5:22

The crazy frog just came from the days of people used to pay for ringtones. When was the last time you heard a ringtone?

SPEAKER_04: 5:30

No one used everyone just has a ring there rather than a ringtone. I I remember spending hours on like with one of the old school phones where you'd make your own ringtones. So like you go online and it'd say, right, if you want the the uh Superman theme tune, press 11643476, and you put all these numbers in, and eventually you'd have this di di di di di that's not the Su Man theme tune, is it? The Su Man theme chain.

SPEAKER_02: 5:58

Oh tune is that what was that one? That was Night Riders.

SPEAKER_04: 6:04

Oh yeah, not the Superman theme tune. Su Man was the du riveting content again. Where's Night Riders?

SPEAKER_02: 6:15

I think it's Ham James Bond, and then most people do Mission Impossible or vice versa.

SPEAKER_04: 6:20

Yeah, so I remember the John Williams challenge, which was like that. It was you need to kind of sing the Indiana Jones theme tune, followed by the Star Wars theme tune, followed by the Superman theme tune, like back to back. Oh wow, and it's like oh which which ones with Indiana Jones is like it's actually more difficult than you and then you have to kind of go into the Star Wars one.

SPEAKER_03: 6:40

That's tricky, I think.

SPEAKER_04: 6:44

Anyway, yes. People are gonna think we lost a plot, man. So then you just only just come on. We're talking about using our phones to make songs, songs that we can't even remember ourselves. And yeah, I was gonna tell you who sung that other song, The Heaven is a Halfpipe one. It was OPM. OPM.

SPEAKER_02: 7:00

There we go.

SPEAKER_04: 7:01

Back in the day, you may not have seen on VH1, but you probably would have seen NTV, yeah. That was it. It's all gonna be it's all gonna be three letters. OPM, VH1, MTV. Ah, fun, fun, fun. Sorry, Wellems. We just completely just went off on a tape.

SPEAKER_02: 7:20

Apologies for the uh the late episode, and we've just proved we've been unwell. Did you want to sort of start of your first look, Sarchkiss?

SPEAKER_04: 7:29

Oh, we just straight into a first look. Okay, well we can do. So this wasn't what I was gonna originally talk about, but then I saw it and I was like, oh, so probably talk about it because and apparently we've talked we talk a lot about AI, and I can't remember us ever talking about AI. But there's a at least probably there's an E1. It's oh OpenAI who make Chat GPT um have released a new thing called Sora. S-O-R-A. Alright, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. It's a text to video AI, and the videos are photorealistic, and they've added sounds now, so you can give prompts and they put the sounds in there, and it's terrifying, and I hate it, I hate everything about it. And this is on the same day that the BBC this morning, I woke up, I was reading the news as you do, and there's a BBC verify article, and I like the BBC Verify articles about the tech billionaires who are all doom prepping. And I was like, okay, so I woke up this morning to okay, the fact that that Mark Zuckerberg's and the Jeff Bezos's of the world are all kind of buying massive amounts of land in places like New Zealand and building massive underground bunkers for the time where you know Skynet takes over. That's not a good sign. It's not, and that's what it said. That was the BBC verified, like they're all doing this. Should we be worried? I'm like, of course we should pretty well be worried.

SPEAKER_02: 9:00

Like if if the richest people in the world are doing prepping, yeah, we're just gonna create all this AI sort of stuff, but at the same time, I'm just gonna build a bunker in the middle of nowhere. Yeah. We're just gonna see what happens. Nothing to worry about.

SPEAKER_04: 9:12

Exactly. And you just think, so now we we already have buildings.

SPEAKER_02: 9:17

If you've got a few billion spare, don't worry, you'll be fine.

SPEAKER_04: 9:21

Yeah, you'll be fine. You can go and hide underground for the apocalypse. But you also think it's not necessarily the AI that I'm worried about actually taking over, it's the human beings using the AI. So the Sora, it's incredible what you can do with it. Like you can you can you can basically say, right, I want a video of bomb dropping on London or something, and it can make it so photorealistic that if you if you are you know if you are that way inclined of the propaganda stuff, you're gonna be able to have a field day. So it terrifies me because you think, okay, so all of this, all of the social media content is monetized, so the more noise you can make, the more uh shit you can stir, the rich you can get. So people are encouraged by money and greed. It's an echo chamber, yeah. But they're the content creators are encouraged to get themselves rich by making content that effectively pushes people's buttons, causes debate and outrage, and you know, just rage baiting. Uh and you've just given them the tools to make it so much more realistic. Yeah. And just so much you the amount of content that can be produced so quickly by so many people can never all be verified. Because it can never be all the same.

SPEAKER_02: 10:36

There's so many fake videos at the moment out there because of the algorithms and stuff, so there's loads of fake videos, and they're there always actors, and there's like the two people having a massive argument about this, and then there's a caption, was this person right? And then you know you get the comments like, oh, this is clearly fake because the acting is terrible, etc. etc. But with the AI videos, the acting is probably better.

SPEAKER_04: 10:59

Yeah, it absolutely is. Well, this Sora, so SORA, they release like a two and a half minute video and it says like everything that you see and hear, all voices, everything has been created with Sora AI. And it's like real people are talking to you, and it you cannot tell that you can obviously until the obvious bits where it's like a dragon flying into a storm, you can tell it's yeah, AI, because I don't think there are dragons flying into storms, but the bits of like where there's human beings talking to the camera, it's so realistic now. Yeah, and the there's a new thing now with like AI actors and actresses, and you think, okay, so if you want to make a film doing AI, great. So for for those kind of things, for people who've got low budgets, they can create art in many ways, yeah. But it's creating art using all the art that's actually been created, that's come from humans. So eventually it's gonna stifle all creativity because like you can only plagiarize so much, and it just takes away the fun of it, and it just it makes you mistrusting of everything, and I I just hate it. I I can see why it's being pushed this way, but I really kind of wish it wasn't.

SPEAKER_02: 12:04

It's taking away some of the because even just the the usual AI stuff in terms of research and stuff, so obviously AI started with it's just gonna it basically researches the whole internet in a millisecond and then sort of uses information sort of and you know spouts at their end the answers. But now because so many people are using AI to create uh content, AI is searching the internet internet for content created by AI and it's just circulating and it's like all the fake news stuff out there, it's gonna just oh yeah, that's content, it's just I don't know, it's like eating itself. It's mad.

SPEAKER_04: 12:43

Yeah, it's self-cannibalizing. We we we just I don't know, we're creating a we're creating a world where we're not gonna know who to trust, and when you can't trust anybody or anything, that's when shit goes wrong. So, you know, if you can't have trust in your government, you can't believe the things they're saying, you can't believe the things you're doing, you can't believe the things you're seeing on the the different channels. Because again, there are there are good people out there trying to do good things like BBC verify who are trying to make sure that if something goes out, they're verifying yes, this is actually a true video or not. And that's fantastic, but they they're only you they can't do it all, you can't police the world.

SPEAKER_02: 13:18

And with their own agendas about um basic guys are actually they're probably younger than us actually, um teaching theirs mums, whose mums are probably our age, um how to spot AI videos, which to be honest is probably already out of date. But there's some interesting sort of tips in there in terms of uh to where people look at their teeth because uh AI doesn't uh have as much information on people's teeth. So you look at their teeth and you can kind of tell if it's real or not, or look in the background, look at signs and sort of the wording on the signs and yeah, yeah, look or you know the the clip if it's I can't remember now, but say less than 20 seconds, and it goes 20 seconds, 20 seconds, and it probably is AI because it's so much power to do a big scene. So if it's less than that amount of time, it's probably AI. But even that stuff is gonna at some point disappear.

SPEAKER_04: 14:20

It's gonna improve. So like Google's new image one, nana nana, nana, banana banana nana na na na or something, something like that. Banana na na it's it's Google's like video one, and they pride themselves on being able to generate text properly. So you think there's all these different ones that are out that are kind of solving the problems quickly. Yeah, they're not problems for long, so how you would spot an AI video before is already out of date. And it's just before you know it, something someone somewhere is going, someone nefarious is gonna do something with it that's gonna start a series of events that are gonna be like, ah, and I love the fact that all this technology is there to help people diagnose things quicker and for helping all the good things that it can do is incredible. It's all the bad stuff. I don't like the fact that it's creating so much content and art. I'm like, that's one of the good things about being a human, is like painting a picture. I want to paint a picture, I want brain to paint and colour in and read books written by humans and stories and create stories. Thank goodness AI can't garden Williams. Like AI can't do my gardening for me. Like, don't take away the pleasures of life. Like mowing my lawn and cut my tree. So, yeah, that's that's Sora Williams. S O R A. Check it out. I'd be interested to hear what anyone out there who's got any thoughts on AI thinks about it. Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Are we worried about nothing? Should we all be terrified as the tech billionaires are now building their doom day uh apocalypse dooms doomsday bunkers? Are we all just doomed and we should just enjoy the ride and make as many videos of Walliams riding a unicorn whilst wearing Gennappi and drinking Doom Bar. That's what I'll do actually. Again, that's where Sora you can say. Well, that's one of the things Saurus says it can do. It's like, right, you can upload video yourself and we can put you in sit we can put you in situations. So you and your friends can be doing random stuff. I'm like, fuck me, hasn't that's just gonna especially like bullying and stuff. Yeah, like uh like kids are gonna use that for various reasons. Yeah, text in for what's the what's our email address for him?

SPEAKER_02: 16:31

Text or text in to our email address. How old is it? Text in our email address. Text in to firstlit gnomes at outlook.com. Tell us what you think about AI.

SPEAKER_04: 16:43

AI will text him and say, Your show is terrible, you should let us do it. We should do an AI podcast, we should let AI do our own podcast.

SPEAKER_02: 16:51

You can record our voices and create into AI. Oh no, thank you. Polished, I think it'll be too good. And who probably hang on, this sounds quite professional. It's not them.

SPEAKER_04: 17:05

Yeah, is that I think we're gonna prove a human though by being stupid.

SPEAKER_02: 17:09

Yeah, I don't think AI can quite get that unprofessionalism correct.

SPEAKER_04: 17:12

Well, they've trying though, aren't they? So I don't think you use again a while, I was talking too much about this, but when you talk to ChatGBT now, it was too personal. So they've started when the when it talks back to you now, if you use the voice feature, the person, the voice that you've chosen puts something like pauses it. So if you say like, oh tell me how to make a really the the best cheese on toast possible. In the past it would have been like you need to get some bread, get some cheese, do this, do that. Now it's like hmm, that's I'm not sure. It depends. Do you want this? And it's trying to add tone and affliction to make it more realistic. And I'm like, I don't want it to be realistic. Like human friends for realism.

SPEAKER_02: 17:50

Well they yeah, they made that that update though that I saw which uh made it uh less realistic in a way, and there was unfortunately quite a few people that were affected quite badly by it because they basically think some of them wanted to marry or had a like a proper relationship with their AI. Oh wow. So they were like having a full-on relationship with Carlos, whatever it is called, their AI person, and then one day they they did an update to the AI, and then they messaged them and said, and they just came back saying something like uh you shouldn't be using AI as a personal relationship thing, you need to seek help, and it's like proper, like heartbreaking stuff these people that are fully invested in this AI thing they created a relationship with. They did an update and they just said, You're not very well.

SPEAKER_04: 18:47

How did how did you respond when you received that text message, Valium?

SPEAKER_02: 18:53

But um but there's people that messaged on these like forums and stuff saying, I know you I know Carlos is still out there somewhere on the internet, I'll find you.

SPEAKER_04: 19:03

It's on server 376C in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Do you do you think we should make a should we make a vow not to talk about oh stuff for the rest of the season?

SPEAKER_02: 19:13

Well, so we will next season. We have we've done it on every once per season, so yes, we weren't doing the season.

SPEAKER_04: 19:21

It's so in the psyche of what's going on in the world though, isn't it? It really is. Yeah, but it's quite interesting.

SPEAKER_02: 19:28

I think I did listen back to an old one, I don't know if it made it to an um vault or not. But one of the old mentions of AI we're talking about, but it's it's it sounds so outdated already. Like looking us talking about AI initially, I think it was like oh it creates images. And it's like, well, of course it is Pints and First Bites!

SPEAKER_00: 19:54

Oh, Pinter first bites!

SPEAKER_02: 19:59

Is it a pint or a first bite? What do you think, Mr. Kiss?

SPEAKER_04: 20:02

Uh well last time it was a pint, so I'm gonna go for a first bite.

SPEAKER_02: 20:07

Oh it's a first bite for Sargus. Wait, today we have a curators pork puffs. Wow pork puffs we've got today, so um you hear me chomping on this, which is obviously not great for listening, but um the curators, pork puffs, great taste.

SPEAKER_04: 20:37

And they can hear you gulping.

SPEAKER_02: 20:40

2024 winner of the great taste, 19 grams of protein, zero carb, 133 calories. It's pretty good, isn't it? Zero carb. Zero carb. High protein.

SPEAKER_04: 20:53

No carbohydrates in this. Wow.

SPEAKER_02: 20:55

So you need uh work out after this.

SPEAKER_04: 20:59

You are looking quite healthy and buff at the minute, Wallyam.

SPEAKER_02: 21:04

Seriously tasty, crunchy bites of protein perfection, bringing you real snacking satisfaction. We've dialed the crunch. The crunch has been highlighted. The crunch up to eleven, and mixed out on superior flavour, our pork puffs deliver crunch with a punch.

SPEAKER_04: 21:28

Crunch with a punch. You know, it sounds like I always written that description. I'm not gonna Yeah, probably would.

SPEAKER_02: 21:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 21:35

The curated crunch up to eleven.

SPEAKER_02: 21:38

Embarrassing other snacks since 2018.

SPEAKER_04: 21:41

So where did these come from, Williams? How did you come across these?

SPEAKER_02: 21:44

Uh the wife.

SPEAKER_04: 21:46

The wife got you. Is she trying to tell you something? The wife bought them. No carbs and full protein.

SPEAKER_02: 21:52

Seasoned pork rind ingredients. Pork rind. 96%. Wow. What else we've got? Salt yeast extract.

SPEAKER_04: 22:04

It's I mean it's a solid ingredients list.

SPEAKER_02: 22:07

It is. Let's give it a go, shall we?

SPEAKER_04: 22:08

I bet these I bet these are gonna be so good.

SPEAKER_02: 22:12

Is this is this the oh canabollocks?

SPEAKER_04: 22:17

I'm not allowed to eat pork at all. What's the fat content? If that's a 25 gram bag, what's the is it a 25 gram bag? I'm guessing it is. It is 25 gram bag. 12% of 12 grams of fat?

SPEAKER_02: 22:38

Alright, sorry, I was looking at the per 100 grams. So 25 gram bag, fat, 25.5, but I was looking at the per 100 gram.

SPEAKER_04: 22:47

It's yeah, so 6.4. That's not actually that's not too bad considering it's just pork rind. Yeah, that's pretty good. Yeah, that's that's a little bit more than like a packet of walkers, but not much.

SPEAKER_01: 22:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 22:59

Let's go. Get it in you, Alice. I'm excited for you.

SPEAKER_02: 23:05

Oh, it smells porky.

SPEAKER_04: 23:08

96% pork rind. You'd be surprised if it didn't.

SPEAKER_02: 23:10

Let's give it a go. Oh, they're very puffy, so it's like a pork scratching, but full of air.

SPEAKER_04: 23:16

It's like Yeah, do you remember do you remember pork crunch? You must remember pork crunch. No, that's just a pork crunch. From like the 90s. Yeah, give it a go. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Always happy with that one. Oh. Oh. Oh. Have you found your pork your pub snack of the future?

SPEAKER_02: 23:41

I'm in a pub. I have my pork scratchings. With a beer.

SPEAKER_04: 23:46

They're much better for you than pork scratchings.

SPEAKER_02: 23:48

Yeah, these I get the same satisfaction as a pork scratching. But it's better for you. Well, it's not better for you. But it is. It's much better for you. Of course it is.

SPEAKER_04: 23:59

Like one pork scratching would have six grams of fat in it.

SPEAKER_02: 24:02

And a hair. Oh yeah. Well recommended.

SPEAKER_04: 24:08

Oh, it's happy. Well done, like you've got some.

SPEAKER_02: 24:11

They don't sponsor us yet. And they created his port buffs.

SPEAKER_04: 24:15

So how many how many somethings are you gonna give it? Ten. Ten something? Ten something. Is that the first is that the first time anyone's gonna put well actually you didn't tell us what it's out of? Ten out of what?

SPEAKER_02: 24:28

We don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 24:30

Oh, we never know. Well, we'll just give it ten and just leave it there. Look to the website. Still haven't done the website, Wallibs.

SPEAKER_02: 24:39

Do we do we actually try to start the show seriously yet or not?

SPEAKER_04: 24:43

Oh depends what you're gonna talk about. No. Don't tell me you're gonna talk about AI.

SPEAKER_02: 24:46

No, I'm not actually. This is this is gonna be more more homely, more serious. Um and it's quite a while ago now, actually. Um thing or there, then I got ill, and then um we've not podded for a while. But um bit of a mixture. So we had I think it was in August now, but we had a first look, well Logan had a first look, um in terms of the first half. The Cornish Steam Engine Rally. Oh yes. Steam Engine Rally in Cornwall Is this when it was raining?

SPEAKER_04: 25:19

You just left your wife and kid with coach where you got past.

SPEAKER_02: 25:24

Oh, I beg your pardon. Yeah, this is the steam engine rally. So in basic a big field in Cornwall. Um hundreds and hundreds of steam engines basically turn up, pumping like loads of smoke, chugging along over the different fields, with various little shows going on, and uh yeah, Logan Logan loved it. Um the it was a bit windy, so basically everyone's faces started turning black because all the smog from like the steam engines and uh and you know, with the coal and stuff. And no, it was it was a good homely cornish event, you know, eating chips. And you're getting like smog in your face from all the steam engines chugging along around you.

SPEAKER_04: 26:13

Cheap, you know, cheap, you know, those bags of hot donuts, cheap donuts, uh covered and shit and boiling hard, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 26:22

So you're eating those, and then um you've got the what they called you know, those automatic wind-up orchestra things. Oh yeah. What are they called? I forget what they're called, but you know, in the background and they're do-do-do, the like organ, like organ music stuff going in in the background. Um, yeah, and then um they had uh they also had a sort of car shows there, and it reminds me of the last episode actually, well not the time, but it does now. A first look at the 90s. So these there's these car shows, and they've got these really old cars, you know, nice ones. But then but then out came sort of a Land Rover Defender or a Ford Escort or you know the cars that we saw in the 90s, type thing. Yeah, a Rano Laguna, you know Reno Laguna. It's like hang on, hang on, these aren't these aren't old cars, these are like 30 years old, Williams. These aren't classic cars, what and there's like people that drive around the field what's going on here? Yes, that was a bit of a shock. I felt like old, hang on, these these cars should be, you know.

SPEAKER_04: 27:39

Do you remember yellow rena lagunas? Yellow ones like they were a thing, weren't they? Rena Lagunas in yellow were a massive thing in the mid 1930s.

SPEAKER_02: 27:47

My dad had a Ford Escorts, I think it was a big one. Yeah. But yeah, there's like Ford Escorts, yeah, Ford Fiestas, Nissan Skylines, like these are cars incredible.

SPEAKER_04: 28:00

Why why what why Rover MGs? Yeah, that uh well it's because you think about it, right? In 2025, so if you were born in the year 2000, yeah, but you were born five years after the escort had finished, or you know, the escort yeah Ford Escorts were pretty cool back in the day though.

SPEAKER_02: 28:19

Yeah, but yeah, yeah. Well these petrol cars, you know.

SPEAKER_04: 28:23

Yeah. And I I remember I remember my old man had like a Mazda 323. Yeah, and I remember thinking it was the sexiest car in the world. I think it was there. It probably was, and it had like a spoiler, and like there was the Toyota Corolla, yeah, all these cars from the nineties, or not Corolla, Selika, yeah, yeah, and yeah, just cars that were just in the 90s were just like wow. But you know, do you know what though? I miss cars of the 90s because they all look different. Yeah, a Ford Escort looked different to a Ford Laguna to a Rena Laguna, whereas now, if you go and have a look at like you get a high-end Tucson or a Skoda Kodiak or any of them, they all just look at the same. Every single car on the road looks the same. There's no cars with any kind of personality. Whereas in the 90s, if you drive the Ford Escort, it said something about who you were. If you drove a lagooner, it said something about who you were. Now all it says is we're all kind of middle class and we all drive the same boring car, and they've all got very good safety features and a DAB radio. Don't give it, I don't care. Where's the spoiler? Where's where's the cool funky stuff? You know, they all look different, money.

SPEAKER_02: 29:34

What was your favourite 90s car? Oh, I don't know. Um probably yeah, the likes of the Lagoon, I just feel like nostalgic because my dad had it, and uh the Land Rover, Land Rover Defender. Um, we had one of those as well. But um and a Jag, I can't remember what type of Jaguar, but um yeah, it's just uh it's just crazy that because they were just driving just people, they brought The cars along, which to me seemed like two years ago, but obviously it wasn't. And they're just driving around this field, and there's a man on like a microphone going, Oh, this is the Ford Fiesta from 1992. What's going on? You know, we're eating our donuts.

SPEAKER_04: 30:22

So are you are you feeling old?

SPEAKER_02: 30:24

Is that what it is when it's well yeah, and then like Logan's there going, Oh, you're looking at these old cars? And to him, he's like looking at these old cars going round. So what is going on? But um but then also at this at this show we um we looked at uh went to a tent and there was uh sort of uh a steam engine sort of uh thing going on and there's some leaflets there and I said, hang on, this there's a heritage museum for steam engines in Red Rouf, our town. So we went there. We went there as well. So and it's basically and there's like there's there's train sets and mechanics, but it's it's a bit weird because it's kind of like someone's farm, old farmhouse, with a group of 60 to 90 year old sort of guys that have obviously been told by their wives, you're not playing with these train sets at home. So they've all got together and they've you know got these train sets of bicano sets and like all sorts of and you just go in, it's it's an absolute mess, and it's an absolute health and safety disaster for the little ones. So we sort of like that. He loved it, but you're like, oh watch your head, watch your head. And uh but they've and they've got there like a they've got like a I say a train, but it's like an old mining train where the engine at the front they've attached a like old computer desk onto it, so someone can sit there and like you know get the thing going, chuck it along with a couple carriages behind it pulling along, and then an old sort of like you know, 90-year-old chap, he gets in the carriage with you, and the brake system is literally like a a pole, I suppose, in the carriage that you sort of like push down and sort of screw it around to like lock it in and sort of things like that, and it goes around the field which has got gnomes, it's got gnomes dotted around on the track, of course, and it's yeah, it's just like a proper and then like we had to go to take Logan to the toilet, and the toilet is basically the back of someone's house, and this is like a museum attraction opened up to the public. But yeah, it was it was lovely. It was it sounds very cool. Cornish day hat. And how do how did Logan find it? Loved it, loved it, because there was uh there's one chap there that his job is basically to he's got some wind up sort of train, so he just basically picks up a train, winds up sticks on the track and flies on my track, but then there's also some electric sort of powered ones, and there was a Thomas one which he'd love, so he would sit there and just watch this Thomas train come around the track every now and again. But yeah, absolutely loved it, and yeah, we'll go there. We'll be going there again. But so yeah, what's the first looks at steam engines and cars in the 90s? Tips for dads. Tips for duds, tips for dads, yes.

SPEAKER_04: 33:25

We will. We will get our tips out for the dads. So my uh speaking of kids, so you've got a two and a half year old. Uh I have a boy who has just entered double digits. Double digits. Oh no, I can't believe that. It's mad, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02: 33:39

So I can't believe that I probably forgot and thought he was nine, but yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 33:44

Well, we talked about that in the last episode as well, didn't we? You're like, he's eight, isn't he? Oh, what's his birthday? So yeah, he's he's double digits. So we've got a 10. Oh, easy. Uh I just got a text from one of our listeners saying, John Smith's, how old are you? Like, I think John Smith is a great beer to drink, while he's right. Time some first bites, John Smith, good beer. I've got a massive pass. He's eating some pork puffs and I'm drinking John Smith's beer. So my son is double digits now, and he has, for anyone who is a regular listener, uh know he's he's been obsessed with Lego because of the the same guy who just texted me abusing me for drinking John Smith's from a young age has ploughed my son with Lego. I think from probably his third birthday, Uncle Morggs would always send uh Lego to my son, and my son has embraced it and loves the Lego. Um, but it's progressed now where like he wants more challenging stuff. So he wanted he's he's asked for all kinds of things, and he likes the big builds that take days. So he got for his birthday one of these big builds made for adults, um, with like something ridiculous, like 12,000 bricks or something, thinking, oh, this will take him a this will take him a good couple of months. No, no, no, it took him like two weeks, all the whole thing. Wow, really, and it it's like four foot tall, and I'm just like oh flipping egg. He just he he just grind he just grinded, he literally just like hyper focused, just gonna grind it, grind it, grind it. What is it? But it was tricky, so it's like um it's a it's a skyscraper, effectively, from Spider-Man.

SPEAKER_03: 35:27

Right.

SPEAKER_04: 35:28

It's called the day, it's the Daily Bugle set. Right, um, and he's wanted it for ages. Yeah, yeah. And we're like, I was like, what do you want for what do you want for your birthday? Do you want your bike? Do you want your bike? No, I want this Lego set. I was like, Lego set. Yeah, and I was like, no, not a chance. Like, so like, okay, well, if you want that, we can we can get everybody, we'll all chip in, and if that's what you want, we'll get it.

SPEAKER_02: 35:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 35:50

So he got it, he got this for his birthday, and he was over the moon. He was so happy.

SPEAKER_02: 35:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 35:55

And he just grounded out. But it was a big build. So like for two weeks it took over our house because there was just bits everywhere. So my tips for dad today are all about because I'm sure a lot of people can relate to any Lego pieces yet. Yes, uh, yes, we have. We have indeed. So that's where one of the tips comes from. So Tips for Dad is all about Lego, Lego building tips.

SPEAKER_02: 36:18

I'm not gonna spoil that, sorry.

SPEAKER_04: 36:20

Yeah, no, it's alright. Uh well, that is one of the things. So because the pieces get everywhere, first tip number one, Brayden is so enthusiastic, opens the bag, tips it onto the table. Lego pieces, plastic onto a table, everywhere. He's like, So, you've been doing this for how many years now? Like, that's a school boy area is like, oh dad, I can't believe that. I'm so like, where's my tray? Get him this tray. It's like get the Lego tray. So invest in a Lego tray. Like, get get some kind of tray or bowl. And I was speaking to the good wife before this is and biggest tip organization. She's she's drilled into about organizing the pieces first, yeah, so that you're not spending hours trying to look for pieces. Yeah, like a jigsaw puzzle. So that was her tip to be organized. My tip is be gentle. So with this skyscraper, you had he had to build these different in-sections, and then you have to put the sections on top and you have to push them down into place. But sometimes because it's so big, you're like you pushing it, you know, it's it doesn't just click. So you have to push quite hard. And I'm not kidding, when your child has spent 10 days building something and you're on like the fourth floor, and he's like, I can't get this in, Dad, and you're pushing it, you're thinking, if I push this too hard, my whole arm's going through the whole skyscraper. And so be gentle, yeah, be gentle with the Lego. Did you push it? Oh, we got it in eventually, it's fine. Didn't break it, so it's good. So yeah, be gentle. Braden's Wallyams! Did you just make a rude? Did you just make Rudy? Wally's made of Rudy. You don't need to make Rudies. Hey, welcome to the dark side. Oh, you've got more products there, Wallyams. I don't need to you don't need to make them Rudy jokes. So Brayden said to be patient. He said, do a bit now. Considering he just hyper focused and was spent like eight hours of time just focusing on building the internal workings of this skyscraper. His tip is to be patient. He's like, do a bit and then go and do something else for a bit, go and have some food, go and read a book, do something, and then come back to it. So his tip is be patient. You know what my tip is? He did this whole thing in two weeks. It's incredible. Like if he could just focus on his school work and his math homework the way he focused on his Lego, he'd be a genius. One thing we have learned about Lego, because do like the Lego, it's very expensive. I I think it's overpriced for what it is. But the Mario sets. So again, any parents out there who buy their kids the Mario sets, don't do it. Like they don't come with a book on how to build stuff. So you have to like you buy the set, you're like, right, how do we build this? Then you have to download an app and then all the instructions and stuff on the app. Load of load of Tosh. So final set, final tip is actually for Lego. Just print the bloody book. So because people need the books to build the stuff. We don't want to have to download an app to then work out how to build the bloody Lego. We want the book. Are you alright that one? It was making enough noise. Just kidding. He's making rude jokes, he's just smashing around. So, yes, that's the that's the tips for dads. Lego, Lego, Lego. Be patient, be organized, be uh gentle, and don't bother Mario sets.

SPEAKER_02: 39:38

Good tips. Good tips.

SPEAKER_04: 39:40

There we go.

SPEAKER_02: 39:41

I think I write a tip down. Did I write a tip down? Did you write a tip down?

SPEAKER_04: 39:45

You probably made a joke about a tip because you're a dirty bugger these days.

SPEAKER_02: 39:49

I wrote a tip down. I said uh try to focus on effort, not outcome. If your little ones having a go at getting their shoes on, even if they're on the wrong feet, or the half tidying up, try not to dive in and fix it straight away. Instead, something like, you really gave that a good go. Or I saw you trying. Well done.

SPEAKER_03: 40:12

Excellent.

SPEAKER_02: 40:13

Because yeah, they're still figuring out how the world works at their age. Well, in terms of toddlers, that is. Um so whether they're stacking blocks, sharing a toy, or helping put coffee in your mug, but putting ten spoons of it and then pour half of it over the table and make a mess everywhere. Just make sure you uh keep an eye out for the effort. So well done on effort, because that's what matters.

SPEAKER_04: 40:40

So are you replacing the I mean, beautiful tips and beautiful sentiments. I'm guessing two things. One, that's happened, and two, have you been spending time with the no or no? Because he's meant to be the wise now, but you sounded very wise there. I did, because I wrote it down.

SPEAKER_02: 40:52

I wrote that bit down. So I think when I was reading it out, I think it went a bit no know me. But you did, you did, you went very neutral. Yes, I've I've uh in the morning, um so on on the weekends uh Georgie uh goes uh sort of teaches a swimming lesson, so it's uh daddy and uh Logan time, and um I do get him to help me make a coffee, um but uh he yeah, he likes to put like ten spoons worth of coffee into the cup. Wake up, Daddy! But yeah, lovely.

SPEAKER_04: 41:27

He's two and a half, mate. If he's helping you do that kind of stuff, that's really cool. Yeah, bro. You'll love that so much as well.

SPEAKER_02: 41:34

Um helping you live. Yeah, Minnie just finished off the the episode. So mini mini first looks. We've seen some stuff about uh the new Star Wars stuff like Starfighter featuring Ken from Barbie, oh yes, and the Grogu in the Mandalorian, and I found out that Yoda has a last name.

SPEAKER_04: 41:56

Does he?

SPEAKER_02: 41:57

Yeah, it's a Lehihu.

SPEAKER_04: 42:02

Yoda Lehi.

SPEAKER_02: 42:06

Yod Lehi. Sorry, I said.

SPEAKER_04: 42:09

Very good.

SPEAKER_02: 42:10

Uh see you next time, Mr. Nick.

SPEAKER_04: 42:12

We are too dad to doing silly things.

SPEAKER_02: 42:14

We are, we are too dad to doing silly things. Write into outlook.com, please.

SPEAKER_04: 42:20

Oh, yes. Do that before we say goodbye, sorry. Bye bye bye, bye-bye, bye-bye.

SPEAKER_01: 42:34

Don't forget to write in to first look gnomes at outlook.com with your own first looks or feedback for the fish pond. Help grow the show by leaving a review and subscribing.

SPEAKER_04: 42:49

And then you'd be able to watch Destiny's Child in standard definition.