Attic Life

Benjamin Franklin once said "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Annoyingly, even after 235 years, he's just as right as he ever was, and this episode of Attic Life looks at the inevitable certainty of death.Specifically we're looking at the effect that the death of a loved one has on us, and the emotions we feel when that happens. Perhaps surprisingly, amidst the despair and confusion, a little humour can arise, and we allow ourselves the opportunity to smile at the improbability of black humour and why it happens.Whether you've experienced the passing of a loved one or not, we hope that our frank discussion helps you to rationalise any thoughts you may have or provide some insight into a sad period that enters the lives of so many of us.You can download Attic Life Episode 16 below, and as ever we welcome your feedback should you choose to leave us a message. We're on Twitter, too.Download:Attic Life - Episode 16 (.MP3 42MB)

Who said it would be another 18 months before the next episode?Yes, we're back again with more chat about life and stuff, and today sees us start off with a chat about Easter holidays... except we soon drift into the topic of Christmas TV schedules in the UK which is about as irrelevant as it gets.Never mind, it gives us a perfect segway into our main topic which is 'Things we've recently watched on TV.' Chris has three programmes to discuss that all have a nostalgic air about them, but very much in different ways. As for Rich, he's willing to discuss the differences in format between Married At First Sight UK and Married At First Sight Australia. The mind boggles...To round things off, we give you another selection of Top 3's - this time looking at classic fizzy drinks. Tizer, anyone?You can download Attic Life Episode 15 below, and as ever we welcome your feedback should you choose to leave us a message. We're on Twitter, too.Download:Attic Life - Episode 15 (.MP3 71MB)

We're back! Again! Only 18 months since the last one and this time there's no mention of Coronavirus... OK, so there might be a mention of it, but only a little one.This time, as it was Rich's birthday when we recorded it, we talk about birthdays past and present, going out for dinner, Berni Inns, Chicken Kievs and all manner of 80s culinary delights.This causes an offshoot discussion on our favourite types of soup and just what is raw jelly?Finally, the whole pod is rounded off by about 20 minutes solid of Rich and Chris looking through old Argos Catalogues online, trying to find presents from Rich's past... yep, just 20 mins AUDIO of 2 blokes looking through catalogues... if that doesn't float your boat, nothing will!!You can download Attic Life Episode 14 below, and as ever we welcome your feedback should you choose to leave us a message. We're on Twitter, too.Download:Attic Life - Episode 14 (.MP3 68MB)

We hope you liked our first podcast about Memorable Events and Social Media, and if you did, you're in luck.We've also uploaded the first of our 'Extra' podcasts which focus on nostalgia topics of all kinds. The first one is all about crisps, and covers everything from potato pigs to Supa Crunchies. Enjoy!Download:Attic Life Extra - Episode 1: Crisps

Sorry... The previous episode of Attic Life returned after a four-month break, and this one's back after a five-month break. What can we say... we've been busy, we've been distracted by Covid-19 stuff and we've got a note from our Mum. Hope that's OK.Contrary to what you might think, we hadn't forgotten all about you and we hadn't gone for good. We're back in remarkably good health (considering) and ready once again to talk about the stuff that's been going on in our recent lives. The trouble is, we're talking about the Coronavirus once again.There is, however, a lot to discuss and there's five months to catch up on. Did we all crack up during that time? Did we enjoy not being at work? Quite frankly, which of us ended up in the right country when lockdown finally happened?Find out by having a listen to Episode 13 of Attic Life, and be warned, there is some explicit language at times. * Looks at Rich, knowingly *You can download Attic Life episode 13 below, and as ever we welcome your feedback should you choose to leave us a message. We're on Twitter, too.Download:Attic Life - Episode 13 (.MP3 68MB)

After a four-month break, we're back with our first podcast of 2020, and what a time to return. Predictably enough, we're talking about the coronavirus and giving you our take on how it's affecting our lives, our work and our minds.But it's not as depressing and arduous to listen to as you might think. During the course of this episode, we discover which emergency level requires all citizens to listen to Mark King-inspired popular jazz funk, what the police will do if they discover you having a barbecue during the lockdown, and what happens when the fitness app on your smart phone starts getting a bit too smart.There's also much political chin-stroking, specific attempts to be positive at every opportunity and a fair bit swearing from time to time. Sorry and all that...You can download Attic Life episode 12 below, and as ever we welcome your feedback should you choose to leave us a message. We're on Twitter, if you need us.Download:Attic Life - Episode 12 (.MP3 86MB)

Ever wondered how someone got the job they're currently doing? Ever wondered how they got their job when they're so inept at it? Ever wondered whether you'd be better at doing someone's job than they are? Ever wondered... sorry. We'll stop there, but you get the point.On this episode, Chris and Jay stop to ponder why so many people around us are doing the job's they've got, but not doing them particularly well. Even more irksome than that, they're often getting paid more than we are, too.So what can be done about it? Should we be going out of our way to point out the people that are professionally falling short, and should we be asking for a bit more credit for our own work achievements?Not only that, but how can Robbie Williams earn more than Chris and Jay put together in a year simply by singing a song about sprouts and carrots? Some things in life we will never understand...You can download Attic Life episode 11 below, and as ever we welcome your feedback in whatever form it takes. Drop us a line and say hi, why don't you...Download:Attic Life - Episode 11 (.MP3 61MB)Hand photo created by Racool_studio - www.freepik.com

Rich Johnson returns to Attic Life with tales of new employment, brutalist architecture and extreme hatred for gardening. Well no-one's perfect...Luckily this is just a prelude to the main topic on this podcast which is 'nostalgia.' What is it that makes us nostalgic, can it always be refined to happy memories alone, and can you have too much nostalgia?All these questions and more are answered, plus we discover the worst Kurt Cobain impersonator (on paper, at least), the hidden pleasures gained from watching The Professionals and the Proustian rush of seeking out some Findus Crispy Pancakes. Send us your feedback if you dare by dropping us a line below.Download:Attic Life - Episode 10 (.MP3 84MB)Vintage vector created by brgfx - www.freepik.com

Never let it be said that we never cover a wide range of topics on the Attic Life podcast. In this episode, Chris and Jay talk about stress, work, gardening, the onset of middle age, mortality and guitar building. Show us a podcast that can promise you an agenda like that, and we'll show you two men looking for a new audio project to embark upon.During this parade of personal memories and innermost thoughts, Chris persuades Jay to get an allotment, Jay assures Chris that people aren't talking behind his back about his sickness record at work, and both Jay and Chris consider devoting an episode entirely to Brexit. Your chance to talk us out of it begins here...Your feedback on all we discuss is always appreciated, so please feel free to drop us a line below.Download:Attic Life - Episode 9 (.MP3 74MB)Floral photo created by prostooleh - www.freepik.com

In this episode, Chris and Rich consider the impact that new technology is having on our lives. Marvellous though it is to be able to pre-pay and pre-order your daily coffee, does it really matter when the shop assistant doesn't know what an app is?Not only that, but will new technology make us more reliant on automated efficiency, and should more testing be done on the tech systems we use before they're unleashed on an unprepared public?As if that wasn't enough, Rich provides an update on his job situation, Dion Dublin's ability to sell a house is put under the microscope, the forgotten phenomenon of snail grooming gets a long-overdue assessment and Chris and Rich try desperately to avoid becoming new music bores. Oh, and Rich uses the word 'apogee.' Correctly, too.Your feedback is appreciated as ever, so please feel free to drop us a line in below.Download:Attic Life - Episode 8 (.MP3 79MB)Photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

John Devlin joins the Attic Life gang for episode 7, but unfortunately for him we didn't end up talking about poor customer service and entering competitions again. This time around, things got a bit heavy as we talked about work - specifically what happens when you're suddenly out of work.That's the fate that now awaits one of us, and the whole sorry affair is discussed in great detail in this episode. But if you're thinking this is going to be a relentlessly downbeat podcast, fear not as Rich has thought of a wonderful way to generate some personal income. Interested parties should listen in and drop us a line where appropriate...Elsewhere, we find out what happens when a plumber turns his career path around by 180% and the consequences that impact the poor guy whose job it is to design his website. If only we knew who that was...As ever, your feedback is appreciated, so please feel free to drop us a line in below. Enjoy...Download:Attic Life - Episode 7 (.MP3 83MB)(Photo by freepik - www.freepik.com)

Three years is quite long enough to have a break between podcast episodes, wouldn't you say?Yes, Attic Life is back - rebooted, simplified and now with added guests! For episode 6, we've roped in our old friend Jay from DesignFootball.com, but if you're not into football, fear not. This is Attic Life, the podcast where football barely gets a look in.That's because we have weightier matters to discuss. For instance, what makes a great musical cover version? Why does cluster fly terminology make for a great album title? And is it possible to win a competition when the prize doesn't technically exist?Not everything in Attic Life poses such a challenge for the mind as we also discuss everything from dishwashers to incomplete McChicken sandwiches. And if you're wondering how all these things could possibly be connected, there's only one thing left to do, and that's to download the returning Attic Life - episode 6 - right now.Your feedback is greatly appreciated...Download:Attic Life - Episode 6 (.MP3 66MB) 

Parenting and Swearing - two things that go together like... parenting and swearing.These are the two subjects discussed in our latest Attic Life podcast which, you should be warned, contains one or two swear words. Apologies in advance for that, but, well... f**k you.Just joking, of course. We begin by expressing our thoughts on what it's like to be a parent, whether it's better to have kids when you're older or younger, and whether there's really anything you can do to be a better parent before the reality of it all sets in.After that, it's onto swearing - an activity many of us engage in, but can you have too much of a good thing? When does swearing stop being funny and turn into monotonous, inane rubbish? We look at the words we say, the way we say them and the situations when swearing simply isn't the done thing...Download and listen in to Attic Life Episode 5 using this link, by visiting iTunes or going to our page on Patreon.com. Having done that, why not leave us a comment below?  We warmly welcome your comments on the subjects discussed and we look forward to hearing from you.

Our fourth and last Extra episode sees us looking at Children's TV programmes...Download:Attic Life Extra - Episode 4: Children's TV

On the latest Attic Life pod, Chris discusses gambling. Who among us doesn't buy the odd Lotto ticket or has a flutter on the Grand National every once in a while?Gambling is everywhere, but how much we're affected by it or are influenced by it depends on who you are and your personal circumstances. Attic Life looks at gambling and wonders whether more needs to be done to protect the vulnerable from the lure of enormous riches...And speaking of riches, Rich is on hand to talk about Britain. And England. Hell, let's just call it Brengland! What does it mean to be British these days, and is it possible to feel pride at being British? Does the whole world hate Britain, or are the Brits suffering from a persecution complex based on centuries of brutal global colonisation?As ever, you can count on Attic Life to get to the bottom of this and other matters, so why not listen in and form your own opinions? Attic Life Episode 4 can be downloaded via this link, via iTunes or our page on Patreon.com. As ever, we warmly welcome your comments on the subjects discussed and we look forward to hearing from you.

Our third Extra episodes sees us looking into the nostalgic world of board games...Download:Attic Life Extra - Episode 3: Board Games

It was Benjamin Franklin who once said "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" but to those you can also add 'shopping' and 'getting older.'As luck would have it, those are the exact two subjects that are discussed on episode 3 of Attic Life ('death' and 'taxes' coming up on a future podcast, no doubt...)During this edition, Chris talks about how our regular trips to the corner shop have transformed into a pilgrimage to the out-of-town meccas of Tesco, Sainsburys et al. But how much have we changed as people, along with the supermarkets themselves? Chris checks out life at the checkouts...As for Rich, he's content just to note the passing of time - and the derogatory effect it's had on his body. Fortunately his mind remains intact and willing to believe he's still 22. Is it a common phenomenon for people aged 40 or over, or are your co-hosts just desperate to retain their coolness?These and other questions are answered in Attic Life Episode 3 which you can download via this link, or via iTunes or our page on Patreon.com. As ever, we invite you to let us know what you think about the subjects discussed on this podcast and we look forward to hearing from you.

 Time for another bonus episode, and this time we're talking about TV adverts...Download:Attic Life Extra - Episode 2: TV adverts

Why do we work? Why do many of us do jobs that are boring and unfulfilling? And are we destined for a life of drudgery where the only incentive for working is a measly pay packet once a month?These are some of the questions Chris puts forward during episode 2 of Attic Life.Rich is also keen to share his views on some of his 'Pet Hates', and among them are people that bite their nails, people that fail to get the hang of simple punctuation and people that eat with their mouth open. Let's face it, one of Rich's pet hates is Chris.To hear what conclusions were made from the aforementioned dialogue, download episode 2 of Attic Life here, find us on iTunes or visit our Patreon page.

Yes, it's finally arrived - the first episode of the podcast that twenty years from now iTunes will refer to as 'No longer available for download'...Fresh from their surprising semi-success with The Football Attic, Chris Oakley and Rich Johnson return to talk about life, and on this occasion specifically, 'Memorable Events' and 'Social Media'.Remember those days when the word 'Newsflash' appeared on your TV screen, and the strange feeling in the pit of your stomach it caused? What were the events that stick out in your memory, and how was the news conveyed?And social media: is it really all it's cracked up to be? Does it frustrate and infuriate more than it gratifies? Can technology really make our lives better through improved communications tools, when human imperfection is at the heart of it all?These matters and more are all discussed on Episode 1 of Attic Life. Download it here or find the Attic Life podcast on iTunes or our page on Patreon.com.