Ramble On

So here it is, three and a half years in the making and we've finally reached 50 episodes. So on that note, I figure it's the perfect time to wave goodbye. This is the final episode of Ramble On and it's a two-parter rolled into one episode. Here I say goodbye to England and hello to my new life in America.

In the hectic buildup to my departure for America, I embark on the great marketplace hustle, selling a catalogue of items like nobodies business. Spinning bikes, games consoles, dumbells out the back of a car, you name it I'm selling it (apparently). But it's not all business, there's also plenty of fun to be had as I take my mum into Glasgow city centre for a day of cats, coffee, art and Christmas markets.

In the spirit of challenging myself, I recently decided to try my hand at stand up comedy. But rather than ease myself into this new venture, I opted for a baptism by fire. This episode chronicles my preparation for and entry into the King Gong competition at The Comedy Store in Manchester.

In my second trip to London, I get an early start to battle the elements and navigate the underground in an effort to reach the US embassy for my visa interview.

The first half of a two-parter sees me head down to London town in order to complete a medical examination. Along the way, I visit a musical monument of epic proportions, contemplate bicycles, meet a guy making a music video and ramble on through the streets of Marylebone. 

We're wrapping up warm and heading outside to sample Penrith's annual Winter Droving festival. A mish-mash of activities, sights, sounds, smells and experiences. In ye old-timey town there be fancy dress competitions for dogs, trolls playing Nordic folk rock, brass bands, shabby chic cafes and so much more.

It's that time of year once more when ghouls and goblins walk the earth in search of terror. To celebrate Halloween I head to a museum at night to engage in Fright Night, an interactive escape room, crystal maze type thing. Complete with puzzles and amateur dramatics galore. 

E-commerce debacles, bent arms, oversized purchases and numerous international days are present in this particular mixed bag.

In this episode, I'm talking about the balance of now and later, the importance of looking after your teefies and the power that emanates from random acts of kindness. 

Three years on from the implosion of my American adventure I take a look or rather listen to the final episode that followed my travels. I re-examine the good, the bad and the emotional ugly that poured out into a KFC car park one Summer's night in San Francisco.

For this milestone episode we're live streaming a game of 20 questions using (what should be) some fascinating, introspective Q's from Kalina Silverman's social experiment turned card game #BigTalk

Amidst a recent heatwave, Birdy came to visit and the following is a seasonal sit down we had, in which we talk about everything from animated Penguins to Ancestry.

In our second trip to Huddersfield, I return to the town for the first time in almost ten years. Surprise finds, familiar sights and a whole lotta reminiscing awaits.

A retrospective look at a formative time in my life. First love, real friendships, self-imposed destruction, failed education and cringe-worthy displays of emotion. Four years of significance are compacted into this, the first of two trips to Huddersfield.

Imagine a world in which distance running, space cats, petty vengeance and moments of honest reflection combine in a somewhat scattered fashion.

From agitation to understanding, the mental spectrum is quite broad on this particular episode. Dealing with setbacks, impatience and aggravation I head to a Buddhist centre to attend a seminar on meditation and finding inner self-confidence. 

In preparation for the big move, I find myself cleaning out the attic and discovering a whole bunch of stuff I'd either completely forgotten about or never encountered before. Here lies a litany of objects from musical instruments to anecdote-filled photo boards.

The numbers dont lie. A significant coincidence deserves a significant episode. So in true random fashion we're blending a strange brew that merges man grappling, misadventure and magnificent beasts.

Left alone to my own devices I use the second week of my time away to master the washing machine, lounge with the cat, try out new facial scrubs and get myself sunburnt.

Despite an onslaught of bad weather in Britain I make it out to Texas for Spring Break with Birdy. Wedding cakes, drive thru convenience and pedicures await me on the other side of the Atlantic.

In the concluding part of my past life regression, I find myself thrown into 1950's London where creativity, love and attempted political sabotage shape the more detailed part of my session. If that wasn't enough, there's also mystic animals, mysterious gifts and a meeting with my "higher self" thrown in for good measure.

In the first episode of a two part special, I visit a spiritual hypnotherapist for a little bit of past life regression. Upon piercing the space/time continuum I discover lone island survival, desperate measures, family life in Belgium, the horror of war and aquatic disasters.

In an episodic experiment we try something different, a livestreamed edition via Instagram and Facebook Live. Covering two recent cases of self inflicted food poisoning, an enchanted old timey toy, mental health discussions and listener generated questions Ramble On takes on a different shape.

Welcome to 2018! To bring in the new, I'm rummaging through the old. As part of the big move later this year I'm going through my possessions and compartmentalizing the items I want to keep. In this episode I dig through a few belongings that are in some parts, bewildering, embarassing and even a little touching. 

A collection of outtakes from the recent travel memoir readings. Just a little bit of fun and a way to say thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.

Concluding the second part of my travel memoir, we delve further into Brooklyn and my time in New York. We go for drinks with Mia, the unfathomable Australian enigma, try to conquer a problematic stem of my social anxiety and dine at an unconventional Japanese restaurant. We also look at the integration of technology in modern society, reflect on the importance of time and come to a pretty profound conclusion amongst the mess of uncertainty. 

Dusting off a travel memoir that I began writing but never came close to finishing, I present to you the first of a two part reading. Delving into the time I spent in New York this episode covers the first three chapters of said memoir. Dealing with travel disasters, anxiety, sobriety and the uncertaintity of social interaction, it's not your typical travelogue. But then again, when has this show ever been typical. 

At an exotic hotel, an infamous villain has been murdered, but who did the dirty deed? Amongst weird dreams, ebay hacking and mystery gifts from China I dissect my first experience at a Murder Mystery dinner.

Hey Ramblers! We're finally arriving in the city of angels! From grand spectacles of nature to celebrity graves, with a lot of wonderful and weird in-between, my time in California comes to a close with six days in Hollywood

Hey Ramblers! We're off to San Francisco to right the wrongs of my previous trip. This time there's no emotional meltdowns in parking lots, instead, we encounter a sensory deprivation tank, explore an art gallery, meet a pair of Scientologist missionaries and sample some Califonia Karaoke. 

With the Summer coming to a close I decided to spend the last weekend of August in the Las Vegas of Great Britain. Joined by my good friend Gina aka 'Kitty from Lost Property' I went to Blackpool to take in the sights and smells of the notorious seaside town. Run down hotels, barefoot dancing, Hare Krishna and fortune telling gypsies are just a few treats on offer in this Bank Holiday extravaganza. 

After a prolonged absence, I climb back into the ramble saddle. In this returning episode, I talk about the positive and negative aspects of change, recount a moment of age and discuss creative projects and their core influences. I also pose a simple question as part of a social experiment and find myself in the middle of anti fascism rally, as you do.

Two days, one house party and a whole lot of dancing. I head down to London for Lovebox 2016.

Heading out into the field (literally) I attend one of the highlights of a farmers social calendar, the Cumberland Show. Chickens, chainsaws, cumberland wrestling and more awaits so what are you waiting for? Grab your finest tweed jacket and join me. 

When a little bit of the past meets a little bit of the present in the middle of a pub, a special guest joins me to talk about monkeys, magic, board games and more.

In a heavily film focused episode I recount my compressed experience of this years Glasgow Film Festival. Three days of Nazi shenanigans, love, death, destruction, addiction and a Chinese cop named Dave are on the agenda, plus I take a look at this years Oscar nominations. 

In the concluding part of our paranormal investigation, me, Helen, Chris and the deaf ladies head into uneasy territories to make contact. Steve the medium returns for a cryptic planchette conversation in the station masters room and I evaluate the uncertainty of it all.

In the first episode of the new year we take a field trip into the unknown. The Undercroft is a series of rooms located beneath my local train station, so I decided to take part in a supernatural investigation alongside some specialists. Here there be grisly tales, bumps in the night, scepticism and strange occurances. So join me, a pair of excitable hosts, a medium named Steve and a group of deaf ladies as we head underground in search of ghosts.

On the eve of Christmas I sit down in my living room with a very special guest...my mum. Together we take a look at this years festive television and bring up a number of seasonal memories.

When an unexpected visitor disrupts my weekend a planned liason with a pair of New York ladies goes out the window. Storms, floods, illogical choices and cinematic choices are on the menu in episode twelve.

After a prolonged absence I finally make my way back to the podcasting desk. In my returning venture I discuss work, exercise, unfathomable ice cream vans and a rather pointless rivalry is born!

Upon hitting double digits I take a look at the last few busy weeks, discuss Tobe Hooper's "Lifeforce" and touch upon a local urban legend from back in the day.

One episode away from double digits and I’m joined by my first ever guest, co-presenter of Lost Property and friend Gina Lane. Together we discuss our origins,  a woman who looks like a thumb, Mariah Carey biographies and an unconventional gift.

The first episode recorded since coming back home recaps the reasons for the early return, an ironic financial sting is unveiled and there’s some processing and pondering in regard the future.

Recorded live and on the fly from a KFC parking lot I lament the comical tragedy that was my all too brief time in California. From robbing taxi drivers to the joys of shared accomodation and sleeping in bunk beds. It's the ending that nobody wanted but it's the one we got.

One week in the capital of the lone star state brings taxidermy, cinema, street art, sideshows, taxidermy, mortified embarrassment and a true mix of emotions towards the end.I’m now past the half way point of my journey and for all of those people who have been apart of it, either in person or listening along with this silly little podcast I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. 

In the second stint of my journey I find myself sipping on sugary drinks with Zoltar and dodging reptiles in Miami. Meanwhile down in the big easy I go on a ghost tour.

The first episode on the road see's us start in New York on admittedly shakey ground but with time, introspection and exploration things begin to move towards brighter and more interesting places.

The last home episode before I hit the road see's me reflect on a brief encounter with a weird cyclist, over zealous parents, this years comic con and my top three films of the year.

Recording from my messy desk on Bald Eagle day I'm one up on the previous incarnation of this show and to celebrate I dissect some of my recent subconscious journeys, the 1987 film Going Bananas and the plight of particular typecast actors!

In the premiere outing of Ramble On we vaguely sketch out an idea for what this is and what it's going to be, talk about my plans to travel, the past two weeks with Labyrinthitis and unveil some embarrassing injuries.