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This is a very special meeting of Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club. It’s Christmas Day, and we find ourselves once again in the company of our much-loved and much-missed President, Tony Slattery. His absence is felt, of course — how could it not be? — but so is his presence: in the laughter, the mischief, the curious turns of thought, and the unmistakable warmth that shaped this club from the very beginning. Today’s ramble is offered with affection, gratitude, and a quiet smile, just as Tony would have wanted. And so, gloves on, collars up, we set off as normal, guided by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine and the familiar rhythms of the club. The shed door swings open, Sir Stephen Fry’s omniscient voice settles in above us, and the ramble begins. Our first destination is 702: Fine and Decorative Art. Almost immediately we’re into the strange and wonderful world of surreal bingo, followed by recollections of Tony breaking a priceless ornament on television — an act that somehow manages to be both horrifying and completely inevitable. From there, the conversation drifts into the long and symbiotic relationship between art and religion, before taking a diarist’s turn toward Samuel Pepys, proving once again that no subject is ever truly finished, only temporarily paused. Next, the bingo machine whirs and delivers us to 621: Applied Physics — a category that sounds orderly enough until it isn’t. Before we quite realise what’s happened, we find ourselves stumbling into the Whose Line Is It Anyway? studio, encountering a dentist with an infamous skull structure, and grappling with the very real dangers of misremembering the words to the Lord’s Prayer. Physics, it turns out, is less about equations and more about consequences. And then, as always, we drift back toward the shed — a little wiser, a little warmer, and grateful for the company. On Christmas Day especially, this feels like exactly where we’re meant to be. Presented by Tony Slattery, Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com   Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Christmas, we are honoured to share a very special recording: Tony Slattery’s reading of The Tell-Tale Heart. Recorded in December 2024, this was the final performance Tony ever gave. It stands as a profound testament to his extraordinary gifts as an actor — his musicality with language, his emotional precision, and his instinctive understanding of character and rhythm. In this recording, Tony brings a rare intimacy and control to the piece, guiding the listener deep into its fractured psyche with clarity, menace, and compassion. The Tell-Tale Heart, written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1843, is one of the most enduring works of Gothic literature. A study of guilt, obsession, and the unreliability of the human mind, it unfolds as a confession from a narrator who insists on their sanity while revealing the very madness they seek to deny. Its power lies not in spectacle, but in voice — making it uniquely suited to a performer of Tony’s calibre. To hear Tony inhabit this story is to be reminded of his command of language and his fearless emotional intelligence. This is not simply a reading, but a performance of rare stillness and intensity — one that lingers long after the final line. We present this recording with love, gratitude, and deep respect, in memory of our friend Tony, and in celebration of a remarkable artist at the height of his craft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? Our Presidential shed door barely has time to creak before it bursts open, and in strides Stewart Pearson, uninvited, overconfident, and radiating an alarming quantity of managerial nonsense. There is bafflement. There is bullshit. There are hand gestures. And then — mercifully — the penny drops. It’s not Stewart Pearson at all, but Stewart Franklin in human form: the brilliant character actor Vincent Franklin, star of The Thick Of It and currently lighting up screens in The War Between The Land and The Sea. Once order is restored (and the shed has been reassured it is not about to be “restructured”), we pull on our coats and set off on another ramble. President Franklin guides us through three destinations selected, as tradition demands, by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine — a device that appears to enjoy irony almost as much as Sir Stephen Fry enjoys observing us from his omniscient perch above proceedings. Our first destination is 424: English and Old English. Accents emerge immediately, as they always must. From Dickensian voices to the rhythms of everyday speech, we wander into why we write at all, how language shapes character, and what it means to build a life as a character actor — inhabiting voices that feel ancient, borrowed, or stubbornly your own. Somewhere along the way, Old English peers in, looks unimpressed, and leaves again. Next, we head into the unexpectedly rich territory of 060: General Organisation of Museology. This opens the door to captivating ancient places, the strange afterlives of buildings, and the lasting echoes of the dissolution of the monasteries. Chickens are blessed. Pigs are drowned. History proves itself to be a practical, messy business. From there, the conversation takes a sharp turn into how The Thick Of It was actually made — the precision beneath the chaos, and the craft required to make confusion feel terrifyingly real. Our third and final stop is 777: Photography and Photographs. President Franklin reveals that he doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet, having recently completed a City & Guilds qualification in Photography. Images, framing, and the act of really looking lead us naturally into the rehearsal room, and finally to the quiet, enduring importance of language — particularly the words of Alan Bennett, and why they demand attention, patience, and absolute respect. And then it’s back to the Presidential shed, where the jargon has been cleared away, the history filed (badly), and Stewart Pearson has finally been escorted from the premises — at least until next time. Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com   Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Vincent's Instagram: @vincentfranklin Vincent's Twitter: @vincentfranklin © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you credit it? Our guest President this week is the ever-excellent Daniel Hill — actor, sitcom stalwart from Waiting For God, and a man forever entwined with one of Doctor Who’s most tantalising “what might have been” stories: Shada. Pull on something warm and set off with us on another leisurely ramble as President Hill takes the helm, steering us through three destinations drawn entirely at random by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine — a device that hums with quiet menace and occasionally appears to choose subjects based on personal grudges. As always, the calm, all-seeing narration of Sir Stephen Fry hovers reassuringly overhead, like a benevolent weather system. Our first port of call is 992: History. Naturally, this raises the all-important question: if you could time travel, where would you go? For President Hill, the answer is unequivocal — Ancient Rome. What follows is a vivid wander through emperors, architecture, spectacle, and the sheer logistical horror of togas, as we wonder whether history is best observed, corrected, or left firmly alone. Next, we find ourselves veering sharply into 632: Plant Injuries & Diseases, a subject that immediately puts Paul on edge. Childhood trauma resurfaces in the form of a nightmare involving Triffids at the tender age of six — an image that has never truly loosened its grip. Daniel, however, holds the stronger hand this time, recounting a very real-life encounter with a plant that came alarmingly close to blinding him. Botany, it turns out, is not to be trusted. Our third and final destination is 753: Symbolism, Allegory, Mythology & Legend, which opens the doors wide for tales of scarves, Time Lords, and television history that slipped through the cracks. It’s time to talk Tom Baker. As the guest star of the infamous, unfinished Doctor Who story Shada, President Hill shares memories of what was planned, what was filmed, and what was ultimately thwarted by circumstance — alongside whispered legends of fearsome BBC commissioners and the peculiar atmosphere of a production that never quite reached the screen. And then, inevitably, it’s back to the Presidential shed, where history is rewritten, plants are viewed with suspicion, and unfinished stories continue to haunt the corners — much like Shada itself. Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com   Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Daniel's Instagram: @danielhillactor © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? Our guest President this week is none other than the marvellously versatile actor — and EastEnders legend — Ian Reddington! Grab your gloves and join us for another invigorating wander as President Reddington guides us through three destinations selected entirely at random by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine, which continues to function despite no confirmed evidence of a maintenance check since 1983. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry keeps a benevolent (and occasionally judgmental) eye on proceedings. Our first stop is destination 323: Civil and Political Liberties. Are liberties truly civil these days, or simply in need of some? President Reddington shares tales of artistic freedom, the curious dance between authority and expression, and the small rebellions actors must occasionally wage — all while Tony attempts to determine whether “liberty” has a postcode. Next, we ramble toward 391: Costume and Personal Appearance. President Reddington has worn more wigs than the rest of the Club combined, and that’s before we even start on his tenure in Soapland. Together we ponder the transformative power of costume, the hazards of badly secured beards, and the eternal mystery of why stage shoes never fit actual human feet. After that, we’re on to our third and final destination — 129: Origin and Destiny of Individual Souls. A nice easy one to round things off. President Reddington muses on character, identity, and what it means to step into someone else’s soul for a living, while Paul and Allan try (and fail) to keep the conversation philosophical rather than metaphysical… or dermatological. And then it’s back to the Presidential shed, where the kettle is on, the biscuits are defensive, and Tony insists the wind is whispering his name again. Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com   Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Ian's Facebook: Ian Reddington © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? Our guest {resident this week is the legendary Jo Caulfield! Grab your gloves and come for a ramble with us as guest President Caulfield leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 707: Education, Research and Related Topics. Does education ever end? It seems not. President Caulfield is still learning, although Duolingo has been causing some issues. Plus are podcasts any use or do they vanish from your brain immediately? Plus what's the beef between Paul's long-dead Grandfather and the also long-dead star of ITMA, Tommy Handley? Next we're heading toward 796:Athletic and Outdoor Games. Neither Paul or Allan are sporty types, however President Caulfield loves it! Watching it, not playing it. Or at least not playing it like other people! After that we're onto our third and final destination- 819: Literature (Not Used). We love these "Not Used" subjects as we can ramble wherever we want! Time for a discussion about the nature of stand-up comedy. Following that we ramble toward the creator of The Moomins, the legendary Tove Jansson. After that it's time to head back to the Presidential shed. The year is drawing to a close, so we'll get the Mulled Wine bubbling.   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Jo's Bluesky: @jocaulfield Jo's Instagram: jo.caulfield1 Threads: @JoCaulfieldComic TikTok: @JoCaulfieldComic Jo's book, which we cannot recommend enough, The Funny Thing About Death, is available now. Why not pop along to an actual bookshop and grab a copy. Failing that, there's always online-> The Funny Thing About Death: Amazon.co.uk: Jo Caulfield: 9781846976353: Books © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look out! It's The Bill! Well...one of them anyway, because our guest President this week is none other than Mark Wingett! Grab your Parker and come for a ramble with us as guest President Wingett leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 356: Foot Forces & Warfare. Miscommunications in Eastern Europe set us off on this ramble. It takes less than a second to get off topic and begin chatting about the legendary Christopher Lee. After that we end up at the beginning of Mark's career and his early performance in the National Youth Theatre's production of Julius Caesar. Foot Forces and Warfare- Julius Caesar. Yeah, there's a sort of a link there! Next we're heading toward 490: Other Languages. The ramblers don't really speak anything other than English. But who cares? Mark was in the legendary Quadrophenia! Time to do a deep delve into this cult classic! After that we're onto our third and final destination- 828: English Miscellaneous Writing. If you had to recommend one piece of writing from the entirety of literature, what would you choose. For Mark, that's a no-brainer. Moby Dick! After our wander through literature it's time to divert to Sun Hill! A chat about working on the legendary Police soap opera The Bill awaits you... After that it's time to head back to the Presidential shed to wipe the whale spit off.   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Mark's Instagram: @HuskyFusky   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time to open the door to a very special guest President this week, the fascinating and fabulous Phil Davis! Grab your Thermos and come for a ramble with us as guest President Davis leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 335: Socialism and Related Systems. "Can an actor ever be a-political?" It would appear not! Join with us as our first ramble takes Phil from his childhood beginnings to working with the legendary Joan Littlewood, founder of the Theatre Workshop. Next we're heading toward 757: Human Forms and their Parts. Anyone who has seen Phil's work will know of his uncanny ability to inhabit a character. But how does this relate to wanders around the National Portrait Gallery? And what is the connection between this and the working practices of Mike Leigh? A deep dive into Phil's working processes begins... ...and continues as we head into our third and final destination- 919: Other Areas. Well that relates to travel but if the Dewey Decimal System can be vague then so can we. For once the team don't even make an attempt with the given subject. There's a lot still to talk about from Phil's career, and that's before we even get started on the legendary Quadrophenia! It's a deep dive this week. After we're done we'll get you back down the shed to get your breath back!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Phil's Twitter: @phildavis6   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rambling Club have towed the shed to the Wirral Peninsula and the town of West Kirby! Grab your thermos and join Paul and Allan along with their guest, the lovely Mark Hutchinson, and their live audience, as they lead you through four special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 562: Fossil Invertebrates. The beach where our Ramblers have set up home is littered with fossils. But that doesn't help the ramblers who instead talk about the perils of shaving half your body and painting yourself gold for a 1980s BBC drama. This leads to Paul divulging how he superglued himself to the patio whilst drunk. Can they get back on track? (Spoiler- no) Maybe there will be more success to be had with our second subject- 713: Landscape Architecture of Trafficways. Two thirds of the Club can't drive and one member has crashed more vehicles than you can imagine! A display of ignorance follows. Luckily Allan can drive, but is that enough to save the subject? Next we're heading toward 133: Parapsychology and Occultism. Dion Warwick's Psychic Hotline. A real thing! No, really. Tales of the feud between Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini await you, but which member of the Rambling Club was exorcised as a child?   Our fourth and final destination is 681: Animal Husbandry. The first thing to establish is that Shrews are incredibly violent animals. After that we head down under to recall the time that Neighbours tried to embrace diversity but accidentally combined racism and animal abuse. Youthful tales of killing as many wasps as possible await but the big question is which member of the Rambling Club is a "Size Queen"?   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 20 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony's cat, Molloy, can be a bit of a handful. This could explain why local farmer, David Archer, has turned up on the warpath! Our guest President this week is the legendary Tim Bentinck, star of the world's longest running soap opera, The Archers! But there is so much more to him than that! Grab your wellies and ramble with us to the sheep dip as guest President Bentinck leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 919: Other areas. Memories of youthful frolics in the trenches built to train the soldiers of World War 1, the etiquette of lambing on the radio and how an appearance on University Challenge led to Tim's time as a travel writer. We're covering a lot of ground in this one! Next we're heading toward 028: Reading. Tim is not only the busiest audiobook narrator in the business but also has a fascination with linguistics. In a bit of a coup for the Rambling Club, here he presents us with a fascinating theory of just where the Australian accent came from. Also we discuss how acting on the radio creates a realism like no other and Tim takes us in to the unusual filming process on the legendary show The Thick Of It. Then it's back to Covid times. Unlike every other production in the world The Archers pushed on, remaining in production and embracing the many challenges presented by the pandemic. But how? Here Tim reveals all...   Our third and final destination is 817: Satire and Humour. From almost joining the legendary Comic Strip to performing the play 'Brexit' on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with our chum Mike McShane, Tim has had a lot of experience performing satire...odd then that the Ramblers don't seem to be able to define what it is! After all that you'll want to be heading back down the garden path to Tony’s shed and relax!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Tim's Twitter: @timbentinck Tim's Instagram: @timothybentinck   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stand by to teleport, because our guest President this week is the star of Emmerdale and the legendary Blakes' 7, Sally Knyvette! Grab your wellies and join us as guest President Knyvette leads us through two special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 373: Secondary Education. Sally had a very unconventional education that took her away from the shores of the British Isles. But that wasn't the end of it. But what was it that made her turn her back on one of the most successful series on British television and head off to University? A ramble that takes us from Switzerland to Rep Theatre via the legendary Blakes' 7.   Our second and final destination is 091: Manuscripts. Sally is one of our leading Shakespeare practitioners and this subject gives us an opportunity to dive right in to the Bard and his work. As a director, an actor, a teacher and a practitioner, Sally is the person to turn to if you're looking for assistance with your iambic pentameter! Time for the Rambling Club to dive right in to the 16th Century! After that you'll want to head back to the shed, pull a book off the shelf, don your doublet and get projecting!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The legendary Brookside is making its return to our screens. Who better to ramble with this week than Billy Corkhill himself, John McArdle! Grab your thermos and join us as guest President McArdle leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 372: Elementary Education. Time for a whistle=stop tour of Education. Not only John's education, which led him from Liverpool to the famous East 15 Drama School, but also his appearance in that legendary programme for schools 'How We Used To Live'! Next up is number 330- Economics. Allan did A-level Economics. This is lucky! However the Euros were on so he can't remember anything about them. Nevertheless this gives us the perfect opportunity to delve into Brookside as we discover just how this maverick soap opera made it to air as well as the joys of performing your own stunts when there is nobody around to say "cut"!   Our third and final destination is 919: Geography of and travel in Australasia, Pacific Ocean islands, Atlantic Ocean islands, Arctic islands, Antarctica and on Extraterrestrial worlds! Blimey. Quite the subject! But nothing is insurmountable when you have John McArdle to hand. A right old ramble begins as John talks us through his experiences abroad including how he almost found himself fighting the Vietcong but ended up being arrested instead! After this one you'll be looking forward to heading back to Tony's shed for a breather!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we even get a chance to give the machine a whirl we've behind the scenes secrets from Beadle's About! That's because our guest President this week is star of The Archers and Doctor Who, Terry Molloy! Grab your flask and join us for a ramble as guest President Molloy leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 786: Keyboard and Other Instruments. Terry played in a band, in The Cavern, in Liverpool, in the sixties. What more could you want? Next we're heading toward 645: Household Furnishings. Terry has a beautiful home. How easy is it for him to summon up Davros, the quintessence of wickedness, when surrounded by such beauty? This leads us on to the story of how Terry got started in the world of Acting and why, from an early age, he was determined never to be a star!   Our third and final destination is 358: Other Specialised Forces and Services. It all goes a bit Boys Own Adventure on the Rambling Club as we find ourselves with a very young Master Terry Molloy, facing a sandstorm in the middle of the desert! After all that globetrotting it’s time to head back down the garden path to Tony’s shed and relax!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Terry's Facebook: Terry Molloy and Monty   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready for a whistlestop tour through the Crystal Maze to the Punk movement of the 1970s because our guest President this week is Ed Tudor-Pole!   Grab your Duffell Coat and join us for a ramble as guest President Tudor-Pole leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 115. Time. Is time a construct? "No", we learn. Punctuality, however, is very important. And what about timing in comedy and music? All this plus an appreciation of Mr.Ringo Starr! Next we're heading toward 781: General Principals and Musical Forms. Excellent. An excuse to dive into Punk. Is it even possible to define Punk? Who better to lead us on a horizon-broadening ramble than our guest President this week?   Our third and final destination is 070- News Media, Jornalism, Publishing. Ed takes us through the perils of publishing as well as his enjoyment of writing. Then we return to a time when music was a reactionary force! After all that it’s time to head back down the garden path to Tony’s shed and relax!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DON'T HAVE NIGHTMARES! Well, why would you, because our Guest President this week is the wonderful Sue Cook!   Get your Wellies on and join us for a ramble as guest President Cook leads us through three special destinations chosen entirely at random with the use of Tony’s enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry is an eye on the proceedings!    First stop is destination number 642: Meals and Table Service. Tales of Fanny Cradock and her career-ending escapades as well as the ethics of eating Moomins await! Next we're heading toward 001: Knowledge. A ramble awaits on the importance of preparation as a journalist and the hazards of Artificial Intelligence await, along with tales of Joanna Lumley's beautiful underwear, Lime Grove Studios and those immortal words, "let's go Nationwide!" (You can hear Paul's glee at this!)   Our third and final destination is 911- Historical Geography. Stand by for a trip across the globe with President Cook as we travel from the grave of Ernest Shackleton to the Nazca lines and discover how new countries are still being formed! After all that globe-trotting it’s time to head back down the garden path to Tony’s shed and relax, celebrating our 50th anniversary!   Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!   Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell   The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley  www.michaellivesley.com     Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael   Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson   Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris   Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson   Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!   www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive    Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive Instagram: tony_slattery_official BlueSky: @ramblingclub Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Sue's Twitter: @SueC00k Instagram: @sharpcookie   Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.