RichardHerring.com - Warming Up

8674/21593A little skylight on our landing got cracked (we think) in the recent hail storm. At least it was during that storm that the window started to leak and we realised there was a big crack in it. I thought it would be a relatively easy task to call out someone to replace the glass, but so far all the Hitchin glaziers have turned me down, without saying why.You'd think glaziers would want to fix any window they could get their hands on. It's a job. They get paid for their time.

8673/21592First day of secondary school for Phoebe and she was picked up by a friend and they walked there without any grown-ups. What a delightful and horrifying moment. My heart swelled like a balloon that was somehow also brittle and cracked. How is it possible? I was driving her to reception yesterday. Literally. But they wouldn't let us in because the school wasn't open yet and Phoebe was clearly too old.Ernie goes back to school tomorrow, so we did some last minute errands for him.Two…

8672/21591I am recording five RHLSTP Book Clubs in the next fortnight and have a lot of reading to do. I've been very much enjoying Reece Shearsmith's forthcoming "Things I Took From The Dark", his look back at his childhood and the monsters and stories that inspired his comedy. In all honesty if you were told this was a book about the inspirations of a future serial killer you would probably believe it. So all in all it's good that Reece chose to go into comedy, rather than murder. Unless he's…

8671/21590My legs were pretty shaky after yesterday's tennis marathon, but somehow we managed a set of singles this morning, before my defeated opponent could go no further. I then had to dash through town to get my annual GP blood test (because as I've noted, they can't use any of the 20 or so blood tests I've had this year already) and then picked up a couple of bags of groceries at the supermarket.

8670/21589I got my first taste of defeat on the tennis courts this lunchtime... well recently anyway. Don't worry, my useless tennis partner hasn't suddenly become good. Far from it. We had actually teamed up for doubles and found ourselves playing two people who actually knew how to play tennis. We almost went 3-2 up in the first set (after going 2-0 down) and I thought we'd got the hang of it. But it turned out we lost 6-2, 6-1. And to be fair my partner played a lot better than I did.

8669/21588Phoebe has been given homework for her new school, which seems a bit mean since she hasn't even got there yet. So after the kids had had a fair share of ipads and TV, I said it was time to get off screens and for her to have a crack at her summer holiday schoolwork.Phoebe put down her phone, but Ernie was still on his iPad. She went into adult mode and told him to get off his screen."Who put you in charge?" I asked. "Was it mum going upstairs?""Yes,"Phoebe agreed without laughing at…

8668/21587Off to a wedding today and one that began at the unusually inconvenient time of 8am. Luckily it wasn't too far away from our house and also it was a Sri Lankan wedding, so the breakfast (and lunch) were made up of amazing food. Also you have to respect the traditions of other cultures, but still. Come on guys. You can have breakfast at midday on a Saturday.It wasn't just the kids who were reluctant for such an early start, but we somehow got everyone into their best clothes and the…

8667/21586Now King Harald V and Ratko Mladic are gone? Another part of my childhood gone. It's like 2016 all over again. The parts of Hitchin that had turned to ponds were largely restored to dryness today. I returned to the tennis court and it wasn't even slippy. So I only had the excuse of a month off for my relatively poor play.Catie was our with a friend (hello Kim) so I had to drag my reluctant and squabbling children out to the supermarket. My daughter was adamant that she wasn't coming…

8666/21585Back home today and Catie and I had a date tonight. We were going to the Hitchin Priory to see the Human League, Toyah and Roland Gift on an outdoor stage.I don't go to many music gigs, but this one was right on our doorstep and I thought it would be fun to see these musical artists from my youth, even if I could only recall about one of each of their songs.

8665/21584Goodbye Cornwall, hello Somerset. Another flying visit to the aged Ps before returning home tomorrow.My dad has recently celebrated his 90th birthday and proudly told us that the local MP had unexpectedly turned up on the day to personally give him his birthday card. He is a man who has done much for Cheddar and the surrounding area in the last 51 years and there should probably be a statue to the man in the town centre or a Keith Herring world at the end of Cox's Cave.I discovered…

8664/21583We decided to have a lazy day in for the last day of the holiday. I was the only one who left the house, when I popped out for some milk and bread from the local Post Office.I was glad to have a relatively quiet day as I was feeling pretty crappy after eating too much at the pub last night. You know you are old when food gives you a hangover. Not because the food was bad (it was really good) but because you had too much of it. I am sad to report that all the weight I lost on chemo has…

8663/21582Dragged the reluctant kids to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, (I bet I made the joke about finding them on my last visit, but am not going to check or repeat it here) but managed to keep them there for over four hours, even though they largely claimed not to be enjoying themselves.We went on our second rope bridge of the holiday, but this one was more sturdy and the kids kindly didn't try to shake it and I got across without any vertigo or pant-wetting (I didn't wet my pants on the first…

8662/21581To Porthpean Beach today for a proper day by the sea, which to be fair is all the kids want. It was busy but there was space for us. Ernie quickly made friends with some kids with a dinghy and attempted to take it out to sea, before their mum intervened and they all came back to navigate the small river. I had wanted my parents to get me a blow up dinghy when I was a kid and they had wisely refused. No way would I let Ernie have one of these either, so I was impressed that he'd…

8661/21580We drove across to Newquay today, a town that I'd holidayed in in the 90s and Catie had spent a bit of time in in the Noughties. I didn't recognise much.After a tricky couple of months where I haven't got to spend so much time with the family, due to recovering from treatment and being in Edinburgh I am loving spending lots of time with everyone. I am a very patient parent and though occasionally even my patience is tested (whose idea was ti to buy Ernie a recorder at the Eden…

8660/21579Our Air BnB in Cornwall is pretty good. It's attached to the house of the people renting it out, but completely separate and the hosts are playing it exactly right. They said hello and told us to get in touch if we need anything but have otherwise left us to it. We've been at other properties where the owners are next door and get overly involved. If you want to be friends then let us stay in your house for free!There are a couple of locked doors that presumably connect with their…

8659/21578One of the perils of very minor celebrity is that sometimes you get recognised by someone, but they don't know where from. Or assume it's from school or work. Today at the Eden Project we were waiting to go up the Rainforest Canopy Walkway (a vertiginous metal stairway to a platform at the top of the huge dome) there was a lady ensuring that the right number of people were on the stairs.F

8658/21577Onwards to Cornwall and another suspiciously smooth and uncomplicated drive. We're staying in a quiet village near St Austell. And when I say quiet that's exactly what I mean. The minute I got out of the car I said, "Wow, listen, isn't it quiet?"It turns out we're only about 3 miles away from the coastal village we stayed in in 2016, when Phoebe was one and a bit and we upset some old ladies in a restaurant when I was proud of her for blowing her own nose.I tend to side more with them…

8657/21576First leg of our trip to Cornwall today, heading for a stopover at mum and dad's in Cheddar. It was one of the smoothest journeys we've had to Somerset and the only really notable thing that happened was in Luton.We became aware of the fact that a car a few vehicles ahead of us was belching out exhaust fumes. We drove through a big cloud of the stuff and it stunk out our car. As we approached a roundabout the spurting turned into more of a blanket. The white van behind the car…

8656/21575I thought Wolfie's death would hit me once I was home, but I am still just in a daze from it and whilst it's definitely affected my mood I haven't really shed a tear yet.Would seeing her dog bed, lead and collar send me over the edge? As it turned out, no. Not even when I put her dog bed in the outside bin. It would be wrong to try to donate that to some other dog, or use it again if we get another dog, mainly because after 9 years, it's scuffed and damaged and stinky.

8655/21574And just like that, it was over. The minute you leave the Edinburgh Fringe feels like it was a ridiculous dream, though whilst you're still there it's a never-ending nightmare.I had made life easy for myself this year by staying in the actual hotel that Stand 3 is a part of, 28 York Place. It was an excellent place and the staff were friendly and helpful and I heartily recommend it to anyone who is looking for somewhere to stay in Edinburgh.

8653/21572My secret guest turned out to be Daniel Sloss, who was a bit confused about why he had had to remain secret, but was a fine, funny and thoughtful guest. The shows continue to be a pleasure and today I had fun away from the show too and did some socialising. I have probably got the balance of solitude versus catching up with pals slightly askew this year, but maybe only by a day.Sarah Millican was in town seeing shows and we decided to catch a couple together.

8652/21571It hasn't been the jolliest of Fringes for me off-stage, but the podcasts have all been terrific fun. And today was the first (pretty much) sell out (I think we could have got 3 more into the sweat box), with Mike Wozniak proving, as expected, to be a sublime guest for his third appearance. If a disturbing three for three now on the new emergency question about eating food intended for animals.A

8651/21570I didn't know much about David Correos before I booked him for RHLSTP, but I know an awful lot about him now. We got into some very personal areas with the New Zealand Taskmaster star and I can't wait for you to hear it (but I am going to have to). I liked him an awful lot and I think you will too and if you don't know him already you have a treat in store.It was a slightly unusual crowd in today, which I have felt like it has been a few times, of people who don't seem to know the…

8650/21569I felt quite a bit better by show time. The prayer actually partially worked. Which is weird because you'd think if God got round to answering a prayer He'd do the whole thing, rather than half-arsing it. But I was grateful to Him for doing this much, as well as making the trees and animals and the purple-headed mountain. He's a busy guy. Maybe He shouldn't be partially curing old comedians and trying to stop wars or something. But I always do the easy stuff on my to do list first.

8649/21568My bug has moved down to my chest now, but my thermometer says I am still at the correct temperature. And that's after it enjoying two minutes up my bum. Remind me not to put it in my mouth again.Luckily today I only had one RHLSTP to do and the guest was only Joz Norris so I didn't have to work too hard on the prep. I love Joz and view him as my comedy son and I knew it would be a fun one where there was little point in prepping.

8648/21567Feeling pretty lousy again today with this stupid, potentially fatal bug. I thought Edinburgh was going to be fun when I was feeling well and my dog was alive, but it's a bit depressing when your throat hurts and you're missing your family and you can't go home. Thanks for all your kind messages by the way.Much as I'd like to die, I think the psychological effect of losing a pet and a dad in the same week might be too much for my kids (Catie might even be upset) and so I have to think…

8647/21566We had hoped we'd get a couple more months with her and I really didn't want this to happen when I was away (though I said my goodbyes before I left), but Wolfie left us yesterday.It's very hard to be away at a time like this. I'd have liked to be with Wolfie when it happened and be with the family after it happened. I did Facetime her before my show and though she was a bit out of it her ears did prick up when I called her a good girl.

8646/21565I never thought I'd be offended by anything on Netflix, but they really managed to get to me today via the email I got first thing."We've added something you might enjoy.... Alley Cats"Really Netflix? Do you think so poorly of me?I've taken great care to only watch the best comedy on your service, hoping you'd see me as someone with great taste who likes 30 Rock, Community, Bojack Horseman, early Rick and Morty.... why would you do this to me?It's like an elderly aunt you've never met…

8645/21564Wandering or lightly jogging around the city over the last few days I started wondering whether, if my life depended on it, I could locate every property that I have stayed in during my 28 Fringes (30 if you include the ones I didn't perform at).I have quickly ascertained that I could not. My life would be over.

8644/21563 I can't get the photos to upload here, so if you want to see them then head to my Substack (why not subscribe while you are there) My dad, Thomas Keith Herring (who for some insane reason decided to go by Keith) is 90 years old today.