Midlife: We're so back! Cruises, House Moves and Bird Watching updates incoming....

Welcome to our Summer Special!

We're back with a proper catch-up after a few weeks apart, and as always, we somehow manage to go from bird watching to house buying, with a detour via Mykonos, Rome, the world cup, birthday plans and a cruise full of unexpected observations.

This episode is everything Midlife? No Crisis! is about – honest conversations, lots of laughs, and the reminder that midlife is anything but boring.

In this episode we chat about:

☀️ Why bird watching might actually be the coolest new hobby after 50

🏠 The emotional rollercoaster of buying (and hopefully moving into!) a new house

🚢 Katy's honest review of her Mediterranean cruise – the highs, the lows and what surprised her most

🇬🇷 Falling in love with Mykonos (and surviving the heat in Rome!)

👨‍👩‍👧 How life changes once your teenagers become adults

⚽ Our thoughts on another football tournament and why we still convince ourselves "this time it'll be different"

🎙️ Celebrating another podcast milestone and looking ahead to what's next

🎂 Summer birthdays, future plans and everything in between

As always, it's a conversation between two friends navigating midlife with humour, honesty and absolutely no pretending we've got it all figured out.

We'd love to hear from you!

Have you discovered a hobby later in life?

Have you been on a cruise?

Or are you currently navigating the emotional chaos of buying or selling a house?

Come and tell us over on Instagram or Facebook—we genuinely love hearing your stories.

⭐ If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a review and share the episode with a friend. It really helps more people discover Midlife? No Crisis!

#MidlifeNoCrisis #MidlifePodcast #WomenOver40 #WomenOver50 #CruiseLife #HouseMove #Mykonos #Rome #Midlife #Friendship #LifestylePodcast #BritishPodcast #TravelPodcast #Women'sPodcast #LifeAfter50

Keep in touch, follow our socials or send an email to hellomidlife@icloud.com.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Hello. Hello. Hello. What's that? It's my story.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

I'm really hot. I'm I'm really hot.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Oh, you want to mention how hot they are over the last few weeks.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Is it hot? Is it?

SPEAKER_00 1:36

I don't know how hot it is. Oh my god, that's all anyone ever says. At least someone's got someone to talk about every time you see them.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

And then everyone follows it up with, oh, but I'm not complaining. I won't complain about it being nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Oh yes, you already have done for the last five minutes. I know, yeah. I mean, oh I do like it, but yeah. Anyway, anyway.

unknown 2:00

Anyway.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Welcome back. We're so back. Did your kids say that? We're so back.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

So back. Oh, that's my kids say it all the time. Just for anything. So like James got a James got a new job in Australia. The way he announces it, I'm so back. Or not even I'm so back, we're so back.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

We're so back.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

We're so back.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

We're so back.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

I feel like that works on multiple levels.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yeah, perhaps we should bring this in.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

We're we're so back. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

So we're so back on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

We were gonna do a um teenage language special, weren't we? Today? No, not today. Oh, I was gonna say this is pass me back. We've got too much shit to catch up on today, but one day we'll we will have to do that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

I could definitely do that. Yeah, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Yeah, I'm getting a lot of that. I've got a teenager working alongside me today at work.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Someone needs to pay for pissing Ubers, don't they? We'll come back to that.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Oh, Freyath working alongside you. Oh. I d I feel like that's is that good, or is that like also more difficult than helpful? Oh, okay. Your face is telling me they're not that mixed.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

No, she needed a job because she wants to enjoy herself and have a fun summer. Yeah. I was talking to Alyssa at work about it and she said we've got plenty of stuff she can do if she because she's worked in our team before. So yeah, she's she's just working kind of flexibly. So she's doing a week now, and then she might have a couple of days off and then do another couple of days and here and there. But the first thing, so I rang her yesterday or messaged her yesterday to say, I've got you a job, um, you're gonna start tomorrow. She was like, That's fine, that's fine. And then she rang me a couple of hours later. So uh before I start grafting at sedding. Oh like, yeah. She went, I've just got this plan for the weekend, um, and I'm gonna do this, this, and this. And um, I'm not gonna work Monday. I went, I work work, doesn't really work like that.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

You don't get to say. Yeah, your first lesson in the world of work is you get told what to do. Yes, exactly. When to turn up. Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

It's kind of that's that's just a little flavour of the day that I've had today with her next to me.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Oh wow. Anyway, anyway, this is our encouraging, we'll encourage her. Encourage new neighbours going to work. Come on. I'm trying.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

I'm trying. So welcome everybody to our midlife no crisis summer special. We're gonna call it that.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Summer catch-up.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Well, yeah. Oh my god, it's hot edition.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Oh my god, it's so hot. I was so back, it's too hot.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

We're still back and it's too hot. And I've got that old lady thing. You know, when you see old ladies on holiday and they've got a long skirt on and they sit with it like right up to their knickers with their legs wide open. Have you seen them?

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Is that what you're doing that now? I'm doing that now. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

My skirt's like here.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

No, you don't you keep wafting it around.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

But I mean not that kind of video. I'm wafting nothing around.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

You might make better more money.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

We might finally get that Vinto sponsorship. I start wafting around.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

I wasn't making enough money waiting for Vinto.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

So I decided to take a different route. Um I'm going down the OnlyFans route. I'm gonna sell videos of me wafting my skirt.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

You might get some money for that.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

I don't think I would. I think people would pay me to stop wafting my skirt.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

People like pay people to like waft their feet about and stuff, don't they?

SPEAKER_01 6:15

I know they pay like you wear your socks and send them to lot.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Well, no, no. Oh, aren't people weird? Don't get us on weird. No, that's this is the wrong episode for weird.

SPEAKER_01 6:25

Yeah, no, we can't we can't go down the weird route. Anyway, how's your summer been so far? What have you been up to?

SPEAKER_00 6:30

My summer. So nice actually. We went to Dorset last week, and that was amazing. And I do love Dorset. Dorset's like I don't know, I came back feeling really relaxed and calm and just did you content. Yeah. It didn't last very long when you get open, but no, was it just the two of you? Yeah, just us two, yeah. Took the van. Oh, it's just it was lovely, yeah. They started looking at birds, as in the ones with the wings variety. Well, probably not. They weren't wafting. Um no, yeah, lots of wafting going on. Um and got that bird singing app. It's not called that at all. I can't remember what one. So we're obsessed with that now. This is what we've become. So we've been out so cool. So can you be cool like bird watching? I reckon you can. I reckon you can when you're over 50. Anything goes.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

When you're over 50, maybe, yeah. Everything goes, it doesn't matter, does it?

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

Well, to be fair, it actually the point is you don't give us much of a shit.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

No, I don't. No. Yeah. And it is quite good walking around listening to it.

unknown 7:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Have you got it? Have you got it? Have you used it?

SPEAKER_01 7:43

I don't think I have used it. No, but I've heard about it. I've I've heard about old people using it. Yeah. Yeah. No, they're not. They're all really cool. Some of the coolest people I know use it.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

Oh, do they? Yeah, haven't they? Um, yeah, so we've been using that. We've been using it again today. We went for a walk in the Y Valley today. Oh nice. That was really nice. Yeah. Um, yeah, so we've been doing that. Um and the kids are so Olivia's going back to Australia on the 5th of September. Oh, well, um, she's actually going to Japan on the 5th of September. Wow. Yeah, she's gonna go and see uh mate who lives in Osaka. So she's staying with her for 10 days. How cool is that? She's got a meal in Japan. She's just going staying with her, and then she's flying to Brisbane on the 15th. Right, okay. September. Yeah, but still back. Bless her. So yeah, so James is picking her up and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Oh, and James has got a job then, or a promotion on his job.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Yeah, yeah. So he got a job at a restaurant, just it's like a new bistro. So we went in and just took Where is he? Melbourne at Brisbane. So he's in Brisbane. Um, took his CV in and yeah, they got in touch with him, and he's got a job at this bistro in Brisbane. Anyway, he's only been there a week and they said, Oh, actually, you can go up a notch. Oh wow. So yeah, so they've put him on like a salary, he's got loads of money, he's as happy as Larry. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

So he's loving life. Yeah. In Brisbane. So back. So back.

SPEAKER_00 9:32

Yeah, I'm trying to think what else I've been doing. Work's been quite busy. Corporate, I'm not even gonna go into that. Very boring. What else has happened? I don't think I don't think a lot is else has happened since you went away, really. I don't think so. I don't think that I've really done a lot of it. Yeah, not really. That's what I mean. That's enough to have done bit I'd done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Yeah, well you've had a nice holiday and Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Well, I didn't know a holiday, it was only like two days away, but like we said about the fans.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

How I was gonna ask you, how is it not having any teenagers anymore? Oh I know. How weird, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

Now that is that's why I started birdwatching. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Old enough now, I haven't got any teenagers. Yeah. It's mouth eye though, isn't it? That is really weird.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Yeah, because you I don't know, it just f it just flies by, doesn't it? They do just go from being thirteen, that's it gone. Yeah, yeah. It's quite nice. It is quite nice having adult children though, in some ways. Yeah, it's just a big shift. Like Olivia's like, she's just like my friend now, it's cool. Yeah. Yeah, I do, it's nice, yeah. But yeah, she's got like a hundred and one plans still, so what when does her visa run out?

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Next year? 15th of January. Yeah. So she's just going for those few months.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Yeah, she's just said she's gonna go and see how she feels. Um like whether she'll want to extend it, because she can have she can extend it again for another year if she wants to. Yeah. Um, but yeah, she's just gonna see how she feels. She said she might go to New Zealand, she might come back, she might go on a yacht, she might join cabin crew. Did she she cause she applied for a job, did she? Yeah, she did, she never heard from them. Right, okay. I'm not sure she did it right, but anyway, I didn't like to say, but I'm not sure. You can't do that, you can't say that. No, no, no, she'll leave her to it. Um but then I did say actually, like, it might be a blessing in disguise, really, because I think she's quite excited about going off again. Hmm. She just wants to go around travelling the world, doesn't she?

SPEAKER_03 12:02

But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Well, best of luck. Yeah, best of luck to her. Um, I'm trying to think what I've just remembered the World Cup. Are we gonna discuss it?

SPEAKER_01 12:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Although it's a bit boring. Well, it wasn't boring though, was it? It was quite did you watch it? But you didn't watch it, did you? Oh, come on, you didn't watch it. It gets on my nerves though, because everybody's like slagging it off and slagging them, slagging them off and oh I know, but they get nasty about it. I don't like it.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

I just get I'm bored of it being it's always the same thing. So you have this big build-up, it's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming at home. And then it's like deep down you know really it's not coming home. Um and they go off and then someone's criticizing them and then someone's teaching up for them. And then they play really boring games of football. You can't say their games have been exciting. They have been boring games of football. Well, against Mexico was. Well, okay, but the rest of them have been pretty dull, haven't they? And then they get themselves to the quarterfinals, which is semi-finals, which is really impressive. Yeah. And they get beat. And that's just that, isn't it? And then we have this now, we'll have a week of debate about it. A week of Thomas Tuchel made bad decisions, no, he didn't yesterday, no, he didn't, should have put more attacks on, less defenders on. And it's like everyone's a a football expert all of a sudden. That's what I don't like about it though. It's the cycle that we have every time England means.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Every single time. I mean, I was like, we've not won the World Cups in in my lifetime, and as we've established, I'm quite old now. So nearly 50. Um, but I do think also though, like to get to a semi-final of a World Cup is quite a big achievement, and like I do think England seemed to just get this, like, I've not done it again, wow, load of shit, like Germany haven't either. Like, Italy didn't even qualify for the flipping thing because they were that relationship there. Like, how many times have they won it? Loads of times. Yeah, but England just caught for all the crap all the time.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

It didn't, and that's the bit that's boring for me, because it's just yeah, you know what's gonna happen. And like Freya was getting herself all excited and watching the games and stuff and Chatter England shit on, and she was like, Are you not excited? I was like, No, because I've been disappointed by them so many times, and I've done the going to the pub at seven o'clock in the morning and having a party and watching it. I've done the stay up in the middle of the night thing and watch and felt the emotions and all that kind of thing, and I just think I think I've got it in me. I mean, I love watching the women because you feel like they've actually got a chance. Win, yeah. I know. And they have one, and I just think, I don't know. I feel sorry for them. I wouldn't want to play an England team. Not that I ever would. No. I wouldn't I wouldn't want to manage them. I would what who would want that job, really?

SPEAKER_00 15:10

No. Awful, just awful. But is it our media? Is it like what is it? It's horrible. I just don't like it. Our media are awful. We are probably one of the worst medias, I think, in the world. Horrible people. Just anyway, that was my take on it. But I quite enjoyed it. I enjoyed the I didn't enjoy the semifinal. I enjoyed the quarterfinal. I don't like I don't like the way Argentina got on. I don't like it. Oh, Argentina shouldn't. They're not bullies. They're just bullies. I don't I they weren't I don't they weren't very nice anyway. They they probably played better football than us in the second half to be fair.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Well they did, didn't they? And their tactics were better. I mean, whether you like it or not, they played they played more strongly and they deserved the win in the end. But anyway. There's always the Euros. What's that? Two years away. Oh god, yeah, we've got that, and yeah. You'll be you'll be on a bird watching trip when that's on.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Oh yeah, I will. I'll make sure I am. I'm gonna make sure I am. Um so yeah, that's been going on. Obviously, the World Cup. Just like watching that and hoping and praying, but never mind. Um, I don't think anything else has happened. I'm trying to think, something's happened. I can't remember, obviously, because I'm being a poor. Didn't note it down happened. It's not as exciting as your weeks, anyway.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

I know I've had two very exciting weeks. I have to say, before I tell you about my excited weeks, I'm gonna tell you some exciting stats news because I think um we you know how we love a little stats. And I was gonna message you while I was away, but we had such bad signal on the cruise, and I just thought I'd rather tell you on the um podcast. So we have reached more than 2,500 downloads of our podcast. Have we? We have. So I know across all our platforms, so we've got uh um YouTube and the other one, what's it called? Bluster brought, there you go. It's 2,000, I can't work it out. 2,600, 2,700 daily uploads. Which I think is pretty bloody impressive, really.

SPEAKER_03 17:31

Yeah, that is.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

We still got our American listeners.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Yeah, I think so. Um why?

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Because we slack Trump off.

SPEAKER_03 17:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

That's why I thought we got banned from that from TikTok, but that was not, is it?

SPEAKER_01 17:59

No, yeah, we have still got our American listeners. Definitely Hello American listeners. Stick with us, stick with us. Stick with us and message us, tell us where you're from. More recently we've had someone from Bordman, Oregon.

SPEAKER_03 18:17

Where else?

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Berlin. We've had a few downloads from there. Brazil. Clearly, the uh we should have advertised at the World Cup, shouldn't we?

SPEAKER_03 18:29

Should have done.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

I'm not sure about that. Philadelphia.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

If you're from any of these cities, message in. I think the person in Boardman, Oregon, really likes us. They've been listening to the last 16 episodes.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

So if that's you. Definitely message. Come on, message us.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

I'm not I'm not um saying the email address because I can't remember it because it's all ugly. Oh, yeah, I can. Is it helloidlife at iCloud.com. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

Oh, I know. Give us a message.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

I can't remember my own, let alone that. I know. Well, I always forget yours when I have to write it to invite you to these sessions.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

Oh no. What's wrong with us? What's wrong with our brains?

SPEAKER_01 19:15

We're old. Anyway, so that's exciting. Keep that exciting. Yeah. I know we will, and then we'll have a little celebration, eh?

SPEAKER_00 19:26

We need to have a celebration when we're a year in.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Yeah, that'll be what was that?

SPEAKER_00 19:32

12th of September.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Was it 12th?

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Well, yeah, because it was your birthday the week before your party. I don't remember the actual date. 12th of September. It was a week before it. I don't know why I remember that. Was it actually the 12th? Because if that is a bit weird, oh I've remembered that. Um weird dates. I'm a bit like, I don't know, there was something wrong with my brain. I remember dates. It was the 12th, you weirdo. Was it? Hmm. Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

It's a bit rain man, isn't it? That's a bit rain man, where you can't even remember your own email address, but you know what date the first date of the Others was.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

Oh, and I remember everybody's birthdays as well.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Yeah, I remember them and then forget to do cards. Hmm. I always have good intentions.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

You're quite good with cards.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Yeah, I'm not always the best. I'd like I'm always a bit last-minute. Like, I've got three cards downstairs that I need to deliver at some point, and I've just not got around to it.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

I mean, cards are probably going to death a little bit, aren't they? Hmm. I do quite like a card still. I didn't like a card, I have to say. It is quite nice on your birthday, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 20:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

It's not the same, having a little message.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

It lets you know people are.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Bring back the birthday card. Yeah, definitely. Right, shall I give you my cruise review? Yeah, I want a cruise review. I need some special like theme music.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

Cruise review. What was that? I've doing like a theme tune. I'm all into it.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

It's all about the uh music singing. Yeah. I mean, we were on the Royal Caribbean and so there was a steel band every day. I am not a great fan of the steel band. I mean, you get used to it. And I'll be honest, after four strawberry daiquiries, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Always chut yourself into the sea if you really have enough. Did you go in the gym? This always made me laugh. Did you it made me laugh when I was on the when I went on the cruise? Because I only went on for three days, but the gym really cracked me up because it's just a load of people who don't know what to do in the gym. Oh, the fuck. You know, when people walk in and go and look around and go, Oh, I look really awkward, and we'll get a drink, and oh, I don't know what I'm doing. And then they just get on the treadmill and just go, oh. And like, you know, do you know that it's those kind of people like, right? Well, I'm on a cruise, there's a gym, I'm gonna use that gym. It's free. Is that the only thing that was? It's a bit like that. Yeah, it was a bit like that when I was on it, it was quite funny.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Yeah, I did go in the gym. Yeah, so I mean, we had such an amazing week. It's so funny because me and Joe were at parties the other night, and people were asking us about it, and we both were saying exactly the same thing at the same time. We had like the best week, we had so much fun, and it was it was just a really good laugh. We had a really good time together, but I'd never gone another cruise.

SPEAKER_00 22:35

Yeah, that that's not saying that you've not had a great time though, is it? It's not a good thing. No, I know, I know kind of experiences, isn't it? Like I've done that now. Yeah, quite a lot of funny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

The experience was amazing, like, and I really appreciate that. Like it was I mean, it just blows your mind when you go inside, when you see the size of the boat ship, yeah. Kept doing that as well. Um and then when you go inside, and I said to Neil, this is it's like Vegas, this is what Vegas is like, all the hotels in Vegas, there were 11 lifts or elevators, because we were in America, um, and there were I mean, honestly, it was just phenomenal five and a half thousand people guests and one and a half thousand staff. So get away from people though, can you? So so this was my problem, and I think if I'd been able to crack this, I might have been a bit more inclined to go, but there's just always people everywhere, and I think it didn't help that the four of us were crammed into quite a small room, which we managed fine. It got a bit stressful at times, but we did manage it. Um but like the first day we had a sea day, and the captain had said on he did he kept doing a bing bong bing bong message like during the day. Every time he did it, I went, Hello campers, because it was just a proper high high. Um, and he was saying, like, you know, sea day tomorrow, if you're up early enough, you'll see an amazing sunrise, and you're we're going past Mount Etna, so you'll see the volcano because it's erupting at the moment and it's pretty impressive. So, like I don't sleep, do I, especially not on holiday? So I was like, I I woke up at ridiculous o'clock and I thought, oh, do you know what? I'm just gonna get up and go and see it because I'm up and I'm awake, and it would be nice because it just felt I felt a bit claustrophobic. Got up onto deck, there was a couple hundred people up there.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

Like, what is this?

SPEAKER_01 24:36

I know I thought this would be my like proper solitude moment, you know, like looking out to sea and moody and but no, so it was good. Food was amazing, the service was incredible. Yeah, I mean, you literally put a drink down and picked up a full one. There was never a gap between drinks. Yeah, and because we'd got the drinks package, it was really good because you just like drink on drink on drink on drink. So, and we discovered on the first day that Whispering Angel was in the drinks package, so we smashed that whispering angel. I think they ran out of whispering angel because of the four of us, just drinking it all the time. So yeah, no, and the kids, I mean, the kids is perfect for teenagers. It was like what did they do? Oh well, I mean, so there was the two girls, Jess and Freya, and then Lucas had brought his friend Logan, and I can't remember how they met people, but they met people really quickly. So on their first night, I think we went for dinner, and then we went for drinks and the girls went for a little walk. And we met them coming back, and Jess and Freya were already with two boys. It was so funny because they were like walking, not like with them, with them, just walking away with them. And Freya was like, Mum, they're from Australia. I was like, No, well, how are you doing like saying house? And where you from where you're from in Australia? And one of them was from I just can't remember where he's from, so I'm gonna make it up, Brisbane. And the other one went, the other one went, I'm actually from California.

SPEAKER_03 26:10

And Freya went, Oh yeah. It's just laughing my head off. Hmm. It's like, okay, so you don't have a clue where they're from.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

But yeah, no, they made loads of friends and they were they would meet, so we'd all go out for dinner and then the kids would go off and they'd meet in they'd keep a couple of hot tubs open every night. And at one point there must have been 30 teenagers in that hot tub. It was literally like teenage soup. Oh, it's awful. Awful. No, absolutely not, no. Um, but they watched quite a lot of football from there because they had it on the big screen over the pools. But yeah, they had a great time, they had a blast.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Lads, lads, lads.

SPEAKER_03 26:57

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

So yeah, my cruise review generally was I would definitely recommend it if you've not been on one. It's such an experience, and I loved like going to different places. So we went to four or five stops, and each one was different, and like we did different things on each one, and places that I'd always wanted to go. I think the only place I'd probably go back to is Mikanos. That was beautiful, and we really liked it there.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

Um My grandma and granddad's favourite place, Mikanos. Is it? It was, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm I'm sure it's very different to when it was when they used to go in like the 80s or whatever, but Well it's a party place.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

My boss was saying he went in like uh mid eighties and he said it was a really big party place. Yeah. And um yeah, he another thing about it as well, which won't repeat on it. Um But yeah, no, so we had a we had a really good time in Mickenhouse, it was very pretty. We went to the beach there as well, which we kind of all needed like to just do something a bit different. It wasn't sort of shopping or sightseeing.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

You just have a lot, did you go in the pool?

SPEAKER_01 28:13

No. Oh we liked to call it the pissy pool because Oh, oh dear. I know, but so on sea days, because it was so busy, there would be I did go in it once, I think. Um but there would be like and there was a there was a kid's pool, but oh god yeah, it's just so many people.

SPEAKER_03 28:33

And one not very big pool. No, I wouldn't go in either. No.

SPEAKER_00 28:39

Oh no, in the hot tub, absolutely not with the hot tubs, no chance. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

I did go in the hot tub on the first day because I hadn't really thought it through. I was thinking, well, you know, it's the first day, so it'll be clean. But they do back-to-back cruises, so that we literally got back to Rome. We were out of our rooms for eight, they had us out for 8 a.m. And then they turn it round and people are getting on again at lunchtime.

SPEAKER_00 29:02

Really? That quick. Mind you, of course you've got all the staff, they can do it, can't they?

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Well, the staff, so our head waiter in the restaurant we went to was telling us that they work flat out for seven months of the year without a holiday. So they literally do back-to-back-to-back cruises. Um, and the only way they can earn a day off for a holiday date is through reviews. That's why they really push you to do the reviews because if they get good reviews, then they can have a day off.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Well, that sounds like slave labour in some ways.

SPEAKER_03 29:34

I know.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

I know it's hard work. I I I I think one of my friends, well, I haven't seen her for a while, but her daughter works on it. She said it's really hard. She enjoys it, but it's hard.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

I can imagine they have a good time. I mean, they have like a little staff deck down at the bottom that you could see. So they obviously get a bit of like off time when they need it and stuff. But yeah, I bet it is hard work. Coming all around the world, I suppose, as well, aren't you? So Well they take it back to the Carib Caribbean can't even say it. Caribbean. Caribbean, it's because they've been talking American to me all the time. Yeah. They take it back to the Caribbean, um I think in January, I'm sure. I can't remember. Or maybe it's sooner than that, Joel will correct me. Um and so that's a cross Atlantic, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 30:27

I mean, I don't want to do that. No, too long. Caustrophobic, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:34

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I can understand that really.

SPEAKER_03 30:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

You wouldn't be you'd you'd have seen every single inch of it, wouldn't you, by then?

SPEAKER_03 30:43

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Yeah. With all those people. Oh, yeah. No, and not being able to like exercise properly.

SPEAKER_03 30:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

You can, but you can't, can you? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

A lot of people running, there's a running track on the top deck. A lot of people were doing that. It was so hot.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Like, yeah, because how hot was it when you were in Greece? It must have been about 40, wasn't it? Is it yeah?

SPEAKER_01 31:07

Uh yeah, Santorini was the worst. I think that was about 38, 36, 38, something like that. Yeah. That was pretty gruesome, actually. Brutal. Rome was really hot. We did, we had like 24 hours in Rome. Man. And um the yeah, we did the Coliseum and we'd not had a lot of sleep because we've been up early. We did the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain. And we were like on our asses. We were so tired. So hot. It was just too much.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

Did you like it though? Rome. Was it busy? Like going to the Trevor Fountains and yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Yeah, it was really busy, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But nice. I did like Rome, yeah. I'd like to go back when it's a bit cooler. Yeah, yeah. I've never been to Rome. Yeah, no, I liked it. I definitely recommend I've and everywhere we went, I liked. So I think it was, you know, you kind of felt like you wanted a bit more time sometimes as well. Yeah. We were in and out a lot of the time.

SPEAKER_00 32:02

But So what time do you get off the boat and then sorry, ship, and then get back on it? You're not allowed to call it a boat, I get told off.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

You're not allowed to get told off. Um it varied depending on where we were. Like Santorina was the longest stop. We got there at about half eight, nine in the morning. Yeah. And they've stayed until half ten for the sunset. Um, but everywhere else, generally the boat you could get off the boat from half seven till about half four. Right.

SPEAKER_00 32:31

Well, it's quite a long time though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Yeah, I mean we never strayed very far because of the anxiety of getting back on the boat. Mm.

SPEAKER_00 32:38

Or being videoed and being one of those people on the internet.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

Clapped on. I mean everyone was looking over the side watching people get on as well.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

No. I mean, I yeah, I think I don't know. I mean, Dave wouldn't go on one, absolutely no chance. No. There's just no way. But I I I don't know whether I would again. I mean, I've done one, but it was only a mini one, really. So I I would quite like to do like I'd probably do it with you lot.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

Yeah. I think you do it differently with different people, like I mean, I felt a bit bad for Lottie because Lottie didn't really meet anyone. So she was really just stuck with us, which is no fun is it.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Oh, it's loads of fun. I get stuck with you, it's fine. Love it.

SPEAKER_01 33:29

Yeah, and to be fair, though, she's fine with Gemini, like she loves spending time with them, but she was back in a room quite a lot, just yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

No, yeah, so then you feel like you've got to entertain, don't you? Yeah. Oh wow, yeah, but that's no different if you'd have gone anywhere else, I suppose. That's not anything to do with do they have a cinema on that?

SPEAKER_01 33:53

Uh there were shows and all sorts, we didn't do anything like that at all, you know. No, no. And just because it was like we'd have our dinner and it'd be like, I just want to be outside. Like, I didn't want to be stuck in a theatre or stuck in something watching a show. I wanted to be outside and watching the stars. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

I think I would be the same. What are the shows? Oh, I just can't even imagine.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

Shows are meant to be incredible, and everyone was like, I can't believe you didn't see one, but just in that didn't appeal to me really.

SPEAKER_00 34:27

No.

SPEAKER_03 34:27

Not your bag that though, is it? No. A show. Miserable cow that I am.

SPEAKER_01 34:33

Anyway, we're already nearly out of the house. Said we'd do, so we should probably wrap up. But uh we do uh I do have more news as well, which I haven't even covered yet.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

I know, I can't believe we haven't even said this. I can't believe we've not even mentioned it.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

Well, I rang my mum the other day and telling her I was like, got some news. I'm not present. But I then I thought, that's no longer an issue, is it? No one's ever gonna think that's it.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

No. You get more excited if you say you're going part-time.

SPEAKER_02 35:04

I know I'm retiring next week. Um we've got a house. Yay!

SPEAKER_01 35:13

Oh, what a really exciting it has been a roller coaster, an absolute roller coaster. I've bought in my lifetime one, two, three, four houses. And this is by far the most stressful experience I've ever had in my entire life, honestly.

unknown 35:32

Really?

SPEAKER_00 35:33

That's because you had your heart set though, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 35:35

I think I had very tight criteria and like we'd had one failure where we'd offered and not been accepted, and we weren't that bothered really. I felt like we were just doing it because we needed to do something. And then we literally the day before we'd kind of resigned ourselves to going staying at my parents and putting everything in storage. The day before the cruise, uh the perfect house in the perfect location came up on right move. In fact, not on right move, it was like a thing on Facebook, like a an ear sneak peek, like early viewing before it goes online. So I rang the estate agents and they said, um, because it's a very unusual for this sort of house to come up, we're gonna control it very tightly. So there's one day where you can view it, which is next Tuesday. And I was like, I can't view it next Tuesday because I'm not my cruise. She was like, no, there's nothing I can do. We we're we're only doing one first view and one second viewing, and that's it. Because it is gonna be so popular. I was like, right, okay. I said, would it be possible to send someone in our place? Could someone come and view it for us? And she she was a bit um mean and aren't she went, yeah, okay, I we can allow that, but you can't make an offer unless you've seen it yourselves. So my dad went to look at it for us. Oh, did you give him all your list of stuff? Well, I didn't, because I thought to a certain extent it doesn't matter because all he is doing is holding the place.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

Because whether he liked it or not was irrelevant, really, wasn't it? It was more that it we just had that place held. So he liked it and he said, but he did say it's good, you're gonna it's gonna be small, you know. It's what smaller? I said, that that's the point.

SPEAKER_02 37:23

That's what I want.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

That's perfect. Um so anyway, we managed to uh well we had a little bit of signal um one day on the cruise. I managed to get a hold of the estate agents, and they told us when the second viewings were, which was Monday. So we managed second viewing, really liked the house. There was another house, but I won't complicate it by telling you about that one. But this was the one, so we she said, if you're serious and you want to put an offer, it's got to be in writing. So we did it that night, um, and then heard nothing. So I rang them and she said, Yeah, yeah, we've got your offer. And we'll be back in touch. Heard nothing, heard nothing, heard nothing. Got to the end of that day, and I was like, How can this be? We made someone made an offer on our house, they rang us, told us, we said, Yeah, we'll take that. Went back. It all happened in 10 minutes. Like, how can it be taking so long? It gave them well, it felt like that, and I rang them about 10 to 5. She went, um, she's just drafting an email, you'll hear tonight, nothing. So it got to the next day. It's like, I don't know if I can do this, like it just feels too stressful. I need to know what's going on. Um, and I think didn't hear from them, so I rang them at lunchtime and she said she's ringing the vendors today to present the offers to them. So that happened, and then right at the end of that day, we got an email back to say that ours wasn't the highest offer, but they were willing to give us the evening to consider it an up our offer if we wanted to. So then it's like, well, what how much do you up it by? Like, it's literally because we'd offered above the asking price already. Oh, so you don't know what you're up against. So we just don't know what we're up against, and because we knew it was going to be so popular, anyway. Um, we upped our offer, sent it in, nothing, it's heard nothing again. And it got towards the end of yesterday, and I was like, this is not our house. Obviously, someone has got a better offer, or they're upping someone else's offer against us. They're putting like I felt like they were pulling for someone else. It didn't feel like she was pulling for me. Um, and then she rang me at half four and said, they're accepting your offer. And I was like, Oh my god. I said, I can't believe that you've said that. I genuinely thought it wasn't our house. She said it's been an absolute nightmare this week. When you're telling me it's been a nightmare. I've been through the ringer. But they had just so much interest in it. And they had, I think she said four offers in the end, four serious offers in the end. So for each offer, which they did without it.

SPEAKER_00 40:01

You're gonna have to send me a link. I never I need to see this. Oh, I'll send it, yeah, I'll send it yet.

SPEAKER_01 40:05

But for each offer they get, they do like uh they check the chain. So they ring your estate agent who sold your house and check how long the chain is and check the solidity of the chain, I guess. Um, and then we had to send a proof of funds, which they then they sense check and and all that kind of thing. So they've probably had to do that for each offer that came in.

SPEAKER_03 40:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:27

So it's a lot. It's a lot. Why don't they explain that to you? Well, I know this is what I said to Neil. It would be fine if I'd have known that's what was happening. Yeah. It was the not knowing.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Why don't they just do that to everybody? This has happened. Yeah. Just to ease off a little bit of stress. I know. So and so we've got it. It's a gameplay, innit?

SPEAKER_01 40:53

It's it's the gameplay, and it that all fade into insignificance because we've got the house and it's ours. Well, unless anything goes tit top, which can still happen, but we'll see. No, that's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_00 41:07

Think positive, think positive. Yeah. So it's been a bit long. How long will that be then? A couple of months, I suppose. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:15

It depends on because it's chain, isn't it? So ours being sold. I think the our buyers haven't had their mortgage approved yet, but I believe it's imminent. They had a survey done this week, so I think it's imminent. Um, and then um obviously we have to go through our mortgage, even though we're taking our mortgage with us, you still have to go through a bit of an application to do that. So so yeah, we're just paperworking it, admin now. It won't be before the end of the summer. I think I've got a horrible feeling it'll be like around the time we go away for our 50th. Oh shit, yeah. Well, that's just what you don't need. But such is life, isn't it? As long as I know when I can plan for it, it's fine.

SPEAKER_00 41:59

Well, we've all got a week off, we just come and help you move. I know, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

It's on the holiday.

SPEAKER_00 42:08

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Do people still do that? No. Remember doing that when we moved into our old house. Emma and Matt came and helped us paint our house in the day because we had such a good life.

SPEAKER_00 42:20

Oh no, I don't think I'd trust everybody. I definitely wouldn't trust everybody. No, no. Not Emma getting on the wine. She'd be dancing, chucking paint everywhere. No offence, Em. She definitely would not take offence at that.

SPEAKER_02 42:41

Oh brilliant. Oh god.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

So you know that's what that's also the stuff well done, isn't it? So what's the plan then? We've got we're gonna do a recording for your birthday. So tell us about your birthday plans.

SPEAKER_00 42:55

So I am going up to Scotland in the van. We're stopping in the Lake District, and then on the way up, yeah. Uh, and then we're gonna climb Ben Nevis on my actual birthday, and then I'm gonna come and meet you guys the day after.

SPEAKER_02 43:13

Yay!

SPEAKER_00 43:14

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 43:16

I've managed to avert di disaster because I came back and we've got we've had a really busy work diary for months, and it's just not in any better. And someone had put in the day after you being here a full day in Birmingham with a 6am trip.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

No. No.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

So I've managed to flip that back to Bolton, so that's good.

SPEAKER_00 43:37

Yeah, that's no. That's a no. Mind you, I'll probably be falling asleep after climbing a mountain, to be fair.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

That's exciting though.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

It'll be a good thing to do on my birthday, I feel like. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, then I'm just gonna come back to Bristol, then I'm gonna see all my Bristol friends on the Saturday. Going to the pub for the afternoon. Like old people do, because you have to bring it forward, don't you? Your celebrations now. Can't go out. Gotta be going over.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

Be in bed for nine, that's the ideal night, I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 44:16

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so we're that would yeah, we're all going to the pub at three. Probably everyone will have great intentions of going home at eight o'clock. Right, Wyndham.

SPEAKER_01 44:29

Well, so we're gonna do a recording while you're here. So we're gonna do nice IRL recording. IRL, another one. Um and then we probably won't pick back up again properly until September.

unknown 44:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

When we'll uh back on our regular schedule of um Mondays and Wednesdays. And we probably need, if anyone wants, to share with us some ideas that they might have for things that they want us to talk about. Um I think there's things that we probably need to revisit one year on because we'll be one year on, won't we?

SPEAKER_00 45:02

I think that as well. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's what we should do. Yeah. There's definitely topics we discussed that we can talk about again then see where we feel now. Maybe slightly different, you don't know.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

Yeah. And then we'll have to do some sort of 50th holiday special as well when we're all away together.

SPEAKER_00 45:26

We definitely need to get them too, on it.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

Yeah, we will. We will, definitely. But yeah, other than that, other than that, it's been a nice catch-up, haven't you?

SPEAKER_02 45:38

It has been a nice catch-up, it always is.

SPEAKER_00 45:40

Nice little summer special. Yeah, hope everyone's enjoyed it. Catching up on our subject, not that mine sounds very exciting. Football bird watching, but you know.

SPEAKER_03 45:51

I've been on a saga cruise and bought a house.

SPEAKER_01 45:57

I've bought an old person's cottage. So, yeah, we're on we're on the right track for Tim.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

I want to see this house. I'll send it you after this. I was gonna go on right move and guess the house. You should have done. And I don't have time. I said to Dave, I'm gonna go on right move and guess the guess the house. I'll definitely be able to know which house she's bought. I would like to. You would I reckon you would have guessed it actually. Yeah. But I didn't I didn't look at it, yeah. Dave went, that's really weird to do that. I went, is it? Isn't it really weird? And he went, a little weird.

SPEAKER_03 46:29

It's weird. Oh, I know it's quite exciting.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

Guess the house.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Cool. Alright, well, we'll see everyone on the something of August. I'm not sure when we'll publish, but we're gonna record it around the 5th. Um and then the 10th. Oh, Neil's birthday. Um, and then you are like Raymond dates. I know, I don't know what's wrong with me. Something weird. Um, and then back in back in full force in September.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

Yeah, cool.

SPEAKER_02 47:00

Alright, nice to see you, babe. Oh glad we're so back. We are so back. Right. See you soon. See you soon. Bye bye bye. Bye bye bye bye.