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Tony Slattery's Rambling Club
Tim Bentinck- "Swinging A Lamb Around Your Head"
Season 1, Ep. 56
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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
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!
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
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60. Jo Caulfield- "You Can't Play"
48:33||Season 1, Ep. 60Would 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukJo's Bluesky: @jocaulfieldJo's Instagram: jo.caulfield1Threads: @JoCaulfieldComicTikTok: @JoCaulfieldComicJo'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
59. Mark Wingett- "He Just Slotted Me Into The Wall"
51:41||Season 1, Ep. 59Look 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukMark'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
58. Phil Davis- "It's Always Him And Not Me"
47:01||Season 1, Ep. 58Time 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukPhil'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
57. West Kirby Live- "Size Queen?!"
47:29||Season 1, Ep. 57The 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul'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
55. Sally Knyvette- "Britain's Answer To Star Wars!"
49:08||Season 1, Ep. 55Stand 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul'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
54. John McArdle- "We'll Knock That Out Of You!"
46:13||Season 1, Ep. 54The 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul'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
53. Terry Molloy- "I Decided To Never Become Famous"
01:00:40||Season 1, Ep. 53Before 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukTerry'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
52. Ed Tudor Pole- "The Pen-Is Mightier"
49:41||Season 1, Ep. 52Get 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 LearMusic 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.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul'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