EP244: Nagging with Auntie Linny #28 – What is the best route for our kids?!!

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:19 It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home. It's cut.

Auntie Lynnie 0:02:29 Where are you going? Where are you— guys, don't be fooled by her sitting here singing like she's some kind of—

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:36 Fan?

Auntie Lynnie 0:02:37 Football pundit. Because shall I tell you about last night?

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:41 Do it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:02:42 So, go to bed. To be honest, I have no intentions of watching the match as much as I wanted to. Some of us gotta get up early in the morning.

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:50 Welcome to Life with Nat, by the way, for all of you new listeners who might be listening to this one. I'm here with Auntie Lynnie tonight who's telling a story.

Auntie Lynnie 0:02:57 And we're going straight in. Sorry, Mark, 'cause Mark was desperate to do this one, but I just happened to be doing the pod tonight, so it's landed on me. But I'm not gonna steal his thunder completely, 'cause I'm sure when you do your next pod with your darling Mark, he can have a little bit of fun along the way too.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:13 Perhaps I'll fall asleep on Saturday night at 10.

Auntie Lynnie 0:03:16 Perhaps you might. So anyway, to not make this too long, 'cause there's so much to talk about tonight, go to bed, I wake up at half 1, I thought, well, let me see how England are doing. Put the telly on, match hasn't started. I thought, ooh, what's happened here? So I messaged my daughter, Ella, who I knew was intent on being up to watch it. And sure enough, she messages me. And then she must ask Mark, who's got a chat, group chat started for the World Cup chat, who includes me into the chat. And oh, the, I mean, Natalie, how many messages did you wake up to? I woke up to 126 messages.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:58 I got a bit excited, a bit early.

Auntie Lynnie 0:04:01 You've got a tendency of being a bit premature, haven't you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:05 A bit excited.

Auntie Lynnie 0:04:06 Yeah. So Mark shares a video of Natalie dancing in front of her screen, singing along to the Oasis track prior to the match commencing. And then we see another photograph or video of Natalie laying on the sofa, cuddling her scatter cushion, fast asleep. So Ellie was, I mean, we are calling her every name under the sun, as you can imagine. Yeah, we loved her actually. I mean, yeah, it was great, wasn't it? It was great. And Ellie's going, Mark, please wake her up 'cause she'll be gutted.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:43 And bless Mark, he's saying, um, I've woken her up 50 times and every time I do, I say the football's on. And I was going, yeah, I know, and going back to sleep.

Auntie Lynnie 0:04:53 But the best line for me was Mark saying, I've stayed up to watch it and I don't even like football. So bless his heart, he stayed up with the rest of us while Natalie's laying there snoring away. We've watched the entire match, which I'm sure you will all agree was absolutely blinding.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:17 So not the same to watch it at 5:50 AM on your own.

Auntie Lynnie 0:05:21 And that was the beauty of it. I have watched this match in bed on my own. My husband's downstairs on his usual spot on the sofa with bifold doors open 'cause it was bloody hot. And I felt like I had everyone in the room with me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:34 Yeah, that's what's great. I'm so annoyed. It was so good.

Auntie Lynnie 0:05:38 It was so, we had RoRo, we had Els Bells, we even had Dave at 4 o'clock.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:45 That was brilliant. When I, when I, morning all. No, it was 3:45. Morning all. Fantastic.

Auntie Lynnie 0:05:51 It was so—

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:52 Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading.

Auntie Lynnie 0:05:55 Good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:55 At 5:50.

Auntie Lynnie 0:05:56 I hope you did.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:57 And then I put iPlayer on and I'd not seen the score. Only obviously saw all of your messages knowing they'd won. But then I watched it and it was, yeah, it's not that you can't watch, I hate watching any sport unless it's live. People said it to me yesterday. I said, I'm missing the tennis. You can watch it when you get home. I said, not interested.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:14 Same, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:15 It's not the same.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:16 And you slept right through it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:19 And I went back to bed after.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:21 I mean, I watched it, 5 o'clock, I went to sleep, turned the telly off, 'cause I then watched the interviews after.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:28 Harry Kane's interview.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:29 He could— With his voice.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:31 Oh, sod.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:32 I mean, he literally lost. There was so much material in one match. It was wild, wasn't it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:40 Incredible.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:41 It was quite, at one point I thought, is this actually happening?

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:44 But also to think—

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:46 Even down to the poor player that broke his arm.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:48 Yeah, I didn't see that bit.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:49 No, you didn't see any of it, babe. You slept. No, it was too—

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:54 I'm gonna have to watch the full thing. I'm gonna have to watch it again.

Auntie Lynnie 0:06:57 It was so funny, Natalie. It was so funny.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:01 But we're through.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:02 I know, I can't believe it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:03 I think we're gonna win the World Cup. We're gonna be in Tuscany with a telly the size of a microwave.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:09 I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:10 Now we're gonna have to get a projector. We're gonna have to get a projector screen.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:14 What are we actually gonna do?

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:15 We're gonna have to find a projector.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:16 How are we gonna be in Italy?

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:18 I don't really wanna— it's wonderful 'cause it's RoRo's birthday, so we've just gotta embrace it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:25 It'll all be good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:26 It'll be lovely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:26 It's, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:28 But to not be in the UK.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:30 Yeah, that's the thing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:30 If we get to the final, and I wouldn't even go out, I'd watch it at home.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:34 No, I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:35 I wouldn't, 'cause it'd be chaos, but just—

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:37 We'd all be here.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:38 But we're all gonna be together. Which is fantastic. It's even better because we won't be all together at home.

Auntie Lynnie 0:07:43 Are we though, Jack? All gonna be together? Oh, it's— and they're sending photos. They've got the neighbour around, Richard. No, it was priceless, wasn't it? It was brilliant.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:55 It was a great chat. Maybe we could screenshot a few and put them on Patreon, just a few little bits, if everyone's okay, because there's nothing untoward.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:04 Well, apart from of us calling you some choice language.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:07 Maybe I should put my video up on Patreon.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:10 I think you should do.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:11 Maybe I should.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:12 I think that should definitely be going on Patreon. I think so.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:15 I was so excited. And that song, I know it's— Oh, we saw Natalie.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:18 We saw.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:19 But that, what, that song for me, Three Lions, I'm talking about, it's a bit like Christmas.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:26 Aww.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:27 Whereas, no, listen to me. It's a bit like Christmas because If they would've lost last night, you can't play it again.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:34 No.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:34 But you can't, you can't play it again.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:38 I know, they kind of—

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:39 So you've only got that few hours.

Auntie Lynnie 0:08:41 But Natalie, it was everything. It was the fact, the drama with the match being, time being changed and all the drama that that was gonna cause with people not being able to get there on time, blah, blah, blah. It was the fact that they actually, the match actually got delayed because of the storm.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:59 I know.

Auntie Lynnie 0:09:00 Edging off. The penalties. It being Mexico.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:06 And they've only lost twice. The Maradona story.

Auntie Lynnie 0:09:10 It was just everything about it. It was so good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:12 But I think if they can win there, I think they can win anywhere.

Auntie Lynnie 0:09:16 Not sure.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:17 We're missing Spain and Portugal at the moment, which is a bit of a shocker. Sorry. Oh, please. Look at your face.

Auntie Lynnie 0:09:23 Yeah. Of course, they're playing now.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:25 Which will be good. And Portugal look tasty, I have to say. No, it's just great. I love World Cups. It's great fun. So fantastic.

Auntie Lynnie 0:09:32 And what was really lovely in where I live anyway, 'cause we can hear the, our local pub.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:37 Well, I saw, that was the other thing. Sorry, you, can you hear the pub, Dave? I don't, no. Is there any noise? No. Desperate to hear some noise from the pub.

Auntie Lynnie 0:09:46 I was expecting, 'cause sometimes when there's a match and the George play, you just hear the wave of people. It was deadly. So they played it so well, our local pub. Yeah. They had only regulars. They were in the pub, not in the market. Well, you're not allowed to be, I don't think, the legislation allowed being outside for smoking or anything.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:04 You had to be in the pub.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:05 But equally, as you know, my road is a bit of a cut-through for people that are walking back. Not a soul. It was very— but apparently my colleagues told me Hertford's slightly different story.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:16 I can imagine.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:17 Yeah. A lot of broken glass, a lot of blood. Yeah, it was a little bit of— which was always gonna happen. Yes. But overall, we've not had any real negative feedback.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:27 No, so far so good.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:28 So brilliant, yeah. But no, that was a cracker. So that was last night.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:32 I shall be thoroughly involved on Saturday evening.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:36 Yeah. We shall see. What time's that match?

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:39 10.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:40 All right. So you can manage that. We'll do that. Yeah. Yeah. That's all good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:43 Do love a kip though.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:44 The Cassidys like a— does Tony like a kip? 'Cause your brother does. Dave, that is. Is Tony a sleeper?

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:52 Not as much as us, I don't think.

Auntie Lynnie 0:10:54 You and Dave. I mean, I've known Dave to fall asleep standing up. At a party. So what we've been up to?

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:06 Um, what have I been doing? I went to Copenhagen.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:08 Oh yes.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:09 That was nice.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:11 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:11 I couldn't believe how clean it was.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:14 Isn't it an eye-opener when you go to other countries?

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:18 So organised. Bike lanes, everyone cycles.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:22 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:22 Bike lanes, you've got your car lane, not a lot of cars. Everything's linked up, isn't it, with bridges and rivers and beautiful lights and restaurants along the river. And it was really hot when I went and I looked out the hotel window, there were families jumping into the river having a morning swim. Wow. Imagine us doing that here.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:40 Oh yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:40 We'd be so ill.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:43 Yeah, I was just gonna say, what diseases would we inherit? Yeah. Yeah, it was just lovely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:49 Lovely people. Yeah, I really enjoyed it. It was a very fast visit, 24 hours flash. I'd love to go back there. I said to Mark, that's one to do. Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:11:57 Be nice to do.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:59 But yeah, the food, just how fresh it all is, and I enjoyed it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:12:03 We, um, we went to London last Sunday, your brother and I, and after a bit of shopping, we stopped and had a bit of dinner at a restaurant, sat outside. It was lovely weather, and, um, Again, it's really disappointing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:21 Go on.

Auntie Lynnie 0:12:22 We just don't— what is going on here?

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:24 Tell me.

Auntie Lynnie 0:12:26 So we've sat, we were just— it was gonna be a quick hour, just a plate of pasta, not, you know, not all singing or dancing. We had to get home for the dog.

Auntie Lynnie 0:12:33 So Dave orders, so the waiter comes over, they seat us outside, which is what we requested, so that was good. Then we— they come over, they said, can we get you any water? Dave said, can I have a jug of Uh, water please, tap water. Brings over 2 glasses of warm water, no ice. So I thought, okay, that's great.

Auntie Lynnie 0:12:51 But I couldn't be bothered to say, can we have ice and stuff? They come over, Dave said, could we order some wine? He orders a bottle of rosé. Then they— Dave said, I'm ready to order food as well, please. We order a starter, 2 plates of pasta.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:06 The starter arrives with the pasta. Oh. So that was another cross. Along with the warm water we were drinking. Pasta was delicious, starter was delicious.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:16 Still no wine.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:16 Oh no.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:18 So I say to Dave, I really don't, 'cause you know I'm not a heavy drinker. Just leave it now. I just want a glass of, yeah, my, I wanna drink my wine with my meal. Yes. I don't wanna guzzle it after.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:28 No.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:30 I said to Dave, I'm not paying for that wine. He said, don't start, don't start.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:34 You know what he's like, he don't like to complain. I said, no, but Dave, we nearly finished our meal. No, I agree with you. Do you, Frankie? Absolutely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:40 He said, just don't start. Anyway, calls him over. He said, excuse me, wine hasn't come yet. So they're scurrying around, they're all panicking to try and get this bottle of rosé. Eventually the bottle arrives.

Auntie Lynnie 0:13:50 Natalie, we've practically finished our meal. So to try and justify this bottle of wine, we, we share a dessert, which again was very nice. Table next to us are getting sort of the VIP treatment because they've been very loud, very demanding, very challenging. And there's 3 ladies sitting to the right of us. And I could see one of 'em kept looking over as if to say, oh, they don't look very happy.

Auntie Lynnie 0:14:10 But it was fine. We were just tired. Mm-hmm. And by this stage I'm a bit annoyed actually. Mm-hmm.

Auntie Lynnie 0:14:16 'Cause I knew it was gonna be expensive. Mm-hmm. 'Cause London's expensive. Anyway, I said to Dave, come on, get the bill now. He gets the bill, asks for the bill.

Auntie Lynnie 0:14:23 Bill comes over and I could see your brother pulling these funny faces as he's looking at this bill. I said, what's the matter? He went, he calls the waiter over, he goes, excuse me. Yeah. He said, the rosé on here?

Auntie Lynnie 0:14:33 I said, yeah. He said, uh, £95. He says, that's not what we ordered. He went, oh, oh, oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir. He said, uh, I'll get that taken off.

Auntie Lynnie 0:14:44 And Dave then plucks up the courage to say, in fact, you should be taking it off the bill altogether because the rosé arrived with our dessert. Anyway, he's gone away, come back, took the rosé off the bill. Dave went, see, I've got the wine taken off the bill. But the whole— so how many faux pas in just that hour we were there? Anyway, the moral of the story is, what was lovely about it is the ladies sitting to our right.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:12 I don't know how our attention— I don't know how we ended up speaking. 3 Irish girls.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:18 Oh, brilliant.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:19 We ended up having an hour with them. I ended up having photos with them.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:23 Brilliant.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:24 Dave ends up telling them about the pod and who you were, and they all knew of you. They was—

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:31 Oh, let's hope they listen. Send us a message, 07788 201919.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:37 Michelle, Elaine— oh, and I said I promise I'll remember your names— Michelle, Elaine, and Karen.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:46 Karen, lovely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:47 They were beautiful girls, genuinely. They've just made our lives.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:52 Irish girls, yeah, great fun.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:54 Such fun.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:55 Brilliant.

Auntie Lynnie 0:15:55 They said, oh, we thought we'd upset you. We went, no, we're just miserable. Us Londoners are miserable. Just really lovely girls. But so it just ended up being a lovely evening. Oh, that's good. But just, isn't it a shame that still we just can't get basic stuff right? It's a thinker, innit?

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:14 It is when you're paying a lot of money for a service. Yeah. As we've said before.

Auntie Lynnie 0:16:18 And our wine weren't cheap. Mm-hmm. But so, too right, that should have been taken off. But then they're trying to charge us double for a bottle of— I mean, how? Why? Yeah. It's bizarre.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:30 Yeah. It's a lot. It's a lot.

Auntie Lynnie 0:16:32 But the food was lovely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:33 Food was lovely, and you met some lovely people.

Auntie Lynnie 0:16:35 And we met some lovely people.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:36 So you always have to turn these things on their head.

Auntie Lynnie 0:16:39 Absolutely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:39 Look at the positives in it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:16:40 Yeah. Absolutely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:18:32 But hopefully we're gonna have our own in-house chef soon, aren't we? So—

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:39 That'll be nice.

Auntie Lynnie 0:18:39 Come on, Eliza, you can do this.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:42 Yeah. Yeah, she did her work experience. Yeah. That also sounds quite incredible because I feel like on that side of the coin, it was a very prestigious place that she was at. And the customers can be quite demanding. So you've got the other side of the coin.

Auntie Lynnie 0:19:00 Yeah, I saw it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:02 Yeah. But she loved it. She really loved it. She enjoyed it. And she loved being in the kitchen.

Auntie Lynnie 0:19:07 Interesting. Because that's hardcore, working in the kitchen.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:10 Hardcore. Very, very hard. But again, this is what work experience is about. How lovely to go and just have a little glimpse into working life and see if there's anything you like or dislike and just gives you that little feeling. I think there should be more work experience. I agree. I don't think 4 days is enough.

Auntie Lynnie 0:19:27 And yeah, you should have the opportunity.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:28 Different bits.

Auntie Lynnie 0:19:29 Completely different industries, completely different careers. She's gone into a kitchen or hospitality. You know, she could now do another 4 days.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:39 Wherever.

Auntie Lynnie 0:19:40 Whether it's in finance or just to see the polar opposite. Because how do you know?

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:47 You don't.

Auntie Lynnie 0:19:48 And does she have a lot to do with the clientele then, Eliza? Does she? No. She did not particularly. No. Oh, okay.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:55 But she was there, she was shadowing, she was helping, she was— but yeah, she really loved it. So it was good. And that's what brought me onto the subject of kids' education work. I popped a message on, as usual, thank you so much, everybody. I've got thousands of messages.

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:11 It's inundated. So thank you. I'll do a bit of Russian roulette tonight and go through a few of them. But it made me think about talking to Eliza, A-levels. Obviously, you have to stay in education now until you're 18.

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:23 And then I was thinking, but if you really love the kitchen, is there a way, is there a culinary school? Or why have you got to just do what you're told to do? Is there other things that could be better for her?

Auntie Lynnie 0:20:35 But unlike, like in our day, you could leave school at 16.

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:40 Well, that's what I'm saying. That's what you did.

Auntie Lynnie 0:20:41 Yeah, and it was the best thing ever for me. I turned 16 in the June, I started Barclays in the June, and I loved every second of working. I loved— it actually heightened to me how much I actually probably didn't enjoy school for some reason. Mm-hmm. And I was studious, I was hardworking. I wasn't overly academic, but I was a grafter. I worked really hard in every subject. I applied myself. But I just thrived when I started working. I thrived. I became me, the true me. It gave me confidence.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:20 But you're meeting people. Gave me social element.

Auntie Lynnie 0:21:24 It gave me people skills. You earn money. I love— I remember Fridays coming and thinking, I can't wait for Monday.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:32 Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:21:32 Isn't that mad?

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:33 Oh, it's lovely though.

Auntie Lynnie 0:21:34 And everyone going, oh, the weekend, the weekend. And I just think, oh, because I just loved being at work because I had quite a strict upbringing. So for me, work was social. There'd always be something going on. I just loved it. I loved my jobs.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:49 Well, I did. I noticed Eliza's— she lit up going to work. And I think some people, I just don't—

Auntie Lynnie 0:21:57 But do you think now, like Eliza's gonna be 16 in September. I was obviously in a full-time career soon to be her age. Do you think that that's too young to be working full-time? Having Eliza at home and knowing Eliza how you know her?

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:14 Not for Eliza, no.

Auntie Lynnie 0:22:15 No.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:17 I think she could do it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:22:18 Do you? Yeah. She's ready.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:20 But I think— To get on a train, commute to London. Her birthday's in September. Like you say, she's 16, but she's always had quite an old, older head. She's been quite mature. She's a bit like me. She loved it, getting on the train, getting on the tube.

Auntie Lynnie 0:22:34 But they do now have to do 2 years of further studies, whether it's college or whatever it is.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:39 Further studies, apprenticeship, whatever it is.

Auntie Lynnie 0:22:40 But can you do an apprenticeship at 16? Or is it 18? 'Cause apprenticeship at 16 means you go to work and then you go to college a day a week.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:52 So in England, you can leave school at the end of Year 11, usually in June if you're 16, but you must stay in some sort of form of education or training until you're 18. An apprenticeship counts as this because you work while studying towards a qualification.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:06 Oh, so at 16 you can do an apprenticeship?

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:08 Yes, you can.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:08 Oh, wow.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:09 Yes, you can.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:11 So you can go to college once a week and be working 4 days a week? I don't think it's even, yes.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:15 Spending part-time of your training with a college or a training provider. You're gaining qualifications whilst building work experience. You can work for an employer and earn a wage. It's very interesting.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:26 Oh, right.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:27 Very interesting. So yeah, it got me onto, because you went to, you know, Dave left school at 16.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:34 But Dave would've loved to have done uni.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:36 Yes.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:36 But your parents were very anti-uni. But Dave would've loved it. And to be fair, Dave is extremely academic.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:42 Yes.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:43 So he probably would've thrived at uni. Would his career had been any different to what it was?

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:51 Who knows?

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:53 We don't know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:53 No.

Auntie Lynnie 0:23:54 Because ultimately, instead of starting Barclays at 22, 23, he started at 17, I think your brother was. By 23, he'd already had 4 years' experience in the bank.

Natalie Cassidy 0:24:08 And that's the thing, it's about that experience and gaining it. Yes, totally. However, some people go to uni and they absolutely thrive and they love it and they gain degrees and there's just so many different routes.

Auntie Lynnie 0:24:19 And also now, I think more people go to uni than they did back in our day.

Natalie Cassidy 0:24:24 Yes.

Auntie Lynnie 0:24:24 In our day, if you went to uni, you were like, wow. You would've had to obviously have stayed on, done your A-levels and then gone on to university. And it was, you know, few and far between that did the uni. So it was kind of, you were really sort of, people would look at you in high regard. Yes. You know, in banking, you were fast-tracked if you were a university graduate in finance. They fast-tracked you through the system. Whereas we would have to, we would do the same process.

Natalie Cassidy 0:24:52 But be slower.

Auntie Lynnie 0:24:53 But it was a slower process. But it didn't mean that the end goal was the same, subject to who you were and what you achieved. But now everyone goes to uni.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:03 And that's the problem. So it's sort of not a problem, but they are now saying, you know, I listen to the radio a lot, whatever. And there's a lot, a lot of people that are unemployed coming out of university with degrees, with a lot of debt. And it's hard.

Auntie Lynnie 0:25:17 Yeah. And then, and then people are saying, oh, we want people with experience. Employers want people with experience. Exactly. Yes. Well, how am I gonna get that experience? And also the debt.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:26 No worries. The debt that comes with it. It's a lot for people.

Auntie Lynnie 0:25:29 Well, you, some of the messages that I've not listened to many of them, but some of the messages I've listened to where people are still paying debt Absolutely. From years ago.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:37 Should we listen to some? Yeah, let's do it. 'Cause we've got so many. Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:25:40 Hi, Nat.

Speaker L 0:25:41 Hi, Auntie Lily.

Auntie Lynnie 0:25:43 I remember being absolutely devastated when my son didn't take up one of the 5 places he'd been offered at university to do forensic science.

Speaker L 0:25:54 I was really, really gutted, um, but he told me that he didn't want to study anymore and he just wanted to go to work. So I had to let him do that at 18. He had loads of qualifications and loads of A-levels.

Auntie Lynnie 0:26:10 He has worked quite happily at Tesco's since 2016.

Speaker L 0:26:16 Um, he's in middle management now, key holder, working very well, earning very well, living his best life, holidaying, golfing, etc., and is happy. So I think it has to be what the child wants, not what the parent wants, which is really hard. I was a failure at school, so I was just glad that he didn't follow in my footsteps.

Auntie Lynnie 0:26:40 So there you go. But it's a massive subject.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:42 Yeah, it really, really is.

Auntie Lynnie 0:26:44 Oh, don't call yourself a failure. No, no. That's silly.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:47 No one— Yes.

Auntie Lynnie 0:26:47 It's not about that, is it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:50 No, not at all.

Auntie Lynnie 0:26:50 And that's the other thing. As a parent, you can't push your child to do something that you want them to do.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:59 They've got to do what they want to do. Because it doesn't work. They'll just be unhappy.

Auntie Lynnie 0:27:02 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:03 They'll do it for 6 months. Yes. They'll come out of it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:27:06 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:06 You know, they need to do what they want to do and learn from their mistakes if there are mistakes made.

Auntie Lynnie 0:27:12 Yeah. I mean, Eddya sort of did it. She, she finished school. She wanted to stay on, but she didn't wanna stay on at her school.

Auntie Lynnie 0:27:19 She wanted to stay on at another school, which I thought was weird in itself to do her A-levels there. So she went to this other, That didn't work. Then she went to college. She didn't like that either. The only ground rules I had was you're not just leaving education to sit at home.

Auntie Lynnie 0:27:33 Of course. So you get a job. Regardless of what the job is, it's a stopgap until you find your path. And that's one thing Dave and I were quite headstrong about. And all the children, they all did the same.

Auntie Lynnie 0:27:46 None of them went to uni. I think out of the 3, maybe only Maria would've been the one that more than likely could've been. perhaps gone to university. But Natalie, you've seen they've all done exceptionally well for themselves.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:59 And I think that is, again, a reason why for me uni's not the be-all and end-all. Because I look at everybody in the family. Around you, yeah. And how well they've done without university. I'm not saying it's not a good thing.

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:11 No, none of it, of course, each to their own and—

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:14 Oh, and then we've got Evie. Evie's an anomaly.

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:16 Who's excelled. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:17 But that's an anomaly. Yeah. Because it's not just uni, is it? It's Cambridge and it's—

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:21 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:23 You know.

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:23 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:23 Different kettle of fish there.

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:25 I just think it's tough for youngsters now as well because even careers out there now, AI are going to take so many careers away from people.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:36 Oh, especially those jobs which you go into filing, typing things out. It's all gone, isn't it? All those little bits, office clerks.

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:46 Oh, just do not exist. Look, the banks, the banks have closed their branches.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:51 Of course. So where would you be today?

Auntie Lynnie 0:28:54 Yeah, the banks closed their branches. Disappeared. Yeah, they've merged, you know, all the administrative side of things have merged. People working, you know, now from home. But just being a cashier at a desk, it's all gone. It's gone.

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:09 It's crazy, really, isn't it?

Auntie Lynnie 0:29:10 Yeah, so, so many jobs have been eliminated. Well, the girls at work were saying, 'cause one of them's got a 15, 16-year-old son, you know, at schools they are encouraging them to do manual jobs. Yes.

Auntie Lynnie 0:29:21 Like electrician, a builder, a plumber. Carpenter. Yes. Chippy. Because AI can't take that from you.

Auntie Lynnie 0:29:29 And they're being encouraged to sort of go down that route. Mm-hmm. Which again, isn't for everybody. But we often say to, we've got a father and son team that work for us that does all our maintenance. And I always say to his son, What the skills you are learning from your dad are invaluable.

Auntie Lynnie 0:29:51 You are going to be so sought after because people like you are few and far between.

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:55 Yeah, absolutely. Well, it's no different to what I did with the care thing. It's invaluable.

Auntie Lynnie 0:30:00 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:00 Going to college, learning nursing, caring. AI is not gonna be able to do that. No. And that's why I enjoyed Eliza doing hospitality. Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:30:09 Because again, you can't, it's face to face.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:12 It's social, it's face to face, it's personal. talking to people, conversating. It's— you're not gonna— that's always going to be around. So I do think we have to think like that, unless you're into technology and into AI, so you can really get involved with that side of things.

Speaker M 0:30:28 Um, this one too I've done. I've, um, labelled my medicine Joanie and just put it in my pocket in case it hurts when I'm at school.

Auntie Lynnie 0:30:42 I've put my costume in my bag and labelled it Joanie. I've— I don't know what I'm labelling it. I've got— put all my stuff next to my bed ready for school tomorrow. I packed my pencil case and I put my water bottle with new water with ice in the fridge and by my bed a new plastic cup one just for new water. I've got my Absolutely fantastic job.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:12 Thanks, babe.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:13 Love you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:13 Love you.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:14 Hi, darling.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:16 Well done.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:17 I had fun doing that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:18 Thanks, darling.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:25 She's an anomaly, isn't she?

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:26 Back to school tomorrow.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:28 Is that— she didn't go today?

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:29 No, she came with me. I had a panto launch and I just thought another little day. But she's quite, yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:36 Well, she seems better today.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:38 Better. She's enjoyed the day, I think. And she's very good. Mm-hmm. She does a lot for herself.

Auntie Lynnie 0:31:45 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:45 Even with a broken arm. Bless her. So there you go. Let's have another one.

Speaker N 0:31:49 Hi, Nat. So I left school at 16. I ended up having my first child not long after, and then ended up being a stay-at-home mum.

Speaker N 0:32:00 And then 5 years later, I had my son. And I ended up being a stay-at-home mum again. And then when he went into nursery when he was 3, I went and got a job. Well, first of all, I went to college to do my AAT in accounting, and then I went to do some experience at the company where I've ended up getting a full-time job now. I've been there 16 years this year, and 5 years ago they put me through a degree at university.

Speaker N 0:32:28 I did a Chartered Management Business degree, and it was always a dream of mine to wear the cap and gown. Mm. Due to having my children so young, obviously, I didn't manage to go down that route like a lot of my friends did, but thankfully my bosses paid for it for me and it's worked out for me because I'm now a senior manager. My daughter's been to university, she did a law degree and she's now working in a law firm following the path where she hopes to one day become a barrister. She's 25 now.

Speaker N 0:32:58 And my son wasn't the greatest in education but did work his ass off, but he wanted to go down the employment route, so he's now got a full-time job working. So yeah, it's both sides really for my family, but yeah, it's been good. It's Tracy from Manchester.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:17 Oh, thanks Tracy. Isn't that lovely?

Auntie Lynnie 0:33:19 Amazing what she's done for herself.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:21 Well, I love— that's why education at a later age is— again, nothing is impossible. There's so much pressure at this age. 16, choose your A-levels. How do they know really?

Auntie Lynnie 0:33:32 You don't know, do you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:33 She's coming up— Eliza's saying, I'd like, I might do politics and I might do economics. I like drama.

Auntie Lynnie 0:33:40 But her options— I like history.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:42 You know, she needs 3 or whatever. And I just think you don't really know. And then she's gone down there, well, there's nothing cooking, is there, at school? So is it right for her to, if she, if it lit her up, does she not do the A-levels? And then you think, oh, but you should have those in the back pocket. Really? You can just do 'em again, do 'em later. I just think we need to, remember that it's not so black and white. We haven't all got to be the same. And we all just get into this routine and pattern of what you're meant to do.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:09 Yeah, I agree.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:10 There isn't a right or wrong way.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:11 No, you've gotta do what works for you. And what, but then where would the Eliza, say for instance now, say she turned around and said to you, I wanna do an apprenticeship.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:20 I don't know, I'm gonna look into it. There might be culinary, who knows?

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:25 'Cause if that's the—

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:26 Or chefs, or where she could get into a kitchen, could she study?

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:29 Think of all the experience that she will gain in the space of a couple of years. Where she would just be at school doing subjects that she's probably not got too much interest in. She does love politics. Right.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:39 She does love debating.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:40 Does she? Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:41 Yes. She likes a fucking argument.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:45 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:45 She's good at it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:46 Yeah. Yeah, she likes a debate.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:49 She likes a debate, doesn't she? And I wonder then.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:53 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:53 But you just got, you know what? I just want them to be happy. I mean that. I really just want them to be happy.

Auntie Lynnie 0:34:59 And they're going to be so different because you have one child that goes to uni, doesn't mean another child's gonna want to go to uni.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:06 Absolutely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:06 One child might be academic, doesn't mean the other one's gonna be particularly academic.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:10 Absolutely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:11 And it is, it comes at a time in your life, like you say, where they, their hormones are all over the place. They discover boys, girls. It's just so much going on. Friendship, yeah. There's just so much going on. Then you've got these huge decisions.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:25 I just think it's all wrong.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:27 That can pave your future.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:29 I just think the timing's wrong.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:31 I know. I know. Which in a way probably is why they say, you know, you need to be in education until you're 18 because you're older, you're more mature.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:43 Maybe.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:44 Perhaps that's why that changed because that only changed, that wasn't that long ago.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:48 No, I know, but you still then need to make choices.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:52 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:53 And the studying you're doing and the subjects you're doing.

Auntie Lynnie 0:35:56 Yeah. And that's it. hours and hours and hours practising shorthand. I excelled at it in my exam. Excelled. I never ever used it. No.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:10 I know.

Auntie Lynnie 0:36:12 Started working in the bank, I wasn't even on the typing pool of the banking. And then dictaphones came in anyway, didn't it? Shorthand.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:19 It's crazy, isn't it?

Auntie Lynnie 0:36:21 It was hours of my life.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:22 Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:36:24 That's why you kind of— I mean, yeah, maybe I'm the wrong person. I am a true believer of, I think work just makes you the person you are. And if you are fortunate enough to step into the right role from day one and you're hardworking and you're committed, you can create a fantastic future for yourself. Or people start their own business.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:50 But again, even if you don't and you do 2 years somewhere that's happy and you wanna go somewhere else and get another little job somewhere, Or you wanna go to work wherever you wanna go to work.

Auntie Lynnie 0:36:59 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:00 I just think having that work ethic is good.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:02 Amazing. Incredible.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:04 Which is why I don't like the fact that they changed getting a little Saturday job.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:08 Yeah. 'Cause you can't— They can't even do that now. You could have been 14.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:11 I'm not talking about grafting and sending kids to work for 12 hours. But to go into a hairdresser's for 3 or 4 hours on a Saturday to sweep up the hair and make cups of tea and earn yourself £25.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:21 Well, it allows them to appreciate the value of money a little bit as well if they're earning it themselves. But they can't do that now.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:29 No, you have to have a National Insurance number. So Eliza will be getting hers soon. She's 16, so she'll be able to get a little job soon. But yeah, it used to be younger than that and it was good.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:38 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:38 I mean, I'm sitting here talking. I went to work, I was 10.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:42 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:43 I didn't think about school. I did, but I loved school. I loved learning. I loved it.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:49 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:50 And I too, now, even now, I love my assignment. I enjoy learning. I would love to do more learning. I would love to do an art history degree.

Auntie Lynnie 0:37:59 Would you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:00 Just something I wanna do.

Auntie Lynnie 0:38:01 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:01 I would love to do more. I'd like to do an Open University degree at some point for myself. I would love to do that, 'cause I love learning for the sake of learning.

Auntie Lynnie 0:38:10 Yeah, I do.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:11 Not for an end.

Auntie Lynnie 0:38:11 But don't you think it's so much harder as you get older to learn? Or not?

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:22 I think it depends. If you're learning something you are passionate about, to me that is a hobby, that is fun. When I go and stand in an art gallery and I'm reading up on someone and I'm looking and then I might buy a book of theirs and I'm— I find it really fun. That's sort of my fun.

Auntie Lynnie 0:38:45 And that's why it's lovely to hear some of these voice notes where people have, you know, taken degrees and later on in life and being able to do something they're passionate about.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:55 Really good.

Auntie Lynnie 0:38:56 And how rewarding that must be.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:58 So rewarding.

Natalie Cassidy 0:41:46 Let's have another one. Hello, Nat. It's Emma from Networth. Hope you're all right. I just saw your lovely post on Instagram about your pod you're doing with Auntie Lily. I must say, you look really nice in that video. You look really glowy. Your hair looks beautiful.

Auntie Lynnie 0:42:03 Yeah, I thought that too.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:04 So me, I didn't go to uni.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:07 I wasn't very academic, but I have a skill. I have a good skill. I'm a hairdresser. I love my job. I love the fact that my report card in school said I always spoke too much, and now look at me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:20 I've got a job as a hairdresser, and my job is talking, as we've discussed before. But my kids, yeah, so I've got one kid, Darcy. She went straight into also Hob Hair Salons, did training, became a barber. She trained the quickest out of all the juniors in the company, I believe, and by the time she was 17, she was a qualified barber. She's now an excellent barber.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:40 She's going in for a Barber of the Year award and she's made the finals, so really proud of her. My other one, Holly, now 24, she is a makeup artist. She went to uni. She wasn't gonna— she wasn't sure. We didn't push her because I don't believe you should push your kids into something that they don't want to do.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:58 So I let things become their own decision. When Darcy decided she wanted to be a barber, she came to me and said, I think I know what I want to do. I said, what do you want to do? Holly wasn't sure what she wanted to do. We always thought she was going to go down the amateur dramatics group.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:10 Well, not amateur dramatics, what do you call it? Like singing song. She always danced when she was young. She was a dancer. She used to do freestyle disco.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:16 She got to Champions, and she got to Champs and she quit. There was no further for her. She was going to further it in uni, but she didn't. In the end, she went and she did makeup. She got distinction.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:26 She was brilliant. So, she decided to follow that, and now she's a makeup artist working for Charlotte Tilbury, and she loves it. So I didn't push my kids into doing anything they didn't want to do because I don't believe that. I think that you should let them nourish and choose their own paths. So that's my little story.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:43 Hope it didn't go on longer than 2 minutes. Just under. Haha. Anyway, lots of love to you and Auntie Lenny. Bye.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:50 Thanks, Emma.

Auntie Lynnie 0:43:51 And there you go again, a variety of scenarios in within one household.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:55 It's great.

Auntie Lynnie 0:43:55 And look at her daughter, she's a barber and she's excelled. There's so many different career paths out there, isn't there? There's just so many. And you do sometimes find yourself stuck in a bit of a lane. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:09 There's so many jobs out there.

Auntie Lynnie 0:44:11 I see it even in my job. Anyway, people that rent through us, obviously we have to reference them. Of course. And just all the different—

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:19 What's the weirdest job you've seen? Not weird, but unusual, that sort of stuck out for you. Can you remember any?

Auntie Lynnie 0:44:25 Just unusual career.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:27 That sort of stuck out and you thought, oh wow.

Auntie Lynnie 0:44:29 I mean, obviously we have lots of police, teachers, pharmaceuticals. But the weirdest— oh, Natalie, you've put me on the spot now. That's all right, you can have a think about it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:42 It's all right.

Auntie Lynnie 0:44:43 I couldn't even tell you what they are. But I mean, yeah, the selection of careers.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:48 So many.

Auntie Lynnie 0:44:48 It's vast.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:51 I always think that when I go into Marks& Spencer's.

Auntie Lynnie 0:44:54 You really wanna go and do a little job in there?

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:57 No, no, I thought I could absolutely work at the till. No, but I mean the offices and all those jobs, food developers, and it just blows my— that would be my dream, coming up with flavours and developing things. And yeah, I even thought of Eliza there. Maybe she did a bit of cooking. Maybe that would be good. That would, you know, different. routes for a supermarket or a— it's, uh, yeah, it's absolutely fascinating. But again, that's my dream, not Eliza's dream, so you can't push people into things.

Speaker P 0:45:26 Hi Nat and Auntie Lynnie, my name's Lisa. I'm living in New Zealand, but as you can tell, I'm from Wiltshire, I think, from my accent. Just saw your Instagram post about work, so I just thought I'd voice note in. I'm now 57, so I've been been working since I was 16, so 41 years.

Auntie Lynnie 0:45:49 I personally never wanted to go to uni, but each to their own. So I took— I did a hairdressing apprenticeship at 16, been doing it ever since. Done a very few other things after I moved to New Zealand, but for me, uni was definitely not the right thing. But these days, I think— God, they're getting so much debt these days. But yeah, definitely. And we need more people doing apprenticeships.

Speaker P 0:46:13 Um, I don't know if they're still a thing. I don't actually have any children, so I've only got nieces, but a couple of my nieces haven't been to uni, or not proper uni. It's slightly different here in New Zealand. But, um, I love— anyway, I'm waffling on there. Um, love listening to the pod and speak to you soon. Bye!

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:37 Another hairdresser.

Auntie Lynnie 0:46:38 You do get that feel that people feel like they're sort of justifying themselves. Oh, you know, I— I didn't go to uni. Yes.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:45 Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:46:46 Like it's a—

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:47 Bad thing. Yeah. Yeah. But that is, it's very, it's still pushed. Yeah. The uni thing is very, very pushed. I had a message here from Amy from Wirral. Hi, I went to uni, studied primary education to become a teacher, was a supply teacher for 5 years as I couldn't get a full-time job, left that, and I now work as a conductor on trains earning more than I would as a teacher.

Auntie Lynnie 0:47:09 And that's the other crazy thing, isn't it? You can get a degree, you can get the job of your dreams, and then you're— and I know, listen, it's not all about money because some people would rather do jobs they enjoy and be earning less money than not doing a job. Of course, yes. But equally, when you know you've worked so hard to get a particular role, you work hard, you're committed, you've done the whole degree thing, and then your salary doesn't kind of reflect—

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:36 The amount of work you've done.

Auntie Lynnie 0:47:37 The amount that, and you could just go and stack shelves in Sainsbury's and probably earn the same salary with less responsibility.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:44 Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:47:46 That's sometimes I feel like for people, well, Eliza said it downstairs, didn't she? When we were chatting earlier. You know, if I go into working in hospitality, the starting salary's just so low.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:58 But again, I think you have to start somewhere.

Auntie Lynnie 0:48:01 Of course, of course.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:01 And I think these kids think they're gonna be, I dunno what they think, 'cause they've got no value yet. They don't know about money and what things cost.

Auntie Lynnie 0:48:08 They think they've gotta be earning what someone who's been working 30 years. Yeah. And you need to start. We've all had to do that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:13 You know, we've all had to start small. As long as you know you're in, yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:48:16 And if you've got that aspiration to succeed and earn a good salary 'cause you want a certain lifestyle, you've just gotta make sure you go into a career where there is scope for growth.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:26 Yeah. And there isn't a ceiling.

Auntie Lynnie 0:48:28 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:29 There's room to grow.

Auntie Lynnie 0:48:30 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:32 Hi Nat, how are you? Just saw your post about your pod tomorrow. So I never went to college or uni, and I left school as soon as I could with hardly any GCSEs.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:41 From the age of 16, everything I have done is through me learning on the job and building experience. I've had an amazing career doing some fantastic jobs, and my current job I've been in for just over 5 years working for a very high-end luxury holiday villa company. I've always worked in travel and always had a job from my very first work experience when my mum used to work in a hotel. I always had dream jobs, but travel is where I've always been. When I was young, girls were always told that without grades you don't make anything with your life, and it really bothered me for years and years, but it's not that at all.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:14 Regardless what grade you get, everyone still has to start at the bottom of any job. Yeah, and that's so true. Yeah, I agree.

Auntie Lynnie 0:49:20 It's not always about grades. It doesn't mean to say you mustn't study at school and Do your best, of course. But I genuinely do not think it is the be-all and end-all.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:32 Listen, how many people do you see? How many entrepreneurs left school at 15? Your Alan Sugars. Yeah. Your Richard Bransons. Jamie Olivers.

Auntie Lynnie 0:49:41 I know so many successful people. There's so many. And that's only a few that we know. Half of them can barely spell their name. But they are super successful.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:50 'Cause it's not all about—

Auntie Lynnie 0:49:52 It's having other skills. Social skills. Business sense. Heads. Business sense, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:58 Positivity. Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:49:59 You can't sometimes learn that. It is in you. No, it's in you. That entrepreneurial thing is in you. Mm-hmm. But obviously if you've got a brain to go with it, then you are super dangerous, aren't you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:50:09 No, it's absolutely fascinating.

Speaker Q 0:50:11 Hi Nat and Auntie Lynnie. So this is Karen and I'm calling about careers.

Auntie Lynnie 0:50:18 I left school with 3 GCSEs, didn't know what I wanted to do, went into work, and had a great time till I was 20, and I thought, I can't carry on like this. Anyway, went back to night school and did an NVQ Level 3, just like you. And I used that as a springboard to go to university to do my nurse training. I did a diploma, and now, 20-odd years later, I have a degree and I have a master's and— Incredible.

Auntie Lynnie 0:50:49 Hopefully doing And I think I've got cleverer as I've got older. I wasn't ready for uni straight from college school. So, do you know, the choices we make when we're a teenager don't define who we are as a grownup. Anyway, take care. Love the pod.

Auntie Lynnie 0:51:06 Bye now. There you go. She's answered your question that you said earlier. For some people, that age is just not the right age to making those decisions.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:15 Or, or, or to learn.

Auntie Lynnie 0:51:16 Or to learn even because your brain or your you're too busy focusing on other things. Maybe you're not emotionally mature enough to be able to deal with all of this. So interesting how many people have gone into further education at a much late— later stage in their lives. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:35 This is very, very good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:37 Yeah. Very, very good. One here. Hi Nat and Auntie Linnie. My daughter is amazing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:42 Studied hard at uni, did well, and is now trying to get her first proper job in the field she's worked so hard to get into. But oh my God, is the job market brutal. Mm-hmm. It's so, so hard to watch her not get replies, get rejected, and get the nearly but not quite stage. She's so good at what she does and just needs that first bit of luck to get going.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:03 I'm here for the moral support, but as a mum, it's just heartbreaking at times to see how much it affects her confidence. I know she'll be fine in the end, but the waiting is hell. Still glad she went to uni though. She learned as much from living away from home as she did through studying. And that's also very important.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:19 Much love, Jen from Horsham.

Auntie Lynnie 0:52:20 Oh, Jen, I feel your pain. And again, for as a parent to see their child work so hard and then the constant rejection when you're trying to get your foot in the door. I get it to a fashion with CVs that are emailed directly to me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:36 Yes. Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:52:36 And you know, I do, I am at least polite enough to respond.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:40 Yes, of course.

Auntie Lynnie 0:52:41 But ultimately, You know, small business.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:44 Yeah, you can only do so much.

Auntie Lynnie 0:52:45 You don't have the turnaround of staff that, you know, some of the big organisations. But how demoralising must that be for someone who's just like—

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:52 But another thing to touch on there that we haven't touched on, university life. That's another— it's not just education in terms of study, it's moving away and being on your own.

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:04 Learning independence.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:06 Independence. And, you know, some people really want to do that. They wanna leave home.

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:12 Just experience not being at home.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:14 A bit of life.

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:15 Having to, yeah, just having, maybe there's no ground rules because there's no one there, is there, to tell you you can't be in at 11 o'clock and, or do your own washing and ironing or cook your own plate of pasta or, so yeah, I guess that's some, that's a skill you are gonna—

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:32 And it's a school of life, isn't it? Going away from home and not being at home.

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:35 And also, they will appreciate home so much more once they've been away.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:41 Yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:41 And you're meeting, you know, when you go to uni as well, subject to which uni you go to, in many cases it's not—

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:47 Well, it doesn't matter what one, does it?

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:49 It may not necessarily be within your, the place you live. So you're meeting different people.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:55 Different walks of life.

Auntie Lynnie 0:53:56 Different walks of life.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:57 But also might be like-minded 'cause they've chosen the same subject. So again, it's very, you're broadening your horizons, which I see also, yeah.

Auntie Lynnie 0:54:06 No, absolutely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:07 No, it's excellent. Yeah. So there's— So good.

Auntie Lynnie 0:54:08 Yeah. There's so many angles at which you can look at all of this. Ultimately, the end goal is for people to end up in a job that they enjoy, that they're gonna earn decent money, that they can have a career from it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:23 Or they go to work, they lead a very simple life, but they're happy, Lynne. Yeah. Some people don't want a career.

Auntie Lynnie 0:54:28 No. They wanna go and work. No, it's fine. Get their money. No pressure. No pressure.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:32 Go and do their job, come home. Yeah. Pay their bills, which is hard for everyone at the moment, I know. But, you know, and we need, that's, we have to have that difference, 'cause society wouldn't work.

Auntie Lynnie 0:54:44 Of course.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:45 You're gonna have to have people that want the big careers and wanna do whatever they're doing. And then you need people that are happy to work in a shop or whatever it is, because it wouldn't work, would it?

Auntie Lynnie 0:54:55 No, of course, of course.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:56 No, it's really, really interesting. Thoroughly enjoyed that. Thank you all so much for all your messages. Again, I've got them all banked. I'm sure we can touch on it another time. But yeah, it's been lovely.

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:07 Always lovely. I've gotta go home now and fight the bollards.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:11 Fight, pardon? Sorry, who are the bollards? Family members?

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:16 Neighbours? No, sort of 2 little contraptions we've acquired. So, you know, we did the drive.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:21 Yeah. Oh, they haven't put bollards up?

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:24 No, we put them in because—

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:26 You don't want anyone parking on the drive?

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:27 No, we just don't want people stealing our cars.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:29 Right.

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:30 So we thought, we've spent all this money doing the drive, if you're gonna put these bollards in, now's the time to do it. Get a bit of security, yeah. Yeah, no, Dave, that's a really good idea. anything big, and some of them are like industrial. These are quite nice, delicate looking things. I'm not a fan of them, but you know, they're needed.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:48 And are they, sorry, are they electronic? Do they come in and out the ground?

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:51 No, we didn't go that posh. You have to sort of pull them out the ground, and then you lock them with a key.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:56 Okey-dokey.

Auntie Lynnie 0:55:57 I kind of haven't mastered the locking and unlocking of them. So this morning I said to your brother, 'cause I'm rushing around going to work, I said, can you just go and put the bollards down for me so I can just leave when I get home? Go downstairs. I've looked out the window, he's been fighting them for about 10 minutes. I thought, what the hell is he doing? But I know they are tricky 'cause I've struggled with them.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:26 Do you think it's where they're new?

Auntie Lynnie 0:56:27 No, I just think we don't know how to do it. Oh, I mean, it's just a cave.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:32 Could, could we get someone around to show you? Oh, I don't know.

Auntie Lynnie 0:56:35 So now I'm thinking I've gotta go home.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:37 And fight the bollards. In the dark.

Auntie Lynnie 0:56:39 I've gotta pull the bollards up and hope I can look.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:41 Or just leave 'em down for a bit.

Auntie Lynnie 0:56:45 Because it'll be the one time you leave 'em down, the car will go missing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:48 I know, but it's been all right for all these years. Oh. Remember, you've not had 'em for all these years.

Auntie Lynnie 0:56:52 No, I know. And that's why our car got nicked.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:58 Forgot about that. Oh dear. Oh, it is fun and games, fun and games.

Auntie Lynnie 0:57:04 It really is, it really is.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:06 So I'm gonna pop that video of me singing on Patreon.

Auntie Lynnie 0:57:11 Oh, it's a must. So for those of you that aren't on it, it's worth it just for that video and for some of the text messages.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:20 See if we can do a couple of screen grabs. You can do that bit. Um, thank you so much. I know that you've been up all night, literally up all night, because I've got proof on my phone. But thank you.

Auntie Lynnie 0:57:33 A pleasure. And so sorry if it was a bit subdued tonight.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:37 No, I think it's been lovely, lovely pod. And I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend. Enjoy Saturday. Well, the weather's beautiful, but enjoy— let's enjoy Saturday's game. That's not—

Auntie Lynnie 0:57:49 we will.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:51 No, I will. It's 10 o'clock. It's 10 o'clock. Leave me alone. Thank you, everybody. 07788 20 19 19. Please always keep sending in your responses, your comments, your stories, your ideas. Can't do it without you. And Lynn, I'll see you very, very soon. Will do. Bye, darling. Night night. Bye, everyone. See you guys. Bye. Bye.