EP259: Nagging with Auntie Linny #31 – Rest in Power Dolly Parton

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:06 Hello and welcome to Life with Nat on this September morning. Can you believe it?

Auntie Linny 0:03:12 Oh yeah, it will be.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:13 Auntie Linnie's with me. You alright, darling?

Auntie Linny 0:03:16 Yeah, good. Oh, this is Bank Holiday Monday then?

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:19 It certainly is. Oh, very nice. Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:03:21 Very nice.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:22 And how are we feeling regarding the weather change?

Auntie Linny 0:03:25 Yes. Well, it's still mild, so I quite— obviously we're all welcoming the rain, aren't we? For obvious reasons. And the fact that it's so mild, it kind of, not too bothered really. Although it does feel a little bit, one of those, like, one of those afternoons that you'd like to curl up on the sofa with your duvet and watch a nice film.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:47 Absolutely. Doesn't it? I completely agree. Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:03:50 I've just walked in looking for Eliza and she's snuggled up in bed. I could have quite easily got in bed with her. And it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon, guys. It's like one of those afternoons, isn't it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:00 You're absolutely right.

Auntie Linny 0:04:01 But no, we were desperate for this rain, so we can't moan about this now as well.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:05 No, it's good. And like you said, I feel like the grass is coming back really quickly.

Auntie Linny 0:04:09 I'm shocked how quickly it's come back.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:11 Mad, really.

Auntie Linny 0:04:12 Yeah, no, I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:14 Yeah, it's good. Yeah. It's very good.

Auntie Linny 0:04:16 Yeah. So by the end of next week, 'cause I think this, or this week should I say, I think we've got rain every day, so we'll be back to normal. And I wonder whether the hosepipe ban will be abolished.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:25 I would imagine it's gonna be a while. Take a while.

Auntie Linny 0:04:29 Yeah, I would've thought so. I think so.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:30 But we don't need—

Auntie Linny 0:04:33 Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Crikey, it's hot in here, innit?

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:37 Is it? Yeah. Pretty warm.

Auntie Linny 0:04:38 So it is warm. Yeah. But I, I like this where it's hot, warm, and a bit of rain.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:44 Yeah, I don't mind it. Got a nice combo. I popped to Marks's earlier to get our dinner for tomorrow, but even walking in the rain, quite enjoyed it.

Auntie Linny 0:04:50 Yeah, I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:51 I'm not so fussy.

Auntie Linny 0:04:52 So now, now I get my Italian family when they used to, you'd speak to them ad hoc and they'd go, oh, it's rained today. And they'd be so excited. I used to think, oh my goodness, man, they're getting excited for rain, us all getting it. Yeah. But let's just hope we get this next year, eh? It's been lovely to have a summer.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:10 It's been a blast.

Auntie Linny 0:05:11 I know it's extreme, but if we know this is gonna happen year in, year out, we'll just gear ourselves up for it, won't we? I think so. At home, so that at the very least we all get to sleep.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:21 And it just makes everything so much easier in the summer to get up. And we were talking the other day, Elia and I as well, but even for people, You know, haven't got lots of money. All these days out cost so much just to be able to get out.

Auntie Linny 0:05:37 Go to the park.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:37 Go to the park all day. Meet up with friends. It just makes things easier for people, I think.

Auntie Linny 0:05:42 You haven't gotta be spending loads of money. No. Taking them to soft plays and wherever. You can absolutely do that. Go across to your local park. These parks, I mean, the one in Broxbourne's just all been revamped. Is it? Yeah. Yeah. Maria's got 2 that are brilliant near her. We're very lucky. We've got Bartley Park in Hoddesdon, which is an amazing— It's a lovely park. It's a lovely park. And the kids love it. Kids love it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:04 They do.

Auntie Linny 0:06:05 Kids love it. I had the girls, I'd taken Amelia to the dentist on Thursday. Yeah. And then we got back to mine, dinner was on, Alfie was chilling with Dave, and I said to the girls, shall we go and wash Grandad's car? Out they came, we were washing his car. They just loved it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:19 The sponges. Yeah, they loved it.

Auntie Linny 0:06:21 You know, sometimes it is the simple things that they will remember and they enjoy. It's true. But yeah, once the weather turns, then it all becomes a little bit more problematic, doesn't it? But no, we've been very blessed this year. We've had a fantastic, but let's hope we don't need to put our heating on for a little while yet.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:37 I think we're gonna be all right.

Auntie Linny 0:06:39 I think we might be able to long it out till October.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:41 Well, I had an email from the school saying due to the heat that is forecasted for September, wow, children can keep their summer uniform. So, I mean, I, I haven't seen anywhere else.

Auntie Linny 0:06:53 Do they expect them to go in with winter uniform come September? Usually.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:56 Come September, yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:06:56 Even if the weather's sort of quite nice?

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:58 Well, that's why we've had the email to say.

Auntie Linny 0:07:00 So if you didn't get that email, they'd have to go in in winter? Yes. Really? Yes.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:03 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:07:04 Oh, wow. I mean, it is that psychological— I always, I can't ever remember, if I'm honest, the girls going in, or Dominic going in with shorts, or the girls in— I don't recall. But I felt like they needed to wear their winter uniform when September hit. But now, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:22 Yeah. I mean, if we have Indian summers like we've been having, then—

Auntie Linny 0:07:25 But it does feel weird sending the girls in in their summer dresses.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:28 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:07:29 Doesn't it? It's September, it's autumn. It's the new year, they've got their tunics on. But they can wear a short-sleeved little polo shirt.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:36 polo shirt. Yeah, but then they have their short socks instead of tights. And then they take their cardigans off and lose them every day.

Auntie Linny 0:07:43 Yeah, it's good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:44 Which is an absolute nightmare.

Auntie Linny 0:07:45 That's good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:46 I have started with Joanie last year. It really worked.

Auntie Linny 0:07:48 What's that?

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:49 I did the, if you can keep your cardigan safe, yeah, I'll give you a little boat, like a little gift of some sort. Freebie, bonus. Yeah. And she did.

Auntie Linny 0:07:57 I bet she did.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:58 Yeah, yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:07:59 She likes the old spondoolie, our Joanie. She was showing me how much money she had in her purse earlier. Buddly enough. Bless her. Oh, I bet it's a lot. Her looking, keeping hold of you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:10 Yeah, not us. Probably us. I, um, it was lovely having the, your granddaughters.

Auntie Linny 0:08:16 Of course you had, come on. A little sleepover. Yeah, they loved it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:20 Really nice. They were so good.

Auntie Linny 0:08:22 Yeah, I know. They, look— They're just gold. When they're good, they're brilliant. But it's the fact that you had Joni.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:27 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:08:28 When you haven't, you need to break it up with that older child or somebody else's child.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:34 Yes.

Auntie Linny 0:08:35 'Cause it just breaks up. They are generally brilliant. Yeah. You know, I took it, I took Joni. As I say, I took Millie to the dentist and Ruby came with us. They sat there good as gold. You get home, as soon as you've got the 3, it's the, you know, I've got the coloured plastic plates, dinner plates.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:52 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:08:52 So they come in individual, you don't get 2 the same colour, but they both want pink. You've got the cups, they both want pink. It's that. And they could argue over who wants to sit next to Alfie, who wants to sit next to Ruby. I mean, they are, it's got easy, of course, they're older. And they're so fortunate. They're so fortunate to have each other. How lovely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:14 It's lovely. They're like twins.

Auntie Linny 0:09:16 Yeah, they honestly—

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:18 But you're always gonna have a little argument because they're so close.

Auntie Linny 0:09:21 Well, they're like sisters. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, they just, yeah, but they love each other and Amelia's forever Ruby this, Ruby that, Ruby, Ruby. I feel like Amelia does look upon Ruby as her slightly older sister though. Isn't it funny? Yes. I feel like I get that vibe from Amelia. 'Cause it's whatever Ruby does, whatever Ruby wants, whatever Ruby gets. But they're very lucky. They're very lucky. It's a beautiful relationship.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:46 We watched Monsters, Inc. Did you? Which they kept awake the whole thing. I'm sorry if they were tired.

Auntie Linny 0:09:52 Yeah, Ruby fell asleep on the way home today, didn't she? Oh, did she? Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:55 Oh, bless her. Yeah. But they were so good, even going to bed in the spare room together.

Auntie Linny 0:09:59 How lovely. But they learnt that on holiday, didn't they? So that's a bit of a breakthrough now, isn't it? Yes. Because if any of us wanna have them, They can go together and they can sleep together, which is nice. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:10 Yeah, I think the beds were a game changer on holiday.

Auntie Linny 0:10:12 Yeah, 'cause now they've just learned that, that they can sleep together. And I'm sure that it'll be hit and miss, but ultimately I know now they stay at mine, say for Christmas, girls can get in together if they want to.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:22 Yeah, it's lovely.

Auntie Linny 0:10:23 Which is lovely for them. Yeah, they're very lucky.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:25 See, Joanie, she, she's kick— she moves so much. Yeah. And she kicks and she groans. So it's nice that they can sleep together if they come. She's just better off on her own. Phoebe came. We had Mark's brother and David and Claire.

Auntie Linny 0:10:41 Oh wow. And Phoebe.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:42 They came yesterday and they stayed overnight.

Auntie Linny 0:10:44 Oh blimey.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:45 Very last minute, but they had a day off and we've not seen 'em for ages, so it was lovely. We went up to Hertfordshire Zoo.

Auntie Linny 0:10:51 Lovely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:10:51 And then went for a meal last night and what have you. But again, we got the air bed out and Phoebe slept in the same room, but Joni's a nightmare.

Auntie Linny 0:10:59 So she couldn't get in with Joni? She just wouldn't sleep.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:01 I don't think she'd sleep. I can't sleep with Joni.

Auntie Linny 0:11:04 How funny.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:05 She moves and kicks you and she's a real fidget.

Auntie Linny 0:11:08 Fidget, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:09 Massive fidget, yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:11:11 Funny little thing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:11 Whereas I go to bed and I don't move.

Auntie Linny 0:11:13 Move, yeah, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:14 I'm in one position. Funny, yeah. Snoring away.

Auntie Linny 0:11:19 Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting. So I had Amelia last week before last, but she's got in with me and we ended up at the other side of the bed, bless her. We ended up at the other side of the bed. She was on my side, I was on her side. Really? Yeah, 'cause she, too, was the hugging me. Yeah, funny. Yeah, yeah, they're just funny. No, they're like, it's lovely, them two. They're so— as they get older, that's just gonna be a common theme, isn't it? And hopefully they remain as close as they are. I'm sure they will. I'm sure they will.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:49 And also they'll go to school and they'll make friends, and then they'll have— be lovely for them to be able to have their own friends, but at the weekends know they've got each other.

Auntie Linny 0:11:59 Yeah, it's really nice. Yeah, very much so.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:01 Very good.

Auntie Linny 0:12:02 Yep.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:03 What about Dolly Parton?

Auntie Linny 0:12:06 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:06 People might say, oh, it's old news this week, but—

Auntie Linny 0:12:10 Well, no, she's made a huge impact.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:13 Huge impact.

Auntie Linny 0:12:14 More than I actually appreciated, 'cause I will be honest, I wasn't a huge—

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:19 I'm not.

Auntie Linny 0:12:20 I wasn't, I wouldn't be buying or listening to her music per se. I know her music and yeah, she's obviously been an incredible I was surprised actually how, I mean, even presenters like breaking down when they were announcing it and speaking about her. I thought it was quite—

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:39 I think she's, when you look into it, just a real, just an icon.

Auntie Linny 0:12:45 Icon, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:46 And just has done so much and— And talented. So amazing what she's done. Her writing, the songs that she produced. But she was 80.

Auntie Linny 0:12:55 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:57 But that's—

Auntie Linny 0:12:57 Had a wonderful life.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:58 I don't see that as old.

Auntie Linny 0:12:59 No. Do you know that?

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:01 No, I know what you mean.

Auntie Linny 0:13:01 And I didn't realise she was ill. I didn't realise she was ill.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:06 No.

Auntie Linny 0:13:06 But you think she still looked extremely glamorous and—

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:10 Very much so.

Auntie Linny 0:13:10 Still performing. Yeah. With young women, which was incredible to see, and held her own.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:17 Oh, and more so.

Auntie Linny 0:13:20 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:21 No, it got me thinking. Which is why I messaged you earlier. It got me thinking about, 'cause I've seen people on Instagram really so upset about it, distraught about it. And I thought, I wonder, I know who it is for you, who you were distraught about, who died in the public eye. Diana.

Auntie Linny 0:13:39 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:40 Affected you, didn't it?

Auntie Linny 0:13:42 Yeah, I just, and I'm, again, I was a bit shocked how much it affected me. In fact, it's her anniversary. 'Cause I always remember waking up the morning of my anniversary And hearing the news. And I was shocked as to how devastated I was about it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:56 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:13:57 'Cause I'm quite sort of realistic. You know, you don't know these people. But I just, everything about her, like many people, I feel cheated of seeing her on a screen, hearing about her, what she's doing, what she's wearing, the way she was with people, the way she was with children, the way she was with her own boys. I just thought she was incredible. And I'm gutted to the core that I never went to London.

Natalie Cassidy 0:14:25 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:14:27 Gutted. But I had 3 young children, didn't I? Yeah, no, of course.

Auntie Linny 0:14:30 I just remember driving to work, all the radio stations were sombre and constantly playing the same songs that were referenced to her. And literally getting to work, I was all in tears. It was so moving. Yeah, now that for me, yeah, is a massive moment I won't forget. Hearing about it, just the phone call, hearing it for the first time.

Auntie Linny 0:14:54 The phone, my brother Demex told me, phoned me up. He said, have you heard? I said, don't be, I said, that's a really sick joke. I remember saying to him, that's a really sick joke. He went, no, it's not a joke.

Auntie Linny 0:15:03 Put the telly on. Never forget that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:05 Really?

Auntie Linny 0:15:05 Yeah, just really upset me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:07 I was in bed with my friend Zara. She'd had a sleepover.

Auntie Linny 0:15:11 Oh. And I remember waking up and hearing it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:13 And Mummy being upset. And I was, well, she was, Yeah, it touched everyone, I think.

Auntie Linny 0:15:19 And what were your thoughts on that? I was just, well, 97. What were you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:23 97. You were young. Yeah, I was about 15. No, I remember watching it all unfold. Oh no, I remember being stuck to the television and yeah, finding it awful, horrible.

Auntie Linny 0:15:36 And for me, the other one that really upset me, and again, Annalisa broke it to me, Christmas night.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:44 Oh.

Auntie Linny 0:15:46 She came in, she was with— they weren't— her and Dominic weren't married, probably not even engaged. And she— it was Christmas Day, and she'd obviously spent Christmas Day at home and then was coming to us in the evening. And I was washing up, shock. And, um, she came over and she gave me a big hug. I went, oh, um, that's lovely. I said, um, hope you had a lovely day. She said, have you not heard? So I just looked at her and said, heard what? She went, oh, I went, what's happened? She went, George Michael's died.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:14 Yeah, I thought that's a shocker for you, isn't it?

Auntie Linny 0:16:17 Oh my God.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:18 That was sad. He was wonderful as well.

Auntie Linny 0:16:20 Just so sad.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:22 He was lovely. I met him.

Auntie Linny 0:16:24 Yeah, did you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:25 Martin Kemp's This Is Your Life. He was lovely.

Auntie Linny 0:16:27 Oh, well, Maria took me to see him, thank God. I did see him live.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:32 Did see him. Oh, whenever I hear George, I think of you.

Auntie Linny 0:16:35 Do you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:35 Yeah, yeah, you're very much like him.

Auntie Linny 0:16:36 I just felt like a bit of a connection because he, You know, I guess he had that Greek, you know, Greeks, Italians are all very similar backgrounds and the way we are as a family unit and so on. Obviously he was a bit troubled and his sexuality, that must have been so hard for him.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:53 Absolutely, yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:16:54 Coming from a, you know, Greek community. And I just felt like, I remember Dave saying he was in a restaurant in Hampstead and him being in there and I was so jealous. And when I, and I went to Ibiza when I was 18 and they'd just performed the Club Tropicana.

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:12 At Pike's.

Auntie Linny 0:17:13 At Video there. Wow. And I just, literally, I mean, not that I would've seen it, but he was out there while I was out there. So there was always these little connections with him. I just loved his music.

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:24 Yeah, yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:17:25 And I was gutted.

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:26 I remember Frank Sinatra dying.

Auntie Linny 0:17:28 Do you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:29 And I remember Daddy coming home from the shop with the Evening Standard. Ah. Which I still have.

Auntie Linny 0:17:36 I was gonna say, these are the things you should be keeping. He still got it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:39 He kept it. I didn't keep it, but it's in the bureau or whatever.

Auntie Linny 0:17:42 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:42 And it being the legend or whatever it is. Oh. And I didn't, it wasn't upset as in crying. No. But I remember that evening, him sat with the records on, very sombre. Funny, innit?

Auntie Linny 0:17:54 It's just incredible what an impact—

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:57 People can have.

Auntie Linny 0:17:58 These people that you do not know. No. You don't know them. You may have, if you're blessed, you may have met them in passing or got to get a selfie or an autograph back in the day, which is what used to happen. You don't know them, but yet—

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:13 Yeah, it's massive, the impact.

Auntie Linny 0:18:16 The pain. Like Diana, I had pain.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:19 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:18:20 I felt devastated.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:22 I felt extremely sad when our Queen died.

Auntie Linny 0:18:24 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:25 And I know a lot of people did, of course, but I didn't, I get— I just think what an incredible woman. And it's such an end of an era. She was there for such a long time.

Auntie Linny 0:18:35 Yeah. As our Queen. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:37 You know, that's quite an amazing thing that we've lived through, you know.

Auntie Linny 0:18:41 What about her grandson and great-grandchildren coming back?

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:46 Oh, they're coming back, are they?

Auntie Linny 0:18:47 Yeah, yeah. Which I, I'm glad. I'm glad. I hope it means that you know, they can make amends. And I think I get the vibe that maybe with his dad, the King, they've formed a relationship again.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:04 More so his brother. It'd be nice to see brothers.

Auntie Linny 0:19:08 But again, for me, it's for Diana, because she would be absolutely turning in her grave if she knew that they weren't close. But yeah, funny that— interesting that they're coming back. But that's a whole Different conversation, is it? Of course, the Queen, absolutely the end of an era.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:23 Just a huge, huge thing. It really touched me.

Auntie Linny 0:19:27 It's just mad, isn't it, how you can have these emotions?

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:29 About people you don't know. Well, it's no— listen, it is different because it's not a death. But when bands broke up, you know, so when Take That broke up, there was a helpline and the people were, you know, the Beatles and, you know. Yeah. People just get— they have a complete adoration of something. And they don't want that to end. Yeah, it's incredible. Like you say, the impact people have. I remember Oasis breaking up, I was heartbroken. Was you? Heartbroken.

Auntie Linny 0:19:57 See, I don't really actually remember that kind of upset with bands I followed, or don't really remember that. Individuals possibly more so, but a kind of a band breaking up, you think, well, that's— I get it, I totally get it. The power of—

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:16 And also the elation when they got back together and going to see him again. I sobbed, sobbed throughout that concert. Not a joke, like true feelings when I saw them together again on stage.

Auntie Linny 0:20:28 Even though they, even though they had, they, have they made amends?

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:32 I think so. The documentary's coming out soon.

Auntie Linny 0:20:34 Oh, that'd be—

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:34 Don't Look Back in Anger, they're doing a big—

Auntie Linny 0:20:36 Oh, that's gonna be huge.

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:37 Yeah. But just seeing them on stage again, walking out, it was just, took my breath away. I was so happy.

Auntie Linny 0:20:43 But what lovely thing emotions to be able to experience, isn't it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:47 Yeah, absolutely. And I think if you're not, you've gotta be a certain way to feel those things.

Auntie Linny 0:20:53 And you've gotta be passionate about something, haven't you? Yeah. Whatever that may be.

Natalie Cassidy 0:20:58 So to all of you Dolly lovers, I feel for you.

Auntie Linny 0:21:02 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:04 I love all the country music though. I do like Dolly songs.

Auntie Linny 0:21:08 Yeah, no, me too. But I wouldn't buy them like you. No, yeah, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:12 I haven't down— they're not on my Spotify list or, but if I hear it, Jolene or, Working 9 to 5. And she's— obviously, they're all the ones that fans would say are probably the worst, 'cause they go deeper into the realms of what she does. Yeah, of course.

Auntie Linny 0:21:25 That just shows we're not fans, massive, massive fans. And she sang—

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:28 didn't she write— I'm gonna be so wrong with all this, aren't I?

Auntie Linny 0:21:31 Go on.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:31 I think she wrote one of the— Did she write I Will Always Love You?

Auntie Linny 0:21:35 She sang a Whitney Houston, and I don't know if that's her— that was hers before it was Whitney Houston's.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:42 I Will Always Love You. Yeah. Yes, it certainly was.

Auntie Linny 0:21:46 She was a very talented—

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:47 She wrote more than 3,000 songs.

Auntie Linny 0:21:50 Wow. Yeah, we are— yeah, see, I don't know enough about her.

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:52 No, absolutely. But, um, unbelievable.

Auntie Linny 0:21:56 She was definitely a bit of a legend, wasn't she?

Natalie Cassidy 0:21:58 Um, absolutely. And she gave hundreds and millions of dollars away. She would've been a billionaire.

Auntie Linny 0:22:06 Wow.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:07 They say.

Auntie Linny 0:22:07 What, to charities and stuff?

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:09 Charities and helping people and— Amazing woman.

Auntie Linny 0:22:12 Incredible. Yeah, that'll be out in the theatre. That'll be a—

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:15 Oh yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:22:16 100%, won't it? Definitely. Yeah, and they should as well. A bit like they did with Tina Turner.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:20 Oh, 100%.

Auntie Linny 0:22:22 Yeah, they will do it. Be nice to know about her story. Yeah, I'd love to.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:25 Yeah, I look forward to seeing that. They'll definitely do it.

Auntie Linny 0:22:27 Yeah, I think so.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:04 Our last pod was all about women.

Auntie Linny 0:25:10 Mm.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:10 And it really went down well. People loved it. Well, good. Us just talking about the power of friendships and stuff like that. But I thought we must read a few out and listen to a few people because sometimes we forget and we just move on. Yeah. But it was a special one.

Speaker I 0:25:25 Morning, Nat.

Speaker I 0:25:25 What a gorgeous pod to listen to with you and Auntie Linnie this morning. Just the power of female friendship and others in our lives is just so underrated by so many, and yet we really do get each other through so many struggles in our life. That, you know, in the last— when I had my second child and I just found it really hard because it was a small age gap, the women around me not even realising in some ways just how much they helped. I had a friend who was in the same situation, and we just got each other out as many days as we could. We don't live really close, probably about 20, 30 minutes drive, so it's not like we're on each other's doorstep that we can knock on, but we were going out so much and we really helped each other get through.

Speaker I 0:26:12 And I had a friend who was in Cambridge, and we were just on WhatsApp to each other most days. you know, just leaving voice notes and calling each other about everything, and it just really helps. But it's kind of made me think I need to say some words to people that you don't always say. So this morning, in between points of listening to the podcast, I have left voice notes for some special women.

Auntie Linny 0:26:38 Well done.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:38 In my life, who I know they're special to me.

Speaker I 0:26:43 I think they know that they're special to me as well. But there are words that we don't always say, we just hold on to them. So I've shared them. So thank you for being the prompt for that.

Auntie Linny 0:26:53 Oh, love that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:55 Isn't that lovely? Yeah. Thanks, Kirsty, for that. We had a lovely message here from Laura. You are all so lucky to have wonderful women around you. There are so many women that do not have this support, including myself. I listen to the pod and it makes me so happy, but at the same time, I feel so envious. You're probably gonna think I'm nuts. I've had to stop listening to this episode 'cause I'm so full of envy that I have none of this. I'm here sobbing that I have no one.

Auntie Linny 0:27:21 Oh goodness.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:22 I don't mind if you read this out. Maybe there are people that feel the same. Love you lot, from Laura.

Auntie Linny 0:27:27 Oh, Laura.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:28 And I message Laura, just so you know, to say you have us and listen to us. And I message her every now and again. But there are lonely people around, and that's why we make this, so people have a little bit of company and can join in and be part of our family.

Auntie Linny 0:27:46 Absolutely. And that's exactly what the pod is about, isn't it? Absolutely. More than anything. Yeah. And the thought of anyone feeling envious of something that, you know—

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:55 Also very, very honest. I love that, her honesty.

Auntie Linny 0:27:58 I love her honesty. And that's— and that in itself will help her because now we understand that. If ever you message in, we will be sure to respond to you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:08 Yeah, of course.

Auntie Linny 0:28:10 Yeah, we don't want anyone to feel isolated. But again, we've said this before, we're like, you know, I know we're repeating ourselves, look what the pod's created in terms of groups of people. haven't got, you know, got to know each other. And all, you know, girls coming to the brunch that you're having in October, these people that didn't know each other. I know. You know, and, and I get it, not everyone has got a massive circle of friends or family. And so to be able to then come to something whereby they're not going to know anyone, but they kind of do know people through this pod.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:41 Well, I would also say, and again, you know, the Patreon stuff, That's a lovely little community because everybody on there are really huge fans of the show. And I thank everybody 'cause I know that it's, you know, money that you're spending, and it does not go— honestly, it does not go unnoticed for me. It really doesn't. But people on there, and they're sharing their pictures, and they're talking to each other. Yeah, absolutely. And it's lovely. And I'm sure that there are lonely people there that find this a little something for them to do, a little hobby. And, you know, it's really special. Really special.

Auntie Linny 0:29:16 And just amazing that, we've said this before, the fact that these pods can be company for people. Absolutely. Because the winter months are approaching. Yeah. You know, the summer's so much easier, isn't it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:29 Yeah. And everyone's out and about and they're busy. It's sunny, it's light till late.

Auntie Linny 0:29:32 You can go out for a walk of an evening, even on your own. You know, if you don't have a friend to go with, like Tina's been away, went to a family wedding in Spain, and I walked on my own when she wasn't here. Now, if it was winter months, I wouldn't be doing that. No. So the winter is harder for people that—

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:50 Well, we've just gotta make sure that we make everybody laugh and do some lovely pods.

Auntie Linny 0:29:53 Oh, and I'm sure we will be. I'm sure we'll— we've got lots to do still, haven't we? There's so much more material. So yeah, just—

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:00 So much more. And Lynne, I think we forget, honestly, people just like us having a chat. Yeah. I think sometimes we can overthink it.

Auntie Linny 0:30:07 We overthink it. And I overthink it, don't I? I'm like, what are we gonna talk about? We've gotta have a structure. I just think, but— Gotta have a topic.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:13 I've not seen you. No, I know. Well, you know, I've been away. Yeah, yeah. And I think just, catching up and having that, 2 sisters having a chat is also so precious.

Auntie Linny 0:30:23 And when we do see each other now, there's just so many, like Alfie's birthday, there's loads of us. You don't really get to have a conversation. No. You know, it's not a proper conversation. No, it's fleeting.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:33 How are you? You all right? But yeah, it's chaos.

Auntie Linny 0:30:34 'Cause that's something as a family we've noticed more now, don't we? The fact that you don't get that one-on-one, even with adults. No. Certainly not with the children.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:43 No.

Auntie Linny 0:30:43 You know, I had Amelia a couple of Wednesdays ago on her own. It was lovely. Yeah. Even with us as a family, It's rare you're just with one person. There's normally a crowd of people. Absolutely. And it's just hard.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:56 Me and Maria did it when we went to London. We had a day. We haven't done that for—

Auntie Linny 0:30:59 Ever. Ever.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:01 And we just loved it.

Auntie Linny 0:31:02 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:02 We just had a lovely day, one-on-one, like you say.

Auntie Linny 0:31:05 But again, we are very fortunate. Like, you know, going back to my friend Tina, who I walk with. Yeah. She's gone to her nephew's wedding in Spain. She's one of 4 girls.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:15 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:31:16 2 of the sisters live in England, 2 live in Italy. They've all met up in Spain with all their children and grandchildren. Oh, lovely. Those that have the grandchildren. How lovely is that? Oh, fantastic. And they're coming from different countries. They try and make it work and they're close and they have each other. And even if they're not in the same country—

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:34 They're there.

Auntie Linny 0:31:35 They're communicating, yeah. The FaceTiming, you know, the voice notes.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:40 Well, I even said it to Clare, Yesterday. So we get on so well, all these people. And I said, it hasn't gotta be all the time. I said, but we never phone each other, we never text each other.

Auntie Linny 0:31:52 Do you not? Never. No.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:54 I said, don't— it is mad. I wasn't— we were just talking. I said, I don't, you don't, why? She said, I think life and this, and she's got her sister and I've got all my family.

Auntie Linny 0:32:02 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:02 So, but just every now and again we should just go, hello, or a little video of Joni for Phoebe, because they get on so well, they're so alike. You gotta make a little effort sometimes.

Auntie Linny 0:32:13 And I think it's habit as well. I think when it's something you start doing, your relationship will become closer because you'll talk about things that you're doing at work or the— Joanie's done and—

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:26 I've said it to Annalisa, no different. Annalisa, I can go ages, but now I'm very aware that for some reason, there's nothing, no reason, no rhyme or reason for it, But I said, you've gotta ring and text and it's important.

Auntie Linny 0:32:42 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:42 And it doesn't take that long.

Auntie Linny 0:32:43 And it doesn't have to be every week.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:45 I speak to Elia 15 times a day.

Auntie Linny 0:32:47 Yeah. Do you? Yeah. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:50 All day long.

Auntie Linny 0:32:51 Do you? What, voice note, in texting? Voice note or text.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:54 Well, 'cause then it's, you know, me and the girls about this. The group. But then we're all on together. But then Elia's, you know, she'll just call me if she's on her way here or on her way there. There's, I think only, again, you can't do that with everybody.

Auntie Linny 0:33:07 Time as well, remember, and Lisa has a 9-to-5 job.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:12 As does Maria. Yeah. As do you.

Auntie Linny 0:33:14 Maria's at home, it's a little bit easier, I guess.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:17 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:33:17 Yeah, I mean, I try and check in with the girls, all 3 of them, every day. Every day, yeah. So I don't talk to Dominic like I do the girls.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:23 No, I think that is a boy thing.

Auntie Linny 0:33:25 Yeah, massively, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:27 It is a boy thing. I get all excited if I get a text from Dom. Lovely to hear from you, the old golden boy. We had a message from Jo Berry, and Jo's a longtime listener, and she said, the pod has been going for 2 and a half years. Well, all I want to say is thank you. Oh.

Auntie Linny 0:33:45 And I thought that was really lovely. 2 and a half years. How?

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:52 Crazy stuff.

Auntie Linny 0:33:58 Nah, it's crazy. Time flies. It genuinely does. How have we done 2 and a half years of this?

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:03 Yeah, crazy. And before we know it, it'll be 3rd year anniversary.

Auntie Linny 0:34:08 Wow.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:09 I love the pod with Auntie Lynnie today. I've always struggled to make real friends until more recently. I'm 53 now and I met my best friend when I was 48. Completely bizarrely, we had lived 50 yards away from each other for 20 years, and yet we only met through an online Facebook group.

Auntie Linny 0:34:26 Oh.

Natalie Cassidy 0:34:26 How mad's that? I'm so lucky to have met her. She's been such a support to me. Aw. We've just returned home from a girly weekend with another friend, and we all feel so lucky. There's so much to be said for online connections, as I met my husband online 22 years ago, and we've been married for nearly 20 years. Finding friendships later in life has been such a blessing and are really true connections. Love from Becky.

Auntie Linny 0:34:50 And hard to do when you're older. It's hard to connect with somebody when you're older. But I think when you do connect with someone when you're older, You really connect. Yeah. You know that's a genuine friend. Because it's like anything, isn't it? When you meet someone when you're young, you don't— it's a different— what am I trying to say? It's like when you meet a guy when you're young.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:10 Yes.

Auntie Linny 0:35:11 You don't see faults in them. You don't— 'cause you're young, you're naive, life's just full of fun and blah, blah, blah. When you're older, it's a different— your mindset is completely different. So to then make a friend at 48, she's gonna be a friend for life.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:25 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:35:26 You choose your friends wisely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:27 And I think because you've been through so much, your life experience of people you may have met that have upset you, have hurt you, you just know you've got a filter of who you want to spend time with.

Auntie Linny 0:35:42 Yeah. And time is precious. So you want to spend it with people that enrich your life and you can enrich their life.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:49 Absolutely.

Auntie Linny 0:35:49 Or that you just simply enjoy their company. 'Cause they're great company.

Natalie Cassidy 0:35:53 Yeah. And good fun. Yeah. Lovely pod again. Many a true word spoken. And what a lovely message to Auntie Lynne from her goddaughter Amy. How special.

Auntie Linny 0:36:03 Aw.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:03 Lots of messages saying how special that was. Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:36:05 That was lovely. Lots and lots of messages. And again, look, you know, there's an age gap between me and Amy.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:10 Well, of course.

Auntie Linny 0:36:11 But it doesn't matter.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:12 No.

Auntie Linny 0:36:13 You're fri— it doesn't matter the age of a friend. They don't have to be your age or close to your age.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:18 Oh, Debbie was My dear, dear friend.

Auntie Linny 0:36:21 I mean, you've always had older women in your life, haven't you, that you would call a friend?

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:25 Yes.

Auntie Linny 0:36:26 Wouldn't you? Very much so. Or June. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:28 June was a dear friend.

Auntie Linny 0:36:30 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:30 I could talk to June about anything. We'd sit up, we'd talk and talk and talk. I'd ring her, we'd have 2 hours on the phone.

Auntie Linny 0:36:37 Isn't that amazing?

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:38 And that we were, you know, there was a lot of years between us.

Auntie Linny 0:36:41 My dad was my dear friend.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:44 You've said that before.

Auntie Linny 0:36:45 Yeah, because I just felt enjoyed his company. I would happily sit with him all evening and just, just talking about his past, about his life in Italy, whatever it could be, about his, his greenhouse in the garden and how many tomatoes he'd picked. Yeah, I just found him really good company. And he was older than me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:08 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:37:09 Yeah, substantially older than me. Dad was an old dad, you know, he had a late on in life. You know, my cousin who's my godmother, she's 80-something. She's about 20, yeah, she's 18 to 20 years older than me. Again, great company. Yeah. Great, innit? So it doesn't, you know— No, the age doesn't matter. There's no rules about the age.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:30 Definitely not. Definitely not. Oh my God, listening to the latest pod with you and Auntie Lynnie and you talking about girls' trip. I've never had one and I was saying to one of my closest friends that next year we should do it. I'm 50 next year, and I think I should celebrate with a few big things. So you bloody should. Lots of love, Lainey. And then she put, oh my God, now I'm crying listening to Amy. We met her when we came to the Grief Pod. Lovely lady.

Auntie Linny 0:37:54 Aww.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:57 Bless you. Now this message, I think she wants a little bit of advice from us. It's from a lady called Natalie. So hello there, namesake.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:06 Morning. I will spare you all the details, but my partner and I Have had a shocking year. The hardest part is my partner's dad passed away in January 2026. Totally unexpected. One day here, next day gone.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:21 Not only has it knocked us all for 6, but we get married on the 12th of September. Mm-hmm. And as it is getting closer, the nerves, worry, and grief is feeling suffocating. Your pods keep me calm and give me a chance to escape for a bit, but if you had any advice on this loss and the emotions of the big day, that would be amazing. As a side note, my partner's reached out for counselling and it finally starts on Thursday.

Auntie Linny 0:38:45 Oh, well, that's really good that he's—

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:48 yeah, I think it's amazing that your partner's starting counselling.

Auntie Linny 0:38:51 Yeah, I mean, that's a step in the right direction.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:53 I think it's very, very new, that sort of— It's raw. It's very raw.

Auntie Linny 0:38:59 And I think it's the shock because they weren't expecting it. Yeah. It's come as a huge shock, so everyone is probably still in shock.

Natalie Cassidy 0:39:06 Yes.

Auntie Linny 0:39:06 I mean, Natalie, I can only draw on— I mean, my mum had died. So my mum died when I was just turned 16. I got married at 22. So 6 years, I got married 6 years after she died. And trust me, Natalie, I cried a lot prior to the wedding because it just heightens the loss of that person. And obviously, you, your husband-to-be, probably many other family members that are going to be at the wedding are gonna feel a very similar kind of—

Natalie Cassidy 0:39:41 It's such a huge occasion, a wedding, and it's a happy occasion and a celebration, but it will bring to the forefront that he is missing.

Auntie Linny 0:39:51 Yeah, massively. And I've been to so many weddings where someone very important has been missing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:39:55 Yes.

Auntie Linny 0:39:55 And you do kind of see all sorts in terms of, a photo in a frame. Yes. It's been placed, if not on the top table, it's been placed somewhere, you know, I don't know, in the reception, just somewhere marking that that person should be there. I've seen where the seat where that person should be sitting, no one's been— they have that seat, but no one sits there. It's to recognise that people do so many things to bring that person into the day. But for some people, that might be too much. too difficult, too raw, and heighten the fact that that person's not there.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:33 You're so right. It completely depends on the person.

Auntie Linny 0:40:37 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:37 If you might wanna make your wedding all about him.

Auntie Linny 0:40:40 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:40 You might wanna talk about him and leave a seat for him and have a cry.

Auntie Linny 0:40:44 Have a mention in the speech. Yeah. Mention him in the speech.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:46 Do a toast or, you know.

Auntie Linny 0:40:48 And Natalie, I will say something. Very rarely do you go to a wedding where there aren't tears.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:54 Agreed.

Auntie Linny 0:40:54 And that doesn't necessarily mean the tears are because someone's passed or not there. It could be for whatever reason, a special song comes on or, The speech just hits a nerve for whatever reason. So, you know, if they're—

Natalie Cassidy 0:41:06 Highly emotional days, aren't they? Oh my gosh, massively.

Auntie Linny 0:41:09 I mean, Elia did something for Maria, which was beautiful actually.

Auntie Linny 0:41:14 It was a cream ribbon and with all little photo frames, ornate, and photograph of all her grandparents, which was so beautiful. I can't recall if it was meant to be wrapped up in her bouquet. I don't know if it was. But ultimately it was just something to acknowledge. No one else knew about it.

Auntie Linny 0:41:34 That's right. We knew. She's got photos of it. It was just to acknowledge some very special people that were not there. And I think you've just got to remember this day's about you and your husband-to-be, and his father, your father-in-law, would not want you to, feel that the day is consumed with grief for him.

Auntie Linny 0:41:59 He wouldn't want that for you. No, that's right. So you've— honestly, if you wanna do something right by him, you just have the best day. You dance, you laugh, you cry, you drink, you just celebrate it. Try and remember it and enjoy all your family and friends that are there.

Auntie Linny 0:42:19 And Then—

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:20 Just, yeah, you're so right.

Auntie Linny 0:42:21 And then you're doing right by him. He wouldn't want it to be—

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:25 Sombre. Sombre. Or you be nervous. Or anxious.

Auntie Linny 0:42:28 Yeah. He just wouldn't. He'll be looking down on you and thinking, oh, what a cracking day, I wish I was there.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:34 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:42:35 So, just, yeah, it's hard. It's so hard. And yeah, if you wanna cry now, just get the ticket, get as much of your emotions out before the big day.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:43 And don't beat yourself up if it happens on the day and you can't stop crying. It doesn't matter. All the people that love you are there. Yeah. You can't be on a better day with, hopefully, all your nearest and dearest that you've invited are gonna be there to look after you. But yeah, Linda's absolutely right. You've gotta really try and enjoy yourself.

Auntie Linny 0:42:59 Yeah, 100%. He, that's what he'd want. And that's all you've gotta keep reminding yourself of. That's what he would want. So have a wonderful day because it's, it's only days away.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:10 Absolutely.

Auntie Linny 0:43:11 And I hope the sun shines for you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:01 Hi Natalie, I have only recently discovered your pod, so I'm quite behind and only on February 2025.

Auntie Linny 0:46:15 Oh, got a lot of catching up to do.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:17 Really enjoyed the Masked Singer ep and had to watch it again. You were very good. Thanks for this pod, it really cheers me up. And that is from Karen in Eastbourne. So welcome on board, Karen. I love getting the new ones in.

Auntie Linny 0:46:29 Yeah, so special.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:31 But one of the girls, she— unbelievable. Hang on, I'm gonna find it.

Auntie Linny 0:46:35 So it's interesting how people stumble then across a pod that's been going for X amount of years.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:43 Well, sometimes I don't know what's happened in— again, this week, I don't know. I don't know if it's been advertised somewhere or they've come across an Instagram post. Yeah, I've had a good few.

Auntie Linny 0:46:54 What, newbies?

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:55 Oh my days, how have I only discovered your amazing podcast so recently? Where have I even been? To be honest, I'm only just getting into podcasts really. And that's another thing people are still discovering.

Auntie Linny 0:47:07 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:08 You're so relatable and it's so great to listen to. Thank you. I feel like I'm a big fan of yours as I'm roughly your age and I grew up watching EastEnders. I have just listened back in your podcast about grief.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:18 It sounds a bit random, but thank you for doing such an important topic. Like you, I was 18 when my mum died. She was 47 at the time. And I could relate to everything in your podcast. It gave me the opportunity to reflect, have a little cry, and then smile and laugh.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:34 Although it's been almost 25 years, it still needs to be done. I've had real issues with my grief and keeping too much in, so thank you for giving me that much-needed reflection time. I'm really looking forward to listening to many more of your episodes. Love, Katie from King's Lynn.

Auntie Linny 0:47:49 Oh, that's lovely. Katie.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:51 That's really, really nice.

Auntie Linny 0:47:52 Yeah. Again, the grief pod. it just feels like we're giving back something, aren't we? And again, a newbie, that's— yeah, it's really good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:03 Yeah, really good. Have a listen to this one.

Speaker D 0:48:06 Hi, Nat. I don't know if you remember me.

Speaker D 0:48:08 I messaged you literally on the 31st of July saying I'm a new listener. I found you anyway. I'm a postie. My name's Rachel. I'm from Plymouth, near Devon there.

Speaker D 0:48:19 I've just listened to the 110th episode, which is your year anniversary. That means I've done 100 episodes in literally a year.

Speaker D 0:48:28 Wow. So I am loving it. I'm not listening to anything else until I've caught up. But I'm really pleased with myself for doing that. You're— you're— I love your family.

Speaker D 0:48:38 They're all fantastic. Love everything about the pod. It's just lush. Like everyone else has said, it's like you're all my mates. So I probably will message in a few more times when appropriate, but Anyway, keep on doing what you're doing.

Speaker D 0:48:54 Fantastic.

Speaker K 0:48:56 Love it. Rachy from Plymouth. Love you. Bye.

Auntie Linny 0:48:59 Oh, brilliant. I mean, she's been— How cute. But how lovely to be able to do that, because you're enjoying it that much and you think, oh my God, this is all I'm gonna do now. I'm just gonna binge listen or watch.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:12 It's crazy though, that us in her ears every minute of every day.

Auntie Linny 0:49:17 God, she must be sick of the sound of Oh my God.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:25 Oh, that's brilliant. I said, thank you. And she said, oh my God, you've messaged me. I so wanna send more voicemails, but they're relevant to the poddies I'm listening to. So I'm reframing at the moment. I'm on episode 114. Another month and I'll catch up. Yay. She sounds good.

Auntie Linny 0:49:42 She sounds like good fun.

Natalie Cassidy 0:49:43 I think she might end up being a bit of a fun listener.

Speaker L 0:49:47 Hi, Nat. Rhonda here from Maine, USA. I'm just listening to your pod with Auntie Linnie talking about Italy.

Speaker L 0:49:56 It's always been my dream to go, and I finally just booked my husband and I to go in April next year for, I think, 10 days, maybe 14. I can't remember. Either way, it's probably going to be extended. We are flying into Rome and spending the first night in Rome, and then we're just going to travel and pick places to stay, and then obviously stay the last night in Rome so that we're close to the airport. My question is, what are the things that I really should do, or we really should do, being our first time going?

Speaker L 0:50:29 Places that we really should see, and places and things that we should try and avoid. Anywho, yes, just looking to add to what my agenda should be for while we're there and, and really would like to know what your must-do places and things to do are. Loving the pod, loving listening to you guys. Feels like I'm right back at home. Keep up the good work and, uh, hope to speak to you soon.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:02 Thanks, Rhonda. I love that name, Rhonda. It reminds me of Friends.

Auntie Linny 0:51:07 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:08 Ah, Rhonda, and these aren't real. Yeah. Rhonda, Rhonda. Well—

Auntie Linny 0:51:15 I mean, that's an impossible question to answer. There's nowhere not to see in Italy. There isn't. And we sound so biassed.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:22 No, there isn't. You're never gonna go anywhere and say, oh, that's a load of shit. No. You're not going to.

Auntie Linny 0:51:27 I mean, there's places obviously, like I remember when we went to Naples, we flew to Naples and we were going to Ischia. It's an island definitely worth going to, Rhonda. And we were having to loiter around Naples sort of near the airport part of Naples, because we were waiting on, I can't remember, cars or what we were doing. And it was a bit scary.

Natalie Cassidy 0:51:47 Mm.

Auntie Linny 0:51:48 That was a little bit scary. I remember getting into the transfer and the driver said, anyone speak Italian here? And they all went, yeah, Mum does. He goes, you sit in the front.

Auntie Linny 0:51:59 Oh God. So I sat in the front and I had a bag on my, my bag on my lap. And, uh, and he went to me, uh, In Italian, he was saying, you haven't got gold watch? I thought, gold watch? 'Cause you haven't got gold watch on, have you?

Auntie Linny 0:52:12 And I was like, ah, um, I thought, do I say he's fake or something? He said, just be careful with your bag. He frightened the— I thought he was gonna mug me. But actually, he was just trying to give me— he was being genuine. Right.

Auntie Linny 0:52:24 He got me, I was so frightened. I was holding onto my bag. But he was just— so there's, yeah, like, there's pockets of Naples you gotta be very careful, of course. But that's like anywhere, isn't it? Anywhere, big cities.

Auntie Linny 0:52:36 Of course.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:37 You've gotta, and also I would say, Rhonda, some of—

Auntie Linny 0:52:41 You've got to go to the un— the trouble is you've gotta go to the places that no one's heard of. But where do you even start? But equally, you can't go to Italy.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:50 We're not gonna go to Rome and not see the Trevi Fountain.

Auntie Linny 0:52:52 Absolutely, I was just gonna say that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:52:54 Or the steps. Correct. You know, you're gonna do those things.

Auntie Linny 0:52:56 Exactly that. If you've never been, you've got to do the touristy stuff.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:01 But I just think, don't spend too long there. If it's too busy, Just, you know, go down, go down the back streets of places.

Auntie Linny 0:53:08 If you're in Rome, ask, be directed to Roma Vecchia, it's called, which interprets old Rome. Amazing. People don't know of it. It's an incredible thing to see if you're, if you're in Rome.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:21 I would say if you are driving, I don't know how much of Italy you'll see.

Auntie Linny 0:53:25 Yeah, it's to see where you're going.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:26 You've gotta go to Florence for me.

Auntie Linny 0:53:28 And you've gotta go to Venice. For me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:30 Venice is beautiful.

Auntie Linny 0:53:32 But equally, Tuscany. I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:35 Is stunning.

Auntie Linny 0:53:36 The lakes, incredible. Oh yeah, I loved Lake Garda. Caserta, which is Naples, the royal palace in Caserta, which not enough people even know about it. It's incredible.

Natalie Cassidy 0:53:50 Honestly, we'd have to do 2 hours. We'd have to get Linda's family on.

Auntie Linny 0:53:53 Yeah. And, um, go to a little village called Sant'Angelo. I mean, you're not, Rhonda, you're not gonna go too far wrong in Italy.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:01 And I would always try and go to little cafes.

Auntie Linny 0:54:06 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:07 The traditional places to eat. Don't bother looking up the best restaurant or the poshest restaurant. You don't need to do that. Anywhere there is good food. Try and find little cafes, trattorias.

Auntie Linny 0:54:19 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:20 Just pop in. I would say that. Don't spend a lot of money on food 'cause everything is good.

Auntie Linny 0:54:24 You don't have to in Italy. No. As in many other countries, you don't have to spend an obscene amount of money so that you can say you've eaten in, you know, I don't know, by the Trevi Fountain. You don't need to do that because the food will be equally as nice in a little back street. Yeah, la trattoria where they dish up the best plate of pasta.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:44 Yeah.

Auntie Linny 0:54:45 So yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:45 No, you're gonna have a wonderful time.

Auntie Linny 0:54:47 You're gonna have the best time.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:49 Fantastic.

Auntie Linny 0:54:49 Love to do Italy, but England, And get in the car and do it. Can you imagine doing that?

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:54 I would like to do it for a long time.

Auntie Linny 0:54:56 Oh, you would? Like a month. Yeah. Just tour all of it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:54:59 And you'd love, you can pick up the language as well if you're there. I will do that in my lifetime. I will. I say it all the time, but I would love to do that.

Auntie Linny 0:55:06 Yeah, it's worth doing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:06 With Mark, I would like to do a month when the children are busy and got their lives. Say, right, we're going away for 5 weeks.

Auntie Linny 0:55:12 Let's get in the car.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:13 5, 6 weeks, let's go.

Auntie Linny 0:55:14 Off you go. Stop. Yeah. What an adventure that would be.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:18 I'd love to do that.

Auntie Linny 0:55:19 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:21 Very good. I have to find a couple of railways, won't I, to keep him occupied? Get a few trains. Well, we've got a lovely dinner tomorrow, my angel.

Auntie Linny 0:55:33 Oh, thanks. It's a bit of a treat.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:35 I shall be pulling out some carrots. We're gonna have some lovely honey roasted carrots from the garden.

Auntie Linny 0:55:40 Have you still got lots of carrots? Yeah, loads. Oh my goodness.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:44 Oh well, we'll have to put Peter Rabbit out there.

Auntie Linny 0:55:46 And now with the rain, you're just gonna have—

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:49 Yeah, it's gonna explode, innit?

Auntie Linny 0:55:51 What else you got? Tomatoes, chillies, courgettes. The tomatoes are ridiculous.

Natalie Cassidy 0:55:54 I'm doing meatballs tonight with the sauce. I mean, chillies, we've got bags and bags. We're freezing them, bags of them. All those plastic little, you know, the bags.

Auntie Linny 0:56:03 Have you started freezing stuff then? Are you doing it with the carrots?

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:06 I've gotta do the carrots. Yeah. But I've got, I've frozen some tomatoes.

Auntie Linny 0:56:11 Oh, okay. And you know all I did? What'd you do, make a sauce?

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:14 No, no, all I did was peel them all. I put ball butter in. Yeah. Peeled them. Yeah. Just tonight I've not done it. How did you do that?

Auntie Linny 0:56:23 That must have been, what, the large tomatoes or—

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:25 Little ones.

Auntie Linny 0:56:26 What, you've individually peeled them?

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:28 Mark did it for me.

Auntie Linny 0:56:29 Guys, are you listening to this? I peeled them. No, Mark did it for me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:35 Mark peeled them.

Auntie Linny 0:56:36 What, the Mark that did the ironing today?

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:39 What, his 6 shirts?

Auntie Linny 0:56:40 After that, he said he did all the ironing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:41 Oh. 6 shirts. No, we've got a lot done this morning. He got out, he put a load of washing on. No, he was on one this morning.

Auntie Linny 0:56:48 So he individually peeled the small, the cherry tomatoes?

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:51 Yes, and a few big ones, but a big, big bowl.

Auntie Linny 0:56:53 Right. And then we've just—

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:55 Frozen them.

Auntie Linny 0:56:56 Whole.

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:56 Whole.

Auntie Linny 0:56:57 Why have you peeled them, can I, may I ask?

Natalie Cassidy 0:56:59 Because sometimes—

Auntie Linny 0:57:00 You don't like the skin?

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:02 Not so, I don't mind it. Kids don't like it. Tonight I haven't.

Auntie Linny 0:57:05 Tonight you've done it as the meatballs.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:06 I've done it with all the skins on, but I think with the meatballs, and I can pick a bit out for them. They're not too keen on the skins, the kids.

Auntie Linny 0:57:12 No, I get it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:13 And if I wanted to do, the reason I didn't make a sauce.

Auntie Linny 0:57:15 You need one of those.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:16 I've got one.

Auntie Linny 0:57:18 Oh, have you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:18 Bloody mooli.

Auntie Linny 0:57:19 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:19 I've got it.

Auntie Linny 0:57:20 Have you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:20 I've got a little mooli. Is that what I need?

Auntie Linny 0:57:22 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:23 And then I just.

Auntie Linny 0:57:23 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:24 What, and you can leave the skin on? Of course you bloody can.

Auntie Linny 0:57:27 Yeah, 'cause the skin doesn't pop.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:28 Yeah. What a bastard.

Auntie Linny 0:57:30 He stood there and peeled the skin.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:35 No, don't, don't say anything. Sorry. Mustard seeds.

Auntie Linny 0:57:40 I've done it before though.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:41 I've stood and peeled them. I've never thought of using that. Anyway, the reason I didn't do garlic in a sauce or onions and boil it and then freeze it is I can use them now. For anything. For anything.

Auntie Linny 0:57:54 Chilli.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:55 So rather than it just being garlic sauce.

Auntie Linny 0:57:58 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:57:58 So therefore, but I've got so many more. I can't tell you how many tomatoes I've got. So I've gotta get them again. Come and get your tomatoes.

Auntie Linny 0:58:06 Oh. Yeah. Oh, but that's good. At least you're making good use of them. Yes. And you're gonna be so happy in the winter months when you open your freezer and you go, oh, I've got warm fresh tomatoes. So true.

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:17 If you look online, it says you can just freeze them, pick them and freeze them.

Auntie Linny 0:58:22 Can you? What, without even blanching?

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:25 Obviously what they say is when they're defrosted, they're going to be more mushy. Yeah. But you're putting 'em in things.

Auntie Linny 0:58:32 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:32 We're not, you're not using 'em for salads. You're not using 'em for sandwich.

Auntie Linny 0:58:35 Yeah, right. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:36 It says you can wash them. Oh, right. And just freeze them. So I might even try that.

Auntie Linny 0:58:39 If you do that. Yeah. Why not? Just do a bag. Just do a bag, Minnie. It's not gonna hurt, is it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:43 See how they come out.

Auntie Linny 0:58:44 Wow. Need to get yourself a free— oh, you've got a freezer in the—

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:48 Granddad's freezer.

Auntie Linny 0:58:49 Oh, you've got that freezer as well, haven't you? Yeah. Brilliant.

Natalie Cassidy 0:58:53 So yeah, there we go. Well, that's nearly an hour. Can you believe it?

Auntie Linny 0:58:57 Again, yep, nagging away. Time flies when you're having fun, guys.

Natalie Cassidy 0:59:00 07788 20 19 19. Please send me your voice notes on WhatsApp, your messages. It means the world to us. What else is there to say? Remember, Patreon if you fancy it. Super bonuses over there, lots of live shows on there, interaction from us. It's really good fun.

Auntie Linny 0:59:19 What about Bishop Stortford?

Natalie Cassidy 0:59:20 Bishop Stortford is going really, really well. That is October the 18th. It's doing really well.

Auntie Linny 0:59:27 Good.

Natalie Cassidy 0:59:27 It's doing really well. You find people now going back to school, they start booking things. So come on, get your tickets. Yeah. Get going. We've got Bishop Stortford, the Fortune in London, and also the Denby and Tring. All the dates are there on Instagram for you, and they're always underneath the podcast. So have a little look. Thank you so much. It's been lovely to see you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you and my brother tomorrow.

Auntie Linny 0:59:53 Lovely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:59:54 Have a great week, everybody, and we'll speak to you very, very soon. Cheers.

Auntie Linny 0:59:58 Bye, everyone.