Has Sherlock Holmes ever driven a bus?

It's an exciting day for the pod as we welcome "so-called comedian" Chrissy Derbyshire to the studio for the first instalment of another episode trilogy filled with laughs and dad-ecdotes. But who is the dad under the microscope this week, I hear you ask? Well, it's Barry Derbyshire, of course! A man known by many in the South Wales comedy scene as Chrissy's chauffer, (sort of) social media manager and, of course, her father.

In the episode, we mostly focus on Barry's father figures, including his favourite drink to order at Wetherspoons, his origins in Ealing and how his love of comedy influenced Chrissy to have a go at stand-up. We discuss his early years: going to school with 3/4 of 'The Who,' partying with the 'original milky bar kid,' and his dream of being Sherlock Holmes.

Chrissy tells us tales of Barry's job as a bus driver in London, like the many times he got lost and the time he managed to get the bus "stuck," and she tells us about his penchant for inventing his own idioms, and the time he didn't notice that his own kitchen had suddenly been painted orange.

Finally, the gang analyse awkward interactions with audience members at the end of comedy gigs, the joy of getting a free drink from a comedy venue, the film 'Brassed Off' and the song 'Tubthumping' by 'Chumbawumba.' Plus, Max shows off his Richard Osman credentials and recounts the tale of a difficult show at a neurodivergent comedy night. Chrissy and Joe also do impressions of Bob Dylan and call out Jimmy Carr.

ABOUT OUR GUEST: "Chrissy is the world's most giggly deadpan comedian, and probably the only comedian to be compared to both Sarah Millican and David Lynch. Her solo show, Innards, is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this year". (Whistlebinkies @ 11:15 Aug 20th-Aug 30th)

From ChatGPT:

“Only the faithless hear the hippo’s cough” sounds like the kind of proverb that warns against paranoia, guilt, or spiritual insecurity. Since hippos are huge, dangerous, and usually quiet until suddenly violent, the image works well metaphorically.

A few plausible interpretations:

The guilty imagine threats everywhere. Someone without conviction or loyalty is constantly listening for danger, betrayal, or judgment. The “hippo’s cough” could symbolize an ominous sign that only anxious or untrustworthy people think they detect.

Fear reveals a weak conscience. The faithful move calmly through life; the faithless are hypersensitive to every little noise or rumor. Hearing the cough means you’re already expecting punishment.

False alarms distract the untrustworthy. A hippo’s cough is strange, obscure, and probably insignificant. The proverb could mock people who obsess over meaningless signs because they lack inner certainty.

Those who betray others expect betrayal themselves. Similar to “a thief thinks everyone steals.” The faithless hear danger because they know how deception works.

It has the same mysterious energy as old invented folklore sayings, where the imagery matters more than literal logic. The phrase feels especially convincing because:

a hippo is deceptively dangerous,

a cough is subtle and easy to misinterpret,

“faithless” gives it moral weight.

Got a dad story for us?

Email: dadtouchpod@gmail.com

Everything else: https://linktr.ee/dadtouchpod

Logo Design: Alice Evans (@Alicewithapen)

Music by: Gino Dada

Which local comedians do you think need to give up?

All this and more will be revealed (and salaciously bleeped) on this slanderous and explosive expose on the Machynlleth Comedy Festival! Oft dubbed the ‘best comedy festival in the world’ (usually to audiences currently attending said festival), Max and Joe recount their recent trip to see the cream of the comedy crop; swapping stories about the acts they loved and loathed - they also chat about the harsh realities of chalet life, how a man who looked like Jeremy Corbyn mistook Max for somebody’s dad, and the Dadpod boys slag off a lot of comedians (including local losers, circuit regulars, and huge TV names) - don’t skip this one!

In more genteel moments they also discuss how volunteering at the festival works, offer their tips and tricks for navigating the ‘no horse town’ of Machynlleth itself (including what happened when a woman’s phone went off during a live recording), as well as debating whether live podcasts are a complete waste of time (and tease a future Dadpod: LIVE?). Joe also sets out a strong message to the Three mobile network to SORT their voicemail settings before finally asking the question: are voicemails podcasts for old people?.

About our Topic: Machynlleth Comedy Festival is a three-day comedy festival held annually in Machynlleth, Wales. Although the town is home to only around 2,000 residents, in 2024 the festival drew in around four times that number of visitors. The festival is aimed as a testing ground for comedians to experiment with new material in the spring before the more intense Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

Got a dad story for us?

Email: ⁠dadtouchpod@gmail.com⁠

Everything else: ⁠https://linktr.ee/dadtouchpod⁠

Logo Design: Alice Evans (@Alicewithapen)

Music by: Gino Dada

See Joe at Cambridge Fringe Saturday 23rd May: https://wegottickets.com/f/17172/

Dead Material Tickets 5th June: https://www.exetercornexchange.co.uk/whats-on/exeter-comedy-festival-dead-material/

Would you suck bean juice through a red Henry Lloyd turtle-neck?

In this episode, we welcome back Steffan Evans for the final instalment of the John Bach trilogy. This time, we discuss John's many hobbies, including looking out the window and brewing his own 10% beer, which people travelled from far and wide to taste.

We talk about John's favourite sports: winding people up and drink driving. We hear tales from John's man-cave: a big shed with a bar inside, plus all the stuff that John has collected over the years: brass gas lamps, shotguns, and even a bayonet he found in the local village.

Steff tells us about John's experiences with various animals, including the time he obliterated a rat with a shotgun, the time he knocked out a cockerel with a wooden plank, and their vicious pet dog called Tonto.

Finally, Max tells the tale of a recent trip out with Alvin, Steff talks about the similarities and differences between his dad and himself, and we reminisce about the times Steff met both our dads.

Got a dad story for us?

Email: dadtouchpod@gmail.com

Everything else: https://linktr.ee/dadtouchpod

Logo Design: Alice Evans (@Alicewithapen)

Music by: Gino Dada

ABOUT OUR GUEST: Steffan Evans from Eglwyswrw in Pembrokeshire, is a comedian with a unique insight into the world. He supported Elis James on his national tour in 2017 and also appeared on S4C’s “Gwerthu Allan” and “O’r Diwedd” shows. He has been a prominent contributor to the BBC’s hit Sesh digital videos.