Always There and I Didn't Know It...

The world may be in disarray but here we are, chugging on regardless. I've talked at length about how I dealt with the early part of lockdown, when my head imploded with the unknownness of it all. Now, with the constant rolling news of awfulness, I'm looking for bursts of escapism. Utterly joyful and whimsical flights of fancy that provide sporadic respite and balm from real life. With this in mind, there's something marvellous I've discovered. Except I didn't discover it at all. It was under my nose this whole time. Let me explain. *Clears throat. Sips water. Begins.*

Whilst listening to a podcast recently, another podcast was advertised in the middle of it. Julia Raeside's voice announced Always There. A podcast that gave an episode by episode breakdown of every series of - wait for it - Howard's Way. I KNOW. She had me at Howards'. Julia! You had me at Howards'. When I climbed aboard, Always There had just started discussing Series Three of the show. Somehow, I had managed to let this absolute wonder pass me by for twenty-six episodes. I made a solemn vow to rectify that ASAP. So I did, and I have.

Image taken from this site.

Howards Way, for anyone not in the know or who's had a sleep since the eighties, was the most marvellous romp of a show. It showcased the comings and goings of upper-middle class Englanders who lived, worked, and loitered around the boat industry. Whether it was wood-enthusiast and traditional craftsman, Jack Rolfe, or smooth operator and speedboat-company-owning Ken Masters, this show had it all. The whole shebang hinged on the Howard family, where Jan's en point fashions and business aspirations threw in a zeitgeisty zing to the proceedings. She was a modern woman! This was a modern show! Champagne? Glug glug! Lovely!

Listening to the podcast bought it all back. And so, as was inevitable from the start, I rewatched the TV programme from Episode One. It's all there on YouTube and God, it felt therapeutic. Phone down, close laptop, and relaaaaxxxx. I've got into the habit of watching an episode at the end of the evening, and then going to bed to listen to the corresponding podcast as I drift off. And then, the next morning, after checking in with the news, I relisten to the previous night's podcast as I have a shower and throw on some mascara, just in case I fell asleep before the end. I highly recommend the whole process.

Oh it's such a perfect day...🎶

The Internet tells me Howards' Way was broadcast from 1985 to 1990. I don't remember if I took the story lines seriously at the time  (I do remember feeling indignant on behalf of Abby, for the way her nasty mother, Polly, treated her) but rewatching now has been an absolute tonic. After digesting a day of news, announcements, and bulletins, turning on Howards' Way has been the sweetest of releases. You know the scene in Trainspotting when Renton takes heroin and sinks into the carpet? It's that.

Soon I will have caught up with where the podcast is up to. Series Three. Then I will be rationed to one episode a week until the end of the series. And then it's a wait until Series Four. So, I have to think of my next YouTube retro binge. Something that can provide the escapist soothe that Howards' Way has done so far. My initial thoughts? There's only one option that springs to mind. Eldorado. I loved that soap. Play the music now and tell me it doesn't give you tingles. No, you're lying. It's impossible. Anyway, that's a plan for the future. For now, however, I'm still thigh-deep in the Solent, the Jolly Sailor, Jack Rolfe's boat yard, and wondering when they'll let Lynn wear proper clothes instead of a bikini all the time. She might fit in a quick solo navigation of the Atlantic for a couple of episodes in Series Two but she must be bloody freezing.

Have a lovely week, folks.