December 19, 2025 • 36 mins
It’s a festive-packed episode of First Look Gnomes as we dive into everything from Christmas prep to retro gaming nostalgia.
This week we share practical Christmas tips for parents, explore The Retro Room in Belfast for a blast of classic gaming fun, and count down our Top 5 Arcade Games of all time — from pixel legends to button-mashing chaos.
We also take a first look at Labubus, the collectible craze popping up everywhere, and ask the important questions: what are they, why are people obsessed, and should parents be worried?
If you love Christmas planning, retro arcades, classic video games, toy trends, and funny, relatable parenting conversations, this episode is for you.
Perfect listening for dads, parents, gamers, and anyone who loves a nostalgic first look at what’s trending right now.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:04):
On the 12th episode before Christmas, our podcast
gave to me 12 snacks arecrunching, 11 dads are baiting,
10 pints are brewing, 9 gnomesexploring, 8 pints of pouring, 7
gnomes of waffling, 6 tips for adad, 5 recording failed, 4 tired
(00:30):
parents, 3 four puffs, 2browsers crashing, and a toddler
peed in his party.
SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
So you've taken the feedback from the last episode
of Must Try Harder.
And you had trying harder.
That is that was fantastic.
I'd say that's the best MerryChristmas.
I'd say that was the best introof the season, Wallyams.
Of the season?
It's episode 12.
Yeah, that was the best one.
(01:02):
That was the best one.
You've you've saved the besttill Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Wallyams! MerryChristmas.
Oh.
And how have you been?
How's your run up to Christmasbeen?
SPEAKER_01 (01:14):
Um it's been a festive.
I saw the uh the Coca-Colaadvert for the first time.
Oh, very nice.
Yes.
Oh, the days are gone.
Oh, the days are coming.
Which uh I suppose technicallyis quite late December.
But uh yeah, I saw that for thefirst time.
Very nice, get you in the mood.
(01:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:36):
The Christmas adverts this year, I've seen a
few of them.
It's funny.
SPEAKER_01 (01:39):
Oh, the John is it John Lewis?
I think the John Lewis one thatgot to me.
Did he like Cookie the Fields?
I think yeah, I think there'sthe one there's like a little
boy toddler who's like runningto his dad and things, and then
suddenly he's older and he'slike a teenager and doesn't want
anything to do with his dad andthings, and yeah, got me in the
(01:59):
fields a bit.
SPEAKER_00 (02:00):
Got in the fields.
SPEAKER_01 (02:02):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:02):
Well that's good.
That's that's nice.
They it's funny with theChristmas adverts now because
like I don't know about you, butwe don't actually watch that
much normal TV.
We watch, you know, Netflix andstuff.
So you don't see as manyadverts, I guess, really.
So yeah, I haven't I don't feellike I've seen as many Christmas
adverts this year as I normallywould have.
But yeah, the John Lewis one waspretty good.
(02:24):
It's always nice to see the Cokeadvert, isn't it?
It's still, even after all theseyears, it's still nice to see
it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:29):
Oh lo did a coke, tips for dads, tips for dads.
Get your tips out for it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:38):
Well, I don't know how you feel about Christmas,
one's but there's there's somuch to juggle.
As a dad, right?
The tips.
You've got a lot to juggle,haven't you?
Roll around me He's in the mood,ladies and gentlemen, he's in
the mood.
As a dad, one imams, tell methis, right?
I know get the violins out, butyou know, as a dad, you've got
to look after, you've got tolook after your wife, you've got
(02:59):
to look after your kid, you'vegot family to navigate.
It's hard work.
Christmas is hard work.
I know it's hard work for momsas well.
I'm not saying it's not, butit's I think it's hard, it's
hard for dads.
So I've got we've got some tipsfor dads.
Now, this may be too late, but Ihave one.
This is a tip I started doingabout three years ago.
And it's helped me.
It's helped me a couple of timesbecause when it actually comes
(03:22):
to getting towards closer toChristmas, I can never think of
what to get the wife.
Um luckily I started a ritualthroughout the year.
If whenever I see my wife or shementions something that she
likes, I instantly put it intomy notes.
So set up a note, my tip forhusbands, set up a note in your
phone.
And whenever, even if it'sFebruary and she's like, Oh, I
(03:45):
really like that cardigan, noteit.
Find a way in which take apicture and remind yourself, and
just start creating a listbecause then by the time you get
to Christmas, you'll be like,What the hell am I gonna get
her?
You've got a prepare list, andlike last Christmas, I hadn't
put anything into the list sinceJuly.
But well, Miss Hodgkiss, I I domake a little list.
(04:07):
Do you?
Oh, very good.
You to be fair though, you areone of those good husbands.
But I bet there's a lot ofhusbands who don't, and then
come December, they're like,What the heck am I gonna get
her?
And if they'd written down whatshe'd said she wanted in April,
they'd be good.
So that's the tip.
If there's any women listeningto this as well, do the same for
your husbands.
We have feelings too, you know.
Us dads need a bit of attentionoccasionally.
(04:28):
We may mention Shrill that.
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
I'm in I'm in the dad, I'm in the dad era now with
I'd just say a bottle of rum orbottle of whiskey.
SPEAKER_00 (04:35):
Booze is the great gift.
You can't go wrong.
If someone gets you a goodbottle of rum or a good bottle
of rum.
SPEAKER_01 (04:40):
I like a nice, fresh, new pair of socks.
Get away.
A pair of socks.
I do.
Do you not like putting on a newnice pair of socks?
SPEAKER_00 (04:48):
I don't want socks for Christmas.
Socks for Christmas is theshittiest present.
Or non.
Like, oh, socks.
What a load.
No, don't fall into that trap.
You can still have dad toys andbooze and nice things.
I I don't have a pair of dadsocks socks that don't cut off
my circulation that aren't tootight.
(05:09):
That's the socks I like.
I don't like socks that leave amark.
Stockings.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Compression stockings, the helpof lip flow.
That's what I like.
You said I sense you have a pairof favourite socks.
SPEAKER_01 (05:24):
What did you get in your Christmas stocking this
year?
Great.
SPEAKER_00 (05:29):
Well, I tell you, what a pleasant that will be for
some lucky lady this year.
Uh um so you have a fair okay,so socks.
SPEAKER_01 (05:39):
So I just imagine you naked in a pair of Christmas
stockings.
SPEAKER_00 (05:44):
It's it's happened.
It's happened.
I mean, I'm I mean, I'm nottechnically naked because I'm
wearing said stockings, but uhyeah, it's it's it's a look,
it's a vibe, as they as we usedto say, Williams, it's a vibe.
So um yes, anyway, on to moretips.
That's right.
So tips.
More tips.
Yeah, don't buy your husbandsocks, even if they say they
(06:04):
like socks, don't buy themsocks.
That's a terrible present.
Um, this is one that happened tome when I was a kid, right?
So I think brain's at the agenow where we we may try this.
We haven't tried it, but Iremember when I was a kid, I
wanted a Game Boy.
Like a lot of kids, I wanted aGame Boy.
And for the Christmas I wanted aGame Boy, I got a Scalectrix.
(06:25):
And the Scalectrics was a bigscale electrics, and Scalectrics
were, you know, you knew theScalectrics was a was a big
present.
You're like, okay, oh, got ascale electrics, and you open
all your presents and there's noGame Boy.
But you'd ask for the Game Boyand you wanted the Game Boy, but
at the same time, you got aScale Electrics, so that's okay.
Game Boys are sold out, etc.
etc.
You don't you're not toodisappointed because you've
(06:46):
still got a load of other stuffand you're not an ungrateful
little prick.
But then later in the day, yougot a scale electrics, but then
you go about your day, you setup the scale electrics, you're
playing with scale electricshaving time of your life, and
then later on, there's like, oh,hang on, there's still a present
here behind the tree.
There's one present.
Where does this come from?
Okay, where is it?
Oh, it's for Craig.
(07:07):
Okay, here you go, yeah.
And of course, it's the GameBoy, isn't it?
It's the Game Boy, so you've gotScale Electrics and a Game Boy,
the hinge present behind thetree.
Yes, but I'm like, I rememberthat.
That's like one of my fond, youknow, those Christmas memories.
You know, I suppose it againit's it's bad because it's quite
materialistic.
Like, oh did you have a niceChristmas, Christmas with memory
(07:28):
with a grandma, or somethinglike no, no, Game Boy, a
Japanese-made technical toywhere I could play Tetris as
long as there was a as long asthere was a light.
But still, like I remember it,and I remember being just bowled
over thinking I can't believethis is the best thing ever.
So if you wanna if you want tokind of make a memory, I'm
saying maybe try the forgottenpresent trick.
(07:48):
And then Williams, as you saidearlier, you're not in the mood.
I have one for that.
So people when they're trying toget in the mood, people like, oh
yeah, let's watch a Christmasfilm.
SPEAKER_01 (07:57):
When did I say not in the mood?
What?
SPEAKER_00 (07:59):
Earlier on, I said, like, are you in are you looking
forward to Christmas?
You're not really in the moodyet.
SPEAKER_01 (08:03):
Oh, right, sorry.
SPEAKER_00 (08:04):
And I said maybe there might be a tip for dad for
that.
Right, right.
So, not in the mood.
So, what if you're trying to getin the mood, what's the not in
the spirit, not in the Christmasspirit.
Not in the Christmas spirit.
So there's a couple of thingspeople tend to do.
They will whack on MagicChristmas, or they'll put on a
Christmas film, or they'll, Idon't know, cook something that
they only have this time ofepisode.
I don't think I've been whammed,yeah.
(08:25):
Yeah, wham.
You see, a lot of people listento music, but they listen to the
the pop music, so they listen towham and stuff like that.
If you really want to get in theChristmas mood, don't listen to
wham.
Listen to Church of EnglandChristmas carols.
Guaranteed to be.
Church of England Christmascarols are guaranteed to put you
in the Christmas mood.
Yeah, a Wayne Manger, SilentNight, Oh Holy Night, they're
(08:48):
the bangers, but wham, put thepoges.
You want to listen to Oh HolyNight.
If you're in the Christmas moodafter listening to I'll go on
Spotify and listening to theChurch of England Christmas
choir sing Christmas carols,like little town of Bethlehem,
and you're not taken back to themagic of Christmas, then I'll
tell you this, you're deadinside.
SPEAKER_02 (09:09):
Something wrong with you.
SPEAKER_00 (09:10):
Something wrong with you.
So forget listening toWhamstrong get you in the mood.
Go straight for the Church ofEngland Christmas carols.
Guaranteed.
Guaranteed to get you in themood.
What a tip.
That's my tips.
What a tip.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
I've got a little little tip.
Not Christmas related, but yougot a little tip.
What is this tip, Williams?
Oh dear.
No, the well, it's not really atip, I suppose it's yeah, it is
a tip.
Don't take your toddler's wordsliterally.
So you know that that is thatthat that an age and my my
(09:45):
toddler's uh two and threequarters now, I think.
And uh Logan's you know he'she's very well spoken for his
age and he's but he's you knowdeveloped a bit of a humour and
a bit of a sarcastic tone, Iwould say, which he gets from
his mother.
And uh and we did bedtime thisweek, and I I did bedtime less
(10:08):
so than the than the wifey wife.
And and Logan Logan just turnedto me and he said lovely to see
you, Daddo.
But he meant he meant he meantit.
He meant it like he it waslovely to see you, but I just
took it as uh yeah, lovely tosee you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:27):
Yeah, thanks for coming to me, Dad.
SPEAKER_01 (10:29):
Yeah, nice to see you.
But so yeah, so don't don't takethings literally, but yeah, he
well, he he he literally meantlovely to see you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
So that was yeah, that's sweet though, that he
wanted to he was happy to seeyou.
SPEAKER_01 (10:41):
He meant he meant lovely to see me.
So it's when I say lovely, Idon't mean it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:45):
He did so yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
But also he said it was lovely, he wants to give me
a little kiss, and he went toobeardy.
Too beardy.
Too beardy, too beardy.
And there's other thing that weuh we got from him today, so
which is a great thing.
So when you're kids, you know,you have that you have your best
friends, don't you?
Your best friends.
Whereas he's got he's got anokay friend.
(11:08):
He's got an okay friend, which Ithink is a great one.
A great term.
So uh you know you've got yourbest friends, and then like you,
Mr.
Hodgkers, you're my okay friend.
SPEAKER_00 (11:18):
So you know, we've got my okay friend too.
SPEAKER_01 (11:24):
I was recently the best man at your wedding, just
to remind you that.
So okay friend.
SPEAKER_00 (11:29):
But outrageous.
SPEAKER_01 (11:33):
Not at all, I jest.
I jest.
SPEAKER_00 (11:35):
I should bloody hope so.
Good tips.
Yeah, it is hard sometimes withtoddlers to kind of to put it
into perspective and be like notjust like that, then being
sarcastic, but sometimes theywill say, like, I hate you,
daddy, and you're like, do theydo they actually hate me?
Oh no, my child hates me, whathave I done wrong?
It's like, no, they don't reallyhate you, they're just they're
(11:57):
just angry or something.
So it's a good tip, that is,don't take it too serious, don't
take it too little.
SPEAKER_01 (12:02):
And he's um he's learning his emotions a lot for
the moment as well.
And um big emotions, andemotions alongside his words, so
you know quite often says, I'msad, and then two seconds later,
I'm happy now.
SPEAKER_00 (12:17):
If only life was that simple, right?
SPEAKER_01 (12:19):
Yeah, I'm sad, I'm happy now.
SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
Step out of the sad box into the happy box, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
It's literally it'll change within a second.
I'm sad.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
You know what though?
You know what?
Answer me this, right?
If you're sad, if you're feelingsad, right?
And you step into the pub, soyou're happy box, instantly just
happy, right?
Have you ever walked into a puband not just been happy?
Because you're like, I'm goingto the pub now.
SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
Walked into a pub with Church of England songs
going.
SPEAKER_00 (12:52):
Yeah, that's the ha that is literally the happiest
you could ever be.
Other than obviously, you know,go I'm assuming in this scenario
you're I'm talking abouthappiness outside of being with
children and all that kind ofstuff, like going to the pub
with maybe just you and themissus, go meet some friends or
family.
I don't think I've ever gone tothe pub sad.
I don't think that's uh oh,you've never gone to the pub in
(13:15):
a pissed-off mood or sad andgone to the pub to cheer
yourself up.
SPEAKER_01 (13:19):
No, I never have actually.
SPEAKER_00 (13:21):
Oh, you're well to be fair, I don't really remember
you in bad moods.
You're you are quite just youare quite mellow at all times.
You're not you're not one ofthese volatile personalities
which is like down or happy andthe extremes.
You're always just generallypretty chill and happy.
You're a happy chap.
SPEAKER_01 (13:36):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think it'd be quite dangerousif I went to a pub's dad.
SPEAKER_00 (13:40):
Would you would you would you be one of those who
drinks and goes into the yeah?
My kid doesn't my kid's alwayssarcastic with me.
You know, he just says, like,glad to see you, Dad.
He said I'm too beady.
I love this beard, and he saidI'm too beady.
Well, thank goodness you are ahappy, happy chap, both outside
(14:03):
and inside of the pub.
Thank you, okay, friend.
You're very welcome, okay,friend.
Here we go.
So in the last episode, I talkedabout my little trip to uh
Newcastle County Down.
And I went on a bit of a tiradeand a bit of a rant about
arcades and the tickets, thebloody tickets.
(14:25):
And I was I was kind of shakingthe angry fist at arcades,
amazing.
All these tickets, not not, itwasn't like that in my day.
So recently, a friend of afriend has opened up a retro
arcade in Belfast called theRetro Room Vintage 80s arcade.
And we paid it a visit.
So I took the wife and thechild, and I was like, we're
(14:47):
gonna go and check this retroarcade out.
It is so it's a really goodidea.
So it's they say, they say aboutthemselves.
We're an 80s and 90s retroarcade, classic consoles and
tabletop games open every Fridayand Saturday, 11am till 10 p.m.
And on Sunday, 12 pm till 8 p.m.
No book and required, just comedown.
So you pay seven pounds and yougo in and you can play all the
(15:10):
arcade machines.
So there's no like coins you putin, you just pay entry, and it's
all free, free play.
And they've got all the oldschool arcade machines that you
would expect, but then they alsohave the like SNES and Genesis
and Mega Drive and SegaDreamcast um and Sega Saturn.
Sorry, they don't have a Teleye, they didn't have a
(15:31):
Dreamcast, they're a SegaSaturn, and then have like
guitar hero on like a bigscreen, and excuse me, and then
there's ball games and stuff youcan play as well.
So I was like, Yeah, let's goand have a go with this.
So I was playing, I took Brainbecause I was like, I want to
show Brain what an old schoolarcade was like to see what he
thought because he'd recentlybeen to new to the new arcades,
let's go and take it to an oldarcade, and we were playing Time
(15:54):
Crisis, and we were playing theTurtles arcade game and track
and field and Street Fighter andall these awesome games.
And at the end of it, I said toBrain, Sir, I said, Right,
you've got all the money in theworld, you can either build
yourself a modern arcade or aretro arcade.
What will you do?
He said, retro arcade's muchbetter.
He really preferred the retroarcade, which I thought was
(16:15):
pretty cool.
So yeah, we went and tried thisout, and there was one thing
that's definitely I definitelyclicked that the power of
nostalgia.
You remember things being like,Oh, it's the best, it's the
best.
Obviously, I play a lot of videogames, modern video games, so
the actual quality of the gamesis so much worse.
You remember it because it wasso cool, and at the time it was
(16:37):
so good, but now you're playingtrack and field and stuff,
you're like, it's not a goodgame compared to what you can
play at home, like compared toplaying Mario Kart or even
Minecraft and stuff, and theexperiences you can have at home
now.
SPEAKER_01 (16:48):
The graphics, you know, when you went up a console
to you know from 8-bit to 16-bitor whatever it was, it's like
wow, the quality is so good.
And then you look back now, mmm,no.
SPEAKER_00 (17:01):
No, it was some of them, so some of the art styles,
so especially on the SuperNintendo, we were playing
recently Super Mario World 2,which is Yoshi's Island, and
like the art style of that isstill really cool.
Like, you know, that's a 16-bitgame.
So I think there's certain artstyles that are just timeless.
Um in the arcade, some of thegames that you're playing just
they're very simple games, whichis nice, like pick them and
(17:21):
playable, it's nice, and you'vegot these big cabinets and
stuff, which is pretty cool.
But like the actual I thinkwe've been we're so spoiled now
with what you can play at home.
Like, we've talked in the pastabout playing VR and obviously,
like you know, Nintendo Switch,the things you can do, and just
in your hand, it's quiteincredible how it's how it's
gone.
But there was still such afunction.
SPEAKER_01 (17:42):
Things you can play with just in your hand, did you
say?
SPEAKER_00 (17:45):
The consoles, Wadhim's.
Don't get me into trouble.
But um, it with it's still funstanding at the arcade machine.
So there's there was Leslie andme and Brain, and we're playing
the Turtles game, and it's likeyou can pick so the actual
machine, the actual cabinet hasthe four turtles on.
So you stand stand by yourcolour.
So if you're blue, Leonardo,orange, Michelangelo, etc., and
(18:05):
the three of us are stood therejust whacking the button as hard
as we can.
And then Brain, we went on theStreet Fighter arcade machine,
and I I can remember what themoves were.
So if I if I'm Ken, I canremember all of the special
moves.
So I'm getting there like, yes,muscle memory, and I'm beating
Brain.
And Brain's just like, I'm like,no, I can't, I can't beat
Braden.
So Brain's brain's tactic isexactly what you'd expect.
(18:28):
Button bashing, like youwouldn't believe, just smacking
their buttons like you wouldn'tbelieve.
And that's the fun of the arcademachine, yeah.
Just button bashing.
So you know, he won, he won andbeat me, and he was so happy.
He was like, Yes, yeah, jumpingaround.
I was like, that's why arcadesare fun.
It's not it's not the fact thatit's just an arcade, it's the
socialization of playing thegames together and standing up
(18:50):
rather than sitting down whileyou're playing them and moving
from machine to machine.
There was something really coolabout it.
So, yeah, the the retro room inBelfast.
We they do kind of corporateout.
So we're actually I'm I'mactually going again with a
group of people from the officethat I used to work at.
Um, so we're gonna go have somefun there.
The only downside, so there's nobeer, and like, oh and not even
(19:13):
like even like a vending machinefor cracking.
It was quite a downside.
I was like, it's open till 10o'clock.
So I'm like, oh, they shoulddefinitely get try and get a
license if they can, but Iimagine it's quite expensive, or
at least like open your own.
And yeah, so no food and nobeer, but I'd still say it was
like a good, I'd give it a fourout of ten, of four out of ten,
four out of five.
So, or I'd give it an eight,eight somethings, eight Pac-Mans
(19:35):
out of ten Pac-Mans.
And I thought this would lead usin, Wanimster, to something that
I wanted to test your brain on.
Oh gosh, Bitfint, Bitfint hasdone a top V I T V I N T.
So like as in eight bit and thenvintage.
So Bitfint has done a top onehundred arcade games.
Do you think And you're gonnalist all one hundred?
(19:58):
No, no, I'm gonna ask you ifyou're reckoning.
Know what games would be the topfive.
Arcade games.
SPEAKER_01 (20:04):
What do you mean to find an arcade game?
SPEAKER_00 (20:06):
An arcade machine, like the old school 70s, 80s,
90s.
You go to an arcade, and theseare the the games that are like,
yeah, they're the most populargames of all time.
What do you reckon would be inthe top five?
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Eighties and seventies or eighties and
nineties?
SPEAKER_00 (20:19):
70s, 80s, 90s.
Like this is kind of taking allarcades.
So you got your Pac-Man.
Yeah.
Number one, Williams.
There you go.
Straight in the Pac-Man isnumber one.
Second on the list.
So this is ranked.
So Pac-Man is as ranked numberone of all time.
Then Donkey Kong, then SpaceInvaders, then Gallagher, and
(20:41):
number five, Street Fighter 2.
Street Fighter 2.
If I was making the list, I'dhave the Simpsons Arcade game as
number one.
SPEAKER_01 (20:47):
I was going to say Simpsons Arcade was it, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:49):
And the Tel Teenage Moon Ninja Tales game at number
two.
But you know, it's that'salright.
It's it's it's all very it's allvery subjective.
Yeah, visit retroomebelfast.com.
Go and check it out.
The guy who owns it is lovely.
And yeah, it's just I hope Ihope um it's really cool that
you've got that on your doorstepto go and see.
I'm sure there are other retroarcades around, especially at
(21:11):
Christmas if you're looking forsomething to do for a bit of
fun.
Find a local retro arcade.
SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
I remember Fond Memories, Christmas in the 90s,
PlayStation 1.
Or the PlayStation is it used asit used to be known.
And uh and yeah, Family Timeplaying um Tekken 2.
Oh, what a game.
And yeah, sort of me and mysister and mum and dad playing
(21:37):
Tekken.
And I don't know, I don't knowwhat possessed my mum, but she
just turned into just like yousaid, that the button bashing.
And then literally you couldn'teven defend it.
She was just going crazy, buttonbashing, and just uh yeah, KO.
Kicking everyone's ass.
Yeah.
Incredible.
(21:58):
She would just go, ah buttonbashing like crazy, and yeah,
Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER_00 (22:05):
Sometimes it's the way to do it.
Yeah, yeah, it's um it's it'sgood fun.
Like again, it's again, why isit good?
Why do you remember it?
Because the socializing thing,playing with your parents and
stuff.
Well, if you if we talk ever ifwe ever talk about our kind of
favorite memories of uni stuff,it's the so it's using video
games as a social tool, sittingthere killing time, just playing
together.
(22:25):
We were we introduced uh so wewere when we're in Newcastle
Gaunty Down a few weeks back.
We I took the switch with us andwe were all playing Mario Kart
together, and it's still justbrilliant fun.
Still brilliant fun.
And you never forget so so themanly man hadn't played for
ages, was still brilliant.
Just picked it up, but just likethere you go, it's like riding a
bike.
So video games should be asocial thing, either way.
(22:48):
Commu playing games together isjust fun, especially at
Christmas.
Get the games out, play somegames, have fun.
It's great.
SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
Have fun, be there board games or PlayStation.
SPEAKER_00 (23:00):
Board games are great, yeah.
All games, all even just oldschool charades.
Love it.
What about you, William?
So, what's your first look?
SPEAKER_01 (23:08):
My first look, so loosely related to Christmas
based on gifts.
Um, but it's my niece's birthdayrecently.
Happy birthday.
One of her gifts, um not fromus, from uh parents, I believe.
But she got this she's got thistoy, and apparently it's been a
(23:28):
bit of a craze.
I don't understand it.
Um, or do I?
I don't know.
Um, but she got a laboo-boo.
Oh, yeah.
Have you heard of theselabo-boos?
SPEAKER_00 (23:40):
Yes, I've heard of laboo-boos, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (23:43):
Now, listeners, if you've not seen one of these
little guys, imagine amischievous looking Sprite, evil
gnome, evil fairy, evil evillittle thing.
Big ears, big teeth, eyes thatlook like they've had too much
(24:04):
coffee or not slept since 2020or something.
But so they come from wronggroup, but they come from Hong
Kong, I believe, or somewhereover that way.
And it's like a designer toy,and it but they're famous for
that they're blind it's a blindbox collectible, I suppose
(24:25):
that's what they call it, theyyeah.
Um so you buy them, but youdon't really know which one
you've got, but it's acollection of them a bit like
the crays back in back in ouryounger days where like beanie
babies were like all the things,I guess.
Yes.
But yeah, they become like ahuge collectible, they look
really weird.
(24:45):
But yeah, you you can buy one,but you don't know which one
you're gonna get.
There's like different colours,I think, in different styles.
But yeah, people if you collectthem, you spend a fortune and
you might get the same one overand over again, I suppose,
technically.
But yeah.
I I have my first look at LaBoo-Boo.
SPEAKER_00 (25:05):
It's a weird thing, isn't it?
Because it's a bit like so youremember like when you collected
football stickers and even kindasurprise, like the surprise
elements, so you don't know whatyou're getting.
Like you buy a pack of sixfootball stickers and you're
hoping that you've got new ones,and then they do these things
there uh Tog no, not Tugs.
Pogs Pogs, yeah.
(25:25):
Pogs fan kind of thing.
Same and over again.
Exactly.
But there's an element of thesurprise, it's like addiction,
it's like gambling.
It's like the the tapping intothat gambling thing early with
kids, like I don't know, or theanticipation.
But like if you remember, thinkabout it.
Like we had bogglins.
Do you remember boglins are likea gremlin that you put in your
hand?
Yeah, and there was Furbies, andI remember my sister was
(25:49):
carriage.
Trolls, trolls, yeah.
There's like there's always beenlike there's always been the hot
thing.
Even teletuppies, like they weremassive for a bit, weren't they?
So it's now these laboo-boos.
It's just funny that it'slaboo-boos, but it's the
surprise element, which is justI'm like, oh, that's don't
exploit kids like that.
I know it's happened forever,but I I don't like it.
(26:10):
I'm like labou, I'm I don't mindwell, I've got no problem with
the idea of kids wanting tocollect something.
SPEAKER_01 (26:16):
I think so with my niece, she's got she's got a B
boo, and I think that's it now.
I think it's but I don't know ifit becomes like once more and it
collects them, then it's adifferent thing.
SPEAKER_00 (26:29):
But well, do you remember like Pokemon?
Do you remember like South Parkdid that piss take episode of
Pokemon cards and things?
Gotta gotta catch them all.
It's like Mark, oh you've gottacatch them all.
What do you mean?
You mean you've got a f boogiepair of single one?
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:44):
See exploitation.
SPEAKER_01 (26:46):
Tazzo's, I had tazzos with Walker's Crisps, I
don't know.
Yeah, but there was certaincrisps when you get like a tazzo
in there.
But you just end up buying morecrisps just for the tazzos and
stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (26:57):
Just for the tazzos, yeah.
Yeah, the Tazos are greatbecause you can't.
I've got a box bunny already.
I wanted Daffy Duck, forgoodness sake.
Right, more crisps.
So you're getting fat kids whoare addictive.
SPEAKER_01 (27:09):
I've still got I've still got the folder in the
attic or cupboard somewhere.
The full I've got the fullcollection of Tazos, and I'm
pretty sure when I was younger,I thought, when I'm when I'm
older it's gonna be worth afortune, that is.
Yeah, well, there might be.
Taz.
Yeah, I'm sure it's a good eBay.
Now I'd be like eBay fullcollection.
Full collection, fullcollection, pristine folder
isn't a folder.
SPEAKER_00 (27:30):
Complete seven £2,000,£5,000,£10,000.
Walker's Tazzo's collectorsalbum, complete£70 to£70, very
good condition, plus the extraworld tazzos.
£100£100 or best offer.
Yeah, all best offer.
£100,£100.
(27:51):
I mean, it's up for sale for£100, but no one's bought it.
So okay, so okay, there'sanother one here.
£28.77.
Same thing.
SPEAKER_01 (28:03):
Yeah, it's about until it's uh okay.
SPEAKER_00 (28:06):
£17.22.
Um£11.87.
Okay, we're going down a bit,Walems.
I think I just clicked up.
Yeah, the£11.87.
That's just full of it.
SPEAKER_01 (28:15):
Who wants to buy I don't know?
SPEAKER_00 (28:18):
Well, so okay, you say that, right?
So about 18 months ago, Ipurchased off of eBay a box of
pogs and chuppa chops and allthe things.
It was like six six quid, but itwas like a box of a thousand
ones.
And I was talking about thesegreen chuppa chops, kinnies they
were called, and I used to beobsessed with them because they
smell like watermelon.
(28:40):
And yeah, I was like, right, I'mbuying some.
And on a drunken, in a drunkenperch, it was a proper drunken
purchase.
This random shoe box full ofpogs arrived.
And I was like, Oh, this isamazing.
And they've been in a box and abox within a box somewhere ever
since.
Never looked at them, neverplayed with them.
SPEAKER_01 (28:57):
But at their at their peak as well, there was
like things like pogs.
There was like a you get yourspecial edition ones, and
there's like a a shiny platinumlimited edition Hawaiian dancer
pog or something.
Yeah.
And they would be worth like£10,000 in 1997 or something.
Whereas now the value's a pound.
SPEAKER_00 (29:19):
But yeah, there's there's no value in them at all.
It's just but it was it was soso strong at the time.
But again, it's like feeling ofnostalgia now.
You're like, oh, do you rememberthis?
Because at the time it meanteverything to you.
unknown (29:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (29:33):
So you know, the laboooboo for your n for your
niece is gonna be a similar kindof thing.
She's gonna remember gettingthat laboo boo.
SPEAKER_01 (29:39):
I remember those labo boos, yeah.
Do you remember the laboo-boos?
My uncle talked about them on apodcast.
SPEAKER_00 (29:46):
Basically, yeah, slagged them off, said they're
addictive.
SPEAKER_01 (29:49):
Yeah, and he's still doing this podcast now at the 70
years old.
But yeah, the boobies, maybemaybe you'll find one under your
Christmas tree.
Maybe.
SPEAKER_00 (29:59):
We've had a postcard, Williams, from our
friend the know it all known.
Oh, and it's very timely, so hesends it over.
It is, yeah.
Um, he says, Greetings from theNorth Pole.
We so if you remember, last timewe heard from him, he was in he
was in um It's close to theSouth Pole anyway, yeah.
(30:20):
It's close to the South Pole, sohe was it was close to the um it
was in New Zealand withFelicity, and it was going quite
well.
So let's see what he says.
He says, Greetings from theNorth Pole.
We decided to travel here asFelicity, so that must be that's
a good sign.
Felicity had never been she hadnever been above the equator.
So in for a penny, in for apound.
(30:41):
With Christmas approaching, wewanted to try something
authentic, as that's what allthe kids are into these days.
I can't all I hear is authenticthis, authentic that.
True.
So we came all the way here totry one thing we both wanted to
do.
We wanted to ride a real sleigh.
Not a thing in Park's sleigh,not a tourist photo booth, a
proper jingle all the way, holdon to your hat, hope we don't
(31:04):
die sleigh.
I wish we hadn't bothered.
The sleigh took off like acatapult.
I was screaming while Felicitywas whooping.
The reindeer looked traumatized.
I held on for dear life, no punintended, but it was no use.
I was thrown off and not so coldas I collided with a tree.
I woke up 20 minutes later witha sore head and an even sore
(31:25):
bottom.
The idea of authenticity soundsromantic, but it's not at all.
God loving.
Speaking of romance, things aregoing very well.
Felicity keeps saying she hasn'thad this much fun in years.
I keep saying I haven't survivedthis many disasters with anyone
else before.
We've spent the evening sippinghot cocoa, watching the northern
(31:47):
lights, and pretending weunderstand the meaning of
constellations.
We don't.
Anyway, Christmas is nearlyhere, and I hope yours is filled
with warmth, laughter, and a fand far few and far fewer
sleigh-based injuries than mine.
All our love, the know at allgnome, and felicity.
There we go.
So he sounds like he's doingwell.
(32:09):
He's doing well.
SPEAKER_01 (32:10):
Sounds like he's not returning then.
He's not returning then.
SPEAKER_00 (32:14):
Not anytime soon by the sound of it.
It sounds like he's having awhile over time.
SPEAKER_01 (32:17):
Because according to listener feedback, it's gone
down here since he's uh he'sgone.
SPEAKER_00 (32:21):
Since he's left, yeah.
Well, well, I mean, the thingis, if he comes back, is he
gonna move it means Felicity'sgonna have to move in with him.
So it might be a bit of a goodthing.
I don't know if I've got I don'tknow if I've got room for two
gnomes at the end of my garden.
But we'll see.
I'm just glad he's having a goodtime, to be honest.
I'm glad he's having a goodtime.
And because it was rough, likethe first the first few the
(32:43):
first few trips and the firstfew locations it it it didn't go
well.
So it didn't go well, did it?
SPEAKER_01 (32:50):
Listen back to previous episodes to uh find out
yeah, the adventure the no oneor gnome.
SPEAKER_00 (32:55):
But yeah, I think it I I like his wisdom in that one
because he was no all name, hewas always about wisdom.
So I like it.
The the idea of authenticitysounds romantic, but it's not at
all.
And it is true, authentic this,authentic that.
So yeah, good on him.
Good on him.
SPEAKER_01 (33:11):
Lovely to hear from him.
Lovely to hear from him.
What kind of music do you owlslisten to?
Not a Scooby Doo, Williams.
Rap music.
SPEAKER_00 (33:20):
Rap music with a W.
SPEAKER_01 (33:23):
Yeah.
Oh dear.
I hope um I hope my uh my wifeis okay.
She's uh she's barely touchedthe uh 184 birds I gave her over
the twelve days of Christmas.
unknown (33:39):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (33:45):
And uh sorry.
SPEAKER_00 (33:48):
You you say oh dear a lot on this podcast.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear wecall this the oh dear podcast.
SPEAKER_01 (33:56):
It's just you know when you can you can you Hey, oh
dear! It's Christmas, reindeer,oh dear, oh dear.
Um what's I say?
No, just saying.
Well, you know, when you realisethat a podcast is getting worse
and worse, you just you justkeep going.
You just keep going.
(34:17):
I think this has been a verygood episode, I don't talk about
uh to end the uh the podcast for2025, potentially, I don't know
if there's gonna be another one.
Maybe there'll be another onefor what it is, who knows?
Oh, we should do a year special.
What do you get if you put aniPad under a real Christmas
(34:37):
tree?
SPEAKER_00 (34:40):
Pine needle pad?
A pine apple.
A pineapple.
I should have tried to guess Iwas too close from actual guests
there.
You were, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (34:54):
Sorry.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (34:56):
Merry Christmas, everybody!
SPEAKER_01 (34:58):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (34:59):
We may see you in a week for a surprise episode.
We may do make a m or maybe youcan do a make a best of best of
2024.
Maybe a very short episode.
Well that well, maybe 2025's notbeing really good, so just just
rehash some of the stuff from2024.
SPEAKER_01 (35:23):
Uh make it a good one.
SPEAKER_00 (35:25):
We'll try harder next year, promise.
SPEAKER_01 (35:28):
Yeah.
Hey.com.
On the 12th episode before Christmas, our podcast
gave to me 12 snacks arecrunching, 11 dads are baiting,
10 pints are brewing, 9 gnomesexploring, 8 pints of pouring, 7
gnomes of waffling, 6 tips for adad, 5 recording failed, 4 tired
(00:30):
parents, 3 four puffs, 2browsers crashing, and a toddler
peed in his party.
SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
So you've taken the feedback from the last episode
of Must Try Harder.
And you had trying harder.
That is that was fantastic.
I'd say that's the best MerryChristmas.
I'd say that was the best introof the season, Wallyams.
Of the season?
It's episode 12.
Yeah, that was the best one.
(01:02):
That was the best one.
You've you've saved the besttill Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Wallyams! MerryChristmas.
Oh.
And how have you been?
How's your run up to Christmasbeen?
SPEAKER_01 (01:14):
Um it's been a festive.
I saw the uh the Coca-Colaadvert for the first time.
Oh, very nice.
Yes.
Oh, the days are gone.
Oh, the days are coming.
Which uh I suppose technicallyis quite late December.
But uh yeah, I saw that for thefirst time.
Very nice, get you in the mood.
(01:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:36):
The Christmas adverts this year, I've seen a
few of them.
It's funny.
SPEAKER_01 (01:39):
Oh, the John is it John Lewis?
I think the John Lewis one thatgot to me.
Did he like Cookie the Fields?
I think yeah, I think there'sthe one there's like a little
boy toddler who's like runningto his dad and things, and then
suddenly he's older and he'slike a teenager and doesn't want
anything to do with his dad andthings, and yeah, got me in the
(01:59):
fields a bit.
SPEAKER_00 (02:00):
Got in the fields.
SPEAKER_01 (02:02):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:02):
Well that's good.
That's that's nice.
They it's funny with theChristmas adverts now because
like I don't know about you, butwe don't actually watch that
much normal TV.
We watch, you know, Netflix andstuff.
So you don't see as manyadverts, I guess, really.
So yeah, I haven't I don't feellike I've seen as many Christmas
adverts this year as I normallywould have.
But yeah, the John Lewis one waspretty good.
(02:24):
It's always nice to see the Cokeadvert, isn't it?
It's still, even after all theseyears, it's still nice to see
it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:29):
Oh lo did a coke, tips for dads, tips for dads.
Get your tips out for it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:38):
Well, I don't know how you feel about Christmas,
one's but there's there's somuch to juggle.
As a dad, right?
The tips.
You've got a lot to juggle,haven't you?
Roll around me He's in the mood,ladies and gentlemen, he's in
the mood.
As a dad, one imams, tell methis, right?
I know get the violins out, butyou know, as a dad, you've got
to look after, you've got tolook after your wife, you've got
(02:59):
to look after your kid, you'vegot family to navigate.
It's hard work.
Christmas is hard work.
I know it's hard work for momsas well.
I'm not saying it's not, butit's I think it's hard, it's
hard for dads.
So I've got we've got some tipsfor dads.
Now, this may be too late, but Ihave one.
This is a tip I started doingabout three years ago.
And it's helped me.
It's helped me a couple of timesbecause when it actually comes
(03:22):
to getting towards closer toChristmas, I can never think of
what to get the wife.
Um luckily I started a ritualthroughout the year.
If whenever I see my wife or shementions something that she
likes, I instantly put it intomy notes.
So set up a note, my tip forhusbands, set up a note in your
phone.
And whenever, even if it'sFebruary and she's like, Oh, I
(03:45):
really like that cardigan, noteit.
Find a way in which take apicture and remind yourself, and
just start creating a listbecause then by the time you get
to Christmas, you'll be like,What the hell am I gonna get
her?
You've got a prepare list, andlike last Christmas, I hadn't
put anything into the list sinceJuly.
But well, Miss Hodgkiss, I I domake a little list.
(04:07):
Do you?
Oh, very good.
You to be fair though, you areone of those good husbands.
But I bet there's a lot ofhusbands who don't, and then
come December, they're like,What the heck am I gonna get
her?
And if they'd written down whatshe'd said she wanted in April,
they'd be good.
So that's the tip.
If there's any women listeningto this as well, do the same for
your husbands.
We have feelings too, you know.
Us dads need a bit of attentionoccasionally.
(04:28):
We may mention Shrill that.
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
I'm in I'm in the dad, I'm in the dad era now with
I'd just say a bottle of rum orbottle of whiskey.
SPEAKER_00 (04:35):
Booze is the great gift.
You can't go wrong.
If someone gets you a goodbottle of rum or a good bottle
of rum.
SPEAKER_01 (04:40):
I like a nice, fresh, new pair of socks.
Get away.
A pair of socks.
I do.
Do you not like putting on a newnice pair of socks?
SPEAKER_00 (04:48):
I don't want socks for Christmas.
Socks for Christmas is theshittiest present.
Or non.
Like, oh, socks.
What a load.
No, don't fall into that trap.
You can still have dad toys andbooze and nice things.
I I don't have a pair of dadsocks socks that don't cut off
my circulation that aren't tootight.
(05:09):
That's the socks I like.
I don't like socks that leave amark.
Stockings.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Compression stockings, the helpof lip flow.
That's what I like.
You said I sense you have a pairof favourite socks.
SPEAKER_01 (05:24):
What did you get in your Christmas stocking this
year?
Great.
SPEAKER_00 (05:29):
Well, I tell you, what a pleasant that will be for
some lucky lady this year.
Uh um so you have a fair okay,so socks.
SPEAKER_01 (05:39):
So I just imagine you naked in a pair of Christmas
stockings.
SPEAKER_00 (05:44):
It's it's happened.
It's happened.
I mean, I'm I mean, I'm nottechnically naked because I'm
wearing said stockings, but uhyeah, it's it's it's a look,
it's a vibe, as they as we usedto say, Williams, it's a vibe.
So um yes, anyway, on to moretips.
That's right.
So tips.
More tips.
Yeah, don't buy your husbandsocks, even if they say they
(06:04):
like socks, don't buy themsocks.
That's a terrible present.
Um, this is one that happened tome when I was a kid, right?
So I think brain's at the agenow where we we may try this.
We haven't tried it, but Iremember when I was a kid, I
wanted a Game Boy.
Like a lot of kids, I wanted aGame Boy.
And for the Christmas I wanted aGame Boy, I got a Scalectrix.
(06:25):
And the Scalectrics was a bigscale electrics, and Scalectrics
were, you know, you knew theScalectrics was a was a big
present.
You're like, okay, oh, got ascale electrics, and you open
all your presents and there's noGame Boy.
But you'd ask for the Game Boyand you wanted the Game Boy, but
at the same time, you got aScale Electrics, so that's okay.
Game Boys are sold out, etc.
etc.
You don't you're not toodisappointed because you've
(06:46):
still got a load of other stuffand you're not an ungrateful
little prick.
But then later in the day, yougot a scale electrics, but then
you go about your day, you setup the scale electrics, you're
playing with scale electricshaving time of your life, and
then later on, there's like, oh,hang on, there's still a present
here behind the tree.
There's one present.
Where does this come from?
Okay, where is it?
Oh, it's for Craig.
(07:07):
Okay, here you go, yeah.
And of course, it's the GameBoy, isn't it?
It's the Game Boy, so you've gotScale Electrics and a Game Boy,
the hinge present behind thetree.
Yes, but I'm like, I rememberthat.
That's like one of my fond, youknow, those Christmas memories.
You know, I suppose it againit's it's bad because it's quite
materialistic.
Like, oh did you have a niceChristmas, Christmas with memory
(07:28):
with a grandma, or somethinglike no, no, Game Boy, a
Japanese-made technical toywhere I could play Tetris as
long as there was a as long asthere was a light.
But still, like I remember it,and I remember being just bowled
over thinking I can't believethis is the best thing ever.
So if you wanna if you want tokind of make a memory, I'm
saying maybe try the forgottenpresent trick.
(07:48):
And then Williams, as you saidearlier, you're not in the mood.
I have one for that.
So people when they're trying toget in the mood, people like, oh
yeah, let's watch a Christmasfilm.
SPEAKER_01 (07:57):
When did I say not in the mood?
What?
SPEAKER_00 (07:59):
Earlier on, I said, like, are you in are you looking
forward to Christmas?
You're not really in the moodyet.
SPEAKER_01 (08:03):
Oh, right, sorry.
SPEAKER_00 (08:04):
And I said maybe there might be a tip for dad for
that.
Right, right.
So, not in the mood.
So, what if you're trying to getin the mood, what's the not in
the spirit, not in the Christmasspirit.
Not in the Christmas spirit.
So there's a couple of thingspeople tend to do.
They will whack on MagicChristmas, or they'll put on a
Christmas film, or they'll, Idon't know, cook something that
they only have this time ofepisode.
I don't think I've been whammed,yeah.
(08:25):
Yeah, wham.
You see, a lot of people listento music, but they listen to the
the pop music, so they listen towham and stuff like that.
If you really want to get in theChristmas mood, don't listen to
wham.
Listen to Church of EnglandChristmas carols.
Guaranteed to be.
Church of England Christmascarols are guaranteed to put you
in the Christmas mood.
Yeah, a Wayne Manger, SilentNight, Oh Holy Night, they're
(08:48):
the bangers, but wham, put thepoges.
You want to listen to Oh HolyNight.
If you're in the Christmas moodafter listening to I'll go on
Spotify and listening to theChurch of England Christmas
choir sing Christmas carols,like little town of Bethlehem,
and you're not taken back to themagic of Christmas, then I'll
tell you this, you're deadinside.
SPEAKER_02 (09:09):
Something wrong with you.
SPEAKER_00 (09:10):
Something wrong with you.
So forget listening toWhamstrong get you in the mood.
Go straight for the Church ofEngland Christmas carols.
Guaranteed.
Guaranteed to get you in themood.
What a tip.
That's my tips.
What a tip.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
I've got a little little tip.
Not Christmas related, but yougot a little tip.
What is this tip, Williams?
Oh dear.
No, the well, it's not really atip, I suppose it's yeah, it is
a tip.
Don't take your toddler's wordsliterally.
So you know that that is thatthat that an age and my my
(09:45):
toddler's uh two and threequarters now, I think.
And uh Logan's you know he'she's very well spoken for his
age and he's but he's you knowdeveloped a bit of a humour and
a bit of a sarcastic tone, Iwould say, which he gets from
his mother.
And uh and we did bedtime thisweek, and I I did bedtime less
(10:08):
so than the than the wifey wife.
And and Logan Logan just turnedto me and he said lovely to see
you, Daddo.
But he meant he meant he meantit.
He meant it like he it waslovely to see you, but I just
took it as uh yeah, lovely tosee you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:27):
Yeah, thanks for coming to me, Dad.
SPEAKER_01 (10:29):
Yeah, nice to see you.
But so yeah, so don't don't takethings literally, but yeah, he
well, he he he literally meantlovely to see you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
So that was yeah, that's sweet though, that he
wanted to he was happy to seeyou.
SPEAKER_01 (10:41):
He meant he meant lovely to see me.
So it's when I say lovely, Idon't mean it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:45):
He did so yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
But also he said it was lovely, he wants to give me
a little kiss, and he went toobeardy.
Too beardy.
Too beardy, too beardy.
And there's other thing that weuh we got from him today, so
which is a great thing.
So when you're kids, you know,you have that you have your best
friends, don't you?
Your best friends.
Whereas he's got he's got anokay friend.
(11:08):
He's got an okay friend, which Ithink is a great one.
A great term.
So uh you know you've got yourbest friends, and then like you,
Mr.
Hodgkers, you're my okay friend.
SPEAKER_00 (11:18):
So you know, we've got my okay friend too.
SPEAKER_01 (11:24):
I was recently the best man at your wedding, just
to remind you that.
So okay friend.
SPEAKER_00 (11:29):
But outrageous.
SPEAKER_01 (11:33):
Not at all, I jest.
I jest.
SPEAKER_00 (11:35):
I should bloody hope so.
Good tips.
Yeah, it is hard sometimes withtoddlers to kind of to put it
into perspective and be like notjust like that, then being
sarcastic, but sometimes theywill say, like, I hate you,
daddy, and you're like, do theydo they actually hate me?
Oh no, my child hates me, whathave I done wrong?
It's like, no, they don't reallyhate you, they're just they're
(11:57):
just angry or something.
So it's a good tip, that is,don't take it too serious, don't
take it too little.
SPEAKER_01 (12:02):
And he's um he's learning his emotions a lot for
the moment as well.
And um big emotions, andemotions alongside his words, so
you know quite often says, I'msad, and then two seconds later,
I'm happy now.
SPEAKER_00 (12:17):
If only life was that simple, right?
SPEAKER_01 (12:19):
Yeah, I'm sad, I'm happy now.
SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
Step out of the sad box into the happy box, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
It's literally it'll change within a second.
I'm sad.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
You know what though?
You know what?
Answer me this, right?
If you're sad, if you're feelingsad, right?
And you step into the pub, soyou're happy box, instantly just
happy, right?
Have you ever walked into a puband not just been happy?
Because you're like, I'm goingto the pub now.
SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
Walked into a pub with Church of England songs
going.
SPEAKER_00 (12:52):
Yeah, that's the ha that is literally the happiest
you could ever be.
Other than obviously, you know,go I'm assuming in this scenario
you're I'm talking abouthappiness outside of being with
children and all that kind ofstuff, like going to the pub
with maybe just you and themissus, go meet some friends or
family.
I don't think I've ever gone tothe pub sad.
I don't think that's uh oh,you've never gone to the pub in
(13:15):
a pissed-off mood or sad andgone to the pub to cheer
yourself up.
SPEAKER_01 (13:19):
No, I never have actually.
SPEAKER_00 (13:21):
Oh, you're well to be fair, I don't really remember
you in bad moods.
You're you are quite just youare quite mellow at all times.
You're not you're not one ofthese volatile personalities
which is like down or happy andthe extremes.
You're always just generallypretty chill and happy.
You're a happy chap.
SPEAKER_01 (13:36):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think it'd be quite dangerousif I went to a pub's dad.
SPEAKER_00 (13:40):
Would you would you would you be one of those who
drinks and goes into the yeah?
My kid doesn't my kid's alwayssarcastic with me.
You know, he just says, like,glad to see you, Dad.
He said I'm too beady.
I love this beard, and he saidI'm too beady.
Well, thank goodness you are ahappy, happy chap, both outside
(14:03):
and inside of the pub.
Thank you, okay, friend.
You're very welcome, okay,friend.
Here we go.
So in the last episode, I talkedabout my little trip to uh
Newcastle County Down.
And I went on a bit of a tiradeand a bit of a rant about
arcades and the tickets, thebloody tickets.
(14:25):
And I was I was kind of shakingthe angry fist at arcades,
amazing.
All these tickets, not not, itwasn't like that in my day.
So recently, a friend of afriend has opened up a retro
arcade in Belfast called theRetro Room Vintage 80s arcade.
And we paid it a visit.
So I took the wife and thechild, and I was like, we're
(14:47):
gonna go and check this retroarcade out.
It is so it's a really goodidea.
So it's they say, they say aboutthemselves.
We're an 80s and 90s retroarcade, classic consoles and
tabletop games open every Fridayand Saturday, 11am till 10 p.m.
And on Sunday, 12 pm till 8 p.m.
No book and required, just comedown.
So you pay seven pounds and yougo in and you can play all the
(15:10):
arcade machines.
So there's no like coins you putin, you just pay entry, and it's
all free, free play.
And they've got all the oldschool arcade machines that you
would expect, but then they alsohave the like SNES and Genesis
and Mega Drive and SegaDreamcast um and Sega Saturn.
Sorry, they don't have a Teleye, they didn't have a
(15:31):
Dreamcast, they're a SegaSaturn, and then have like
guitar hero on like a bigscreen, and excuse me, and then
there's ball games and stuff youcan play as well.
So I was like, Yeah, let's goand have a go with this.
So I was playing, I took Brainbecause I was like, I want to
show Brain what an old schoolarcade was like to see what he
thought because he'd recentlybeen to new to the new arcades,
let's go and take it to an oldarcade, and we were playing Time
(15:54):
Crisis, and we were playing theTurtles arcade game and track
and field and Street Fighter andall these awesome games.
And at the end of it, I said toBrain, Sir, I said, Right,
you've got all the money in theworld, you can either build
yourself a modern arcade or aretro arcade.
What will you do?
He said, retro arcade's muchbetter.
He really preferred the retroarcade, which I thought was
(16:15):
pretty cool.
So yeah, we went and tried thisout, and there was one thing
that's definitely I definitelyclicked that the power of
nostalgia.
You remember things being like,Oh, it's the best, it's the
best.
Obviously, I play a lot of videogames, modern video games, so
the actual quality of the gamesis so much worse.
You remember it because it wasso cool, and at the time it was
(16:37):
so good, but now you're playingtrack and field and stuff,
you're like, it's not a goodgame compared to what you can
play at home, like compared toplaying Mario Kart or even
Minecraft and stuff, and theexperiences you can have at home
now.
SPEAKER_01 (16:48):
The graphics, you know, when you went up a console
to you know from 8-bit to 16-bitor whatever it was, it's like
wow, the quality is so good.
And then you look back now, mmm,no.
SPEAKER_00 (17:01):
No, it was some of them, so some of the art styles,
so especially on the SuperNintendo, we were playing
recently Super Mario World 2,which is Yoshi's Island, and
like the art style of that isstill really cool.
Like, you know, that's a 16-bitgame.
So I think there's certain artstyles that are just timeless.
Um in the arcade, some of thegames that you're playing just
they're very simple games, whichis nice, like pick them and
(17:21):
playable, it's nice, and you'vegot these big cabinets and
stuff, which is pretty cool.
But like the actual I thinkwe've been we're so spoiled now
with what you can play at home.
Like, we've talked in the pastabout playing VR and obviously,
like you know, Nintendo Switch,the things you can do, and just
in your hand, it's quiteincredible how it's how it's
gone.
But there was still such afunction.
SPEAKER_01 (17:42):
Things you can play with just in your hand, did you
say?
SPEAKER_00 (17:45):
The consoles, Wadhim's.
Don't get me into trouble.
But um, it with it's still funstanding at the arcade machine.
So there's there was Leslie andme and Brain, and we're playing
the Turtles game, and it's likeyou can pick so the actual
machine, the actual cabinet hasthe four turtles on.
So you stand stand by yourcolour.
So if you're blue, Leonardo,orange, Michelangelo, etc., and
(18:05):
the three of us are stood therejust whacking the button as hard
as we can.
And then Brain, we went on theStreet Fighter arcade machine,
and I I can remember what themoves were.
So if I if I'm Ken, I canremember all of the special
moves.
So I'm getting there like, yes,muscle memory, and I'm beating
Brain.
And Brain's just like, I'm like,no, I can't, I can't beat
Braden.
So Brain's brain's tactic isexactly what you'd expect.
(18:28):
Button bashing, like youwouldn't believe, just smacking
their buttons like you wouldn'tbelieve.
And that's the fun of the arcademachine, yeah.
Just button bashing.
So you know, he won, he won andbeat me, and he was so happy.
He was like, Yes, yeah, jumpingaround.
I was like, that's why arcadesare fun.
It's not it's not the fact thatit's just an arcade, it's the
socialization of playing thegames together and standing up
(18:50):
rather than sitting down whileyou're playing them and moving
from machine to machine.
There was something really coolabout it.
So, yeah, the the retro room inBelfast.
We they do kind of corporateout.
So we're actually I'm I'mactually going again with a
group of people from the officethat I used to work at.
Um, so we're gonna go have somefun there.
The only downside, so there's nobeer, and like, oh and not even
(19:13):
like even like a vending machinefor cracking.
It was quite a downside.
I was like, it's open till 10o'clock.
So I'm like, oh, they shoulddefinitely get try and get a
license if they can, but Iimagine it's quite expensive, or
at least like open your own.
And yeah, so no food and nobeer, but I'd still say it was
like a good, I'd give it a fourout of ten, of four out of ten,
four out of five.
So, or I'd give it an eight,eight somethings, eight Pac-Mans
(19:35):
out of ten Pac-Mans.
And I thought this would lead usin, Wanimster, to something that
I wanted to test your brain on.
Oh gosh, Bitfint, Bitfint hasdone a top V I T V I N T.
So like as in eight bit and thenvintage.
So Bitfint has done a top onehundred arcade games.
Do you think And you're gonnalist all one hundred?
(19:58):
No, no, I'm gonna ask you ifyou're reckoning.
Know what games would be the topfive.
Arcade games.
SPEAKER_01 (20:04):
What do you mean to find an arcade game?
SPEAKER_00 (20:06):
An arcade machine, like the old school 70s, 80s,
90s.
You go to an arcade, and theseare the the games that are like,
yeah, they're the most populargames of all time.
What do you reckon would be inthe top five?
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Eighties and seventies or eighties and
nineties?
SPEAKER_00 (20:19):
70s, 80s, 90s.
Like this is kind of taking allarcades.
So you got your Pac-Man.
Yeah.
Number one, Williams.
There you go.
Straight in the Pac-Man isnumber one.
Second on the list.
So this is ranked.
So Pac-Man is as ranked numberone of all time.
Then Donkey Kong, then SpaceInvaders, then Gallagher, and
(20:41):
number five, Street Fighter 2.
Street Fighter 2.
If I was making the list, I'dhave the Simpsons Arcade game as
number one.
SPEAKER_01 (20:47):
I was going to say Simpsons Arcade was it, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:49):
And the Tel Teenage Moon Ninja Tales game at number
two.
But you know, it's that'salright.
It's it's it's all very it's allvery subjective.
Yeah, visit retroomebelfast.com.
Go and check it out.
The guy who owns it is lovely.
And yeah, it's just I hope Ihope um it's really cool that
you've got that on your doorstepto go and see.
I'm sure there are other retroarcades around, especially at
(21:11):
Christmas if you're looking forsomething to do for a bit of
fun.
Find a local retro arcade.
SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
I remember Fond Memories, Christmas in the 90s,
PlayStation 1.
Or the PlayStation is it used asit used to be known.
And uh and yeah, Family Timeplaying um Tekken 2.
Oh, what a game.
And yeah, sort of me and mysister and mum and dad playing
(21:37):
Tekken.
And I don't know, I don't knowwhat possessed my mum, but she
just turned into just like yousaid, that the button bashing.
And then literally you couldn'teven defend it.
She was just going crazy, buttonbashing, and just uh yeah, KO.
Kicking everyone's ass.
Yeah.
Incredible.
(21:58):
She would just go, ah buttonbashing like crazy, and yeah,
Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER_00 (22:05):
Sometimes it's the way to do it.
Yeah, yeah, it's um it's it'sgood fun.
Like again, it's again, why isit good?
Why do you remember it?
Because the socializing thing,playing with your parents and
stuff.
Well, if you if we talk ever ifwe ever talk about our kind of
favorite memories of uni stuff,it's the so it's using video
games as a social tool, sittingthere killing time, just playing
together.
(22:25):
We were we introduced uh so wewere when we're in Newcastle
Gaunty Down a few weeks back.
We I took the switch with us andwe were all playing Mario Kart
together, and it's still justbrilliant fun.
Still brilliant fun.
And you never forget so so themanly man hadn't played for
ages, was still brilliant.
Just picked it up, but just likethere you go, it's like riding a
bike.
So video games should be asocial thing, either way.
(22:48):
Commu playing games together isjust fun, especially at
Christmas.
Get the games out, play somegames, have fun.
It's great.
SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
Have fun, be there board games or PlayStation.
SPEAKER_00 (23:00):
Board games are great, yeah.
All games, all even just oldschool charades.
Love it.
What about you, William?
So, what's your first look?
SPEAKER_01 (23:08):
My first look, so loosely related to Christmas
based on gifts.
Um, but it's my niece's birthdayrecently.
Happy birthday.
One of her gifts, um not fromus, from uh parents, I believe.
But she got this she's got thistoy, and apparently it's been a
(23:28):
bit of a craze.
I don't understand it.
Um, or do I?
I don't know.
Um, but she got a laboo-boo.
Oh, yeah.
Have you heard of theselabo-boos?
SPEAKER_00 (23:40):
Yes, I've heard of laboo-boos, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (23:43):
Now, listeners, if you've not seen one of these
little guys, imagine amischievous looking Sprite, evil
gnome, evil fairy, evil evillittle thing.
Big ears, big teeth, eyes thatlook like they've had too much
(24:04):
coffee or not slept since 2020or something.
But so they come from wronggroup, but they come from Hong
Kong, I believe, or somewhereover that way.
And it's like a designer toy,and it but they're famous for
that they're blind it's a blindbox collectible, I suppose
(24:25):
that's what they call it, theyyeah.
Um so you buy them, but youdon't really know which one
you've got, but it's acollection of them a bit like
the crays back in back in ouryounger days where like beanie
babies were like all the things,I guess.
Yes.
But yeah, they become like ahuge collectible, they look
really weird.
(24:45):
But yeah, you you can buy one,but you don't know which one
you're gonna get.
There's like different colours,I think, in different styles.
But yeah, people if you collectthem, you spend a fortune and
you might get the same one overand over again, I suppose,
technically.
But yeah.
I I have my first look at LaBoo-Boo.
SPEAKER_00 (25:05):
It's a weird thing, isn't it?
Because it's a bit like so youremember like when you collected
football stickers and even kindasurprise, like the surprise
elements, so you don't know whatyou're getting.
Like you buy a pack of sixfootball stickers and you're
hoping that you've got new ones,and then they do these things
there uh Tog no, not Tugs.
Pogs Pogs, yeah.
(25:25):
Pogs fan kind of thing.
Same and over again.
Exactly.
But there's an element of thesurprise, it's like addiction,
it's like gambling.
It's like the the tapping intothat gambling thing early with
kids, like I don't know, or theanticipation.
But like if you remember, thinkabout it.
Like we had bogglins.
Do you remember boglins are likea gremlin that you put in your
hand?
Yeah, and there was Furbies, andI remember my sister was
(25:49):
carriage.
Trolls, trolls, yeah.
There's like there's always beenlike there's always been the hot
thing.
Even teletuppies, like they weremassive for a bit, weren't they?
So it's now these laboo-boos.
It's just funny that it'slaboo-boos, but it's the
surprise element, which is justI'm like, oh, that's don't
exploit kids like that.
I know it's happened forever,but I I don't like it.
(26:10):
I'm like labou, I'm I don't mindwell, I've got no problem with
the idea of kids wanting tocollect something.
SPEAKER_01 (26:16):
I think so with my niece, she's got she's got a B
boo, and I think that's it now.
I think it's but I don't know ifit becomes like once more and it
collects them, then it's adifferent thing.
SPEAKER_00 (26:29):
But well, do you remember like Pokemon?
Do you remember like South Parkdid that piss take episode of
Pokemon cards and things?
Gotta gotta catch them all.
It's like Mark, oh you've gottacatch them all.
What do you mean?
You mean you've got a f boogiepair of single one?
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:44):
See exploitation.
SPEAKER_01 (26:46):
Tazzo's, I had tazzos with Walker's Crisps, I
don't know.
Yeah, but there was certaincrisps when you get like a tazzo
in there.
But you just end up buying morecrisps just for the tazzos and
stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (26:57):
Just for the tazzos, yeah.
Yeah, the Tazos are greatbecause you can't.
I've got a box bunny already.
I wanted Daffy Duck, forgoodness sake.
Right, more crisps.
So you're getting fat kids whoare addictive.
SPEAKER_01 (27:09):
I've still got I've still got the folder in the
attic or cupboard somewhere.
The full I've got the fullcollection of Tazos, and I'm
pretty sure when I was younger,I thought, when I'm when I'm
older it's gonna be worth afortune, that is.
Yeah, well, there might be.
Taz.
Yeah, I'm sure it's a good eBay.
Now I'd be like eBay fullcollection.
Full collection, fullcollection, pristine folder
isn't a folder.
SPEAKER_00 (27:30):
Complete seven £2,000,£5,000,£10,000.
Walker's Tazzo's collectorsalbum, complete£70 to£70, very
good condition, plus the extraworld tazzos.
£100£100 or best offer.
Yeah, all best offer.
£100,£100.
(27:51):
I mean, it's up for sale for£100, but no one's bought it.
So okay, so okay, there'sanother one here.
£28.77.
Same thing.
SPEAKER_01 (28:03):
Yeah, it's about until it's uh okay.
SPEAKER_00 (28:06):
£17.22.
Um£11.87.
Okay, we're going down a bit,Walems.
I think I just clicked up.
Yeah, the£11.87.
That's just full of it.
SPEAKER_01 (28:15):
Who wants to buy I don't know?
SPEAKER_00 (28:18):
Well, so okay, you say that, right?
So about 18 months ago, Ipurchased off of eBay a box of
pogs and chuppa chops and allthe things.
It was like six six quid, but itwas like a box of a thousand
ones.
And I was talking about thesegreen chuppa chops, kinnies they
were called, and I used to beobsessed with them because they
smell like watermelon.
(28:40):
And yeah, I was like, right, I'mbuying some.
And on a drunken, in a drunkenperch, it was a proper drunken
purchase.
This random shoe box full ofpogs arrived.
And I was like, Oh, this isamazing.
And they've been in a box and abox within a box somewhere ever
since.
Never looked at them, neverplayed with them.
SPEAKER_01 (28:57):
But at their at their peak as well, there was
like things like pogs.
There was like a you get yourspecial edition ones, and
there's like a a shiny platinumlimited edition Hawaiian dancer
pog or something.
Yeah.
And they would be worth like£10,000 in 1997 or something.
Whereas now the value's a pound.
SPEAKER_00 (29:19):
But yeah, there's there's no value in them at all.
It's just but it was it was soso strong at the time.
But again, it's like feeling ofnostalgia now.
You're like, oh, do you rememberthis?
Because at the time it meanteverything to you.
unknown (29:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (29:33):
So you know, the laboooboo for your n for your
niece is gonna be a similar kindof thing.
She's gonna remember gettingthat laboo boo.
SPEAKER_01 (29:39):
I remember those labo boos, yeah.
Do you remember the laboo-boos?
My uncle talked about them on apodcast.
SPEAKER_00 (29:46):
Basically, yeah, slagged them off, said they're
addictive.
SPEAKER_01 (29:49):
Yeah, and he's still doing this podcast now at the 70
years old.
But yeah, the boobies, maybemaybe you'll find one under your
Christmas tree.
Maybe.
SPEAKER_00 (29:59):
We've had a postcard, Williams, from our
friend the know it all known.
Oh, and it's very timely, so hesends it over.
It is, yeah.
Um, he says, Greetings from theNorth Pole.
We so if you remember, last timewe heard from him, he was in he
was in um It's close to theSouth Pole anyway, yeah.
(30:20):
It's close to the South Pole, sohe was it was close to the um it
was in New Zealand withFelicity, and it was going quite
well.
So let's see what he says.
He says, Greetings from theNorth Pole.
We decided to travel here asFelicity, so that must be that's
a good sign.
Felicity had never been she hadnever been above the equator.
So in for a penny, in for apound.
(30:41):
With Christmas approaching, wewanted to try something
authentic, as that's what allthe kids are into these days.
I can't all I hear is authenticthis, authentic that.
True.
So we came all the way here totry one thing we both wanted to
do.
We wanted to ride a real sleigh.
Not a thing in Park's sleigh,not a tourist photo booth, a
proper jingle all the way, holdon to your hat, hope we don't
(31:04):
die sleigh.
I wish we hadn't bothered.
The sleigh took off like acatapult.
I was screaming while Felicitywas whooping.
The reindeer looked traumatized.
I held on for dear life, no punintended, but it was no use.
I was thrown off and not so coldas I collided with a tree.
I woke up 20 minutes later witha sore head and an even sore
(31:25):
bottom.
The idea of authenticity soundsromantic, but it's not at all.
God loving.
Speaking of romance, things aregoing very well.
Felicity keeps saying she hasn'thad this much fun in years.
I keep saying I haven't survivedthis many disasters with anyone
else before.
We've spent the evening sippinghot cocoa, watching the northern
(31:47):
lights, and pretending weunderstand the meaning of
constellations.
We don't.
Anyway, Christmas is nearlyhere, and I hope yours is filled
with warmth, laughter, and a fand far few and far fewer
sleigh-based injuries than mine.
All our love, the know at allgnome, and felicity.
There we go.
So he sounds like he's doingwell.
(32:09):
He's doing well.
SPEAKER_01 (32:10):
Sounds like he's not returning then.
He's not returning then.
SPEAKER_00 (32:14):
Not anytime soon by the sound of it.
It sounds like he's having awhile over time.
SPEAKER_01 (32:17):
Because according to listener feedback, it's gone
down here since he's uh he'sgone.
SPEAKER_00 (32:21):
Since he's left, yeah.
Well, well, I mean, the thingis, if he comes back, is he
gonna move it means Felicity'sgonna have to move in with him.
So it might be a bit of a goodthing.
I don't know if I've got I don'tknow if I've got room for two
gnomes at the end of my garden.
But we'll see.
I'm just glad he's having a goodtime, to be honest.
I'm glad he's having a goodtime.
And because it was rough, likethe first the first few the
(32:43):
first few trips and the firstfew locations it it it didn't go
well.
So it didn't go well, did it?
SPEAKER_01 (32:50):
Listen back to previous episodes to uh find out
yeah, the adventure the no oneor gnome.
SPEAKER_00 (32:55):
But yeah, I think it I I like his wisdom in that one
because he was no all name, hewas always about wisdom.
So I like it.
The the idea of authenticitysounds romantic, but it's not at
all.
And it is true, authentic this,authentic that.
So yeah, good on him.
Good on him.
SPEAKER_01 (33:11):
Lovely to hear from him.
Lovely to hear from him.
What kind of music do you owlslisten to?
Not a Scooby Doo, Williams.
Rap music.
SPEAKER_00 (33:20):
Rap music with a W.
SPEAKER_01 (33:23):
Yeah.
Oh dear.
I hope um I hope my uh my wifeis okay.
She's uh she's barely touchedthe uh 184 birds I gave her over
the twelve days of Christmas.
unknown (33:39):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (33:45):
And uh sorry.
SPEAKER_00 (33:48):
You you say oh dear a lot on this podcast.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear wecall this the oh dear podcast.
SPEAKER_01 (33:56):
It's just you know when you can you can you Hey, oh
dear! It's Christmas, reindeer,oh dear, oh dear.
Um what's I say?
No, just saying.
Well, you know, when you realisethat a podcast is getting worse
and worse, you just you justkeep going.
You just keep going.
(34:17):
I think this has been a verygood episode, I don't talk about
uh to end the uh the podcast for2025, potentially, I don't know
if there's gonna be another one.
Maybe there'll be another onefor what it is, who knows?
Oh, we should do a year special.
What do you get if you put aniPad under a real Christmas
(34:37):
tree?
SPEAKER_00 (34:40):
Pine needle pad?
A pine apple.
A pineapple.
I should have tried to guess Iwas too close from actual guests
there.
You were, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (34:54):
Sorry.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (34:56):
Merry Christmas, everybody!
SPEAKER_01 (34:58):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (34:59):
We may see you in a week for a surprise episode.
We may do make a m or maybe youcan do a make a best of best of
2024.
Maybe a very short episode.
Well that well, maybe 2025's notbeing really good, so just just
rehash some of the stuff from2024.
SPEAKER_01 (35:23):
Uh make it a good one.
SPEAKER_00 (35:25):
We'll try harder next year, promise.
SPEAKER_01 (35:28):
Yeah.
Hey.com.
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