This week’s Silly Season episode is bold, rich, and possibly a bit risky. Back in the Comedy Café Mark Silcox takes the spotlight with tales of his latest obsession: gold trading. Kate Sharp and Alex Farrow join in as we debate financial wisdom, summer side-hustles, and whether pursuing security is ever truly secure. It’s a silly, spirited, and slightly speculative conversation about where your mind goes when your sunhat’s on and your common sense takes a holiday.

In Parish Notices, our Summer Correspondent Morgan sends us out with a final creative mission: grab some sidewalk chalk and turn your neighbourhood into an open-air gallery. Then, we meet Lydia Wood, profiled in The New York Times, who set out to draw every single pub in London. What started during lockdown has become a full-time tribute to the emotional architecture of the city — turning beer-soaked buildings into sketched love letters. Explore with your imagination, and you might just map out meaning where you least expect it.

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Links

sketching pubs article

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:50) Comedy Café

(19:30) Parish Notices

(23:36) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Welcome to another Big Smoke Silly Season! This week in our Comedy Café, we stroll into deeper waters. Alex Farrow takes centre stage in a thoughtful chat about the meaning of summer, the philosopher’s mindset, and the timeless role of the fool in society. Joined by Kate Sharp and Mark Silcox, we riff on Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and how some people can make anything a fish!

In Parish Notices, our Summer Correspondent Morgan encourages you to try a new path, find a muddy puddle and see what wildlife you can discover. And we head outside London to join the rising tide of Gen Z hiking groups, like Overground and Dykes Who Hike, highlighted in The Financial Times. These aren’t just walks — they’re joyful, sober, social movements reclaiming nature as a place for community, healing, and new friendships. So put down your phone — and pick up your walking shoes.

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Links

walking groups article

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:50) Comedy Café

(20:36) Parish Notices

(25:07) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

This week’s Big Smoke mini-episode is like a perfectly pulled cortado for your ears — short, sharp, and slightly sweaty. Stand-up comedians Kate Sharp, Alex Farrow, and Mark Silcox return for a slightly damp but deeply funny session at the Comedy Café, focused around Kate’s caffeine habits, medication mishaps, and the sweaty truths of summer. From towelling methodology to microphone hygiene, it’s a gloriously soggy ode to showing up, sweating it out, and having a laugh in the mess of it all.

In Parish Notices, our Summer Correspondent Morgan gives us another top tip: don’t just sit there — join in! From spontaneous bandstand performances to silly summer classes, connection begins with saying yes. We also meet the Yarn Bombers of Hertford, featured in The Times, a group of mostly retired rebels who sneak out at 4am to dress their towns in colourful knitted toppers. What started as a festive prank has grown into a nationwide act of joyful resistance — and a powerful reminder that mischief and community go hand in hand.

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Links

Yarn Bombers article

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:50) Comedy Café

(17:55) Parish Notices

(21:54) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins