Episode 1424 – Ms. Shipton’s Travelling Tea Shop | Crossover
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff and take you to a world where there’s a travelling tea shop with this amazing crossover we’re doing, and I’ll have more details towards the end of the intro. But yeah, I’m really excited to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. Oh, if you're new, by the way, welcome to Sleep With Me. This is a podcast that’s here to put you to sleep, keep you company, take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. It is a very different show, so if you've never listened before, I’m really glad you're here and I really do hope I can help you out. I’ll kinda explain everything during the intro coming up in a few minutes. But this is a show you want to give a few tries. It’s a little bit different than something meant to lull you to sleep, though this show is lulling and soothing in its own way. But it’s also like a friend to be with you and keep you company and distract you from whatever’s keeping you awake so you could fall asleep. So, I’m glad you're here.
What we got coming up is support; that’s optional for new listeners or occasional listeners. It’s really for the people that listen all the time to the show. Then after the support will be a long, meandering intro, and that’s designed to ease you into bedtime and help you wind down. Then later on we’re gonna have an amazing crossover episode with Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop. So, that’s gonna be exciting and lulling and soothing. What could be…? There’s gonna be meowing and discussions about tea and tea making and other things. So, it’ll be nice. So, I’m really glad you're here, and if you're new, welcome. If you come listening to the show time to time, I’m hoping I can be here to help you. If you're a regular listener, you know I’m here to also bring you sleepy joy and delight. If you listen multiple times, the only way I do that is when listeners like you participate in the show and are a part of this thing we're doing here. If that’s you, here’s the ways you could support the show, either through the sponsors or directly.
Intro: Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. That could be thoughts on your mind, like thoughts that you're thinking about about the past, the present, the future, thoughts that are just coming up, it could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally related to those thoughts or feelings that are just there, it could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, you might be getting over something, you might be in the middle of something, traveling, maybe you have guests, maybe you work a different schedule.
Whatever it is, I’m glad you're here, and I really do hope I can help you out. The only reason I list some of that stuff is so you know you're not alone. Or, at least maybe you don't have to know. I always say that, but I don't mean…it’s a little too direct, you know? What I mean is that you don't…huh, how do I put it? I mean, I think if you're here, maybe you could relate. I don't like people telling me, oh, you know you're not alone, even though I say it in the intro, just 'cause sometimes I could be too efficient with my words. But it’s also…I’m trying to explain a confusing concept in a straightforward way. This is a rare thing where you get to hang out with a bunch of people but you don't have to be around them, and you could hang out in your own way or your…like, you could do…this is a podcast where parallel play and…or tangential play or playing with parallelograms…how about parallel…?
Oh, I was trying to think…I thought maybe it’d be alliterative if I said ballet and parallelogram, but that’s just more…is hard to say. Parasol…what about a parasol that’s a parallelogram? That’s the start of a tongue twister. Polar…so, sometimes in the middle of trying to introduce the podcast, I get distracted by things in my brain. Right now it’s…I mean, I guess…here’s a question I’ve never had answered that hopefully I’ll get answered after this episode; what’s the ideal number of words in a…what’s the thing called? Tongue twister. Susie sells sea shells by the sea shore. I mean, depending on your definition of words, it’s either eight words or eight…like, seven words. So, we have parallelogram, polar…what was the other word? Oh, parasol. Paris; there’s another one. So, we’re only about…we’re only a few words short. Pierre? Is that…? Pierre and Penelope. Or is it…? No…okay, so, we have Pierre and Penelope, Paris, parasol…okay, Paris and parasol…polar parasols in Paris.
Paris, parasols, and polar. Polar parasols in Paris. Parallelograms…you say, we just need something that means ‘shaped’. Produce? Produce polar parasols. Polar parallelogram parasols in Paris. Probably? No, we need something…for portholes? Portholes. Port of Paris? Those are too short. What’s that stuff called, plaster Paris? That’s an L. There’s another word; I can't say that one. Paradoxically pronouncing Pierre and pole…someone…Poland. Poland’s a good one. Polish polar parasol…parallelogram parasols. Produce Polish polar parallelogram parasols or porthole…porthole would be a good one in there. Portent doesn't make any…I don't know if any…portents. Potentially? Potentially produce…produce maybe is the wrong word, but I can't think of what they’d be doing with the parasols, though I’m sure there’s listeners listening saying…well, one, new listeners are like, what happened? I thought this was a sleep podcast. Regular listeners are like, Scoots, there’s like ten words that you're not thinking of.
Yeah. Well, by the way, I’m glad you're here. This is how we get to hang out together. This is the interactive part of the show. It’s indirectly interactive. Igor is…Igor iterates interactive…for me, I’d say it was another word…idiosyncratic, idiosyncratically…so…okay, so, we have two potential…someone please remind me; we got a couple potential…we could…maybe we could get back to that. I think we maybe did it once upon a time, the Tongue Twister of the Month. Unfortunately when I’m recording this, it’s in February. This episode…oh no, this episode is supposed to come out in March, I believe, so…well, we got some potential there. There’s also poetic language in this episode coming up that I did…did offer some challenges when I’m trying to maintain the great writing but also sleepify it and manage my learning differences. So, I did my best there, just like I do my best to try to remember vocabulary words.
Anyway, though, what I’m really here to do is do my best to help you fall asleep, 'cause I’ve been there and a lot of other listeners have been there. Some of those other listeners somewhere in the world have been in a place pretty close to whatever brought you here, and whatever it feels like for you, believe it or not, there’s at least one person listening right now who really gets what brought you here and what it feels like and the challenges it offers that we’re oh, so grateful for. But they are…they're grateful in a sense that you're here, because they get to offer you this warmth, this smile. Or maybe they're in bed or maybe they're doodling or looking out the window, and they're thinking of you in a fond way. They don't know you, but they do know what it feels like for you in the deep, dark night, and they're sending their goodness across the deep, dark night to you, and you don't even have to receive it.
You could just be aware it’s out there for you, and that you're somewhat understood here and that you're welcome here. So, that’s really why I make the show, is not only I’ve been there, but all these other listeners have been there, and we all come at it from a slightly different angle, just like those polar parallelogram parasols. Parentally? no. Portent? Potential; potential…yeah, potential is hard to say with those other words. Got a potential parallelogram tongue twister. I mean, when did tongue twisters…? It seems like…I mean, again, there’s probably a subculture I’m unaware of, which…that’s cool, but there’s…and maybe I should do a episode about it, but…I mean, I definitely should do an episode about it. So, I’ll have to remember that. But…'cause it’s like, there was never…we never reached…I don't know if as a planet…I mean, maybe we did reach…what do they call it? Peak tongue twister. It seems like we got to fifteen tongue twisters and people were like, yeah, that’s good enough.
Then over time it became…or I guess I should say in my world, which is the world I live in, they became four or five…these are the essential tongue twisters that are gonna become memed in our memory or whatever you want to call it, archetypal. I say, wait a second, how come there wasn’t 1,001 amazing tongue twist…? I mean, people keep telling me to write a book about sleep. Maybe I should just write that book, 1,001…I guess you say, probably better off…how many letters are there in the alphabet? 26, 27, 40? I don't know. It’d probably be enough with that, but…maybe I could co-write it with Eminem or somebody. I don't think that would happen, but that’d be a good writing partner for tongue twisters. Any hip-hop artist that likes wordplay…so, anybody out…I mean, all…it’s just an idea that struck me after ten tangents. So, I gotta move on with this intro. So, I’m glad you're here and I really hope I can help you fall asleep, 'cause you deserve a good night's sleep.
The way I try to do it is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents. So, I go off topic, I get mixed up, I forget what I was talking about, then I…I mean, we just witnessed it. Honestly, that’s how it happens organically. When I started recording this, I had no tangents in mind and I was honestly like, huh, maybe this will be a straightforward…I’m not…this is not fluff. I was like, huh, I don't have any tangents. I’m pretty tired. Maybe this will be a straightforward intro. I didn't even see any tangents on the horizon, and that’s when the best tangents seem to come. I just gotta trust the tangent, man. Trust…tangerine tangent; that was…that was never…was that ever a tongue twister? But…okay, so, what I do is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents; we’ve talked about that.
My voice is not traditionally soothing, and this is a podcast that not everybody likes and doesn't work for everybody. So, if you're new here, just give it a few tries. There’s no pressure to like the show or to like me. It’s a unique show, but it is good-natured in the sense that I want to help you out if I can. So…and if you get here and you're skeptical or doubtful and then as you listen you become more skeptical and doubtful, that’s actually a healthy way to approach it, and it makes a lot of sense. You got here with the expectations of what a sleep podcast would be, and so far I may be defying expectations, but not in the…you know, we can agree. You say, well, you're not exactly defying expectations. You know, yeah. I say, yeah, no, I get it. Don't worry, I have…so, if you…give the show a few tries…see how it goes. That’s what most regular listeners’ experience was. They were doubtful. They were skeptical. They were annoyed.
Then they gave it a second try and they said, wait a second, this is kinda good-natured and silly and somewhat fun. I guess he means what he…he is full of pointless meanders and superfluous tangents. Then the third time they just fell asleep or drifted off, or at least felt comforted or some sleepy joy and delight that I’m supposed to provide in the deep, dark night. So, just see how it goes. If at some point or right now you already know it’s not a match or you listen two or three times and you're like, no, I don't ever want to listen to the show again, totally fine. Not only is it totally fine; I have a website set up for you, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou. That has other sleepy stuff on there and other sleep podcasts and other sleep audio to help you fall asleep. So, just see how it goes or check it out now. If it’s not a fit, that’s totally fine. This is also a podcast you don't really listen to.
Or, you kind of can listen like a TV on in the other room, a show streaming under your pillow, a roommate that is talking that you don't really pay attention to, or a friend, whether they're on the phone or they're FaceTiming you, and you're like, okay, just telling me about whatever, the book you're reading, but you're not…it’s more for a purpose, to take your mind off of stuff, to give you some ease and comfort so you could fall asleep or at least feel like there’s someone out there that’s there for you, and they don't need your attention. They're just there to keep you company, and ideally you fall asleep, or at least you feel distracted. So, yeah, it does take some getting used to. It’s almost like a out-of-focus picture or sand passing through your hands. This is also a sleep podcast that’s not here to put you to sleep. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this show. There’s a reason the episodes are over an hour, and that’s so you don't have to worry about it.
There’s people listening who can't sleep at all, people who need a break during the day, people who need something to listen to at work, people that wake up in the middle of the night, and I’m here to keep you company whether you're awake or asleep. The people who can't sleep at all, I’m there…I’m here on the show to the very end, to do my job, and that’s not to put you to sleep. It’s to be here for you, and maybe…or ideally you fall asleep at some point. But even if you don't, you know you're hanging out with your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your bore-bie, your bore-man, your Boris Borelaf, your chairman of the boreds, your neigh-bore…did I already say that? Your best bore-friend f’eva who’s here to hang out with you and be somewhat…like, whatever’s mild or mid…you know, his humor’s not mid or mild, but…be the only way to describe it. He’s my bore-friend. So, I’m just here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff.
The only other thing I like to explain is the structure of the show. We structure the show…over the thirteen years we’ve made it, it’s been pretty consistent in a way that benefits the maximum amount of people that could benefit from the show, and that’s…we start off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, okay, I could check that show out. Then there’s support so that paying for the show is optional and so that people who can't afford to support the show, people that are new, or people that only listen once in a while, you don't have to worry about paying for the show. You know, ideally in a perfect world, the show flourishes 'cause of the people that listen nightly, support the show, or support our sponsors. So, then after the support is a long, meandering intro totally separate from the support, though new people or people that might…it’s easy to think, oh, it’s all part of one thing, but the intro is a show within a show.
It takes fifteen to twenty minutes for me to introduce a sleep podcast, and yeah, it could take me thirty seconds, or I could do the same intro over and over, or a scripted intro. But I do follow a familiar structure with every intro, but I go off topic about something new every time. I mean, I don't know if parasols and parallelograms have ever come up together in the same sentence on…I mean, I don't want to brag, but maybe not even on planet Earth, you know? I mean, this would be confusing to even AI. They’d say, I think this human is having some sort of…they’ve been…and I say, yeah, no, it’s my…it is my programming. I guess I’m lucky that I can go on a tangent about that and that it has a purpose, which is help people out and take their mind off of stuff.
But the intro also has a purpose so it’s familiar but it’s new every time, which in my experience, there is some combination of those things that’s important, some reassurance, something…you say, okay, I know what it’s gonna be like, but that’s always got variety, 'cause repetition does not…it’s something that whatever keeps me awake just points out. So, that’s why every intro is new. But the reason the intros are fifteen to twenty plus minutes long is to ease you into bedtime. So, most people don't fall asleep during the intros. If you do fall asleep fast, please consider supporting the show. It’s a paradox, but please. But most listeners are in bed getting comfortable, they're winding down, they're getting ready for bed, they're chilling out, they're doing some other relaxing activity while they listen to the intro to get eased into bedtime as a part of a wind-down routine and a buffer between being awake and asleep. That’s what works for me personally.
What I’ve seen studies say works is having that nice way to gently go to bed, and the intro is a part of that. If you find that you don't like the intros at all, there is a story-only version of the show on Sleep With Me+ and in every podcast app — paying for it’s optional — called Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me, where you could find just the story versions of this podcast without the intros. But the intro is like our hang time. It’s kinda like a sleepover, like the before-you-fall-asleep part but after the part where…there’s no excitement either, you know? The lull before…the lull after the sleepover storm, you know? A storm of joy, in a sleepover sense, or giggling or whatever it is. So, yeah, that’s what the intro does.
Then after the intro will be support, the after the support will be our crossover episode with Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop. Yeah, all told, we’ll be here about a hour. I’m really glad you came by if you're new, or coming back if you're a regular listener, or you're visiting, if you listen just when you're going through stuff. I really hope not only can I help, but we yearn and strive…not just myself; everybody that works on the show, not just to help you fall asleep but to bring some sleepy joy and delight into your life. If this show does bring that to your life on a regular basis and has, it’s changed your life for the better, please consider supporting one of these sponsors or supporting the show directly. Otherwise, no worries at all. Thanks.
Hey everybody, this is Scoots. So, this is a crossover episode that I’m really excited to bring to you, and it’s made possible by Local Files Club and my friend Adam, and then my friend Oliver at Skadi's Symphony. So, I’m gonna tell you a little bit about all that stuff right now. So, Local Files Club is a digital label for audio fiction, and it’s a new idea. It’s similar to podcasts, but when you hear me talk about…man, it’s tough making Sleep With Me sometimes, it’s really tough making audio fiction. So, what Local Files Club does is publish short form, experimental audio fiction, and those projects are available for one-time purchase. So, it’s inspired by physical media like DVDs and Blu-Rays. So, the shows come out with bonus features like commentary tracks, original soundtracks, art books, and more.
The goal over at Local Files Club is to build an alternative model for audio fiction shows that a lot of love and work goes into, right, but otherwise would get lost inside a podcast app or really difficult to monetize and make work through advertising or membership programs, 'cause they're kinda limited releases and straight from Local Files Club. It’s a tough time for podcasts out there. Celebrity-driven chat shows are what are attracting all the attention and the advertising and a lot of the funds. Local Files Club is looking to bring attention to audio art and remind audiences why audio is such a captivating medium for storytelling, all while making a sustainable business model for creators that don't get funded well by Spotify or YouTube or other big tech platforms. You could find out more at localfiles.club. That’s a URL; localfiles.club. The links will be in the show notes. Now, Ms. Shipton, which I may sometimes say Mrs. Shipton…Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop is the first release from Local Files Club, debuting last fall.
It was created by Skadi's Symphony, the same people behind the podcast Kane and Feels. It’s a very cozy listen about a T-W-I-T-C-H — rhymes with sandwich — whose van breaks down in the English countryside. As she waits for her van to be repaired, Ms. Shipton sets up shop and meets the locals; a farmer, a publican or pubishan…publician? I’m not sure. I always get…somebody that runs a pub and a priest…exploring themes of loneliness, companionship, and queerness through five vignettes. It’s really beautiful, calm listening with lots of lovely sound effects and a stunning soundtrack. Here’s the thing; if you buy the show, it comes with a full original soundtrack, plus a bonus poem, five commentary episodes, and an illustrated zine. Now, there will be a super-deluxe version of this episode we're doing, as well as an extended release of this episode so you get even more when you support it. You could find it at localfiles.club, or head over to Band Camp, localfilesclub.bandcamp.com. Thanks, everybody.
Episode 1. Misery…and this opens in the interior of a VW camper on the road. Our home is always rolling on. Up hills, through trees we move along. We're headed forward all day long. To see the sights, we stop near rivers, lakes, and ponds, and brave the night. Sometimes we touch humanity, and we…then we sell them cups of tea. Between the water and the leaves, they take a break, and then my cauldron keeper rolls up her sleeves. Never heard of a cauldron of tea? Maybe tonight you will. To soothe the ache…the camper van we call our home, it makes lovely noises on the road, and those noises could also be a metaphor for how all of us feel on the inside sometimes, sometimes frowny, and then sometimes the engine sings. This is where our little ode can now begin. Meow. I know, Mis, but we need to find a place to have…where we could investigate the VW and give…take good care of it before the time where it’s necessary that we take good care of it comes up.
There’s enough soul left in her to carry us along a little further. Do you see it, Misery? Meow. Have you spotted it yet? Hm. Why, yes, a village soon appears. The orange sun on golden ears of corn been torn from root by gears. The fields bare. The sense of summer disappears, and autumn is there. Meow. Exactly my thought, dear Misery. Let’s find some old off-road and almost parked in…oh, what’s that sound? Is that the sound of old reliable saying, we're done driving for the night? Well, I guess we found our camping spot. This is where we should let you know Skadi's Symphony presents Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop, reinterpreted by Sleep With Me Podcast.
Episode 1, Misery. Meow. Good morning, dear Misery. I’ve had a poke about. You and I have woken in Talford, having travelled all night to a freshly-cut field with our van facing westward. Now, we're one turning off from a pub in a place of practicing belief systems, one more turning on to the orchard, and then one turning out of town. So…hm, shorter than most but longer than many. The pub looks nice. The three turns, a biggish car park, the place where we practice belief systems has wisteria up its walls. Yeah, three weeks I reckon, ‘til it all goes from bloomy-bloom to circle-of-life type stuff. Right. Perhaps you could do me a favor, Misery. Not Missouri. Missouri…not Missouri. I don't know why I said that. I didn't name you after a state in the States, but it just sounds like it when I said it there. But could you go out and give me a lay of the land? Meow. Oh, well, you do drive a hard bargain. It’s a good thing I speak Meow. Oh, did you hear that call? Was that a magpie or a crow or a raven? Meow.
Oh, thank you, mag…okay, a magpie. Thank you for confirming that. Did you like that sound over there? It’s company to the tune of one. Meow. Huh, you got…are you feeling something, Misery, and so soon? You think you could find them? Meow. Oh, you're so clever, the cleverest cat this side of my side, on all sides. Misery. I don't know how I’d be…who I’d be or how I’d be without you. Now I’m gonna open a can here while I cook myself up some breakfast, too. A little tomato, a little bacon-poo, and for you, fresh tuna from the can. There you are. Hm, I love that sound of your…are those your…? I always wonder if those are your lips smacking. It’s just such a great sound. Meow. Okay, don't talk with your mouth full, or meow with your mouth full. I’ll make an aside, though, though I’m not eating at this moment; I’m just talking to you. I’d say a marriage of needs, 'cause I needs her and she needs me. I needs her for foods and waters, and she needs me 'cause I bring glee. Though we’ve seen the world together from mountains high and rivers deep, the life of me I still don't know why she named me Misery.
Oh, are you calling someone or are we transitioning to a new location? Why, yes we are. My phone’s ringing, and this is Camper Mechanics. Who’s calling, please? Hi, is this my hero? Hardy, har, har. What’s she got into now? If by ‘she’ you mean the cottage, she’s made it as far as Talford. Talford, by gum! Excellent news. How’s the new fly wheel? Very well. But? I detect a ‘but’ in there. Now the accelerator’s gone. Well, it was bound to go sooner or later. Oh, could you come out and have a look at it, maybe fix it? Aye, I could, but if it’s the accelerator, I have to get the parts special. How long will it be? Like, maybe possibly…probably three weeks. That’s perfect. I know it’s out of your way, but…aye, anything for the princess. You know that referring to me is…I’m a keeper of cauldrons, not a princess, please. Aye, and I’m a mechanic. Don't change now’t. Thank you, hero. Goodbye. Goodbye. Ah, a sip of tea and the light of a stick of refreshment…a place where they practice belief systems, a pub, an orchard…suggests a mentor, a publican, and a farmer. I wonder who I’ll meet first, Mis. Now, the perfect time for a transition.
The Skadi's Symphony presents Sleep With Me podcast’s interpretation of Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop, Episode 2, Farmer. Mister farmer over yonder, cultivated and cultivator. His face…he’s got a furrowed brow that reminds me of thunder. He sees our pitch, ambles over on his tractor to face…he may have recently dug a ditch, but now he wants to speak or inquire about my cauldron-keeper. All right, here we go, charm offensive. Good morning. Morning. Nice day for it, isn't it? For what? Whatever you fancy, really. Can I help at all? You can't park there. Okay. Can’t camp here, either. Oh, don't worry, I’m not doing either of those things. You're neither parked nor camping? No, sir. Then how come you're parked here in a camper van? You see, that’s the rub. I’m actually stuck here. You're stuck? I am. Mm-hm, yes. It’s not my greatest moment, but somewhat…mostly out of my control. My accelerator broke last night, and this is where I trundled to. Yeah, right.
No, no, correct, yes. I ain’t technically got no rules about breaking down on my land. Prefer you didn't mind. Yeah, I’m sure, but here we are. Well, it’s just the table…oh yes…and the parasol. Yes, thank you. They're not the accoutrements of a camping person, are they? Well, they could be, but in my case they're vestiges of my business. You did not, in your calculations, take in the chalkboard sign here. Ta-da. Mrs. Shipton’s Travelling Tea Shop. Yep, that’s the one. Hello! Would you like a cuppa? I’ve got food and beverages and a Professional Cookery Grade 3 certificate, so it’s all legit. I’ve got a business license, and if you want to see it…I think I definitely don't approve of you running a business unsanctioned on my land. Well, how else am I gonna get the cash to afford to move off of your land? Hm. You know, I can't tell if I’m charmed by your persistence or annoyed by it. Huh. Well, how about you decide over a cup of tea? The first one’s on the house. Aye, I could do that.
So, what brings you around these parts? I don't know, really. I go where I’m needed, but I don't necessarily need to know where I’m going. In fact, if I knew where I was going, I wouldn't get there, you know? Right. If I don't know where I’m going or why, I tend to get there quicker. Hm. Funny; I’ve lived here all my life, but I’ve never stopped to look at it from this direction before. Ah, the sound of me taking in vista. Well, how long has this land been yours? Well, my father, he went from this farmland to the big, larger, different farmland in the sky, metaphorically, I suppose, 'cause I can't see any farmland up there, but…yeah, that must have been about nigh on twenty years now. Huh, right. You look young, though. Heh, cheeky. Cheeky git. I am young, forty-one or thereabouts. I only come across as crusty. Oh, I’m sorry. It is what it is, really. I had someone who went to some…not exact…maybe…not a farm in the sky, but somewhere in a realm beyond this one.
I believe some people call them non-earthly realms. They were very important to me, about the same time I was that age. But that was ten, eleven years ago? Yeah, you're young in that experience of saying goodbye to someone when they cross realms. It does get easier. Meow. No, not my experience. Huh. Is that your moggy? I’ve never seen him around here before. Oh, yes, yes. His name is Misery, Misery. He’s a bit of a walking metaphor…a walking, talking metaphor, if you will, also figurative. Strikes a nice figure. Meow. Well, I see. Pleasure to meet you, Misery. It’s hard to say, but close enough. The state in the States is close enough. Misery, Misery, Misery…though a lot of people think it’s Misery, but it’s pronounced with a pause. Misery. Misery. But it…sometimes I even struggle with it. But back to…what do you do differently from the way your dad used to do things? I mean, I don't really…I mean, he left pretty specific and solid instructions on how to run things; the rules, he called them, quotey quotes.
How to keep everyone that works here happy, those sort of things. Huh. Did the rules work? Some of the time. You know, wisdom of your elders and all that, though he’s a little bit out of touch with modern farming methods. Most of the time, though, I do defer to dad. Huh. Okay, well, sorry, I’m just going through my catalog here, and I think I have just the brew for you. By the way, I don’t go in for any green…no greens, no greens, please. A builders will do me just fine. Oh, don't worry about it. This is not a green tea. You could still have it with milk, but it’s a brew of new perspective. Oh wow, he mixed up a few tabs in there with my Tetleys? Well, it’s…yeah, it’s a cauldron-based brew, but I claim no responsibility for any visions you may or may not have. Sorry, what kind of tea shop are you? Oh, the cauldron-based kind. I’m a keeper of cauldrons, obviously, and that comes with a lot of responsibility.
You didn't tell me you were…I mean, you did just before that, but you didn't tell me you were a keeper of cauldrons. I thought you just used cauldrons for convenience or something. Well, if I told you I was a keeper of cauldrons, what would you have done if I told you that right upfront as soon as I met you? I would have told you to get off my land. Well, you already tried that and it didn't work. I guess maybe you're under…there’s something about my presence, my keeping of cauldrons, that has your attention in a relaxed and focused way…that I’m maybe exerting some influence on you? Don't joke, please. That’s not funny. Cauldron keepers are no laughing matter. There’s a reason there’s…not around anymore. Well, here’s something that will benefit you, mixed in a brew. Boil, boil, and bubble, and stirred without trouble in this cauldron here just for you, and the first one’s on the house. It won't blow your mind; simply broaden your horizons.
I hope you don't mind, but I’ve been picking up nettles from around your crops, brewing it with Earl Grey, turning it counterclockwise on this lovely setup I have my cauldron on, with two tealights at right angles. It should taste like home, but different. Is this gonna make me have to use the water closet right away? No, no, no, just a normal standard usage of a water closet, I promise. I’ve also prepared myself a cuppa, the same thing, so we’ll experience it together. I’m offering some clarity, nothing more. Is this some sort of…are you trying to get me to be a cauldron keeper or something? To join up…? Ha, ha. Um, no, I’m not recruiting other cauldron keepers. Alright, well, cheers.
Ah, yeah, this is…if only we could sip in total silence, but I do like to mutter to myself as I sip and say, ah. You know? It is a nice day for it. For what? For whatever you fancy, really. Yeah. When did you plant the orchard? About twenty years ago. I see. It’s beautiful. It is a handsome orchard, yes. You're a tea shop, though. Yeah? You want me to tow you somewhere where you'll get some more customers? Oh, thank you. Another perfect time for an interlude as we introduce to you…Skadi's Symphony presents Sleep With Me Podcast’s interpretation of Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop, Episode 3, Publican…Publician, a runner…it’s a word not in my…but a keeper of pubs, we’ll say.
Meow, meow. I’m sorry, I’m just a sleep podcast guy. I don't speak Meow. But did you say you were correcting my use of…? Meow. Oh, sorry, go ahead. Business has been booming lately since the hefty relocation to a pair of parking spaces. Outside the pub, the farmer also gave her veg and other grub. From here she’s been brewing lots of tea for folks and asked for naught, save for a small donation box. Outside her van, the stress is getting mighty strong. She needs a hand. You might hear when sun is setting. Gentle hiccups from the cabin as kettles and cups lay drying upon the rack, a stubborn line not worth crossing ‘til teacup cracks. Just doing some washing of the dishes. Oh boy, oh dear, I dropped a cup and it cracked. Gosh darn, darn, shoot, and many other things. Oh, and I’m feeling feelings about it as well. Knockety-knock, knock, knock. This is the keeper of pubs out here. Everything alright in there? Hello? Shooty-shoot, shooty-shoot, shooty-shoot. Hello, hello? Can you hear me?
You’re not…you sound like…it sounds like a teacup may have broken or something. I’m taking a breath and I’m going outside. Hello. Welcome to my travelling…oh, it’s you. Hi, it’s me. Is everything alright? Better than alright since the farmer came and plonked you down in my car park. Business has been booming. Well, as long as I’m not being a nuisance. As if. I was about to close for today, but I could probably manage one last brew, if it’s for you, that is. Ah spotted. Tell me; was it the short hair, the Doc Martens, or the carabina? What? What? No, no, no. Wait…oof. Would you like a cup of tea, or…? I’m only joking. Don't fret, lass. You're in safe hands. I’ll take one of your special brews, if you're making one. Oh, the special ones? Well, they take some time and energy, but I’ve got both for you. But I’ll also need to…to? To get to know you better, to make it right. I see, I see. Well, what do you want to know? I’m an open book. Okay, can I ask one that I’m curious about? Go for it.
How long have you lived openly? Lived openly as what? Oh, never mind. No, go ahead, spit it out. Spit it out. Say what you were going to say. No, I’m mistaken. I doubt you're mistaken. Oh. No, no, just not open…just…yeah, there’s not a lot of calls for crones anymore. You're a official…you know what I’m saying, official cauldron keepers anymore. Yeah, right. Truth is, I’m surprised you're open and going out and about as you are. I’ll be in…you know, sure, maybe a couple decades ago people would be okay, but times have changed, and people have soured a bit. You know what I’m saying? Oh. Yeah, like three villages over, they cracked a cauldron there, and not just like a crack; they cracked it into pieces. Wait, an official sanctioned cauldron? These are almost impossible to get. I mean, I pretty much know everybody that’s got an official sanctioned cauldron. Did I know her? Aye, a bright, young soul she was, too. Taught me the fundamentals of the craft, she did. I’m sorry. Don't be sorry.
If anything, be stern and not happy about it. That’s what I am. Well, let’s pause for…I mean, I try to pause for a moment before reacting. My grandma taught me well. I called her gran, at least, 'cause that’s what she was to me. There used to be queues all the way through the forest to get to her cottage, then one day they just stopped coming. We started getting looks at the supermarket. Eventually gran just stayed home at the house all day and all night. Well, I’m…I find that…I don't know if you could see how furrowed my brow is, love, about this kind of news and these changes in the world, but that’s how I feel about it. Huh, well, it’s…let’s have a comfort stick and maybe a bit of music. Not to be rude, but I thought you said you were gonna ask me some questions about me. You know, me. Now we're talking about you. I was; I’m sorry. You caught me off guard. What do you mean? You're smiling at me. So I am, ha, ha. Wait a second…could you stop with that?
Well, I just…are you…? Your blushing is encouraging me to jest. You know what? Don't worry, I shall avert my eyes. Go on, ask your question. Why are you continuing to smile at me? Because I like your spirit. You're a kind, sweet soul behind it, behind it all. Yeah, behind it all. I’m sure you say that to every cauldron keeper you meet. Only the ones that I find made my tummy tingle, if you know what I mean. Well, I’ll make your…your tea is brewed. May it tingle your tummy. Oh, and what have you brewed for me? Well, we’ve got some rose petals, assams, a sprig of forget-me-not. Forget you not? How could I, my dear? Wait a second, the scent coming off here…and the taste is delicious. I could give you a kiss I’m so overwhelmed with the tickling…it’s tickling my lips, it’s that good. Well, you may if you wanted to. Well, I’ll keep that in mind. Okay. Well, thanks for the brew. I, too, have tickle tummy and tickled lips and then make innuendos, but I gotta be going.
You should come by. I get off work at about half-past. That’s…half what? Half…? Where I come from, the keepers of cauldrons say half-blank. Well, half-blank, then. I’ll see you at half-blank. Maybe we could share another drink then. Maybe we shall, then. Until then, I bid you…I guess adieu, or I don't. Anon? I guess I don't know, but goodnight, or I’ll see…goodnight when I see you. Meow. She sits, she smiles, she finishes her tea and packs up, enjoying the last of the evening’s pink sun. Another interlude time here as Skadi's Symphony presents Sleep With Me’s…Podcast’s reinterpretation of Ms. Shipton's Travelling Tea Shop, Episode 4, The Mentor.
Meow. Our cauldron keeper is making quite a name in Talford town, though she refrains from taking much of the acclaim because she’s concerned. Some belief systems don't align with hers, and they tend to be keepers of hot air and steam out the ears. They may find her there. Living memory canticles were written of the miracles by certain individuals who wear the cloth. The creed, cauldron keepers, the radical, directed wroth…that’s why our home was put on wheels, in case some misguided mentor had a taste for zeal. Started talking about seals of seven. If good folk turned, she could scarper, click her heels, and not return. So, imagine to her surprise when sewing, our cauldron keeper spied the black shirt of a mentor and the dog-collar tie. The local mentor, demeanor soft, his trousers pressed, his hair has been greased. I’m just sewing. Not singing, but sing-song sewing. Knockety, knockety, new. Good morning, young lady. Oh man, I could have used another thimble on there.
Shooty, shooty, shooty-shoot. Knockety-knockety. I heard some mumbling, but I didn't quite catch that. Good morning, experienced gentleman. You could call me Rev if you want. Hm. You know, or Revity Rev, Levity Rev; I’ve gone by that. But just don't call me Mr. Rev. That’s my father’s name. Ha, ha. Huh. Well, Rev supposes…to call someone Revity Rev or Levity Rev, that’s making some presuppositions and assumptions, that you have levity or reverence or you're a revolutionary or you rev an engine. But I know nothing about you, so I don't want to make any assumptions. Okay, okay, fair enough. Still outside here. But if that’s the case, I’m guessing the rumors I’ve heard are true. Rumors? There was a song in the eighties about rumors, and how do they get started. But what rumors are you speaking of? Rumors of a cauldron keeper come to town. Oh, those rumors. Yep, those rumors. Would you like a cup of tea? You know what? I thought you'd never ask. Thank you.
I’ll just make myself comfortable. I’m gonna…levity doesn't…can’t stand always. So, you're a cauldron keeper of…you're a tea keeper? What do you prefer, a cauldron keeper of teas, cauldron keeper with tea in the cauldron? Yes, any is fine. Were you an apprentice? Yes, I was. And your teacher? Stirring a cauldron in the sky, figuratively, or…I’m sure that you have a different outlook on that, but stirring cauldrons somewhere that’s not here. Oh, I’m sorry. Were you two close? Very close. Did you…? She was my grandmother. Ah. Or, at least that’s what she told me to call her. I never knew my folks, so I could never verify. Hm. Yep, my grandmother. Then, you know my gift, a heavy, heavy gift…and then my grandmother again, and then after she moved on…sorry, I was…she changed as time passed, and she needed taking of care, and that wasn't easy for me or her. It was challenging, a growth opportunity.
Or, as a sleep podcaster says, another…then he says, a fudge-flavored growth opportunity, and afterwards it was quite a mess to clean up. If you've ever had a flavored…fudge-flavored growth opportunity, they tend to be messy. I’m sorry, but this is what you wanted, right? This is what you're looking for? This is the…I’m sorry? This interview; are you looking for me to confess something? Whatever…were you getting to some kind of point or were you just making small talk? Ah, well…no, no…no, no, the group…the shared belief system that I represent, we don't do kind of…those kind of interviews, but we do speak with people in confidence, I guess, in a mentor-mentee way sometimes, but not all the time. So, I was interested in an apprenticeship as a mentor-mentee relationship. But I’m talking too much now. Perhaps this whole thing was a mistake. Perhaps it was. Yeah, yeah, I should go. Your tea cup is still full. That represents my labor, my materials cost…I put a lot of thought into that.
Listen, I’m also…I can read between the lines in your forehead, we’ll say. You clearly have something more to say, so go ahead and say it. I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m not here to…I’m not looking for mentees. I’m not looking for anyone to…I’m not looking to…I share my belief system, but it’s not…I’m not looking for a co-sharer or anything like that. In fact, I came…I did come here for a reason. I need your services. Is that…? There’s my kettle boiling. Excuse me. Oh, a sip of this stuff…what is this we're drinking? It’s called Mentor Tummy Tum-Tum, Tummy Tum-Tum, and not in a positive way. He, he, tummy…not in…surely not. No joke; we're drinking lepsang — it’s smoky — to remember the time smoke was…it could taste like…a rumor I’ve heard is that after people crack cauldrons, they throw them in smoky smoke to totally ruin them. You've heard of that, yeah? I was just getting started.
I was actually a mentee at that point, when people were cracking cauldrons and tossing them into fireplaces and stuff like that. I thought it was…I said, these are expense…? These have some sort of seal on them, and they don't seem to be…this isn't nice, and people don't want their cauldrons cracked and then broken apart. Who does that? This is someone’s property. Just don't drink the tea. That wasn't the group I was a part of. My mentor, the members of our community, we try to live in acceptance of everyone. So, what I do is in need of acceptance? No, no, sorry. It was…I mean, I just…I was trying to look for the right word. No, I don't believe that it’s in acceptance. It’s in acceptance…you know, not acceptance; like acceptance. Like, you have faith in your cauldron, you have faith in your tea, you have enjoyment, love, competence, confidence. Just 'cause I’m part of a community, we don't have to…we're not the…we could be accepting.
We don't have to accept other communities; we can be accept…I don't know, maybe my vocabulary is not broad enough to get across the kind of accepting I’m talking about. I mean care for others, service to others, creation of things for others to enjoy or to enrich them or to help them. I mean, people will go to cauldron keepers because you're of service to them and because they felt like they weren't being served by any other communities out there. You aligned with their needs or their belief systems, or they believed in you, and then they believed in the cauldron you're keeping because of your confidence, your competence, your love of keeping of your cauldron. So, maybe that was a failing of other…a failing of our acceptance…the original acceptance you took exception to, it was our failing, and I mean our community’s failing in that acceptance, and I guess they…instead of facing that, maybe it’s almost like your cauldrons were a mirror, and they didn't like what they saw in the mirror, so they broke the mirror instead of realizing they were looking in the mirror.
Listen, I mean, there was a woman I loved, and…yeah, I mean really loved, deeply loved, and yeah, her cauldron got broke. She moved away. She felt a lot of strong feelings about…why would I want to be part of a community that would break my cauldron? She left and…yeah, and…yeah, it was tough. I never told that to anybody else in my entire life. Well, I don't know if you're looking for some sort of acceptance or recompense, forgiveness or whatever, but I don't think you're in the right place. I don't think you'll find that in this cauldron. I know, I know, I know. But you are heard. Let’s take out a comfort stick or two. Would you like one? Are you sure I couldn't offer you a glass of Tummy Tum-Tum Trouble? No, no, thank you, and thanks for the tea. Yeah, I guess I will take one of those comfort sticks.
Oh, there’s no sugar left. Meow. A mentor, a misguided mentor was quiet. Meow. They drank in silence until all that was left were the dregs, the dregs in their teacups, and a few more drags on their comfort sticks. Now, meow, meow, is the end of the regular episode, meow, of the Sleep With Me version of Ms. Shipton's…meow. But there will be an extended version, meow, and the link for it will be in the show notes, or you could check out the rest of this version of Ms. Shipton's, as well as the original version, maybe even more versions of it for your daytime and your nighttime consumption. There will be more meows. Goodnight, everybody.
[End of recording]
Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes
