To the glorious mysteries of life [419]

Remembering Will.

This post is dedicated to Will Green. A British podcasting icon and someone I’m proud to call my friend.

I found out today that Will had tragically died while in hospital. It’s hit me pretty hard. He was a lovely human being. Kind, generous, funny and full of love. We were due to meet up on a podcasting mission this summer.

I’ve known Will since before Twitter was a thing and podcasting was still getting used to it’s name.

He used to say my podcast was polished and proper. It wasn’t. I used to tell him that his was authentic and hilarious. It was. And his intro’s were art.

His eccentricity made it something really special. His passion for British comedy, heritage, music, culture and history taught me so much.

With the first Mac focused podcast, he was number one in the iTunes tech news charts more than once.

And although he hardly edited and seemed to bumble through a half written script while glugging wine, he deserved to be top of the charts and we loved him all the more.

Will’s podcast also featured in my own and later in my early newsletters. I wrote issue 62 from his living room back in 2017. Just before a night out with fellow geeks in Ironbridge.

There will be no end of online audio out there with Will either as the host or as a guest. No doubt some videos as well. Sadly I can only the find one video on his own YouTube channel. This one.

Music was so important to Will and as an accomplished pianist himself, I loved to hear him play and whenever he recommended a piece of music, you can be sure I’d go find it.

He was a huge fan of this song, as well as the BBC…

There was also no bigger fan of Tony Hancock. Clips and mentions of him featured often in the British Mac podcast. I would not be surprised if the Radio Ham sketch was the inspiration for Will wanting to become a licensed radio amateur himself.

He emailed me asking if we could head out to one of his favourite places to set up a radio and make a podcast while there. All I can remember is that it was a hill near where he lived. If you know where this might be please let me know. I was really looking forward to fixing a date. I’d still like to head there with a radio in his memory.

I have heard that his funeral is on the 1st of August and plan to be there.

Sadly his website and server appear to be down and I can’t find his podcast archives. I hope they are still out there. At some point I will dig through my own archives and find some of his audio to share.

One of my favourite memories of Will was when he showed up at a surprise birthday party organised for my 40th birthday. I was dared to head to the local pub dressed as a Star Wars Stormtrooper and on entering was met by the most amazing group of people. So much love and so much fun.

Will brought up this night a few times over the following years. The freak snow fall, the starlit sky viewed from a bench in the graveyard, and indelible memories made. I still have the gift he gave me. The Dangerous Book for Boys. I mention it and the night in this audio.

I’m deeply saddened to hear of his death and send love to all who knew him.

I’m not sure I can write any more. Sorry I can’t find a working podcast feed to share here. He was one of a kind.

Farewell old chap. I shall miss you deeply and sign off as you always did in our emails…

“With much love.”

Cx