35/52: I'm Cram, I'm Ovett, I'm unstoppable, I'm...
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The 2010s was the decade of the Entrepreneur. The 2020s will be the decade of the Investor.
“Everything’s cool in Dobby Club”.
Gerard Matthew
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Let me tell you about my week…
That, “Merch, it’s all about the merch” line and the, “cut me and I bleed merch” one from last time are from the TV show Peep Show. I started watching Peep Show in 2007 when a friend told me about season 4, episode 6, “Wedding”, and I haven’t really stopped since. I think it’s a work of utter genius — there’s a Peep Show line for every situation in life because Mark and Jez, the two main characters, are two oddballs trying to cope with horror, banality and fleeting joy of it all.
It turns out there are other fans too. However compared with Giles Bursnell I’m nowhere near a mega-fan. Giles is the guy behind Dobby Club, a fan-site that sells Peep Show-related merch. I know this is largely meaningless to those who haven’t seen the show but the creativity that Giles has put into the merch, like the Apollo House floor plan and the Consultio/Consultius sponsored The Red Team running top, is just terrific.
OK, so what’s that got to do with this week?
Well, in series 7, episode 3, the character ‘Super Hans’ (real name Simon) decides to give up drugs entirely (this is a big deal, in particular he really loves crack). To help him cope, Super Hans takes up running in quite a serious way, leading to him accidentally running to Windsor.
I’m not sure exactly when but Giles noticed something…
“As it turns out, the distance from Zodiac Court, Croydon (otherwise known as Apollo House, Mark and Jez's flat) to Windsor City Centre is more or less 26 miles (aka. the length of a marathon)”.
So here it is — the inaugural Run to Windsor is on Saturday 12th October and I’m in it! Knowing I’m a marathon running Peep Show fan Robbie Dale told me about it in August and it was, sadly for me, sold out. However I kept an eye out for drop-outs and got in touch with Giles so, as of this week, I’m in!
Wish me luck.
Yeah, and?
So while I’m giddy with excitement you might be wondering what all this has to do with angel investing or startups?
Nothing really. I just think it’s great that a fan of the show made a merch site and noticed the marathon distance thing. I wish I’d come up with it. Perhaps there’s something obscure that you’re a fan of? Maybe you could spin up a merch or event site for it? Could be a nice little earner.
Little Henry Hassle
If, like Jez in season 5, episode 4, “Jeremy’s Mummy” you’ve recently come into some money or you’re feeling particularly generous then you can donate to Run to Windsor’s chosen partner Mind, the mental health charity, here.
Go on, do that and I won’t hassle you again. Sweet as.
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