EPISODE 19: Covid in Cambodia

Summary

Podcast Summary: Strangers on a Bench – EPISODE 19: Covid in Cambodia

Host: Tom Rosenthal
Guest: Dave
Release Date: January 20, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 19 of Strangers on a Bench, host Tom Rosenthal engages in a deeply personal and engaging conversation with Dave, a former tour guide from Cambodia. This episode delves into Dave's tumultuous experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, his adventurous past, and his reflections on life both in Cambodia and London.

COVID-19 Impact in Cambodia

The episode opens with Tom approaching Dave on a London park bench, initiating a conversation that quickly reveals Dave's significant life changes due to the pandemic.

• Business Downfall:
  Dave explains how COVID-19 devastated his tour guide business in Cambodia.

  "[01:08] Dave: ... Cambodia as a tour guide on dirt bikes, which I just lost the business..."

• Sale of Motorbikes:
  To sustain himself, Dave had to sell 22 motorbikes over two years.

  "[01:59] Dave: They went one by one as I ran out of money..."

• Mental Health Struggles:
  The pandemic led to increased alcohol consumption and despair among business owners, leading to numerous suicides.

  "[02:15] Dave: ... a lot of suicides. Oh, God. I mean, we're in the West. We're lucky because we've got a safety net."

Tom and Dave discuss the resilience required to navigate such challenging times and the psychological toll the pandemic took on individuals and businesses alike.

Life Before and After Cambodia

Dave shares his adventurous past, highlighting his transition from a vibrant London life to the jungles of Cambodia.

• London Roots and Punk Days:
  Dave reminisces about his South London upbringing and involvement in the punk rock scene.

  "[04:33] Dave: ... I started working in the music industry, if you can call it punk rock..."

• Move to Spain and Settling Down:
  After years of energetic escapades, Dave settled down in Spain before eventually moving to Cambodia.

  "[10:28] Dave: ... I moved to Spain and married and then became kind of sensible..."

Adventures as a Tour Guide in Cambodia

The core of the episode focuses on Dave's two decades as a tour guide navigating Cambodia's challenging landscapes.

• Jungle Traversals:
  Dave describes the thrill and danger of leading tours on dirt bikes through dense jungles.

  "[15:45] Dave: ... incredible, man. I mean, like, incredible ones. It used to take us five days to get through the jungle."

• Close Encounters with Wildlife:
  Dave shares unforgettable moments, including a near-death experience with a cobra and a mesmerizing encounter with a clouded leopard.

  "[19:26] Dave: ... he had that expression on his face and you don't get that close..."
  "[19:54] Dave: It was in my headlight, yeah. Hell, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack."

• Dealing with Natural Hazards:
  The unpredictable dangers of lightning strikes in remote villages are discussed, emphasizing the raw and untamed environment Dave operated in.

  "[20:28] Dave: Nothing. You shit yourself. But they always happen where we were working..."

Personal Reflections and Life in London

The conversation shifts to Dave's life post-Cambodia, living in London with longtime friends and reflecting on societal changes.

• Living Arrangements and Friendship:
  Dave describes his current living situation with two friends, showcasing their camaraderie and dark humor amidst personal struggles.

  "[12:33] Dave: No. We're absolute fuckers. It's like, off to your room..."

• Homelessness in London:
  Dave expresses his shock at the increasing homelessness he observed upon returning to London, reminiscing about the 1980s when life seemed simpler.

  "[06:13] Dave: I was just always running around... but the noughties, no, that's when it all started to Change."

• Nostalgia for the Past:
  Reflecting on better times, Dave contrasts the vibrant 80s with the challenging modern landscape, questioning when society might reclaim its former vibrancy.

  "[25:53] Dave: ... The 80s were good here, I think the best time I was."
  "[26:04] Dave: I don't know. Well overdue, ain't we? Well overdue."

Memories and Loss

Dave opens up about the personal losses he's endured, including the death of a close friend on the day he left for Cambodia.

• Grieving Loved Ones:
  Dave speaks poignantly about the girlfriend who died as he departed for Cambodia, highlighting the emotional scars carried from the past.

  "[26:30] Dave: ... She died the day that I left to Cambodia. I think of her often..."

Advice and Future Plans

In the latter part of the conversation, Dave offers heartfelt advice and discusses his current outlook on life.

• Encouragement to Travel:
  Dave urges younger generations to explore beyond England to avoid adopting a restrictive mindset.

  "[27:20] Dave: Get out and travel. Get out of England. There's so many good places..."

• Embracing Freedom:
  Embracing a nomadic lifestyle, Dave relishes his current freedom, resisting societal expectations to settle down.

  "[27:54] Dave: ... I love being free."

Notable Quotes

• On Business and Survival:

  "[01:08] Dave: I worked in the jungle for 20 years... I sold all my motorbikes, 22 motorbikes I had and survived."

• On Mental Health:

  "[02:15] Dave: ... a lot of suicides... People should think about that, really."

• On Wildlife Encounter:

  "[19:26] Dave: ... I could see in his eyes, if that animal could talk, he would have went, what the fuck?"

• On Personal Growth:

  "[11:05] Dave: No. I think everyone has to grow up sooner or later."

Conclusion

Episode 19 of Strangers on a Bench offers a compelling narrative of resilience, adventure, and introspection. Through Dave's vivid recounting of his life-threatening experiences in Cambodia and his reflections upon returning to a transformed London, listeners gain profound insights into the human spirit's capacity to adapt and find meaning amidst chaos. Dave's journey underscores the importance of embracing freedom, cherishing friendships, and the enduring impact of our past on our present selves.

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Episode Highlights:

• 00:04 - 01:08: Introduction and invitation to participate in the podcast.
• 01:08 - 02:15: Dave discusses his life in Cambodia and the impact of COVID-19.
• 02:15 - 04:33: The emotional and financial toll of the pandemic on Dave and others.
• 04:33 - 10:28: Dave's background in London, punk rock, and eventual move to Cambodia.
• 10:28 - 18:20: Adventures and challenges as a tour guide, including wildlife encounters.
• 18:20 - 26:56: Reflections on life in London, homelessness, and personal losses.
• 26:56 - 28:48: Advice to younger generations and Dave's current lifestyle choices.

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Strangers on a Bench continues to explore the rich tapestry of human experiences, uncovering stories that resonate with listeners and foster a deeper understanding of the diverse lives that intersect in everyday public spaces.

Transcript

[Tom]

Hello. Sorry to bother you. Can I ask you a slightly odd question? I'm making a podcast called Strangers on a Bench, where essentially I talk to people I don't know on benches for 10 or 15 minutes. Are you up for that? Do you want to give it a. Is there a day of the week that you favor?

[Dave]

Mondays, I would say today.

[Tom]

Can you tell me why?

[Dave]

Because the weekend's over and I do a lot of my business on a Monday, and I enjoy my business, so Monday's a good start.

[Tom]

Have you always done business on a Monday?

[Dave]

No. In fact, up until about three years ago, I worked in the jungle for 20 years. Cambodia as a tour guide on dirt bikes, which I just lost the business, so I had to come back to Blighty, which I've been here since 20. 21, 22. I left on New Year's Eve and flew to Germany with my girlfriend, who came and got me when Covid was on. So I sold all my motorbikes, 22 motorbikes I had and survived. Covid in Cambodia.

[Tom]

Wow, that's a lot of motorbikes to sell.

[Dave]

They went one by one as I run out of money, one by one. I sold motorbikes to survive for two years.

[Tom]

What was it like to have a business that goes so. And why did it disappear?

[Dave]

No customers. Covid killed off incredible amounts of businesses because they didn't have any customers. And it's going to take years for it to build up because some of the businesses were very, very good businesses. It was a very sad time. A lot of suicides. Oh, God. I mean, we're in the West. We're lucky because we've got a safety net.

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Dave]

People should think about that, really. They're English. They're lucky.

[Tom]

I agree. During this time, were you surprised by yourself in any way? I mean, your reaction, what you did next?

[Dave]

No, we were actually the ones that stayed. We all started drinking heavy, and I don't drink anymore because of it. It's because we had nothing to do. So we weren't pleasant people to be around because we were miserable and drunk and we didn't have lockdown. We just got locked in the country, so we were free as birds. But then we weren't earning any money. And my job paid well when I was working, but it all got spent.

[Tom]

That's Amazon money, isn't it? Yeah. Okay, what was the. After two years of drinking, what was the moment where you're like, I'm not going to do this anymore.

[Dave]

I did it. When I landed in Germany, I Got there and my health was. Was very bad. And then I started doing long walks, which is what I do. I'm doing up until this day now. I do long walks. That's why you found me on the eath.

[Tom]

The long walks work.

[Dave]

The long walks work. And I didn't really have a problem to give up the booze. It was actually quite easy because I could see what it does to people and I decided that enough was enough.

[Tom]

On your walks, can you take me through what is your favourite walk to do and why? It's a he.

[Dave]

Yeah, it's because I grew up in South London, but I came over here during the punk days. I had girlfriends over here. So I started working in the music industry, if you can call it punk rock. The music industry. No one could play a note, really. But then I ended up kind of being a North Londoner. I'm still called the traitor in the family because we're all from South London. I went the wrong side of the Thames. Oh, God, I love North London. I was over in South London yesterday and I hate it. It's weird, isn't it?

[Tom]

I think people really fall down one way or the other. I've never met anyone who's like, oh, I love both, you know what I mean?

[Dave]

For some reason, it's the Thames fault.

[Tom]

For some reason, it just divides people.

[Dave]

Yeah, it does. It's that magnetic river that comes in every day and then washes out. There's something about it soon as you go across the bridge, whichever one you want to go across. And funny enough, it's because I lived in Cambodia for so long. 20 years. Every now and again, you'd wake up in the middle of the night and you'd have the strangest dream and it'd always be in London.

[Tom]

Really?

[Dave]

Yes, because I used to live just over there. I used to live in Queen's Crescent. I had a flat there for years. So, yeah, it's kind of a magnet for me, the heath. Because, you know, it's green, isn't it? You know, I mean, why would you want to walk around streets when you've got this?

[Tom]

Yeah, this is very true. Although some people like the kind of ebb and flow of city life.

[Dave]

Yeah. I mean, apart from the homelessness, which is shocking, actually, for England. And I noticed it on my last visit about six years ago, and we went down to Temple Church. I went down there with a couple of famous punk rockers and we were walking through Oban and we were like looking around and they were just everywhere and I said, how long has this been going on? And it was shocking because I'd never seen, like, all the way up from Clerkenwell to King's Cross. Like, you know, all the little parks, they're all full of tents. It shouldn't be happening, really. That shouldn't be happening.

[Tom]

Yeah, I agree. When you were a youth, what do you remember of seeing homeless people or not?

[Dave]

Yeah, there was a. There was a lot of. I got into trouble because I was brought up by an Irish guardsman. It was a military house I was brought up in. And we did something really, really naughty. You know where MI6 is?

[Tom]

I do.

[Dave]

Right. Well, before that was there. There was tunnels under there. I reckon that's the reason why they built it. It was a factory by Vauxhall Bridge. There's a tunnel that goes down to the Tube. We used to play run outs when we were kids in now, but anyway.

[Tom]

What is run out so quickly?

[Dave]

Yeah, we used to play light teams, catching the other team got it, you know, we used to call it run outs. And we would go all over London through the tunnels. Yeah, that is because the tunnels already there they were. Been there since the war. They're not used. They go to Battersea Power Station. We grew up running a random and we built rafts. Right. Right there. We got on a telly once because the police came and got us, because we built a raft and we floated down the Thames and they had to send out the barges to get us and we got into quite a lot of trouble. But the main story, which is quite shameful, really, is because I, you know, now I'm an adult. Under Vauxhall Bridge, there's some tunnels as you go over South London. There was a hole in the wall. Now, inside there was a lot of drunks and we had some fireworks and we'd gone over and nicked some crutches from the hospital. We put in some Roman candles and we went in there like Terminators, just firing them off. And we got chased all down South Lambeth road by about 60 of these old methods. You know, we were probably 8, 9 years old. And when I got home, I told my grandfather and he gave me the biggest dressing gown. He said, they probably fought in the war. And you've gone in there and they're probably freaked out because they've got mental issues. And you've gone in there and just kicked it all off again. And my uncle was looking at me and he was doing that and I was like, bloody hell, what have I done? I thought it was funny. But after that, I completely changed my act. I never did anything like I would never even think of doing it, but it did. It marked me.

[Tom]

It's funny how you remember people's reaction all around that room. I always think when you're told off like that as a youngster, it, it's.

[Dave]

It'S still there, it's etched in. Yeah. It's stamped in the brain never to do anything like that again. There was the Black Label Carlin Black Label Factory that we used to have fun in as well.

[Tom]

What are you doing there?

[Dave]

We used to go in and nick the bottles of be.

[Tom]

Did they really make it that easy?

[Dave]

No.

[Tom]

But you knew.

[Dave]

Yeah, we knew how to get him. You know what I mean? We were South London urchins. Of course we knew how to get in.

[Tom]

How long did that last? I mean, what was the end point of that? Age wise or time? I mean, you know, it never really stopped.

[Dave]

I don't think I ever stopped. I was just always running around. I had a scooter shop down. Down in Kentish Town for five years. All the neighbours used to love us, but you know, thinking back, we were always loud, always belting up and down the road on our scooters. But then I would say I didn't change until my mid-20s. I started to settle down a bit.

[Tom]

What happened?

[Dave]

I moved to Spain and married and then became kind of sensible, you know.

[Tom]

Do you wish you didn't become so sensitive?

[Dave]

No. I think everyone has to grow up sooner or later. I. I was late to the party on that one. I wanted to stay. Stay young.

[Tom]

Do you think that's the. The staying young is just in you. Do you think it's just everything?

[Dave]

Some people, life changes them, don't it? Depends on how your life is. I left the UK in 1985. 86. I moved to Spain. I did a lot of traveling in Africa and I did some commercial diving. So I moved around a lot and then ended up in Cambodia as a Tour guide for 20 years. Twenty years? Yeah. And it was all through traveling. Every time I came back to England, I only used to come back in the summer. I hated winters here. Still do. This one was awful. There's three of us sharing a house in Kentish Town. One's a gardener, one's working in the creek as a cleaner. We're all the same age, more or less. And over this winter I would get a cold and then Tony would get a cold and then Soda get a cold. So this cold was going around all winter.

[Tom]

Lifted my magical circle.

[Dave]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go in the room and die for a week.

[Tom]

Did you. The three of you in the house, do you. When say two of you got a cold and the other one does it, do you look after the other two?

[Dave]

No. We're absolute fuckers. It's like, off to your room.

[Tom]

Amazing.

[Dave]

Yeah, but it's humor. It isn't. We do feel sorry for each other, but as you know, we've got that, We've got that London's. Cause we're all Londoners. Yeah, we all get on, but we've got that black humor. It's a cockney thing, I think.

[Tom]

So what is the relationship between all you three housemates like?

[Dave]

Really good, actually. We're all covering each other's problems at the moment. I am covering tobacco and. And shopping and we all work pretty well together, actually. My mate Tony, I've known since I had my scooter shop in the 80s. He lived across the road, so we've been mates for a long time. So I've lived in there for six months now. But I'm still wondering what I'm gonna do. Whether I'm gonna go back to Cambodia, which I think I will do in the end, or go. And I spend a lot of time in Germany with my girlfriend because she's the opposite of me. She's very together because she works for civil defense in Germany.

[Tom]

Oh, wow.

[Dave]

So she's like. But I met her on the Thai Cambodian border and she had the Lonely Planet. And I just got back from England. This was five years ago, six years ago, she was on the border. And because I'm a tour guide, of course, I know all the border guards and the touts and everyone one. And they said, this girl, a bike's broken down. I looked over and I knew. I even knew the bike.

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Dave]

And I went over there, I said, right, here's the deal, I'll get your bike going. But then I ride it into to Koh Kong. And then when we got to it's about 10, 15 km Koh Kong from the border. I said to her, did you fancy a beer? She said, yeah. She got a Lonely Planet out and she was looking at an ad and it was me. She said, I'm looking for you. I said, you're lucky.

[Tom]

Was this ad just a picture of you?

[Dave]

No, it was. I mean, I'm in the Lonely Planet as a jungle tour guide. So she was looking to go in the jungle with a motorbike and I'm in there for. I've been in there for years. In fact, I'm quite famous in Cambodia for being one of the best guides. Fantastic. Because I always employed backpackers.

[Tom]

Is that why they think you're the best? Is that why?

[Dave]

Well, I mean, I wasn't the best. I'm sure some were better than me. For sure I wasn't the best, but I mean, if I'm chatting up a bird, I'm definitely the best. Didn't I?

[Tom]

So true.

[Dave]

You don't mind if I smoke, do you?

[Tom]

No, not at all. So as someone who's been a very large amount of time in a jungle or jungles.

[Dave]

Yeah, no. Cardamom mountains and Laos. Yeah. I mean, I've got a million stories on what I got up to out there, man. I mean, like, incredible ones. It used to take us five days to get through the jungle.

[Tom]

Wow.

[Dave]

On dirt bikes.

[Tom]

That's a long time.

[Dave]

Yeah. I found people that got lost up there. There was a German guy who used to go up there. We saved his life. Saved a few people's lives. Nearly killed a few as well. We're nuts. What we got up to out there, man.

[Tom]

Let's go for the people you saved first. Who did you say? Like you think of the best. The best. The most memorable save.

[Dave]

The best memorable save was quite funny, actually. I used to have these Americans that used to turn up. They were young, they were in their early 20s to mid-20s. They used to come every year and I'd rent my bikes and they'd say, where can we go in the jungle? Because they were. They were handy. Anyway, I sent them up to a place called O Somme that's kind of in the middle of the jungle. It's one of the remote villages. And I said, look, it's a really nice waterfall. So anyway, the Chinese had dammed up the jungle up there and they've gone to this waterfall and they've opened the dam when they're in the river. Now, this is a hundred foot waterfall onto rocks, right? And they all got out apart from one. He ducked under a rock. Now what happened? His mate rung me up. I said, how's it going up there? He said, it's not going so good. They've opened the dam and Kirk's on the waterfall and we think he's gone over. So I got onto the police, the military, the rangers. I said, turn the dam off. And one of the police rang up the. The Chinese and said, you better turn the water out. They opened it during the day. They don't normally open it during the day. Yeah, they. They had to let the water out because there was so much rain up there that they had to let the water out otherwise it would have gone over. So, yeah, he was, he was stuck under there for six hours under a rock in a little pocket and he came out alive.

[Tom]

Fantastic.

[Dave]

Everyone said he's dead.

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Dave]

I mean, even his mates. There was no. I mean, he saw the water coming down that waterfall, but you know, that was just the run of the mill stuff up there, you know.

[Tom]

Can you think of the most beautiful sight that you saw in the jungle?

[Dave]

Yeah, definitely. I surprised the leopard one day. It was only a baby leopard, but it was a clouded leopard. And I was on one of my really quiet bikes. I had a 200 Honda. And it didn't make like the normal light, loud noises that dirt bike makes. And I was on point, so my customers were behind me and I went round a dog leg through the jungle, kind of went round a bush so you couldn't see it. And I'm coasting, so I'm not even revving the bike. I'm waiting for the customers to catch up. I can hear them in the distance. And I've sort of coast around this corner and this leopard's right in the middle of the path that I'm going down. And he's surprised to see me and I'm surprised to see him. And I could see in his eyes, if that animal could talk, he would have went, what the fuck? But he had that expression on his face and you don't get that close, but his face was incredible. I still remember it like clear as anything.

[Tom]

So the leopard, you're face to face with it?

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Tom]

What distance are we talking?

[Dave]

A meter.

[Tom]

Wow. And right there. Yeah, fantastic.

[Dave]

But it was as close as I ever, ever been to a wild animal? I mean, the cobras I've been close to, I had one in my headlamp once. I saw it unwind. That was. That was scary.

[Tom]

As you, as you were. Right.

[Dave]

Then you run it over.

[Tom]

So it's in your lamp?

[Dave]

It was in my headlight, yeah. Hell, I thought I was gonna have heart attack. And I didn't calm down for two hours because I knew if he had bit me, I would have died.

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Dave]

You see a lot of snakes? Yeah, I mean, they're hanging off the trees. They're everywhere. I mean, you know, you learn your snakes.

[Tom]

Any favorite snakes?

[Dave]

No, none of them.

[Tom]

They're all bad.

[Dave]

No, I don't kill them or I don't mess with them. But yeah, they, they, you know, they're dangerous. Plenty of people die out there. The other thing is lightning strikes. They're really big.

[Tom]

Crikey. What do you do about them?

[Dave]

Nothing. You shit yourself. But they always happen where we were working because, you know, you're up in the. You're up with the gods.

[Tom]

Amazing.

[Dave]

While I lived in the most remote village in Cambodia, I lived in there for about three, four years. Over those three, four years, I actually knew at least seven people that died of lightning strikes.

[Tom]

Crikey. That's a lot of people to know to die of lightning strikes.

[Dave]

Yeah, I know, yeah. Normally you'd never meet one.

[Tom]

Yeah. So there's nothing. There's nothing you can do. There's no advice you can give people.

[Dave]

I mean, one time I actually was so scared because it was a family that got killed about four days before my house was getting struck. We had some toilets that were sort of, like, down, and they were made of concrete. And I went and fucking hid in there for about four or five hours because I was there alone. And I'll tell you what, it was scary. It was like being in a battle zone. It was everywhere.

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Dave]

And it was like the ground was shaking, and it can kill you within 25 meters.

[Tom]

Really?

[Dave]

Yeah. Strike. And we were getting struck, like, constantly.

[Tom]

Yeah. How come none of this put you off?

[Dave]

Well, it's kind of an experience to go through.

[Tom]

I mean, you just think like. I mean, it's like, I don't know, after the kind of the snakes and the lightning and this and that and people dying, you didn't feel like, you know, that's. That's it for me at all.

[Dave]

No, I kind of like that stuff. It's living. It's called living.

[Tom]

It is called living. It's called living dangerously as well, though. I mean, it is pretty.

[Dave]

But if there is a God and we do go up and see him, I don't want to turn around to him and say, do you know what? It's fucking boring down there. And he's gonna know. He's gonna go, yeah, well, you didn't. Fuck. You weren't exactly boring, was you? And I'm gonna go, yes, yes, God. And he's gonna say, good lad.

[Tom]

Do. Do you somehow manage to, you know, because life is. You're not there anymore and you're here. Do you try and kind of do anything to kind of replicate the exhilaration of some of it?

[Dave]

No, you can't do it. No, you can't do it. I mean, you can't compare it.

[Tom]

Do you get reports? Do you know people that Are still there.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Tom]

Talking about what's happening and stuff all the time.

[Dave]

I mean, that's where my life is. I mean, you know, I'm treading water here, literally. Most of my mates arrive, moved out, got married. We're all old fogies now because we're all at age of. I'm 63, so all my mates are around 63. Some of them have died, some of them have moved away and yeah, I suppose I was like one of the action men of the gang. But now the good thing about being the wrong side of 60 is that you've got a free bus pass.

[Tom]

Nice.

[Dave]

Yeah, I can travel on a boat.

[Tom]

Freedom of the city.

[Dave]

Freedom, yeah, freedom, yeah. I even get the bus up the Es. I've walked Highgate Road so many times, I hate it, you know, anything to not walk up Highgate Road.

[Tom]

What is it about Highgate Road?

[Dave]

You look like I lived back in the day. There was a lot of squats. Yeah, in the 80s and the 70s. Well, I had a mate who was a plumber for Camden Council. I say, look, I'm going to get evicted. And he said, where do you want to live? I say, up by the heath. And he'd go, all right. Then I'd pay him 50 quid. He'd give me a set of keys for a flat, council flat. And then I'll have about three, four months in there before they'd evict me and then I'll pay him another 50 quid. Night. Get another council. We were doing that.

[Tom]

That's very clever. I feel like I said, there was a better. It was a better age than that was possible.

[Dave]

Why do you think there's so much homelessness and the kids won't leave homes because they can't afford it. I mean, years ago there were so many empty council flats. Likely doing about seven properties around here for about two years. And I was working for Shane McGowan. You know, who is this? You know, before the Pogues.

[Tom]

Oh, wow.

[Dave]

So Shane was down in Leighton Road, right, with his girlfriend. And I was just moving around council flats every two, three months. There you go.

[Tom]

Different time.

[Dave]

Yeah, it was good old days, the 80s. The 80s were good here, I think the best time I was. I came back from Spain, I lived there 11 years I came back and a lot of my mates that weren't quite frequent famous in the 80s, some of them were, but a lot were famous in the 90s and it was a really good time. But the noughties, no, that's when it all started to Change.

[Tom]

What was it about the noughties that did that, do you think?

[Dave]

I suppose when you have a good period, you get a shit period afterwards. It's kind of the other side of the coin.

[Tom]

That's it. When are we going to have the good period again?

[Dave]

I don't know. Well overdue, ain't we? Well overdue.

[Tom]

You mentioned your dead friends. How often do you think about your dead friends and if any. Do you think about one of them more than any other?

[Dave]

I do think of one of my girlfriends who died. She lived down in Camden. She died the day that I left to Cambodia. I think of her often as. Cause I walked past her place a lot and she was one of the big loves of my life. So. Yeah, but. Yeah, a few of them. Yeah. I mean, I think of all of them, but not all the time. I suppose it's part of getting hold, really.

[Tom]

Yeah. If you could ask someone, you know, let's say in the August of life, can we say you're in the August of existence?

[Dave]

Yeah. I don't say. So what.

[Tom]

What would you say to a. Someone who's in February or March, what would you say?

[Dave]

You know, what would be advice for them? Good advice?

[Tom]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Get out and travel. Get out of England. There's so many good places, places out there, great countries out there. So, yeah, I'd say. I'd say to youngsters, get out, because otherwise you're just going to end up with this English attitude. Some people like it, but I don't. I'm only a small percentage, I think.

[Tom]

I really appreciate that take on things. Last question.

[Dave]

Right.

[Tom]

What are you gonna do next?

[Dave]

Ah, the big question. What am I gonna do next? Actually, I kind of like being. Now that I don't have a business, I kind of like being a gypsy at the moment because I'm not being tied down with anything, you know, A lot of my friends are saying, you know, settle down, you know, get a council flat, you know, like, you'll get help. I'm quite happy not having it at the moment because I'm not responsible to anyone. I'm as free as I. I think I've ever been, apart from being maybe a kid. They say that when you get older, you start to revert to being a child again. I think I'm going through that period at the moment, Tom. I love. I love being free.

[Narrator]

Covid in Cambodia, we were drunk and miserable. We were not locked down, we were locked in. And the money all got spent. I were up there with the gods, dodging lightning strikes and cobras now the long walks worked me sober Always drawn back to the heat Memories of boyhood Stealing bottles of Black Label Rascals on rafts and running tunnels underneath From Camden to Cambodia Macy the dead or moved away if you can get out of England See the world and come back wiser I had a strangest dreams I have the strange dream I distress dream.