The Wonderful Hour 25th July 2025

Written by Jason Of Shrine

Category: The Wonderful Hour

Roundabouts, Bootlaces, and the Joy of Grandparents

In this week’s Wonderful Hour, Tommy Boyd is joined by Kevin to celebrate the glory of roundabouts before heading into reflections on bootlaces, gardening pants, vans, chickens, the small wonders of phone calls, and — at the heart of it all — grandparents. It’s a tour of everyday magic, the kinds of little details that make life rich, funny, and deeply human.

Slight Ailments

Tommy starts with a confession: he loves the sympathy that comes with minor ailments. A grazed elbow, a very slight headache, or a harmless sniffle bring cups of tea, offers of hot water bottles, and kindly concern. Unlike real illness, which is heavy and frightening, these tiny discomforts come wrapped in compassion. Slight ailments, he says, are wonderful.

Kevin on Roundabouts

Kevin phones in to celebrate roundabouts. From fountains and statues to working windmills, he marvels at their variety, efficiency, and green credentials. Beyond traffic flow, roundabouts give councils a chance to plant gardens right in the middle of the road. Tommy joins in, reminding us of “swings and roundabouts,” fairground rides, and the joy of navigating a roundabout so smoothly you don’t even remember doing it. Roundabouts, Tommy and Kevin agree, are wonderful.

Bootlaces

Velcro and buckles may have had their moments, but shoelaces endure. Tommy reflects on the rite of passage of learning to tie them, the comedy of laces that are too long, and the quiet joy of washing and drying a favourite pair. Even grubby laces, worn thin, hold affection. Bootlaces, he insists, are wonderful.

Favourite Numbers

What’s your favourite number? Tommy shares his: six. From snakes and ladders to cricket shots and even the number on his horse during a charity race, six has followed him through life. Children treat favourite numbers with the same gravity as favourite colours, and it sparks playful conversations. Numbers — especially your own lucky one — are wonderful.

Gardening Pants

Everyone has that one old pair of jeans kept for painting fences, trimming hedges, or battling weeds. Covered in stains and plaster, too grubby for the washing machine, yet too beloved to throw away — gardening pants carry stories of effort, mishaps, and conversations over garden gates. Even their tears look fashionable. Gardening pants, Tommy insists, are wonderful.

Vans

Freedom on four wheels: vans represent self-employment, competence, and arrival. From livery-painted panels to the tender pride of “& Son” written alongside a surname, vans are more than transport. They’re symbols of family, craft, and independence. For some, they’re even a home. Vans, Tommy says, are absolutely wonderful.

Chickens

Clucking in gardens, laying eggs each morning, chickens connect us to something timeless. Tommy recalls his own four, the daily joy of feeding them, and the heartbreak of foxes. From racing across the lawn to the incomparable aroma of a roasting chicken, they embody nourishment, comedy, and companionship. Chickens, he says, are wonderful.

Phone Calls and Recognition

Caller ID may be a small detail, but Tommy delights in how it transforms a call. Greeting someone by name the moment you answer makes the exchange warm and easy. It’s a tiny change from the days of anonymous landlines, but one that brings recognition and connection. Phone calls that begin this way are wonderful.

Grandparents

Finally, Tommy builds to his favourite theme of the day: grandparents. From pocket-money half crowns to their unmatched ability to play and indulge without scolding, grandparents embody joy. He recalls a neighbour joking that you should choose your grandparents carefully — some leave fortunes, others leave love, and both are treasures. Now a grandparent himself, Tommy calls it the greatest role of all. Grandparents, he concludes, are truly wonderful.

How to Get Involved and Listen

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Conclusion

From roundabouts to bootlaces, from vans to chickens, from the humour of gardening pants to the wisdom of grandparents, Tommy reminds us that life is full of overlooked marvels. Another hour of wonder, another invitation to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Created on July 25, 2025