The Wonderful Hour 8th August 2025

Written by Jason Of Shrine

Category: The Wonderful Hour

Darth Vader, Gadgets, A New Puppy, Ants and More

This week Tommy Boyd celebrates the curious, the comic and the quietly profound. From the comic peel of a banana to the loyalty of a puppy, from the anti-heroics of Darth Vader to the organisation of ants, the show revels in the extraordinary hiding in plain sight. There are gadgets, flies with names, and even Michael Palin makes an appearance in this joyful collection of wonders.

The Pick of the Bunch

Bananas take centre stage early on. From their bright colour and satisfying peel to their role as comic props, Tommy reminds us why they are so beloved. Tennis players nibble them at Wimbledon, children giggle at banana jokes, and every bunch feels like a ready-made comedy routine. Bananas, quite simply, are wonderful.

The Joy of Gadgets

From compasses and pen knives to Polaroid cameras and car seats, Tommy celebrates gadgets both timeless and forgotten. Gadgets, he argues, are what lifted humans out of the trees and into civilisation. Even a ketchup bottle cap counts as a gadget. Our lives, he insists, are filled with them — and that is wonderful.

Darth Vader and Dave Prowse

Listener Watko nominates Darth Vader as wonderful. Tommy agrees, calling him cinema’s greatest anti-hero. He recalls meeting Dave Prowse, the man behind the mask, who overcame childhood polio to become a bodybuilder, the Green Cross Code Man and Darth Vader himself. Both the character and the actor, Tommy says, are absolutely wonderful.

The Ants’ Empire

While on holiday, Tommy watched ants carrying food from a barbecue back to their nest. Two endless streams, one outbound, one inbound, perfectly organised without words or wires. The scale and efficiency rival human civilisation. Ants, he concludes, deserve far more recognition — and are truly wonderful.

The Magic of an Empty House

Contributor Simon writes in to say an empty house is wonderful. Not because of loneliness, but because of freedom: the chance to watch old sitcoms, let the dog bark, leave a teacup in the sink. Tommy agrees — the smallest freedoms can feel like the greatest luxuries.

A New Puppy

Daz contributes one of the week’s most moving wonders: bringing home a new puppy. From the smell of puppy ears to the joy of first toys, to the moment the dog curls up on your lap to sleep — it is a story of love, homecoming and delight. Tommy calls it a five-star wonderful.

Michael Palin

Tommy takes time to celebrate Michael Palin as a true national treasure. From Monty Python sketches like the parrot and the Spanish Inquisition, to serious acting and later travel documentaries, Palin is described as a renaissance man whose humour, warmth and talent make him profoundly wonderful.

Little Extras

Other highlights include the simple thrill of seeing your breath on a cold morning, the surprise of finding something worth watching on television, the genius of Keith Floyd in the kitchen, and the family tradition of naming the lone fly in the kitchen “Elizabeth.” Small moments, Tommy insists, are often the most wonderful.

How to Get Involved and Listen

The Wonderful Hour thrives on listener contributions. Share your own wonderful — a quirky habit, touching memory or small delight — at the official submission form. Tommy reads the best on air.

You can listen via Libsyn, or on Podbean, Podcast Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major platforms. Just search “The Wonderful Hour Tommy Boyd.”

Do not just listen. Subscribe, rate, and share your favourite moments on social media to spread the wonder.

Conclusion

From bananas to puppies, from ants to Michael Palin, Tommy Boyd shows again how much wonder there is in the everyday. It is a reminder that life is richer when we stop to notice, savour and share the details that too often slip by.

Created on August 8, 2025