The reason I do these podcasts is to talk to people that I find inspirational and John is one of those people.

As said, John is a close neighbour Ann friend and we have rambled in each other's general directions for a good while now with our co-conspirator and erstwhile cartoonist pal, Chris Williams.

John is a font of knowledge and skills and in partnership with Leah Moore, the creator of some brilliant comics and stories over the years.

20 years of collaborative working at least in fact!

Our conversation trolls between the Calderstones, Albion and of course the Haunted Book Club.

Make sure you check out his website:

https://www.moorereppion.com/

If you love ghost and supernatural stories as much as he and I do then Subscribe here and join in with our new book club for the Supernaturally Curious!

On the 17th of Feb at 9pm we chat about “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens, to set us off on our way. You can take that book off the shelf and read it yourself or listen to a recording we have done for you here, in prep:

And then all you have to do is chill the wine and light the candles to join in.

Find out about all your Haunted Book Club possibilities here:

https://tr.ee/hauntedbookclub

Plus I will be popping up with:

The Ghost Stories of Edith Nesbit

Live at Norton Priory on Mothers Day!

Cheers Champs!

I appreciate you.

Gav

Feb 2026

Thank you eejits, Kelly Williams, and many others for tuning into my live video with John Reppion! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Remona is someone that I have admired since I met them.

Fiercely smart, brilliantly curious and patently bunkers. These are all qualities in humans that I admire greatly. As we discussed we met at the mighty Bradford Literature Festival.

Their writing is always thoughtful, honest, open and funny and as a regular contributor to the Radio Two section: Pause For Thought, they are constantly mining their own experience for their writing.

You can find a great selection of their writing on their website:

https://remonaaly.com/

And on the Guardian Website:

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/remona-aly

Remona mentioned the brilliant Katherine May and her book, Enchantment.

https://katherine-may.co.uk/enchantment

Stick around and maybe subscribe for some more brilliant conversations with incredible creatives and have a dig about the back catalogue:

https://gavcross.substack.com/s/tell-me-your-story

Gav

November 2025

Thank you eejits, Judith Wilde, Claire Faulkes, and many others for tuning into my live video with Remona Aly! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

I think what Tim does is a cool job. One of those jobs we don’t really get to hear about or talk about with young people. But like Tim said on some of the big jobs he's worked on up to 100+ people alone will work in the costume department. And it's such a creative thing to meet a designer vision in a way that means that we the viewer are immersed in the world of the Story. I hope you enjoy the chat with Tim as much as I did.

Are you one of those people like me who stays at the end of the credits even if it isn't a Marvel movie?

Next week it is Remona Aly On their instagram it says “Journalist & Broadcaster. Freelancer @guardian @theipaper / Pause for Thoughter @bbcradio2 / Presenter / Podcaster / Host” And I would add one of the most joyful people to be around!

I promise you this plenty to enjoy on their website and it gives you a great insight into who they are:

https://remonaaly.com/

Gav

https://linktr.ee/gavcross

Thank you eejits, Josie Ray, Kelly Williams, and many others for tuning into my live video with Timothy! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

What a treat it was to share time with Robin Ince.

I can genuinely listen to this man talk for hours.

And I have! Literally and joyously.

But this conversation was focused quite rightly on his new collection of poetry:

Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth.

Click that link and buy it signed from his website.

A deliciously wide ranging conversation that touches on some complex and direct subjects and the Riyadh Comedy Festival.

With a clarion call to write poetry and a genuinely top tip to get you going, you are sure to find lots to enjoy in this conversation!

And if poetry bites you can catch up with KateFox and the time I asked them to “Tell Me Your Story” too!

Amongst many suggestions Robin shares:

Gracie Petrie - Such a good performer.

https://www.gracepetrie.com/

Bobcat Goldthwait’s Film about Barry Crimmins

https://callmeluckymovie.com/

Duo Ruut - a new to me Folk duo I’m enjoying as I type this!

https://www.duoruut.ee/

Stay Close and Stay Subscribed for updates of the next guests.

Catch Up:

https://gavcross.substack.com/s/tell-me-your-story

Stay You.

You are lovely.

Gav

https://linktr.ee/gavcross

Thank you eejits, Judith Wilde, Claire Faulkes, Josie Ray, and many others for tuning into my live video with Robin Ince! Join me for my next live video in the app.

https://gavcross.substack.com/s/phantastic-stories-with-gav-cross

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

What a delight talking to Black Liver.

I'm so glad their roots are firmly in a good night out for their audience through variety. Between them they have such skills and performance, poetry, music, song and comedy.

I use all of these to tell great stories and there is a reason why people want to book their shows

They are good at what they do.

Catch them on their tours:

https://www.blackliver.co.uk/tour-show-dates

And catch up with the times of the month…

https://www.blackliver.co.uk/time-of-the-month

Next Week it’s

Robin Ince

- with more to follow!

It’s not homework but you could grab a copy of his new poetry book in prep!

https://cosmicshambles.myshopify.com/products/ice-cream-for-a-broken-tooth-by-robin-ince-signed

You can catch up on previous conversations Here, Youtube or audio only on Spotify:

Find out about the stories I tell here on Substack and even in the real world…

Thank you!

Gav

https://linktr.ee/gavcross

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

What an absolutely charming and insightful conversation with Becky and Tom from Lamphouse Theatre. I genuinely love people that embrace the clown that breaks the fourth wall and includes the audience. It has always enthralled me and I think that is what has drawn me to comedy as a fan.

Be there in theatre, TV, film or stand up

Two theatre makers that constantly push themselves forward. And I thing they are magic! I reckon you would too if went to see their work:

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH TOUR DATES

.

Next Week it’s Black Liver

and then

Robin Ince

- with more to follow!

You can catch up on previous conversations Here, Youtube or audio only on Spotify:

Find out about the stories I tell here on Substack and even in the real world…

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

This conversation is exactly what I want this series to be.

Incredible creatives spilling the tea

Insights into how people do what they do because I'm not sure I know what they know. And I know you know I know they know. And I think they think I know but I don't know. You know?

Naomi Wood brings an energy to their performance. spoken Word, aerial, circus, autobiography, honesty, comedy and more. As a fellow neuro divergent performer I really resonate with so many of the things they say but I cannot imagine having a skill set to begin to write to the level of ability. I envy the autobiography of an artist.

I tell other people stories but that is why I'm having these conversations.

You can catch Gobbess on tour with Arts Alive at the SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle.

2nd October 2015

https://artsalive.co.uk/performances/gobbess/

Find out more about Naomi Here:

https://linktr.ee/naomiwoodwrites

Next Week it’s Lamphouse Theatre

Followed by Black Liver and Robin Ince - with more to follow.

You can catch up on previous conversations Here, Youtube or audio only on Spotify:

Find out about the stories I tell here on Substack and even in the real world…

Thank you Claire Faulkes, Kelly Williams, and many others for tuning into my live video with Naomi Wood! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Kate Allerston & Chris Bastock are powerhouses of creativity and community arts and culture.

They are part of that lineage of powerful creatives that make youth theatres, orchestras, dance troupes, theatre shows. musical reviews and more happen.

They are part of the foundations of the Creative Industries. Creating oppurtunities and tribes of talented young people. Their alumni are this moment on stage in the West End or preparing to tour parks and theatres righ now.

A wide ranging and lovely chat with two of the best people!

Find them on instagram and pop them a follow:

https://www.instagram.com/aplaceforuscic/

See where Macbeth & Romeo & Juliet is being performed:

https://www.placeforus.org.uk/summer-tour-2025

Which include the Actors Church in Covent Garden:

https://actorschurch.org/whatson/romeo--juliet/

See if you can make the All Are Punished workships - they come with free tickets:

https://www.placeforus.org.uk/all-are-punished

And jump on the Electric Dream train at Shakespeare North!

https://shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk/event/electric-dreams/

I have really enjoyed these conversations and they will be coming back! But I've got rehearsals and festivals to get on with for a couple of weeks…

But don't worry I've got some brilliant people lined up for the next run…

You can catch up with all the stories here on Substack or it seems I have accidentally created a podcast with the help of Substack over on Spotify:

Maybe you can come and see me in these Shakespeare performances or in Bradford! I'm also in Blackburn this weekend as this goes out.

https://linktr.ee/gavcross

Thanks for listening if you do let me know what you think!

Gav

June 2025

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

I find other peoples joy and passion for something they love powerful.

The energy of happiness is something we should all seek perhaps.

The flipside of that is i’ve always hated the ramking of other people’s passions. That it it is seeemingly ok to spend time and energy following a team and yet to follow an artist or a band at the same level is an outsider activity. That passion for sport is held in greater societal regard than the need to see as many gigs as you can in tour.

No.

No.

I’ll never not be a fan of fans.

And Dickie captures that in his books. “The Day I Met Morrissey” and the recently published “I Am Hated For Loving.”

An engaging conversation across PR and 80 year old movies. Dickie is enthusiatic and has a clarity that a career in writing perhaps brings?

I hope you enjoy our chat.

Let me know!

Find more about Dickie Felton here:

https://dickiefelton.com/

Thank you!

Gav

I have a summer of the Bradford Literature Festival and Shakespeare.

You can hear more about that with Kate & Chris

Tues 10th June - 8.30pm

If you would like to see one of my family shows for free and are anywhere near Blackburn on the 14th of June, I will be performimg “Tell Tale Twit” in the Hornby Lecture Theatre.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

If this is your introduction to Mima Cornish and their work then this is a perfect primer for someone with a wealth of skills and talents and a drive to express who they are through their connections with the world around them and the worlds before and beyond.

Informed by stories they create beautiful artwork and connections with their community. With regular meditations, readings and the guiding through the Labyrinth at Norton Priory.

Have a peep here:

https://labyrinthlocator.org/labyrinth/norton-priory-museum-and-gardens/442/

Also make sure to check out the new website - going live soon - here:

Www.hedgerosehealing.com

Thanks for joining in and taking part too! Feel free to leave your own currents fave reads and recommendations in the comments. And pop back next week for Dickie Felton and in two weeks time Kate & Chris from A Place For Us Theatre Company.

If you would like to see what I do then you can get free tickets for my family show show “Tell Tale Twit” in Blackburn on the 14th of June. Part of the Children’s Literature Festival:

https://spotonlancashire.co.uk/events/tell-tale-twit/

Gav

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com