Guesswork with @WynneEvans
So there I was sitting at home eating my lunch when the phone rang. It was a researcher form the Wynne Evans show on Radio Wales. We chatted for a short while. I had spoken to Wynne several times over the years when he had a feature I was interested enough to speak to him about but I had always initiated the call. Now I was wondering ‘what does she want?’.
She asked if I listened to the show, and had I heard the feature where he tries to guess somebody’s job called ‘Guesswork’. I told her that I had and then she asked if I would be interested in taking part in the feature.
Of course I said yes, she asked me if I was still running my motorcycle and sidecar tours at Mid Wales Tours and I again said yes. We then had a conversation about the tours I ran and she was very enthusiastic about me taking part.
The date was set for Tuesday 1st March St David’s day at 12.30.
I had two more telephone conversations to make sure everything was okay and that we could proceed as planned and then I awaited my call on the day.
The day Wynne Evans tried to guess what my job was.
For those that have never heard this show or part of it a little background. You get a call and go on live on air, Wynne askes a series of questions and you answer ‘yes or no’ or sometimes a ‘maybe’
So at 12.30 the phone rings and it is the producer of the show, she doesn’t know my job either. She runs through what is going to happen and that I should say nothing other than yes or no. She also told me that Wynne would try and throw me off straight away by saying something or doing something that would get me to reveal a clue. ‘Watch out for him, he’s tricky’
What followed was one of the funniest things I have ever been involved in.
Speaking to Wynne
So the music ended and he started by telling everyone Sean was on the line from Aberystwyth and after a little introduction he said ‘Basically I will grill you’ to which I answered ‘It’s not the first time it happened to me’.
He took that as a clue, which it wasn’t of course. He then threw in a question that he hadn’t thought about ‘Are you a criminal?’ No, and then he dug himself a little deeper, ‘Have you ever been in prison?’ obviously expecting me to say No, but I said ‘Yes’
His reaction told me straight away that he did not expect that answer and that he had not planned on asking it before hand. Sharp outtake of breath, ‘You didn’t have to answer that one by the way’
He then continued to dig a deeper hole, realising that he could have been opening a complete can of worms. Wynne got to the stage that he started laughing, and couldn’t stop. This went on for sometime, but he manage to get back on line and started asking questions. He asked if I worked in the entertainment industry, to which I replied ‘Yes’ well I do in a way and that sent him off in totally the wrong direction.
Wynne continued asking questions between bouts of laughter and got to the stage where he decided that he had had enough. He then ran through the list of clues he had gained and put on a record telling listeners that they had just over three minutes to contact the show with their ideas.
Spoken to by his producer.
As soon as the music started the line changed and his producer came on to speak to me. She asked me if I was okay and I replied that I was. She was clearly trying to perhaps make sure that I was alright with the questions. In the end she just came out with it and she said’ We will have to clear up the prison thing, do you mind if I ask why you were in prison?’
When I told her that I had been a policeman for thirty years and that I was in and out of prison all the time, the relief in her voice was evident. She relaxed straight away and started telling me how good the segment had gone.
Return to Wynne
As soon as the record ended Wynne got me back on line. He had two women on line as well wanting to have a guess about what I did. The first lady asked if I had anything to do with education? When I said no, she said that she thought that I had something to do with education in prison.
Wynne had hoped that that prison wouldn’t come up again clearly. Someone thought that I was an undertaker! I was asked if I was a hitman, I claimed the fifth on that one.
No one was able to guess my occupation and in the end Wynne asked me what I did.
I told him that I was a tourist guide and that I provided motorcycle and sidecar tours and that I had spoken to him about it before and he remembered the conversation.
He had to ask why I had been in prison and when I explained to him about the fact that I had been a police officer for thirty years and that I was always in and out of prisons with prisoners and interviewing people he burst out laughing again and said that he really wanted to swear at me at that stage.
He then gave me a good plug about my business and gave all his listeners my web page address etc.
Back to the producer
I then spoke to his producer who said that that was the best segment that they had ever had and thanked me for my contribution.
The next days program was all about dropping yourself in it by saying something you immediately regret. Every Tuesday now following me appearance the first question he askes his guests is ‘Have you been to prison?’
I must have a lasting impression on people.
If you would like to hear the section go onto BBC Sounds look up Wynne Evans on Radio Wales for the 1st March and go to 12.30 sit back and be amused. I still laugh when I hear it.