Podbit · Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe
Josh and his family gate-crashed a neighbourhood 'Long Table' street dinner by asking at the craft fair if there was room. There was. But when they arrived, there were two parallel tables — a genuine disappointment. They still had a great time, including children jumping into a wheelie bin full of water at 9:30 PM.
Where this was said
At 10:00 · chapter starts 9:40
The episode's central story belongs to Josh, who has become — much to his own surprise — something of a Devon social animal. He catalogues six events across two days: a Saturday that began with art club (where the parents had coffee), continued with a local road craft fair, and climaxed at a 'Long Table' street dinner where the road was closed and families brought their own food from Waitrose. Josh admits the long table was actually two parallel tables, which was 'a bit of a disappointment.' After the event, children discovered that the gazebos (described memorably by Josh as 'the roof of a marquee, but with legs') had been anchored to water-filled wheelie bins. Someone tipped one over, and kids spent the tail end of the evening jumping into the flood on the tarmac, Rob comparing the scene to a New York fire hydrant moment in Harlem. Sunday brought a children's triathlon Josh's daughter watched rather than competed in due to a broken arm, a birthday party, and drinks with new neighbours. At the end of it all, Josh's verdict was simple: 'I am spent.'
Josh attended six separate social events over one weekend after moving to Devon/Exeter, a transformation he himself found surprising.
After moving to Exeter, Josh's wife Rose had to wait eight months just to get a driving test booked, partly due to post-COVID backlogs and a black market for test slots.
Josh was disappointed to find that the neighbourhood 'Long Table' event actually used two parallel tables rather than one impressively long single table, undermining the concept.
Josh's daughter's children's triathlon comprised a 50-metre swim, 1,000-metre bike ride, and 500-metre run — a format Rob said he'd happily compete in himself.
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