Alan Davies is known for his natural, relatable storytelling skills across the page, the stage, and the screen.

The comedian is a staple of British television, with roles on the long-running ‘Jonathan Creek’ and popular comedy panel show ‘QI’.

It’s been more than a decade since Davies last did a stand-up tour, but he’s happy to report it’s going well.

“It had been so long that it was feeling, beginning to feel like a gamble,” he told Jack Tame.

“I spent some time unpacking stuff from my childhood, doing a, writing about it, and that process took a while and changed a lot of how I viewed myself, and what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to say.

This show, ‘Think Ahead’, was created at around the same time Davies was writing another volume of his memoir ‘White Male Stand-Up', which deals with issues from Davies’ childhood, career, and his adult life.

“And I’ve got to a place now where I think the show’s really quite sort of, it’s a bit richer and deeper, and better than stuff I’ve done before,” he explained.

“I’m really sort of proud of it.”

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It’s been a bit of an odd year in the music space.

With the rise of AI music, musicians pulling their work off Spotify in protest of the company and CEO, rising ticket prices, and tours cutting off before they hit New Zealand, it’s been rough for some fans.

Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to delve into some of the worst things about being a music fan in 2025.

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Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Kahn

Q is out of MI6 . . .
. . . and in over his head

After Major Boothroyd (aka Q) is unexpectedly ousted from his role with British Intelligence developing technologies for MI6's 00 agents, he finds himself back in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. His childhood friend, renowned quantum computer scientist Peter Napier, has died in mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a cryptic note. The police seem uninterested, but Q feels compelled to investigate and soon discovers that Napier's ground-breaking work may have attracted sinister forces... Can Q decode the truth behind Napier's death, even as danger closes in?

The Hawk is Dead by Peter James

Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes - the train is derailed.

A tragic accident or a planned attack?

When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.

Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.

Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe - and in mortal danger.

Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again . . .

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"Fuelled by popular culture and history’s long shadow, Derry~Londonderry is enjoying its moment in the sun. The Walled City in Northern Ireland has stamped its mark on the tourist map, appealing to a broad band of visitors. On my recent swing through the island of Ireland, Derry~Londonderry certainly didn’t fail to impress, serving up a heady cocktail of colour, culture, and the echoes of extreme conflict."

"The official name of this border town has long been the subject of a naming dispute between Irish nationalists and unionists. Generally, although not always, nationalists favour using the name Derry, and unionists favour Londonderry. On my approach to the city, I noticed most highway signs have had the Londonderry name scratched or painted over. And while I was in the “hyphenated city”, most locals I spoke to resolutely called the city simply Derry."

Read Mike's full article.

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Most Kiwis will be taking time off over the summer, and while most of us are probably looking forward to relaxing before next year kicks back in, some will be looking for things to do.

If you’re searching for ideas, Kate Hall has a few ideas for sustainable activities you can do over the summer break.

Waste audit

Go through one week's worth of rubbish and see what the main culprits are, then make a plan for how to reduce those in the new year (e.g. bread packets, see if your local bakery will let you bring your own cloth bag to get bread or find a recipe and start making your own).

Gardening

Start small with herbs or start even smaller by getting a book out of the library on gardening (Edible Garden by Kath Irvine is great and NZ based).

Pick your own fruit

Go to a pick-your-own berry spot and stock up – preserve or freeze them to eat all year round!

Beach cleanup

Attend a local one or do your own at your favourite beach (we enjoy beaches a lot during summer so it's great to give back!).

Explore a regional park and learn about the local ecology

Start a conversation

At a BBQ or Christmas function, talk with someone about sustainable living, what/if their values are sustainable – keep the convo positive and curious.

Start a compost

Summer is ideal because everything breaks down faster – and you have time to set one up! A worm farm, bokashi or compost is great.

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On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 13 December 2025, comedian Alan Davies joins Jack to discuss his return to the stand-up stage for the first time in a decade.

Jack weighs up who should take responsibility for children under 16 on social media.

Kevin Milne considers the use of AI when writing personal messages.

Nici Wickes goes savoury with a deceptively simple butterflied lamb leg and Dr Bryan Betty shares important tips on staying safe this summer.

Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Yes, I realise it won’t be summer for another week or so, but the following observations are just a few Gardeners’ Tips to muck around with:

Ancistrocerus gazella is an introduced “potters wasp” from Europe. It got here decades ago and is a really cute predatory wasp that does some great things in your quarter acre paradise. This little wasplet makes nice nests inside hollow tubes and then it goes on the hunt for small caterpillars, usually the leafrollers that silk your leaves together and chew from within their leaf-silk tent.

Ancistrocerus paralyses the caterpillars, lays an egg on them and cements the quarry and its own potential baby inside the carefully chosen tube. Of course, the caterpillar will become food for the ectoparasite, and this helps to reduce the chewing damage on your roses, perennials and other plants.

Here’s a tip: create a bunch of small-diameter bamboo tubes as a choice of real estate for these wasps to live in. The accommodation runs a little bit like that of the mason wasp (who gets their kids —larvae— to feed on paralysed spiders).

Frustrated Cucurbit growers (cucumbers, melons, marrow, courgettes, you name it) often complain at this time of the year that their plants simply don’t set fruit at all; in fact, the plant almost exclusively produces male flowers and hardly any female flowers!

Yep, common complaint. If there is a scarcity of pollinators the plant “thinks” there isn’t enough pollen/there are not enough pollinators to fertilise the female flowers, so it creates more male flowers to “compensate”.

A remedy that works toward solving the problem is to have a lot of Pollen and Nectar plants surrounding the cucumber/melon, etc, so that a heap of pollinating insects are constantly patrolling the area. The first female flower will then almost certainly get her turn, and the plant “knows” it’s okay to produce more female flowers.

If you can achieve that from mid-spring onwards, all will be well!

Talking about pollinators, have a look out for the Wool Carder Bee! It’s another introduced pollinating insect from Europe, and it has some quite amazing behaviours.

It loves to hover and fly around the Lamiate flowers in your garden, stuff like Salvias, and lamb’s ear. These types of plants are its favourite food, and it defends its patch fiercely by chasing away other pollinators – bees, bumble bees, and even wasps! It does so by dive-bombing these “interlopers” with almost Top Gun-like sorties. They will even squeeze bees and bumble bees between their abdominal segments, festooned with spikes! Gruesome stuff, especially when then mortally wound these bees.

When wool carder bees start nest building, they scrape off the fine, light-coloured hairs off the leaves of certain plants (remember lamb’s ear!) and work these fibres into the most delicate, soft and insulating ball that acts as nest nurseries for their larvae and pupae in development.

Their name (wool carder bee) tells the story of their ability to cut off the hairs and fibres and use those resources to create brilliantly designed nests for their babies.

When you point all this activity out to the kids, you’ll find they will be busy observing aerial battles and dogfights, right in your back yard! I think it’s worth-while to plant some lamb’s ear, just for the entertainment value alone.

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Summer is fun however it’s good to remember how to stay safe when it comes to things like sun, food, insects, and alcohol. Here’s what to watch out for and how to stay safe over the holidays.

The number one thing to think about the sun – it makes us feel good but can cause harm!

• Sunburn sets us up for skin cancer. Be especially careful with children!
• Use SPF 30+ sunscreen, reapply every 2–3 hours and after swimming.
• Wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing.
• Remember: UV is highest between 10am and 4pm.
• Stay hydrated. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can develop quickly, especially in the elderly and small children.

Keep food safe especially in the heat

• We increase the risk of food poisoning over summer due to the heat, which encourages bacteria.
• Keep food cold and covered – use chilly bins/ice packs.
• Follow the 2-hour rule – avoid leaving food out in heat for more than 2 hours
• Wash hands and utensils to prevent spread of germs. Cook meats thoroughly, especially poultry and BBQ foods.
• Avoid cutting up meat/chicken on the same board as salad vegetables.
• Watch for signs of food poisoning: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever – see your doctor.

Watch out for insects, especially mosquitoes and sandflies

• Avoid getting bitten – can be itchy and painful.
• Use insect repellent in areas with sandflies or mosquitos and wear long sleeves/pants in bushy areas.
• Watch out for allergic reactions: red inflamed skin around a bite, can be very itchy.
• May need to see your pharmacist or doctor for treatment: anti-itch cream, antihistamines.

Always drink alcohol in moderation

• Alcohol increases dehydration. A good tip is to alternate drinks with water.
• Avoid swimming, boating, or driving under the influence: impaired judgement raises accident risk.
• Eat before and while drinking – pace yourself.
• Watch for the heat and alcohol combination leading to faster exhaustion.

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