[laughs]

Um, yeah, the audience have a great time.

Um, and, and so do we.

Like, we, we d- you know, this is, there's no shows like this, you know? Um, it's so well done and well put together that it's just, it's just seamless from, from start to finish, you know? And people always leave just saying that was the best thing they've ever witnessed and, you know, the food's great, the, you know, the interaction gr- is great, the sound is incredible.

Um, the whole thing is a spectacle, and it really is.

Even from just walking into the taverna and seeing what feels like you're in a taverna in Greece.

It's just incredible.

[laughs]

Yeah.

What would

you change in the process?

Well, you change the process.

I think I have a kind of a bit of a blind spot for the marketing, I'll be honest.

Yeah, I'm kind of the inventor, the engineer, the statistician, the data guy.

I'm not the marketing guy.

I think what it actually requires is more input on the marketing side.

We could really sing a whole song about slaving away at the docks.

It was like a weird dividing...

Because I basically...

I wasn't into music at all until I was like 15, 14 maybe.

Not into music.

What were you doing with your time? Sitting around with my thumb on my ass.

Playing Call of Duty.

it's just catching up with your own brain.

that?

So my son Tom is 16 in 2023.

Just before Christmas, he came downstairs and was just...

Like looked like he was drunk and just had like bangs of heads and blood pouring from his head.

And we were like, what happened? We didn't see it.

What had happened? We didn't know because it was in his bedroom.

And then the same we took him to hospital and they first thought it was like he'd been fainted and banged his head.

I'm glad that you were able to reach out and get that immediate support for the family because that's something we talk about a lot is the impact on the family around and those practical and emotional things that come into play that I

Tell me about the journeys they've been making.

Yeah, so the three cuckoos that we have is Cors was originally tagged in 2023 in Killarney National Park.

He has done three journeys already to and from Africa, which people can follow online.

And we've got two new ones this year.

One which was tagged in the Burren National Park, which is Kuukrua.

And Kuuk Sean was tagged in Wicklow National Park, Wicklow Mountains National Park.

They are currently all on the move.

And they come back here every year?

Is there anything different that people can kinda look forward to maybe that, you know, wasn't last year, but now this year you kinda switched up stuff and people who think they know what to expect are gonna be surprised or, you know, just kinda given more?

Well, w- this year we're, we're taking it to a whole new level, or a whole new level of experience for our guests.

This year we have a kickoff party on Friday night with the DJ, Tim Dog, and, uh, and w- and, and we w- we're just gonna, gonna have big time fun.

We're gonna, we're gonna dance.

We're gonna see the people that we, we met last year and, uh, rekindle those, uh, those friendships and, and relationships on Friday night.

And then on Saturday, along with the festival, as the festival is going on, and you know, you know, there's stage changes between each act and...

But simultaneously we're gonna be doing a line dance jamboree inside the activity hall all day from 11 until 4 while the outdoor festival is going on to give people another flavor, another, another option.

... and the contact information so that people can't say they didn't hear it, because we've given it to you a couple times on this show.

Mm-hmm.

It's always just...

Especially Substack's been tricky.

Um, so no, the best place to find us is always the website, drsambailey.com, and you can...

There's a, um, a tab there which has got all of our books, and you can download Mark's latest one for free or buy it if you wish to.

That's all good.

It's, um...

Yeah

You tried to come to the United States, and what happened, uh, when you tried to make the trip?

So, um, in June of last year, I was trying to buy some stationery from the shop, and what happened was I, um... none of my cards would work.

And I was like, "This is really weird," 'cause I'd just paid off my credit card.

And so I went to the bank, and then the bank teller wrote on a piece of paper and said- [chuckles] ... "Um, have you recently been made bankrupt?" And she slid it to me, and I was like: "What? No! Like, I would know something like this, wouldn't I?" And she's like-

Yeah

... honestly, David, like, when it happened, because it, it caused such a shock.

And then from there, because we were supposed to be going to the States, um, for this trip, and you're not allowed to technically travel overseas without permission, um, you know, because they think you're gonna abscond with money or something.

And so I thought, "Oh, no, I'm not gonna be able to go to the States," and this is something I was just so looking forward to.

Yes.

They're not willing to be tricked again.

There's this huge distrust within the medical system.

People do... are fearful of it and don't want to kind of be involved with it, and it's questioning all sorts of other things, like virology, and I, I think it's, that is the, the great thing about it, is we have to take the positives, and it, everything comes from the people.

It can't come from...

I mean, the government is just so, um... it's all, as you know, it's just so controlled.

Yeah

... honestly, David, like, when it happened, because it, it caused such a shock.