S1 Episode 2 - When Life Gives You Lemons with Sarah Stenton

When life gives you lemons, get zesty. In this engaging conversation, Sarah Stenton from the Facebook page Middle Age Madness shares her journey from having to sell her home and business to embracing a new career in comedy. She discusses the challenges she faced, including personal crises and the impact of COVID-19 on her business. Sarah emphasises the importance of resilience, community, and humor in navigating life's ups and downs. She also reflects on her plans for the future, including her upcoming comedy shows and a move to France, while highlighting the significance of empathy and support in all that she does.

Sarah Stenton is all about helping ladies (and gents) navigate middle age and the horrors of the menopause using humour to bring people together. Her Facebook page, middle age madness, has over 61,000 followers, she’s written two books and somewhere along the way has morphed into a stand-up comedian. Sarah has taken her new comedy show around the UK and is loving her new career, proof that you are never to old to follow a dream. As featured on BBC & Greatest Hits Radio; from feral body hair to the joys of vibrating chairs – her stories are real, relatable and very, very funny. 

Sarah is 53, married to lovely David. They have two children and two dogs as crazy as she is. 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction to Sarah Stenton's Journey

04:10 Navigating Life Changes 

09:52 Building a Career With Laughter

12:25 The Importance of Empathy and Resilience

16:40 Building a supportive community

22:46 The Edinburgh Fringe and other shows

25:14 Final Thoughts and Future Aspirations

27:46 One Last Question

29:36 Closing credits

Takeaways

Sarah Stenton transitioned from running a business to pursuing comedy and writing.

Resilience is key in overcoming life's challenges and changes.

Community support plays a vital role in personal growth and healing.

Laughter can be a powerful tool for coping with difficult situations.

Empathy is essential when connecting with others facing struggles.

Planning and organisation are crucial for balancing work and personal life.

The Edinburgh Fringe is an exciting opportunity for comedians to showcase their talent.

It's important to prioritise self-care while helping others.

Humour can help address serious topics like menopause and personal struggles.

Sarah's journey reflects the importance of following one's passion. 

Sound Bites

"I think it's important to be positive."

"You do have to keep a bit of you back."

"You have to look after yourself."

"You can't pour from an empty can."

Episode Resources:

Middle age madness: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Hr1sdPodt/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Middle Age Madness: My Menopause Diary (Sarah’s book) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Middle-Age-Madness-Menopause-Diary/dp/B0BXNK55LB?nodl=1&dplnkId=555d3a54-9b9e-4069-9210-d9ef831d99d5

Insta @hearmeroarhere

Facebook Hear Me Roar

YouTube @hearmeroarhere

Get in touch: hearmeroarhere@gmail.com or via our website hearmeroarhere.com

Transcript

Hear Me Roar (00:32)

Hello Marie. Hello Yvonne. Hello boys and girls. Are you sitting comfortably? we've had a really good week this week haven't we? We have indeed. You were a busy busy lady. I was busy busy lady and we went to York yesterday because I spent the morning being a model for, I did, for White Stuff Had a lovely time, they treated me like a queen, as they should.

Yeah. So, but Yvonne, do tell everybody, well, while I was modelling, what were you doing? I went to a bar and drank cocktails! What can I say? Well, I was in the handbag shop and it was full of handbags I couldn't afford, but I just thought to myself, what am doing? I can afford a cocktail.

Mind you, they were quite pricey. You probably could have bought a handbag for the same price. I know they were, weren't they? But it was lovely. Pornstar martinis. Can't beat a pornstar. So as soon as I'd finished my modelling, I joined Yvonne and we went for another one. Another pornstar martini. I know. And we had a lovely time. We had a lovely lunch with Prosecco. Needs must. And then we poured ourselves onto the train and poured ourselves home. Out the other end. Yeah.

So we have been talking to the lovely Sarah Stenton this week. We have. This episode is called When Life Gives You Lemons. Sarah has had a difficult time of it. She is all about helping other people and she helps them navigate middle age.

and the horrors of the menopause, as she puts it, using humour to bring them together. Her Facebook page is called Middle Age Madness. It has over 61,000 followers, which is massive. It's huge. And she's written two books and somewhere along the way she's morphed into a standup comedian. Sarah's taken her new comedy show around the UK and is loving her new career. So, it's proof that you're never too old to follow a dream, as she says. We're gonna hear how after a difficult 18 months, Sarah switched careers and made huge life changes. She's gone from selling houses to stand-up comedy. How did she manage that?

Hear Me Roar (03:09)

Hi, welcome Sarah Stenton from Middle Age Madness. You're a busy lady, Sarah. You've got two books, a growing following on Facebook and a new career in comedy. And what we want to know is how do you pack it all in?

Sarah Louise Stenton (03:14)

Hello

Well, I'm very lucky that we sold our business last year, so it's given me the time to pursue doing the comedy circuit and doing the tours around the UK that I've really enjoyed doing. I do need to give myself a kick up the backside sometimes in terms of churning out the writing because I've got a book all but written on my laptop, but it's just finding the motivation to put it all together, which sounds a bit pathetic, but life gets you in the way, doesn't it? Yeah, it's just the polishing off bits that I struggle with. But yeah, yes, I am busy, but I'm enjoying it. And I think that makes a difference. If you're loving what you're doing, it doesn't really feel like work, does it, I suppose?

Hear Me Roar (04:05)

Not really.

No, you're absolutely right. If you get any enjoyment out of it, it's something fun rather than a chore. So what's the book that you're writing at the moment? Is that based on your middle age madness page or is it a new book?

Sarah Louise Stenton (04:37)

Yes it is, yeah so it's just basically the same as the other two books, but different diary entries, so a bit more up to date, it's also including some of the poems because I did publish a book of my poems

Hear Me Roar (04:46)

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Louise Stenton (04:53)

years ago, probably five or six years ago and I only did a run of 600 because it's self-published so it's expensive because it was colour. So, I keep getting asked for that again, and there's only three copies left, which I'm keeping, so I'm gonna sort of include those in as well

Hear Me Roar (05:09)

We'll look forward to seeing that. So sounds like an exciting year you've got ahead of you. You've had a pretty tricky 2024. Can you share with us what went on there?

Sarah Louise Stenton (05:20)

Yeah, it sort of goes back a bit earlier actually. In January 2023, my husband had a medical episode in my brand new kitchen, and he basically collapsed and had a seizure, and it turned out he'd had a blood clot in his heart. We were self-employed as estate agents, working very, very hard as anyone who's self-employed with a small business on the high street will know, you liveeat and breathe it, you never switch off. It just, thankfully he was okay, he was treated and he was alright, but it just made us reassess things and we basically thought enough, you know, it's taking too much out of us. It's taken time away from our children when they were little and now it's sort of eroding into our health. Plus, my Facebook page was starting to do quite well, and I was spending more time

Hear Me Roar (05:49)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (06:13)

doing that because I enjoyed it, and much as I enjoyed having our own business, it was never my dream to be an estate agent doing accounts and VAT returns for the business. I didn't like it at all. So, it just felt like time. So, we put the business on the market. We were already having issues coming out of COVID, as many small businesses were in order to survive during COVID. Basically, you took whatever the government wanted to throw at you and the loan terms they were offering were fantastic, and of course, you take it because you want your business to survive, but then, of course, you've got to start paying it back, whether the money's coming in or not. So, we were very lucky in that once we made the decision to sell the business, we found a lovely buyer, and they agreed to keep our staff on, which was one of the conditions of sale. So, and it just took a while to go through. So, that was pretty stressful. And I think once I certainly had decided to leave and to sell, my mind left.

Hear Me Roar (07:18)

Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (07:18)

It was gone, I was already moving on. So, it was quite frustrating actually that it took so long. But because of the debts we'd incurred, because of COVID and having to support the business, again, anybody self-employed will know you don't pay yourself so that you can pay your staff. So, you know, we had to live on credit cards sometimes and, you know, took out loans. So, we ended up in the rather sad position of having to sell our home,

Hear Me Roar (07:23)

Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (07:44)

pay all the debts off, wipe the slate clean and start again. So, last year in March, the business sale went through and we were free of that burden. And then in August our house sold and we were free of that. Yeah, as it's turned out, it's been a blessing actually because we've reassessed our lives. We've decided, you know, what do we want to do. And I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me because I'm talking like I'm you know some poor church mouse, but for 20 years we've had a house in the southwest of France that we've only used occasionally, so we've decided actually that you know sod it let's go and live over there again. We did it years and years ago, so yeah, exactly, so yeah, that's the plan, so we're we're actually very very lucky to

Hear Me Roar (08:18)

No, not at all

Why not?

Sarah Louise Stenton (08:39)

to be able to do that. I think we're meant to go and live there and have a bit of wine and cheese. There wasn't a lot saying, don't go.

Hear Me Roar (08:45)

What's not to love.

Your daughters are grown up a bit now and all the rest of it. So, do you feel like a bit more able to be that free now?

Sarah Louise Stenton (08:53)

Yeah.

Yeah, sort of. We are a little bit worried about what's going to happen to them, but they are, you know, by the time we go, they'll be 24 and 23. They've both been through uni and you do get to a point you think, think, we've probably done everything we can as parents. And at some point, you do have to say, it's over to you now. I mean, I left home at 18, and I know it's different now, and I know it's much more expensive to buy a house.

Hear Me Roar (09:15)

Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (09:25)

But I still think there is the same opportunity out there to grab life, you know, if you want to.

I don't know what they're going to do, but I think they are going to have to figure that out for themselves. That's sort of why we moved and we've given them a year to bed in, if you like, look at careers, look at where they want to live. But they'll always have a home. It's just it'll be in France. So, if they want to come, they can come.

Hear Me Roar (09:41)

Yeah.

I am curious now actually, how is that going to fit in? I know we're going to talk about your comedy shows, but how is that going to fit in? Because you're travelling a lot, your job is now a comedian and you're travelling to all these shows. So how are you going to marry the two?

Sarah Louise Stenton (10:00)

Yeah.

I'm going to have to be a bit cleverer with booking them. I can, what I'll have to do really is either we'll all come over as in me and my husband and the dogs and just perhaps come over in a camper van or something and drive around and do as many shows as I can. But I'm going to have to be a bit, instead of doing them here, there and everywhere sporadically, where anyone will have me frankly, I think I'm going to have to start thinking, right, I'll do...that part of Scotland, and I'm going to do four shows in a week and, you know, come over and do that then have a few days break, and then I'm going to do the west coast of Scotland, same sort of thing. You know, and perhaps come over for three weeks at a time and then go back and have a, you know, a few months at home and then do the same again. So, it's just going to take a bit of planning and thought, but I think we can do it, I think it'll be good.

Hear Me Roar (10:42)

Yeah.

Yeah, so you're going to make it more concentrated rather than like scatter gun all over the place. Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (11:07)

Yes, yeah exactly.

Yeah, yeah, and I think doing the fringe will help with the publicity side of things as well.

Hear Me Roar (11:18)

So, how did you decide or why did you decide to start this what is now becoming a hugely successful comedy tour?

Sarah Louise Stenton (11:27)

I didn't really know what else to do with it. I kept getting people...people kept saying, why don't you, should be out, you know, doing comedy, stand-up comedy. And I thought, don't be ridiculous. And I did one in our local pub. There was 19 people, so that's all we could fit in. And mostly it was friends and friends of friends. So it was people I knew locally. And I thought, if it's shit, pardon my French, you know, it doesn't matter.

Hear Me Roar (11:52)

It's alright.

Sarah Louise Stenton (11:53)

I'll never need to do it again. But they all really started laughing and proper, you know, enjoying it. And afterwards they all came up and said, my God, that was really... And I thought, I absolutely loved doing it. The first time I heard them laughing, it was like a light bulb went off.

Hear Me Roar (12:00)

Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (12:10)

I love the laughter side of it, but I also really enjoy and feel quite moved, actually, by the ladies that come up afterwards and say, I haven't left the house in three years, my friend dragged me out and this is the first time I've laughed for years.

So, I think that message is really important. The laughter's lovely and it's fabulous to hear, but the comments afterwards from those people that perhaps are a bit hidden away, you know, a bit quiet, perhaps struggling really, really badly with the menopause and think they're alone and the only ones going through it. So, that powers me on, if you know what I mean. That feels like that's my charger.

So yeah, it's hard now not to do it. I can't imagine a world where I don't go out and do the comedy shows, even if there's only five people there. It doesn't matter.

Hear Me Roar (13:05)

Yeah, well, every time you do one, obviously your page is flooded with comments from people who've been to see it to say how wonderful it is. I've also noticed you're very kind, which is quite a... What's the word? Brain fog. Can't think what... Anyway, it's quite a boring word to sum it up. But I have noticed that some ladies will say to you, I'm on my own and I don't want to come on my own.

Sarah Louise Stenton (13:32)

Oh, yeah

Hear Me Roar (13:33)

You straight away say, I will meet you on the door and you can help me hand the tickets out. And that must be so lovely for somebody who is feeling that they're on their own, A, in the menopause, B, they might not have enough friends to gather a group with them to actually come to one of your shows. And you've done that right from the get-go. Are you still going to be able to do that when the shows get bigger?

Sarah Louise Stenton (13:37)

Yeah.

Well, I think so. I think it's, I'm not saying I'm a nice, kind person, because I could be as horrible as the next, but that was just something that was instinctive. I didn't want anyone to feel that they couldn't come because they were on their own or whatever. And also, if I'm being completely honest, a little bit selfish, because if I've got somebody checking names in on the door, I can go to the bar and get a drink. So, it's a win-win.

Hear Me Roar (14:04)

What's not to love?

Well, we've been to see you and we really enjoyed it. We laughed. We did laugh, yeah. And all my friends came, and they all laughed.

Sarah Louise Stenton (14:25)

Thank you.

Yeah, that was a good night, that one. Yeah, I really enjoyed that. That was a really, really lovely crowd.

Hear Me Roar (14:33)

It was. It was great fun. So, you've had a year where not only was your husband dangerously ill, you lost your home, your job, and you're still here, you're smiling, and you're still making other people smile as well. Where do think that resilience comes from, Sarah?

Sarah Louise Stenton (14:56)

I've got no idea. I'm from, like, on my mum's side of the family. it's good old Northern stock. It's, you know, somebody dies, just make egg sandwiches and crack on sort of thing.

Hear Me Roar (15:06)

Ah

Sarah Louise Stenton (15:07)

I think it's important to be positive as much as you can be. I mean, last year was awful, aside from all the financial issues. We lost four people, you know, three family members and one lovely, lovely friend. So, it was an absolute horror show. But you somehow just pull your big girl pants up, and you carry on. One of the things that I did realise because my uncle had Alzheimer's and I loved him very much and I cared, was basically his primary carer really, was going into that world how actually unintentionally hilarious it can be because before they get to the end stage when it's just horrific, but it's things like we were trying to play play your cards right with the oldies in the in the care home and they were so funny and, you know, he would say I've turned over a two, Margaret. Do want to go higher or lower than a two? Lower. And we're like, are you sure? Yes. And then they'd really kick off when you turned over a king or something. This game's absolute shit. And it was just, it's comedy gold, honestly. So, you know, yes, there were some moments of absolute horror, but there were also lovely, lovely moments. it's, there's always somebody worse off than you, isn't there? You know.

Hear Me Roar (16:12)

yeah

Sarah Louise Stenton (16:27)

And I think that's the best way to look at it, really. Also with that old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, really. You just got to keep pushing on through.

I think that's, that's a very waffly answer to your question.

Hear Me Roar (16:40)

It's not. I think it's actually a really lovely answer, full of empathy. And that kind of empathy is what you reflect in your Facebook page when people do come and say, thank goodness you're here. You're getting me through. You provide this community, this place, this sort of safe space for people who are struggling. And that's so important. But what I also admire is you have no compunction about dealing with anyone who comes on and is unkind, and I really admire that.

Sarah Louise Stenton (17:14)

No.

You’re talking about Barry from Birmingham City Council, whatever he was called. I know. I just think it's disgusting. And if people are going to be absolutely horrible and vile, and you always get people saying, oh, just rise above it, just ignore it. No, because if they're coming at me and attacking me personally, for no reason, I never go on and attack you, I never do a post specifically attacking somebody. Then no, I think they should be made to be accountable for their…

Hear Me Roar (17:23)

Yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (17:48)

their comments, but my favourite feature of the page is the Help the Hive that we do when people come message in, but that again you see that comes with its own…

Hear Me Roar (17:55)

Yeah, so I was just going to ask you about that.

Sarah Louise Stenton (18:01)

I don't know what the right word is for this. It can be really hard not to get emotionally involved with somebody if they send you a message, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. It's sort of, I find it very difficult to close the page and to, you know, and to leave it and forget about it. So, it stays with me whirling at night. That's something I'm trying very hard to, not limit, but I'm trying to sort of say to them, I don't think I'm the right person to help you through this. Let's get you some links of professional people. Because I do think some people do see you as a friend, as somebody they know personally, which is lovely. But sometimes that can transpose itself into thinking that you're the one that's going to be there for them 24 hours a day, which you just can't be.

Hear Me Roar (18:50)

Yeah, yeah, I find the same thing sometimes. If I receive a lot of messages from someone, and I think to myself, I can't become too embroiled here because I've got to kind of find a way to sort of step back and slightly distance myself.

Sarah Louise Stenton (19:08)

Yeah. We’re not trained to be able to deal with it. We're not professional counsellors. And it's very hard because of course you want to help someone who's reaching out, but it's really hard, I find, to sometimes reel it back in again and sort of say, actually, yeah, I find that quite hard to sort of step away from. So let me get you the proper help. And yeah, so that's...

Hear Me Roar (19:27)

Yeah, draw that line.

Sarah Louise Stenton (19:38)

That's something I struggle with, but I think that's, it's probably a compliment to all of us that people see us as friends and as somebody that they can reach out to in their time of need. And I wouldn't ever want to take that away from them.

Hear Me Roar (19:50)

You also have to be careful because quite often they assume you have a medical knowledge about the menopause and about issues which we do not. None of us do.

Sarah Louise Stenton (19:56)

Yeah.

No.

No, I mean you sort of learn as you go don't you? And, you know, if someone says I feel this this and this, you probably know enough to say you definitely need to go and see your doctor, and go and get checked out. So the Help the Hive is such a nice feature because I do feel a bit like I can pass it over to everyone else on the page and take a bit of a step back. So yeah.

Hear Me Roar (20:25)

And that kind of brings me back to that resilience because how do you deal with people bringing you their problems when you're maybe having the worst time yourself?

Sarah Louise Stenton (20:43)

I had that very recently actually. I had an incident in the changing rooms at our local leisure centre which was enormously triggering for me because of something that happened in my childhood in a changing room when I was a young girl. And I put the post on Facebook about it, and I got hundreds of messages from ladies that had been abused similarly when they were children.

I'm already having my really shitty day having to deal with what I've just dealt with, and I actually had to sort of shut the comments off on that to put my phone away and leave it for a couple of days and then, when I felt stronger, I went back to it, and I did say to all of them I'm really sorry but I can't deal with your issue because it's too hard

Hear Me Roar (21:37)

No.

Sarah Louise Stenton (21:39)

on me and, you know, I think that sometimes is the hardest thing to say because your instinct is always I want to help you but you…you can't pour from an empty can or whatever the saying is, can you? You know, if you're feeling absolutely drained and you've got nothing left, you can't help anybody, so, and I think people appreciate that and, of course, what they don't realise is it's not just them sending a message in it's

dozens and dozens of others, you know, all with similarly heartbreaking stories. So, I do always send them a link, just saying, you know, go check out this organisation, la la la, this is really helpful.

Hear Me Roar (22:15)

Yvonne, as you just asked about resilience, I think sometimes saying no does show strength and resilience because sometimes you have to take a step back and draw the line and put yourself first, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Sarah Louise Stenton (22:30)

No, no, absolutely. Like I say, you can't pour water from an empty can or whatever the saying is, you have to look after yourself. So, it's better to help as many as you can, I think. And yeah, like I say, keep some back for yourself.

Hear Me Roar (22:34)

No.

So, Edinburgh Fringe, tell us about that. How's that come about? What made you wake up one day and go, right, that's it, I'm going to Edinburgh Fringe?

Sarah Louise Stenton (22:48)

Yes.

Well, I'm very lucky that my family, my parents and my sister live in Edinburgh, so that's a big bonus. They've got accommodation sorted, I know. And I just thought, why not? We went to see a few shows last year. There were some that were brilliant and there were some that were crap, actually. And I just thought I could do better than that. You know, and I know that sounds a bit horrible, but there were...

Hear Me Roar (22:58)

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Louise Stenton (23:18)

some there that the audience was sitting there literally cringing for them, you know, and I just thought I could do, I can do better than that. So, I thought, well I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, so yeah, I've just registered and doing three dates, and then we're off to France, so if it all goes horrible and I'm dreadful, I'll be out of the country anyway, so nobody cares.

Hear Me Roar (23:39)

So, tell us about the three dates.

Sarah Louise Stenton (23:43)

31st of July, so it's the Thursday, Friday the 1st of August and Saturday the 2nd of August.

Hear Me Roar (23:51)

Can I just ask a quick question? Did you tell your family that we're coming to stay as well?

Sarah Louise Stenton (23:55)

Yeah, you could do. I'm really looking forward to it. It looks like a lovely venue. It seats about 60, I think, which is a nice number. And there's a bar. So, but the funniest thing is it's a former chapel. So, I get to speak at a lectern, is it? You know, like a priest. My show's the most...

Hear Me Roar (24:04)

Perfect number, yeah.

Sarah Louise Stenton (24:15)

ungodly thing I think they're going to have ever seen in that venue but there we go.

Hear Me Roar (24:18)

Yeah, I was just thinking watch out for the lightning strike coming down.

Sarah Louise Stenton (24:23)

Yeah, I know, I'll be ready for it. I'll have my tinfoil hat on. I'll be ready.

Hear Me Roar (24:26)

So, we were also wondering with all this comedy touring around and all the rest of it, what sort of impact does that have on your life?

Sarah Louise Stenton (24:39)

Well, it's okay actually. The most recent ones I've done, David, my husband, has come with me. And at first, he was just cringing because quite a lot of the content obviously is about marriage and how that gets affected by the menopause, sex life and all the rest of it. But he sits there laughing now. I think he quite likes it, and he's got a little fan club, so that's quite funny.

And I think because this is my job now, in essence, and David's retired, it doesn't really get in the way of anything anymore, which is nice.

Hear Me Roar (25:11)

No. Well, that's fantastic.

What's coming up next then?

Sarah Louise Stenton (25:17)

Well, I'm in Cardiff on the 8th of March, York on the 14th and Cottingham which is near Hull on the... the 22nd. So yeah, they're the next three. I haven't booked any... and Belfast on the 13th of April. That one's sold out.

I'd love to get around to Dublin but it's so hard trying to find a venue that's you know not really really overpriced. Yeah, and just more of the same, really, then the Fringe, then obviously moving to France and then hopefully do some more in the autumn. Just try and get booked in and get sorted out for that.

Hear Me Roar (25:45)

Yeah. Your new book, when's that going to be coming out?

Sarah Louise Stenton (26:00)

Yes, yes, I don't know. When I can get my backside in gear and get it finished. Don't know. Hoping, I would love to have it done. Where are we now? I mean, I was thinking Mother's Day, but I mean, that feels like it's going to be a bit of a, that's coming round a bit quick. I mean, it's all done. I just need to sort the publishing side out. Yeah.

Hear Me Roar (26:15)

That's quite soon. It's a challenge.

Sarah Louise Stenton (26:22)

I know, let's say it will be out before Christmas, let's just leave it like that, shall we?

Hear Me Roar (26:26)

Probably a safe timeframe that, before Christmas. If you could say one thing to Sarah 10 years ago, knowing what you know now, what would you say?

Sarah Louise Stenton (26:28)

Yes, we should be able to manage that one.

Ooh.

It won't last forever, I think. Because I would say 10 years ago, what was I? 43, working really long hours, keeping the business going, would have had two teenage daughters, obviously full of hormones, the same as I was, and quite a stressed husband.

I think you do feel like it's going to last forever and you're never going to get a minute to be you again. So, I would say that to it won't last forever. It will get better and in 10 years time, you'll be living a dream you didn't even know you had.

Hear Me Roar (27:08)

Yeah.

So, will you be thinking of becoming fluent in French so you can take your tour around France? Will you be writing any French letters?

Sarah Louise Stenton (27:22)

Oh oui

I don't think so. I can speak a little bit of French. But funnily enough the more we have to drink the more fluent we get, and the arm gestures come out and 

Hear Me Roar (27:35)

Fluent or fluid?

Sarah Louise Stenton (27:35)

we're fluid. We can always make ourselves understood after a couple of drinks.

Hear Me Roar (27:46)

We're on to our last question. So, Sarah, if you were a cocktail, what would you be called and what would be your three main ingredients, and why?

Sarah Louise Stenton (27:51)

Okay.

Well, actually, I did do a cocktail masterclass yesterday with my youngest, and she came up with the name Menopour Me Another One for the cocktail, and I'm afraid there's just a few more than three. So obviously, ice for our hot flushes, vodka because we used to be clear-headed, sharp and easily mixed with anything didn't we?

Hear Me Roar (28:28)

Mm.

Sarah Louise Stenton (28:29)

Passion fruit to make up for the lack of passion in the bedroom. Ginger ale, fiery and angry. And then, finally, cloudy apple juice to represent brain fog. And we made it last night, and it was actually really, really nice. There you go. Menopour me another one. So yeah, highly recommended.

Hear Me Roar (28:40)

Was it?

Right, might have to repeat that.

We might have to repeat those ingredients for our listeners, if they want to have a go at mixing it.

Sarah Louise Stenton (28:57)

No, it's just

Ice, vodka, bit of passion fruit, ginger ale and a cloudy apple juice to dilute as needed. But no, it was really very nice. It was lovely.

Hear Me Roar (29:05)

Lovely. Sounds nice and fruity. Well, thank you, Sarah. We wish you the absolute best with the move to France, with the shows, with the Edinburgh Fringe and with the book so much. Sounds to us like you have a very bright future ahead of you. And we'll look forward to seeing you.

Sarah Louise Stenton (29:14)

My pleasure.

Thank you.

Thank you and good luck to you too with your podcast.

I hope it goes well and you get some really, really lovely guests on there. So good luck.