Scarborough-born comedian Paul Tonkinson spends his weekends touring the country, and finds relaxation in running and red wine.
The week is all about…
I do stand-up comedy so my life's very different to most people. I'm working Thursday, Friday and Saturday, travelling and doing gigs, and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I tend to spend around the house. I'll try and write for a few hours, run, walk the dogs, do family stuff and work on other projects. I'm working on a sitcom at the moment,
That Friday night feeling…
My Friday night is typically driving to a venue. Sometimes I'll do two or three gigs on a Friday night. It's the equivalent to the middle of my working week. It's absurd isn't it, the structure of my week is completely different to everyone else. I've missed out on the usual Friday, Saturday night, but that's when I need to be earning.
Saturday morning - papers or Park Run?
I tend to do a Park Run. It's a massive community movement, so wherever I'm gigging, if I stay over, I'll be up doing a park run at 9am. It's quite a ritual and I really enjoy it. If I'm at home, then I'll read the papers afterwards, and walk the dogs.
Retail therapy - where would you head?
I don't really like shopping. I go every Christmas with my daughter who drags me out to get presents for everybody else, while also getting as much as she can for herself. I don't really care about what I wear, or the latest television, but I have more books than you probably want around the house. And I do the food shop every week. I've got this slight fetish about supermarkets. I think being surrounded by that much food makes me feel safe, or something, and I like chatting to people.
Fresh air favourites
My dad lives in Thirsk so I love getting up to Osmotherley to run around the hills and moorland. It's really stark but beautiful. And if I get to Scarborough, there's a road race that happens around the marine drive and I adore that because it was the first run I did as a kid. I remember it distinctly as a 12-year-old, doing it off my own back so there's an emotional connection for me.
Saturday night perfection is…
Just a great gig. I'm lucky I still enjoy stand-up comedy. I've been doing it full-time for about 27 years now, but I'm still surprised by how good one feels after a great gig. You feel absolutely fantastic. I've literally had two or three Saturday nights off in the last ten years, it's just not something I do.
Sunday chills - what's your relax?
Sunday becomes my night out in a way, so I'll get friends around on a Sunday afternoon and I tend to have a drink because I don't drink at all through the week. Sunday afternoon is my Friday night when I release the tensions of the week.
Feeding time - brunch, lunch or picnic?
My ideal scenario is friends coming around on Sunday afternoon, about 2pm, and we've got some lamb stew in the oven and various bottles of nice red wine and the afternoon reaching out in front of us and we dive into it with food and wine, and a good chat.
Sunday night rituals?
I find if I can stop drinking about 9pm, and start sobering up I'll be ok, so it's a gentle wind down from then. I'll rehydrate, watch MOTD2 and try to go to bed at a reasonable hour. I don't have the dread of Monday morning looming but at the same time, you can feel a bit isolated if everybody's getting ready to go to work on a Monday morning and you're really hungover. It's nice to feel at least part of society. u
26.2 Miles to Happiness: A Comedian's Tale of Running, Red Wine and Redemption by Paul Tonkinson is out now
