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2018, if you didn’t already know, has been my first full calendar year of podcasting. It’s been my first full year of sticking to a semi-regular schedule on a number of audio projects.
The main podcast for me, since August 2017 has been the Holtecast. A podcast that many of you have listened to, and still continues to attract listeners in droves. It’s a podcast that I inherited, and despite my work on it under the previous hosts - Jack Grimse and Robert Lintott - it’s something that I was almost completely unfamiliar with when I started hosting it and editing it on my own after the Hull City match that kicked off the 2017/2018 season. Truth be told, I was winging it from the get-go. I didn’t have a locked down co-host, so had to rotate between guests, and when there was no guest I had to host it on my own. When Daniel Raza joined in October 2017, and for near enough every episode since, he’s hosted the podcast with me, so this note is as much from him as it is from me.
And what is this note? It’s a Thank You. I don’t think the Holtecast is the best Aston Villa podcast, nor is it the funniest, or the most creative. I certainly think it is sometimes the most optimistic, and I’d hope it’s the most thoughtful - but that’s up to debate - but people continue to listen and react. I can’t thank you enough. I’ve had my voice recognised in person on two embarrassing occasions, I’ve made a number of amazing friends - just through the podcast.
This podcast has given me the confidence to speak - and delve into other projects I’ve wanted to do for ages. Since 2009 I’ve wanted to do something about Spider-Man in the form of a podcast, and that happened this year - as I embarked on a blind read-through of The Amazing Spiderman with my mate (Swinging Through Spider-Man). I wouldn’t have done that without this podcast. It’s dumb and stupid, but I wanted to do it and this Holtecast gave me the know-how and confidence to pull it off.
The experiences granted to me via this podcast have been worth their weight in gold. So here’s a thank you, from me and Daniel. We’ll be back in 2019 - and that’s all down to you and your support. See you soon!