No Such Thing As A Fish No Such Thing As Elizabeth I's Burnt Umber
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Apr 2, 2026 Angela Barnes, comedian and writer known for her stand-up and synesthesia stories, chats about how numbers and letters have colours and personalities for her. The conversation jumps to spatial thought, rare sensory overlaps like mirror-touch, and quirky royal tales about who could touch Elizabeth I. They also race through F1 oddities, historical ale remedies and colourful anecdotes from royal protocol.
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Consistency Is Useful But Not Definitive For Synesthesia
- Some synesthetic associations show population trends but remain individual and sometimes consistent over time, used as a test criterion.
- Angela notes days often trend blue and consistency tests help validate synesthesia despite occasional change after trauma.
Orgasms Have Colours For Some Synesthetes
- Sexual sensations can also produce synesthetic colours; Angela uses colour terms to describe orgasm intensity.
- She jokes her husband knows a great night when she reports the colour 'burnt umber' to indicate intensity.
Master Of The Horse Had Unique Access To Elizabeth I
- In Elizabethan court protocol the Master of the Horse had intimate duties like helping the Queen mount, sometimes making them the only men permitted physical contact.
- James Harkin cites Richard Drake as historically noted as the only man allowed to touch Elizabeth I because he helped her mount horses.