Two Blogposts for the 'Price' of One...............

Before I start my blogpost 'proper'.......................a little family announcement,...........

My niece Laura and her partner Iain have been blessed with the arrival of Toby James. All is well!

Toby will be another welcome grandson for my sister, Mandy.

We are all awaiting another visit from the stork. My son and his wife are also expecting a happy event, due 10th October.

With all this Family business going on .........don't be surprised if I'm not around as much over the next few weeks.

**********

A smile is such a powerful tool.............it can even break the ice!

I wanted to share the following story with you..............I hope it makes you smile.

Throughout the 1990's I worked for our local newspaper, the Lincolnshire Echo.

My first, (and most favourite) job there was working as a Promotions Co-ordinator.

I had many different tasks, no two days were the same, and it was very busy!

It was not unusual to get home at 1am from a Pub Fun Night, only to get up again a few hours later to drive across the county to organise a Trolley Dash competition in one of the supermarkets in a nearby town.

Sometimes, I would be sooooooo tired - I would get home from work, pour myself a cup of coffee and sit and cry with exhaustion.

And yet.............I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

One day, (around 1993?) my diary went like this...........

MORNING

8.30am Office, taking telephone calls from competition hotline and general admin.

Telephone call to the Town Crier to go over last minute details for that evening's Press Call taking place at the new Lincoln University.

Organise Hospitality Champagne reception for the Uni's Press Call

Yes! Of course this is me - how could you doubt it?

AFTERNOON

1pm Load up Echo van and head out to run a Shop Party at a local newsagent's. This was for the kids. We had Games, Face Painting etc. These always had a theme, so................

Change into Pirate Costume............

I'm the one with the longest plait - it was my REAL hair!

5.30pm Back to the Office, unload van. Shower and change. (This is my third outfit of the day!)

Put on fresh makeup and 'grown up' shoes.

6.15pm Walk over the road to the University - set out 200 chairs in front of the stage and help put out glasses, plates etc in the hospitality area.

At 6.30pm people were beginning to arrive.

There were.....................

Local and National Press, and....................

Local Radio, and..................

Regional Television.

There was also an assortment of council officials, the Mayoral party, and representatives from local big businesses.

There was also to be a special V.I.P. who would give a speech.

I walked into Hospitality. I greeted the guests.

After making sure they all had a glass of champagne and a sausage on a stick, I sat down.

My feet were killing me!

I was also really hungry. Apart from two gallons of coffee, the only things that had passed my lips that day was.....................

a Curly Wurly at the newsagent's shop, and from the back of the office store cupboard, from a previous Promotion..................

a packet of soggy, very out of date crisps, and...................

a bottle of old, flat Tizer!

I looked around the room. I recognised almost all the faces.

Most of us attended loads of similar "Do's."

We all "sort of" knew each other.

It wasn't unusual to see a familiar face and then spend five minutes of small talk, trying to remember their name or who EXACTLY they were!

(I was lucky - I always wore a name badge!)

There was a man watching me rub my sore tootsies. I knew his face, couldn't think who he was, but he had a lovely friendly smile, so I waved.

He waved back and I shouted to him,

"Aye up, Mate. Pass me summat for me hunger pangs. I'm droppin' through me drawers!"

He came over and handed me a HUGE sausage roll and a glass of Champagne.

I said, "Thanks, errrr?"..........

"Richard," said the smiley man.

"Thank you, Richard," I said.

"No problem, Sue," he replied.

"Sorry about that," I said. "I'm dreadful with names."

"Is that why you wear a name badge? In case you forget who you are?" he teased.

I smiled and finished the sausage roll. The other guests were going out to their seats to join the rest of the audience in the main hall.

"Oh well! No rest for the wicked. I'd better go and see if I can find this V.I.P. I'm supposed to be looking after"

"Anyone interesting?" he asked

"I've not found out who it is yet, no doubt some faceless rich entrepreneur type......................."

"I'd better go do some clapping and woo-hooing, these things usually end up putting the audience to sleep!" I said.

The smiley man shook my hand and said,

"I'd better go too. I enjoyed our chat."

I followed him out of Hospitality, he walked to the front of the huge Conference Hall full of people.

I was still wondering where the hell he was going, when he went up on stage, and spoke into the microphone.....................

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen."

Everyone clapped and whooped,

"Welcome to the new University."

Clapping and whooping again...............

"My name is..............

"Richard Branson and I'm so glad you're all still awake."

He looked across at me and winked!

Click here to see a previous post about another one of my embarrassing moments