Well, what can I say. Wednesday night I was treated to an experience of a lifetime courtesy of Affiliate Window. Well, I’ve not having a proper nights sleep for the past three weeks (since I got the invite) because I’ve been so excited and the big day finally arrived. I left home nice and early to check into my hotel near Earls Court and spent two whole hours getting ready (filling in the cracks etc.).
I left my hotel at 3.50pm to get to the meeting place where we had a drink and I met some of the other people who would be sitting at the same table. Three of us had to get a cab to Earls Court for various reasons (no coats, heels too high, typical ladies things) and when we arrived the paparazzi went mental! Not for us obviously though - Denise Van Outen had just got out of her car on the other side of the red carpet wearing what can only be described as the last bit on the roll of gold wrapping paper. We joined the queue halfway along as there were people we knew there so did push in and I had a last cigarette before we went inside. We were directed to a line and we waited patiently for our tickets to be taken and wristbands secured around our wrists (which I almost did an injury to myself with trying to get it off later in my hotel room). We were in! It was a very surreal feeling standing there with champagne in hand looking around for stars and celebrities, Kevin spotted Matt Dawson (who?) somebody else pointed out Gemma Atkinson and I saw someone who looked a little bit like Roman Abramovich - minus his 50 bodyguards! We were milling around star spotting and knocking back the champers for a little while until we were shepherded inside to our tables. I walked up the stairs and WOW! it was magnificent, I was completely starstruck! In front of me was a mass of tables, chairs, glasses, people in shiny clothes - I could go on all night, in fact I did.
We sat at our table with a fantastic view of the proceedings and dinner was served, I can barely remember what I ate as I was so excited the other people at the table were Julia, Simon and Asha from AW, Nicola and Chris from BT, Alex and Joy from Thomas Cook, the very funny Ennis from Jessops and the charming Gary from Equator (who had a funny story about his very smart outfit). Alcohol was freely flowing, dinner came and went - we were allowed outside to smoke, chat was loud and fun, joke telling, story telling, relationships formed (I know, I exaggerate) it was amazing. At about 7.45 pm some guy comes onto the stage and starts geeing up the crowd from the world famous ‘Brits School’, boy can they scream, when we went live at 8 pm the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. With a flash Mika was on stage, to be honest I wasn’t a great Mika fan, until now, he was awesome and his duet with Beth Ditto was fab. After his set the Osbourne’s were introduced with a huge explosion of pyrotechnics and the show was well and truly on the road. I can’t remember everything that followed as I was up and down, dancing and singing along, chatting with others, popping outside for the sly cigarette and all too soon the show was over. What a show it was though, fortunately for me the night was far from over, the party was just beginning.
We were sent upstairs to the after-show party, different rooms, different themes. We managed to lose a fair few people on the way but found them again on the other side of the dance floor. I’d given up with the pain in my feet from my four inch spiky heels (which my wonderful other half bought for me) so they came off and I hit the dance floor with some of the AW staff, who really know how to party. I thought I was a teenager again, I was having the time of my life. However all good things have to come to an end and at 1.30 am I called it a night said my goodbyes and went to find a cab to take me home, well to my hotel at least.
When there, I sailed into the lift and up to my room still on a huge high. I got into bed and turned off the light to find it wouldn’t switch off so I had to get back out of bed and wrap it inside the curtain (don’t ask) and off to sleep I went, only to wake at 7 am feeling like I’d been shot in the kneecaps with a sawn off shotgun! Proof that you may be able to party with the young ‘uns, but you will suffer more the next day!
I’d like to thank Kevin Brown for taking me on a wonderful experience, the AW staff for being so lovely to me all evening especially Julia, Kevin Edwards, Simon, Asha, Mark, Anthony, Rachel (we were capable of flagging down a cab, that was above and beyond) and everyone else I spoke to and laughed with and danced with, it was a truly wonderful night and one I shan’t forget in a hurry.
My kids are still dead jealous that I got to go and I’m sure they won’t let me forget it in a hurry.
