Friday 15 April 2011

Absolute(Radio)ly fantastic day!

See that >>>>>>>
That's me and Tim Minchin!

Such a good day! Met up with a friend in the morning to try on and buy shoes. Tried on Jimmy Choos and bought Fit Flops - there is something wrong with that statement, I'm sure it should be the other way around. The Jimmy Choos were at least as comfortable as the Fit Flops and far more stylish! We spoiled ourselves with pink champagne and strawberries instead of morning coffee and grabbed a quick lunch before husbando and I headed on over to Absolute Radio.

After some waiting around in the reception area of Absolute Radio where I met a couple of people I know from 'internet land' and then we were taken up to the staff canteen on the third floor. When you hear of venues being 'intimate' you tend to think of a theatre seating a couple of hundred people, well this 'intimate venue' was little bigger than my sitting room! There can't have been more than 40 people in the 'audience!'

Tim, suffering from the snuffles, came in for a chat with Geoff Lloyd. He was funny, genuine and interesting to listen to. He talked about catching a cold from his children after a flight from Oz, and about how illness always hits at the end of a tour because the buzz keeps you going until you stop. I can concur with adrenalin making sure that you don't get ill while performing but that you get laid low the minute you stop as this always happens to me when I stop teaching - not that I equate my teaching with Tim's awesomeness but it is a performance of sorts! The adrenalin I get standing in front of a class of 32 teenagers made me forget about a broken rib a few weeks back! He broke up the interview with a live version of 'Prejudice,' it was great to hear the surprised/relieved laughs of people (staff I assume) who hadn't heard the lyrics before. Expect to see some professional still and video photography on the station's website to accompany the broadcast on 21st April. I took some still photographs, but didn't use flash and didn't have a tripod or the right lens so they are somewhat blurry but atmospheric! After 'Prejudice' there was some more chat. I think I was smiling too hard to really take most of it in, then Geoff said that the second song would not be broadcast because broadcasters are 'nervous' about Tim's material and we had a live version of one of my favourite songs 'Lullaby' complete with coughing fit in the middle - poor Tim.

Now my singing teacher always told me that singing when poorly is a very bad idea, so I applaud Tim for such a fab performance - and I hope that he takes loads of Vitamin C to get back on tip top form for the Edinburgh and Royal Albert Hall gigs.

Afterwards there was a brief opportunity for photos (he is taller in real life than I had anticipated!), signings and chat. I got MrB to take a photo of me with Tim. A brief exchange that raised a giggle from Tim followed. MrB: 'I'll take another photo cos I always cock it up' Me: 'Yup that's why we've got 5 children' Tim: Giggles.

All in all a great day! Not marred in the slightest by me losing my train ticket between arriving at Waterloo Station and arriving at the platform to board my train! We'd arrived with plenty of time to catch the train, so faffed about getting coffees. When we discovered that my ticket had vanished we had to make a mad dash to the ticket office to get a replacement. The cost of tickets is scandalous! Return tickets to London for two of us, arriving before 10am are £76, plus another £6 for parking at the station.

Today could have been an anticlimax. It was saved by the Emma Bridgewater sale in Selborne village hall. A nice haul of new goodies cheered me up greatly!

What's that? You thought this was a running blog! I did run today, just over 4 miles on one of my favourite routes that I first ran on Christmas day a few years ago. I am still finding it hard work, and am still terribly slow, but I will get there!


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